“Griefer is a slang term used to describe a player in an online video game who plays the game simply to cause grief to other players …” (Wikipedia) Let’s add to that meaning: spammers, pedophiles and academic cheats.
A fundamental key to opening the global commons of learning is to understand that subject matter and the social activities of teaching/learning are not the same thing. The process of teaching/learning is not the content that is being communicated. That fact is fodder for philosophical discourse—but on a threshold, practical level, the difference is absolutely key to moving ahead with opening knowledge content to everyone within in Internet.
As an example of knowledge content we can look at Hubblesite.org. This website is wide open for anyone to visit—but it is not vulnerable to griefers:
There is no game they can play where they could cause grief.
Griefers can’t confuse discussion because the FAQ simply asks and answers set questions.
Spam cannot be attached because contact is limited to using a monitored comment box.
Pedophiles cannot identify or contact children as they are learning from the Hubble materials.
In vivid contrast, when interactions of educators and students for the process of learning takes place online, griefers are a danger, as is sketched in the following exchange about the beginning of University of New Orleans courses in Second LIfe, from a Discussion at the Chronicle of Higher Education:
Question from Janet Moore, Sloan-C:
What type of disclaimer is needed in a course that uses a MUVE (multi-user virtual environments)? What should be the wording for the disclaimer. If a student suffers mental anguish because of trouble in SL – or if a griefer attacks during class — or… what type of warnings should be placed on the website of the course. What is UNO doing its island about this issue? Also, if institutions acceptable use policies for SL, what kinds of things are included in the policies? Thanks for your advice.Merrill L. Johnson:
These are very important questions. First, we restrict access to our island. Anybody who comes to the island has to be a member of the “University of New Orleans” Group. While membership is open and will not (and has not) stopped everybody, membership does stop the more casual griefer. The downside, of course, is that we also stop the educational “tourist” who wants to see what we are doing.Second, we have a policy that we attach to syllabi that warns students about the social excesses they may encounter in SL. We also tell students that the minute they leave the island, just as when they leave the RL campus, they are on their own and are not permitted to represent the University in their actions, unless they are doing field work.
We have not had a griefer attack on the virtual campus when students have been present. They are warned in advance.
