[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 29 Jun 98, Koster, Raph wrote:
> > From:	Mike Sellers [SMTP:mike at bignetwork.com]
> > Sent:	Friday, June 26, 1998 8:09 PM
> > To:	mud-dev at kanga.nu
> > Subject:	[MUD-Dev] Re: WIRED: Kilers have more fun
> > 
> > At 04:30 PM 6/26/98 -0500, Dr. Cat wrote:
> > >Raph Koster wrote:
> > 
> 
> >  The topic of wholly created societies
> > does not exist in the literature in any form that speaks to online
> > communities (beyond the level of the likes of Howard Rheingold and
> > Sherry
> > Turkle, which doesn't take us very far).  Given that, it's not
> > surprising
> > that a bunch of (here I go again) young white mostly-unmarried male
> > suburbanite refugee designers haven't been able to do it either.
> > 

The youth argument is rational and understandable and as a 
consequence of youth those that are married would be less common.  

I can't quite grasp the logic that being white and male would be
disadvantageous to creating online societies.  Are you postulating 
that black females will have more success at creating online 
societies?   

> I think we have to share the blame. For that matter, I don't consider it
> "blame" as such as a plain old recognition of facts. I do not think the
> average Internet gamer who plays a mud is ready for self-governance. I
> also do not think the average real world citizen is fully engaged with
> their local community or participates in THEIR governance either. Did
> you vote in your last local election? I didn't, and thus I am pointing a
> finger at myself as well.  I am not saying that I have all the answers.

How do you both define self-governance on muds?
The absence of administration interference?  Or something else?

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