This isn’t directed at anyone in particular, but I’ve felt the urge to mention it a couple times within the past few weeks, so I just want to put it out there again.
Please make sure you understand the difference between information ICly gained and OOCly known. There are a lot of aspects of different characters played by different people that are pretty pivotal to their personalities that are not publicly known and the player doesn’t want them known in a widespread manner–or at all. If you’re unsure of if your character would have access to the information, politely inquire with the player in whispers or over Tumblr or any other means of communication. Most people I know are very, very willing to explore different avenues to see if it’s a viable bit of information to know, and often are willing to feed tidbits even if it isn’t the whole story.
Remember, OOC communication is what keeps things going smoothly.
If someone is playing with information you don’t want public, politely contact them and mention that it is information that shouldn’t be available. There are plenty of accidental experiences of “I thought this was public knowledge” that have been easily corrected with just a gentle reminder and some easy conversation.
I also can’t speak for other people, but information posted on Tumblr is not necessarily automatically all fair game. This includes ask responses, drabbles and the like. Although I prefer to answer these things in a manner that is true to the character(s) involved, it does not necessarily mean that it should be considered IC. In fact, unless it’s with specific people or previously discussed as such, it’s safe to assume that these writings are not to be considered IC for me. Tumblr is not my main RPing platform, and many of the asks answered beg for information that my characters would not outright give. On the other hand, if you see a drabble or an ask you think would be IC and aren’t certain, please message me and ask. I’m very open to discussion of these sorts of things because control of information is particularly important to some of my characters.
I will say that I’m always willing to discuss these things. If you want an ask or drabble considered IC, please please please contact me by some means and inquire as to if it’s plausible. I’m sure we can work something out.
If this sort of discussion isn’t taken, it leaves a sense that asks hoping for information that would not otherwise be disclosed should be answered in a manner entirely not forthcoming. I would rather not have to do this, because sometimes little quirks in character that can grab people’s attention can be revealed to facilitate more interest.
If it is agreed that it is IC, please discuss an established timeline as well. A sudden overhaul of timeline can really mess up a character’s interactions with another/others, and I know several times I have experienced a sense of “Well, if in your headcanon/if you forced it to this point in time, my character’s reactions would have been different." Flighty timelines can be troublesome, even for events that can be perceived as trivial; changing the timeline months later especially without two-way discussion can leave a sense of discomfort and disgruntlement that might otherwise have been easily passed aside.
The key is to be polite and to encourage communication.
This is supposed to be a fun community where we all can stretch our imaginations and interact with one another, but we need to all keep in mind the way we interact with each other and how that varies from person to person.
This is just a friendly reminder to remember that there are people on the other side of these characters, and they have ideas for how their own RP should go, just like you do. The importance of OOC communication cannot be overstated in RP. Ask questions, be interested, be curious!
But most of all, be respectful to the wishes of those you interact with. Things will go a lot more smoothly that way.
