Pattern Ghost

Re: Destruction of public property, and dealing with the aftermath

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities Our FLCS is run by a guy, but he's not a d-bag, so we're happy about that. My wife even used to have a pull box there for manga.

Re: Do you use Teamwork? I almost always buy Teamwork for any supers character I make as a part of my standard "good Samaritan" package. (Stuff like Teamwork, Paramedic, KS: Police Procedures, etc., so that the hero is useful in aiding the public and not screwing up the regular authorities in doing their jobs.) Most games, and every game I've been in, consist of being on a team, so Teamwork only makes sense.

Re: Hero-D&D system merge? I have a question: Let's say that the PC is engaged with an Orc, Lala. Zugzug runs by them, provoking an attack of opportunity. If the PC takes a swing at Zugzug, does that provoke an attack of opportunity from Lala?

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities There's a lot more to interpersonal communications skills than just "manners." It starts there, though.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities Ah, I see you're a Walmart shopper. =D

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities I see you've met my uncles.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities This sounds like you're addressing a sex offender, and if you think this will change a sex offender, you'd be mistaken. This part doesn't seem to go with the sex offender/date rapist bit above it. If you take this part and the first part together, they're pretty good all around advice. But you seem to me to be talking past Zeropoint, who seems to be focused more on the original topic.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities No worries, since I pretty much agreed with everything you said. We don't have too many back and forth conversations on the boards, but I find you pretty agreeable all in all. =)

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities I prefer "learn avoidance" as self defense can be sketchy for anyone. Even then, sadly, you can't always avoid trouble, so if it's possible, learning some form of defense is advisable. However, it's never the victim's fault for being victimized. Also, learning avoidance is much less of a luxury issue, as there are a lot of free, decent quality resources available in local communities and on the web. A good example of learning avoidance is not looking like a victim and being aware of your surroundings. The other day when I went to pick my wife up for lunch, there was a very pretty young lady, couldn't have been much out of her teens, walking around the block of the industrial park with headphones on, head down, not making eye contact with anyone. That girl may as well have had a "VICTIM" sandwich sign on. I remember thinking someone should really go over some crime prevention basics with her. Of course, I couldn't really do so, as a large, bearded middle-aged man broaching the subject to a complete stranger of how they look like a victim would be pretty creepy in and of itself. Had there been a social opportunity to bring it up, though, I would have. Because it's not a matter of education. Rapists on the whole are broken people, with something very fundamentally wrong inside. You can't unbreak people so easily.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities This is entirely out of the context of whatever the discussion on that other board may have been, and in the context of cold, hard reality. Everyone, including women, should be taught both how to avoid trouble, and how to defend themselves in the first place. Because the world isn't always a nice place. My brother, who lives in an upscale area in NJ, has three lovely daughters. They're now 18, 17, and 13. They're all very bright girls, academically and socially adept, and my brother has made an effort from an early age to both provide for them and make sure they're safe. They've been all taken martial arts and self defense training, but haven't made a hobby of it (they're all into dance heavily). They've all been required to go everywhere with a large group of friends, and since high school this has included about half their school's football and wrestling teams. They've been trained to keep the parents informed of their destinations and locations at all times, and to have cell phones on them at all times. They don't hang out in any particularly dangerous locations. About a week and a half ago, my eldest niece, despite all of this, left her group with her boyfriend and went to sit on a pier with him overlooking a river walk. Six other kids their age, four male and two female, approached them from behind and started throwing large rocks at them. The first throw hit my niece about halfway between her eye and her temple, and gave her a serious concussion. Fortunately, her and her boyfriend realized she was seriously injured and did the smart thing and withdrew to get medical attention. Fortunately, the little monsters that attacked them were satisfied with a brief stoning, and laughed as they very casually strolled off. The police in that area have 12 units available in a four square mile radius, four cars on the road at any one time. They were utterly incapable of preventing the incident, even though a unit was only a block away, and when that officer was notified, he utterly failed to properly report the incident and canvas the area for the little bastards. So, while the onus may be on the bad guys not to be bad, it's entirely naive to rely on the kindness of thugs and low lives. I really wish my niece hadn't had to have this lesson literally drilled into her head this way.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities Won't work around here. First, using old Southpark jokes gets me a boot to the head. Second, I'm the one who runs the kitchen.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities Boot to the head! And not one of those sexy thigh-high high-heeled numbers, either! Steel toed!

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities I think this is true. I think, in general, people just have a hard time seeing things from someone else's point of view, and a harder time admitting they're wrong. I think it's magnified a bit in geek circles, because many geeks view themselves as intellectually and/or creatively superior beings, so clearly it's the rest of the rabble who must be wrong. I hate those "reverse X" terms. If it's discrimination, it's discrimination, if it's racism, it's racism. I don't like the implications of tacking "reverse" on these behaviors, as they're harmful from either direction, regardless of which side of the power dynamic they're on. =)

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities Did anyone report this guy's behavior to the owner or manager? Might save some gas just to get him fired. Sorry if I've offended you or Nolgroth or anyone. Clearly, I jest. I'm way less sensitive to these things than most people. I do, however, agree that my jokes aren't that funny. Plus, I trust that folks around here know I'm not the passive/aggressive type. I'm the aggressive/aggressive type. =)

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities My humor isn't the best on a good day, it's worse when I'm working into the wee hours. =) Found a lot of interesting links off that site and the sites it linked to in the article. Thanks.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities I've got a theory about the amount of sexism in geek communities: Lord of the Flies. When poorly socialized people form communities, asshats will tend to congregate. A corollary to this is that asshats also tend to rise to the surface, and are thus very visible. We got lucky here on the Hero Boards, I think. Best. Geek. Community. Ever.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities I know. But that was the quickest "get in the kitchen" joke I could come up with on short notice.

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities This was, I think, linked to a link in the article in the OP: http://www.theatlanticwire.com/entertainment/2012/06/problem-geek-cultures-female-role-models/53646/

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities /ducks

Re: Interesting article about Sexism in Geek Communities Get in the kitchen and bake me some paragraph breaks!

Re: Summon: Am I missing Something Here...? Less perceivable could be Invisibility, possibly with a bright fringe limitation or a custom limitation. The only problem is that it only limits the distance you can be perceived at, not the chance to be perceived. If it's a blur effect that makes you harder to target, not just be seen, then it could be DCV levels too.