[MUD-Dev] MUDs and societal transformations

[Brandon J. Van Every]

Koster, Raph:
> Brandon Van Every:

>> The question is, how many MUD *admins* buy into this social
>> consciousness gloom and doom?

> That doesn't say anything either. All the mud admins out there
> might be just like Matt Mihaly. It doesn't mean they're
> right. (Sorry, Matt.)

Doesn't say that they're wrong either.  When faced with such
problems, us business-minded folk say "Let the Free Market decide."
Although as a USA First Amendment advocate, I think we should
condition the legal climate so that the market actually remains
free.  I do think the courts will eventually figure out that online
behavior is speech, and how that speech pertains to extant libel
law, harassment, etc.

Also as a guy with a B.A. in sociocultural anthropology, I still say
"Let the Free Market decide."  Cultures evolve.  You can be a
catastrophist about the evolution of cultures, but barring an
obvious historical parallel, history will probably prove you an
alarmist.  Remember according to those 1960's social theorists we're
all supposed to be starving by now.  What happened instead?  People
grew more food.  Gee, go figure.

> Of course the roundtable was self-selecting. There's selection
> factors everywhere. Arguing over how many people espouse the idea
> that mud admins should feel ethical responsibility when running
> their muds doesn't say anything whatsoever about the validity of
> the concept.

What is being argued is a religion.  The Free Market will ultimately
decide the consumer religion.

> No more than arguing over how many people believe the world is
> flat versus round.

The difference here is that "flat vs. round Earth" is a provable.

Cheers,                         www.3DProgrammer.com
Brandon Van Every               Seattle, WA

20% of the world is real.
80% is gobbledygook we make up inside our own heads.

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