While having a filterable /rp chat channel would probably resolve a lot of these problems - and I absolutely applaud the spirit of the concept - I'm not sure how practical this is from an administrative standpoint. If it operates just like /say, I'm sure a number of non-RPers would be inclined to make use of it for other purposes. And if it were only available for one server, I'm sure that would create additional issues as well.

Regardless of whether a RP server is designated or not, the problem of where the line is drawn between what's considered appropriate dialogue along public channels and what's considered inappropriate chat-spam is going to vary from player to player based upon their own individual preferences - and that doesn't just go for RPers either. Filters and blacklists are only going to go so far in being able to alleviate this for those people who find it distracting or annoying. On the other hand, role-players are paying the same rates to enjoy the game in their own way as well.

As I said in an earlier post, I firmly believe that the vast majority of us as RPers are polite and perfectly happy to take a public discussion to more private channels or another location if it becomes clear that someone is being bothered by it in some way, and respectfully asks us to do so. I think as long as people on both sides of the fence are respectful and tolerant of each other, there really shouldn't be any issue. It is a two-way street, and as RPers we don't know that we're bothering anyone unless we're told so. It seems fair to say that most of us just seek to peacefully coexist, but some sort of official acknowledgement or recognition that "Neo-Besaid" encompasses a large population of role-players would go a long way towards bringing more support to the existing RP community while allowing those that are offput by it to roam elsewhere.

As a footnote, there are certain instances where RP along more private channels is not always practical for us. RPers now exist and interact across a variety of linkshells, so once in awhile /say needs to be utilized. In every case I've been involved with something like this (and admittedly there haven't been many), I (and most I've known) have either tried to form a party if we're in a congested area or otherwise steer the group somewhere less crowded if forming a party isn't possible.

As a footnote to that footnote I feel I should also point out that public role-play has at times been a boon to the RP community. I know a handful of us "became" role-players after walking by some ongoing RP and becoming intrigued in what was going on (in spite of the stigma it's not all "bad dramatics"). In my experiences this has always happened in out-of-the-way areas where nobody normally congregates but people may run through to get elsewhere.