[MUD-Dev] Administrative Responsibilities

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 31 Jan 98 at 14:54, Greg Munt wrote:

[snipped mud experiences]
 
> I was told that my attitudes were not shared. That users must deal with 
> things, or leave. 

Gosh.  I can't tell you how many times I've heard these two statements
in some form or another in my day to day life.  I believe that freedom of 
association is a wonderful thing.  If one believes in freedom of 
association, you must be prepared to accept the other side of the coin, 
freedom of disassociation.

Basically, what the players and administration of this particular mud were 
attempting to convey to you (quite possibly even rudely) was that you 
were not welcome in their sandbox.  For whatever reason, it was apparent 
that their customs and social conventions were incompatable with yours.  
This happens in highly organized societies as well as anarchies.    

The most satisfying and moral solution to this problem is to not allow 
"victims" on the mud.  A good administrator should take a proactive role in 
banishing "victims" from the mud for their own protection.  Remove the 
victim from the environment and provide them with the URL of a good support 
mud.  That way they can share their feelings and recover with others who 
have suffered similar abusive treatment.  It's sad that many administrators 
have so little understanding in this area.  Many allow the victim to login 
and continue to play thus delaying and crippling their recovery. 

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