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So just a bit ago, I was playing a round of League of Legends. It's finally working again on my computer, so much hooray for that. The last two matches I played, I filled the role of a jungler; a bad choice on my part, I'm an utter failure at jungling. As you might imagine, being an utter failure at jungling that I am, my team lost those two matches. Throughout it all, they weren't that happy at me. Understandable, I was losing them a game and their precious time.
Of course, what's less understandable is how they chose to express it, and I think it illustrates how our mentality differs on the internet. If you were at the YMCA, gym, local park, whathaveyou, and you weren't doing so good at a game of basketball, how would you feel if your teammates began cussing you out and telling you about what an utter failure you are? Would that even happen? I'm not saying it wouldn't, I've played basketball with some nastier people, but generally speaking that doesn't happen. Why? Because getting yelled at by your teammates is a scientifically proven way for your team to lose. Your morale drops, they get angry and don't react as well, and generally speaking the bodily chemicals associated with anger are to make you stronger and faster, not exactly more intelligent. And besides, most people have more respect than to cuss at their teammates having a bad day.
But yet, in my time playing League of Legends, and other online games of similar competitive nature, you find the twelve year old in the basement stereotype often. Some kid who thinks he's tough cussing people on the internet for not being a pro. I suspect many of the players I've played with on LoL are of similar age, and somehow I think if they were standing face to face with me (well, not face to face, seeing as they'd be around five foot and I'm six foot five) I don't think they'd be so brazen about my inability to kill AI creeps correctly.
I'd rant on a while more about why, but honestly it baffles me. I myself can get a bit more sarcastic on the internet than I do elsewhere (well, actually, I don't talk much IRL, go figure) but I've always made it a point that if I say something here, I'd say it to someone face to face. I suppose people think that since they're anonymous, they can do anything they want.
Which leads us to a very dark aspect of humanity; if people will verbally abuse others on the internet entirely because they can do it without any repercussions, would they commit crime if they could? Would we as a people truly be so awful if we never had any repercussions for our actions?
I can't say I wouldn't, but I certainly hope I'd have some iota of self control to stop and think, is it worth it?
Oh dear. I was going to talk about obsessive fanboys and their obsessions over being perfect in a game instead of having fun. Bugger. I suppose a semi-philosophical outtake on humanity will have to suffice.
Of course, what's less understandable is how they chose to express it, and I think it illustrates how our mentality differs on the internet. If you were at the YMCA, gym, local park, whathaveyou, and you weren't doing so good at a game of basketball, how would you feel if your teammates began cussing you out and telling you about what an utter failure you are? Would that even happen? I'm not saying it wouldn't, I've played basketball with some nastier people, but generally speaking that doesn't happen. Why? Because getting yelled at by your teammates is a scientifically proven way for your team to lose. Your morale drops, they get angry and don't react as well, and generally speaking the bodily chemicals associated with anger are to make you stronger and faster, not exactly more intelligent. And besides, most people have more respect than to cuss at their teammates having a bad day.
But yet, in my time playing League of Legends, and other online games of similar competitive nature, you find the twelve year old in the basement stereotype often. Some kid who thinks he's tough cussing people on the internet for not being a pro. I suspect many of the players I've played with on LoL are of similar age, and somehow I think if they were standing face to face with me (well, not face to face, seeing as they'd be around five foot and I'm six foot five) I don't think they'd be so brazen about my inability to kill AI creeps correctly.
I'd rant on a while more about why, but honestly it baffles me. I myself can get a bit more sarcastic on the internet than I do elsewhere (well, actually, I don't talk much IRL, go figure) but I've always made it a point that if I say something here, I'd say it to someone face to face. I suppose people think that since they're anonymous, they can do anything they want.
Which leads us to a very dark aspect of humanity; if people will verbally abuse others on the internet entirely because they can do it without any repercussions, would they commit crime if they could? Would we as a people truly be so awful if we never had any repercussions for our actions?
I can't say I wouldn't, but I certainly hope I'd have some iota of self control to stop and think, is it worth it?
Oh dear. I was going to talk about obsessive fanboys and their obsessions over being perfect in a game instead of having fun. Bugger. I suppose a semi-philosophical outtake on humanity will have to suffice.
The phenomenon you are describing is called Removed. Do not bypass the world filter. Thank you.-Nukaya, and the point is that, if you are anonymous, then you are more likely to be a Removed. Do not bypass the world filter. Thank you.-Nukaya, not that it is guaranteed though.
There is also a philosopher relevant to this rant, his name is Thomas Hobbes. The first relevant part is that he believed that all humans are essentially Removed. Do not bypass the world filter. Thank you.-Nukaya deep down, and the second is his Social Contract Theory. I am paraphrasing but the relevant part of that here is that we make rules, but we are also likely to break them if we are able to get away with it. Again, not guaranteed but if you are at a red-light late at night and no one is there, most people would just blow through it, after all there is no one there to wait for and no one to see that you did anything.