@tehom said in @Arx: Anonymous Messengers (Answered):
Like a dogpile isn't all that obvious unless you're on the receiving end of it.
A dogpile is super easy to spot if you're not the one piling on. If you are one of the people piling on, taking a step back and paying attention to those around you will also cue you in. I cannot really imagine that 40 people individually decided that Dawn needed reamed. I have no idea how I would break it down, but in my experience it happens in groups that agree with one another and do it to support their colleagues, because they agree or at least have only part of the story.
By the time you have the whole story, congratulations! You're part of the problem!
How many people are willing, at that point, to stop? Let alone to apologize, knowing that even if they are sincere they are inviting retribution. (Especially if that retribution might come from staff.)
Nope, it's far more human at that point to double down and stick to your beliefs, out of fear or out of stubbornness. If you can convince people that you're not wrong, then if you get punished the punisher is acting unethical.
(edit: I've found it likely at this point that both sides believe the other is being unethical, furthering deadlock. yay.)
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At this point in my staffing career, I would have no problem mailing one-fifth of my game's active population and telling them it's not cool and to cut it the fuck out. I also would remove the code, knowing that even if they did, someone else wouldn't.
This is too bad, because PvP between trusting people is pretty goddamn fun.
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For the pedantic: I don't know the tools that people can use instead, or whatever, but I do know that if there's a way that something can be done, then there's a thousand ways to end up with the same result. This part isn't up to me, but I can already see the shape of how it might work.
Because making systems is fun.
And I'm insane.