As you may have gathered from the title, I chose to meet people in the online space called a Multi-User Dungeon (MUD). A MUD is an entirely text-based immersive environment generally used for role-playing games. Although, these environments have long been replaced by visual MMORPGs like World of Warcraft, a great deal of the CMC research from the 80's and 90's discuss this space. I'd never been in a MUD before, and I thought that this would be a perfect chance to explore a space that I knew relatively little about.
As stated before, MUDs have long since lost their appeal, with users migrating towards games with a bit more "eye candy." Most people consider MUDs to have gone the way of the dodo and newsgroups, but a small number of people still participate in them. The most popular MUDs normally have an average number of 100-250 users in them at a time.
I spent a pretty good while conversing with two players who had been playing the game since it was created in 2001 and another newbie who had never been in a MUD before. I found the newbie to be incredibly annoying and distracting... continually asking questions and never pausing long enough to get any answers. "Where am I supposed to go?", "Can I join a Guild?", "What do I do with this mystical staff thing?" The two veteran players, however, were very understanding of him. Patiently answering all of the newbie's questions while passing nerdy inside jokes back and forth about the uneducated n00b.
When I finally signed off Aetolia, I did so thinking all three players were definitely "kind of strange". However, in the hours since I ended my "adventure" I had a change of heart. I started to realize that my impression of these people was created long before I ever entered the MUD. I honestly never really gave these people a chance. By my own account, the two veterans were patient and kind, but I had considered them strange. And the only reason I wasn't asking as many questions as the other newbie, was because I never intended to enter the MUD again. Despite this, I'd dismissed him as annoying.
I think it's fair to say my impressions fall into the hyperpersonal model-- I had a little piece of information and I heavily extrapolated and stereotyped accordingly.
However, something a little more unique happened in my situation. My stereotype was based solely on the medium being used. All the stereotypes that I brought up were because of where in online space I was interacting.
The models we've examined so far, point out that the lack of social cues available in CMC cause us to heavily stereotype, but they never really address the specific stereotypes that online spaces themselves carry.
I think it definitely raises an interesting research possibility:
Are the opinions of others heavily influenced by the medium in which they meet me whether it be AIM, or a MUD or on Match.com?
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2 comments:
When reading the straight-laced MUD commentary by Wallace, I definitely kept my tongue firmly planted in my cheek. I feel he--and I believe its fair of me to judge--should have been able to see that MUDs must attract quirky, lonely, and/or detached individuals, at least in the majority. They are creating online worlds entirely by TEXT. There is no non-verbal confirmation, as in the fantasy worlds we create as kids. None. And the depth and detail that is created in imaginative Sci-Fi/Fantasy novels is also absent, as no one writes hundreds of lines of description in MUDs. So, honestly, does it not seem like a fantasy that would not attract the average user? I wish Wallace recognized this possibility, even though he did not have the advantage of retroactivity.
So Nick, I completely agree with your final reserach proposition. Where is the study about onlince space stereotypes? I'm glad that you were able to enjoy your time at a MUD space. I will try to maintain an unbiased perspective of MUD users until I too am able to read further on the topic or join one myself. Perhaps earlier MUD users were just willing to let their imagination flower freely (?).
Your potential research proposition is a great idea and I would have to admit that I have all sorts of biases before I even enter an online space. For example, when I did the work for this blog I was expecting the chat room that I visited to be filled with sexual inquires from all sorts of people. Unfortunately, my notion was confirmed. I find that even with other online spaces (like MySpace, MUD's, and my school e-mail) there are connotations that join every one. I question if this is the over-attribution process in the Hyper-Personal Model. Is it that we attribute these "weird" or "strange” characteristics to these people before we even enter these online spaces all the time? From personal experience, they are extremely hard to avoid. Do these early conceptions raise the likelihood of an extreme positive or negative impression? Do the people that join these MUD’s have a notion about the people that are already a part of them? Great writing and a good post!
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