What is ERP?

[Saefinn]

Quite a bit honestly. We tend to lean on a few crutches when assuring ourselves that things are fine the way they are.

1) Online interactions are ESRB Unrated.

Correct, because they can't be. There is no way to tell what a live person might say or do. We're not on a ten-second delay with a moderator on the buzzer button, or dead air like in a radio station. It's real-time and unmoderated. Unrated is exactly that, not a rating. It's not some magical pass that allows for Mature or Adult activity. The game itself is rated Teen. Our ToS supports that by stating we should act appropriately for a 13 year old audience.

2) It's only writing, and is done in-character.

Well.. Raise your hand if anyone you've written with has broken separation. Raise your hand if someone has gotten "the feels". Raise your hand if someone projected. Raise your hand if someone grew attached. Raise your hand if someone used I/YOU when describing.

Now that most of the hands are off the keyboard, I'll continue. You can control you, not the other person. Then there is the pesky problem of "Communicating with a Minor for Immoral Purposes." Common language in those laws includes: "An invitation or inducement to engage in behavior constituting indecent liberties with or without consideration." An invitation. Not the act. Merely asking. Let that sink in a moment.

While odds are Chris Hansen (referenced in a previous post) won't come knocking, there have been plenty of arrests made for cybering minors.

If we within the community SOMETIMES have difficultly telling the two apart, how do you think those glorious words will read to a judge or jury.

I too am not so prudish to avoid writing with someone that I have developed a rapport and trust with. Running a brothel where the cost of entry is gil and some very subjective "age" verification, or standing in the 'Sands running off with the first person who comes along. Fire is getting played with there in a big way. It's only a matter of time.

If I recall correctly, a certain brothel on Balmung took heat a year or more ago, having actually included a minor.

I can understand all this and I think a fair argument. Ultimately, you don't want to find yourself in that situation for doing something you love with zero ill intent.

Reading into Teppie's posts too, it sounds like in the particular example they gave that a predator was ousted, GM's contacted, police involved and them being ostracized by the ERP community. It leaves me with the question is could that be a benefit to these communities also existing? Where the responsible members can be Chris Hansen? At least I wonder if them having an open, honest and transparent relationship (as implied get Teppie's posts) in their efforts to keep themselves clean means they stand a better chance of catching out people exploit or take advantage of minors versus the activities being banned? And thus not deal with in such a open and transparent way. It may more a question for those who partake and of course the GM's who moderate this.

It does make me wonder why if that's why they don't outrightly ban it when it has those risks.