More Complex Social Problems: Managing deviant online behavior, Part 4

by John Suler, Ph.D.

(Page 52 of 53)

The following types of users present problems that are a bit more difficult to deal with - difficult in the sense that it requires more psychological and social expertise to manage them. This doesn't mean that the psychological or social roots of their misbehavior are more complex. Rather, the problem they present tends to be more intertwined with tricky cultural and interpersonal issues.

Revolutionaries

On his web site for wizards, Dr. Xenu describes the "rabble rousers" and "political paranoids" who on occasion invade the Palace community. In some cases, they want to use Palace as their personal soapbox to rally support for their questionable political sentiments. Antisocial types spouting Nazi ideology is one example. In other cases, these alienated people specifically target Palace for their political attacks. For example, they may claim that Palace is a totalitarian state and that TPI/EC is recording all chat, including whispers (paranoids love to share their paranoia with others). It's sometimes hard to tell if they truly believe their political rhetoric, or simply are using it to act out their needs to gain attention and a sense of power by bombarding people with their ranting and raving. Dr. Xenu writes:

... there are many would-be gang leaders out there, usually members who are bitter about not being a wizard, or about any number of other social woes, and think that by attacking the Palace, and inciting others to do the same, they are somehow improving the world or more likely their place in it. Often, they mistake the Palace (and especially TPI/EC) as some sort of symbol for the entirety of industrialized society, and likewise mistake wizzes bumping them off the server for genuine jurisprudence... Since these people often see themselves as some sort of tiny folk hero (and often declare themselves above the law in great self-righteous rants), they are easily engaged if they think you want to hear their New World Plan.

Possible Interventions - There are a few slippery issues in dealing with revolutionaries. Some wizards worry about being too politically correct or violating the user's freedom of speech. In the case of more subtle revolutionaries - who may just be a bit outspoken in their unusual political beliefs - this may be a legitimate concern. The other difficulty is that attempts to reason with revolutionaries and tone them down may lead you into an entangled discussion of politics. These revolutionaries can be quite good at debate and will try to seduce you with their arguments, including arguments that they have the right to propagandize at the Palace; or, even if they admit to being outrageous, that there's nothing TPI/EC can do anyhow because they live in different state or country than where the server is located (a fallacious argument, according to Dr. Xenu).

It's wise not to get caught up in these debates. Many wizards first may try calm the person down. They may mention that there are other Palace sites where such political talk is acceptable. If that doesn't work (which is probably the case), they probably will follow similar procedures as when they step in to deal with foul talkers: gag the person, warn them, ungag them to see if they will behave, then kill if they persist. It's also a good idea to let other users know about the mute command so they have their own control over listening to the revolutionaries diatribes, or not.

Freedom Fighters and Other Tenacious Debaters

Freedom fighters dwell on the argument that they have the right to freedom of speech and expression at Palace. But there's a delicate balance between allowing freedom of expression and offending other users - and freedom fighters usually sit heavily on one side of the scale. Sometimes they have a specific political ideology to spout, like the revolutionary. More often they just want to flaunt their inappropriate avatars or mouth off with foul language without anyone restraining them because it's their "right" according to the First Amendment. The basic internet philosophy that users should be able to "do your own thing" may be fueling their psychology. Similar to attempting reason with the revolutionary, it's very easy to fall into a no-win debate with the freedom fighter. Some wizards have described occasions when they did try to carry on a discussion with these users - probably because they were bored and had nothing else to do. The result was far less than intellectually satisfying because all these freedom fighters wanted to do was fight. Their mental set about "discussion" is basically similar to other self-important philosophical wannabes who come to Palace just to argue. Psychologists would categorize them as "oppositional personalities" who express their anger and frustrated need for independence through verbal/intellectual stubbornness. Wizards have joked about the possibility of creating an "Argument Clinic" (a la Monty Python) where freedom fighters and other recalcitrant debaters could be sent to spout their ideology at a bot that would mechanically reply with statements like, "I think I disagree" and "What's your proof on that point?"

