>>44384033
>the background consists of all of one sentence (even though I asked for one paragraph minimum).
dump the asshole, move on
maybe change the part where you ask for one paragraph minimum to emphasize that you actually care about that requirement

>>44384033
If you're doing a LFG listing, just ignore the ones that don't read. Even if you tell them what they did wrong, their illiteracy means that you'll waste your time and they won't read your response anyway.

Players are rarely in short supply, though that depends on what system you're using. You lose nothing by moving on to better players and ignoring the shit ones.

>>44384033
Tell him that you're sorry but there's not a spot available for him in your game and move on.

>>44384033
Don't go in-depth, suggest he read next time.

>>44384033
Just be upfront and tell him why he didn't make the cut, or give him a chance to fix the issues.

You're totally in the right to just give him the boot, but maybe he's used to very lenient and useless DMs and figured it wasn't a big deal. Who knows, he might be great once he realizes he has to make an actual effort.

Players are kind of like girlfriends. You never know which bad habits they picked up from their ex or which ones are their own.

Some times the only solution is to amputate, some times the infection can be cured.

>>44384033
>And if I do dismiss him, should I just say "You're not a good fit, goodbye!"
Yes.
>Or should I take a moment to explain WHY he didn't make the cut?
If they ask in a civilized manner, give them proper explanation.
If they start throwing a hissy fit, just block them or something.

>>44384033
"You didn't read or meet my posted requirements, because of this, I'm denying your application and any future applications"

Copy this, and paste it in any future situations.

I can't imagine asking people to read my requirements for a game up-front, to be honest. Usually I do a very casual interview where I get a feel for who the person is, kind of like a first date instead of a job interview.

If we have no chemistry, they're really weird, they're assholes, or they're abysmally awful, then they don't make the cut.

If they seem like normal human beings with a sense of humor, the ability to speak English at a high school level, and a spark of creativity, then they're in.

I turn away lots of people even with those minimal requirements, but that's the nature of online games, I guess.

Also you should only recruit on Roll20 if you really want to see the dregs, I've had a lot of success with /tg/ and r/lfg so far, and I'd recommend both of those places for your future recruiting.

>>44384033
Explain to him why. It's the nice thing to do, won't take more than a minute or two, and there's no reason to seem more gruff than you probably are.
A polite dismissal is always the way to go, and there's always the chance that getting told why he didn't make the cut might make him put more effort in the next time he tries to join the game. Regardless, I for one think that it's always proper to tell people WHY they didn't get in.

>>44389045
>and any future applications
That seems totally uncalled for.

>>44389789
>I can't imagine asking people to read my requirements for a game up-front
Why the fuck not? That's step one for me in deciding if I want to apply. It's really helped dodge some crazy bullets; I've seen GMs demand shit like "1 paragraph for each stat, skill, and merit" for nWoD, expect me to map out my character's entire family tree back six generations in L5R, and force everyone to play their race's favored class only in D&D.

The requirements are as much a benefit to read for the player as they are for the GM. Never not read them!

>>44390026
This.