A Response To Why High-Sec Ganking Is Bad

In my last post, I wrote Why High-Sec Ganking Is Bad.  There have been a few comments on that post that I would like to respond to.  Initially, I was just going to post a follow up comment, but what I wrote ended up being longer than a simple comment should be, so I decided to make a new post of it.

The comments on the Why High-Sec Ganking Is Bad post are actually helping reinforce the message of that blog post.  I have explained from a position of neutrality how the actions of infamous High-Sec ganking organizations can bring people to escalating tensions and an unhealthy level of real hate.  In response, there have been several hate filled responses and a comment from Kudzu who is escalating tensions by suggesting I was comparing blowing up ships to real life murder.

The "tear collecting" style comments need no response.  They are clearly meant to be antagonizing and are without any real substance.

As for the close to real crime comparison, it would be far more accurate to compare the more infamous actions of High-Sec ganking organizations to theft, vandalism, harassment, and defamation, all of which can be real life crimes.  In making such comparison, we are talking not just about the High-Sec ganking of ships, but more importantly the actions of awoxing and attacks on a person's real life character that often go along with it.  It is that combination that I am talking about when I wrote about Why High-Sec Ganking Is Bad.  In affect, I let myself fall prey to the stereotype that organizations like CODE. are building for High-Sec ganking in general.  Perhaps I should call it, High-Sec CODEing.

Some people seem to have a naive view of the world as being black and white, when in reality it is mostly shades of grey.  Real life money is nothing more than a virtual construct that determines how much stuff a person can acquire with the time they spend earning the money.  Once you are past basic needs, the difference between time in game for isk or time in life for dollars doesn't look as clear.  Harassment and defamation can happen in a game just as easy as it can outside of a game, especially when in game keeps creeping further and further out of game, like on gaming message boards or people's personal blogs or the infamous bonus rooms.  The line can get blurred. 

It takes a level of decency and maturity to be able to step back and realize when you are pushing conflict too far with someone in a game -- when the line is getting blurred -- even if it was all for role play, and to step back and give them some breathing room.  Maybe come out of character occasionally and demonstrate that being a dick is just a role and not your natural disposition (assuming that's the case).  I'm pretty level headed and can take the heat, but clearly some people are getting real life upset about ganker actions and the ganker image CODE. is popularizing.  It's bad for the players who are upset by their actions, and bad for other well meaning gankers who will be lumped into the stereotype being built for them.  And that, my fellow capsuleers, is Why High-Sec CODEing Is Bad.