Author Topic: Use of Rumour and personal information on irc, in forums, ingame and other places like skype and fac  (Read 34712 times)

Geronus

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A verdict has been reached, and IG enforcement actions have been taken. For anyone who desires to cite this case in the future, the final verdict is:

"After consideration, the Magistrates find the defendant guilty of violating the Social Contract. The evidence and testimony provided point to a disturbing pattern of behavior wherein the defendant repeatedly used OOC avenues of communication to suggest that two other players were cheating, power-gaming or otherwise doing something unethical. Moreover, the defendant also spread rumors about the two players' personal lives in the process while clearly implying that there was something sordid or improper about their behavior. Although the defendant did not make such accusations publicly, the fact that he saw fit to do so privately on multiple occasions and with multiple other players gives this entire episode the character of a subtle campaign of harassment and slander. We believe that this was, in fact, the intended effect of the defendant's actions. This case in many ways epitomizes why the Social Contract forbids publicly accusing others of cheating without proof. The damage such accusations can do to affected players and the atmosphere of the game itself is insidious and not easily countered.

We believe that this behavior has been driven by the defendant's competitive nature. While we recognize that Battlemaster is inherently a PvP game, we also expect the competition to remain friendly at all times. When competitiveness compels a player to cross this line and begin harassing another player in an effort to gain IG advantages, we must intervene and we feel that a strong message is necessary in this case. This situation appears to have been largely driven by an IG conflict between Perdan, ruled by the defendant, and Eponlynn and Caligus, ruled by the players who were his targets. As such, we have determined that we will strip the defendant's titles in Perdan and bar him from regaining them for a period of 1 month. This enforced break from the burdens of being a Ruler is made so that the pressures that have led to this behavior are removed from the picture. In addition, his account will be locked for 3 days, time which we hope will be used by the defendant to take a step back and consider how he might change his behavior in the future.

Magistrates voted 8-0 in favor of a guilty verdict, with 1 vote for stripping the defendant's titles, 5 votes for stripping his titles and applying a 3-day lock, and 2 votes for stripping his titles and applying a 7-day lock.

This thread will remain open for any questions regarding the case.