May 2000
- Interesting online game Brian Green
- Bayesian statistics Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Client Technology Jon Morrow
- Client Technology Todd McKimmey
- Client Technology Andrew Wilson
- Client Technology Ben Greear
- Client Technology Greg Munt
- Client Technology Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- Client Technology Joel Dillon
- Advogato J C Lawrence
- tdbm etc. J C Lawrence
- text user interface Eli Stevens
- text user interface Chris Gray
- Legends of Kesmai, RIP Raph Koster
- Legends of Kesmai, RIP Clevmut@aol.com
- Medievia ads in PCGamer? Schubert, Damion
- Medievia ads in PCGamer? Rasdan
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) adam@treyarch.com
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) David Bennett
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) adam@treyarch.com
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) David Bennett
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) Chris Gray
- FIrst LOgin REview (was attracting players) Chris Gray
- Addressing newbies Johan J Ingles-le Nobel
- Addressing newbies stoddart@slip.net
- Addressing newbies adam@treyarch.com
- Addressing newbies J C Lawrence
- Addressing newbies Chris Gray
- Addressing newbies Powell, Warren
- Addressing newbies adam@treyarch.com
- Addressing newbies Chris Lloyd
- Addressing newbies adam@treyarch.com
- Addressing newbies Chris Lloyd
- Addressing newbies adam@treyarch.com
- Addressing newbies Christopher Allen
- Addressing newbies J C Lawrence
- Addressing newbies J C Lawrence
- Addressing newbies Raph Koster
- Addressing newbies Christopher Allen
- Addressing newbies adam@treyarch.com
- Addressing newbies J C Lawrence
- Introduction Ian C. Smith
- constructive quests Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- new email address Travis Casey
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) J C Lawrence
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) J C Lawrence
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) Matthew Mihaly
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) Par Winzell
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) Matthew Mihaly
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- [Meta] chest puffing (fwd) Matthew Mihaly
- Critique: Realms of Despair adam@treyarch.com
- Critique: Realms of Despair David Bennett
- Critique: Realms of Despair Kevin Scott London
- Critique: Realms of Despair adam@treyarch.com
- Critique: Realms of Despair Andrew Ritchie
- Critique: Realms of Despair adam@treyarch.com
- Critique: Realms of Despair adam@treyarch.com
- Critique: Realms of Despair Marc Bowden
- Software combinations Ian C. Smith
- Software combinations David Bennett
- Software combinations Erik Jarvi
- Software combinations Ian C. Smith
- Software combinations Scatter
- Software combinations J C Lawrence
- Hobby Muds and Money Maarten van Leunen
- Hobby Muds and Money Mordengaard
- Mud Clients Mud Imp
- update on selling Godhoods Matthew Mihaly
- update on selling Godhoods Brian Green
- update on selling Godhoods Richard Woolcock
- update on selling Godhoods Matthew Mihaly
- update on selling Godhoods Jeremy Hovance
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG Raph Koster
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG Dan Shiovitz
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG Brian Green
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG Matthew Mihaly
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG AR Schleicher
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG Mud Imp
- Ten Commandments for the next MMORPG The Inquisition Administrator
- Ten commandments for the next MMORPG David Wruck
- MudDev FAQ 2 Marian Griffith
- MudDev FAQ 2 Wes Connell
- The great myth of broadband Brian Green
- The great myth of broadband Madrona Tree
- The great myth of broadband Par Winzell
- The great myth of broadband John Bertoglio
- Effective use of the third dimension Richard Ross
- Effective use of the third dimension adam@treyarch.com
- Effective use of the third dimension Richard Tew
- Ten commandments for players of the next MMORPG Ananda Dawnsinger
- Free Speech Jeff Freeman
I just received this email from a player (references to WoD, that's us).