Possible Interventions - Part of the difficulty in dealing with revolutionaries, freedom fighters, and other tenacious soapbox debaters is determining just when their lectures and arguments have crossed the line. The original Palace philosophy was that users should "make what they will" of Palace, and TPI/EC does want as many people as possible to enjoy themselves by doing their own thing. The number and intensity of complaints by other users in the room is probably the best indicator of whether or not the person is a nuisance who needs to be tamed. If almost no one is complaining, it may be best to just walk away even if you personally feel affronted. Freedom fighters who insist on using foul talk and avatars have probably already crossed the line with their inappropriate displays. If they persist, the strategies for dealing with them are similar to those for dealing with offensive avatars and language.

If the freedom fighter relents in using offensive avatars and foul language, but then wants to debate the topic of free speech, it's a good idea to side-step that entanglement. Even if you appear to "win" the debate, the bickering that accompanies it often leaves a bad taste in the mouths of everyone in the room. Wizards seem to agree on several points that might be explained briefly to the freedom fighter (if necessary, while they are gagged or propgagged) in order to short-circuit their need to argue. Palace is not a democracy. It's a membership organization that is not tied to First Amendment rules. It has its own rules about acceptable and unacceptable behavior, just like a country club or the local Moose. Freedom fighters should be invited to visit the "rules room" to read about the policies of the site.

They may retort with "But I PAID for this program, so I can say and do whatever I please!" In that case, it might be explained to them that they paid for the CLIENT program, not the server. They can use their client to connect to any Palace site they wish, and some sites will allow them greater leeway in using whatever language or avatars they wish. But THIS site has its own rules, which users are requested to follow. If they still want to debate, wizards may simply and politely state that they have explained the rules, that they have no control over those rules, and cannot discuss it any further.

Bible Thumpers

TPI/EC policy does not support blatant evangelism at their Palace sites. It's perfectly acceptable for people to express their religious beliefs and to engage in religious discussions, but active attempts to proselytize and convert other users is not permitted. Of course, there's a fine line between "discussion" and "proselytizing" - and many differences among members in how much evangelistic talk they are willing to hear. Usually, the types of Bible Thumping that TPI/EC discourages are rather clear cut cases. Entering a room with a "Praise the Lord, All!" may be acceptable, but standing at the entrance to Palace and shouting at new arrivals "Accept the Lord, Sinners! Or burn in hell!" obviously is not. Thumpers who make such proclamations probably aren't very interested in discussion anyhow. They would rather launch sermons and apocalyptic warnings at people, which is tantamount to harassment. A more subtle example would be a loquacious Thumper's refusal to back off when someone says, "Well, that's fine but I don't really want to talk about this anymore." Persisting despite that request to stop is harassment.

It's not always easy to detect a problematic Thumper right off the bat. One wizard described chatting with a Nobel Laureate at a special Palace event when an apparent Thumper (and "event crasher") started to ask challenging religious questions. The wizard considered whispering to the religious-minded user to ask him to back off. However, the Laureate was willing to answer the questions which lead to an interesting discussion.

Possible Interventions - It's a good idea to be respectful of the Thumper's beliefs, but not to get entangled in religious debates. If they try to engage wizards in an argument about religious freedom or freedom of speech (similar to the freedom fighter), wizards may simply state the policy of the server and that they have no control over that policy. The wizard may even express that they understand how the Thumper feels, but rules are rules. "Then use any excuse you have to," one wizard suggests, "and remove yourself from the situation." For Thumpers who are a bit too enthusiastic in their pursuit of religious discussion with users who don't share their enthusiasm, wizards typically will remind them that discussion is fine, but not everyone shares their religious beliefs, and that some people may even feel affronted. They may encourage the Thumper to move to another room (or another Palace site) where there may be members who are more interested in their ideas. If Thumpers refuse to stop accosting other members, wizards may follow the procedures for gagging. The other users in the room also should be reminded about the "mute" command. Experienced wizards recommend that Thumpers never be killed.

Identity Theft, Impostoring and Switching

One's personal identity is attached to one's avatars. If someone steals your avatar and wears it, they are stealing your identity, or at the very least diluting its uniqueness. If they steal your avatar and dump copies of it all over the site, they are deliberately demeaning the integrity of your identity and inviting others to steal it. Such identity "theft" may be an unintentional faux pas or a deliberate act of hostility.

