Topic
This just in: anonymity affects behaviour
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Edited by Rosanne on 23/02/12 10:01 (UTC)
Greetings.
Let me start with the most tangible example regarding anonymity: the games in ancient Colliseum, during the times of the Roman Empire. Gladiator battles. Let's consider two gladiator's battling eachother in the arena while the stands are filled with the masses. The victor raises his head towards ceasar (let's assume that he's there), who in turn raises his hand and sticks out his thumb. He holds his thumb horizontally, and slowly turns it upwards. Part of the crowd cheers. Then, the turns his thumb downwards, and the crowd cheers louder. The decision is clear: the loser dies. So where is the anonymity in here? It's the crowd that chooses. It's being part of the crowd that makes common man anonymous. What would those same people choose if they had to make the same decision on their own? Their choice affects a human's life! Now what has this got to do with an online game? Online means on the Internet. Being on the Internet means being anonymous to other users. Your IRL identity can generally not be linked to your online avatar by the common man, nor vice versa. IRL identity is tied to a certain reputation in society. You wish to maintain a healthy reputation to avoid becoming an outcast, that's why you stick to social rules. If this is not tied to an online identity, then no one will stop you from breaking those same social rules. That is what gets people doing what they normally would not. They may choose to see the losing gladiator die, because they want to see bloodshed! To those of you who are not yet convinced: youtube for Derren Brown - the gameshow. It is a video of four parts that shows you what anonymity does to people. Yes, this happens to you on the Internet as well! (50 minutes total, the gameshow part starts after around 15-20 minutes.) So again, what has this got to do with the game? Behaviour I say, bad attitudes are a result of anonymity. People vent, people rage, people curse, people swear, people hurt other people, because they're not seeing the results of their actions or won't have their actions tied to any vulnerable reputation. Every player-controlled pixel you insult is a flesh and blood person you insult in return. It's easy to insult others if you only see pixels, but pixels insulting you are just as harsh as actual people of flesh and blood insulting you face to face. This I want to bring in, to get you thinking and wondering, hoping that it might trigger something that could just create a world that is that much easier to live in. The Internet has become a massive part of our life, so anonymity is that much more of a threat to each of our (mental) healths. Think about that, next time you see someone raging or insulting anywhere on the vast ocean that is the Internet. *EDIT*: What really makes people anonymous in WoW, is any and all cross-realm features. On your own realm, you do have a reputation to consider if you wish to enter in guilds and get trades done. In dungeons, raids and battlegrounds joined via the DF, RF and battleground-queuer, you don't have to mind that reputation that much anymore, since the odds of coming across those same people from other servers is pretty slim anyway. This is where the issue occurs. |
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Trolls will be trolls. There is nothing blizzard nor any player can do about it.
People need to learn to grow a thick-skin and ignore. Always remember the sticks and stones saying. It'll save anyone a shed load of time getting mad at someone. |
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Edited by Rosanne on 23/02/12 00:02 (UTC)
Trolls will be trolls. There is nothing blizzard nor any player can do about it. Say what now? I am being very serious here. 'Just grow a thick skin' is not a solution, but a symptom. Any player can mind their actions if they think of the results, it's not that hard. Just being aware is enough. If you don't want people to flame your skin off, then why would you do so yourself? *EDIT*: To emphasize: * You can't make people quit smoking, but you can make them aware of the hazards to their health that smoking brings. * You can't stop people from getting drunk to boot, but you can make them aware of the dangers (to others) that being drunk brings. (like crashing with your car while driving under influence) * You can't stop drug-distribution and consumption, but you can emphasize how dangerous it is. Awareness is the key in the above examples. I am trying to use this same principle: * You can't stop gamers from acting foul while they hide beneath anonymous identities, but you can make them aware of their actions. |
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People are entitled to their privacy and to be forgotten, as human right's, it is the law.
If you don't like that stay Alliance, maybe see you on a Battleground. |
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You can say to someone watch what you say a million times. Certain people don't care or don't understand. /ignore and walk on.
