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Old 10-28-2004, 07:04 PM   #11
Traithe
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Join Date: Jan 2003
Name: Kite
Posts: 131
Traithe is on a distinguished road
Precisely.

How exactly do you intend to gather "full evidence" without thorough and reliable logs? You simply can't. Certainly, you can evaluate the trustworthiness of the one making the accusations vs. the one being accused, or you can accept whatever "logs" that the players email you as proof, but the moment you accept something that has left your sole control or custody even for a moment as dispositive evidence of such accusations, you're doing both yourself and your playerbase a grave disservice.

Logging is not "snooping". It's simply a system to ensure that there is plenty of objective, unbiased evidence to either document or invalidate any claim of impropriety that's raised, regardless of who is raising it, what the claim is about, or who is being accused of the misdeed. In other words, it keeps everyone honest and on the same page. Not only does it make things much easier to prove or disprove once the accusations are raised, but an effective logging system might actually even serve as a deterrent to future cheating, since everyone is well aware that everything they do on the server will be recorded and archived indefinitely for future reference.

Finally, a good logging system has other functions beyond the "police state" thing. A common usage on our MUD is for admins to check up on the level of roleplay exhibited by a given player - they might email us and ask us to critique their techniques, or to ask why they haven't yet been awarded any roleplay points, or whatever. Having a system that allows us to reference their past playing sessions in an intelligible and easily accessible manner helps us give more accurate and thereby more helpful responses to their questions.

On the other hand, without such a system you're doomed to sifting through pages upon pages of hearsay, accusations, whining, mudslinging, forged MUD logs, and other such lovely things, only to arrive at a conclusion and a corresponding judgment in the matter at hand (whether an accusation of cheating or a request for feedback on roleplay technique) that's inevitably questionable in its accuracy at best - quite likely (and quite rightfully so, depending upon the gravity of the situation) leaving a sour taste in the mouths of all involved, I might add. It just doesn't work.
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