etiquette... doesn't exist

[Kondibon]

They tend to be decently successful, and aren't too hard to set up. You could probably organize one if you wanted, and have a few people show up.



I just wrote an essay on that. It's a simple phenomenon. The best way I think to describe it is like this.
You're driving along in a car. You see someone driving slowly in front of you. You switch lanes, and drive forward. Likely, you'll call the driver a stupid noob (or whatever the road variation of that is), switch lanes, and zoom past them.
Similar scenario: You're walking along on a sidewalk. You see someone walking slowly in front of you. You go around them, possibly wave depending on where you are, and keep on walking.

It's the exact same situation. However, in the first part, you're passing a "car"; and in the second, you're passing a person. A car isn't a person. A car is a faceless obstacle on your way to work. Therefore, it's not worth the same respect a person is.
This isn't what you're conciously thinking. But, it's what your mind is using as a basis for its actions.

I believe this translates directly to internet conduct. In the game, it's easy to see you're communicating with a person. There's a unique face, and a body which reacts to what you say. On the forums however, people are just words floating around the internet. We can't see past that. So we treat them like we would treat a broken tool or an old commercial.


In short, people are jerks on the internet because they aren't fully aware that they're talking to people. They're more respectful in game because it's more obvious they're in a social situation. It takes a bit of training to get past this point, unfortunately.

[Retehi]

[Freshellent]

-Actually on topic and helpful post-

You know that I'm basically the same person online as I am in person. Just a lot less yellow and golds.

[Punisher106]

I've seen many JP and EN people try to tell them, many times before.
They just go "ITS A FREE WORLD" or "FUCK OFF" or such.

I was in a team, one time, running an EQ, where the MPA was ful of JP players. The person I was running with was in the team, shouting out in public, in english. I told him to cut it out with the english in public. He responded with "MAYBE THE JAPS NEED TO LEARN ENGLISH."

I quit the team, the next day.

[Triple_S]

They tend to be decently successful, and aren't too hard to set up. You could probably organize one if you wanted, and have a few people show up.



I just wrote an essay on that. It's a simple phenomenon. The best way I think to describe it is like this.
You're driving along in a car. You see someone driving slowly in front of you. You switch lanes, and drive forward. Likely, you'll call the driver a stupid noob (or whatever the road variation of that is), switch lanes, and zoom past them.
Similar scenario: You're walking along on a sidewalk. You see someone walking slowly in front of you. You go around them, possibly wave depending on where you are, and keep on walking.

It's the exact same situation. However, in the first part, you're passing a "car"; and in the second, you're passing a person. A car isn't a person. A car is a faceless obstacle on your way to work. Therefore, it's not worth the same respect a person is.
This isn't what you're conciously thinking. But, it's what your mind is using as a basis for its actions.

I believe this translates directly to internet conduct. In the game, it's easy to see you're communicating with a person. There's a unique face, and a body which reacts to what you say. On the forums however, people are just words floating around the internet. We can't see past that. So we treat them like we would treat a broken tool or an old commercial.


In short, people are jerks on the internet because they aren't fully aware that they're talking to people. They're more respectful in game because it's more obvious they're in a social situation. It takes a bit of training to get past this point, unfortunately.

See I've came up with similar thoughts to this before... but the thing that always made me rethink it is how well we can stand out on a forum before our post is even read. Avatar and signature combinations can mark specific people really easily, which should change how you perceive the post on a subconscious level.

So I'm curious: do you think that phenomenon of treating posts as if they didn't come from people is curbed somewhat by unique avatar and signature combinations? Like, I can scroll down a thread skimming it and notice your posts immediately. But someone like me? Well I have no signature right now. I'm one of like two or three people using this particular avatar, but avatars are much smaller and as such often go unnoticed.

[Chdata]

There are two types of people who post on forums:

1. People who just post.

2. People who realize they have a lot more time to think about what they're saying.

3. People like me who are like category 2 who just post most of the time if it isn't something about science, religion, politics, or philosophy.

