It lacks not intellectual but as you very rapidly answered emotional quality *smiles* . You have a point though! The essence is the opium of the masses =the MMORPG. No , "The System "is! My opinion said now i ll try to clarify that a bit w/o making this more messed up than it is. "The system" need people controlled, if you can't acknowledge I really can't converse anymore on this topic. If you agree(and see that i am not labeling "the system" or defining it more) then you could easily see that yes Everything "the system" produces is there to keep you happy and stable. Mmorpg's since they are part of "the system" they are there to make you vent or mellow out if you please. So yes being part of "the system" they play their role, but let's not blame the gun for firing now eh? It's the human that presses the trigger , on which case is "the system". What can be done about it? N/A (at least for me, at least now that i have my pc , my 32" tv next to it and my laptop on the other side of my 24" monitor while drinking a very popular brand of coffee and smoking my cigaretes, enough said). Thank you for read this wall of text!
Hummmmm, I agree entirely, especially about "the system" reducing people to morons who cannot think critically for themselves. It is also true that the system tries to produce a compliant and "docile" psychology through games, entertainment, sport and leisure activities. BUT BUT, isn't this exactly what the OP was arguing?
Ha ha, "wall of text" I had to laugh when I saw people critizing for posting a "wall of text". ^^^^ Enjoy your cigarettes.
It lacks not intellectual but as you very rapidly answered emotional quality *smiles* . You have a point though! The essence is the opium of the masses =the MMORPG. No , "The System "is! My opinion said now i ll try to clarify that a bit w/o making this more messed up than it is. "The system" need people controlled, if you can't acknowledge I really can't converse anymore on this topic. If you agree(and see that i am not labeling "the system" or defining it more) then you could easily see that yes Everything "the system" produces is there to keep you happy and stable. Mmorpg's since they are part of "the system" they are there to make you vent or mellow out if you please. So yes being part of "the system" they play their role, but let's not blame the gun for firing now eh? It's the human that presses the trigger , on which case is "the system". What can be done about it? N/A (at least for me, at least now that i have my pc , my 32" tv next to it and my laptop on the other side of my 24" monitor while drinking a very popular brand of coffee and smoking my cigaretes, enough said). Thank you for read this wall of text!
"the system" as you put it, involving MMO's and god knows what else is way to loose a term or at least to loosely used to associate with a controlling entity that has motive.
It lacks not intellectual but as you very rapidly answered emotional quality *smiles* . You have a point though! The essence is the opium of the masses =the MMORPG. No , "The System "is! My opinion said now i ll try to clarify that a bit w/o making this more messed up than it is. "The system" need people controlled, if you can't acknowledge I really can't converse anymore on this topic. If you agree(and see that i am not labeling "the system" or defining it more) then you could easily see that yes Everything "the system" produces is there to keep you happy and stable. Mmorpg's since they are part of "the system" they are there to make you vent or mellow out if you please. So yes being part of "the system" they play their role, but let's not blame the gun for firing now eh? It's the human that presses the trigger , on which case is "the system". What can be done about it? N/A (at least for me, at least now that i have my pc , my 32" tv next to it and my laptop on the other side of my 24" monitor while drinking a very popular brand of coffee and smoking my cigaretes, enough said). Thank you for read this wall of text!
"the system" as you put it, involving MMO's and god knows what else is way to loose a term or at least to loosely used to associate with a controlling entity that has motive.
Yes... I dont want to label , i d rather use a loosely defined non existant entity "The system" so i dont arouse any political conflicts here, c'mon people... THIS IS........... MMORPG.COM!!!!
It lacks not intellectual but as you very rapidly answered emotional quality *smiles* . You have a point though! The essence is the opium of the masses =the MMORPG. No , "The System "is! My opinion said now i ll try to clarify that a bit w/o making this more messed up than it is. "The system" need people controlled, if you can't acknowledge I really can't converse anymore on this topic. If you agree(and see that i am not labeling "the system" or defining it more) then you could easily see that yes Everything "the system" produces is there to keep you happy and stable. Mmorpg's since they are part of "the system" they are there to make you vent or mellow out if you please. So yes being part of "the system" they play their role, but let's not blame the gun for firing now eh? It's the human that presses the trigger , on which case is "the system". What can be done about it? N/A (at least for me, at least now that i have my pc , my 32" tv next to it and my laptop on the other side of my 24" monitor while drinking a very popular brand of coffee and smoking my cigaretes, enough said). Thank you for read this wall of text!
"the system" as you put it, involving MMO's and god knows what else is way to loose a term or at least to loosely used to associate with a controlling entity that has motive.
