I’m curious about samclem’s ruling in this thread about the depiction of rape in videogames:
Would the moderator response been the same if someone had asked a similar question about viewing rape scenes in movies or reading them in books? I know it’s off-limits to discuss the means of performing an illegal acts, but is it also off-limits to discuss the means of viewing a fictional depiction of an illegal act?
Asking for the button combinations certainly seems in poor taste, doesn’t it? And the staff has never been shy about closing threads that they deem to be in poor taste.
I don’t see a functional difference between the OP’s question and, for example, “In what chapter is the rape sequence in Tess of the d’Urbervilles located?” Assuming we allow the latter, there’s no reason we should disallow the former.
I agree with Miller. samclem allows his emotions to derail him sometimes, and this is one of them.
I hope the Mods would close a thread which asked
“I want to read some rape stories, what books and chapters should I get?”
or
“What films have the sexiest rape scenes?”
Which is much more like the OP in question than
“In what chapter is the rape sequence in Tess of the d’Urbervilles located?”
or
“What films contain rape scenes?”
But there’s no law against getting off on fictional depictions of rape. You, or I, or samclem may find it distasteful, but I have serious issues with limiting talk about sex based on what a mod or a section of the board membership finds distasteful.
But the OP gives no indication that he wants the question answered for salicious purposes. Here’s his actual question:
Those seem like a couple of pretty straightforward questions. I fail to see why it’s any more offensive than a thread like this: Will There Ever Be Hard Core Porn In Main Stream Films?
Mods have to make judgement calls all the time. I made one. Not everyone will agree. I don’t think I abridged the OP’s freedom. I allowed people to list video games, but I specifically didn’t want the thread headed in a wrong direction.
Why ask what button combinations are required? True it is not illegal to be interested in such stuff. I can’t think of a good reason why the OP might want to know the button combo’s required. Also gamefaqs is so much more appropriate a place to find out about such things.
It is close to being jerkish, especially given the number and sensitivity of posters who have suffered rape and written about it on this board.
So threads that discuss the rape in ‘Tess of the d’Urbervilles’ would also be close to being jerkish? If not, why not?
Why do many people ask many seemingly pointless questions on this board? Idle curiosity? What’s so sinister about wanting to know the button combos? It’s as relevant to a discussion of a particular play mechanic as camera angles are to discussion of film.
And the IMDB message board is probably a better place to ask film questions. And yet people come and ask them here.
And yet there is no similar ban on talking about rape in films… .
Forgive me but I’m a bit sensitive about this. A videogame censorship bill was just floated in the California legislature. There are lots of people in this country who are eager to apply decency standards to videogames that they would never think of applying to films or books. It disturbs me to see the same sort of censorship at work on this message board.
What good is knowing what games have rape scene if you can’t access them? Why not forbid people to post the actual names of the games, if actually being able to see the material being discussed is ruled as non-germane to the discussion?
For that matter, the one game mentioned by name in that thread doesn’t require a button combo to get to the rape scene. You just have to play the game. Why is that okay, but it’s verbotten to tell someone that if you press left, left, right, right, up, down in Super Mario Brothers II, you can make Mario rape Princess Toadstool?
I know at least one poster who was a rape victim and has posted openly about her own rape fantasies on the boards. Is she being jerkish? Do you think that the board should ban discussion of people who enjoy rape fantasies in their sex lives? If not, how is this thread different? If yes, how do you draw the line at which sexual kinks are allowed, and which are disallowed?
samclem, you want to answer any of these questions yourself, feel free to jump in.
Thought crimes, Bippy? :dubious: That’s a road I find as disgusting as rape, are you sure you want to start down it?
But what direction would that be? And how would discussion of button combos take it there?
If discussion of depictions of rape in all forms of entertainment is off-limits – fine. But I don’t like the idea that different standards apply to different artistic media … that it’s okay to talk about rape in film, but not in games.
Calling this a “thought crime” is a bit of a stretch, I think – since the SDMB is a private forum, the moderators are authorized to make whatever judgement calls they deem necessary to enforce the rules of decorum they have.
And I don’t recall you getting huffy whenever folks attending Bush events get tossed out for wearing anti-Bush shirts; I think that would be closer to the idea of a “thought crime,” n’est pas? 
I’m a woman and I think it was wrong of **samclem ** to issue his warning. I don’t think he’s going to change his mind, since it seems to be a personal issue, but I thought I should state my case all the same.
Why, pray tell, would it be wrong to tell the controls? I really don’t say how that’s any different from asking,
“How do I pick up a prostitute in Vice City?”
“How do i steal things in a Final Fantasy game?”
I mean, if we’re just talking about illegal, then both of those things are illegal. I understand why rape is more sensitive, but it’s just a video game.
Anyway, as I said, I doubt I’ll change anyone’s mind. I just think this was a very personal, biased decision on **samclem’s ** part.
Strange that I am finding myself on this side of the fence, being very pro dodgy fantasies 
But I do uphold the Mods right to steer a thread away from something that they think might cause offence or be inappropriate to the board (as I uphold the hope that such threads as this dissputing such descisions will occur). I would argue against the Mod if a warning had been issued against the OP writer, but just thought the Mod’s actions were OK in this case, as I wood accept a Mod closing down a thread that I might start about best methods of electrical sexual stimulation, if they thought it wasn’t suitable for these boards.
13?
Do you really want to be showing kids how to do rape scenes in video games?
Well on the assumption that such a game would get a “mature” rating and the kid shouldn’t be playing it in the first place unless the parents gave tacit or explicit approval, I wouldn’t have a problem with it.
So, do you want to restrict freedom of expression or interfere with parental rights?
Heh, just kidding. I know you want both.
While they might not be right…many parents care little for violence in video games, but draw the line at sex.