assignment 6 option 2

In most game communities the unwritten laws regarding conduct tend to be more explicit than in the real world, though . Behavior deemed unacceptable is often met with a very harsh response. My two reproach episodes are pretty nonspecific simply because of how often they occur in game and also because of the commonness of crude responses. Both episodes were observed while playing World of Warcraft.

In the game, dungeon bosses drop loot (items) that each member of the group rolls for. Those who need the item ask the group before choosing need, otherwise everyone chooses greed or can pass on the item. The practice of ninja’ing is when a person chooses need for an item that someone else also needs, but that they themselves don’t have a use for. In most cases if the ninja wins the roll, they immediately leave group, hence the name ninja. The remaining group members tend to send the ninja angry messages and slander the ninja in the global chat. Ninja’s are more or less blacklisted by the community; some get blocked in chat and others develop a reputation that makes it difficult for them to get groups. In this case the reproach is not just the initial verbal scolding but also the effects the original infraction has on the community. If the person chose need on accident or just didn’t know any better, they’re just scolded and the reproach is generally successful. Those who want to ninja items for personal gains however will not stop until the reproach comes from the community as a whole.

My second example of reproach episode in game involves the typical responses to new players more commonly called noobs. A noob stereotypically asks dumb questions that a person could answer themselves with a little bit of effort. In general being called a noob is insulting as it implies both stupidity and ignorance of how the game works. Its common knowledge that there are countless web resources dedicated to World of Warcraft, and mmogs in general, that allow a person to answer their own questions. People found asking overly simple questions in the game chat channels receive responses ranging from “look it up” to “rofl what noob” to “go kill yourself”. Oftentimes the people who respond directly in the chat channel are the ones reproaching the person in a negative way. Those who are nicer usually send a private message to the person letting them know the answer to their question. Generally new players tend to learn very quickly, that most things they need to know they can find out by themselves. In this case the reproaches are very successful whether positive or negative.

I believe what I’ve observed coincides with Wallace’s findings that when a group participant ignores the rules, others apply increasing pressure to ensure conformity. The in game behavior I witnessed also supports Wallace’s finding that in an online space stronger measures are needed to ensure that everyone follows the rules. I agree that in an online place like a game, where rules of conduct aren’t posted or explicitly defined for new members, the response to infractions tends to be very strong. I think that this tends to force new players to conform very quickly to the game's norm of accepted behaviors.