Remove minors from Aurora

[Cash7800]

The vast majority of aurora players are adults, early-twenties or older at this point. I think it's strange to have children in this community. Even servers like TG which also ban ERP, which I agree should stay in place ban children, due to the nature of SS13. ERP servers are randomly discussed in the discord, there are constant suggestive references made by the players, and people randomly participate in 'romance rp'. This has been a mature server for adults for a while, in my opinion. Adults should not be interacting with children on the internet like they are their peers, it's weird. At a bare minimum minors that identify themselves should be removed from the community. People that act like children and can't prove their age should also be removed. It's uncomfortable to me watching mature topics come up over and over again and seeing minors interact with it. I don't think it can be argued that our community is a space for minors. If nothing is done about this situation, I'm leaving the server, and I hope other people concerned about this do too.

[StewardsCap]

My opinion is probably the shittiest in this side of the spur, but I do agree. Aurora, out of any other SS13 server, deals with a very mature and grim setting that can delve into topics that children will not understand or at least have very little experience in. There are also players who, no offense to the matter, play characters that should not be interacting with non-adult audiences (talking politics here and the like). This is an HRP server that asks and expects their players to act as young/middle-aged/elderly adult corporate workers and heavily relies on the depth that it brings. I don't know any children that play this server, but uh, at least anyone below 17 shouldn't be here to be generous. 

[Girdio]

I think overall this is a good idea.

I'm currently 28, and got started with Aurora when I was around 16. During that point, I've seen the general community get older and older. There was a point where pretty much everyone were minors. As mentioned though, we have gotten a point where the average player is, at the very least, 18. I think the biggest positive that would come from providing an age restriction is simply being able to say certain turns of phrase. A lot of times, I have to consciously censor myself in case there's a young teen watching. As mentioned, I still highly think the ERP-ban should exist too still.

I'm going to be honest, I don't think we're losing anything by cutting young players out of the server. When I was 16, my characters and roleplay was even worse than it is now - and I think it was obvious. I'm sure there are some minors who do really well roleplaying! That said, we've had a lot of players come in and admit to being 14-15 and have...very unrealistic and goofy characters. I also don't think we have that many minors playing currently (I don't know who is, so I could be wrong), but putting it in as a preventative nature is a good step regardless.

[StewardsCap]

Yeah, I can agree with that, I really think the hard limit should be 17, or at least it should be like TG where we just out those who are immature. I actually played TG when I was 16, and I know the age limit rule made me step up my game, so I didn't make a fool of myself. That being said I am scared to look back on all the things I did previously, and I would hate to have done them here. 

[evandorf]

I don’t really have a strong opinion on whether or not minors should be allowed, but I’m struggling to see a reasonable way to verify someone’s age. Someone can correct me if I’m wrong, but AFAIK the community is kept PG13 due to legal CYA caused by the likelihood of minors present. If you were to say that explicit subjects and materials are allowed because you prohibit minors from the space then you would need to have mechanisms in place showing that you are taking appropriate steps to verify age. I’m not sure of the exact law the server falls under since it’s not hosted in the US. 
 

There’s also the argument that most things needed for general storytelling are allowed under existing rules. What do you feel is missing that you can’t talk about currently?

[Cash7800]

I never said anything regarding changing the content rules, and I don't think we should do that. Adults potentially interacting with minors in a suggestive way, even at a PG13 level is bad. Full Stop. This server is full of 'romance rp' and shit, and we don't have everyone checking who they're role-playing with. I would like age verification, but I would settle for anyone that identifies themselves as, or is identified as a minor being removed.

[maxspells]

I'm super against it. We already have a zero tolerance policy when it comes to sexual content on the server. If people are talking about things that are making people uncomfortable, then they should bring it up to the moderation team. 

If a player is able to play on the server and have fun and follow the rules and contribute to the story (ie no sexual content), then it shouldn't matter whether the person you are interacting with is underage or old.