[Zipzo]

I just wrote an essay on that. It's a simple phenomenon. The best way I think to describe it is like this.

You're driving along in a car. You see someone driving slowly in front of you. You switch lanes, and drive forward. Likely, you'll call the driver a stupid noob (or whatever the road variation of that is), switch lanes, and zoom past them.

Similar scenario: You're walking along on a sidewalk. You see someone walking slowly in front of you. You go around them, possibly wave depending on where you are, and keep on walking.

It's the exact same situation. However, in the first part, you're passing a "car"; and in the second, you're passing a person. A car isn't a person. A car is a faceless obstacle on your way to work. Therefore, it's not worth the same respect a person is. This isn't what you're consciously thinking, but it's what your mind is using as a basis for its actions.

I believe this translates directly to internet conduct. In the game, it's easy to see you're communicating with a person. There's a unique face, and a body which reacts to what you say. On the forums however, people are just words floating around the internet. We can't see past that. So we treat them like we would treat a broken tool or an old commercial.

In short, people are jerks on the internet because they aren't fully aware that they're talking to people. They're more respectful in game because it's more obvious they're in a social situation. It takes a bit of training to get past this point, unfortunately.

Right on.

Though I wouldn't exactly say that "in-game" is the total realization of that example, since I think there's a bigger gap in-between how people act in-game and how they act face-to-face compared to the one between how they act on a forum and how they act in-game.

In fact it's not really too far-fetched to say that for a lot of folks, how they act in-game and how they are on the forums can be indiscernible, because maybe for a lot of folks, the two modes of communication are essentially the same. Floating (or stable) text on a screen. Sometimes a virtual body and face that depicts a fantasy character is still just not enough to trigger a persons conscious apprehension of a human being on the other side.

It doesn't even really all flow in that direction. Even the "victims" of that sort of abuse (in terms of online gaming) are guilty. That's the whole reason the word "troll" exists. In return for their lack of empathy from other humans who choose to (or even sub-consciously) ignore that people over the internet are people, they've created an insult that is essentially valid and A-OK to use as a return. A troll is essentially a sub-human, fantasy-esque creature, and in history has always had very little going for it both physically and in the company of others.

So if you think about it, it's actually a vicious & perpetual cycle. Someone who is considered a troll may actually be more motivated to continue being a troll simply because they are called a troll so often. To be mis-judged (because a human obviously can't possibly be a troll) as something that, in its dichotomy doesn't even exist...can seem sub-consciously amusing. Therefore, we have the seeking of flames and internet arguing, all fettered by the already present conclusion that they care not for the folks they egg on for already stated reasons. It's worth noting that there are folks who can be identical between all forms of communication, and it could be for a whole host of reasons. Naivety, simple and blunt honesty to oneself...people tend to differ in great amounts. The scale and variety in which folks can be different is essentially much wider on the internet, because we have the option to be anyone we want.

There's definitely plenty of fuel for research papers there, though I think China figured all of this out already, which is why they control the internet in their country.

[Triple_S]

See, these kinds of threads are always worth watching, because eventually you get to see actual insightful discussion rise from the bitching.

It's wonderful.

[btw-Niji]

smoke weed everyday

[Macman]

So I'm curious: do you think that phenomenon of treating posts as if they didn't come from people is curbed somewhat by unique avatar and signature combinations? Like, I can scroll down a thread skimming it and notice your posts immediately. But someone like me? Well I have no signature right now. I'm one of like two or three people using this particular avatar, but avatars are much smaller and as such often go unnoticed.

I don't care about avatar other than as a short cut of "oh it's either one of three possible people" or one specific person if the forum allows custom avatars.

Here let me spin this in a wild negative fashion for your idea for kicks and giggles:
You're a Sonic fan, thus, your standards are low and I should not really value your opinions too highly on the subject of anything game related.
This is purely satirical and I feel I shouldn't need to put this disclaimer here but this is PSO-W

Now try it on me.