Re: FWD: Clay Shirky on group dynamics

From: Lawrence Foard (entropy@farviolet.com)
Date: Wed Jul 02 2003 - 08:31:06 MDT


On Tue, 1 Jul 2003, Eliezer S. Yudkowsky wrote:

> Michael Wiik wrote:
> > http://www.shirky.com/writings/group_enemy.html
>
> This is a really important document for anyone interested in designing
> online communities.
>
> "LambdaMOO takes a New Direction". Wow. I can't believe I actually
> remember that. I feel old...

An interesting document. Actually my experience of running a mud
was to setup enough technology so users could control there own areas
(like ejecting trouble makers), and let the place run itself. A hacker
managed to bring the mud down several times, I didn't kick them off, I
thanked them for finding the bugs and fixed them.

Anarchy works much better than authority when each individual has some
reasonable degree of authority over there own areas.

Regrettably the machine it was running on died and I was never able to
get consistent internet access for the mud again. Instead the tinymush
code got taken over by TinyTim, which also seems to have thrived on a
reasonably hands off policy, although I think they have still had some
degree of drama. The funny thing about TinyTim is it started as a joke,
so no one had any expectations to violate, I suspect this is why it
managed to last so long.

-- 
     Be a counter terrorist perpetrate random senseless acts of kindness
    Rave: Immanentization of the Eschaton in a Temporary Autonomous Zone.
 We are nothing but sunlight detours, in the road between fusion and eternity.


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