Wizards: The heart of an online community

by John Suler, Ph.D.

(Page 24 of 53)

Wizards at the “Palace”

The multimedia chat software called “Palace” has spawned a complex online community. There are many Palace sites located on servers across the internet, each being a unique visual/auditory environment where members use small graphics called “avatars” to represent themselves. The Main Mansion (aka, “Main”) may hold more than 200 people on any given night. Other sites are very small, with as few as two people.... or sometimes only one lonely soul waiting for someone to come visit. The sites also vary widely in their mission and graphical themes. Some are commercial ventures. Some are the artistic, personal expression of an individual user.

But all Palace sites have something important in common. They all have WIZARDS. What exactly is a wizard? What purpose does the wizard serve? And, most importantly (to some people), how do you get to be a wizard?

The specific answers to these questions will vary from one Palace site to another. In this article, I'll focus mostly on the wizards who dwell at the sites maintained by TPI (The Palace Incorporated, which later merged with Electric Communities) sites - especially the main “Mansion,” the oldest Palace site (some also call it “Main”), and “Welcome,” the site where new users arrive. In the Palace universe, being a TPI/EC wizard is considered a high achievement. The membership at Mansion and Welcome is much larger than most other sites, so the “competition” for wizardship is considerably steep. Company officials also participate in the selection of these TPI/EC wizards, so approval is coming from the top, from the creators of the Palace universe.

Echoes of Merlin

First, let's take a quick look at the word “wizard.” It's a term carried over from the world of fantasy-based multi-user games, such as Dungeons and Dragons. Although Jim Bumgardner steered Palace away from becoming a traditional virtual game and more towards an open social environment (see The History of Palace), his thinking nevertheless was influenced by the imaginative role-playing worlds of MOOs and MUDs. In many ways Palace indeed is a magical, dream-like realm.... Hence “wizards” fit right in.

According to legend, a wizard is someone who possesses magical powers - a sorcerer. In a more watered down fashion, the word also may be defined as someone who is exceptionally skilled or clever at some task. A more archaic definition is “sage” (from the Middle English “wisard,” meaning “wise”).

As we'll see, all of the above apply to Palace wizards and the three main jobs they perform: (1) hosting, advising, and socializing new users; (2) acting as consultants to TPI/EC, and; (3) controlling deviant behavior in the community (see “The Bad Boys of Cyberspace”).

Powers, Privileges, Perks
(and the responsibilities that go with)

Wizards possess powers and privileges - and often knowledge - that separate them from ordinary members. As we all know, with powers and privileges comes responsibility. So there are price tags along with some of the perks.

Night Sticks

To members, the most visible powers of the wizards are their abilities to “pin” (lock a user's avatar into the corner of the screen), “propgag” (lock a user's avatar into the standard smiley ), “kill” (disconnect a user from the server for a specified amount of time), and “ban” (exile user/s from a specific internet address). The self-imposed wizard code of honor states that these powers should only be used to control deviant users. So if you persist in spouting off obscenities, flashing nude props, attempting to crash other users, or indulging in any other of a variety of antisocial or downright mean behaviors, a wizard is going to discipline you. “Wizard,” in this context, means “police.” In fact, an important responsibility of wizards is to oversee - or perhaps even “patrol” - the site in order to locate, educate, control, and, if necessary, disconnect misbehaving users.****

The downside to possessing superuser powers? Because these powers are so visible to members, they may stimulate strong emotional reactions. Users often perceive wizards (sometimes unconsciously) as authority figures, even as surrogate parents. While some members may obsequiously try to suck up to the seemingly powerful wizard (“Can I become a wizard too?”), others will envy and/or hate them because of their powers. Pinning or killing someone reminds them of teachers and parents issuing time-outs (go sit in the corner!) or principals suspending them from school... or, even worse, parents kicking them out of the house. Defiance, hostility, and rebellion may fill their minds when they are targeted for such discipline, or even when they simply witness wizards doling out punishment to other users. In a long thread on the PUG (Palace User Group) mailing list, users debated whether people were being killed “for no reason” by unfeeling wizards - and even whether this was a kind of “murder.”

