Anarchy Online Gamer Responds 301
An anonymous reader writes "Thought some people might be interested in seeing a follow up on the NYT article about the Anarchy Online player. His reaction to it was less then supportive. You can read about what he had to say and what other players had to say." See the original story for background.
"I feel raped." (Score:3, Insightful)
a little overboard, i feel.
but it cant have been nice.
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
a little overboard, i feel.
but it cant have been nice."
PSst, mods, that's not off-topic. "I feel raped" is how the dude expressed his feelings about the NYT article. This post was modded in error.
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
Now it's just possible that when he posted on slashdot he was still royally pissed at the spress in general, ready to take on all comers and slashdot just managed to be the first place he happened on where he could vent his frustrations, but I really don't have a whole lot to link the two entities.
That havin
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:5, Insightful)
Thedeacon has a point when he says that private figures are not subject to the scrutiny of public figures. If the cost of law weren't so prohibitive, he'd probably sue, and would be absolutely justified in doing so. This sort of scandalous reporting deserves some serious publicity.
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:5, Insightful)
This is something that several 'fandoms' have been learning over and over, and it never truely sinks in. Just when you think you're talking to someone that 'really gets it', and you think you're going to get a fair shake, they turn around and rape you again.
Stuff that for a joke
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
Reporter: "Hi, I'm from the Washington Post." Reporter's thoughts: "Which is true, but I'm going to be selling THIS story to Vanity Fair".
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
Yeah, right (Score:5, Insightful)
I think people who claim they feel like they've been "raped" when they haven't actually been sexually assaulted need a refresher course on exactly what rape is.
Substituting "I feel raped" for "My feeling have been hurt" is an exaggeration of unimaginable proportions, and only manages to make the person in question look foolish.
Re:Yeah, right (Score:2, Interesting)
Actualy (Score:3, Insightful)
http://dictionary.reference.com/search?q=raped
3. Abusive or improper treatment; violation: a rape of justice.
3. To plunder or pillage.
So, did he feel raped, yes.
Re:Yeah, right (Score:3, Informative)
"There are many types of sexual assault, including rape, forced sodomy (anal intercourse), and forced oral copulation (oral-genital contact), rape by a foreign object (forced penetration by a foreign object, including a finger), and sexual battery (the unwanted touching of an intimate part of another person for the purpose of sexual arousal)."
All rapes are sexual assaults. Not all sexual assaults are rapes. You are the one needing a refresher course. I thought the parent's com
no, the AC was right (Score:3, Informative)
1. The crime of forcing another person to submit to sex acts, especially sexual intercourse.
2. The act of seizing and carrying off by force; abduction.
3. Abusive or improper treatment; violation: a rape of justice.
from a sexual assault website:
You are the one needing a refresher course.
Sounds like you're the one who needs to get a clue. Common, you know that words can have multiple meanings and that a website about assault is likely to have only one of them.
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
cases on contingency and work your case til the
pay off comes in
Then tend to charge more overall, but it offers
recourse to those that cannot swing the $$$ up front
Alot of poor ppl get lawyers this way, a ex-friend of
mine sued the state for poorly marked road signs when
she drove off the road at 60 miles and hour because
the road just ended with no warning
Her lawyer took the case on contingecy
It was close to 1/3rd of a million, but the
Re:"I feel raped." (Score:2)
Justified perhaps, but he'd never win. First reason: the only damage seems to be that his inner child has been wounded, or something. Second reason: none of the stuff that was printed was false. It's not libel if it's true.
Re:Thedeacon is a public figure... (Score:2)
How is that different from a major sports figure?
AO is a closed members only community, even though access may be easily gained, it is still in essence a closed community.
Thedeacon is no more a public figure than a player at a LAN party.
Indeed, being a pay-for-play player he
Re:so, who cares? (Score:2)
If the guy really was poorly treated by the NY Times, then Slashdot owes it to him to have a front page story setting the record straight. Otherwise Slashdot would be an unwitting accessory in parrotting the NY Times article. (And, yeah, while there's the comments which may be the opportunity to set things straight, the comments don't have nearly the prominence that the front page headlines do, and not everybody reads them.)
