The Spirit of Things

by Sam Witt
December 20, 2000

This will be the last MetaStatic before Christmas, so I'm going to ask you all to bear with me - this may get syrupy.

I've been preaching about the importance of community, off and on, for the past few weeks. Personally, I believe there is more to our chosen hobby than 'just a game,' and I think that most of you who frequent this site feel the same. We aren't playing games, we're telling stories, making friends (and enemies), and exploring the might-have-beens of our own lives.

So I'm going to take this time to ask a favor of any who may be reading this, and especially those who are heavily involved in Marrach, or any other online world. It won't hurt, at least not much, and it's certainly in the spirit of the season. So, here's what I'm asking:

Remember that there are other people in here, with you.

That's it, nothing too hard. You don't have to like them, you don't have to agree with their opinions - just remember that they, like you, are people who enjoy being a part of this community, or communities very much like this one.

These people are real, and they invest a certain portion of themselves into this community. They do this because, in one way or another, it is important to them. And that should be important to you, because you are one of them.

I'm a fan of 'anything goes' gaming - if my character doesn't like your character, he won't always hide it. I think that dwarves and elves should snarl and spit at one another, and firmly believe that the Duellists and Watchmen of Castle Marrach should occasionally get all nasty toward one another.

But these are all characters, not people, and that's a key distinction.

So maybe what I'm asking isn't as simple as what I made it seem. Maybe what I'm really hoping is that our community will learn to treat its members, the real people behind the characters, with courtesy and respect.

Take care, folks, and happy holidays of all varieties.