Authority
-An Essay by Gunther
“THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.”
—Scrumtusbrisket
-An Essay by Gunther
“THE INTERNET IS SERIOUS BUSINESS.”
—Scrumtusbrisket
Authority is directly derived from the masses. No leader in any social undertaking has any power over another human being without his consent. Without the consent of the people being governed, the governing body has no power and is merely a paper tiger.
Often authority is confused with power. Power does refer to the ability to achieve certain ends; while authority refers to the legitimate justification and right to exercise that power. Anyone can exercise power over another, but if they do not have the authority to do so, with the consent of the one being overpowered, then their actions can be interpreted as criminal or a violation of someone’s rights.
A body of individuals that desire a common set of rules and regulations in order to live their lives comfortably with respect establishes a government in order to insure their basic human rights are protected. When this body establishes this government and chooses leaders and administrators to carry out the task of enacting, executing and testing these rules and regulations, they are hereby subjecting themselves to the authority of this government. Therefore the government, created by the masses now possesses the legitimate authority to wield power as it sees fit in order to maintain order in society.
In the military, a recruit signs a contract with the government that he will offer himself for training and military service for specific period of time. Initially the recruit is bound by a contractual obligation to remain faithful. If he fails to abide by his contract, there are criminal repercussions.
After a soldier has been in the service of his nation for some time, generally the fear of repercussions turns to acceptance and a sense of belonging. That sense of belonging translates into patriotism and loyalty. Patriotism and loyalty are learned through respect. Soldiers learn as recruits how to respect other people and property. Failure to respect someone or something carries punishments. In time the soldier learns that receiving respect is beneficial and therefore giving respect is just as important.
This same situation exists in the workplace. A person applies for employment with the intent of providing a service for a monetary compensation. Authority figures in the workplace have power extended by the owners of a company to do what they see is necessary for the good of the company. Based on that authority, they have the power to affect the lives of the employees. The employees may choose not to comply with a company policy but if the authority figures in the company enforce the policy, they may be subject to some form of punishment to include termination of employment.
I have been playing online games since EverQuest in 2000. In the past ten years or more, I have been involved with many bodies of people who collected for a solitary goal where everyone in the group had an expectation of receiving some reward through mutual cooperation. These social communities known as guilds, clans, outfits or alliances operate in very similar ways to early peoples learning social skills and coming together to create governments.
The first line of this essay states, “Authority is directly derived from the masses.” In online games, this is truer than ever. A few people believe that once they have been handed a fancy title like Supreme Overlord of all He Purveys, there is inherent authority and has the right to command the members anyway he sees fit. Those people learn rather quickly that they have no power whatsoever and learn that their leadership abilities command a grand body of one individual.
When I give you permission to command me in a game, it is done so with the expectation that you know what you are doing. Hopefully someone who has experience with the game and possesses the necessary social skills to interact with others with respect is appointed to positions of authority in a guild, clan, outfit or alliance. Occasionally less than exemplary individuals are placed in these positions and fail miserably.
Respect is the underlying theme in authority. Respect is a two way street. It should be learned at home. If a person arrives at the age of maturity lacking in social skills especially an understanding of respect, they will have a very difficult time adjusting as adults. The one trait of forum participants I have often taken up to enforce is respect.
If you respect your fellow guildmates, clanmates, outfit members and alliance mates, then you will receive respect in return. The act of “flaming” another person in a forum is an example of disrespect. The person who engages in the act of “flaming” inadvertently loses respect among the body of persons who read the forums. One “ah shit” wipes out a thousand “at-a-boys”.
When scrumptusbrisket told me the internet is serious business, he was joking around. I understand what he was trying to communicate to me. To an extent, I agree with him. He was suggesting that some people take the activities on the internet as too serious and need to relax. What some fail to realize is that the internet regardless of the apparent sheen of anonymity is still a forum of inter personal relationships. The rules of Real Life still apply.
I have been accused of being too serious in a gaming environment. The one issue that I am dead serious about is respect. I remain apathetic about most people’s behavior; they can do what they wish as long as they respect the ideas of other people. Without respect, the governing body of the online gaming community loses authority.
Recently I read a thread on a gaming forum that I found somewhat disturbing. One member of the community who had been named Supreme Overlord of all He Purveys attempted to establish a policy he expected his entire group of subordinates to obey. At least one person disagreed with him and voiced his opinion. The Supreme Overlord of all He Purveys failed to state why the policy was in effect because he felt it was not necessary. Also, the Supreme Overlord of all He Purveys became disrespectful to the dissenter citing examples of his lack of manhood and inefficient ability to perform certain tasks.
What is right and proper for one person may not be right and proper for another. Regardless of how you believe in doing something, it is imperative that you respect your peers. Without that respect, you deserve none in return. If you find yourself in a position of authority within an online gaming community, remember that you do not have any authority without the consent of those you govern.
If you believe that you need to enact a policy, do not assume that the people you govern know everything that you know. Assume nothing and you will do well. It is necessary to state why we do something when establishing a policy. You will receive a more positive reaction to your mandates when you state the purpose.
Now, if you are reading this and wonder if I am talking about you as the Supreme Overlord of all He Purveys maybe you should reflect on your behavior to see if you have been guilty of any disrespect. If you search your conscience and it is clean, then don’t worry about it. If your search comes up cloudy, then think about it. You have no authority over anyone who has not given it to you.