-Rob
more background (Score:2, Informative)
Re:more background (Score:1, Interesting)
Re:more background (Score:5, Informative)
The deacon's first response on slashdot [slashdot.org] to the original story.
The rest of his incoherent ramblings [slashdot.org]
This guy is a lunatic, tells a new york times reporter a bunch off things about him that he never wanted published, freaks out whn it is saying he was shocked that the journalist didn't live up to his expectation of the article only containing complimentary information, and then freaks out on the entire slashdot corwd for discussing the article. Why is this news still??
Here is his first response, reformatted (Score:3, Informative)
Re:more background (Score:2, Insightful)
It looks to me more like a troll that wants some attention. The writing style is way different from the post on nanoclan.com, and the fact that you post as an AC does not come to your avail.
I never played AO, don't really liked games I could get too much involved in (except Civilization maybe...). But I have no difficulty believing that some journalists just do as they please, knowing they can lie with impunity.
Re:more background (Score:2)
I find it interesting. I suspect SOME of us have never had to deal with a reporter before.
arrrrgh.... NYT (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:arrrrgh.... NYT (Score:3, Interesting)
Re:arrrrgh.... NYT (Score:2, Interesting)
Re:arrrrgh.... NYT (Score:2)
Ummm... for the 20 or so (max) comments bitching about NYT articles in comments after one is linking, there are literally thousands of people who just shut up and read the article.
Maybe you should just stop bitching about it.
Jayson Blair (Score:5, Insightful)
Text (Score:5, Informative)
I'll come right out and say that my future in AO is shaky right now as a result of the slanderous and untrue article posted about me in the New York Times last Thursday. I don't make this post to create more drama, but rather to state my case and also to shed some additional light on what's going on in my life right now in relation to this horrible article.
Before I go any further, I want to first thank the entire community for all the words of support I received in the past few days. It shows what good people play Anarchy Online, to come to the aid of one of their own. It does make me feel good that you guys don't buy into what that article said, because it's just not true. I'm still reeling in shock over the amount of untrue information was in that article and how certain private issues (bankruptcy) were thrown in that article after the reporter, Seth Schiesel (ingame name Amis) had agreed not release private information such as financial info, school info, etc.
I got so many wonderful and supportive replies in the forums, through email and through private messages, not to mention the fact that Amis has not had the balls to log into AO since the article broke, so I should feel great, right?
Well I don't. I did a search on my name, as someone mentioned they had heard about the article from some dutch site. "Dutch site?" I said to myself. So I did a search on my name, both real name and ingame name and I was shocked to find what people were saying about me. It was absolutely crushing to my ego and my self worth, as I know deep in my heart that the article itself was a lie and Seth's motive may have been to exact revenge on me for flaming an old article he did on AO last year
http://forums.anarchy-online.com/showthread.php? s= &threadid=58442 is the link. What I said wasn't even that bad, it was more of a joke, but it bothered Seth enough to mention it to me dozens of times while he was here. That should have been my first clue. This was like right when the Jayson Blair story was breaking, so my guard was down because I hadn't fully read up on the Blair situation.
You might have noticed I'm not logging in much lately. when I do, I've been trying to pretend like everything is alright, but I get this sinking feeling, a feeling like I'm going to be judged for my online time and it's totally sucked the fun out of the game for me.
Just reading that article in the Times, looking at the "creative writing" he did and how he left off so much of the positive aspects of my life shows me that he wrote this article with malice. I treated him like family while he was here and he turned around and stabbed me in the back.
Much of what was in that article that actually was true (VERY little of the article had any truth to it, but things like me filing bankruptcy was infact true) were things I had told him outside of the interview to explain a bit of the situation. Both my wife and I demanded that this be left off the article, which he agreed to. I was told that the article was not about ME per se, but rather a positive article about the online gaming community of AO, as told through my eyes. None of my personal information was to be released in this article. I was lied to, my wife was lied to, my friend stuntiliator who he also interviewed was lied to, and now the world is being lied to via this article.
