[MUD-Dev] Blacksnow revisted

[Caliban Tiresias Darklock]

----- Original Message -----
From: <Daniel.Harman at barclayscapital.com>
> From: Caliban Tiresias Darklock [mailto:caliban at darklock.com]
>> From: <Daniel.Harman at barclayscapital.com>

>>> In the Anarchy Online case, the items they were selling were
>>> apparently all duped/farmed using exploits which is how the BSI
>>> characters were identified.

>> The AO statement about exploitation isn't really relevant to the
>> Mythic case. The Mythic case is about Dark Age of Camelot, and no
>> similar allegation was raised by Mythic.

> So its forunate I'm discussing the AO side of things here right? 
> ;)

Well, I really didn't want to discuss the AO side of things, because
it's a whole different issue. Whether BSI was selling goods or
selling services is kind of irrelevant to whether they were
cheating.

>>> Does it really matter if BSI is allowed to sell things online -
>>> the issue in this case is if games are allowed to ban players
>>> when it can be demonstrated such action will cause financial
>>> loss.

>> That's an instructive way of putting it. I don't think anyone
>> would dispute that someone who cheats at some game or other
>> should be banned and the game's administration is perfectly
>> justified in doing it.

> Thats exactly what black snow are arguing in the AO case. They are
> arguing that its causing them enormous financial loss. Whether or
> not they take it to court we don't yet know as frankly solicitor's
> letters are worthless by themselves.

This is my whole problem with BSI.

They're morons.

They have something of a point in the Mythic case, but they're
*really* stupid.

I'm concerned that this is going to cause a problem in acceptance of
the decision. If the judge says they're right, will the community
bitch about how this is a travesty because BSI is clearly wrong
about everything they say? If the judge says they're wrong, will the
community applaud even if the decision is clearly flawed?

I worry.

>> Ultimately, however, only one or two issues will be resolved. The
>> rest of them will stay up in the air for people like us to
>> discuss on lists like this. ;)

> One has to wonder if they can actually run their business
> profitably without cheating.

That's an issue I suspect is much more useful than whether you can
sell what you acquire on the game. I don't think anyone *can* run a
profitable business with in-game items without either cheating or
violating very basic rules of in-game conduct, if not both. And
since both of these practices are outlawed in and of themselves, why
do we need to outlaw selling items at all?


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