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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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