This was in response to a couple of things: Players in one case at the the
main bank in the game - about as common an area as they get - and in the
second case in the tavern across the street from the bank. In the first
case, the players were engaging in tinysex, or so close to it that other
players complained. We asked them to go somewhere more private for that
sort of thing. In the second case, the players were in the tavern across
the street from the bank comparing their local illegal drug prices. We also
asked those players not to do that there. I don't even know how to respond
to this. Mind, we ARE a private MUD. When we accept new users, they apply
and only after their application is accepted are they allowed online. This
is baffling.
I know, I know, "Search the MUD-Dev archives for 'Free & Speech & Newbie &
Sword".
Anyway... comments? I'd tell him I reserve the right to ban people for
ticking me off, but somehow I don't think he'll accept that.
Text of an Email from Player "Rykus":
----------------8<--------------------------------8<------------------------
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I know I will take a lot of heat for this....BUT I think this needs to be
understood by both Admin and players.
While this is a private shard....the U.S. Supreme Court for the last 50
years has consistantly ruled that the "ownership" (public v. private) of a
"Forum" (place where communications/statements are made) is not the
determining factor concerning the First Amendment Rights of those
within/using the forum. It is rather the "nature" of the forum and whether
it appears to contain more or less of the traditional and historical
elements of a "public forum" where one's right to speak on any and every
subject can not be content restricted. The court house steps, the downtown
sidewalk, the municipal park....all of these are examples of traditional
public forums. In Marsh v. Alabama, the U.S. Supreme court examined the
rights of a Morman woman who was arrested by the police for prosteletizing
on a "wholly privately owned mining town". This "private" town had all of
the halmarks of any other municipality. It had a post office, stores,
restaruant, etc. While all of the town, land, buildings, and businesses
were wholly owned by the company, the court found that it performed the
function of a public municipality , and therefor, she had every right to
stand on the street corner and say whatever she wanted to whomever passed or
decided to listen.
The theory of this hallmark case, was later expanded in a litany of both
Federal and state cases across the country. Ever wonder why Malls can't
stop protestors: (Pruneyard Shopping Center case found that malls serve
shopping and socialization function of historic downtown areas, and were
therefor "nontraditional public forums"). Ever wonder why every Walmart has
signs asking you not to respond to solicitors on the outside of their
stores....rather than just banning them?
To be honest, there is little case law on first amendment rights on the
internet, let alone concerning muds or UO type games. The little that has
occured has been concerning AOL, ISP's, Prodigy and the like concerning
their 1) right to control content of user's speach, 2) their liability for
the content. The clear holding in every case to date has been that these
forums are "nontraditional public forums". The company therefor has no
right or legal justification to censor the content of a user's speach to
another. Given this, they are also not liable/responsible for what
communications occur. The only exception to this rule is where the "owner"
has by contract agreed to protect users from harassement, and then
negligently does not enforce its own rules.
I am aware of several other players who have been warned about the content
of their speach to date, but since there was no real threat of retaliation
from admin, I did not see a need to bring up this rather touchy subject.
Given that we talk of WoD as a "community", it is modeled upon a "town"
structure, we have venders, we have "town meetings", we have real life
gatherings of players, we have relationships, marriages, and friendships who
all gather here to communicate. If AOL and Prodigy can not control the
content of user's speach, then I do not see how any court would allow WoD
admin to.
That being said, the law makes each of us liable for what we say and do. If
people are stupid enough to talk about breaking the law in any kind of a
public forum....then that is their choice. I do not understand the position
of Admin concerning their apparent desire to censor the content of players
speach. While Admin certainly has a right to set "content neutral" rules
designed to stop harrassment of individuals and the like....I am very
confident that legally, they have no right to restrict the content of speach
between consenting players.
Should Admin move to ban or in some other way punish players for the content
of their speach, then they run the risk of litigation, and civil liability.
While I understand the reaction to this may be...hey...no one is willing to
go so far...or if they do, we will just pull the plug... The real issue
should be...even in this pretend world, why do we want, and how do we feel
justified in trying to tell others what subjects can and can't be discussed.