Yes... I dont want to label , i d rather use a loosely defined non existant entity "The system" so i dont arouse any political conflicts here, c'mon people... THIS IS........... MMORPG.COM!!!!
But you don't talk about it as a non existant entity. You talk of it having needs those being to control people, motive those being to keep people happy, you talk about it producing. Now I'm pretty sure I'm missing something here but if I try and replace the word system with something I keep running into walls, the best I can manage to replace system is some kind of all powerful Orwellian government, god? I just don't get your point. If you want to explain it to me but don't want to elaborate for political reasons than PM me please.
I keep running into walls, the best I can manage to replace system is some kind of all powerful Orwellian government, god? I just don't get your point. If you want to explain it to me but don't want to elaborate for political reasons than PM me please.
No need, it is easy. We simply call "the system", state organized capitalism. So "system = the ideological and functional operations of the State in late capitalist societies". No mystification, no rhetoric, just a straightforward apparatus of social control.
Try reading this for a fuller definition and explanation
It lacks not intellectual but as you very rapidly answered emotional quality *smiles* . You have a point though! The essence is the opium of the masses =the MMORPG. No , "The System "is! My opinion said now i ll try to clarify that a bit w/o making this more messed up than it is. "The system" need people controlled, if you can't acknowledge I really can't converse anymore on this topic. If you agree(and see that i am not labeling "the system" or defining it more) then you could easily see that yes Everything "the system" produces is there to keep you happy and stable. Mmorpg's since they are part of "the system" they are there to make you vent or mellow out if you please. So yes being part of "the system" they play their role, but let's not blame the gun for firing now eh? It's the human that presses the trigger , on which case is "the system". What can be done about it? N/A (at least for me, at least now that i have my pc , my 32" tv next to it and my laptop on the other side of my 24" monitor while drinking a very popular brand of coffee and smoking my cigaretes, enough said). Thank you for read this wall of text!
Hummmmm, I agree entirely, especially about "the system" reducing people to morons who cannot think critically for themselves. It is also true that the system tries to produce a compliant and "docile" psychology through games, entertainment, sport and leisure activities. BUT BUT, isn't this exactly what the OP was arguing?
Ha ha, "wall of text" I had to laugh when I saw people critizing for posting a "wall of text". ^^^^ Enjoy your cigarettes.
Yes bernician it is as i also pm'ed you with that thinking, I personally believe the OP was taken a notch higher than it should and for the particular subject although fitting here was emotional void. I can "divine" where the OP stands but i can't see it. That was my objection from the start. Therefore many ridiculous posts all around this thread!
P.S. I do believe that humanity is receiving an extreme amount of information that will eventually trigger ...something. That ofcourse does NOT mean or implies that there should be some ridiculous information "security", I would be the first to go against such a moronic thing. As for the "something" i mention it is about time after 40k~ of the species evolution ( not sure about the exact number)
I keep running into walls, the best I can manage to replace system is some kind of all powerful Orwellian government, god? I just don't get your point. If you want to explain it to me but don't want to elaborate for political reasons than PM me please.
No need, it is easy. We simply call "the system", state organized capitalism. So "system = the ideological and functional operations of the State in late capitalist societies". No mystification, no rhetoric, just a straightforward apparatus of social control.
Try reading this for a fuller definition and explanation
If you're going to take the time to post something this long, please don't BOLD everything and please check your spelling. Things like "loose" instead of "lose" and the many typo's really detracts from your point. Please revise this so that others don't suffer through it as I did.
One must not be sarcastic when one says this must be the most substantial and significant contribution so far. Apocalance must have sweated through hours of torturous analysis to reach this point. Thank you for making such striking and shrewd observations. When we finish our latest essays for college we shall all send them to you for a quick spell-check. Please advise on any revisions required for this little ditty
If you can't catch them out on content and substance, blame them for typos and formatting in bold !! ha ha ha
Read Apocalance's 'Users Guide to Good English in Forums' available at www.amazon.com now !!
If you're going to take the time to post something this long, please don't BOLD everything and please check your spelling. Things like "loose" instead of "lose" and the many typo's really detracts from your point. Please revise this so that others don't suffer through it as I did.
One must not be sarcastic when one says this must be the most substantial and significant contribution so far. Apocalance must have sweated through hours of tortorous analysis to reach this point. Thank you for making such striking and shrewd observations. When we finish our latest essays for college we shall all send them to you for a quick spell-check. Please advise on any revisions required for this little ditty
If you can't catch them out on content and substance, blame them for typos and formatting in bold !! ha ha ha
Read Apocalance's 'Users Guide to Good English in Forums' available at www.amazon.com now !!
