They’re socially engaged with him and his web community. Status competition doesn’t have to mean preparation for direct overthrow, it can also mean efforts to reduce the size of status gaps relative to current superiors. Demonstrating or admitting inferiority to someone in the immediate social hierarchy pushes the low lower, while successfully tearing down a superior raises the tearer while lowering the torn, even if only marginally.
There is an essay about this by Pavel Curtis, creator of LambdaMOO—he would frequently find that newcomers would respond to his perceived status by being exaggeratedly rude to his character, showing off that they were prepared to stand up to the Man, so long as of course they could do it in perfect safety under the cover of anonymity.
Most players on LambdaMOO, for example, upon first encountering my wizard
player, treat me with almost exaggerated deference and respect. I am frequently called ‘sir’ and players often apologize for ‘wasting’ my time. A significant minority, however, appear to go to great lengths to prove that they
are not impressed by my office or power, speaking to me quite bluntly and
making demands that I assist them with their problems using the system,
sometimes to the point of rudeness.
They’re socially engaged with him and his web community. Status competition doesn’t have to mean preparation for direct overthrow, it can also mean efforts to reduce the size of status gaps relative to current superiors. Demonstrating or admitting inferiority to someone in the immediate social hierarchy pushes the low lower, while successfully tearing down a superior raises the tearer while lowering the torn, even if only marginally.
Great point, and I think that the “competition”, if there is competition, isn’t with PG or EY but with everyone else.
There is an essay about this by Pavel Curtis, creator of LambdaMOO—he would frequently find that newcomers would respond to his perceived status by being exaggeratedly rude to his character, showing off that they were prepared to stand up to the Man, so long as of course they could do it in perfect safety under the cover of anonymity.
Found it: Mudding: Social Phenomena in Text-Based Virtual Realities
‘Exagerrated rudeness’ could also be a product of the greater internet dickwad theory.
Attitudes toward MUD wiz teams are also part politics, since the leaders are often dictators of the local environment.