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16:01, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

RPoL Etiquette Question.

Posted by Martel
Martel
member, 5 posts
D&D, Free-form, Original,
and Fandom-based RP
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 07:36
  • msg #1

RPoL Etiquette Question

Is there a general positive or negative regard for the GM editing their players' posts to answer questions, provide feedback, etc., or is this not a thing that comes up a lot?
nauthiz
member, 546 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 08:30
  • msg #2

RPoL Etiquette Question

I don't think I've ever encountered a GM who answered questions that way.

I seem to recall the small amount of GM editing I've encountered has primarily been due to formatting issues, like someone posts something like an image that's way too big that messes up RPoL's displaying of messages.  There might have been a few instances of a player posting something that wasn't supposed to be publicly known to other characters, so the GM did an edit to cover it up, but in general I can't say I've played with any GM that made a habit out of editing player posts on any regular basis.

That said, as long as everyone in the game is cool with the way things are working in a game, it's all good.  If players have an issue, they should PM the GM in question and address it.

Might be a case where feedback leads to positive change, might just be different strokes for different folks and maybe that GMs style just isn't for that player.

I'd say the biggest issue I could see is that as a player I'd be less likely to notice any information coming my way via the editing of a post unless it was done in a very obvious manner while the post was still towards the bottom of the page, and the GM bumped the thread to retrigger the "new post" notification.
Korentin_Black
member, 525 posts
I remember when all
this was just fields...
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 08:57
  • msg #3

RPoL Etiquette Question


 I'm with Nauthiz on this one. I don't find it rude or anything, but I almost never notice it's been done. On the other hand, the keep one private thread per player with stuff in it sometimes gets out of synch with the game. I'd lean towards editing, then copy-pasting into the aforementioned private thread myself.
donsr
member, 1196 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 12:10
  • msg #4

RPoL Etiquette Question

 Thus far, I have never  done this  myself. Even if  a disgruntled player  makes some sort of  'grand exit'..i will weave that into the story.

  I have only had   one DM that edits posts regularly, it hink she does that  for her own cataloging purposes...

  As long  as it does  change my character's intent i don't  care...the DM  should send a PM as to why?

 fro my people,  if there would be something bad  enough  i would change it and tell them why
SunRuanEr
member, 60 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 12:38
  • msg #5

RPoL Etiquette Question

I've... never actually seen a GM edit posts to answer questions or the like. The things that I -do- see GMs edit posts for are:

1) To remove an 'In reply to' in an IC thread, when the player has repeatedly continued to hit the wrong button when making posts. (It's a rule in our games to NOT use that in IC threads, but some people just can't seem to help themselves, so rather than continually have to go 'Hey man, you need to fix this', the GM sometimes just snips it out.)

2) To fix a case of a player using another character's speech color. (Again, sometimes it's just easier to fix it, than it is to ask a dozen times for it to be fixed.)

3) ONCE when a player used a word they shouldn't have in regards to another character (it wasn't a naughty word, just one the GM didn't want used).

That's literally it. I'm not sure why you would want to edit posts to answer questions. If they're IC questions, it seems to me like they should be answered with an IC NPC post/GM post, and if they're OOC questions they should be (like some others have said already) put in the player's PM thread with the GM if they only concern that one player. If they concern the entire troupe, I'd support putting the question in the OOC thread and answering it there so everyone can see.
This message was last edited by the user at 12:39, Fri 10 Nov 2017.
IkeEsq
member, 12 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 13:01
  • msg #6

RPoL Etiquette Question

I occasionally, very occasionally, will strike something from a player post if they post something that didn't happen.  For instance, a player might post a series of actions but one of the people they said they talked to is not actually there.  I strike that portion and put an edit at the bottom explaining what I removed and why.
Warrax
member, 183 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 13:10
  • msg #7

RPoL Etiquette Question

I haven't generally found much reason to edit a player's post. If I do, I try to leave an out of character comment in a different color and separate from other text noting what I've done... or send a PM about it.

