Julian Dibbell in Wired on the wide world of griefing (including figures all too familiar to loyal readers of this blog such as Prokofy Neva, 4chan, Goonswarm and its parent Something Awful).
Asked how some people can find their greatest amusement in pissing off others, ^ban^ gives the question a moment’s thought: “Most of us,” he says finally, with a wry chuckle, “are psychotic.”
Meanwhile, 4chan/b gets political and decides that Scientology’s pool has been closed.
#1 by VPellen on January 29th, 2008
Personally I never cared much for Scientology anyway.
#2 by nursers on January 29th, 2008
Here’s another interesting perspective on why some people engage in griefing: they’re sexually conflicted. Full story here – http://www.metaversejournal.com/2008/01/28/furries-sexuality-and-griefing-one-viewpoint/
#3 by TPRJones on January 29th, 2008
Well, I’m currently unemployed, so I’ll go hang out at the Houston center to see what happens and report.
#4 by TPRJones on January 29th, 2008
A sign I expect to see at the protest:
#5 by TPRJones on January 29th, 2008
Oops, sorry, didn’t know image tags were verboten.
http://www.tprjones.com/hotlink/COSProtestSign.jpg
#6 by Merkwurdigliebe on January 29th, 2008
http://www.penny-arcade.com/comic/2004/03/19
Brave new wurld.
#7 by D-0ne on January 29th, 2008
Scientology is bad.
#8 by William Purvis on January 29th, 2008
Darlin’, I have to go with the statistics here. There is a new study in Maryland that clearly says 99.9% of all people playing MMO’s are psychotic.
#9 by Merkwurdigliebe on January 29th, 2008
Homer: Aw, people can come up with statistics to prove anything, Kent. Forfty percent of all people know that.
#10 by Soulflame on January 29th, 2008
I wouldn’t argue with the premise that all people who play mmogs are psychotic. Or at the very least, masochistic.
#11 by Aufero on January 30th, 2008
Julian Dibbell writes like a high school freshman padding a book report.
#12 by yunk on January 30th, 2008
I don’t think they’re psychotic, looking at their picture they have a bigger problem: they are nerds! Nerds = bottom of the social ladder while you’re as young as them. So they have to beat up people on-line to feel better. Ironically it is the griefers who take the internet too seriously.
#13 by Vivianne Draper on January 30th, 2008
They aren’t psychotic, they aren’t terrorists, they are just bullies. They are no different than your average schoolyard bully who takes lunch money because he can or the good looking head of the chick clique who belittles everyone she can because she can or the asshole with the fancy sportscar who cuts you off on the highway. These folks need an avenue to feel better about themselves and this is the way they do it. *shrug*
#14 by Mitchell Henderson on February 13th, 2008
lol, griefers
def, they just do it cause they can, their internet strength/hotz/mad riches allow them unfair power over us non-nerdy mortals, who, BTW, have girlfriends, and don’t live in our mom’s basements.