[MUD-Dev] Community Relations

[Ola Fosheim Grøstad <olag@ifi.uio.no>]

Matthew Mihaly wrote:
> On Tue, 18 Jan 2000, Jon A. Lambert wrote:
> > What is it about administration personnel that makes them so much
> > more delicate and important when it comes to being insulted or
> > offended?
> 
> The exact same reason why judges can sentence you to jail on grounds of
> contempt of court for pretty much anything they choose. I'm not really
> interested in getting into a lengthy debate about whether judges should be
> shot or not, but considering that some of the same functions of admins are
> often dealing with player disputes, I wouldn't be so quick to throw out a
> way of dealing with things that has survived the test of time for quite
> awhile.

That is one of the weaknesses of democracy. Rather stable, but incapable
of changing, and when something changes it does so in a rather slow and
inefficient manner.

Anyway, the authoritative concept of "contempt of court" (I don't think
most people are sent to jail for going bananas, but that is another
issue) and the system itself is partially a historical construct, and
partially functional. It is rather obvious that the judge is responsible
for allowing the presentation of all relevant facts. That's one reason
for having that concept. It prevents the usage of powertactics such as
"BOOOing". I don't think that holds in a MUD setting. And one usually
tries to find a settlement outside the courtroom...  I don't think the
analogy is a good one..

Another analogy would be the old fashioned school system. "Listen to
what I teach you, do what I say, and don't tell me I am wrong, because
then I'll whip your butts". I guess there must be a reason for why
that's considered old fashioned?

I think perhaps the police is a better analogy, but the police is
supposed to be guided by strict rules. And in the physical world you
have much less control and risk much more. So that kind of respect is
not really required in a MUD.

=> I think you are coming up with excuses.  I doubt that such "violent"
respect built on fear is required to administer a mud efficiently.

> the Gods/admins. Players will die, or suffer other punishments for
> insulting a God though, and sometimes the punishments may weaken the
> player significantly until he has apologized, often publically, and/or
> performed some difficult or tedious task that the God sets for him.

Does the "evil" God reward you for insulting the "good" God? 


Ola.




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