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Note from Admin
Chatterbox: Down to Earth
Note from Admin
Note from Admin
Cricket’s mission is to promote reading, writing, creativity, and community among all kids ages 9 to 14. We want the Chatterbox to be a welcoming place where everyone who visits feels encouraged to join in the stories and discussions.
Not every topic on which you have passionate convictions is appropriate for this forum. Because of the range of age and maturity levels of kids who come to the Chatterbox, it remains our policy that this is not the place for discussions of gender identity issues and other controversial issues. Our older magazine for teens, CICADA, hosts a forum called the Slam, at cicadamag.com/theslam, with active discussion of gender issues within a very creative and supportive community.
A second CB policy is that posts must be respectful and never hurtful. Disagreements are expected, but recently admins have had to delete, or leave unposted, a number of comments that, perhaps unintentionally, crossed the line of what we will allow. The admins become especially concerned when comments, whether meant to or not, have the effect of suppressing or shaming who another CBer is. That is not allowed.
The stories and role plays CBers create are mostly tales of adventure and light romance that can be enjoyed by kids in the full age range of the Chatterbox. A third fundamental Chatterbox policy is that stories about sexual themes, or with scenes of disturbing violence, drug abuse, etc., will not be posted.
These polices help us make the Chatterbox an exceptionally great community of readers and friends.
In creating the character DJ, Gared did not violate any of the above policies, and so his character was, and is, allowed. We hope that other CBers, while respecting the sensitivities of the broader Chatterbox community, will also feel comfortable creating characters as they wish to imagine them.
The Chatterbox is a big space with room for all. The admins will continue to monitor posts and comments closely, and there will always be borderline cases of what’s appropriate. The admins will try to make judgments that are in the best interests of the CB community and of individual CBers.
This thread will be left open for a few days for everyone to process what has been said. Then—following the first policy above—it will be closed to new comments so that everyone can get back to creating stories and discussing books with their friends.
Admins
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Thank you for your thoughtful comments. This thread is now closed to new comments.
Admins
submitted by Admin
(December 16, 2016 - 5:23 pm)
(December 16, 2016 - 5:23 pm)
A point I've been seeing often against same-gender romance on the CB is that this is a "kid-friendly zone." Children can read about Chrysanthemum the Mouse's mother and father, but not her two fathers or mothers? Why not? LGBTQA+ people have been around since the beginning of time and they'll be here until the sun blows up and kills us all. If your religion says that you can't be any of these things, then don't be.
Cho and the others who have been threatening to leave, and have left, this isn't a positive thing. I understand your religion and I can't blame you for that. And maybe you can't avoid the threads that will inevitably pop up.
I am hurt.
I am mad.
And I respect everyone.
I am sorry if this was too harsh.
St.Owl, I did not get the impression that Cho was trying to force her beliefs on anyone else. She just said she was leaving and why.
Admin
(December 16, 2016 - 11:36 pm)
I agree with you St.Owl. I get that it is a controversial issue for some people.
But it shouldn't be.
It
1. Isn't going away.
2. Is totally fine and normal.
Sorry if that is a harsh.
(December 17, 2016 - 9:02 am)
I agree that LGBTQ+ relationships have been around since the beginning of time, and it's natural, and what makes earth diverse and a special place to be. That being said, I don't think Cho is trying to force her views on anyone, like Admin said. Also, is there a thread that this stemmed from? Has it been deleted?
Also, thank you Admins! You are truly wonderful human beings.
(December 17, 2016 - 11:08 pm)
Thank you, Biblio.
(December 18, 2016 - 3:00 pm)
You're welcome. PLEASE STAY! Just kidding, I know you feel that you have to leave. *hugs*
(December 18, 2016 - 6:07 pm)
@St Owl,
Glad you included the A! Most people wouldn't, it just makes me happy to see. This is completely unrelated. Don't mind me!
(December 20, 2016 - 8:53 am)
Admins, I can't thank you enough. I know it must've been hard for you to come to a decision.
