The Noob Effect...

[WitchdoctorDan]

I have noticed mid to high level pirates calling others noobs with NO evidence to back it up. Now, I'll be the first to say that that is bad manners. But think about it for a while... What does calling other players noobs make you? (Besides impolite, of course) A noob. Very counter-productive, eh? I've posted this because the rate of Noob-Callers, as I call them, has increased threefold. Every person that gets called a noob is discouraged. Yet also they have added that to their vocabulary. Anger + hateful names= someone that will call others those hateful names. And it begins. It spreads like a ripple, and suddenly hundreds are bullies. Psychologists have coined a similar problem occurring in the world's schools The Bully Effect. In a school one bully can grow to dozens in a year, just like hundreds of Noob-Callers will soon be thousands. In a game where the target audience are kids >12, this will spread like a wildfire. I posted this to discourage people from being bullies over the internet. I also encourage you to explain this point to these Internet bullies. Although that last part might not work out!

[Ropeburn]

true... R-E-S-P-E-C-T

[Sven Osymthe]

Good post WitchdoctorDan. However, this doesn't apply to just the word "noob", it applies to anything that we do.

[WitchdoctorDan]

Yes, I meant it as a metaphor, sort of.

[CarribeanThunder]

"It takes one to know one."
If these people call others noobs, they must be noobs themselves - how else could they know what a noob is? It takes a noob to know a noob, y'know.

[ex8404]

I was playing a level 40 pirate a while back and a level 12 called me a Noob. I just typed "/smile" and kept playing. But he followed me and told me all about his Level 63 pirate. Pretty good story. Didn't have a lick of fact in it but, then again, neither does Lord of the Rings and I LOVE that story so... This was when 40 was the Notoriety Cap.

Anyway...calling someone a NOOB on the Internet is not exactly a new phenomenon. It's really trivial...

[Jackfiresteel]

Hmm.. I wonder where the term "noob" comes from.. it doesn't even check in as a word on microsoft word.

And ex8404 that. is. hilarious. lol.

[Edward Edgemenace]

Try looking up n00b (n-zero-zero-b) and you should get respectable dictionary & etymology results.

Summer is here. School is out. BOY does it show. Get used to it...won't slack off until September.

[Machazzard]

I think "noob" was derived from a form of newb, which is probably from newbie=someone who is new at something. Someone probably figured "hey, noob is a heck of a lot easier to type than newbe, so lets see if it catches on"

Who knows, I could be wrong, but it deffinately makes sense, aye?

[The Skirata Clan]

I have seen a thread like this one before. I call my friends like SveNoob or Jules Noobheart that but only between us and to mock each other. But random people its just wrong. These people do that because in the virtual worlds they can get away with things like that without getting a smack on the head or worse. I am of the opinion that we were all noobs at one point. I like to help others when asked. I am not going to call them noobs.

[gingeeann]

I was recently called a noob and worse by a person that came on my public ship during an EITC Treasure Fleet. I let my inner evilness take over. I SANK on purpose. Being level 50 no groggy for me. Sigh, had to go to confession. Maybe I should have reported them but they were level 14 and basic so I figured from their actions that harassing unlimited players is the one skill they mastered.

Do wish we had walk the plank as a feature.

[CaptainMonkeys]

Conversation with guildies is where it normally pops up, but we never direct it at anyone in specific. We normally say that to mean "people who are new at the game and will be scared by desolation/wither". Noob is a lot easier to say.

I never call ANYONE a noob.

[ex8404]

I use it as a term of affection. Like, "Awww...The kid next got a little Noob and he's teaching it tricks." Stuff like that.

[Eliza Creststeel]

I have never called any player Noob. I may have referred to a rude or problem player as a noob to someone else, but would not disrespect that person to their face. After all, it doesn't necessarily mean a new player as much as it means acting in a very naive or ignorant fashion that only an inexperienced player could.

The only person i've used that term for is one of our guild mates. Her name is The Greatest Noob and she's a great pirate so far.

Noob is a throwaway comment usually used to be dismissive to someone, particularly if that person is being annoying or troublesome - or it's an automatic comeback when a rude person is called out themselves.

[Crestshot]

Ok, I will fully admit to calling people noobs. While a lot of times, I like to use it as a term of affection, such as when I find a level 1 on PR or, as TSC said earlier, for sven or Jules, I have used it in the less pleasant way. However, I never use it to someones face. I used it just the other day when a level 11 was harassing me to my gulidies (ask Nate), but I Also do not like using someones name, so that is one reason for that. However, I have to agree with you when you talk about this in the bullying sense Dan. I will honestly try to stop. Sorry mate.