[MUD-Dev] Administrative Responsibilities

[Mike Sellers]

At 01:57 PM 2/1/98 PST8PDT, Jon A. Lambert wrote:
>> ...I inadvertedly offended one person. About 5 of their friends sought  
>> to 'protect' them from me. "...[we are] spanking an impudent child..." 
>> was the phrase used by them to describe their actions.
>
>With some variation, this is an altogether normal response, especially 
>from those living in an anarchic society.  Where strong social controls
>are not in place, tribal bonds become the focal point for execution 
>of mud "justice".  It's a fascinating dynamic at work.  

This is very insightful, and goes to my own soapbox of designing better
societal and player-governmental structures within muds.  Greg's experience
exemplifies why this is necessary: as you point out, he was the somewhat
unwitting victim of a "Lord of the Flies"-like tribal-level society (for
now I'll spare you my analysis of the connection between this level of
socialization and the fact that most of the authors are post-adolescent
white males).  Had the mud provided the support needed for better, less
anarchic social structures to emerge (what Amy Jo Kim calls "the social
scaffolding"), this situation likely would not have occurred -- or would
have happened only in the back alley anarchic corners of any world.  

So, the problem isn't just that the admins are neither willing or able to
carry the load of being the Social Parents, it is that the MUDs themselves
(designed by these same non-social leaders) do not support *any* notion of
societal mores beyond the very simple tribal, alpha-male variety.  

In other words, we need our MUDs to Grow Up.  Only then will they be
enjoyable and less frustrating to a wider audience.  


--

Mike Sellers   Chief Alchemist -- Online Alchemy   mike at online-alchemy.com

"One of the most difficult tasks men can perform, however much others 
may despise it, is the invention of good games.  And it cannot be done 
by men out of touch with their instinctive values."  - Carl Jung