IMO, we shouldn't totally disregard the IC things. We do have to ask why the IC assignments were given.
IC reasons do exist: as both Yangfan has said, and as I postulated.
BUT, the messages perplex me about whether the IC things were actually motivated ICly.
Example: If I OOC message someone and say, "I'm banning your character because of XYZ you said on the forum," but then the character also happens to be breaking some realm law, the ban is STILL a violation of the SC: because the existence of IC reasons is not sufficient.
IMHO, and I know I'm in a minority on this, players with negative OOC history have to walk on tip-toes around each other and go out of their way to play nice. As best I can tell, Aaron was doing this: making a new character playing in a new realm in a new crowd. Yangfan decided to haze the new guy to get him to go away, because he didn't OOCly trust him based on an OOC belief about spy networks that he regards as "fuzzy" in regards to their IC/OOCness. To me, that's wrong. And here's why:
If the alleged spy network was "bad," then a Magistrates case could have been filed. If its "unsportsmanslike" or not playing with friends, Magistrates can address it. Seriously– I'd love to have somebody bring up a case about a multi-continental secretive spy/patronage ring. It'd give me an AWESOME chance to soapbox about clanning again. But such a case did not appear. Such a case having not appeared, the existence of the spying activity, and especially its negative moral character, must be ignored for a ruling. Because, IMHO, if such a multi-continental secretive network did exist, it would be next to impossible for it to be acceptable within the Social Contract. Accusing someone of such a network IS accusing them of cheating, and then predicating your treatment of their characters on your (unproven) beliefs about their (possible) behavior that (may be) cheating is inappropriate.
Ultimately, it seems a mild violation to me. I don't see either party here as having done anything particularly egregious; just some ruffled feathers– but, to me, again, it still appears that Yangfan is the one who acted inappropriately first (I won't address the "escalation" thing here), in that it does not appear to me most likely that his choice of orders for Remi was really about IC family vendettas. It seems like it was about a semi-OOC alleged spy ring. And yes, the lines between IC and OOC get fuzzy here: but it's woefully insufficient to say, "I can think of an IC reason I might have done it!"
Even the IC message to Celestial Fury is a thinly veiled discussion of game mechanics, IMHO.
