[MUD-Dev] Declaration of the Rights of Avatars

[John Bertoglio]

> Matthew Mihaly
> Sent: Sunday, April 16, 2000 11:23 AM
>
> > Raph wrote:
>
<much cut>

> A disclaimer: I don't actually believe in rights, because I think they are
> a rather nonsensical concept. What is a right? It's just a desire/will to
> or from something. It's utterly meaningless except as a psychological
> phenomenon (I find the idea of natural rights to be one of the
> sillier things I've studied.) It's also meaningless practically unless you
> have the _power_ to enforce your desire/will. Rights are based on power,
> or they mean nothing, and in the virutal world the power resides
> completely with the admins. They may give it up temporarily, but it is
> their choice to give it up, and it's their choice to take it back.

In society, rights are very real. They result from the people giving
up freedom. We trade our freedom to obtain rights. We give up our right
to drive any way we want to obtain a (modest) right to safety on the
highway. Every time we demand a right, it is always bought with
freedom. Are there inalienable rights? I am not sure. Perhaps what we
call inalienable rights are simply those which most members of society
will give up their freedom for. I give up my freedom to take a weapon
onto an airplane in return for a right to a very low chance I will have
delay due to a hijacking.

In a game world this translates to a simple formula . . . Players trade
some level of freedom of speech and action for the right to have
an environment with some degree of predictability and control. When the
majority of individuals in the world are happy with the rights/freedom
balance, you can have reasonable harmony. Clearly, this becomes more
difficult as the numbers of players reach mass market levels.

If I play in a world with an active administration who intervenes to
promote certain player rights, I must give up some of my freedom in order
to be allowed to continue to participate. I must accept the constraints
on my behavior in order to enjoy the benefits to me that imposing those
constraints on other provides. A looser environment will allow more
freedom but this freedom will be bought at the price of chaos. Some
people like chaos.

jb

> --matt
>
>
>
>
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