In a less extreme attitude, some users may simply feel alienated from wizards who, “like all authority figures,” appear to be cold, distant, and preoccupied with punishing people. Other users, to the contrary, may attempt to befriend wizards not as a genuine gesture of friendship, but rather as an ingratiating attempt to associate themselves with the wizards' authority and prestige - what one wizard called “the Celebrity Factor” which causes some wizards to be a bit skeptical of any inappropriately friendly users. Any of these emotional responses to wizards may be “transference” reactions that reveal more about the personality of the user than about the wizards. They may be reactions specifically to the wizard's disciplinary powers, or more generally to the wizard's perceived popularity, fame, and status as an elder.

Throughout their history, wizards have debated exactly when and how they should use their night sticks. For what crimes does one use which mode of discipline? When is it best to talk deviants down from their misbehavior, and when should they be killed on sight? At times the debates get heated. The differences in opinion reflect basic differences in personality style and attitudes about discipline, parenting, and what constitutes socially unacceptable behavior. Jim Bumgardner once jokingly drew the distinction between wizards who were “Bleeding Hearts” versus “Nazis.” It's often hard for one personality type to fully understand the other. What complicates consensus even more is the fact that the complex social nature of deviant behavior at the Palace (as in real life) cannot be remedied by any one strategy. Sometimes a compassionate talk is needed. Sometimes a quick kick in the ass.*

Members do have access to their own night sticks. For example, they can block communications from any other user (“mute”). It's a powerful tool. After all, if you can't see anything a person is saying, what can they possibly do to harass you. Sit on you or display offensive props. Usually that's about all. While many members effectively use their nightsticks, some don't. They may not know they have this power, so they page a wizard for help. In some cases, even when users are familiar with the mute command, they would rather page a wizard to come discipline the offender. Perhaps they feel “mute” is not powerful enough to deal with the person. Some users, though, gain satisfaction out of seeing the offender punished by a wizard. It reflects a bit of an authoritarian personality style. For these types of users it is like “screaming for Mommy.” It's yet another manifestation of the perception of the wizard as a parental figure - another type of transference reaction.* Unfortunately, frequent paging means wizards spend all of their time running around the Palace site trying to verify crimes and disciplining the offenders.

In the world of MUDs, commands like kill and pin can be enjoyed as just part of the game. Using “allscray” to turn everyone's avatar into the generic, “naked” smiley could be a hoot. But Palace wizards usually have to hold back on their powers. Some members won't experience these antics as fun at all. They will see it as an demeaning display of powers that they don't possess - a rubbing of their noses into a class/power distinction. For wizards, the playful feeling of pinning and allscraying must be repressed, resulting in a frustration that finally gets relieved when wizards hang out together in private and indulge in “pinning parties” Pinning is a tradition for the newbie wizards at their induction ceremony (at some non-TPI/EC sites, “wizard wars” are a main attraction). When Mansion wizards gleefully pin each other in their private gatherings, this also may be a displayed frustration. While on patrol, how many annoying users did they really WANT to pin or kill, but didn't?

Wizards experience mixed emotions about their powers. It's potential fun. It's status, and a bit of a headtrip. It's a great way to redirect the frustrations from your own personal life onto snert targets. It means you can engage in a battle of wits as much as you want with a snert, and in the end you always get the last word. But the wizard is also an authority figure, a role model, a professional, who is expected to be fair and responsible. Nightsticks, in this context, are the tools of the trade to be used with discretion and maturity. They are a bit of a... burden.

Unfortunately, other important wizard activities are not nearly as visible as their night sticks. Because they are perceived as knowledgeable authority figures, users frequently approach them with technical questions. That perception of authority even leads some users to seek them out as counselors who can help them with personal problems - sometimes severe problems like depression and suicidal tendencies. True to the Middle English definition of “wisard,” the wizards are expected to be “wise” in many different respects. Also a manifestation of transference, the perceptions of the wizard as a therapist or ultimate rescuer can become unrealistic demands on their time, energy, and abilities. The “police” functions of the wizards are more obvious to the public, but they are not any more important than the wizards' various roles as technical and social advisors.*

X-Ray Vision

Many users assume that they can play with their name, avatar, and identity at the Palace while keeping their true identity hidden. For the most part, that's true. Palace is a highly anonymous environment. Whispers, for example, can't be seen by anyone except the person you're whispering to - not even by wizards and gods. However, wizards have at their disposal a command that enables them to see a user's IP address, DNS hookup, and registration key signature (which is assigned by TPI/EC to each registered member). In other words, as Dr. Xenu has described it, they possess “x-ray vision.” They also can tell if you're a guest, member, wizard, or god - as well as call on the server to track you whenever you sign on.

