Extensive World of Warcraft play desensitizes humans

"I hope every one of the people posting here that this is funny and/or acceptable loses the closest family member they have."

That'll teach them. Damn them with their senses of humour.

"I do find you amusing, though, Sean."

Glad to be hear. I try to make the best of tragedy.

Blake Snow: Welcome to the Internet.

Public forums are a form of collaborative performance art. Anyone who takes them as more, or believes their contents speak at all to the human condition, needs to read some Marshal McLuhan.

"You know what I'm going to get you next Christmas? A big wooden cross, so that every time you feel unappreciated for your sacrifices, you can climb on up and nail yourself to it."

I love that quote. Stop trying to insult people for having a sense of humor. If anything, you're just as bad as the person who posted the original comment that you feel so intent on berating. You're insulting others to make yourself feel like a better person. People die every day, you can't expect people to give a shit. If someone can take a horrible thing like death and turn it into something funny then they have a gift.

@Steve

"I hope every one of the people posting here that this is funny and/or acceptable loses the closest family member they have. Better yet, I hope they themselves die."

That's even worse than laughing at someone else's misfortune. Why would you wish such a thing? You don't know any of these people. And what did their own loved ones have to do with it?

I agree, there's a lot of ignorance in this post (and sadly, the world over), but wishing that on someone else makes you no better. -_-

Honestly, I've seen too many hoax MMO deaths to ever take it seriously.

Other than that, I admit I laughed. And would probably laugh it was about me. But, I wouldn't say it. If it turns out to be true, then condolences should be given.

Anything is funny as long as there is a big enough prick reading it.

This prick approves. Hilarity all around.

Put it this way; If that joke wasn't made, would we have even heard of this guy, and read of his death?

No, we wouldn't.

"Steve" wrote:
"I hope every one of the people posting here that this is funny and/or acceptable loses the closest family member they have."

It is one thing to have a sense of humor; what you wrote there is just mean.

"Steve" wrote:
"Better yet, I hope they themselves die."

Again, mean.

"Steve" wrote:
"Do the world a favor and remove your boundless stupidity from the gene pool."

If having a sense of humor about death is an indication of "boundless stupidity" then I suppose I would rather be considered stupid and peaceful than uptight and violent.

Here are the facts:
A) Someone died. Which is very serious
B) Someone posted about death on a WoW forum, not a serious place
C) He got a non-serious response.

And the guy who replied didn't spit on the brothers corpse, he replied in jest. I think 90% of WoW players would think that it was funny. Even respecting the person who was lost, it was still funny. Do you think Nano would want the WoW community to morn for him? I don't. Pay your respects if you have some, and try and cheer others up if possible, that's what you do when people pass away.
I do think the person who replied should have used their main, and not a trolling alt though, but still. It was a joke, either laugh or ignore it.

-my 2 cents

What is most sad is that that some idiot made that post. What is really sad is that, whether or not it is to be expected on the WoW forums, so many of you seem to use that as complete justification for it. There is no justification for that at all. Even if it is a hoax, that's not okay.

Don't get me wrong, I have a horribly irreverent sense of humor. I would have laughed at that comment if it werent made in a place where the guy's brother would see it. Making fun of someone's death is in bad taste (but like I said, I would probably laugh) and yeah, if the guy could see that from the grave, he would probably just chuckle, because the guy obviously loved WoW and all of little quirks of its community, but posting that in response to the guy's brother is just cruel.

You can make all of the "what-ifs" that you want to try to justify it, but if that is some actual kid whose brother died, no matter what his intent is, that isnt funny. Thats just sad.

Trivialize it all you want. I just hope you show more empathy offline than you do here.

@Pince

Ditto. Right on the money.

LMAOROFL?

I agree with Pince.

I can still laugh, though, right?

I'm not sure what kind of etiquette is typically used on other forums in such situations, but on the ones I'm a part of that guy would have been dealt with quite severely. One of our members died a while back, and the matter was treated with complete respect and delicacy. I don't know why other forums can't be the same way.

The internet just isn't a place to look for sympathy. These types of people simply wouldn't care. What the guy said was somewhat fucked up but I'm sure Nano's brother brushed it off once he realized what kind of a sad fuck would say that. Either you find it funny or you don't. I'm ashamed to say I smiled.

Sigh, I have to chime in.

Just because the WoW forums are typically a non-serious place doesn't mean it's an excusable act. Consider yourself in the situation. You're distraught, you've lost a brother (mother, father, you get the idea) and you just want to make contact with the people he or she knew and spent (presumably) a lot of time with online.

It's easy to laugh from a distance. When something horrible happens to you or one of your own, I'm betting the humor is significantly less appreciated.

Prince basically nailed it. Just because you're in a place where such behavior is commonplace doesn't give you an excuse to be a dick. Those that say, "Well it's funny"... I can only shake my head. Would you be in the mood to laugh if it was one of your family? I'm sure you can say yes, because it's all too easy to slide into the role of taking things easy and everything is a big joke. Lose someone close to you. Lose someone you love. When that hole in your heart appears and starts eating away at you, especially if it's a recent situation, my guess is you won't be looking for a stand-up comic to waltz into your life.