Is That the sequel to "How to act posh in 3 simple steps"? If so i am so buying it ! Oh my gawd!
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
hmm odd, i opened this thread expecting opium adicted chinamen and i seem to have found a socialist conspiracy thread ..... how disapointing.
Playing: EVE Online Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2 KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I ll assume you are healthy at least mentally , so why would you? Since none of us Living posters has not even the slightest idea on the mental state , or physical state of that human being . We all better keep our thoughts to ourselves. Really either or side won't make up fot a tragic death. Really .....
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
sounds like he was just introduced to video games and he didnt have any self control. People who go to college aren't always sane. Just look at those people who go into schools and shoot everyone then themselves. I'm with zymurgeist, if he cant control himself long enough to get up from the computer and get something to eat or get some sleep then like what was said earlier "natural selection at its best".
Playing: EVE Online Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2 KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
sounds like he was just introduced to video games and he didnt have any self control. People who go to college aren't always sane. Just look at those people who go into schools and shoot everyone then themselves. I'm with zymurgeist, if he cant control himself long enough to get up from the computer and get something to eat or get some sleep then like what was said earlier "natural selection at its best".
Forget the fact that people who may not be sane or people who are handicapped in any way who may not be able to take care of themselves can still live a good life. Forget the morality of it, well you never had that in mind so that's not an issue.
Lets just look at "natural selection at its best". Firstly you assume this person wasn't sane, I have to agree, I cannot believe a sane person would allow themselves to die like that. However your second assumption must be that not being sane is irrersable and dependant on a genetic disposition because otherwise "natural selection" isn't relevant. While this is often the case, there are incrediable amount of healthy people that suffer with there sanity due to extronidinary circustamces in there life and alot of the time its not permanent. You think its a coinidence that so many war vets become insane after serving when prior to it they were healthy idividuals?
But hell, it shouldn't even have to come down to if its "natural selection" or not. As I said before "Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose."
The only major indicator that I don't think you mentioned was how much money people will spend on virtual currency and objects. EDIT You and I also forgot about those people who died playing games because they didn't eat and drink.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
Not compare, contrast. The baby had no choice. This guy did. Obviously something went wrong. What went wrong is he didn't seek help.
As someone who has and does suffer with bi-polar,
oh before I continue, just so that other guy doesn't think I "deserve to die" because of natural selection. In my case its most probable that the physical trauma to head when I was hit with a pole caused it as that's when everything started going down hill. So its probably not a genetic disposition or "natural selection" in mycase if I happen to die as a result of something that could be attributed to it.
Anyway as I was saying as someone who has bi-polar, it not like you just know something is wrong and I need help. Even when things start getting bad and when you've lived your whole life considering yourself normal and being considered normal you'd be suprised just how bad things need to get before you even start thinking something may be wrong, its still not easy to just ask for help and definitly not justifying people defending others claiming they "deserved to die".
Fantastic post OP. Thoughtful, suggestive and unswervingly provocative. More like this please. I guess you anticipated all the hate spam, nastiness and personal attacks. I have watched these boards for some time now and anything that resembles an intelligent contribution gets reduced to personal attacks and accusations. Is it true you got banned for three days for posting the result of the WAR survey? I have no idea if that's true. Nonetheless, people they just seem completely erratic when it comes to board moderation that I would not put much importance in it. If, however, you're stressing the point to portray her as a victim of the powers-that-be, please don't. How ridiculous. I can't believe these people don't understand "opium for the masses" is a metaphor rather than a real thing. I do, and to a certain extent I'd agree with the premise that it is what MMO's are (as with any escapist entertainment). Unfortunately, the quote by that Chinese official (apparently from this Reuters report) went in an opposite direction. The Chinese government crackdown, if we are to believe the official viewpoint (yeah, sure), came out of concerns of moral corruption, which would fit in with the OP's references to TV and comics, but cannot be turned into concern over a Marxist "opium of the masses" -- because in that context, the last thing the Chinese government should seek to do is to stamp it out. Yet opium, in that quote, is definitely used in a negative context (I'm assuming not in reference to Marx at all, but in reference to actual opium if we consider its less than glorious history in China), while escapism (especially when state-approved, which is much closer to the real intent of the Chinese crackdown here) should be allright for the totalitarian regime in Beijing, because it provides a safety valve to citizen frustration. Still, the OP could have done away with any ambiguity by studying MMO playing in the