Why were they given this power to override the anonymity that lures so many users to cyberspace in general and environments like the Palace in particular? Mostly, to control the snerts. As Sun Tzu suggested, the more you know about your enemies, the better your chances of contending with them. At the Palace it would be mighty hard to keep track of and discipline name-and-shape-shifting deviants without this x-ray vision. Just letting trouble-makers know that you “have their number” can sometimes shock them out of their anonymous antics and into compliance. If that fails, and a wizard uses a night stick to discipline the snert, all wizards automatically are notified via the paging system of the deviant's identifying stats. For those wizards who sign on later, the system keeps a record of who has been killed and banned. In some extreme cases, wizards have contacted the administrators of ISPs to let them know just how bad a boy (or girl) one of their users has been.

Respecting the privacy of users, most wizards will only use this power when they must contend with a trouble-maker. However, I heard one story about a wizard who routinely summoned up the identifying stats of everyone in the room. If true, it's a bit voyeuristic. It's a flexing of muscles, of power. After all, knowledge - especially knowledge that others don't have - is power.

Collective Consciousness

Whereas any user can send a message into the paging system, only wizards can see those messages - which appear in a text balloon in the upper corner of the screen. The messages usually consist of members asking for help with a snert or a technical question, chat among the wizards, and automated information from the server (what wizards have signed on and off; how many wizards are on the site; who has attempted the wizard password but failed; what deviants have been disciplined, by which wizard, and with what method).

What's unique about the paging system is that it is the only method for a group of users (the wizards) to communicate regardless of their being in different rooms. It's a Group ESP experience. As indicated by the automated messages, a primary purpose of the paging system is to assist wizards in their policing the site. Wizards on the job often page the group to discuss the problematic members they are encountering and how to deal with them. They call for second opinions on whether an avatar is inappropriate and for assistance in talking to a troubled user. Or they discuss any technical problems with the site that they have discovered. But they don't just use the paging system for business. Wizards also rely on the system as a channel for socializing. As a group, they chat and joke with each other. It's a Group ESP Hangout.

Newbie wizards who plug in the password for the first time often marvel at this hidden layer of wizard communication that goes on behind the scenes of Palace activity. It's as if there is a layer of “collective wizard consciousness” that sits on top of all activity at the Palace site. As a result, the paging system helps unify the wizards as a group. It may also help integrate the entire site itself since the wizards can relay information to each other about what is happening in the various rooms. On the other hand, when wizards get very caught up in their paging system chat, they sometimes become a bit removed from the activity around them. It's like Mystery Science Theater 2000. The wizards lay back in the paging system and comment on the Palace dramas and antics that are unfolding before their eyes.

When a member pages for help with a snert, it's not unusual for several wizards to appear simultaneously - or in rapid sequence - at the scene of the crime. What does this say about the wizards? Feeling responsible, they all may be eager to help. Feeling feisty, they all may be looking for a kill. Feeling bored, they may want something interesting to do. The mass response could be a sign that they're supporting and/or competing with each other (usually one defers to the first wizard on the scene, or the more senior wizard). One thing is for sure. The wizards - in their collective consciousness - pay attention to pages.

Parting the Waters.... Maybe

Wizards have considerably more power than members over the Palace environment. They can run and alter scripts in any room, which gives them the power to program all sorts of activities involving prop and text balloon behaviors. They can enter rooms where occupancy is “full” (i.e., more members can't get in). They can send “global messages” that everyone at the site will see. With their “clone” command, they can copy an avatar right off anyone's back. They can turn scripts and painting abilities on or off, change background room graphics, and add links to rooms.