Stealing someone's avatar, wearing it, and also using that person's name (or a variation of it) is the highest form of identity theft. You are abducting their entire identity. As a momentary joke to mimic your friends, this behavior is tolerated as fun. But some people - the impostors - are more insidious. Often as an act of revenge, they snatch the identity of the person that offended them and behave inappropriately in an attempt to damage the person's reputation. Impersonating a wizard is one of the more common types of impostoring - and also one of the more serious, because damaging the reputation of wizards damages their ability to work as well as the reputation of the community's authority structure. If the impostor isn't seeking revenge, then he is most likely using the wizard identity in an attempt to impress or threaten other people, to persuade them into cybersex, or to make requests of users that a real wizard never would (like revealing your registration key). Some brave wizard impostors have even attempted to acquire the wizard password from other wizards. For this reason, wizards never give the password out while at the Palace.

One especially problematic variety of impostoring occurs when a user assumes the identity of a well-know member at one Palace site (usually a wizard) and then goes to another site to act like a jerk. There have been several cases of fake wizards and TPI officials showing up at smaller sites to threaten and insult people. Some impostors have even given out the stolen avatars and encouraged others to join in with the impersonation, insisting that it's just a Palace joke. With hundreds of Palace sites all over the internet, it's very difficult to track and control this potential damage to one's reputation. Here's where communication across Palace sites - especially among wizards - is important in controlling deviant behavior. Messages to the Palace User Group (PUG) mailing list is one method for this cross-site communication.

Misbehaving users also may employ identity switching to avoid detection and reprimands. Notorious snerts often rotate through a series of alias identities (names and avatars), which makes it more difficult for wizards to keep track of them. They may act perfectly nice under one identity and be a demon under another. Some wizards keep a list of known aliases of these trouble-makers. The combination of this ability to switch identities and the fact that you never know for sure who is sitting at the keyboard sometimes makes it almost impossible to know who the snert is. When finally cornered, a misbehaving user who has switched through several identities to avoid detection may insist that "It wasn't ME who did that! It was my brother/sister/friend who was using my computer!" Teenagers have even pretended to be their parents who come online or send e-mail to TPI/EC officials in order to plea the case for their misbehaving son who was banned from the site. At times like this, one must rely on the experience and wisdom of the wizards and TPI/EC staff in determining whether the person is lying or not. Often it's impossible to tell.

When dealing with identity switchers, it's also a good idea to consider the possibility that they are suffering from a genuine identity disturbance.

Because identity switching is part of the Palace culture, there have been important borderline cases that stirred up considerable controversy about whether or not a "crime" really had occurred. In one fascinating incident, a member who asked to be a wizard but was not considered "wizard material" switched personae in order to develop a character who WOULD be considered good wizard material. The strategy worked, resulting in heated arguments between wizards who knew about the different personae and those who didn't. Was this deliberate deception on the part of the new wizard, or just a variation on the Palace way of life?

Detecting Impostors

There are a variety of ways to detect an impostor. Look for behavior that is uncharacteristic of the genuine person. Ask the suspected impostor to show an avatar or produce knowledge that you know the genuine person possesses. "Finger" the person to call up the information from their finger file, which might reveal clues about whether they are impostoring, particularly if you are familiar with what the genuine person's finger file looks like. Wizards also have the ability to list a user's registration number and IP address, which is more than enough information to positively identify someone. Wizards also can track these registration numbers and addresses, so they know when misbehaving users are coming and going despite their switching usernames and avatars. In his manual for wizards, Bumgardner also recommends that wizards keep a personal log of their pins, gags, and kills - which is useful information for staying on top of repeat offenders.

To prevent impersonating a wizard, the Palace program was modified so only wizards could wear an asterisk (*) in front of their name. Identifying a wizard is therefore easy. If you suspect someone is impersonating a wizard, ask them to show their "badge." TPI has encouraged working wizards to wear their asterisk at all times - and if they are not wearing it when a user asks to see it, they should comply. Some clever wizard impostors create tiny asterisk props that they place in front of their names. However, as Dr. Xenu notes on his wizard web site, the effort is not clever enough. While the forgery may look fine on their own computer, other users my be viewing their screen with different fonts, so the fake asterisk will look peculiar. Also, if you turn off the usernames in your client program, you will see the tiny asterisk prop hanging there all by itself. Easiest of all, the faked asterisk prop will never show up as an asterisk in the site's list of usernames or in the running log that records what each user is typing.

