Mod Post - Posts involving rape

[icon_uk]

Just a note from your beloved Mod Team.

We've noticed a somewhat larger than usual number of posts which require the use of the trigger warning for rape.

Now, it's definitely within the boards remit to cover stories which feature rape (which is why we have the tag), and these are being tagged properly, so there's no complaint with any poster's behaviour in that regard, but....

Could we maybe give the subject a bit of a rest for a while please? Maybe post somethinn which doesn't feature it, if there's a choice?

It's a weird world out there at the moment, and if we could maybe skip some of the really dark stuff on SD for right now, that would be awesome, thanks.

Comments

[magicrubbish]

May I respectfully disagree ?? I mean as you've yourself mentioned that the posts being made are following rules appropriately , which means people who are sensitive to the topic have the option to simply ignore these posts. Then, I really don;t see what's the problem ??
It's a weird world out there and yes the world is going through a difficult time as it it. But assault on women or men is as old as mankind and stopping the conversation just because so , feels weirder to me. Also, it honestly feels like moderating for the sake of it , which I am sorry to say I've noticed even before.
It's not like A. Any one is forcing anyone to go through these contents , B. What next ?? I'm sensitive to super heroines wearing slut suits , shouldn't that be moderated as well ?? Is there any end of it ??
and C. It's not like these comics are celebrating or endorsing rape , more like showing light on some thing that happens everyday to women all around the world. Honestly , it sounds to me like a lot of men I know who refuse to talk about it because they think women make a big issue of it , as if it not a big issue always.

[stubbleupdate]

As one of the people who raised this issue with the mods, I have to say that the context counts as well.

Your point C is sort of correct. With some of the recent posts there has been a bit of a revenge fantasy element with the using-a-leashed-rapist-to-rape-rapists storyline. Does that count as glorifying or celebrating rape? It certainly works to address or subvert the traditional power dynamic.

On this community though, the scans are presented out of context. There is no background or summary provided by the poster. So, when we get to see 5 posts in 3 week about rape it is difficult to get where the poster is coming from. Are they celebrating it, asking us to compare how this text treats it compared to another text, or just bashing out jpgs like it's a 9-5 job?

[kurenai_tenka]

From your comment it seems that you clicked/read the posts in question. If there are contextual instances of rape that you find upsetting, perhaps avoid posts tagged with it altogether? As you've said, the tag does not provide context, so if there is a context where it could be a problem for you, then for your own wellbeing it would surely be better to avoid them all? The only alternative is refining the tag and creating additional ones, which I doubt is a solution anyone really wants.

[stubbleupdate]

Thank you for your concern about my wellbeing.

My wellbeing is not threatened by the posts, nor by reading them.

My concern was a from scrolling through the main page and thinking in general "There's a lot of rape going on here" and wondering if I was out of step with the ethos of the community.

It seems that I am.

[kurenai_tenka]

I'm glad to hear that you haven't been badly affected by anything on here. I was genuinely unsure if that was the case.

'It seems that I am.'

I'm not sure what you're replying to here? My comment about refining the tags? If so, perhaps it would be possible to (under the cut) add a little more detail on the content, for people who aren't sure.


But since you've said your issue is with the posts' overall existence, I'm thinking that probably isn't what you mean either?


Based on the comm's ethos (sidebar edition), if it was constantly rape as shown through a barrage of violent misogyny, then there would definitely be an argument to be had there (as that would go against 'woman-friendly' aspect). As someone has said above though, there should also be room for discussions on serious issues and how they're being portrayed.

I don't think, in general, that there are usually silly amounts of posts with rape tagged, it was just a coincidence that there were a few together recently. But I'm saddened to see people who contribute to the comm publicly shamed like this.

[stubbleupdate]

When I said "It seems that I am" I was referring to feeling out of step with the community's views. I was continuing my thought, not responding to yours.

I have no opinion or comment on refining the tags.

My thoughts don't go much further than "This guy has made 5 rape posts in 3 weeks...is that a lot?" I'm sure that if it came up when I was on the mod team (over a decade ago, and I know that cultures change) the other mods and I would have had a little chat about it. The consensus from speaking to one I'm still in touch with was "Uh, YES" we'd have had a concern about it

Your other points are very good. One thing that makes it difficult to judge is that there is no context provided and no effort to frame a discussion. Just...here's a rape. I'd be looking to have some sort of discussion with the user in question about if they were aware of how they were presenting themselves in the community and take it from there.

[kurenai_tenka]

Right, yeah. That's obvious now, reading it back. That being said, it sounds like you're implying that everyone else is thrilled about posts with that content?

If it's all the same person, and that's all they're posting, then yeah that's dubious, but if it's an individual, then a polite private message may have been more congenial. You seem to have suggested something similar in your last paragraph too. As for why they posted them, I have no idea, nor did I read most of them to extrapolate. The one you referred to above I assumed was just 'here's a weird thing', but I've no idea. As I said though, if that's all they're posting, it's a bit iffy, yeah.

[cyberghostface]

If this was referring to my last post it’s the only issue in a twelve issue miniseries that would need such a warning. Besides that the last month it’s just been history79’s posts.

