Digital Plagues

            May years ago, there was a plague released into the game of World of Warcraft as part of an event. It wasn’t supposed to last very long, but there was a flaw in the code that allowed characters’ pets to carry it out of the region it was supposed to be contained to – and to spread it to others. Before long, there was an epidemic – low level characters couldn’t withstand the disease, while higher level ones were practically immune. It was out of control before the developers could do anything about it.

            The community rallied into different groups – with most of them working to fight the plague. Stronger players helped the weak to safety. Then, of course, there were others working to actively spread the plague, for reasons of their own.

            When the Center for Disease Control heard about this, they were intrigued – because the various reactions of the people playing the game matched what happens during an outbreak. I don’t know the whole story, but I believe they were able to make great use of the data gathered in the game during that time.

            It’s interesting to reflect back on that, though I have – shockingly – never played WoW, as I’m currently helping fight a somewhat more intentional virtual plague that was released upon the community of the Chronicles of Elyria. We’re seeing the same sort of things happening – some people fighting for the plague, while the majority are fighting against it. In the middle, there are some people who just want a shot at the free copy of the game they can possibly earn through participating in this event.

            While some people find the comparisons surprising, I’ve come to expect it. Whenever you get enough people in one place, they form a microcosm, reflecting reality in almost every way. What people forget is that people are people, and if you hand people a situation, you’ll always find someone in the group whose opinion differs from the others.

            Massively multiplayer games have been around for a long time, and they’re very popular within certain circles. I know human experimentation is wrong, but really... look at how perfect these test groups are for exploring how people react in different circumstances. It’s a perfect medium for delving deeper into the human psyche...

Check out my YouTube channel where I tell the stories of my D&D campaigns.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.

Become Aware

            May is Cystic Fibrosis awareness month, so, since I’m part of a fundraiser for it next weekend, I thought I had better spread some awareness.

            At first, I was planning to do a whole write-up about Cystic Fibrosis, but I changed my mind because I can just send you over here where you can hear about it from the experts.

            In case that version is too long for you, basically Cystic Fibrosis is a fatal genetic disease that currently has no cure. It causes a variety of digestive and respiratory problems that, through persistent damage, almost always lead to death. The average lifespan for someone with CF is 42-50 years; before research started, it was 6 months.

            Cystic Fibrosis spreads through defective copies of the gene – basically, if both parents have a copy of this defective gene, there’s a 25% chance their child will be born with CF (and a 50% chance the child will be a carrier of the gene). An estimated 4% of Canadians carry a defective copy of the gene (that may not look like a lot, but it really is).

            I, myself, was quite unaware of Cystic Fibrosis before I met Jeremy, who runs the Dungeons and Dragons games Colleen and I have been playing at our local board game cafe. Jeremy’s daughter, Avril (3 years old), has CF. When Jeremy mentioned he was planning a 12 hour D&D marathon to help raise money for CF, I was happy to volunteer to help out (running one of the game tables and donating some chainmaille prizes).

            When I subsequently met Avril and the rest of the family, my desire to help only grew. These are wonderful people who are incredibly strong. Avril spent the first six months of her life in a hospital, and her parents managed (between work and two older children) to visit every day – something I think most people would like to think they would do, but I suspect few could actually achieve. On top of that, while I didn’t interact with them all that much, I got the impression that Avril’s older brothers are not only completely on board with helping their sister get better, but they don’t seem to resent the extra time and effort Avril’s condition demands from their patents. In children that age, I find this remarkable. This is a family that very much deserves to have this struggle removed from their lives, and that alone makes the fight against Cystic Fibrosis worth the funding.

            So, with all that said, if you’re interested in helping in the fight against Cystic Fibrosis, please don’t hesitate to donate (every little bit helps). Let either Colleen or myself know if you want to sponsor Colleen as a player in the marathon – but do so before this Friday, because the event is this Saturday (May 13th)! The more money Colleen raises, the more benefits she will gain to help her team make it through the marathon.

            Or, if you’re running late for that, you could always donate directly to Avril’s Angels – Jeremy’s team that will be participating in the Cystic Fibrosis walk on May 28th. Colleen’s character doesn’t get cool new gear, but the money gets where it needs to, which is far more important.

            You are now as aware of Cystic Fibrosis as I am. What you choose to do with this knowledge... I leave to you.

Click here to find the charity anthology containing a couple of my short stories.

Also, make sure you check out my wife's blog and her website.


If there's any subject you'd like to see me ramble on about, feel free to leave a comment asking me to do so.