Oh dear. I haven't seen Maxx this pissed off in a bit. XD;; I
promise, people, we
don't usually freak out every couple of days...
Just a few Clarifications:
1. Like Maxx said, we recognise that a statement like 'you stole my idea!' is fairly innocuous, and is often said in jest, and that is is human nature to suspect the other party of ripping off your intellectual property when such coincidences [or otherwise] happen. Obviously we can't speak for all events of this nature - the only thing we can do is to assure you that, having spent most of my life painstakingly giving credit where credit is due, if we are ripping off you,
you and everyone within a million-mile radius will know. Er, okay, that wasn't so reassuring...what I mean to say is, we can assure you that, as stated in our 'Please Read Before Posting' section in the Quest Centre [that Maxx has quoted above] - we're preplanned way into the future, and won't be ripping off your ideas anytime soon, and in any case, would never deliberately rip off anyone's ideas.
While we do find it distasteful and offensive when we're accused of plagiarism, we will usually only respond to the accusation with a brief and pleasant explanation of our side of the events. Please just accept this response, because the only thing we can do if the accusation is repeated [as it indirectly was above] is to repeat our explanation, and then it goes on forever and gets really staid. ^^;;
2. What Maxx, and the rest of the staff, are ultimately more concerned with in WitchCat and Tiernah's case is the tendency to use the alternate account to raise unpleasantness, as documented in
our prior warning to a previous case. As Maxx stated, Account#1 stating the grievances of Account#2 does not absolve Account#2 of the reported act of those words, and further implicates Account#1 of deliberately stirring trouble, especially where Account#1 is aware that the words they are reporting are inflammatory. Of course, anyone [or any one Account] is absolutely free and right to report the words of anyone else [or any Account else] - such as 'Account#2 isn't feeling so good today, she said she's not going to come online.' ^^;; [Just in case it wasn't obvious, sorry!] The problem starts when what Account#2 said is technically an offense. In the first warning, the reported words were an unfounded attack on another poster, and in the case above, an accusation of plagiarism against the staff, where our 'rules' had already disproved the basis of the accusation, and especially where a staff member had already refuted it. So that's really all there was to it.
Basically all we're trying to say is that everyone must take responsibility for their words and actions. ^^;; [Though in the case that Account#1 is deliberately trying to slander Account#2 or something, Account#2 can feel free to jump in with 'It's a lie! :O' - and if Account#2 never intended for Account#1 to post her words, etc...well, XD;;, I guess next time, make it clear.] Of course, this is usually never a problem - it's just that it's a repeated worry in this particular case - and so we feel the need to point it out.
_____
I'm sorry, I feel really silly for having had to point out the obvious. ^^;; I'm just putting it all out just in case. Alrighty, back to regular schedule!
I gotta dash for our ridiculously-delayed dinner, so I'll be back to backread later! Morning, everyone [and condolences to those who had to get up early to work/go to school XD;;]!
Way-way-way-from-the-future EDIT: Actually, the really stupid thing about it, Maxx, is that his keyword is actually 'heiwa' and 'peaceful' was just the rough [jiggered for English convention] translation. ^^;;