PBS covers the government's intrusion into online worlds
by Mike Schramm 
Jun 11th 2008 at 4:00PM
This clip, from PBS' Bill Moyers Journal, is notable for a number of reasons. First of all, I'm fairly sure this is the most balanced, objective look at MMORPGs I've ever seen in mass media -- they talk about both Second Life and World of Warcraft, but there isn't a single mention of addiction or cluelessness or any of the other stuff mass media throws at us.
And it's also a good look at what was behind all the hubbub about the government searching for terrorists in WoW -- in truth, the fact that the government is interested in online communities isn't that huge a deal (who isn't interested in MMOs?), but the fact that they're doing it with the justification of terrorism is a much more disturbing discovery. And this piece then goes into the larger problems with this lately -- that the government is dipping into all kinds of supposedly private communications outlets with this lame justification of searching for terrorists.
Nice piece, but especially so because of that very even look at our favorite past time. If only all reporters were so objective.
Filed under: Analysis / Opinion, Virtual selves, News items, Account Security
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
Xonate Jun 11th 2008 4:10PM
Sort of disappointed to see this kind of article here. Maybe it's just the way you worded it, but it really feels like you're throwing some political spin in this article. Calling Bill Moyers objective and balanced?
Badger Jun 11th 2008 4:37PM
If it matters, Mike was referring to the content of the piece, not the reporter himself (which actually means something, since it means the online world doesn't necessarily buy every word Moyers feeds them).
Lars Jun 12th 2008 1:45PM
I feel just the opposite, I like this article. Keep it up WoW Insider. Oh and Xonate, biased reporters can occasionally do unbiased pieces. Nothing is black and white, it's all shades of gray.
I have to call Mike out on one thing though. I would definitely NOT consider WoW a "private communications outlet." I mean if you're talking about whispers, then yeah, but otherwise, no.
Lars Jun 12th 2008 1:49PM
Oh, and am I the only one who thinks this is an excuse someone in the defense department made up to play WoW on the job all day?
"Hey what are you doing? You're supposed to be searching for terrorists, not playing a game!"
"Uh, uh, well... I am! I'm investigating online communities for terrorist activities... yeah, that's it."
Xonate Jun 13th 2008 1:45PM
Unfortunately it appears one of my other posts was deleted, and I don't know why. What I said was that it's not necessarily calling some reporter unbiased or fair that is the problem. The issue here is that all it does is lead to a shouting political argument in the comments that just serves to further divide the WoW community, or at least the ones that read the post. Just a couple comments down and you can read people already bashing their opposing parties, the ideas, the news groups associated with them, etc. And if you don't agree with someone, just vote down/report their post! Don't worry about whether or not it's a good, detailed, post, that doesn't offend anyone, isn't spam, or anything of the like.
Just a shouting match.
unbrokn Jun 11th 2008 4:14PM
Bill Moyers name in the same story as the words as "reporters" and "objective" = lolcats
=D
Jeremy Cox Jun 11th 2008 4:27PM
The government invading private communications to search for terrorists is old news. It's called the Patriot act, and congress traded one of our most treasured freedoms (privacy) for security.
Invasion of privacy is mostly harmless, however. Compare that to holding people in jail without cause for protesting political events for 3 days, because they are a threat to the President's personal safety.
If you take a big enough system, patterns will emerge. A scary future possibility proposes itself: you might get sent to Guantanamo bay without trial or jury... just disappear... all for playing a video game and behaving like a terrorist.
Rogue gankers beware.
Ametrine Jun 11th 2008 4:24PM
orcs terror gnomes bombs trolls jihad elves 9-11.
Did I win?
Xanax Jun 11th 2008 4:27PM
No a surprise Moyers treats this subject, like all other subjects he covers, with balance and nuance. He's one of the best journalists on T.V. and puts most other mainstream media to shame.
But of course, to a culture that accepts Fox News as "fair and balanced", it does not surprise me that that some find his journalism insufficiently propagandistic and sensationalist.
Raegn Jun 11th 2008 4:38PM
Yeah, FOX news is horrible but I think most of the news organizations have some form of bias.
An example of the Republican bias of FOX news:
http://elections.foxnews.com/2008/06/10/activists-preparing-against-use-of-brown-note-at-dem-convention/
Dear lord, lookie what dem dere demicrats are up to now!
Killing family values and making us poops ourselves!
/sarcasm off
Badger Jun 11th 2008 4:38PM
I find it quite amusing that you can be this logical and well-spoken when you are, in fact, named for an anti-depressant.
Raegn Jun 11th 2008 4:40PM
Just to add, look at the picture they chose to associate with the Democratic convention. Fair and balanced, as always.
unbrokn Jun 11th 2008 4:42PM
Lol, I especially enjoyed the balance & nuance that Bill Moyers put forth in that hardhitting interview he did with the esteemed Reverend Jeremiah Wright.
=D
Xanax Jun 11th 2008 4:48PM
Alas, my online moniker has been Xanax for many years:
http://www.shwaine.com/malev/his_mud.html
Xanax Jun 11th 2008 4:51PM
"Lol, I especially enjoyed the balance & nuance that Bill Moyers put forth in that hardhitting interview he did with the esteemed Reverend Jeremiah Wright."
Damn right. Did ANY other new source let him say his peace and not snip his words out of context? Apparently you believe Moyer's job was to simply continue the pigpile? Did you actually LISTEN to Wright?
Krianna Jun 12th 2008 2:22AM
Damn right. Did ANY other new source let him say his peace and not snip his words out of context? Apparently you believe Moyer's job was to simply continue the pigpile? Did you actually LISTEN to Wright?
Yes, actually. Sean Hannity invited him to his show over a year ago.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,256078,00.html
And it's watching the sermons on youtube that pissed off most folks--although I'd really like to hear a context where the stupidity those SOBs are tossing out is just fine.
I'm wondering if YOU ever listened to Wright.
Xanax Jun 12th 2008 10:05AM
I certainly did. Apart from the idea that the government creating AIDS, which is still a common belief, I agree with him on nearly every point.
And Sean Hannity is a tool.
crispy Jun 12th 2008 12:35PM
Hannity never lets anyone not on his side get their point across. He always comes in with some lame quotes some other liberal said 5 years ago that has nothing to do with the subject matter at hand. He's just a hack that loves to hear the sound of his own voice.
squeama Jun 11th 2008 4:38PM
War is peace
Slavery is freedom
Welcome to 1984.
Bynde Jun 11th 2008 4:40PM
First of all, no matter what you think of Moyers, this is an important issue.
And I think this is a good subject for this site. Sometimes you have to leave Azeroth and contemplate real world demons.
I cannot understand why Americans would sit back passively and let our goverment treat us like spies. Benjamin Franklin said (paraphrasing), " Those that desire security over liberty, deserve neither" and I live by that code.
If we really want to be safe from Terrorists we can do it. We can make ourselves the safest country in the world. we'll jst have to suspend the Bill of Rights to do it, but it can be done.
And what American really wants that?