Otherwise, it's just sort of rude and then leaves the player wondering exactly what was changed, why, etc. I'm with SunRuanEr, there aren't very many reasons to putz with someone else's posts unless they've gone and actually made an error. SOME GMs will go after tag errors and the like, but I usually leave that for players to fix themselves because I would prefer a GM do the same for me.
Gaffer
member, 1505 posts
Ocoee FL
40 yrs of RPGs
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 13:31
  • msg #8

RPoL Etiquette Question

Questions asked OoC (in IC threads) I answer OoC in the thread.

I edit player posts only to correct egregious errors before they become widespread, as when players confuse names or places or times in their post. I always strike through the original language [ed.] all in red, so that the change is clear.
This message was last edited by the user at 13:33, Fri 10 Nov 2017.
Warrax
member, 184 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 13:38
  • msg #9

RPoL Etiquette Question

Yeah, if you're going to edit something, paying the simple courtesy of leaving the original text and making a clear delineation between old and new is a solid move.
donsr
member, 1197 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 16:33
  • msg #10

RPoL Etiquette Question

 newer players, and sometimes a vet player might ask an OOC  question in an IC thread. I will not answer those there, though i will answer it in OOC, with the mandate to use  OOC or PMs.

 If the question came as part of their IC RP, then i won't mess with it.

 If it is just a pure OOC question, I will delete it..but stiull answer the question in OOC or PMs...I like to keep IC as 'pure' as we can.
bigbadron
moderator, 15467 posts
He's big, he's bad,
but mostly he's Ron.
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 16:48

RPoL Etiquette Question

There is, of course, a situation where removing the original text would be mandatory (regardless of courtesy).

If the player has posted something that violates the site's ToU, then the GM has very little choice in the matter...
  • Delete the post entirely.
  • Leave the post, but remove the offending part entirely.
  • Do nothing, then deal with a visit from the Mods who will want to know why he hasn't dealt with the situation.

Note that in the first two cases, simply moving content which violates the ToU to a private message is not acceptable - private messages are still subject to those ToU.
Warrax
member, 185 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 16:50
  • msg #12

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

bigbadron:
There is, of course, a situation where removing the original text would be mandatory (regardless of courtesy).

If the player has posted something that violates the site's ToU, then the GM has very little choice in the matter...
  • Delete the post entirely.
  • Leave the post, but remove the offending part entirely.
  • Do nothing, then deal with a visit from the Mods who will want to know why he hasn't dealt with the situation.

Note that in the first two cases, simply moving content which violates the ToU to a private message is not acceptable - private messages are still subject to those ToU.


Yeah, this of course makes sense. Fortunately, this is reasonably rare, leastwise in my experience. Consideration of game rating and then ensuring that certain content doesn't exist in Group 0 usually covers the bulk of this. And by and large, when people post stuff that contravenes the graver elements of the ToU, no one really cares about being super-pleasant or courteous to them while editing!

:D
facemaker329
member, 6970 posts
Gaming for over 30
years, and counting!
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 18:17
  • msg #13

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

I think I've only been in one game where the GM did any serious monkeying with player posts...and it was all in the name of making some sequences easier to follow.  She'd take a series of posts that were, by nature of the scene, short and choppy, and combine them into one long post, then delete all the short ones.

As mentioned, editing posts to answer questions creates the potential problem of players not realizing they've been answered, since editing a post doesn't trigger any message indicators.  That means players would have to get in the habit of re-reading old posts to see if they'd gotten answers.  Personally, I'd find that burdensome...I prefer my time on RPOL be spent writing new content,not hunting down old posts and reviewing them on a habitual basis.  Using the 'Reply' or 'Quote' options gives a solid indicator that new content (your answers to their questions) has been posted, and there's no question of where it is.  Or just develop the practice of questions being asked via PMs, where, once again, your responses are readily available, without having to back-track and chase down edited posts.  Editing a post doesn't provide any significant savings of time or effort on your part, and increases the demand for effort on your pkayers' part...so why do it?
LoreGuard
member, 656 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 18:53
  • msg #14

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

I think that I have encountered a GM that did answer questions in the post the question was made, and I found it odd, missed it the first few times, as I recall.  I could be wrong, but I don't think the game lasted, and confusion might contribute to it.  However, if I'm wrong, and it did last, then I must have adapted and forgotten about it.

