[MUD-Dev] Re: UBE/high: Re: W IRED: Kilers have more fun

[s001gmu at nova.wright.edu]

I did a little cleaning up, but I think all the attributions are correct.


On Fri, 14 Aug 1998, Koster, Raph wrote:

> > From: cat at bga.com [mailto:cat at bga.com] 

[...]
 
> [snip the granny example]
> 
> You state in your example that the real concerns will be hacking and
> harassment. These I see as things that are "virtual violence." Here's my
> thinking on it--if we can find ways for users of a space to be able to
> add to tracking mechanisms for other people, ways of invoking the
> automatic VirtualWalMart policing code that aren't unfair and also don't
> require human Walmart employees monitoring everything all the time, then
> we are working towards solving the problems of hacking and harassment
> just as much as said system would work towards helping solve
> playerkilling. That's not that different a system from the reputation
> system in UO right now.
> 
> Someday we're going to see that punk kid in that VirtualWalMart packing
> some cute little hacking tool that (who knows?) is iconized as a sword
> or something on the display. And ya know, one of the virus-detecters on
> my screen is already iconized as a shield. The activity is
> violence--let's not quibble over the iconization. That instance would be
> aggression far worse than a playerkill in a game. It might have real
> consequences in terms of financial loss (credit card # extraction? who
> knows?).

Not surprisingly, this is very reminscent of the situations dealt with in
books like Neuromancer, by William Gibson.  The classic virtual world
problem.  In a world where anything is possible, how do you make it so
people can only do what you want them to?

You may also want to look at FASA's Shadowrun game.  They have a very
interesting section on the Matrix (as they call it), and a couple of
source books that deal with issues like security, etc.  They paint an
interesting picture, very similar to what you propose:

Computers are linked via a spatial interface.  Computers with security
have two forms, automated monitors that attempt to inconvenience/deter
intruders and/or warn the human 'puter-police, and then live humans,
jacked into the systems, actively defending them.

-Greg