I mean to some degree, this shit is unintentionally funny. A lot of the time I can laugh it off, because it's so fucking eyerollerly. But most of the time it just makes me want to avoid that person or totally ignore them or just walk away from the scene, since usually that gets the ball rolling for a lot of "IC" posed ooc snark. And these days nothing kills my enjoyment like that, and just ooc hostility.
Or:
@ixokai is one cocky motherfucker. Kestrel just stares at him with a baffled expression when he steps on up to that wall with the clearly stated intention of climbing it. There is no way he can climb that wall — look how short his stubby legs are. When she sees him do this, her heart breaks, that's what happens when you see people do things you can't do any longer, that terrible accident from a few years ago stole her chances of ever doing parkour again, and now she's tragically sad and will need a beer after this. It's little wonder that she frowns at him and snaps, "You're such a dick." That's what happens when someone reminds her of what she lost.
I don't see the latter as an offensive metapose. If it had been something like the following:
@ixokai is one cocky motherfucker. Kestrel just stares at him with a baffled expression when he steps on up to that wall with the clearly stated intention of climbing it. There is no way he can climb that wall — look how short his stubby legs are. She is just so fed up with this guy, what with all the trouble he's caused her for the last week, she's cried herself to sleep every night. Why does he have to be so mean to her when no one's around? She can't wait until he falls off so that he knows how stupid he is.. "Go for it!" she says.
I can't imagine that ooc targeting never happens on MUDs just because there's humans involved.
But yes, on a MUSH there can be big histories of IC conflict blown up into ooc in particularly unfun ways (poisoning the well, ect). So I do think you'll have more people checking in ooc, either if you start an IC conflict or they do, just to make sure everyone's cool.
Though you're right, there are also people that very clearly feel they can't make any mistakes or can only make mistakes on their terms. Sometimes that's due to unfortunate experiences on other games, sometimes it's something intrinsic to them.
I think most of the time asking is just a way to proactively communicate (I'm fine with however things go, or hey I am enjoying this and you're a lot of fun even if my PC is a jerk/thinks yours is).
Metaposing is sticky. Unless it's meant to poke fun at oneself or explain a very immediate context of a scene, ect--I think it tends to give the impression of wanting to dominate the scene/force people into spectate mode (especially when the pose is essentially non interactive). I think most people do that now and again, it's a legitimate device for moving a scene, but if someone does it habitually in a domineering, selfish, or snarky way I will tend to not enjoy RPing with them very much or want to be involved much with them (IME it tends to extend way into ooc interactions too). So I don't know that it's a no never thing so much as use with intention and awareness of others' enjoyment rather than habitual style.
MUSHing is partially collaborative storytelling. Other players are not your captive audience, ideally pcs grow/are affected by the other pcs and shared stories/events/fuckups/victories. I am not sure how much that is actually put into practice. I think things would be a lot more fun if people were less ooc unkind and unwilling to extend some grace to other players in exchange for allowing more failure/IC conflict to be resolved (which is easier to do when people are not nasty/suspicious/tone deaf to each other ooc).
[http://hahasforhoohas.com/the-fart-that-almost-altered-my-destiny]
I once actually did use a fart (and would have upgraded to a shart if necessary) to get out of a really annoying (and creepy ooc as well as frankly boring as hell) TS scene when I first started mu*ing and didn't know I could call in ftb or like a non dumbass just log off. 
Though the above link kinda makes me want to drop something like that just for fun in the romance department. I can totally see one of my current pcs in particular doing that.
And I would be very genuinely absolutely delighted to have anyone drop something like that in a sexy scene if it was appropriate. I do with people inserted more humor into things like that.
I think it's used as a slur far more than it is factual. To the point now that if someone says to me "don't play with that persons they're just after TS" absent factual observation (like dropping into once sentance sloppily punctuated or non attentive poses as soon as there's no longer a penis/vagina in the room), then it partially raises a red flag for me with the person engaging in the whisper campaign.
But you know, if they are all about the TS /who the fuck cares/. I don't. It doesn't make them a less nice person than the "OMFG I NEVER" people. 
Agreed, @Arkandel. What I have seen though too is some players really get their jollies less from story and more from destroying another player's PC. They think they are not having any impact unless they get to do that. Oddly most of those folks I've seen only want to do that if they're sure they won't risk the same. I think most antagonistic stories that I've seen sometimes end in PC death but people take their time and often avoid it by doing other terrible (and sometimes more rewarding) things to each other IC.
When someone implies the only satisfying and impactful way for their PC to live in the mush is to hunt down and kill other pcs, then I kind of get red flags raised about that player, mostly for lack of creativity.
