New Rule: Replace the Word "Lynch" in Games

[Ircher]

VOTE: Do Nothing perhaps?

Or we could be boring and just change it to
VOTE: No Eliminate

[Umlaut]

I don't think the mods are suggesting people on mafiascum are using lynch in a secret-racist way and using the non-racial definition as cover to do so, and the mod move here is to stop them in their tracks.

I think it is more that outsiders or people joining the site will see it and think less of the site and less of the people on it. This is a great community with great people and the simple fact is that I often simply do not feel comfortable recommending this site to people who I know will enjoy it. Because for a lot of people, especially people who might be new to mafia/played it in a different format (werewolf, Town of Salem, etc.) signing onto a site and seeing a giant noose in the logo and lynch thrown around liberally is not going to make them go "Oh, this is just their own little quirk, let me stick around and acclimate to it so it doesn't bother me anymore". It is going to make them go "What the fuck creepy ass site is this that has a noose in the logo and is obsessed with lynching people in the year 2020" and I do not want my IRL reputation burned by having them come to the site and thinking less of me for it. I love mafiascum, obviously, I've been here for nearly 20 years. I just beg for the day I can talk about it without feeling the need to go "Ok, so, before I tell you the site you have to understand they aren't racist, the lynching and the noose is just an aesthetic of the game."

A shorter version of the above is "this action has been taken primarily out of fear of how we will be perceived by outsiders, rather than as any sort of substantial blow against racism"

I mean, cool, how we are perceived by outsiders does actually matter contrary to what some might think, but if I were to just write the above sentence in its own post it would be taken as a criticism and not as an explanation.

[AniX]

Was anyone actually under the illusion that this was anything substantial? It is the barest of bare minimum and at least a decade overdue, the first tiny minuscule step in a long process of addressing white supremacy and racism in the mafiascum community.

[Alyssa The Lamb]

This certainly is a thread

Let me just make a big mistake and add it to my ego posts when I already know I will regret it instantly and until the thread dies or is locked

[AniX]

The biggest anti-racist action the mods did today was not ban the word but post a thread about it open to comments, allowing certain people to step forward and identify themselves as people who think even the most basic, entry level, baby's first understanding of race relations step is a step too far for them.

[Alyssa The Lamb]

I regret my choices already

[Alisae]

okay hear me out
what if
I want to play a game of mafia
and not have to have politics shoved down my throat
because when I want to play mafia
I want to escape from the real world political drama

[NotAJumbleOfNumbers]

Was anyone actually under the illusion that this was anything substantial? It is the barest of bare minimum and at least a decade overdue, the first tiny minuscule step in a long process of addressing white supremacy and racism in the mafiascum community.

For something that is quite possibly the most used Mafia term in existence, I wouldn't really call it a small step.

[Radical Rat]

Right, yeah, I didn't mean to imply the mods thought there was a secret racist conspiracy going on. Just that I'm not really sure how many people are actually being scared off by contextually appropriate usage of the word.

I would definitely prefer to err on the side of NOT making people uncomfortable though, hence my support for the change regardless.

[Ythan]

okay hear me out
what if
I want to play a game of mafia
and not have to have politics shoved down my throat
because when I want to play mafia
I want to escape from the real world political drama

"I want to escape from real world politics by talking about lynching" is a severely stupid take.

[Umlaut]

okay hear me out
what if
I want to play a game of mafia
and not have to have politics shoved down my throat
because when I want to play mafia
I want to escape from the real world political drama

Then go play that game, and pretend you just learned about Mafia yesterday and never heard of this change and just happen to be playing a game where the elimination mechanic is flavored as "eliminate" or "expel" or "blow up" or whatever it happens to be for the one you're in.

[Skelda]

I didn't read the five pages in the middle of this thread, but this seems like the perfect place for us to steal Large Social Game lingo and call it voting a player out. "X has been voted out Day 1, they were a Vanilla Townie." "With 9 alive, it's 5 to vote someone out."

People won't like it because it's Large Social Game lingo but they should

Ok I'm late and I wasn't going to comment because I don't play Mafia, but I love this. It's the first step in Large Social Game domination of mafiascum.net muahahahaha. At last we will ascend to our rightful place!

[scotmany12]

okay hear me out
what if
I want to play a game of mafia
and not have to have politics shoved down my throat
because when I want to play mafia
I want to escape from the real world political drama

Being asked to not use a word that has racist connotations is not "having politics shoved down your throat."

[scotmany12]

you have to understand they aren't racist

This thread wants to prove you wrong.

It's pretty eye opening

[Alyssa The Lamb]

okay hear me out
what if
I want to play a game of mafia
and not have to have politics shoved down my throat
because when I want to play mafia
I want to escape from the real world political drama

The first step is to never go to the discussion half of the site

[Alisae]

okay hear me out
what if
I want to play a game of mafia
and not have to have politics shoved down my throat
because when I want to play mafia
I want to escape from the real world political drama

The first step is to never go to the discussion half of the site

you're honestly right

this site cares WAY too much about politics.

[Ythan]

I don't want to just give you the same reply twice in a row but I will.

[Radical Rat]

I mean, I can sympathize with your point Alisae, but people caring too much about politics is absolutely the wrong takeaway from this.

[Alyssa The Lamb]

You're right ythan

I'm not very interested in politics and therefore I shouldn't express my opinion

Mb

[Ythan]

You're right ythan

I'm not very interested in politics and therefore I shouldn't express my opinion

Mb

Not you you're golden.

[Lycanfire]

Etymology of the word lynch discussed 2 years ago:

viewtopic.php?f=5&t=77292

good job mods

[TrueSoulEnergy]

Lynch is never racist. LMAO.
It is reference to the “witch trails”
Where people lynched and killed others who were said to be a witch.

[TrueSoulEnergy]

There’s a big difference between “Racism” and “Witches”.

[Alisae]

You're right ythan

I'm not very interested in politics and therefore I shouldn't express my opinion

Mb

Not you you're golden.

she agrees with me >_<

[Ythan]

Huh go figure.