They use most of these powers sparingly. Major changes to room appearance, scripts, and links usually requires TPI/EC approval. Cloning someone's prop without their permission - which is tantamount to stealing their identity - is considered very bad etiquette. A global message that isn't conveying some important announcement would be perceived as a very tacky or unnecessary exhibitionist display. Excessive runs of script will result in lag, which everyone hates. As such, wizards are a bit like Moses with his hands (or rather staff) tied behind his back. All decked out in superuser powers, but limited opportunities to apply them. It wouldn't be surprising if some wizards, especially the technically sophisticated ones, are a bit frustrated by this. A solution would be to create your own Palace site. But would anyone come to witness the marvels you created? *

Tin Star

In the early days of Palace, when the number of users and wizards at Mansion were relatively small, people who hung around long enough learned who the wizards were. Things were more intimate back then. Wizards were just one of the gang. As the population grew and the intimate atmosphere began to fade, it wasn't as easy for members to identity the wizards. As the group of wizards itself grew to over 50, some of the wizards themselves weren't even familiar with some of their cronies. Yet the need to identify a bonafide wizard was becoming more necessary within the community. With the growing population, users needed more help in dealing with snerts. Even worse, some deviants dared to call themselves “wizard” when in reality they just wished they were. The real wizards couldn't let impostors run around misrepresenting them. They couldn't let average users wander around not knowing how to find a real wizard.

Something had to be done to make the wizards more visible and identifiable. The Palace program was modified so that only wizards could place an asterisk before their names. The asterisk became their “badge.” If you had any doubts about whether someone was really a wizard, just ask him or her to put on the star.

However, wizards only rarely wear their badges. Why? There were a variety of reasons. In part, it was modesty. Some wizards may feel that the badge is a bit exhibitionist or ostentatious as a display of power and status. A basic philosophical tenet of the internet is that cyberspace is the great equalizer. “In cyberspace, we all have equal status.” That attitude may influence the wizards and lead them to avoid open displays of class distinctions. They would rather feel like one of gang. Hiding their badges also may be an attempt to protect themselves. With their tin stars flashing, they make a much more obvious target for a barrage of newbie questions, brown-nosing, and anti-authority acting out from the snerts. Wearing a badge means you have clearly identified yourself as “working” - and wizards sometimes just want to hang out and socialize. They implicitly assume that if someone needs help, they can use the paging system to ask for it. In the meanwhile, the wizards often prefer a little bit of anonymity so they can relax and play.

Despite their tendency to underplay their status by not wearing their asterisk, most wizards get annoyed with anyone who pretends to be a wizard. Playing with identity and self-presentation is the Palace way of life. Yet masquerading as a wizard will get you in trouble. Letting wiz impostors run around may lead to an abuse of status, damage to wizards' group reputation, and general confusion among the members. But that may not be the only reason why wizards come down hard on charlatans. Even though most wizards underplay their status, they do not like it violated.* It is an important part of their identity at the Palace. They were singled out and individually chosen for that role. They may feel they worked hard to earn it, or are special because they were selected. So any cavalier pretender may be treading on thin ice.

The asterisk creates three distinct alternatives for the wizard's online presence: (1) A wizard can sign onto Palace without “wizzing up” (entering the wizard password), thereby remaining an ordinary member without all those wizard powers. Advantage? You don't have to worry about wizard responsibilities. Disadvantage? Well, no nightstick or special scripting powers, but it would only take a few seconds to wiz up and get them. More important is the fact that you wouldn't be able to use the paging system, which would cut you off from the wizard collective consciousness. Wizards who haven't wizzed up are missing out on that connection to their colleagues and news about what's happening across the whole site. This may be an important reason why many wizards do not hang out as ordinary members; (2) A wizard can wiz up and don the asterisk, thereby making a clear public statement that “I'm a wizard-on-the-job.” TPI encouraged working wizards to wear the asterisk. (3) A wizard can wiz up and NOT wear an asterisk. In some cases, the wizard may be working “under cover” in order to locate misbehaving users who might otherwise behave if they knew a wizard was in the room. Or the badgeless wizard might be trying to blend the advantages of alternatives 1 and 2 - i.e., have those powers and access to the collective wizard consciousness, but NOT have to deal with the hassles of wearing the badge.

