[arg_discuss] Deception and what it means to be Real

[Brooke Thompson]

So, do you not think that there is a difference between people  
adapting an online persona (fictional or otherwise) and creating a  
fictional persona and placing them into a community in order to later  
be a part of a larger fictional project (ie PixelVixen707 & the game  
bloggers for PE:DA or Martin Aggett & the ARG community for a not yet  
launched project).

To me, there is a difference and that is based in the intent behind  
it. In the case of the aforementioned MUD player, Karyn, it never  
extended beyond her single story and, for all we know, the death was a  
way of giving up the game. In the case of Martin Aggett, the intent  
was to infiltrate the community for a larger purpose and a larger  
story and game. And, as people consider Karyn to be a "hoax", if these  
things are similar or, even, the same - does that mean that when  
designers spend time creating and nurturing an online history complete  
with relationships before the experience launches in full are  
perpetuating a hoax?

And, while breaking the UF TOS is bad! and wrong! and full of fail! it  
is not all that unusual. Though, this is the first time (at least in  
my memory and to my knowledge) that it was done by a character months  
before the project would be live in order to infiltrate the community.  
It is usually done by as a way for someone to help players struggling  
through a puzzle or plot element. Players can usually quickly figure  
out who those folks are, alert a mod/admin who can match IPs and do  
other research, and it's dealt with quickly and easily (with the  
occasional cry of "it was my brother! I left my computer on the page  
and he thought it would be funny! i'll beat him up so it never happens  
again! I promise! just don't ban me!"). In this case, it went beyond  
that and was an effort to become involved in the community. I am not  
surprised (or upset) that it happened. But I do think that this is a  
different case - again, because of the intent behind it.





On Jun 18, 2009, at 4:36 PM, Nathan Mishler wrote:


> This sort of thing does happen all the time. And sometimes we never  

> know.

> For instance, here's a great article from Raph Koster about a memorial

> service held in a MUD for a player that had died.

> http://www.raphkoster.com/gaming/essay1.shtml

> And then it's not until more than five years later they learn that  

> person

> never really existed at all, at least how they knew the person.

> http://www.raphkoster.com/2003/04/14/revisiting-the-garden-of-remembrance/

> Kind of part of the treacherous nature of this space, I think. People

> generally wear at least one mask when they come into these spaces.  

> How many

> people annouce their real names in unfiction? And puppetmasters often

> encourage people to put on some other layers and present themselves as

> different than they really are in game spaces.




> On Thu, Jun 18, 2009 at 4:26 PM, Andrea Phillips <deusexmachinatio at gmail.com

>>

>> We live in a time when your public and online representation of

>> yourself doesn't necessarily have a lot to do with who you are,

>> really. On the internet, nobody knows you're a dog, right?