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Edited by Eolien on 23/02/12 00:01 (UTC)
Taking insults in game is much easier in real life. It can help you be the person you are. If you cannot stand to be teased or insulted (I'm not saying you, I'm speaking in general) then you need to learn how to be because you are going to get that in life. Getting to the point, are you saying make real ID on forums? Or did I read that wrong. |
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@Berixnium: the law is there to keep order and peace in a civilization. Anonimity is a direct threat to that order. Even if it is a right to have privacy, it is still different from endangering social order simply by being unaware of what anonimity does to each and every one of us.
Watch the video I mentioned. You'll see what I mean. @Eolien: I'm not saying anything about getting realID out anywhere, I'm just trying to raise awareness of an issue that is and will become more serious as the Internet becomes a bigger and bigger part of our lives. Would a person make those same insults if they used a Facebook or Hyves or whatever avatar, instead of a game avatar? And why or why not? |
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Edited by Rosanne on 23/02/12 00:13 (UTC)
Everything. A WoW avatar is not linked to your IRL identity (for other users anyway), so there 'is no harm' in venting, raging, insulting etc. This creates an anonimity to the user behind which they hide to take cover from such actions. The 'receiving' side, however, takes the full blow. |
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The people that are insulting others are probably already aware that this can have a negative effect on others. Making people aware won't solve anything. As sad as it is.
Besides, unlike real life this game has an effective ignore button. Get insulted by some random internet hero? just ignore and don't take it personally. |
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The people that are insulting others are probably already aware that this can have a negative effect on others. Making people aware won't solve anything. As sad as it is. Last time I checked, there was a limit to how many people you can put on the ignore-list. It's not much effective against cross-realm ragers either, since the odds of coming across those again are pretty slim. Before cross-realm, you certainly did have a reputation - on your own server - to consider if you wished to get in guilds and get trades done. Cross-realm removed the need to mind your reputation in dungeons and battlegrounds, which are a pretty huge part of end-game play. |
This also applies to other games like Starcraft, CoD, Street Fighter 4, etc... This is not a WoW issue in itself, nor have you in your thread said anyway this effects WoW (until now). Why is this not in the off-topic forum, then? |
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The people that are insulting others are probably already aware that this can have a negative effect on others. Making people aware won't solve anything. As sad as it is. Not entirely sure what you are trying to say with this reply. Yes the ignore list has a limit, but I doubt you are going to have to ignore every player that says something rude. Unless you really are a frail flower when it comes to this sort of thing. And you can ignore cross realmers the same as ones on your realm, so it is just as effective. I think we are all aware that most players are braver when behind a computer monitor, and whilst your intentions are good with this thread, it is at the end of the day a giant waste of time. Just making people aware of something they already know is going to solve nothing. The only person who can do anything about it is yourself by either ignoring players, reporting players or growing a thicker skin and just dealing with the fact people will be anti-social. That is just life for you. |
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Doesn't matter how aware you are about what your actions do. Some people don't care. It's that simple.
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I like to think that how i act ingame or forum also reflects as the person i am, and i'd like to think i'm quite a kind guy.
Don't think i behave any less nice then what i do IRL, well, sure, i might rage some, but by god, so do i IRL when i get pissed (the few times i blow a fuse) I'd also like to think that how you behave ingame/forum pretty much sums up the person you are, it's to easy to come with a exuse that you're only like this cause no one really do know who you are behind that avatar. Once an ahole, always an ahole... |
Unfortunately this. I agree 100% with what you have said but the general nature of a lot of human beings is really unpleasant, and there is nothing you can do. Wait 400 years for the world to screw itself over and then humans will be crying as to why they didn't change their ways sooner or some rubbish like that, nothing's gonna happen now as much as you and I want it to. |
Totally disagree. The "real world" sucks to live in. Everyone is so engulfed by this social community way of life that you can no longer be yourself. You have to think of how you look, what you say, what you do etc to fit into the standards of being normal. In social situations you constantly have to think before you do so you don't offend someone or make them think lesser of you. You change and hide your personality to reach this acceptable level of normal. It's far into a social relationship that a person dares to actually show their true selfs because everyone have these high standards of how you should be. Being anonymous removes this barrier of fear of being judged and you can finally be you. I mean think behind the reasons of these actions made by players that you frown so much upon. Lets pretend I called you a dirty scumbag while doing a dungeon run. Now why did I do that? Was it because my anonymity made me free from social consequence? No, it was because I, my personality thought you were a dirty scumbag. Would I had said it straight out like that again if we were to meet a party irl instead? Most likely not since it would affect my social status. But I would still think you were a dirty scumbag, just not saying it. I would lie or stay silent so you would think of me as a "nice guy". But then it's not really me. It's an altered version of me I made to please you. I still think you were a dirty scumbag so I'm really just hurting myself.
