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Comment by knieveltech | Hacker News Reader

Is there now? By all means describe what objectively differentiates inappropriate from harassment.

Farting is inappropriate but not harassment (usually). There is a huge range of behaviour that's can be inappropriate but not harassment.

How exactly is farting inappropriate?

Depends on context, but lifting your leg and letting rip is generally considered inappropriate during a business meeting.

Right, but I'd argue that doing that is also something that could be construed as harassing your coworkers. Perhaps not in the common usage sense, but certainly in the "spitting on someone is assault and grabbing a coworkers ass is sexual harassment" sense.

I wouldn't consider letting out a fart anymore inappropriate than excusing oneself to go to the bathroom, but doing either in a way that you know will disrupt and cause coworkers discomfort is inappropriate and harassing, not because of the act itself, but because of how you handle it.

That's a reasonable example, but doesn't answer the question: what differentiates it?

I'd say it's something like "involving people without their consent" - e.g. farting on them.

Which includes forcing people to listen to tales of your sexual exploits.

I'd disagree discussing your sexual exploits is harassment either, up to a point. It's harassment when it's clearly unwelcome and directed at a specific individual.

So if we sit next to each other and I keep farting even though you don't like it, it's not harassment because it's not directed at you, but if I kept walking over to your area just to fart, that's harassment.

I would have thought the distinction would be obvious considering the overlap between HN readers and the socially awkward.

sethherr nails it with consent. Just about anything can be harassment if the critical element of consent is missing.

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