[MUD-Dev] Retention without Addiction?

[Marian Griffith]

In <URL:/archives/meow?group+local.muddev> on Fri 06 Dec, Matt Mihaly wrote:
> On Fri, 6 Dec 2002, Acius wrote:

> I just got back from seeing Bowling for Columbine, actually, and
> one funny bit in there was when Michael Moore asked, rhetorically,
> why blaming Marilyn Manson for Columbine makes any more sense than
> blaming the sport of bowling, since bowling is the last things the
> two murderous little shits did before going on their rampage.

Ah yes, but then Marilyn Manson portrays himself as 'the other' and
thus sets himself up as a nice fat target for every parental fear
and worry. Not to mention every narrow minded bigot is going to see
him as a threat to every sense of security he or she has. The whole
blame music/drugs/games/d&d issue is mostly based on fear for what
is different.

> From a moral-blame point of view, I feel the same about MUDs and,
> say, toothpaste. If a person playing my game kills himself, why
> should I feel any more responsible than the company that
> manufactured the toothpaste he brushed his teeth with that
> morning?

You do not have to *feel* responsible, but if sufficient pressure
groups make enough noise, anything is possible from the government
especially if it is a gratuitous ruling or law that silences a lot
of potential voters. That is always the problem for minority groups
that somehow 'threaten' the average voter.  It is easier to trample
on their rights, because that will lose the politicians less votes
than saying to the masses that they are stupid and ignorant...

>> It is far better to spend a little time thinking about it now
>> than have someone else shove an objectionable solution down our
>> throats in a few years' time.
 
> Possibly. Hasn't happened with gambling though, which has only
> grown recently, and which contributes to ruining a lot more lives
> than games ever will. Also note that regardless of the tobacco
> lawsuits, big tobacco is going strong, to say nothing of the
> alcohol industry (and good for them too. Those lawsuits are
> ridiculous.)

Ah yes, but then nobody pushes urgently for curtailing gambling (at
least not in numbers to register on politician's radar) because most
people like to be able to gamble every now and then.  Politicians do
not push for legislation that troubles tobacco industry too much be-
cause they contribute a lot to their campaign.  Games industry are
vulnerable because they are a minority group, do not have a
significant contribution to getting politician voted into office AND
they scare a lot of parents who are deeply religious and wholly
ignorant about games and only see them as diabolical. In fact the
probably scare a lot of parents for that reason, religious or not.

> The US Government now claims the right to indefinitely hold US
> citizens without access to their families, lawyers, or the
> courts. Bush must be stopped.

This is rather off-topic, but I wonder if it is not Ashcroft who
must be stopped instead? He scares me a lot more than Bush does. Not
that the entire government comes across as either supreme cynics, or
paranoids.

Marian
--
Yes - at last - You. I Choose you. Out of all the world,
out of all the seeking, I have found you, young sister of
my heart! You are mine and I am yours - and never again
will there be loneliness ...

Rolan Choosing Talia,
Arrows of the Queen, by Mercedes Lackey


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