Those rules are the worst thing in our society. If you are a nice guy, be a nice guy. If you're a #!@#**%!#, be one. What's the point with being "friends" with everyone if you're going to be exactly alike. Don't hide your opinions because you're afraid of what people might think of them. Would you even want to be friends with someone whom you only act to have something in common with? When people are online anonymously do you meet the actual person. So in a way, you know the personalities more of those people on your ignore list then your classmates or Steve at the office. |
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Well, a douch/ahole won't have that much friends really, you are who you are and if being a douch is fine, then go ahead, i won't be your friend.
Real friends does not behave like a retard (no offence to the real retards out there, but you get the point) I behave just as nice ingame as i do IRL, ummm slightly more nice then IRL maybe, but that's not to suck up to people, when my funnybone is broken there will be hell, just as in IRL. I behave nice because that's how i feel suits me, it suits others as well and it does not bother me, be nice and you will also be treated nice, be grimslim and you won't like what's coming.. Is it that hard to see that if you are a bastard you will be treated as one as well? Be what you like but you reap what you sow. If you like to bully others or behave bad, i suggest you shut yourself inside your house or get help. |
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Edited by Harvan on 23/02/12 03:26 (UTC)
It really depends one ones definition of a retard/bastard/whatever I guess ^^. I bet two retard friends behave like retards. But anywho, if you are a "retard" deeply inside, and you hide your retard side while with your "friends", well then they aren't really friends with you, just someone you're pretending to be. People can still have friends even if they might be viewed as "unfriendly" by others. I for example am friend with a guy that most consider being a complete ahole and can't stand. It's just who he is and I don't mind that, we have a lot of other things in common so we hang out. Being bad or nice all goes down to the situational definition of it. I like racial jokes. If I tell one in the wrong crowd so to say, amongst people who think it's bad then of course I will be considered a racist bastard. But if I tell one to people who also like racial jokes then I will most likely seem quite nice to them. My point is that many, many people hide who they are irl, facebook etc and by being anonymous people can be themselves without the risk of being bullied at school, frozen out of social groups, marked a loser for life or "positive" things(all tough a bit more rare I guess) and so on. Many people escape to the internet so they don't have to constantly think of social consequences. Sadly; how we are and what we do is constantly being analyzed, judged and in the end it can affect very serious things such as job opportunities. As said, I like racist jokes but I would never mention that in a job interview (unless it's for racist jokes inc ^^) or to people whom in their turn can spread it around and I would strictly deny it if they asked me about it, even though it's a big part of who I am. When I play world of warcraft for example, I can be me. For I know that I'm completely anonymous and who I am here won't affect me irl where it sadly matters. Even though you don't like who I am it doesn't matter since there's no reason you have to here. If you're the kind of gal who enjoy insulting others by shouting profanities or the guy who just love being the nicest person on the planet doesn't matter. Here online, you can be you. |
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Edited by Kue on 23/02/12 03:52 (UTC)
I don't really understand the mentality that goes into this. Why is it funny? I don't find it fun to be on the receiving end of it, because some @@*@@!##! decided to walk past me on the street and shout racial slurs at me to look cool for their friends. I just don't understand. The best part is that I know they do it simply because they are sure they'll never see me again. |