In the Know (the wizard mailing list)

All wizards are invited to join the wizard e-mail list. Much like an ongoing meeting, the list is the single most important “place” where wizards gather as a whole group to discuss Palace. In fact, it is the only psychological space that all wizards share at the same time. A message sent to the list is like standing up in a meeting hall and speaking to the whole gathering. Outside the list, there are, no doubt, a flurry of private e-mails in which dyads secretly talk about their reactions to the list discussions. Sometimes those reactions are brought to the list. Sometimes not. The degree of unity among the wizards as a group is largely reflected in and influenced by what happens on the list. Typical activity on the list includes (roughly, in descending order of frequency):

- discussions of technical issues concerning the Palace software
- discussions of Palace rules, problematic users, and how to handle them
- suggestions for improving the technical and social features of Palace
- ribbing each other, and general joking around
- announcements of upcoming events
- intellectual philosophizing about Palace
- electing new wizards
- personal disagreements and flaming

To belong to the wizard list is to be “in the know.” The wizards are some of the most knowledgeable and experienced users of Palace. No other group spends more time online and knows more about Palace technology, history, and culture than the wizards. Their collective wisdom resides in the mailing list. The posts to the list are the Cliff Notes of everything important happening in the Palace universe. The list is a central organizing “mind” or “consciousness” of the community. According to Finchy, who helped create the list, “It was a major breakthrough, as it really helped to solidify our community and to serve as a record of our trials and tribulations, which there have been a few.”

For these reasons, TPI/EC officials also subscribe to the list and use the wizard group as consultants. Many TPI/EC workers and officials ARE wizards (since they know the wizard password), although some of the volunteer (“working”) wizards spend more time at the Palace than some company officials. The wizards are very much in tune with the day-to-day events in the community. Company officials are the masters of Palace technology and business, while the working wizards are “in the trenches.” Discussions on the list often reflect this hands-on attitude towards coping with technical and social problems.

Occasionally there have been requests to limit the types of messages posted to the wizard list. No personal bantering. No one-liner jokes. No flames or spam. In the long run the list has remained mostly “free.” Bumgardner, who was instrumental in its creation, prefers that the wizards use the list in any way they deem fit. Jokes, flames, and spam are all part of the group process and all potentially solidify the group when openly expressed and discussed. Conflicts are inevitable, as they are in any group. It is far better to discuss them than it is to suppress their expression, which forces them underground and then to resurface in a much more insidious manner.

The problem facing the list is the increasing number of subscribing wizards. Lists with more members tends to result in more schisms, arguments, lurking, less intimacy and openness, and a pressure to institute more rules about acceptable and unacceptable posts.

To Make Palace a Better Place

“Wizards exist for one principle reason,” Bumgardner stated in the manual he wrote for them. “To help make the Palace a better place.” On the surface, that statement seems pretty straightforward. Upon closer examination, the issues get more complex. What is a “better” place? It implies Palace is in a state of transition, that things need improving. But what?

In part, “better” means “more pleasant.” To make Palace a more pleasant place often means curbing the unpleasant users. This is why wizards have been given their night sticks. Sweep, identify, eliminate... i.e., find then tame or boot people who violate other people's rights. But here again the issues get sticky for the working wizard. What ARE people's rights and when do they get violated? Some cases are clear. If you deliberately crash other users, spout language that would make sailors cringe, or spew forth props depicting fornicating bodies... you are begging for a wizardly intervention. In other cases, the line between “deviance” and “play” gets mighty fuzzy.

Palace was intended to be a bit of a naughty place (see The History of Palace). It was designed primarily as an adult environment. But HOW naughty and HOW adult? For example, how does one define an “indecent” avatar. Supreme court justices have a hard time splitting these hairs. Over time the wizards have debated and established more and more refined (and usually restrictive) guidelines about what props are acceptable, in what rooms they are acceptable, and when to propgag or kill. Other debates arose over “hate props” such as Nazi symbols. Should they be banned, or would that be a violation of freedom of speech? Even more slippery is the issue of foul language. When is language colorful and expressive? When is it offensive? Will users - especially the adults - be annoyed at wizards who threatened to wash their mouths with soap?

The answer to these questions is “It depends.” It depends on the perpetrator and the other people present in the room. It depends on the situation. It depends on whether children are present in the room, which isn't always clear because everyone is wearing little icons that may have very little to do with their actual demographics. Although the final word for setting rules about acceptable and unacceptable behavior comes from TPI/EC, the wizards are instrumental in testing, interpreting, modifying, and administering those rules. They sometimes may play the role of police “enforcer,” but they also act as legislators and lawyers.