I do think having rosters or villains for hunt and destroy might be a good idea if people need to kill things to stay engaged. Any St can grab/puppet one for awhile, use them in stories, the PC still gets their jollies. If people want to play antagonists for the same purpose then I think why not. I do usually hope tgat PC antagonists are more nuanced or can offer pcs a greater variety of growth/challenge than seek and destroy but I admit that may be totally appropriate in certain genres.
I guess my thinking is that if what you really want to do is /kill or destroy/ a PC and NPCs aren't enough for you or good enough for you, then honestly you too should have to risk your PC.
Love my attitudinal and foul mouthed tow truck driver on BITN. Also playing a ghoul on RfK.
Been feeling pretty burnt of late. However, my BITN PC in particular is great at finding jump-in rp with whoever so I know that's there when I'm feeling less meh.
@hedgehog Having done PTA and magnet program type thing president/board for like 10 years at this point -- there weren't any complaints about you. I'd be willing to bet $100 on it. That is the pta/church lady way of expressing jealousy and being mean, and to get you off of their turf in a way that doesn't look bad to outsiders. I don't blame you for not wanting to work with this bitch anymore, but I hope it doesn't put you off on volunteering in general. 
but yuck. I hate that feeling.
@thebird Trust your gut on that one. It's not being insensitive. What/how your MIL reacted isn't safe at all (most people getting treated for anxiety aren't going to do that nor would it even occur to them to). I would never ever leave my kids with someone of that level of hatred directed at me in that unhinged away, not to be punitive but because no child should have to endure that kind of impulsive rage.
Wow, I love the idea of an exit short-desc!! I think that's fantastic!
You know, I actually can't think of anything I've not seen handled by mechanics on a MU. I mean not everything at once, but in all the places I've been the only world/personal function I have /never/ seen coded or addressed at all is pooping.
I've seen hard social dice, pregnancy rules, when/how/what kind of wounds in combat, personality trait shifts, status, 3D movement, food/water intake, shelter, transportation, even friendship/impressions between pcs. Advancement via narrative rather than XP, no advancement, or needing to give up skill/focus in one area if you wanted to shift in a static system.
I don't really think asking in channels works well for most people. I used to feel bad but then I noticed almost everyone else getting the same result. Asking people privately if I've seen them say hi I'm new or looking for to before and they're in the ooc room or quiet room rarely gets turned down, at least for me. I play a pretty nonsexual PC on the place where I'm most often seeking pickup rp (BITN) so that might help people not be afraid they're going to be hounded for something unwelcome, and thus I don't seem to offend people for asking via unsolicited page. At least that's my theory. I always have a pitch too, with a caveat of "but I'd be happy to try something else if you'd rather!"
To be honest, I've seen more /staff/ run plots that are anti-thematic, weird, and off the rails than I have player stuff. (It's why I tend to be leery of metaplot or staff plot unless I know the staffer's STing style--sat through too many 5 hour scenes of "dramatic audiencing" or things blowing up for no purpose whatsoever and creating a giant pain the ass for everyone while also making them care even less/feel even less hope about the sphere than they already did.
Most players are far more conservative with what they want to do. It makes sense. I think very few people feel empowered to just blow up a building just 'cause or have the big bads of the sphere running around kissing people or tea parties or have just weird nonsensical things happen. (Unless they're odd individuals, but weirdos are going to be there regardless.) Sometimes staff tend to get a little overexcited about the appeal of their ideas to their playerbase, and then try to force it, ect. I have seen that happen now and then in player stuff, but not really at the semi-regular basis i've seen it from staff folks. (And to be really honest with you? I've seen as much or more staff loss of interest/farting out/neglect as I have with PrPs. I don't think that's a character flaw or anything, but just the reality of burnout/timecrunch that frankly we all face.
Depends on the game. On Generic Small Town With 10 Million Celebs and Mansions by Night, where honestly most of the time the setting is okay but not really vibrant, or in a sphere that doesn't have a lot of history that doesn't sound like an inside joke, I often concentrate on a character and how she grows/shifts over time based on who she meets and things that happen. There have been a few places that had a theme or time period I found so interesting or really liked that I would have been happy playing one-shots or whatever just to help flesh out the world and have fun with the PCs.
However regardless I tend to play "minor characters" in the sense that they're almost exclusively support PCs, no matter where I play. I tend to be much more interested in those sorts of stories rather than clawing my way personally to the top or whatever.
PrPs or the equivalent have been if they're small enough to allow for dynamic RP and there's been something to bond over. But that's pretty rare.
I think the factors for it NOT being conducive to generating RP ties to new people as a result are the following (but not limited to this):
PrPs on many of the games I have played in the last few years are the only form of potentially non-pure-social scenes people get, so they tend to be overcrowded with people glomming on without really thinking what's logical/appropriate to their PC. In addition, non-staff storytellers often times are very well aware of these fact (that this is a rare opportunity for players to do something that's not a version of baRP especially if they don't have a circle of friends already, and don't feel empowered or feel bad about adhering to their posted scene limits or screening for ICness, because they don't want to upset players who are starving for anything, anything at all.
