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Study Finds Online Cheating Is Infectious

Freddybear writes "A study of online gamers in the Steam community finds that those who are friends with cheaters are more likely to begin cheating themselves. From the article: 'First up, cheats stick together. The data shows that cheaters are much more likely to be friends with other cheaters. Cheating also appears to be infectious. The likelihood of a fair player becoming labelled as a cheater in future is directly correlated with this person's number of friends who are cheaters. So if you know cheaters, you are more likely to become one yourself. Cheating spreads like flu through this community. Finally, being labelled as a cheat seems to significantly affect social standing. Once a person is labelled as a cheat, they tend to lose friends. Some even cut themselves off from friends by increasing their privacy settings.'"

4 of 110 comments (clear)

  1. So.... by ak_hepcat · · Score: 5, Funny

    This isn't about my ex-wife....

    Awkward post then.

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  2. Re:Makes sense by Gaygirlie · · Score: 5, Insightful

    The acceptable kind, which serves to spare the user the expense of unnecessary tedium. They include using a bot to automate grinding in WoW and unfairly receiving help during tests for mandatory fluff classes that will have no effect on your future.

    Why is it "acceptable" then? I atleast do not find it acceptable to use a bot to do anything like that, it still gives you an edge over those people who stay completely honest.

  3. Re:What about the wrongly accused? by icebike · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Actually this happens more than you might think. Anyone who spends a LOT of time on specific games
    can achieve a skill level that looks like cheating to the newbie player.

    The solution to that problem is easy. Go find a better group of opponents instead of beating up on newbies.

    Really good players don't enjoy waxing a newbie 100 to 0 time after time. It takes a pretty juvenile mentality to do that,
    and playing against the bots ends up being more fun. Many really good players will start offering
    tips to newbies to help build their skills. It makes game play more fun for all.

    Just asking, "wow cool, how do you do that move" on the chat will get you a lesson from an honest GOOD player
    and a taunt or "just practice" from the cheater.

    But all too often good players will spot actual cheating, and hacked clients which evade server detection, etc.
    The better you are at any given game the more likely you will see things which you know to be impossible.
    Recording movies of this (if you have the computer horsepower) will actually allow you to replay
    something enough times to see rockets coming out of a guys ass and going thru walls etc.

    And cheaters often come in pairs. Lurk long and quiet like you are away from the machine and you will
    often catch them chatting about the cheat.

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  4. Re:Makes sense by CrimsonAvenger · · Score: 5, Insightful

    Why is it "acceptable" then?

    Generally, when someone speaks of the "acceptable" forms of cheating, they mean "the forms of cheating I use"....

    And I'm pleased to see that someone managed to start justifying cheating within a handful of posts. When I read online gaming forums discussing cheating, it generally takes not more than six comments to find someone justifying cheating....

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