I feel raped. There's no other way to describe it. The person described in the Time article is less than pathetic. He's a weak person that gave up on life. And damnit, that just isn't me at all. I'm no recluse, im no social outcast, I'm no mmorpg addict and I'm no quitter.
7 hours a day. you know what? That's such a load of crap
I would say it's quite rare that I'm ever online for more than four hours a day. Any longer and it's usually me logged into the chat channel or my character sitting doing nothing while I chat. So why am I on so much? Well figure this: I work from my home. There's the occasional downtime while I'
More Text (Score:5, Insightful)
As for the accusations from TheDeacon: OK, the article was painfully sensationalistic. But there's no libel here. Yeah, they paint a picture of him and his life, he doesn't like. Yeah, they put stuff in the article about his financial situation he wanted to keep private. But there's no real misinformation. Just interpretations TheDeacon doesn't like.
Get real, dude. Nobody sees a person as they see themselves. And no competent journalist will let the subject of an interview have editorial input. If you want your life to be private, be more careful who you talk to.
Re:More Text (Score:2, Insightful)
Never have I seen a story go by my desk where the peope in the article liked their portrayal.
Newspapers, reporting, it's all shit. And if you think this NYTimes article is an anomaly... you're dreaming. Every single article you read misrepresents people in the same way.
I don't consider newspapers to be a primary source of information. People who do are irresponsible. Newspapers are entertainment.
Misrepresentation vs Interpretation (Score:2)
I wouldn't say misrepresents. I would say the interpretation might not be to your liking.
Itâ(TM)s the same with all media, and the best example is movies. Make a movie about pilots and real pilots will say that itâ(TM)s fake and inaccurate. Make a movie about war and history buffs will complain that itâ(TM)s fake and inaccurate. The only "real" movie that can be made is a movie about making a movie, as that's what the
Re:Misrepresentation vs Interpretation (Score:2)
Hah! Every movie I've seen that was (in whole or in part) about making a movie has been ridiculously fake and inaccurate. I'd even say that they do airplanes and war better because few [script writers/directors] think they "know everything" about thos
Re:More Text (Score:4, Insightful)
That isn't necessarily correct. There are often times that a source wishes to remain anonymous. For example, the identity of Woodward and Bernstein's "deep throat" was kept secret when they broke the Watergate scandal.
For a journalist, cultivating sources means cultivating trust. In many instances, people are dying to talk, to get their name in the press (for example, Linda Tripp). In many other instances, people with valuable information may need to be assured of a certain level of control with regard to the information they divulge. A journalist who expects to do more than one story with a source that trusts them absolutely must respect boundaries.
Re:What a fucking loser. (Score:2)
NYT... (Score:4, Funny)
bull999999: Kiss my ass. I don't trust you guys.
Next day on NYT
"HEADLINE: bull999999 of Slashdot is a sickco"
bull999999 of Slashdot admits that he's a pervert that enjoys strangers giving oral sex to his behind. He also does not trust the media, rather perfers to consult his imaginary friend "Roy" and Slashdot for all his news needs.
Journalists and horses (Score:2)
Re:Journalists and horses (Score:2, Funny)
Re:Journalists and horses (Score:2)
Re:NYT... (Score:2)
Anyway, it reminds me of the Calvin and Hobbes cartoon where Calvin asks his mom if he can write a story about her for a "newspaper" he's making. She agrees, he asks what she's doing, she says she's making dinner while she's cutting up a fish.
In the next pane of the comic you see Calvin's article, and the title is "Crazed Knife-Wielding Mother Hacks Icthyoid to Death. 'It's a Daily Custom' says child."
Calvin and Hobbes was awesome!
Re:NYT... (Score:2)
NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:2)
One quick examination of mediagate [bbc.co.uk] tells you all you have to know - journalists, even ones that write for the most reputable publications, sometimes lie through their teeth.
