Message posted on Stardate 01021.8 at 0148 hours
Posted by Nick Lackie.
Edict #34
Let me start out by saying that I’m generally not too keen on censorship. It’s a favorite pastime of STFers to post notes which hover just on this side of “the line.” In a club with members of all ages, I think it’s a common courtesy that this line be given a wide berth, if only because there are children reading. When posts go beyond what some adults can read comfortably, I think there’s a bit of a problem. When these posts are written by members who should know better, the problem is an even greater one.
Barret Vogtman and Paula Kirk were involved in a sexually explicit thread on Outpost 42. During the course of this thread, Paula (who is the CO of OP42) warned that kids should skip the posts concerned. If you’re a kid and someone tells you not to read something, folks, what’s the first thing you’re going to do? You’re going to read it. And although most people in the club have not read these notes, just about everyone who has agrees that they were in poor taste. What’s more, they were irresponsible. Bad taste is everyone’s privilige, but posting as they did in an environment with children around was and is simply wrong.
Barry has apologized, whereas Paula has totally ignored any reference to these posts even after FComm-3 James Speck posted about them on her ship. This is Barry’s first offense of this kind and seriousness, whereas Paula was demoted once before for conduct unbecoming an officer. Barry was not in command of the simming environment on which these posts were made, whereas Paula was.
Therefore, I am demoting Barret Vogtman to the rank of Commander. He will keep his CO spot. Paula Kirk is hereby demoted to the rank of Commander and removed as CO of OP42. The Outpost’s new CO will be announced as soon as I can get confirmation.
Nick