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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Umbran" data-source="post: 6217428" data-attributes="member: 177">Well, it is not fair for folks to still be suffering under the various -isms, but they still have to.  In terms of comparing unfairness, "I got pigeonholed as a jerk on one internet discussion board," is kind of small change, isn't it?  As for practicality - I return to the point of the internet being a wild and woolly place, with lots of people who *are* looking to give offense, or who really just dont' care about others.   In terms of risk management, assuming the worst off the bat may well be more practical than you imagine.  In the 70s and 80s, the big battles were against issues of racism and sexism and such that were overt and intended.  Having had some (but not complete) success on that front, folks have also started considering and confronting the cases where the issues are not overt and intended, but present regardless.  I mean, I can cause you monetary loss without intending to.  I can break your nose without intending to.  So, we can expect that you can do other harm without intending to.  Sometimes, a joke was intended as a joke, sure.  But sometimes I was only just swinging the wiffle bat around for fun, and I still whacked you in the eye.  The question then becomes - how much leeway should one be given?  It certainly isn't a question with a clear-cut answer.  Some will say that really, you should be allowed to swing the bat around to the fully length of your arms, and anyone in the way should just watch out for themselves.  Others will say that this really should be a "no wild swinging" zone.  There will be some who figure that, whatever the explicit rules, as a mature adult, you should know better from the start, and be careful until you figure out the local tolerance for things.So, again, I think we are in the zone where you cannot reasonably expect everyone to take things the same way.  All you can expect (around here) is that, however they take it, they keep their responses basically civil.  They get to think what they want, in the end.</blockquote>

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