[MUD-Dev] Re: Affordances and social method (Was: Re: Wi

[Jon A. Lambert]

On 13 Jul 98, Dr. Cat wrote:

> From:          "Dr. Cat" <cat at bga.com>
> Subject:       [MUD-Dev] Re: Affordances and  social method (Was: Re: Wi
> To:            mud-dev at kanga.nu
> Date:          Mon, 13 Jul 1998 12:02:12 -0500 (CDT)
> Reply-to:      mud-dev at kanga.nu

> > What about indirect means, though? Here's something to consider... say
> > Bubba who is now squelched wanders around telling everyone in the mud
> > that Buffy is a <insert derogatory term of choice>. Word gets back to
> > Buffy. Is this something Buffy should be upset about? Is it something
> > Buffy should have recourse for?Is it something an admin needs to step in
> > for, or is the proper answer to have everyone in the game squelch Bubba
> > too?
> 
> Whether Buffy should or should not get upset, practically speaking I can 
> tell you that if you run a mud mostly populated by people in the 10-21 
> age range, often she will.  Giving any "official" form of recourse to the 
> offense of lying about someone or the offense of insulting someone will 
> lead to a hugely litigious society, in my opinion.  (Of course if someone 
> has the design goal of creating a hugely litigious society, they should 
> probably feel free!)  Buffy does have the same recourse most people have 
> in real life about such problems - as you so often here in discussions of 
> things like the ACLU defending the Illinois Nazis right to hold a march 
> or a public speech or whatever: "The antidote to free speech is more free 
> speech".  One place where the admins could step in is simply to inform 
> users of this fact when they have a complaint.  I've lost track of the 
> number of times I've told some player "If someone is lying about you or 
> smearing your reptutation, go tell everyone the truth about it.  If you 
> lose some friends because they won't believe you and would rather believe 
> the guy that's lying about you, they probably weren't very good friends 
> to have anyway."  Of course this could be put in the introductory or help 
> text somewhere, where all the players will avoid reading it in order to 
> plunge right into the game and have as many problems as possible.  :X)
>

I think this is a quite reasonable and supportable position.  Assume 
(demand?), cajole or otherwise instruct players in "common sense" 
social mechanisms (or what used to be) that many of us learned in 
grammar school.  I'd give you a "I remember when..." speech but I'd 
just as soon pass on it, rather than embarass myself recalling false, 
fractured perceptions of an earlier "gentler" time.   

But that DO you consider grounds for administrative interference on 
Furcadia?   Where does free-speech end, and harassment/game 
disruption begin?

Would Bubba the Illinois Nazi be tolerated by your wizards?
Would Bubba the undeterred groper be subject to intervention?
What about Bubba of the foul mouth?  Is there a list of forbidden 
incantations?  
What about Bubba the gay activist recruitment officer? 
What about Bubba the vocal gay hater, black hater, or hermaphroditic 
dwarf hater?
What about arthropods and reptiles who use provocative anti-fur 
language?   Are PETA activists tolerated on Furcada? ;)

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