Intervening with Impostors

If a member is using someone's name, but not the avatar, it might simply be a coincidence. It's a good idea to tell them that another member uses that name and this probably will result in other members confusing their identities. If they are using the name of a well-known Palatian, tell them that lots of users will be confusing them with the old-timer, resulting in many whispers and ESPS from strangers - which could turn into a very uncomfortable situation where they are constantly being interrupted and constantly having to explain themselves. After hearing this advice, most unintentional "impostors" will pick another name. If they decide to keep the name anyhow, recommend that they speak to the other user about it in order to help minimize confusions - or inform the other user yourself that he/she has a "twin." If the person insists on using the name, and is behaving less than ideally, there's not much that even a wizard can do to protect the original user's reputation. As long as the "impostor" isn't breaking any other rules that requires an intervention, the wizard can only inform the original user that there is someone else using his/her name, and that, unfortunately, the other user isn't the nicest person around.

Using someone else's name and avatar - in addition to acting badly - is a sure sign of intentional, malicious impostoring. It's a judgment call as to how to intervene. At the very least, the original user should be informed. Wizards may decide to gag, pin, or kill the impostor, but probably will only do so when the impostoring is clearly violating other Palace rules.

When people accidentally use a wizard's name, similar strategies apply. The first step might involve asking the wizard if it's OK that someone else is using the same designation. For those users who persist in using a wizard's name, despite being asked to change it, TPI/EC officials recommend to wizards a series of steps. In order to determine the motives of the person, explain that the company's policy does not allow anyone to use a wizard's name without their permission because it is potentially confusing to other members. If they refuse to change the name, do nothing other than inform them that they will be disconnected if they are "caught" doing it again (thus giving them the opportunity to think about the consequences of their actions). If wizards later find them still using the name, they will give one more warning, then kill for a short period if they do not comply. Longer kills will follow if the (rather stubborn) person still insists on using the name.

In those hardcore cases of users obviously and deliberately impersonating wizards in order to damage their reputations, TPI/EC has contacted the administrators of the impostor's ISP - and in some cases, the user's parents.

A completely different strategy is the preventative one. Why not require users and/or wizards to register their names and/or props so no one else can use them? The technical, logistic, and legal difficulties in registering the images used to create avatars are formidable. For example, the images often do not belong to the user in the first place. They were copied from elsewhere, usually CD-ROMs or web sites (there have been many copyright debates about this very issue). Registering names is much more do-able, but would take some of the fun out of the Palace custom of playing with identities. A list of registered names also would apply only to a specific Palace server, unless there was some kind of "master" list for all Palace sites - which is an almost impossible task. As a result, it would be relatively easy for an impostor to use a person's registered name at Site A and then go to Sites B, C, D, etc. in order to wreck that person's identity.

Genuine Identity Disturbances

One day in Harry's Bar I was greeted by someone I didn't recognize. Something about how he spoke made me uneasy. He acted as if he knew me, but his abstract avatar and name were unfamiliar. After a few minutes, he changed his prop to another rather strange design. For some reason, this made me more uncomfortable. "Do you know this guy?" I whispered to another member. "It's Octagon," she said. "He's been changing his name and props a lot." About a week later, I heard that Octagon was hospitalized. He had been suicidal.

This incident taught me something important about personae at the Palace. Unfortunate people suffering from disturbances in their identity may act out their turmoil in the personae they wear. For example, a virtual world where you can switch among alternate appearances might attract people suffering from "dissociation" - the splits in consciousness and identity as a result of trauma, as seen most vividly in the multiple personality disorder. It would not be unusual for these people to act very appropriately in one identity, and very inappropriately in another. On occasion, wizards come across perplexing situations where a user's personality suddenly changes, or their memory becomes disconnected. For example, a user may appear to be a misbehaving child who, when reprimanded, switches to an adult who is upset about his "daughter" being punished. Or a wizard pins a misbehaving user named "Marmalade," who then disconnects from the site only to reconnect moments later with a different name and avatar. Having access to the user's IP address, the wizard knows that it must be the same person. "Who pinned me?" the user asks. "Are you Marmalade?" the wizard replies.... "No."