Obviously, the AO player in question doesn't have the financial resources of the NYT and its parent company (market capitalisation in the billions), but perhaps he could find a lawyer who'd be willing to represent
Speaking of being raped... (Score:2)
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:1)
If only you were an NYT reporter, then that statement would have some serious irony to it.
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:5, Insightful)
Keep in mind that in order to prove that libel was committed, one must prove that (1) something written as fact is false, (2) the person who wrote said misinformation knew it was false, and (3) there existed "actual malice". And if he can prove all of that, he must prove that he suffered actual damages.
I'm not saying that libel didn't occur, I just don't want anybody to think that all you have to do to win a judgement in your favor is prove that something somebody wrote about you is false.
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:2)
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:2)
If he did lose customers over the story, that is actual damage. Of course, if the NY Times wants to fight this, I'm sure they have quite a few lawyers who could m
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:2)
For a private figure (which this guy is)regarding a matter not of public concern (which this is not), all he must show is a false statement about him that was published (in the communicated sense of the word) and that it harmed his reputation. Certain things are libel per se, and you don't even have to show any harm, as it is presumed. Falesly stating he
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:2)
Re:NYT and journalistic integrity... (Score:3, Funny)
(longshoreman #1): "Hey, Stu! Look! It's our new friend, the WRITER!"
(longshoreman #2): "I believe it is, Joe! Hey, WRITER! Ya got any of them long-headed books on ya? C'mere, you..."
(Writer yelps and takes off.)
(Longshoreman #1): "Hey, Stu! Gimme that brick..." (throws brick).
(Writer yelps, falls down, gets grabbed by the longshorem
MMODTSDG (Score:1, Redundant)
Remember Connie Chung? (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Remember Connie Chung? (Score:2, Informative)
Off the record.... (Score:5, Insightful)
Re:Off the record.... (Score:1)
I don't really know what I mean. It just seems like a way to protect yourself from your own opinion.
Re:Off the record.... (Score:3, Interesting)
Some guy who plays computer games likely has no off the record priviliges. On the other hand, someone like President Bush likely has all of the leeway that he could possibly want. It's simple economics really... they can afford to piss off the gamer.
What actually happened was... (Score:2, Informative)
Chung: "Mrs. Gingrich, what has Newt told you about President Clinton?"
Kathleen: "Nothing. And I can't tell you what he said about Hillary."
Chung: "You can't?"
Kathleen: "I can't."
Chung, leaning forward: "Why don't you just whisper it to me. Just between you and me."
Kathleen, leaning in and whispering: "âShe's a bitch.â(TM)"
Chung: "Really? That's the only thing he ever said about her."
Kathleen: "That's the only thing he ever said about her.
Re:Remember Connie Chung? (Score:2)
Newt Gingrich I believe.
Re:Remember Connie Chung? (Score:2)
But anyway: Nothing angers me more than ill-informed accusations maligning the whole profession.
Except a bad journalist.
Whether the NYT reporter acted in bad faith is, to put it mildly, unclear. But this reporter, Jayson Blair and Connie Chung are not representative.
But the vast majority of journalists work long hours, for shit pay and bad benefits, because they feel an obligation to society. Not for money or fame - because we rarely get any of either.
Your average rep
Re:Remember Connie Chung? (Score:3, Informative)
Public opinion turned majorly sour on Connie Chung, and it wasn't long before CBS fired her ass.
Mostly the whole thing was the result of the public view that Newt's mom was victimized by an unscrupulous reporter.
On the record (Score:2)
He said... (Score:5, Funny)
Error creating new session
Hell, that's what most geeks say when normal people ask them about their lifestyle.
That's more than he said to me... (Score:2)
Anarchy Online (Score:2)
I played anarchy online when it first came out, figured it would be a nice change from magic based mmpogs. Even a few buddies bought it, so we tried to play a couple hours together after work online.
When it first came out, it had major problems. GFX, Sound, crashs. Tried for 3 months, but the headaches, i finally gave it up. So did everyone I knew.