To make Palace a “better” place means that wizards have to grapple with many complex social and political questions. It means they indeed have to be “wise.” It also means they have to be good role models. Ph's horse mentions in his guidelines for wizards:

As TPI Wizards, most of the world sees us as representing the company in almost everything we do while online. As such, we should endeavor to be as well tempered, balanced and most importantly, fair in our dealings with users. Not that we need to act like angels all the time, but certainly we can be careful as to our use of language and props.

Being a role model can be a bit stifling. Making Palace Better sometimes means wizards have to sacrifice a bit of their own playful self-expression and experimentation. It wouldn't be surprising if some wizards felt they could only be themselves when around other wizards. However, “letting their hair down” may be exactly what they need to do in some situations. Some members cherish those memorable moments when wizards let loose and have fun just like one of the gang. “It lets them relax and feel special to witness this and to be a part of it,” one user noted. “And it makes the wizards more human and not so out of reach.” Being a good wizard and Making Palace a Better Place may involve the ability to switch effectively between the “role model” and being “one of the gang.”

Making Palace “Better” has other meanings too. It means improving the software and social friendliness of the environment. Wizards are constantly on the lookout for ways to improve the software so people can more easily interact within and between sites, play with their props and scripts, and communicate. Wizards also try to improve the social environment by acting as “helpers” and “hosts.” They answer questions, chat, and try to make people feel at home.

Acting as mentor to newbies can be rewarding to a wizard. It bolsters the wizard's self-esteem as a knowledgeable and experienced oldtimer. That, in itself, can be very satisfying. Unfortunately, with large numbers of people coming to Palace, being a helper and host also can be very tiring. Sometimes wizards would like to hang out with their own friends rather than have to attend to newbies. After all, they're volunteers. In order to motivate wizards to accommodate the mass of newcomers who were showing up at Palace, TPI instituted an incentive plan. Whenever a wizard successfully encouraged a guest to register as a member, a monetary credit would be awarded. Previously, almost all wizards were pure volunteers, receiving only occasional (and cherished) perks like free Palace t-shirts and software. For the most part, wizards gladly accepted their role as volunteers. Just having those superuser powers, privileges and perks - and the implicit “special” recognition of being elected wizard - made them more than happy. Now, with the incentive plan, those wizards who accepted the challenge became a bit like commissioned recruiters or salespeople.

Another meaning becomes attached to the idea of “making Palace a better place.” It means increasing the size of the Palace population - maybe even encouraging Palace sites to expand across the internet. Better is bigger. Better is more sales. “Making Palace Better” means more explicitly supporting Palace as a business.

The history of the wizards is essentially the history of a balancing or juggling act. It's a self-correcting process of steering a middle course between the original Palace philosophy and the necessities of accommodating a growing community and the business behind it. “Let users be naughty” and “Let them feel like they are getting away with something” were two basic premises of Bumgardner's original vision for Palace. The wizards try to remain true to that vision while also attempting to adhere to some basic dictums for a “better” community - dictums like “Stop people from abusing each other!” and “Maintain standards of public decency!” and “Increase Registrations.” By no means is it an easy juggling act. Some wizards have expressed a concern that Mansion - in its attempts to appeal to a growing and more general population - may become a “plain vanilla” flavor or a good, solid “white bread” that will be agreeable to most everyone. If this is the case, the wizards may find themselves in the position of bakers.*

In their efforts to make Palace a better place, the wizards must grapple with a variety of roles as well as other users' PERCEPTIONS of their roles. On the wizard list, Nitehunter succintly summarized this dilemma in a “poem”:

Wizards are not:

RAF pilots strafing a a nazi convoy.
Guests at a cocktail party.
The upholders of bygone puritanism.
Creators of a new world order

They are Andy Frane Ushers who pleasantly:

Seat the patrons
Keep the noise down
Stop the children from throwing popcorn
and clean up the spilled Coke in the aisle.

Peg responded to Nitehunter's message by suggesting that the following qualities be added to list of what wizards ARE (or perhaps “should” be?):

amateur psychotherapists
good listeners
objective
non-judgemental
humorous as needed (or even when not)
attentive

About the Author

John Suler, Ph.D. is Professor of Psychology at Rider University. This article comes from his online hypertext book The Psychology of Cyberspace which describes his ongoing research on how individuals and groups behave in cyberspace. His work has been reported by national and international media, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, the BBC, and CNN. www.rider.edu/~suler/psycyber/