[MUD-Dev] Expected value and standard deviation.

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

"Michael Tresca" <talien at toast.net> writes:
> Ola Fosheim Grøstad [mailto:olag at ifi.uio.no] wrote:

>>> There is no reason to believe that humans in online worlds are
>>> significantly different than humans in the physical world. Is
>>> there?

> There is reason to believe that humans in online worlds are
> significantly different than humans in the physical world.  See my
> thesis, "The Impact of Disinhibitive Behavior Through
> Computer-Mediated Communication" at:

>   http://www.msu.edu/user/trescami/thesis.htm

I doubt humans are significantly different just because they happen
to use say a computer rather than a footballfield or a phone. Yes,
there is most likely some disinhibition in CMC, even in video
conferences. (Although, one might ask if the users in such studies
were thoroughly familiar with the medium.) There are a lot of
problems with message based communication without moderation,
especially in cultures like USENET, which I assume is what you have
been looking at... Sure. There are also problems with people being
in the army or driving a car!  So, let's not extrapolate too
heavily... when it comes to MUDs.

Fact is, one should be surprised that people act as nice as they do
in virtual worlds rather than claiming the opposite based on a few
mindless brats. I met more jerks in my schoolyard than I do in
virtual worlds.

--
Ola - http://folk.uio.no/olag/
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