Society, or something like it.
We all know how society works right?
There's a whole bunch of laws that dictate to a certain degree what we can, or can not do. These are written down, black on white. Nothing anyone can do about it (we can do something about it, but that's not my point here).
But equally important, if not, more important. Are the "unwritten laws". Or better said, human behavior. For example, there is no law against cutting in line in a supermarket, there is no law that says you cannot scream as loud as you can in a bypasser's ear, you cannot spit on the side walk, etc ,etc.
The people within a community/society dictates these unwritten rules, anyone who acts differently is usually regarded as anti-social. It has everything to do with how we treat people. Do unto others, as you would have them, do unto you.
Or in layman's terms: Act like an ass, expect to be treated as an ass.
Where am I going with all this?
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/loyola_university_professor_be.html
Some American professor, did some research into a MMORPG. What he did was, go out of his way to annoy/harrass the players within this game as much as he possibly can, without breaking the laws of the game (EULA).
in other words, he made a complete ass out of himself, and was shocked to find out, he got treated like an ass.
Various debates were sparked, but my original point stands: The people in a community dictate the unwritten laws, and this professor clearly ignored them. Basically he was being completely ant-social, even if it was, in an online game.
To his amazement, people acted like people.
But what amazes me the most, he got like a funding for this for several years. Getting paid, to make an ass out of yourself, for several years, playing a game.
Time and money well spend, I am sure.
There's a whole bunch of laws that dictate to a certain degree what we can, or can not do. These are written down, black on white. Nothing anyone can do about it (we can do something about it, but that's not my point here).
But equally important, if not, more important. Are the "unwritten laws". Or better said, human behavior. For example, there is no law against cutting in line in a supermarket, there is no law that says you cannot scream as loud as you can in a bypasser's ear, you cannot spit on the side walk, etc ,etc.
The people within a community/society dictates these unwritten rules, anyone who acts differently is usually regarded as anti-social. It has everything to do with how we treat people. Do unto others, as you would have them, do unto you.
Or in layman's terms: Act like an ass, expect to be treated as an ass.
Where am I going with all this?
http://www.nola.com/news/index.ssf/2009/07/loyola_university_professor_be.html
Some American professor, did some research into a MMORPG. What he did was, go out of his way to annoy/harrass the players within this game as much as he possibly can, without breaking the laws of the game (EULA).
in other words, he made a complete ass out of himself, and was shocked to find out, he got treated like an ass.
Various debates were sparked, but my original point stands: The people in a community dictate the unwritten laws, and this professor clearly ignored them. Basically he was being completely ant-social, even if it was, in an online game.
To his amazement, people acted like people.
But what amazes me the most, he got like a funding for this for several years. Getting paid, to make an ass out of yourself, for several years, playing a game.
Time and money well spend, I am sure.