Now awhile later, and a free week from AO, figured I would retry it. 2ghz cpu's and ati's 9700 and t
Re: (Score:2)
nice thing that /. has linked to this article (Score:5, Insightful)
Although filled with usual bull, sometimes it does give the little guy a bigger voice.
reality (Score:4, Insightful)
The guy denies it, but from what I've read in the article, his original posts, and now this, he's in serious denial. He should be out there looking for a better job, honing skills, getting some education, loading boxes for UPS, whatever to get motivated to improve himself.
Instead he is playing the victim, getting lots of attention, probably spending even more time in this pseudo-reality.
I feel for his wife, this isn't the behavior of a life partner.
off-topic, but regarding gaming addiction... (Score:5, Insightful)
Over a year later I decided I'd had enough, gave away my chars and deleted ZMUD and never went there again. That's about the same time my friend lended me his Diablo 2 + Expansion CDs with a virgin CD key, and BAM! It started all over again. The first week I was a newbie trying to figure out where to go and how to do things, and 2 months later (due to inredible luck from the random item drops) I'm a rich-as-hell elite possessing the rarest bow in the game, and even though I wasn't having any fun, the preciousness (sp) of those virtual items was way too much to just abandon it all. However eventually the same same scenario happened again: I suddenly realized I was wasting my life, gave away the items, and deleted.
As I type this now, I'm addicted to laziness. I spend my time playing old PC games, games of older consoles via emulation, and downloading music and porn off Kazaa. Once again it's time for a purge except this time it'll be more radical. I'm backing up whatever personal things I've gathered over the years (wacky pictures, rom collections, sex pictures I'm particularly fond of, irc logs, etc) to view again 10 years from now since this is basically the only memories I'll have of my late teenager years, and then I'mformatting my hard drive and giving the computer to my sister.
If anyone else than me has gaming fucking up their life, I suggest they do the same. It might seem too radical, but you don't need that PC, no matter how big a geek you are (and I doubt you're a bigger geek than me), unless you're choosing a career down the road.
Re:off-topic, but regarding gaming addiction... (Score:2)
so what are you going to do with your life
i seriouslly doubt a computer is the fundamental root of your laziness
maybe
goto school
get a job
find some friends
unplugging the pc is a start, but...as youve proven before-youll be right back to another addiction if you dont have it replaced with something positive.
Re:off-topic, but regarding gaming addiction... (Score:4, Insightful)
The key point here (Score:5, Insightful)
This is the most important line in the post. Something is wrong when you're driven to keep going, but *you aren't having any fun anymore*.
I have a personality type that makes this kind of addiction very easy. My first experiences with computer games were the early *text* adventures -- Adventure, Zork, and others (xyzzy, maze of twisty passages all different, etc.).
Before I knew it, I found myself glaring red-eyed at the computer screen as the sun came up, surrounded by maps, notes, etc., feeling sick and aching all over. I wasn't playing because I was having fun -- it was frustrating as hell. I felt horrible. But I was going to figure out every last puzzle if it killed me. I felt like the game was a malevolent being fighting against me.
Nowadays, I just don't start playing the games. I don't own any (though I did once spend a dozen hours or so honing winmine strategies before I realized what I was doing).
I have similar rules in other aspects of my life. I never ever gamble (not even penny poker). It just sucks the fun out of it for me, because I feel like I have to win, and I can't enjoy the game.
I was an athletic kid in school, but I ran track instead of playing basketball, or football, or any game like that where there's more personal interaction and physical contact. Yeah, you can get spiked or elbowed in a race, but running a good race involves self-control much more than exerting your will over the other runners.
There isn't anything specifically wrong with playing a game for hours on end, especially a game where you're interacting with other live players, if you're enjoying it. It can be one form of social interaction, or just like watching TV but more interactive. It's when you're harming your own well-being (mental or physical) and you still can't stop that you should get a clue that something is awry.
Re:The key point here (Score:2)
It's kind of a life goal for me to find ways of turning that sort of impulse to productive ends, such as with my current project [lrnj.com].