If some hidden person says they did not like what Rykus was saying...Is that
enough...If I said that young women under the age of 18 should be able to
obtain legal abortions, (Is that enough), if I said I would kill any women
or doctor who tried to abort a child of mine, (is that enough)....where do
you draw the line? Who gets to decide? How do you adequately disclose these
dos and don'ts...acceptable subjects and banned ones to the players. Do you
have a list of OK subjects and all others are banned...do you do the
opposite?
The simple solution is to not try and play the thought and speach police.
Each situation needs to be handled on its own. If someone is forcing
unwanted subjects/issues on another...that is harrassment. But if two or
more players want to discuss a topic....that should be a decision for them
to make...not you, and not I. This is not a humble or other opinion....Free
Speach is the law of the land. If you are so concerned about players
breaking the law...then it should be incumbent upon Admin to make sure they
are not.
----------------8<--------------------------------8<------------------------
---------- - Free Speech Ananda Dawnsinger
- Free Speech Par Winzell
- Free Speech Jeff Freeman
- Free Speech Jon A. Lambert
- Free Speech Schubert, Damion
- Free Speech Matthew Mihaly
- Free Speech Jessica Mulligan
- Free Speech Darren Henderson
- Free Speech kitkat@marcus.pants.nu
- Free Speech Gary Whitten
- Free Speech J C Lawrence
- Free Speech Geoffrey A. MacDougall
- Free Speech Jeremy Hovance
- RPGPlanet article: The Evils of Character Progression Raph Koster
- More storytelling - And also game secrets Chris Lloyd
- Marketing text-based games (was: Ten Commandments for the next MMORPG) Andrew Ritchie
- java performance questions (fwd) J C Lawrence
- MUDs as art (was A footnote to Procedural Storytelling) Ola Fosheim Grøstad
- MUDs as art (was A footnote to Procedural Storytelling) Lee Sheldon
- MUDs as art (was A footnote to Procedural Storytelling) Caliban Tiresias Darklock
- Any hungry Java GUI programmers out there? Par Winzell
- Any hungry Java GUI programmers out there? Par Winzell
- Supporting multiple output formats Nolan Darilek
- The 10 basic rules of a good PvP system Raph Koster
- Player storytellers? Travis Nixon
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Jon A. Lambert
- Thoughts about smarter Sims J C Lawrence
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Jon A. Lambert
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Raph Koster
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Jon A. Lambert
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Paul Schwanz - Enterprise Services
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Jon A. Lambert
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Mordengaard
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Jon A. Lambert
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Justin Rogers
- Thoughts about smarter Sims Jon A. Lambert
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Brian Green
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Zak Jarvis
- Advancement considered harmful (long) J C Lawrence
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Zak Jarvis
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Raph Koster
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Zak Jarvis
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Charles Hughes
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Zak Jarvis
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Dave Rickey
- Advancement considered harmful (long) J C Lawrence
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Travis Nixon
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Paul Schwanz - Enterprise Services
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Miroslav Silovic
- Advancement considered harmful (long) Batir
- What I want, what players want Andrew Ritchie
- What I want, what players want Chris Jacobson
- What I want, what players want Jeff Freeman
- What I want, what players want Nicolai Hansen
- What I want, what players want Darren Henderson
- What I want, what players want adam@treyarch.com
- Domain Names and Trademarks Jon Morrow
- Domain Names and Trademarks J C Lawrence
- Domain Names and Trademarks Sellers, Michael
- Narratology WAS: Self-Sufficient Worlds Zak Jarvis
- Narratology WAS: Self-Sufficient Worlds J C Lawrence
- Narratology WAS: Self-Sufficient Worlds Zak Jarvis
- Narratology WAS: Self-Sufficient Worlds Christopher Allen
- narratology WAS Self-Sufficient Worlds Angela Ferraiolo
- FW: Advancement considered harmful (long) John Buehler
- Narratology and its application to VR, multi-player games, and the like J C Lawrence
- FW: Advancement considered harmful (long) John Buehler
- coordinate systems Richard Tew
- coordinate systems Jon Leonard
- coordinate systems Kerem 'Waster_' HADIMLI