US or Europe instead; it would probably have made this point much better. Some even criticize you for using bold type and making two typos !!! I suspect that those who do are more concerned over the effect it gives than because they are format or grammar Nazis. I, for one, noted a few awkward word capitalizations because I was sceptical over the origin of the text. It was not just that there were typos (everyone makes them), but that they were so unusual in nature that they distinctly gave that impression of a non-English text punched through BabelFish. The authenticity of the piece was my main preoccupation in this case. However, it has to be noted that I am guessing that the OP's text was written in a word processor and then pasted in; this, and the nature of the text (which does, after all, have academic aspirations), should mean that it ought to be held to much higher standards than your average forum post. (Furthermore, the OP's profile indicates she is from England and, I assume, a native speaker of English.) And I didn't criticize the use of bold characters, but I will say for the record that it gave the distinct impression of saying: "This is important, you should take note." The text itself exudes such a sense of self-importance that I can see why some people might hold the use of bold characters against it. Oh and "wall of text", I guess that means anything longer than 1000 words is just too much to handle. ha ha ha I have perpetrated far worse walls of text than this, and I too despair when I see the dreaded "tl;dr" (why must MMO gamers have the attention span of a gnat?), but I like walls of text, because it just indicates to me that the author has taken the time to write down arguments to support his or her views. What is most amazing though is the way many of the replies to this thread actually confirm your original hypothesis that "MMO players become the ultimate cultural signifier of the dissatisfied ego". Hmm. I've seen that type of reasoning before, where someone said "x is racist", and when someone said he or she disagreed (even when that someone actually belonged to the racial group supposedly discriminated against), the response came: "thanks for proving you're racist by denying it". Here I'm guessing that as soon as anyone formulates a rebuttal (regardless of what's in it), it immediately proves the point. And for the record, the OP's quote went: "cultural signifier of the dissatisfied customer"; I'll leave to you the dissertation on whether there is a difference in meaning, but I like my quotes to be faithful to the originals. And if I may add, the other problem with the OP's view is that while I would say the "opium of the masses" statement is valid (if perhaps not equipped with the best evidence one could find to support it), there was an underlying message that went: "People are anti-intellectual, I am an intellectual, therefore I'm better than them." I think this is best revealed by those references to "don't talk to us about gender, race or religion", neither of which was subsequently addressed in the text (except the latter, obliquely at best, as Marx's original opium) but which are staples of so much academic discussion these days. And the "pseudo-intellectual bullshit" remark in the OP's text was sheer provocation, put in to specifically dissuade readers from offering a rebuttal or just from cutting the chaff in the argument.
Well dear Bernician, what you fail to see willingly or not is that despite the beautifully written post, it misses color, it misses a personal view and it really is sterile. It reminds me of plastic flowers( being to early to make a more decent metaphor), not everything that looks nice, appeals to me at least. Now if you excuse me i ll go have some coffee and act as a human being !
Some might consider "missing colour" and "missing a personal view" a compliment. In other words it is indicative of an objective perspective that raises questions and arguments from a neutral standpoint. Then the postmodernists have lived in vain. But I should quickly say I don't think it is objective. Au contraire. It's deliberately provocative and that is what I liked most about it. Ok it might lack some of the journalistic flair that you are referring to but it is one of the most carefully constructed posts I have read in these forums. I don't see how its sterile if we take the definition to mean "lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality". It is just the opposite of this. Fiesty, engaging and stimulating. Needlessly provocative. See my previous post.
It requires people to think rather than trot out techo nerdy stuff about system rigs, specs or offer the silliest opinions on almost anything that moves. I see that techno nerdy stuff all the time, and it's depressing as hell. And if you want to make a class statement, begin with this one: How affluent need a gamer be to play such games? How does it reflect itself in games? That's a subject warranting further study. Unfortunately, framing this "techno nerdy stuff" the way you are, I'm almost inclined to think it's just a straw man you're putting up.
But anyways, to be honest Patternizer I reckon we should concentrate on its substance rather than its presentational style. Content over form. I am just amazed how the very things it sets out to say are absolutely confirmed in most of the replies, right down to the letter. And I see "Are you Happy with your MMORPGs today" is still flying high in the thread tables. www.mmorpg.com would be a great place for "happiness studies research" (or lack thereof) ha ha!
Hope you enjoyed your coffee. Being human, all too human is a great asset these days. Is that a gratuitous reference to the Big N? I never could tolerate him. Also, he didn't think much of working classes either.
The OP's post is interesting. Some commentators complain about her "wall of text", whilst others complain about her lack of academic rigour. Of course, if she had been rigorous, then the post would have been considerably longer - so these two demands contradict eachother.