Now it's very possible that these examples are simply the head games played by mischievous users. But it's also possible that in a small percentage of cases such users are suffering from a genuine identity disturbance. If that's the case, their switches in identity are not intentional, conscious attempts at fooling or manipulating others.

Depressives

Another type of user who may not intentionally be causing difficulties, but nevertheless is difficult to deal with, is what Bumgardner calls the "depressive." Although, technically, these people may not all be suffering from a clinical depression (e.g., some might fall into the category of "borderline personality disorder"), the term is mostly accurate as a catch-all category. They are unhappy people who attempt to use Palace as a form of therapy or escape. Usually they are members rather than guests. Their behavior and moods may be erratic. They may require or demand a great deal of attention, particularly in getting people to talk to them about their life problems. They may be suicidal.

Here's a fictionalized example described by one wizard. UserJoe is quiet, even though others talk to him. Then he complains that he is being ignored and that no one likes him. Others try to offer consolation and support, but he says he hates Palace and isn't coming back. The next day he returns with many tales of woe about his life. He literally hangs onto other users' avatars, trying to find solace and a willing listener. He says he is drunk. He drops hints that he is thinking about suicide. People feel uncomfortable around him and page the wizards.

Other depressives are more blatant about their suicidal thinking. They talk openly and at length about how miserable their life is, and how they want to end it. On a few occasions, these people have tried to convince others to join them. Shortly after the news of the Heaven's Gate cult, a small group of teens at the Member's Palace site formed what seemed to be a suicide cult. They attempted to persuade other young users to join them in their quest to "move on to a better place." It's very possible that they were simply joking or playing with their concept of a new fad. However, as all clinicians know, when people seem to be "just talking" or "joking" about suicide, they should not be treated lightly. It's very possible that they are quite depressed beneath their humor and intellectualizations. Suicidal talk may be a strategy for "just" getting some attention, but it's often a serious cry for help as well.

Possible Interventions - Wizards have agonized over what to do for troubled users. Attempts to encourage, support, and offer some friendly advice are admirable, and in some cases helpful. However, the depressive's needs may be deeper than any sympathetic Palatian can handle. It's very easy to get in over your head. The depressive may become highly dependent on you, needing much more than you can give. When you suspect this possibility - especially when the person talks or even hints about suicide - recommend seeking professional help. Make this recommendation several times. Suggest that the person look in the blue pages of the phone book for a crisis hotline, or speak to her physician about finding a mental health professional. If it's a young person, also encourage him to speak to his parents, a guidance counselor at school, or some other trusted adult. Another possibility is to give the person the url of an internet crisis center or an 800 phone number. While it's important to try to get the depressive some help, it's also important for the fellow Palatian to remember that there is only so much one can do. Try not to feel guilty or helpless when the situation doesn't seem resolved.

Rarely should wizards disconnect (kill) a depressive. It will only magnify their feelings of rejection and despair.

When users are promoting suicide, the situation is different. Even if it is only an adolescent "goof" or "fad," encouraging suicide among other users is not tolerated at TPI/EC sites. Suicide can indeed become epidemic, especially among depressed adolescents. Such promoters should be dealt with empathically but firmly. If they do not quickly respond to the strategies above and relent in their proselytizing, wizards will gag or disconnect them. For obvious reasons, wizards avoid using the word "kill."

It's interesting to note that in the discussions about these issues on the wizard mailing list, many debates arose about the ethics of suicide and euthanasia. Cultural, personal, and situational factors all determine whether someone believes it is "right" or "wrong." In the meanwhile, almost all the wizards agree that suicidal members need help, and that promoting suicide must be discouraged.

Pedophiles

On occasion, some foul talkers and breathers have directed their attentions towards younger Palace members, usually females. Users with names like "BigDaddy" may ask - either through whispers or publicly - if there are any "young girls" around. Once they locate someone they believe fits that category, they proceed to whisper seductive or blatantly lewd language to that person. Public displays are not the typical MO of pedophiles, who usually act in secrecy and disguise. So foul talkers and breathers who are speaking openly may not be genuine pedophiles. They may even be minors themselves. There have been no clearly documented cases of pedophiles at Palace, but that should not stop wizards and other officials from keeping an eye open for such activity. Even hints of pedophilic talk and interests should be dealt with quickly and firmly, using steps similar to dealing with breathers. Minors should be encouraged to report suspected people, although the issue of verifying pedophilic activity can be complex, similar to verifying abuse in alleged breathers.

