RL is way more offending than anything in a game could be thought up.
You're probably right about that ... but for some reason, we seem at times to minimize the fact that we are a globally-diverse community, coming from many cultures that have distinct personal and religious beliefs, and that's basically the point of view we offer when sharing our opinions. In doing so, we also tend at times to forget that one-size
doesn't fit all. Meaning, just because we believe in something, or have a specific viewpoint, it doesn't mean that it can't have a negative effect on others in our community.
Also ... as we have seen far too many times, common decency isn't always the flavor of the day. Some say it's just a game, pixels on a monitor ... and whether some wish to accept it or not, human behavior (good
and bad) does follow the person creating an avatar into the virtual universe. We can't be
that naive to believe it's a sterile environment where social interaction has no effect on anyone. We've seen time and time again where the good deeds of many in the community have helped to foster a unity, but have also seen where some have taken it upon themselves to be destructive toward others, either in avatar, society, or team names, or full-on interference in game-play.
Thing is ... what may be common and acceptable to one (or even a whole culture) may sometimes be an offense toward another. I'm not easily shocked or offended, but rather surprised at times of the mentality of some with a seeming need to behave in certain ways. I know one thing for sure ... that there's some kind of pay-off in the process, and could very well
not be at a conscious level. Whether it's to make themselves feel good at the expense of others, or a pure joy to go for shock value, it's something. Even Marco said (paraphrasing here) that he likes drama, and stirring the pot so to speak, but some actions just leave me shaking my head.
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