[KeliNorth]

That echoes what I've discovered in my decades of gaming as well. Across mmos, MP fps', anything with MP, you start seeing patterns. A friend and I are even thinking about writing a book based on our experiences with people online, specifically the larger MMO communitys.

This kid's joking manner isn't even close to a percent of what vile stuff goes on every day, and his was even written in a satirical manner. He just happened to do it in the wrong environment. It's becoming that the wrong environment to say anything in is anywhere online, especially in text form.

I've seen simple misunderstanding's due to the lack of tone and context in text lead people to virtually "murder" each other in a violent rage. Some have even been eerily reminiscent of some real-life news stories, with the only actual difference being a virtual rather than real person. It may sound ridiculous to compare the two since people generally behave differently when behind a slight wall of anonymity, but it was an almost identical circumstance and conversation leading to an explosive impulse leading to one person's death.

The only difference was that in the game, the person respawned. Text is a terrible form of basing any kind of judgement of another person on. It's wrought with problems. This is part of why when we've had to make judicial decisions about people's problems onine (as Guild Leaders) we've always communicated by voice. Text has always caused issues. The legal system taking action over it is a perfectly USA response, it fits with everything I know of my fellow Americans when they (I should say we) misunderstand something.