Whilst the author appears to clearly agree with the title of her essay, her post falls a long way short of actually establishing it to be true. Neither rhetorical questions or quotes from other threads prove anything, so all her thread really achieves is to pose the question, rather than supply an answer. And her question isn't even original - a simple search of "Opium MMO" on google returns a large number of results, some several years old.
The author seems to come from a left wing intellectual tradition, of a type that's common in many english, history and economics departments of universities, but is seldom seen anywhere else. Her point could be re-phrased as "There should be more lefty intellectuals like me. Warcraft results in fewer lefty intellectuals, hence Warcraft is bad". Could her attack be likened to the attacks some religious groups make on video games? Gaming competes with both god and socialism for the attention of young people, and hence, at some level, all 3 are opposed to each-other.
Whilst many (not all) people would agree that real opiates are bad for a person, does it necessarily follow that metaphorical opiates are also bad? For the last 15 years, economies throughout the west have been largely successful. The vast majority of people have shown little interest in politics, and many would far rather go out and party than attend a rally.
Hedonism has ruled, and gaming has been only a part of this wider movement. Now that we have entered an economic downturn, I would expect far more young people to become heavily politicised, regardless of the presence of MMOs. So, it seems to me, that the OP is attacking the symptom (gaming) rather than the cause (affluence).
She also discusses the treadmill style of many games - the way the gamer is continually chasing the next level, or the next epic. She's absolutely right to describe this as a hollow thing. However, she's not particularly profound - in that many people who actually play MMOs would completely agree with her. But that's only a part of why people play. An amateur footballer may mesasure his success by how many games he has won, or how many trophies are in his club's cabinet. But he plays because he likes football, and he'd keep playing even if his team was relegated. Similarly, MMO players play because they like some aspect of the game - whether it be raiding, PvP, socialising, exploring or even grinding. The trophies (levels, epics) are just symbols of progress, rather than the reason for playing. Most successful guilds I've seen have had this attitude, whilst loot whore guilds seldom last more than a few months.
The most interesting remaining question isn't whether MMOs are an opiate for the masses (they are), or whether metaphorical opiates are a bad thing (debatable), but whether MMOs are a more effective opiate than many of the alternatives, such as TV or religion. The amount of time many people spend on MMOs is enormous, and it can prevent other forms of social interaction from taking place. Whilst a TV watcher can always turn on the video recorder if his friends invite him out for the evening, an MMO player may find it very difficult to tell 20 or more other raiders that he can't play tonight because his real life friends want to invite him out at short notice. People have been kicked from guilds for less... So do MMOs interefere with the formation of many low level social bonds with neighbours - things that are necessary pre-requisites for any political involvement? Probably. Do they remove an entire class of young people (geeks, gamers) from politics entirely, resulting in that class being further marginalised? Did the sort of person who becomes a typical MMO player ever have any political representation to lose?
Guess I've rambled and asked rhetorical questions much like the OP. But I can't help thinking about an event in my guild a while back. A Lebanese member of the guild found out another player was from Israel. I wasn't online when it happened, but apparently guild chat became quite heated. Eventually things were sorted out, and both players remained in the guild, and continued to play alongside eachother in raids. So maybe there's hope!
Comments
Hummmmm, I agree entirely, especially about "the system" reducing people to morons who cannot think critically for themselves. It is also true that the system tries to produce a compliant and "docile" psychology through games, entertainment, sport and leisure activities. BUT BUT, isn't this exactly what the OP was arguing?
Ha ha, "wall of text" I had to laugh when I saw people critizing for posting a "wall of text". ^^^^ Enjoy your cigarettes.
Im a pretender
"the system" as you put it, involving MMO's and god knows what else is way to loose a term or at least to loosely used to associate with a controlling entity that has motive.
"the system" as you put it, involving MMO's and god knows what else is way to loose a term or at least to loosely used to associate with a controlling entity that has motive.
Yes... I dont want to label , i d rather use a loosely defined non existant entity "The system" so i dont arouse any political conflicts here, c'mon people... THIS IS........... MMORPG.COM!!!!
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"the system" as you put it, involving MMO's and god knows what else is way to loose a term or at least to loosely used to associate with a controlling entity that has motive.
Yes... I dont want to label , i d rather use a loosely defined non existant entity "The system" so i dont arouse any political conflicts here, c'mon people... THIS IS........... MMORPG.COM!!!!
But you don't talk about it as a non existant entity. You talk of it having needs those being to control people, motive those being to keep people happy, you talk about it producing. Now I'm pretty sure I'm missing something here but if I try and replace the word system with something I keep running into walls, the best I can manage to replace system is some kind of all powerful Orwellian government, god? I just don't get your point. If you want to explain it to me but don't want to elaborate for political reasons than PM me please.