Scam Artists

On his web site about wizards, Dr. Xenu describes some of the scams that have occurred at Palace. One example is the "AOL Scam," so called because that's where it first gained notoriety. The scam artist - perhaps impersonating a wizard or some other TPI/EC representative - asks new or naive members for information that he needs for some important "official" reason. He may request the member's registration number, Visa number, real name, phone number, etc. The information most likely will be used to rip the person off or invade their privacy. Another version of this scam involves approaching members who have been around for a while and telling them that they have been chosen to become a wizard. Of course, the member must first provide "necessary" information, like their registration number, real name, etc. Yet another approach involved setting up a billboard announcing "Enter to win a Toyota Landcruiser. Write to [e-mail] and enclose your registration number." It should come as no surprise that the e-mail address is not TPI's.

In other scams, the confidence artist may befriend users, only later to make some unusual requests. In what Dr. Xenu calls the notorious "Picture Scam," one member - who presented as a bisexual woman - asked her new friends for nude photos of themselves. In reality, the scam artist was posting the pictures on a pay-per-view web site.

Because they work in secrecy, and thrive on being clever, scam artists are difficult to detect ahead of time. The best strategy is probably preventative. Users need to be informed of basic scam techniques, similar to how AOL warns users that AOL officials will never ask anyone for their password. Once caught, hardcore scam artists will probably be banned.

Gangs

Gangs have been an especially difficult problem at the sites. Usually consisting of adolescents, some of these groups have come and gone. A few notable exceptions, like the "Legion," were more resistant to extinction. The gangs' deviant activities fall into many of the categories discussed elsewhere in this article. As bullies who do their best to intimidate other users, they resort to all varieties of foul language and offensive avatars. They may run scams or attempt to abuse the software through flooding, password hacking, and crashing. Often they become territorial and drive other users out of the room that they believe is their turf (not surprisingly, one gang claimed the "Pit" - a room that looked like Hades - as their home base). They adopted an unusual keyboard character as insignia to place next to their name, thus indicating their gang colors. Any other Palace member who tried to use the insignia was berated and ridiculed. Wizards suspected that some of these gangs spent a great deal of time on as well as off Palace planning their escapades - as if creating havoc became a game where points were awarded to teams for chasing away and crashing innocent bystanders, or for the number of times a team member was pinned, gagged, and killed.

Of course, being adolescent, gangs thrived on any and all attempts to fight the authorities. Their favorite pastimes included bashing and impersonating wizards in an attempt to humiliate them or destroy their reputations. As willing self-destroyers, gang members tried to outdo each other by pushing the rules to the limits and antagonizing wizards in order to force gags, pins, and kills onto themselves. Some would play more subtle headgames. They'd be very polite and respectful when a wizard was around, then turn into abusive, bashing snerts when the wizards left (the "Eddie Haskel" syndrome). Or they'd turn wizards against each other by befriending one and badmouthing another ("splitting"). Turning other bored, lonely adolescents against the authorities also was part of the fun. Gangs fashioned themselves as revolutionaries and freedom fighters who were resisting the evil efforts of wizards and TPI to repress people ("They are denying our freedom of speech," "The wizards killed me for doing NOTHING!"). Some gang members even went public with their outcries by posting messages to the Palace User Group mailing list and the Community Standards newsgroup. In their messages they justified their actions, tried to rally support for themselves, and attacked both the wizards and TPI.

Like anyone else in the ever-expanding Palace community, gang members are trying to find a place for themselves, a feeling of belonging, a sense of purpose and status. Unfortunately, they try to achieve those goals by being hostile towards others and the establishment. Attacking outsiders and authority figures is one way an insecure, alienated group tenuously holds onto it's own solidarity and identity. The Legion's need to feel unique was evident in their clever and highly possessive use of a username insignia that even experienced wizard PC'ers had a hard time duplicating on their keyboard. They gain a sense of power from the group membership and from the concept of themselves as being clever hackers. Taking risks, displays of bravado, and pushing the limits are all badges of distinction among these teen males.

