Comments on: Warcraft Funeral http://sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/ more fun than sleeping! Thu, 04 Dec 2008 17:26:47 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.5 By: Palladian http://sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/#comment-1196 Palladian Tue, 18 Apr 2006 23:26:48 +0000 http://www.sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/#comment-1196 Yes, it's a strange situation. It's not like IRC or other kinds of online communities because it has a simulated physical space and players are embodied in a visible character in a way that members of text-based communities aren't. There's a sense of "we're here, together in this space" that probably strengthens the emotional impact of a gathering. Yes, it’s a strange situation. It’s not like IRC or other kinds of online communities because it has a simulated physical space and players are embodied in a visible character in a way that members of text-based communities aren’t. There’s a sense of “we’re here, together in this space” that probably strengthens the emotional impact of a gathering.

]]> By: Judson http://sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/#comment-1195 Judson Tue, 18 Apr 2006 15:24:11 +0000 http://www.sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/#comment-1195 "Would it be within the standards of various groups to behave in this way toward opponents in other circumstances?" Hard to say, because what these people were doing was non-standard. They had their funeral in a very secluded area in the game that would otherwise never normally have any large grouping of people like that. It is also generally accepted that the other guild knew a funeral was occurring and wanted to disrupt it because they thought the idea was dumb. It's most likely just a group of immature people attacking their own mortality rather than anything else, but it has gotten people to talk about virtual reality ethics which I think is good. “Would it be within the standards of various groups to behave in this way toward opponents in other circumstances?”

Hard to say, because what these people were doing was non-standard. They had their funeral in a very secluded area in the game that would otherwise never normally have any large grouping of people like that. It is also generally accepted that the other guild knew a funeral was occurring and wanted to disrupt it because they thought the idea was dumb. It’s most likely just a group of immature people attacking their own mortality rather than anything else, but it has gotten people to talk about virtual reality ethics which I think is good.

]]> By: Palladian http://sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/#comment-1194 Palladian Mon, 17 Apr 2006 19:16:06 +0000 http://www.sleepyhead.org/archives/2006/04/15/warcraft-funeral/#comment-1194 I think you're right about this; I heard about this somewhere the other day and found it disturbing. The only thing that makes it a little more difficult is that it occurred in the Warcraft universe which is a combination of "real life" morals and ethics and relationships, and game-related ethics and practices on the other. In "real life" you wouldn't kill animals expecting magical rewards or attack other people without consequences, or have zombie enemies, yet these are things I presume are indeed normal in the game world. You're also simultaneously operating with "real life" social values and interactions that are very different from these game standards. What is the proper balance, and when does one standard have to give way to the other? Would it be within the standards of various groups to behave in this way toward opponents in other circumstances? Since I never played World of Warcraft, I don't know the answer to any of these questions but I'm curious. I absolutely agree, however, that this in-game funeral was as real as any "real world" memorial service, and that violating the sanctity of such an event, whatever its ethical ramifications are in the game universe, is a real violation of normal human ethics. I have friends that do not really understand the internet, at least in terms of the social aspect of it, who are unable to comprehend that a primarily online friendship is as much a friendship as any other. They think it odd when I speak of you as my closest friend. I'm sort of reminded of the pianist Glenn Gould's response to people who, after his early and complete retirement from giving live concerts, would ask him if he missed the direct connection with audiences that came with concertizing. He replied that he felt much, much closer to his audience now that his sole medium of performing and communication was through recording and other electronic media than he ever did giving live concerts. I wish he could have lived to see the internet, he would have loved it. I think you’re right about this; I heard about this somewhere the other day and found it disturbing. The only thing that makes it a little more difficult is that it occurred in the Warcraft universe which is a combination of “real life” morals and ethics and relationships, and game-related ethics and practices on the other. In “real life” you wouldn’t kill animals expecting magical rewards or attack other people without consequences, or have zombie enemies, yet these are things I presume are indeed normal in the game world. You’re also simultaneously operating with “real life” social values and interactions that are very different from these game standards. What is the proper balance, and when does one standard have to give way to the other? Would it be within the standards of various groups to behave in this way toward opponents in other circumstances? Since I never played World of Warcraft, I don’t know the answer to any of these questions but I’m curious. I absolutely agree, however, that this in-game funeral was as real as any “real world” memorial service, and that violating the sanctity of such an event, whatever its ethical ramifications are in the game universe, is a real violation of normal human ethics.

I have friends that do not really understand the internet, at least in terms of the social aspect of it, who are unable to comprehend that a primarily online friendship is as much a friendship as any other. They think it odd when I speak of you as my closest friend. I’m sort of reminded of the pianist Glenn Gould’s response to people who, after his early and complete retirement from giving live concerts, would ask him if he missed the direct connection with audiences that came with concertizing. He replied that he felt much, much closer to his audience now that his sole medium of performing and communication was through recording and other electronic media than he ever did giving live concerts. I wish he could have lived to see the internet, he would have loved it.

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