No need, it is easy. We simply call "the system", state organized capitalism. So "system = the ideological and functional operations of the State in late capitalist societies". No mystification, no rhetoric, just a straightforward apparatus of social control.
Try reading this for a fuller definition and explanation
http://www.newleftreview.org/?getpdf=NLR28302&pdflang=en
Im a pretender
Hummmmm, I agree entirely, especially about "the system" reducing people to morons who cannot think critically for themselves. It is also true that the system tries to produce a compliant and "docile" psychology through games, entertainment, sport and leisure activities. BUT BUT, isn't this exactly what the OP was arguing?
Ha ha, "wall of text" I had to laugh when I saw people critizing for posting a "wall of text". ^^^^ Enjoy your cigarettes.
Yes bernician it is as i also pm'ed you with that thinking, I personally believe the OP was taken a notch higher than it should and for the particular subject although fitting here was emotional void. I can "divine" where the OP stands but i can't see it. That was my objection from the start. Therefore many ridiculous posts all around this thread!
P.S. I do believe that humanity is receiving an extreme amount of information that will eventually trigger ...something. That ofcourse does NOT mean or implies that there should be some ridiculous information "security", I would be the first to go against such a moronic thing. As for the "something" i mention it is about time after 40k~ of the species evolution ( not sure about the exact number)
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No need, it is easy. We simply call "the system", state organized capitalism. So "system = the ideological and functional operations of the State in late capitalist societies". No mystification, no rhetoric, just a straightforward apparatus of social control.
Try reading this for a fuller definition and explanation
http://www.newleftreview.org/?getpdf=NLR28302&pdflang=en
*Shrugs and sighs* Too early, too early!!!! I bookmarked it though what caught my eye though from a quick glance was "fear of fear" ...
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One must not be sarcastic when one says this must be the most substantial and significant contribution so far. Apocalance must have sweated through hours of torturous analysis to reach this point. Thank you for making such striking and shrewd observations. When we finish our latest essays for college we shall all send them to you for a quick spell-check. Please advise on any revisions required for this little ditty
If you can't catch them out on content and substance, blame them for typos and formatting in bold !! ha ha ha
Read Apocalance's 'Users Guide to Good English in Forums' available at www.amazon.com now !!
Im a pretender
One must not be sarcastic when one says this must be the most substantial and significant contribution so far. Apocalance must have sweated through hours of tortorous analysis to reach this point. Thank you for making such striking and shrewd observations. When we finish our latest essays for college we shall all send them to you for a quick spell-check. Please advise on any revisions required for this little ditty
If you can't catch them out on content and substance, blame them for typos and formatting in bold !! ha ha ha
Read Apocalance's 'Users Guide to Good English in Forums' available at www.amazon.com now !!
Is That the sequel to "How to act posh in 3 simple steps"? If so i am so buying it ! Oh my gawd!
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I think you'll find that Opium is the Opium of the masses.
Ascension - EU Mature, Friendly, Laid Back SW:TOR Guild now recruiting.
Mhmmm so off topic , see a metaphor when you see one , also wikipedia the phrase !
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If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
hmm odd, i opened this thread expecting opium adicted chinamen and i seem to have found a socialist conspiracy thread ..... how disapointing.
Playing: EVE Online
Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online
Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2
KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
*tries to stop himself , the urge... the urge* Oh man i love such baits ! "Such a villainouns conspiracy" . Zomg pew pew , feeeling confy?
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If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Remarkable post! Bump!
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I ll assume you are healthy at least mentally , so why would you? Since none of us Living posters has not even the slightest idea on the mental state , or physical state of that human being . We all better keep our thoughts to ourselves. Really either or side won't make up fot a tragic death. Really .....
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If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
Mhmmm so off topic , see a metaphor when you see one , also wikipedia the phrase !
/sigh.
Ascension - EU Mature, Friendly, Laid Back SW:TOR Guild now recruiting.
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
sounds like he was just introduced to video games and he didnt have any self control. People who go to college aren't always sane. Just look at those people who go into schools and shoot everyone then themselves. I'm with zymurgeist, if he cant control himself long enough to get up from the computer and get something to eat or get some sleep then like what was said earlier "natural selection at its best".