If implemented this will go one of two ways:

1. A witchhunt performed by the moderation team on confirming the age of anyone who seems "immature" every time it comes up.

2. ID Age Verification, which was already unanimously turned down by the admin team.

We already take the zero tolerance stance on mature topics, so if the issue is just that you are personally uncomfortable possibly playing or interacting with someone who might be or is underage, that is valid. You probably shouldn't play here.

[Cash7800]

Why is it important for you, an adult, to be able to roleplay with random children on the internet? I don't think it's responsible to keep children in an online community almost entirely full of adults, who occasionally say and post things that cross the line. I send it to the ahelp bot whenever I see it, and I don't see any substantial action being taken. We should either have a zero-tolerance policy for minors, or a zero-tolerance policy for adults acting like adults. One makes more sense.

[maxspells]

It's important that there are safe spaces where they can play without being exposed to that stuff. If people want to go to 18+ communities, there are a plethora of others to choose from.

[Merlin1230]

I do want to provide a personal anecdote because you specifically brought up TG, because TG does very little enforcement of that rule. I know this, because I was a stupid 14 year old once, and one of those stupid things was pretending I was an adult online, and I played on TG not caring about the rule. I was never questioned by their staff about how old I was or anything like that.

The problem is that what you are wanting (to be able to conversations you wouldnt be able to have in front of a child, and to not have to worry if the other person you are RPing with is a minor) is a fair thing to want, but the TG method was never designed to facilitate that. The TG method is to have a certain level of maturity by turning some kids away that see the 18+ in the rules, and getting rid of any that are blantantly obvious about it. To have a space thats actually free of minors, you need to be a lot more proactive in age verification, which in turn needs to be a LOT more invasive. If it didnt need to be invasive, then ERP servers would have found a way that isnt ID checks like some do. It is INCREDIBLY difficult to do without breaching peoples privacy.

Also, everyone that is objecting is not saying its important they are able to roleplay with random children on the internet. I dont think anyone comes to aurora for that, and I have a hunch that if someone did, the staff would take it very seriously and give them a strong boot out of the server.

[Cash7800]

TG does the bare minimum, and we don't even do that. Their lax enforcement isn't an argument against the rule. I played SS13 when I was a child, and it's not a safe space for children. They should not be here, and not making any effort to address it is ridiculous.

[Melariara]

I am locking this while I make a post, as I believe this is going to get out of hand quickly.

[Melariara]

1 hour ago, Cash7800 said:

ERP servers are randomly discussed in the discord, there are constant suggestive references made by the players

This should be ahelped using the bot called "Aurora Ahelp" whenever this comes up. Literally just message the bot, and it will ping all available staff members that are on discord and that can assist.

1 hour ago, Cash7800 said:

It's uncomfortable to me watching mature topics come up over and over again and seeing minors interact with it.

See above.

15 minutes ago, Cash7800 said:

[something about adults and children interacting together is weird]

This ENTIRE post here is extremely concerning and if I was opening this post back up I would ask you to clarify but I won't so I'm not, but this sort of accusatory behaviour and I will not stand for that sort of talk being thrown around at ANYONE on this server, much less a staff member.

1 hour ago, Cash7800 said:

If nothing is done about this situation, I'm leaving the server

This is childlike behaviour, as is your meltdown at certain people on the general discord, when someone took the more mature route than you.

 

A lot of this post boils down to mind what you say. We've never accepted anything involving ERP or those sorts of topics, and when they come up (it's listed in the rules) you should report it as soon as possible. Everyone is welcome here, as long as they keep to the rules. Please, for the love of everything, use the Aurora Ahelp bot if you see anything you think a child shouldn't see. Please. It's like, right there people.

I am voting to dismiss this and keeping it locked as a result. Staff have already decided fairly recently that we will never, ever ask for peoples ID's and we are certainly going to keep it open to all who keep to the rules.