Hello, sorry for the delay in the reply, the last two days have been a lot IRL and I did not want to dive into my inbox until I could give replies the thought and respect they - and their posters - deserve. That said, here we go.
You say that you are saying this again, but given anon, I am not certain which person you are, so I do not know what replies I have already said to you, or that you may have seen elsewhere, so I ask for your forgiveness in advance for any potential repetitiveness.
As I have said in other replies, some of which may have been to you, I was not thinking of people who actively and intentionally sought to do harm. It has been brought up multiple times in this thread and I am giving it now the serious consideration that it deserves. I may have been - probably was - naive. And I'll own that. When I said that, I had been thinking about people who had RPed something that had made someone uncomfortable unintentionally; someone who had once laced every post with profanity; or maybe even someone who used to type everything in text speak that made it hard to understand them.
When I speak of second chances and people growing up, I am talking about people who have done just that. Grown up. We all live and are affected by our lives, changed by them. Everything we do and see and hear and read has the potential to impact us. I know I have learned a lot by going through this process, and seeing things - like this issue - that I have not considered before.
When it comes to the issue of abusers - past and present - that issue is so much larger than any one game, even than this community. I can't say "now that this has been brought to my attention here is my plan for that" I can't. I can't say I have an answer... because I don't. What I have now is a reminder that this is a thing I need to consider, and consider seriously, because it is a serious issue.
I never intended to shame anyone at any point. Nor to force anyone to do things that make them feel unsafe. All along I have been saying that my intent has been to make a game that would feel safe and welcoming. For everybody. Again, perhaps that is naive. But I am unsure how exactly you drew from my not thinking about abusers in this circumstance to seeing me as supporting them. It was an oversight, and a devastating one that I regret. If I have caused anyone pain in this endeavor, if I have reopened any wounds or trauma I am deeply and intensely sorry. That had never been my intent.
Should I ever actually create any game in the future - this one or others - making people feel safe and welcomed is always going to be a top priority. Perhaps THE top priority.
This is a serious issue and I have been giving it serious thought, and will continue to do so. Should I move forward with this or any other game in the future, it will have to be a discussion with the mod team, not a decision made by any one person.
Issues like this, major crucial things I may have missed are one of the biggest reasons that I wanted a mod team in the first place. I know I am fallible, that I have blind spots. We all do. It is part of why working in a team is such a wonderful thing. Because we can watch each other's backs, pick up on what each other missed.
This community has replied to me with a number of things that I missed, and even if this game ever happens, I have learned a lot and hopefully can use what I have learned to b a better friend and stronger ally in the future.
Let me say once again, to anyone and everyone reading this: If I have hurt or offended you in any way shape or form with anything I have said or done, I am sorry. That was never my intent, and I am sorry that I caused you to feel that.
Re: Addressing all comments so far. Thank you for them!
You say that you are saying this again, but given anon, I am not certain which person you are, so I do not know what replies I have already said to you, or that you may have seen elsewhere, so I ask for your forgiveness in advance for any potential repetitiveness.
As I have said in other replies, some of which may have been to you, I was not thinking of people who actively and intentionally sought to do harm. It has been brought up multiple times in this thread and I am giving it now the serious consideration that it deserves. I may have been - probably was - naive. And I'll own that. When I said that, I had been thinking about people who had RPed something that had made someone uncomfortable unintentionally; someone who had once laced every post with profanity; or maybe even someone who used to type everything in text speak that made it hard to understand them.
When I speak of second chances and people growing up, I am talking about people who have done just that. Grown up. We all live and are affected by our lives, changed by them. Everything we do and see and hear and read has the potential to impact us. I know I have learned a lot by going through this process, and seeing things - like this issue - that I have not considered before.
When it comes to the issue of abusers - past and present - that issue is so much larger than any one game, even than this community. I can't say "now that this has been brought to my attention here is my plan for that" I can't. I can't say I have an answer... because I don't. What I have now is a reminder that this is a thing I need to consider, and consider seriously, because it is a serious issue.
I never intended to shame anyone at any point. Nor to force anyone to do things that make them feel unsafe. All along I have been saying that my intent has been to make a game that would feel safe and welcoming. For everybody. Again, perhaps that is naive. But I am unsure how exactly you drew from my not thinking about abusers in this circumstance to seeing me as supporting them. It was an oversight, and a devastating one that I regret. If I have caused anyone pain in this endeavor, if I have reopened any wounds or trauma I am deeply and intensely sorry. That had never been my intent.
Should I ever actually create any game in the future - this one or others - making people feel safe and welcomed is always going to be a top priority. Perhaps THE top priority.
This is a serious issue and I have been giving it serious thought, and will continue to do so. Should I move forward with this or any other game in the future, it will have to be a discussion with the mod team, not a decision made by any one person.
Issues like this, major crucial things I may have missed are one of the biggest reasons that I wanted a mod team in the first place. I know I am fallible, that I have blind spots. We all do. It is part of why working in a team is such a wonderful thing. Because we can watch each other's backs, pick up on what each other missed.
This community has replied to me with a number of things that I missed, and even if this game ever happens, I have learned a lot and hopefully can use what I have learned to b a better friend and stronger ally in the future.
Let me say once again, to anyone and everyone reading this: If I have hurt or offended you in any way shape or form with anything I have said or done, I am sorry. That was never my intent, and I am sorry that I caused you to feel that.
Thank you once again for your feedback.