And make no mistake: I wouldn't mind people laughing at my funeral. In fact, I would like to be remembered with laughter. There's a HUGE difference between that and this case, which is just outright mockery of a serious post.

Yes, take life lightly. The other half of that is to treat others with respect. I see little of that here.

Honestly, I laughed at the concentrated, potent wit and also the thought of how sort of "horrible" this remark is. For me personally, the way that I could laugh at both of these things is precisely because I've experienced loss (the last decade brought the loss of all my elders... parents and grandparents). There has to be some time, some point in time, that one can rejoin the world as it goes, see the different angles to things, and appreciate the fact that if you're posting to a public forum, something like this is a distinct possibility. I really didn't read this comment as "malicious"... it fits the context of the game and the world in which these people met and knew each other and there is a big difference between saying something like this and calling the deceased something derogatory. In my own experience, some of the conversations that I had with the ones I've lost in the final hours have been marked with talk of this kind... a kind of levity for relief in the face of the inevitable and the facts of life and death. If you can't face them as they come, well then... I wish for you all the best in your life and your situation.

#48 and all you "so seriouses, so offendeds"... you may need to settle down...

And I quote: "I hope every one of the people posting here that this is funny and/or acceptable loses the closest family member they have. Better yet, I hope they themselves die. Do the world a favor and remove your boundless stupidity from the gene pool."

This is FAR more offensive than the post that you're reacting to. I, for one, would NEVER wish this upon you.

Why assume people who find the post funny have never lost any close friends or family? Perhaps they have..perhaps they prefer not to hang on to the overwhelming sadness and just have a laugh on the subject.

Exactly. Thanks for saving me from editing and adding to my post, Agrajag.

When I die from too much WoW, that's how I'd like to be remembered.

Can't make jokes about dead people. Can't make jokes about retards. Can't make jokes about gays. Can't make jokes about asians, whites, blacks, mexicans, indians, more-indians, and/or "other". Next, you'll be telling me I shouldn't be able to play games like GTA. Well, FUCK YOU JACK THOMPSON!

On a serious note. A sense of humor is like a religion. Just because you do not agree with the kind others have doesn't mean yours is/is not the correct one. Also don't expect everyone to cope/react the way you do. I think many things are disgusting (Like Onions for example) but I don't go around forcing my views on people. Personally, I found this post funny, but I was brought up to always carry with me a sense of humor, even when tradegy occurs. I'm no less of a person because of it. Maybe in your eyes I am, but as you said "I could care less about what you think" :)

Hey Zoe:

I've lost people close to me, and I made jokes at their funerals. Does that make me a bad person?

#73:

I made jokes during my eulogy for my mother last year - she died of cancer.

The audience loved it, and I knew that my mother loved it.

If it's offensive, that's for the brother of this guy to say - not for any self-appointed sanctimonious moral arbiter.

sorry but if you post something like this on any forum you should expect such replies. there are always people who want to show they don't care. but to get angry about isn't very logical either, laugh it away.

"Make as many excuses for it as you want."
Right, there's no need for "excuses". I found it funny and it's my right to do so. You didn't find it funny, suit yourself but don't try to make other people feel guilty because they laughed or you're being just as much a dick as you think the poster is.

About the desensitizing thing : imo it's not just WoW but the whole internet.I don't think half the people who posted here would have said anything if they were all in the same room.But I also think it helps having more opinions than just the strongest's voice (because that's how things works IRL,read La Fontaine). Overall, Internet makes people what they trully are deep inside, not what they try to look like.

That's my point of view.
Now you should ask yourself why are you posting here.
I don't really know myself :p

Anonymity = asshole.

Let's see him say that to his face.

I chuckled when I saw it, while also thinking to myself, "What a stupid thing to post."

Arguments about what "should be expected" are totally ridiculous, just shifts focus onto the fault of the victim instead of whether the act itself was right or wrong, it's like blaming rape victims for getting raped. It's just a way to shrug off any responsibility for the real issue, it's what a pussyass would do, just make some excuse and ignore what happened so you don't have to feel guilty. Hell maybe Nano's brother did expect it but he posted anyway. So what? It doesn't make it right.

Maybe it was a hoax, maybe it wasn't. What if it wasn't? If he knew it was a hoax, fine, if not, he should have kept his dumbass mouth shut. Sure I got a chuckle out of it but it's not worth it. I doubt Nano's brother would give a shit, but it still doesn't matter, it's just a fucking stupid thing to say.

You don't say that shit to someone's family. All you people saying about how "you'd laugh if you were the one who died" fine, so what? Nano's dead, he's not reading it, his brother is reading it. Would you want someone to say that to your brother if you died? What are you gonna say, "He should have a sense of humor and laugh about it?" That's fucked up.

Man Steve, that's a harsh comment. Wishing death on others isn't exactly the moral high road over a joke that made some people chuckle.

This evil twin senario is also a bit flimsy as an arguement I think. The whole, I'm a nice person in real life but sit me in front of the computer and I'm stabbin kittens cause it's funny.

It's not so much insensitivity and more anonymity coupled with age. It’s a fact that WOW’s player base is made up of mostly kids… greedy kids more keen on getting uber loot instead of forming friendships. I personally played WOW for a year and decided to stop because of the player base age… that and those damn Chinese farmers always asking my mage for water and food.

Stupidest headline ever.

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