[icon_uk]

As noted, it's not a specific poster thing, so no finger pointing please.

[cyberghostface]

Sorry. Just saying that there’s nothing like that for the rest of the series.

[owlbrigade1]

One hundred percent behind you here. The world is exhausting enough right now, that I am just all about out of mental reserves. Even seeing the CW tag is starting to get to me a little, which can't be a good sign.

[kurenai_tenka]

This feels a little mean to the posters who have submitted things with that tag lately. It feels like putting them down when they're contributing to the community. Couldn't this have been said to them in private? Moreover, if you would like to see happier posts to ratio it down, maybe a challenge/theme to that effect?

[buttz]

Agreed -- maybe instead of calling out people who are contributing you could make a different post to light a fire under the asses of those of us who aren't?

[icon_uk]

It was a six of one, half a dozen of the other situation.

If it's a message, then we are singling someone out.

If it's a post, then it's a broad brush.

Neither is ideal.

A fair point on the happier posts though, Let's see what we can do about that.

[kurenai_tenka]

'If it's a message, then we are singling someone out'

It's still singling people out, except that instead, you've done it in public. Frankly, if it'd have been me, I'd have probably never posted again.

Hell, you could've suggested a period of nice things only, without making a point of criticising the recent posts. I'm happy that people take the time to post things and contribute to the community, even if it's not something I'm interested in.

I'm sorry that you've found the recent posts upsetting, but I think you've been very unfair in this case.

[fra080389]

Yeah...l

[malurette]

Agreed.

Frankly, if I'd posted anything at all, even not warning-worthy, in the period under scrutiny I'd be so anxious to have maybe missed using a warning, I'd probably never post anything again out of fear of doing things wrong. Is this wholesome enough? Is this moral enough? Am I absolutely sure I'm not posting anything by a Problematic (TM) Author that might unwittingly upset anyone?

[kurenai_tenka]

Yeah exactly, and the posters don't deserve to feel like that, since they weren't breaking any rules and they tagged everything accordingly.

Honestly if they banned all rape posts tomorrow I wouldn't care, but knowing that you can retroactively break a previously unspoken rule is pretty off-putting.

[malurette]

The mere possibility of Unspoken Rules gives me so much posting anxiety, urgh. OK, back to undefinite lurking now.

[icon_uk]

As I note in the reply to kurenai_tenka below, rest assured we have no unspoken rules and have absolutely no intention of making any, and certainly not retroactively.

What has been posted has been posted and as long as it follows the written rules, we have no problem with that.

Should you ever have any concerns about posting something, you are always welcome to approach us, we are always amenable to hearing any questions.

[malurette]

I'm sorry but the way I see it, there is this unspoken rule now that the precedent is set: you may post anything following the written rules but oh there's always the possibilty that if a mod doesn't like your posts/you don't insist enough on the fact that you condemn warning-worthy content in them/someone complains/you post too much/what else now, there could very well be a public call-out.

There's always been a little voice at the back of my mind saying, hey be careful what you post, how you do it, how often, lest you bore or turn off or anger people, and now it's turned into a blaring alarm: oh yeah and when they don't like it they'll very publicly point out how wrong what you do is.

[icon_uk]

Hi, just to interject slightly here

There are rules here, yes, but not unspoken ones. Never have been, never will be for at least as long as I'm part of the Mod Team.

And the only case I can think of a retroactive rule in the 15 years or so I've been a part of this community, as poster and Mod, was when we made a rule about page limits on webcomic postings, and that was a highly unusual situation following a legal request on behalf of a creator. Even then it wasn't mandatory, just a courtesy request to fix past posts where possible.

So there has been no change to board posting rules. You can post whatever you wish as you could before, within the existing rules.

In this particular case there had been a spike in a particular topic, and not just any topic, but one of the heavier, more sensitive, themes we have (to the extent it falls into one of our few categories requiring tagging and locking) and we asked (not instructed, asked) for maybe a bit of a break on that theme for a while.

We didn't ask for posts to be removed, or locked, or anything along those lines. You can still, if you so wish, makes posts involving rape and provided the existing rules are followed, there will be no come-back, comment or judgement from anyone on the Mod Team.

Would we do it differently in light of these comments, quite possibly, I can't say for sure, but thank you for your frankness.

[hot_pie]

I would prefer we don't go down this path. I use this site as a place to get recommendations for comics to read that I wouldn't have found on my own-- this site has turned me on to a lot of great writers and comics that do happen to cover off pretty awful things (see: Moore, Ennis, etc.). Some do it better than others, obviously.

[icon_uk]

Rest assured that nothing has changed about what people may or may not post.

This was purely a request to maybe spread posts involving rape out a little more, as we've had a bit of a spike

[nyadnar17]

I too wouldn't mind taking a break from all the rape post.

[donnblake]

I don't post an awful lot of scans (I have like, twice maybe?) but just for the sake of clarity, is this a new rule or just a general suggestion/request?

[icon_uk]

It was absolutely a request, and absolutely NOT a new rule.

It's just that we've had more than the average of late, and a break might be pleasant.

People are still absolutely free to make such posts if they wish.

[smili]

Thank you. <3 I appreciate this.