Crime and Born-digital Groups

The online group I participate in has several methods of dealing with crime. The most effective method is the use of terms and policies that all participants are subjected to agree to in order to gain access to the online group. The establishment of rules and punishments allows for a fair and effective way of maintaining order and peace within the online group. One of the most trifling issues with the Mr. Bungle case in A Rape in Cyberspace; or How an Evil Clown, a Haitian Trickster Spirit, Two Wizards, and a Cast of Dozens Turned a Database into a Society by Julian Dibbell is that there “were no explicit MOO rules against rape, or against just about anything else” (105). In this account, Mr. Bungle maliciously raped and exploited other characters in the virtual world of LambdaMOO. However, there was controversy about whether he was able to be punished due to the lack of policies against misconduct online. In World of Warcraft, they circumvent this issue by establishing rules against misconduct under the supervision of Game Masters, or employees that respond to any type of exploitation and assess the situation accordingly. Contrary to explicitly stating rule after rule for different situations, they provide a general policy against misconduct, making the rule more versatile and applicable to different situations.

I believe this method is fair because I am able to enjoy my participation in this online group without fear of grotesque behavior, crime, and misconduct. I have participated in this online community for about 5 years and have never encountered an issue with crime that could not be dealt with. Although it may sound like an absolute method of carrying out rules against crime, every accused member is entitled to defend themselves. Since Game Masters are able to review past history and actions, they are able to justify their decisions with concrete information. In addition, Game Masters often refer to the general community when considering decisions or establishing policies. As a result, the community actually takes the leading role in how the Game Masters function and establish policies.

Works Cited

Dibbell, Julian. “A Rape in Cyberspace; or How an Evil Clown, a Haitian Trickster Spirit, Two Wizards, and a Cast of Dozens Turned a Database into a Society.” The Village Voice. 21 Dec. 1993: 98-114. Rpt. In High Noon on the Electronic Frontier. Ed. P. Ludlow. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 1996. 375-96.