Don't get me wrong, I have no problem with people playing games and having fun, but I like the idea of taking the guilt factor completely out of it.
Re:off-topic, but regarding gaming addiction... (Score:2)
Good luck!
Morale of the story (Score:3, Insightful)
Re:Morale of the story (Score:4, Insightful)
The sad part. (Score:1)
Re:The sad part. (Score:2)
Re:The sad part. (Score:2)
AO Junkie (Score:2, Insightful)
>>I would say it's quite rare that I'm ever online for more than four hours a day.
Ummm...did anyone else find this amusing? It was as if saying "Hey! I'm not a junkie! I only shoot up a couple of times a day!"
I was sympathetic to his story...until I read that.
As for the NYT report, I have no idea what transpired, and maybe the truth is somewhere in the middle (as it usually is). I DO know several newspaper reporters who after an inter
Summary: (Score:2, Insightful)
2. Article comes out and loser realizes that his 15 minutes of fame isn't worth being outed as a pathetic loser.
3. Loser, being pathetic and having neither a concept of personal dignity nor any idea how to handle situations in which the social acumen of an adult is required, throws a hissy fit and goes off on the NY
AOTheDeacon's original response (formatted) (Score:2)
Other than that, this is his post, unedited. I don't think it just makes it more readable, I think it actually makes it seem more coherent.
On thing I'll add: If this really was the deacon posting, I'll guess that he w
Re:AOTheDeacon's original response (formatted) (Score:2)
I mean, there's a crapload of posts from the account that make Derek Smart look mature.
Maybe it's just somebody playing the crowd. If that's not the case then, well, everything makes sense.
Re:AOTheDeacon's original response (formatted) (Score:2)
Coherant or not, this guy sounds like an angry 13 year old. To me, this whole post boils down to "Oh ya? Who wants some? I'll kick all your assess! I am the awsomest!!" IT sounds like the short guy in school that was always going around talking shit as if he was better than everyone. This leads me to believe that there is more truth than fiction in the orignal article.
Re:AOTheDeacon's original response (formatted) (Score:2)
Like I said: If you read his (more coherent and reasoned) comments pointed to in the main article, it's clear that he feels upset, betrayed, etc.
These posts were done soon after the NYT article went out, so if this was really him, he would still have been in the middle of the shock and upset. It's easy to look at those posts and think "what a childi
His real problem. (Score:4, Insightful)
He's let a game (and its related interpersonal associations) ruin his ego, his financial well being, and general happyness.
Maybe this is a no brainer. Maybe saying this is akin to saying, i told you so. Hell, call it a troll. But gee, you know...
misquoting is common and not necessarily malicious (Score:3, Interesting)
Well Jesus Christ on a Pogo Stick! (Score:5, Funny)
Ok, let me explain this to you... A journalist is a person who started out with a bunch of starry-eyed ideals. His head was all full of things like the idea that he could make a difference or that he could actually make a living on a journalist's salary. For a select few, the wage might be OK but most of them would have been better off with a career in 1-hour photo development.
So over the years as reality sets in, the journalist's hopes and dreams are crushed and he turns into a sadistic and cynical bastard, unable to realize that some human beings might even be able to find peace and happiness in their lives. At the same time, his twisted spirit aches for the big scoop that will break him out of the doldrums of sub-minimum wages and canned dog food three times a week. As he gets older, he becomes more desparate.
Assuming he ever can manage to attain any respect at all in the industry, he HAS to keep producing blockbuster stories on a regular basis or it's back to the canned dog food for him.
And you would trust one of these wretches to represent your story in a manner that's not sensationalistic and negative? People don't want to read the fluff stories about someone who's life is kind of a bummer but he's finding happiness anyway. The journalist knows this.
Yes my friend, you should sooner trust Bill Gates with your immortal soul than trust a journalist.
Just read the original article (Score:2)
2 Simple Rules for Life (Score:4, Insightful)
If you're ever arrested for anything say the following 4 words to the police and only the following 4 words: I want my lawyer.
