Local customs

[Karma_geddon]

Hoping that I'm in the right section...

Ok guys: what is all about this "gay" thing? Why is it all "gay" on this server?

I'm trying to understand the local customs

[laboRHEinz]

The problem is that words have different meanings in different situations and times. 50 years ago gay meant happy. 25 years ago gay meant homosexual. 5 years ago gay was commonly used to describe something not liked.

Copyright: Shihan
Same on our server

[Pegasus]

Indeed. This particular "custom" has gone too far, and the same goes for its sibling bigoted habit of using racial slurs. In fact, the minute I'm back from vacation n' active in my advisory duties, I guaranty you I'll be lobbying for the necessary modification of the server's policy to include it in the punishable offenses and asking the ingame admins to put the boot in. Strongly so.

You don't need to be black, brown or asian to stand up against skin-colour-based insults and you don't need to be gay to find the casual usage of the word as a synonym for any common expletive deplorable. In case some of you might have forgotten, we're living in 2013, not in the 60s, and this game, which carried an age rating of "15 or older" has been out for nearly a decade. Everyone playing here today is reasonably assumed to be an adult; a mature adult. We all know how we should behave in our societies, and even though I know heinz has always meant the server to be a quiet refuge for a bunch of friendly folks to get together in the evenings and blow some steam through fragging each other in a laid-back manner, twisting this vision into a "bros only" exclusive club where common decorum and propriety towards fellow individuals are assumed to be left out at the door is very much not the same.

So, to those few of you who figured this was still a place they could afford to act like spoiled, white, privileged kids in, please take note that it's now time to finally catch up with the rest of the class, grow up and act your age. Enough is enough and potentially causing fellow players to quit through disenfranchising 'em via bigotry - players we can ill afford to lose these days, btw - is something I, and no doubt the rest of the staff, won't stand for.

Thanks in advance for your understanding.

[Karma_geddon]

Ok, got it. Thanks for the replies, at the both of you

[elect]

It's a joke, it doesnt have anything to do with its real meaning

[Pegasus]

Soooo if you don't mean it when you use, say, the term "gay" to describe something as shitty, why not use a more appropriate word instead and not make anyone belonging to that group feel like shit in the process? Lack of imagination? Same question for anyone using racist, sexist or religion-based terms in that manner, btw.

Doesn't sound like much of a joke to me when it's always at the same ppl's expense :/.

[elect]

Soooo if you don't mean it when you use, say, the term "gay" to describe something as shitty, why not use a more appropriate word instead and not make anyone belonging to that group feel like shit in the process? Lack of imagination? Same question for anyone using racist, sexist or religion-based terms in that manner, btw.

Doesn't sound like much of a joke to me when it's always at the same ppl's expense :/.

Because probabily it wouldnt have the same effect...

I am sure many of us were used to joke with it when we were at school..

I hope that if there is anyone belonging to that group he is also smart enough to understand the way we use it, the probability to meet someone that is not is very low imho

btw, if using it really hurts you, feel free to suggest an alternative

[Pegasus]

Right, so intolerance is okay because we used to be jerks as schoolkids and any minority feeling insulted is an idiot anyway since our commentary disparaging an entire group clearly shouldn't have been interpreted at face value? Sounds legit...

Also, yeah, I imagine not describing something as "gay" when you're just trying to criticize it probably wouldn't have the same effect as doing so: for one thing, you wouldn't be demeaning an entire group of ppl for no reason. But then again that only applies when you don't consider them inferior in the first place, so, you know, you mileage might vary.

[...]btw, if using it really hurts you, feel free to suggest an alternative[...]

So ppl should expand your vocabulary, otherwise being insulted by your slurs is their fault?



Also gj slipping in that innocuous "you" in there because fuck impersonal debating, amirite? Stay classy, Silvio.

[elect]

Look, I am not saying you are not right, because theoretically you are, but the practise is different..

Btw, take it easy, man

[Wormbo]

I propose a timeless replacement for calling something "gay" in the sense of pointing out that it is shitty: Call it "shitty" instead. Alternatively the words "shit" and "crap" instantly come to my mind. Those should have a steady meaning for some time. If you memorize them now, you should be able to use them for a very long time without being forced to learn new word any time soon.

BTW: I've come to the conclusion that gay (or lesbian) people, on average, seem to be the better persons. As a result, by calling something "gay" in a negative sense you actually talk negative about yourself, because it shows your lack of common sense.