This week’s readings by Dibbell, Gross, and McCabe all discuss the implications, details, and the effects of online subcultures that do not adhere specifically to societal norms. As discussed last week in my blog post, online cultures big or small basically mirror real world cultures and social groups/communities almost exactly down to the last detail. As in the real world, there are online social communities and groups that cater to those that do not exactly “meet the norms” of normal practice. Dibbell discusses the online safe haven of trolls and how trolls thrive in such groups and befriend each other. Gross discusses how online gay communities thrive and survive just like that in the real world while McCabe gives a solid example of how online eating disorder communities offer support and push each individual involved to set hopefully realistic goals for themselves. Of course, just like in the real world, others ridicule people with different opinions and points of views all attack or argue against such online groups. So in theory and already as some sort of evidence, there really is no “safe haven” in both the real world and online world. Anonymous groups catering to those with special needs and/or interests such as the trolling group or the lesbian gay bisexual and transexual group online are always subjected to other trolls and rude individuals who make it their priority that their differing views and opinions are loud and clear to such groups. However, when environment becomes tranquil or peaceful in both the real and online world, everybody participating and supporting such groups benefit from each other and find close and strong connections to everybody and the group. Thus, their own personal and group identity are strengthened even further.
Now what I found interesting the most was how effective and organized the trolls of certain games and virtual worlds were in the Wired article by Dibbell. Such trolls attack online games and sandbox style exploratory virtual worlds such as Second Life. The example of invading Second Life and depositing inappropriate messages and physical materials on somebody’s location was apparently very amusing to me. I do not wish to call myself psychotic but I honestly would not mind joining or at least shadowing a troll group and “anonymously” performing some of their plans and actions on such games and worlds. What related to me more was how another online trolling group went into a large Multi-Media Online Role Playing Game such as EVE and destroyed while deconstructing a gargantuan warship: which was likely built by somebody for years on end by “tears, sweat, blood, and handwork” in addition to actual money spent on it. These types of people may seem like extremely rude, obnoxious and psychotic people but I feel that they are everything but “psychotic” for the most part. I feel that this is a way for many people including me to not only escape the real world and have fun within a legal confined means and area but also to experience what it is like to “live on edge” and of course gauge the affected victim’s response. The article in my opinion was perfectly on point when Dibbell said that such troll groups do it mostly to elicit negative response from people who think that the internet is a serious place of business when in reality it shouldn’t be at all. Here is where the divide between the real world and virtual world becomes very clear: most online trolls, including me, would not dare to commit pranks or actual crimes in the public and real world. Such consequences in this case are dire and lead to a criminal record if it is done wrong.
I have done my fair share of “griefing” and trolling online on reddit and on Halo xbox live through every game since Halo 2. I know plenty of other people who would troll and grief online frequently also but most of us agree that trolling and griefing in the real world may have more serious repercussions with people. Online seems much more anonymous and the laws and rules much more lax for the most part. Food for thought from me.
In other news, my group’s field trips through Second Life are pretty interesting. However, we have yet to come across anything that is considered outside of the norm both in the real world and virtual world save for the exception of some people’s behaviors at the Blarney Bar one night. We have not been trolled yet either.
Rutgers University Virtual Worlds 