Last week, all hell broke loose in the EVE Online community with the revelation of what some called "bullying" by The Mittani, a legend in the EVE Online world. In our latest One Jump Home column, we offer the unique perspective about the issue. Read on and then share your thoughts in the comments.

Our story begins with Goonswarm Federation CEO, and Council of Stellar Management 6 chairman The Mittani being handed a microphone on stage and beginning what he would later recount as one of his lowest moments in EVE Online. Just a few days earlier a member of Goonswarm Federation had successfully polished off a tasty 80 Billion ISK scam which was sometime in the works, and executed with the sort of tactful grace that rewards he who dares with such a bountiful yield. However, the player in question hereafter referred to as W. was to become the centre of a controversy that quickly overcame both of them.

Read more of Ross McDermott's One Jump Home: The End of The Mittani Era.

He's lucky to have been spared the rod of the new cyber bullying laws.

Mittens would have made for a cute correctional facility alias.

Live by the sword; die by the sword. So why are MMORPG staff writers crying over this cyber-psychopath's spilt milk?

I was horrified by this initially. Bullies aren't cool, not in the slightest. I'm not an EVE player but it's been hard not to read about this not just here but everywhere in the gaming community. Punishment has been handed down now and it's over. The guilty party now will have this hanging over his head for the rest of his life. In the age of information, he's got a prison sentence without having served time behind bars. I'm not sure what I feel about that except I am fairly certain at this point he wishes he had kept his mouth shut to begin and he definately SHOULD have kept it shut but he didn't for whatever reason.  I can't speak for someone I don't know and I can't crawl inside the head of someone who does these things. But as a human being, I think it's important to remember that people CAN change. If they do or not that is up to them. But we move on and we move forward otherwise we become twisted people in our own right seeking our own form of punishment because we don't like the punishment handed down. Time to move on people.

Eve breeds cyber bullies. Have yal played the game? All you do is gank unknown people.

Originally posted by Zaltark

Eve breeds cyber bullies. Have yal played the game? All you do is gank unknown people.

Originally posted by Zaltark

Eve breeds cyber bullies. Have yal played the game? All you do is gank unknown people.

have you never played on a pvp server in any other MMO?

edit: Agree with Ref. It's the player in question, not the game.

Originally posted by Drulisle

Live by the sword; die by the sword. So why are MMORPG staff writers crying over this cyber-psychopath's spilt milk?

 

The author of that article is not a staff writer.  So quick to flame.

http://www.mmorpg.com/profile.cfm/username/White_Tree

Yeah right :D Such a poor child to have over 20 accounts for grinding money in even and then crying about suicide to the biggest griefer in EVE...  Such stupid hypocracy... Someone would talk about a random dude with 20 accounts to same online game all grinding money, most people would just call him a useless **** and tell him to get help... Now because he gets killed in the game and whines about his life being bad, suddenly everyone is "awwww, poor player"... Yah right...

I think it's kind of relativistic to say of ALL of us Eveplayers that we do to him what he did to that tendencially suicidal guy. Of course there are some freaks who are no better than he is, but I think equalling the majority of players who are just sick of that guy with those [mod edit] is quite wrong and it does not make his behavior in any way better - which is implied by the "well he did that but don't we ALL do that to him?"-argument.

If he's in the center of a shitstorm right now, well... I think he caused it. And I sure do hope I get spared of his self-indulgence now.

Originally posted by Druft

Yeah right :D Such a poor child to have over 20 accounts for grinding money in even and then crying about suicide to the biggest griefer in EVE...  Such stupid hypocracy... Someone would talk about a random dude with 20 accounts to same online game all grinding money, most people would just call him a useless **** and tell him to get help... Now because he gets killed in the game and whines about his life being bad, suddenly everyone is "awwww, poor player"... Yah right...

Trying to justify this in any way is not helpful in the slightest.

Originally posted by RefMinor
I disagree fundamentally with this article, using a public platform which was being broadcast over the internet to call on people to harrass someone who may have mental health issues with the stated aim of trying to get him to commit suicide, even if said in poor jest, is inexcusable and is in no way diminished by associated misreporting or the glee taken by his in game enemies. The writer of this article should be ashamed at having written this.

Well said, and I would add that mmorpg.com should not have published the story or give this guy any more press.  If ccp wants to make an official stance on this then that would be more newsworthy, but this kind of article.  No.

It's a shame this article doesn't have the down vote feature on it.

The Mittani did the right thing to publicly apologise unreservedly and resign.

However, I think people over-emphasise the importance of the CSM - the really important things (such as the game's direction) are decided by CCP.

A riot in Jita, a storm on the forums, and people quitting Eve, are all probably more influential than the CSM.

The CSM is one of the 'checks and balences'.

Originally posted by Mors.Magne

The Mittani did the right thing to publicly apologise unreservedly and resign.

However, I think people over-emphasise the importance of the CSM - the really important things (such as the game's direction) are decided by CCP.

A riot in Jita, a storm on the forums, and people quitting Eve, are all probably more influential than the CSM.

The CSM is one of the 'checks and balences'.

Originally posted by melangel

Originally posted by Druft

Yeah right :D Such a poor child to have over 20 accounts for grinding money in even and then crying about suicide to the biggest griefer in EVE...  Such stupid hypocracy... Someone would talk about a random dude with 20 accounts to same online game all grinding money, most people would just call him a useless **** and tell him to get help... Now because he gets killed in the game and whines about his life being bad, suddenly everyone is "awwww, poor player"... Yah right...

Trying to justify this in any way is not helpful in the slightest.

 

Seeing as you said you are not an EVE player... Tell me what is the most horrible thing about this case?

The fact that 1 person got drunk and gave another players character name to other people and told them to spam that person? Since thats all that happened really...

Great column. The intense hatred for Goons and their leader over video game misfortune (i.e. first world problems of people with no life anyway) has surprised me me more than the Goons actual ingame atrocities (which were often hilarious). They are the evil clowns of EVE and supply the entire community with laughs and tears. He'll be back and that's a good thing for everyone.

I have a tornado setup and ready to go in Jita for when Mittens returns. Whether you love or hate the Goons, they do make the game more interesting and create lots of publicity for our little niche game.

Originally posted by Murashu

I have a tornado setup and ready to go in Jita for when Mittens returns. Whether you love or hate the Goons, they do make the game more interesting and create lots of publicity for our little niche game.

Originally posted by Druft

Seeing as you said you are not an EVE player... Tell me what is the most horrible thing about this case?

The fact that 1 person got drunk and gave another players character name to other people and told them to spam that person? Since thats all that happened really...

I'm not even going to answer your question. Perhaps you can search hard and answer it yourself. The man in question admited his wrong doing, apologised and I agree people should move on. The ones who can't admit that he admitted wrong doing are the ones I worry about more.