Because of the above, I think, people who do list public/unrestricted events burn out quickly, or end up having to change over to more spectator-ish scenes. It burns them out, so then you have largely people who don't mind 8-10 people scenes (which IMO are much less likely to bond/get to know other PC and players with a higher frustration/ooc checkout quotient) being the only public runners while most others have gone back to "those I know and maybe a +1 or two". Totally understandable, but it doesn't allow for a lot of mixing up.
Sometimes it's difficult to get blurbs about those PCs in advance, even if asked for, so the runner can't try to incorporate bits to draw PCs out and towards each other. Yes, that's partially player responsibility too, but I think the runner has a unique tactical and vantage point that can help facilitate that--but while I've found that lots of times people are willing to front load their stats for you, they're less likely to share ways to draw them in on a story level. I'm not sure why that is--maybe they don't know themselves because they've had limited opportunities to flesh out a PC? They worry another player will use it against them if they share that info? They worry that they will be made the 'star' when they don't want to, or that it will feel bad to them if they bother typing up all that stuff and it's not used at all or given consideration? Or they don't know what to put because they've never been asked before?
A lot of time by the time the scene is over, there's not a lot of time to make plans to meet up or to exchange info, or get to know each other beyond the action, and the players can be so tired that they are just trying to get through OOCly so they can go to bed or whatever. Follow through can be difficult. SOmeone who will go out of their way to attend a PrP for a chance at that action or to be included but they may be hooking up with people who don't share their usual timezone, so that makes forging more RP difficult even if it's very much desired.
Here's another angle to consider too. I've spend much of the day crafting a very professional and concise "I cannot by the ethical standards expected of me by my profession accept you as a client, but I can can direct you to other professionals who may be able to. Please do not come to my place of business without an appointment, as it is posted on our door all sessions are by appointment only and it's inappropriate to loiter otherwise. I am not interested in further contact with you." Sort of statement.
However, yes, in addition to maybe not giving this guy a chance to explain his side of the story, it is also a fact that declining a client strongly (or firing someone) is often a trigger for violence. This guy is unlikely to catch me at work unless he's physically stalking me. But there are two other people in my suite that have more regular hours and are around more. It's not only me that's endangered if that happens.
So I have to be a careful wordsmith, warn my suite mates to keep an eye out. It's possible they may not renew my lease in a month or so and I can't blame them--they have to make safety considerations too, we are all solo practioners in an office park that's somewhat private.
Does this satisfy you that I'm still keeping the feelings/considerations of this poor man on the table, @Derp? Adulting enough for you? Or did you not realize the very real and pragmatic if not "fair" to me a stalking incident like this has towards not only my person but also my livelihood because workplace violence is a thing, it has nothing to do with who's got a penis or not, and it is a reality that all business owners have to take into consideration?
I would say the odds are that the guy will leave me alone. But I can't be sure, and as @arkandel explained better than I, it is his crossing so many boundaries to get this point that means I cannot assume nor is it ethical for me to assume that this is something that's just harmless--because there's not just me involved.
I suppose when I think of someone running a PrP I'm assuming their PC is not involved at all (though maybe in the sense of, hey, would go get this/look at this for me? sort of brief appearance at the beginning for things run for a small group of people who trade off). So getting a break from being the runner just means that you get to participate at all, RPing your PC and doing things.
I have run a few of things "for" specific people, always at their request, with some specific goal (like a becoming or merit loss, ect) and I was chosen because they knew they liked my RP and ST style. (I think) Or I was asked as one one of the volunteer PrP people who would do things outside of their own groups (which is my preference, to not have my PC involved)--but I'd never center a PrP around a specific character unless I knew them well or there was a very specific goal/request--and even then I'd probably not do it for just anyone--just because I know a lot of people who have been burned and had their RP messed up because someone offered to run something "just for them" and it ended up going way way way off the rails/not their expectation, and I would hate to do that to someone.
I hear you on PrP running. I enjoy PrPs and occasional running for what it is and because I enjoy seeing other people's STing styles and people enjoying themselves, but honestly I don't see it as a way to advance personal story anymore. Maybe my expectation on other places that it would contributed to burnout/feeling kind of bad or left out, even though I don't think it's fair to expect that of that particular vehicle.
And yes, I definitely feel out of place sometimes in unstructured scenes. I think one of my great joys of late is that for the least year or so I've been mostly playing support PCs, so ICly and OOCly I get to help draw people in and try to blunt some of that discomfort. You don't always have that option as a non-support PC or one that is actually running running things, not because you don't want to but just because you're so busy with business or your own stuff it's hard to keep an eye out for oocly shy new people, ect.