On more rare occasions, the "gangs" are adults. When TPI officials tracked down the origin of one group of misbehaving users, they turned out to be several men in the technical department of a rather large company. When TPI phoned the operations manager, he apologetically explained how the company recently provided employees with internet access. Some of them, apparently, took that as an opportunity to act like adolescents.

Ph's Horse, a TPI/EC official and leader of the wizards, once raised an important question on the wizard mailing list. Does the gang mentality actually exist in Palace or is it a convenient excuse to get rid of kids that wizards don't like? While some gangs clearly may be deviant, there also may be borderline cases. An unpleasant behavior in one person is simply unpleasant. An unpleasant behavior in a group of people seems more threatening. It's possible that wizards might get annoyed with an adolescent group that is misbehaving, but not really posing any serious problem. When the wizards attempt to curb them, they respond in the typical adolescent manner - disrespectful, resistant. More reprimands result in more discourteous reactions. Eventually, with their patience tested, wizards may unintentionally bait the gang into misbehaving more blatantly, resulting in a pin, gag, or kill. Outraged by the perceived heavy-handedness of the authorities, the gang now pumps up their snertish behavior. The situation escalates, a vicious cycle is born.

Differences in how people perceive a "gang" were evident in the many discussions about the Legion on the wizard mailing list. Some felt they were potentially dangerous hackers who might do real damage to the Palace technology. Others argued that they were simply bored, mischievous kids whose wishes about being a hacker far outweighed their ability. The "gangs" were simply a nuisance. These differences in perception are important to keep in mind when deciding on a intervention.

On his wizard web site. Dr. Xenu briefly takes a look at the bright side of snert gangs. Although their attempted hacking is annoying, they do sometimes reveal software security loopholes that need a fix. Although they are arrogant and hostile, they do bring a bit of dynamism to Palace life.

Banning the Gang

One extreme but tempting way to handle a gang is to ban them, all of them. Anybody who professes allegiance to the gang, who wears their insignia, gets killed on sight. The urge to do this surely is a sign of extreme frustration on the part of wizards and TPI/EC officials who must deal with their antics. Although this sweet revenge has been discussed by wizards, it's never been implemented. It's more complicated than it seems and could easily backfire. Because members can alter their identities, determining exactly who is in the gang, or who are the most deserving of being banned, is not easy. Banning an entire group of people also draws the authorities onto thin ice. Will it look like a punitive overreaction or sweeping prejudice? Will it antagonize the gang, martyr it in the eyes of their sympathizers, thereby strengthening them, unifying them, and making them more determined to seek revenge? Kill or ban individual people for their specific misdeeds, several wizards have suggested. Don't punish people for their affiliations.

Getting to Know You (befriending the gang)

A few wizards have tried a diametrically different approach to dealing with gangs. They hang out with them, try to understand and befriend them. After such visits, a few wizards have reported that the snerts are actually OK kids. They had fun and enjoyed talking with them. The gang described how they felt stigmatized. Just their showing up at the Palace made other users edgy and irritable. To them, it didn't seem fair that they should be treated that way just because they belonged to a "gang." In private conversations (whispers), some of the gang members opened up to the wizard even more. They described how they were bored, having problems in school, or uncomfortable with some of the antics that their ringleader put them up to. These kids felt sorry about the gang's mischief and didn't want to be banned along with the "really bad" ones. The wizards suggested to their colleagues that perhaps these kids were just alienated and misunderstood, that if wizards and other users got to know and accept them, maybe they would calm down. At the very least, perhaps some of the more "normal" gang members could be persuaded to either leave the gang or refuse to participate in its antics, thereby diluting the gang's strength.

Rehabilitating the Gang?

If you can befriend gang members, maybe you can go even further. Maybe you can rehabilitate them. Following the Kung Fu principle of "redirecting" the attacker, some wizards have suggested that the gang's energy might be channeled into more productive avenues. Offer the gang members something valuable to do for the Palace community. Ask them to work on a project, but make sure that the project is indeed important and not just an idle activity, otherwise they will see through the tactic. WELCOME the gang - tell them you're interested in their ideas, their energy, their creativity, their sense of humor. Paradoxical strategies sometimes work well with rebellious adolescents. In a sense, this method for dealing with the renegade group involves making them part of the establishment. Rehabilitating the snert is an interesting and challenging strategy which I'll discuss again later in this article.