I agree the more efficient communication is PL with response in future PL, or an actual PM between the GM and Player, either separate thread for subject, or reused thread per player depending on the preference of the GM and/or players.

One circumstance where I might see it making sense to answer questions within a post would be in a case where a game were more of a building of an encyclopedia of information about various people/places/things/events.  In such a case, timeline would be less important than keeping pieces of connected information together.  In such a case it would make sense to edit an entry, and then in my opinion have a updates thread where you would make mention of the existence of the update so people would know to go look at it if relevant.
swordchucks
member, 1454 posts
Fri 10 Nov 2017
at 19:02
  • msg #15

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

I've been in one game where the GM edits player posts with information when they are chatting with NPCs, etc.  As long as the GM also makes another post in the OOC telling you that your post was edited, it works fine and it can make it easier to follow a conversation.

If you have a game where you think it'd work, why not try it and see how it goes?  You do have to post in the OOC, etc., but good communication is always important.  it's just a little different from most.
evileeyore
member, 44 posts
GURPS GM and Player
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 00:40
  • msg #16

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

LoreGuard:
I think that I have encountered a GM that did answer questions in the post the question was made, and I found it odd, missed it the first few times, as I recall.

Yeah, that would annoy me enough that I'd drop the game.
Hunter
member, 1395 posts
Captain Oblivious!
Lurker
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 18:12
  • msg #17

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

As a GM, I'd never edit someone else's post.  It's talking for someone, after all.    The GM can always message the player in question (or use the OOC thread or something similar) about the edit.
donsr
member, 1198 posts
Sat 11 Nov 2017
at 18:24
  • msg #18

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

yeah, Hunter. That's  the best path to take.

as i said, i have taken pure OOC questions out of IC threads...but  i never mess with IC  posts (..in will..indeed, send a PM saying..  what they should change, because   it couldn't happen)..

 because  we are  sitting around a table top, the GM does have to keep a rein on the game, but realize  some  folks  might not 'get it" if they misunderstood   a post.
Martel
member, 7 posts
D&D, Free-form, Original,
and Fandom-based RP
Sun 12 Nov 2017
at 03:53
  • msg #19

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

Thanks! I appreciate all the feedback. I'm just trying to work out organization. I don't think I'll be doing this, having since discovered private language groups; I think I'm good. I'm just a little persnickety about details; if there's a feature available, I like using it.
LonePaladin
member, 667 posts
Creator of HeroForge
Sun 12 Nov 2017
at 03:56
  • msg #20

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

Martel:
Thanks! I appreciate all the feedback. I'm just trying to work out organization. I don't think I'll be doing this, having since discovered private language groups; I think I'm good. I'm just a little persnickety about details; if there's a feature available, I like using it.

If someone tries to use a language group or private line and botches it through editing (say, by accidentally deleting the ending bracket) it's perfectly acceptable for you to go in an put it back. Same goes for closing formatting tags.
Feyda
member, 1091 posts
30 yrs old female
Give Peace a Chance.
Tue 21 Nov 2017
at 01:28
  • msg #21

Re: RPoL Etiquette Question

 I have edited posts when it comes to accidentally texting as the wrong character, especially where one character is female and the other is male (Player playing both parts was male), where I knew the player didn't want it known he was playing a female character. Usually any editing I do involves when a player mixes up colors ((ie starts out the post as green and ends it blue, or colors half the conversation and half the action, I'd trim it to just conversation. There was only 1 player who did that, and it's a "tell" if he's trying to keep the fact he's also playing a female secret.

 99% of my players are well spoken and need no help.

 Now I have had players go into tirades in ooc before and I may have edited those posts and spoken to them in private about it...and maybe kicked them to the curb if they didn't chill out and relax.
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