Playing: EVE Online
Favorite MMOs: WoW, SWG Pre-cu, Lineage 2, UO, EQ, EVE online
Looking forward to: Archeage, Kingdom Under Fire 2
KUF2's Official Website - http://www.kufii.com/ENG/ -
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
sounds like he was just introduced to video games and he didnt have any self control. People who go to college aren't always sane. Just look at those people who go into schools and shoot everyone then themselves. I'm with zymurgeist, if he cant control himself long enough to get up from the computer and get something to eat or get some sleep then like what was said earlier "natural selection at its best".
Forget the fact that people who may not be sane or people who are handicapped in any way who may not be able to take care of themselves can still live a good life. Forget the morality of it, well you never had that in mind so that's not an issue.
Lets just look at "natural selection at its best". Firstly you assume this person wasn't sane, I have to agree, I cannot believe a sane person would allow themselves to die like that. However your second assumption must be that not being sane is irrersable and dependant on a genetic disposition because otherwise "natural selection" isn't relevant. While this is often the case, there are incrediable amount of healthy people that suffer with there sanity due to extronidinary circustamces in there life and alot of the time its not permanent. You think its a coinidence that so many war vets become insane after serving when prior to it they were healthy idividuals?
But hell, it shouldn't even have to come down to if its "natural selection" or not. As I said before "Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose."
If someone is stupid enough to not eat or drink for DAYS just to play a video game they deserve to die. Its natural selection at its finest.
Ah I see.
Compassion for a fellow being at its best. We shouldn't give a damm about anyone who is inadequate.
I wonder were you draw this line "stupid enough" that "they deserve to die." Do there parents, brothers, sisters and children deserve to suffer. Whats the saddest thing is how you can make such a harsh judgement that these persons "deserve to die" without knowing anything about these people, you just jump to the extremely harsh conclussion that they must be so stupid they're of no consequence infact worse than off no consequence they "deserve to die."
A little bit of info on Lee Seung Seop who died playing video games. I was able to dig up off the internet fairly easily, He grew up in South Korean city of Taegu and was relatively poor. He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman.
Now even if he was dumber than a chimp and unable to survive which it doesn't seem him was, saying he "deserves to die" because thats natural selection is still a harsh thing to say, let alone just jumping to that conclussion rather than seeking to understand it. I suppose you think people should let there autistic and handicapped love ones die if they cannot support themselves aswell because that'd be natural selection. Thats just a bullshit attitude held by people who have never had to fend for anyone who couldn't fend for themselves or to selfish and cowardly to do it if the circumstance arose.
Oh come on anyone two stupid to fulfill the basic drive for nourishment when it's easily attainable is an evolutionary dead end. He's a post natal miscarriage. I can Sympathize with his family but he had a no brainer choice and chose wrong. Gee should I stand in the midde of the subway tracks all day? I wonder.
I cannot believe if you can sympathize with his family you actually try to defend this kind of shit. I've highlighted the part of my post that you quoted and replied to that you should've stopped you from jumping to the same conclussion and defending this crap. I'll repeat "He managed to get enough money to go to a local vocational college. He graduated and he worked as an industrial boiler repairman." so his not "a post natal miscarriage" obviously something went wrong.
EDIT
You don't just live 28 years and play a computer game to death and compare it to a infant who never stood a chance.
Not compare, contrast. The baby had no choice. This guy did. Obviously something went wrong. What went wrong is he didn't seek help.
As someone who has and does suffer with bi-polar,
oh before I continue, just so that other guy doesn't think I "deserve to die" because of natural selection. In my case its most probable that the physical trauma to head when I was hit with a pole caused it as that's when everything started going down hill. So its probably not a genetic disposition or "natural selection" in mycase if I happen to die as a result of something that could be attributed to it.
Anyway as I was saying as someone who has bi-polar, it not like you just know something is wrong and I need help. Even when things start getting bad and when you've lived your whole life considering yourself normal and being considered normal you'd be suprised just how bad things need to get before you even start thinking something may be wrong, its still not easy to just ask for help and definitly not justifying people defending others claiming they "deserved to die".
Well dear Bernician, what you fail to see willingly or not is that despite the beautifully written post, it misses color, it misses a personal view and it really is sterile. It reminds me of plastic flowers( being to early to make a more decent metaphor), not everything that looks nice, appeals to me at least. Now if you excuse me i ll go have some coffee and act as a human being !
Some might consider "missing colour" and "missing a personal view" a compliment. In other words it is indicative of an objective perspective that raises questions and arguments from a neutral standpoint. Then the postmodernists have lived in vain. But I should quickly say I don't think it is objective. Au contraire. It's deliberately provocative and that is what I liked most about it. Ok it might lack some of the journalistic flair that you are referring to but it is one of the most carefully constructed posts I have read in these forums. I don't see how its sterile if we take the definition to mean "lacking in stimulating emotional or intellectual quality". It is just the opposite of this. Fiesty, engaging and stimulating. Needlessly provocative. See my previous post.