Critics have challenged the rehabilitation strategy, or any attempt to befriend and reason with the hardcore snerts. At best, the therapeutic effect may last for a few hours or days, but then the snerts are back at their trouble-making again. Some say that the snert gang members simply treat the whole rehabilitation scenario as yet another game. Behind their facade of cooperation, they are planning the next round of mischief. They'll try to use the "nice" wizard as a pawn in the game, or as a wedge to create conflict among the authorities. Even if you succeed in reasoning with an individual kid, he will eventually just return to the gang, which has a lot more to offer him. Some kids take the authority figure's gesture of politeness or concern as a sign of weakness. They respect and respond better to a "Knock it off or I'll kick your ass off this server!" than a "Please don't do that" - if they respond at all. Anyone who thinks they can rehabilitate such snerts, some wizards claim, is in for a severe disappointment. "We don't need to dwell on being social workers," they say.

Divide, Conquer, and Cutting off the Gang's Head

If individual gang members CAN be rehabilitated by showing an interest in them, welcoming their contribution to Palace, and making them feel that they are a "somebody"- it will weaken their dependence on the gang as well as the overall strength of the gang itself. Whittle away at the gang membership by drawing kids out. Turn the individual kid against the gang. Convince him that the gang - and especially its leaders - are simply using him as a pawn. Warn him that he might wind up banned along with all the rest. Some wizards have suggested that killing individual members might enhance this divide-and-conquer strategy because disconnecting gang members temporarily separates them, thereby disrupting the group. It was even suggested that a special software feature be added that would enable wizards to make gang members invisible to each other.

The single most powerful intervention would be the one focused on the leaders. Every acting-out group has a focal point. Usually it's one or two people who entertain and inspire the others with their antics. The attention they get fuels their act. They in turn encourage the subordinates to join in. Although it's VERY difficult to befriend, reason with, and rehabilitate these leaders, if you succeed, you will swing the whole group dynamics towards rehabilitation. If that fails, there's always the last resort of cutting off the group's head. Kill or ban the leader/s. Some groups - especially weak ones - quickly collapse without their general. The potential problem, however, is that the banned leader becomes a martyr, which may rally the group's strength and determination. Or the leader's absence simply triggers a struggle among the underlings to see who can capture the vacant throne.

Tough Love for the Gang (kill, three strikes, ban)

When it comes to very entrenched snert behavior among gangs, many wizards like to take a firm stance. It may take the form of Tough Love - i.e., "We care about you, but keep misbehaving and you're outta here." It's a strict, no nonsense approach. After the initial warning, snerts are quickly punished without prejudice or anger on the part of the wizards. As one TPI official stated:

These kids get out of line, kill 'em. They mouth back, kill 'em. They argue with you about changing a prop, kill 'em. They play dumb over something you *know* happened, kill 'em. They utter obscenities, kill 'em. They don't learn after their first offense, kill 'em longer. No warning, no apologies. According to the "three strikes" rule, hardcore snerts are told flat out that they will be banned if they misbehave again after returning from their second kill. End of discussion. TPI statistics show that only a small fraction of 1% of all users are killed more than once, so such recidivist snerts are a rather rare (i.e., deviant) phenomenon. When applying kills and bans, it's important to be dispassionate and consistent. This will help minimize the gang members' tendency to turn the wizards' "unfair" and "hostile" actions into fuel for their battle cry. It will also help curb their attempts to use inconsistencies in the wizards' interventions as a tool for playing them off against each other.

One difficulty in carrying out a consistent Tough Love policy is keeping tabs on the gang members. The software "tracking" feature is a useful early warning system that notifies wizards when snerts have returned to the site. When wizards kill, the server records this activity in a log along with any comments entered by the wizard. Some wizards also keep a personal list of known snerts. It has been suggested that a wizard-wide "shit list" be created that records who the snerts are, who has been warned and banned, and how many times a particular snert was killed. Such information would make it easier for wizards to work together consistently and for implementing the three strikes rule. For really awful snerts who like to wander through PalaceSpace, there's also the touchy issue of sharing snert information - including "blackball lists" - with other Palace sites.

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/