Nothing else you say will help you, it will only hurt you.
Rule 2:
If a reporter wants to talk to you about anything only ever say the following 2 words: No comment.
Anything else you say can be twisted into making it sound like you said whatever that reporter wants.
Fast-food Reporting (Score:4, Interesting)
What could drive a reporter to shun their supposed "objectivity" and engage in such social denigration? Was it just making the NYT reader feel good about themselves? "Big" Schiesel appears to have been irked by Thedeacon's interpersonal power in AO, perhaps because a powerful in-game community standing is something which those in the physical world may never attain.
This lack of respect toward emerging cultures and communities is a sign of the irrelevance of the media establishment. A reporter would not be able to get very far with this kind of twisted prejudice toward any given creed, race, or religion. Schiesel's blunt attack on a person who merely loves a new form of expression cannot hide behind the thin moniker of journalism, a profession which the NYT has nearly defined (and certainly destroyed).
- JML
Re:Fast-food Reporting (Score:2)
It's interesting the way people can read things differently. I don't read this passage as t
A viewpoint from the media... (Score:3, Insightful)
Now that I have said that, there's something more to say about being written about in the media.
I have never met a person who think that he / she was depicted 100% correctly in an article. As a writing journalist myself, I have some theories about this.
When a person writes an article, it's imperative that the article is neutral and fact based. The article about Thedeacon probably has an angle, a focus. This focus may differ from what the article subject thinks is the focus and lead to a different (usually negative) view on the article. Thedeacon said that the article is factual, but the composing makes him view the article as bogus. This does not meant that it is.
It is easier for Thedecaon to simply brush off the article as bogus than actually take a deeper look into himself from another persons angle.
Furthermore, I'd like to adress the myth about the Vendetta Reporter. Some persons think that the article in NYT is a personal attack on Thedeacon for being a success in the MUD scene, staged by the reporter. Why? Does anyone here seriously think that a professional reporter would have something against this person and merge it into an article? It is difficult to be 100% objective in writing, but most of the journalists view this as a goal. If you absolutely need to worry about something? Go worry about the media melting that is currently going on in the US.
As for the ON / OFF-record thingy: Unless a third person is taking notes, there's NO record. A journalist seeks the truth. Thedeacon told a lot of things that he claims were "off the record" but can't prove this. Furthermore, they were relevant for the article. Maybe the the journalist could have taken the "No, everything you tell me is on the record" stance, but I don't know if he did. Anyway, the golde rule is don't tell a journalist something you don't want the journalist to hear...
Re:Poor, poor, loser (Score:2)
It's one thing to be made fun of. It's quite another to have the entire world know about it. The foot fetish thing smacks of malicious intent by the reporter and will probably cost the Times a load of money before this is all over.
I think he's a loser also but if it wasn't for the Times, I wouldn't have given it another thought. Neither would anyone else.
Re:Poor, poor, loser (Score:2)
Re:Anarchy Online (Score:1)
Re:Thank goodness... (Score:3, Insightful)
I have to say, the NYT article didn't make me think this guy is some kind of loser. I think that should carry the weight of a nonbiased observer, coming from someone whose peak of online gaming involvement was "Multiplayer Jeopardy Online!" or "Acrophobia" (anyone remember those?) for a couple hours a week for a month or two. Not exactly Mr. Intarweb Society Supremo.
There were repeated quotes from various people that he was such a nice guy and he helps people out and everyone loves and admires him and s
Re:Thanks for reminding me of how much... (Score:2)
Re:How would you feel (Score:2)
To reply to the reply from my original post, eat me, I never said anything about it being fair he was libeled, I said the whole dramatic nonesense in his artice AND his forum thread were ridiculous "my status in the community is in jeopardy" omg, GET OVER IT. People say stupid, false, hurtful sh!t all the time, it's life, you deal with it, move on, and learn to ignore those people because they have their heads up their a$$es....if saying that makes me flameb
Read a book (Score:2)
Your stunning grasp of the English language certainly proves your moral superiority to the rest of us "idiots."