(December 17, 2016 - 7:31 am)
Goodbye, CBers. Cricket has changed my life. I wish I didn't feel I was forced out. Goodbye.
~~
I stand on the edge of a cliff.
Behind me, I see the village I come from.
Before me, there is nothing.
I see the village catch fire; it started with a single spark.
I run back and try to help it.
My single bucket of water does no good;
The wind overpowers me and I am forced to allow it.
Backing away, the only way I can protect myself is to go.
There is no helping my old village now; I can't save it.
I take a deep breath... step forward, off the cliff...
And fly away to look for another place I belong.
(December 17, 2016 - 7:40 am)
1) You are not forced out.
2) Please don't act like the CB is going up in flames and dying just because of this. Some of us think this is a good thing. Even if you don't, the CB is just going to go along like normal. It will not be destroyed or anything like that.
3) I will miss you.
(December 17, 2016 - 11:48 am)
1) I can understand Cho feeling like she's being forced out because she said she would leave before the decision was made if it was made this way. It was still made this way. I might feel forced out if a decision was made that would cut off all possibility of doing anything on the chatterbox so other people could have some more possibilities in making fake charries. Pretty much, she, (a real person) had to leave so other people could make more kinds of fake people.
2) If she thinks of the chatterbox as a place to talk about thing that's free of inappropriate things, and she think of the Issue as inappropriate, then yes, a huge part of the chatterbox is dying.
3) I agree.
Also, someone said that the Issue isn't inappropriate because it's real and happens in the real world. Lots of things are real but the admins would never allow us to talk about them.
(December 18, 2016 - 4:41 pm)
Wait!! Admins, in a RP, if you are the GM could you say: No same sex romances, as long as you were respectful of others views? That's not breaking the above rules, is it. I read it through, and I think I would be allowed, if I was careful to state it politely.
Am I correct?
It is not our intent to provide separate threads for people of different perspectives. It is our hope that CBers will respect each others' views, whether or not they agree with them, and do nothing that is "in your face" and purposely challenging or disruptive. We will do our best to maintain the proper tone and characters appropriate for the role play, within our fundamental policies.
Admin
(December 17, 2016 - 8:17 am)
Thank you for running the CB.
IJ, diverse characters are allowed on all threads. We won't allow threads that specify or are restrictive.
Admin
(December 17, 2016 - 2:01 pm)
So I can't?
That is correct.
Admin
(December 17, 2016 - 2:13 pm)
But then isn't that discrimintory against my views? Transgender and same sex pro folks could still join, just not have those charries.
(December 18, 2016 - 8:33 am)
Oh, oh, oh, THANK YOU!!!!!!!! I am overjoyed! I didn't express this a whole lot, but the past few days on the CB have been very distressful to me...this is a huge wave of relief.
Okay, so no inappropriate things, extensive violence, drugs...sounds good. And no gender identity issues...okay, I think that's a fair compromise, considering the reasons you gave.
I am so happy! Diversity is a wonderful thing. And equality is now confirmed! Race, religion, gender, sexual orientation...I am so happy. Same-gender romance has always been a pretty normal thing in my world, something I accept and love, and I was afraid it was going to be excluded from an online world I cherished so much...but no, equality is ensured now. I know some of you will not be pleased with this, but please don't rant or leave. Diversity is something that we want and need on the CB, and I hope you will be able to tolerate it, whatever your religion may be. Consider showing your love for the CB by staying, avoiding specific threads if you wish, but staying. I know even then, you still may leave. I wouldn't prefer it, but if you choose to, then I will respect your decision.
Also, I would like to share with everyone one of my favorite quotes about hope, persistence, and equal love, said by one of my favorite (and I'm sure many other CBers' favorite) people:
"We rise and fall and light from dying embers,
remembrances that hope and love last longer.
And love is love is love is love is love
is love is love is love can never be killed or swept aside."
-Lin-Manuel Miranda, 70th Annual Tony Awards acceptance speech, 2016
Admins, thank you once again. You patiently moderated our comments, and this note was well-written, with sensitivity to all. I am ever grateful for you.
(December 17, 2016 - 2:49 pm)