BoingBoing, who are utterly obsessed with virtual worlds (Seriously, Cory has pictures of naked orcs pinned up in his locker. I saw them before home room.), brings us a story about a World of Warcraft guild on the Kirin Tor server that is only accepting the absolute creme de le creme of Azeroth, namely academics and PhD’s. Not only are they creating a virtual Aryan super race, but they have been awarded grant money to do so.
Tiger Team One (a name almost on par with ‘OMG LAZERS PEW PEW PEW!’) was given an NEA grant and funds under Title IX to recuit more academics to the guild. I suppose the aim could be along the lines of “decipher Barrens chat” or “create a guild devoid of penis jokes”, but otherwise I’m not sure what they’re going for here.
If all the scholars of the world want to isolate themselves in their ivory tower (or ivory roleplaying guild, as the case may be), the common man is going to metaphorically be left at the base of the tower eating bugs and sticks until he jams a stick in his eye or gets stung by a bee. I wonder how happy these poindexters will be when we’re all blind and swollen from a combination of stick pokings and anaphylactic shock! We’ll see who’s laughing then, Mr-Monocle-And-Smoking-Jacket!
(PS: Can I please join your guild? All these teenagers frighten me with their ‘LOL’s’ and their talk of ‘ZOMG VAGINA’ … whatever that is …)
