Griefer Motivations

Hello,
I came across this paper on griefer motivations that I thought might be interesting for those who have an interest in understanding what drives these *annoying fwit* player types.

If you are a griefer...take the test and see how accurately the academics have scanned your brain


http://www.itu.dk/op/abstracts/koivisto.htm
Chek Yang Foo
Curtin University of Technology

Elina M. I. Koivisto
Nokia Research Center

Grief Player Motivations
Grief play is a widely discussed and complex phenomenon in Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games (MMORPGs). In this paper, we explore why grief players play MMORPGs in ways that are disruptive to other players’ gaming experience. Using data from semi-structured interviews and discussion postings, 16 motivations are identified and divided into four categories: game influenced, player influenced, griefer influenced, and motivations that originate from the grief player. We have discover that player motivations and motivations in bullying and teasing are closely related with griefing motivations.

Link to paper: http://www.itu.dk/op/papers/yang_foo_koivisto.pdf

non-academic quick summary: http://penny-arcade.com/view.php3?date=2004-03-19

The motivation is really, really simple: it gets a reaction. Usually, and certainly in Second Life, it gets a reaction that is way disproportionate to the griefers actual actions. But then Second Lifers are a bit of a fanatical bunch. And it's precisely this indignant, fanatical, over the top reaction that gives them the motivation. Yup, griefing is fun because you're all such a bunch of victims.

Consider this: if you do nothing, there will be no reaction at all.
Who are you to dictate how others should act/think/speak/do?

As a griefer are you not just fulfilling a little power fantasy, by knowing you will get a reaction to a stimulus?

I met a griefer who has bombed tringo events several times, and has been suspended for it. I asked him why he did it and he replied, "because the fuckers deserve it."

There you go!

Griefers in pairs, do they always travel. Older than MMORPG are they. Since friendly fire enabled have they been. Always griefing because they fear the game, too immuture it be for them. Fear leads to anger, anger leads to hate, hate leads to griefing.

I disagree that it's always for attention. Some people really have a weak grasp of what is done to them and what they do in return.

A person could lose a game of tringo and feel "hey I need to bomb this place" and feel they are committing a perfectly logical action.

The best phrase I've come up for this is...

"A misplaced sense of entitlement"

Green Elf Shot a Food

Shots Now Hurt Other Players

I don't know why but I always automatically assume they are minors. I just can't imagine a rational adult behaving in that way. Unfortunately I think I'm wrong. Maybe they lacked attention as a child and crave it now? Whatever the reason, I would prefer them not to be here.

Alexa

I've got to say I agree with Kris. I've never intentionally disrupted anyones "gaming experience", but I've been called a griefer and banned from an island because I happened to say I didn't like the build, and then refused to leave when confronted by the builders for having an opinion they didn't like. Seem's like that is exactly the type of person I would like to go after if I was in to creating havoc, because I am incredibly lazy, and it took absolutely no effort to get a response from this touchy lil bunch'o kids.

No, that's not griefing. Griefing is basically attacking other players, usually to irritate them. An argument with the builders may get you banned, but it's not griefing. Anybody you argue with is going to call you names though. That's more what that sounds like.

I don't know. Personally, if I can't stand a place, I don't stick around. If I don't like a place and I want to stay, I don't say anything. It's just like any other social interaction.

If you visit your co-worker's house and tell her it smells like a septic tank, she's never going to invite you there again. You've been 'banned' for arguing. If you see her at work and start punching her in the face, you'll go to jail. You've been suspended for griefing. Generally, the rules for a 99% social online community like Second Life work exactly like the social rules for real life, which is why you can theoretically be banned for such things as walking around without pants.

Griefer's motivated by ignorance.

eh?

slightly off topic here, but I find that paper extremely difficult to read due to the format... two columns in PDF format makes for much scrolling up and down...

Griefers are frantic for attention, and they use negative ways to get it. Some are little brats, and some are forum trolls as well as being griefers inworld. One way to check if somebody is a griefer is look at how many negrates they've handed out.

Explaining griefing to a non-griefer is like trying to explain an orgasm to a virgin.

Schwan, you always deliver the goods.

I disagree - virgins have plenty of orgasms. lol

coco

I actually really enjoy being griefed. I think its hilarious that people go so much out of their way to do things like this, I always find it fun and entertaining to see what ideas people think up to disrupt events and things. To me, if you grief an event and make me laugh in the process, its all fair game. Though this second life thing isnt about comedy for everyone, I'm here to enjoy it!

Griefers usually have some sort of actual or imagined shortcoming in RL.

They take out their frustration over this on faceless people. It's easier that way, because if they did it in RL, they would lose their job, or have their lights punched out.

Apparently, you've never hosted an event that was griefed. It's not "fun". The time and money invested, not to mention lag and logistics are enough work without having to deal with some childish a-hole who is a coward in RL, and gets their kicks by playing bully in a virtual setting while hiding facelessly behind a keyboard.

Nolan, the griefing types would say that this means you "take SL too seriously".

That seems to be the stock answer; if you get bothered by their actions, you're "taking it too seriously."

Watch the next few posts for someone telling you exactly that.

Apparently, everything on "teh internets" is supposed to be ha-ha-funny and a big farce. Otherwise, you might be accused of seeing "the internet as serious business".

It's amazing how "serious" the griefers get as soon as they start getting banned. Suddenly, they cry "unfair!" and that the TOS is "draconian".

Funny, I've never seen one, after being banned, laughing it off and saying "Hah! I was just taking it too seriously. That was pretty funny guys!"

Griefers should shut up; Bans are *extremely hilarious* to me. If you've been banned for griefing, lighten up. Get a thicker skin. It's funny. -- oh wait... Only the troublemakers can be the judge of that, right? Damn.

I agree that griefers aren't always bucking for attention. Sometimes they just don't know any better. In any case, they're either ill bred minors or very immature adults.

Since they think like little children, I've always treated them like little children. I work with three to five-year-olds regularly so I know how. They've responded well to it and usually left in a rather happy state of confusion, thinking that they've won. To a person, I've never seen them again.

have you ever disturbed an anthill just to see the ants scurry about?

Nope. Haven't pulled the wings off of a fly, or burnt a beetle with a magnifying glass either.

Furthermore, I haven't put kittens in the microwave, and don't plan on throwing rocks at kids from my front porch when I get to be 90.

I think it's a personality type. Some have it. Some don't.

When I was little, I would cry if anyone disturbed an anthill..