It requires people to think rather than trot out techo nerdy stuff about system rigs, specs or offer the silliest opinions on almost anything that moves. I see that techno nerdy stuff all the time, and it's depressing as hell. And if you want to make a class statement, begin with this one: How affluent need a gamer be to play such games? How does it reflect itself in games? That's a subject warranting further study. Unfortunately, framing this "techno nerdy stuff" the way you are, I'm almost inclined to think it's just a straw man you're putting up.
But anyways, to be honest Patternizer I reckon we should concentrate on its substance rather than its presentational style. Content over form. I am just amazed how the very things it sets out to say are absolutely confirmed in most of the replies, right down to the letter. And I see "Are you Happy with your MMORPGs today" is still flying high in the thread tables. www.mmorpg.com would be a great place for "happiness studies research" (or lack thereof) ha ha!
Hope you enjoyed your coffee. Being human, all too human is a great asset these days. Is that a gratuitous reference to the Big N? I never could tolerate him. Also, he didn't think much of working classes either.
The OP's post is interesting. Some commentators complain about her "wall of text", whilst others complain about her lack of academic rigour. Of course, if she had been rigorous, then the post would have been considerably longer - so these two demands contradict eachother.
Whilst the author appears to clearly agree with the title of her essay, her post falls a long way short of actually establishing it to be true. Neither rhetorical questions or quotes from other threads prove anything, so all her thread really achieves is to pose the question, rather than supply an answer. And her question isn't even original - a simple search of "Opium MMO" on google returns a large number of results, some several years old.
The author seems to come from a left wing intellectual tradition, of a type that's common in many english, history and economics departments of universities, but is seldom seen anywhere else. Her point could be re-phrased as "There should be more lefty intellectuals like me. Warcraft results in fewer lefty intellectuals, hence Warcraft is bad". Could her attack be likened to the attacks some religious groups make on video games? Gaming competes with both god and socialism for the attention of young people, and hence, at some level, all 3 are opposed to each-other.
Whilst many (not all) people would agree that real opiates are bad for a person, does it necessarily follow that metaphorical opiates are also bad? For the last 15 years, economies throughout the west have been largely successful. The vast majority of people have shown little interest in politics, and many would far rather go out and party than attend a rally.
Hedonism has ruled, and gaming has been only a part of this wider movement. Now that we have entered an economic downturn, I would expect far more young people to become heavily politicised, regardless of the presence of MMOs. So, it seems to me, that the OP is attacking the symptom (gaming) rather than the cause (affluence).
She also discusses the treadmill style of many games - the way the gamer is continually chasing the next level, or the next epic. She's absolutely right to describe this as a hollow thing. However, she's not particularly profound - in that many people who actually play MMOs would completely agree with her. But that's only a part of why people play. An amateur footballer may mesasure his success by how many games he has won, or how many trophies are in his club's cabinet. But he plays because he likes football, and he'd keep playing even if his team was relegated. Similarly, MMO players play because they like some aspect of the game - whether it be raiding, PvP, socialising, exploring or even grinding. The trophies (levels, epics) are just symbols of progress, rather than the reason for playing. Most successful guilds I've seen have had this attitude, whilst loot whore guilds seldom last more than a few months.
The most interesting remaining question isn't whether MMOs are an opiate for the masses (they are), or whether metaphorical opiates are a bad thing (debatable), but whether MMOs are a more effective opiate than many of the alternatives, such as TV or religion. The amount of time many people spend on MMOs is enormous, and it can prevent other forms of social interaction from taking place. Whilst a TV watcher can always turn on the video recorder if his friends invite him out for the evening, an MMO player may find it very difficult to tell 20 or more other raiders that he can't play tonight because his real life friends want to invite him out at short notice. People have been kicked from guilds for less... So do MMOs interefere with the formation of many low level social bonds with neighbours - things that are necessary pre-requisites for any political involvement? Probably. Do they remove an entire class of young people (geeks, gamers) from politics entirely, resulting in that class being further marginalised? Did the sort of person who becomes a typical MMO player ever have any political representation to lose?
Guess I've rambled and asked rhetorical questions much like the OP. But I can't help thinking about an event in my guild a while back. A Lebanese member of the guild found out another player was from Israel. I wasn't online when it happened, but apparently guild chat became quite heated. Eventually things were sorted out, and both players remained in the guild, and continued to play alongside eachother in raids. So maybe there's hope!
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