World of Warcraft - Terrorist Haven???

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http://www.theaustralian.news.com.au/story/0,25197,22161037-28737,00.html

It is a piece mainly detailing some form of terror campaigns in Second Life, but here is the kicker:

Kevin Zuccato, head of the Australian High Tech Crime Centre in Canberra, says terrorists can gain training in games such as World of Warcraft in a simulated environment, using weapons that are identical to real-world armaments.

Zuccato told an Australian Security Industry Association conference in Sydney that people intent on evil no longer had to travel to the target they wanted to attack to carry out reconnaissance. He said they could use virtual worlds to create an exact replica and rehearse an entire attack online, including monitoring the response and ramifications.

"We need to start thinking about living, working and protecting two worlds and two realities," Zuccato says.

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US terrorism expert Bruce Hoffman, from think tank RAND Corporation, says intelligence agencies deal with people only once they have become radicalised. But he warns law enforcement needs to step up its access to and understanding of internet communications and users.

"We have to contest this virtual battle space in much the same manner as we are very successfully doing in other traditional forms," Hoffman says.

This might belong in the game thread, but the ramifications are serious. I hope I need not say, but I am a little opposed. First of all, whatever qualifications Mr. Zuccato has, the WoW example was stunning. Simulated environment? Real-world armaments? Sure, my matching T-shirt and shorts set, along with my shades and gloves, will give me higher defense against bullets and boost my depth perception. Oh, and by the way, now that I have 350 ranks in crafting, I will fashion my own meteoric bullets for my self-made adamantine AK-74. If he speaks with as much experience in other fields, I'd rather he did not bother.

My second worry is better illustrated by an old animal joke. I do need to lighten up, apparently.

The wolf and the bear, playing cards, saw the rabbit run full-speed for them. "Hey, shorty, slow down," the wolf shouted at the rabbit as it was passing them by. "What the heck has gotten into you?"

The rabbit turned back and, panting, came to them. "Something's gotten into the lion! He heard that his wife was cheating on him and has decreed that all womanizers are to have their ears cut off."

The wolf and the bear, instead of looking distressed, burst into laughter. "So? You're not a womanizer, and you don't even like the lioness!" "Yeah, but when they cut off your ears, go prove that you're not a womanizer," the rabbit replied and started running again.

 

Had he used the example of Counter Strike, I still would have disagreed, because my limited experience with firearms (basically only ever handling a pellet gun) shows me that no matter how much I play CS, my aim in real life wont improve. Reaction time is even questionable.

Maybe the only thing you could learn from CS is tactics, but... I dunno, seems unlikely they would bother.

But WoW? Is he stupid? I mean really, surely the court should declare him incompetent for a statement like that? What part of "real world armaments" doesnt he understand? Specifically, the "real world" bit it seems.

Unfortunately, the uneducated majority will probably think he is telling the truth, and that WoW is evil and should be burned.

 

Actually, there is a silver lining to this. WoW is popular enough that if you haven't heard of it, chances are one of your friends has, and might know that it is, like, fantasy stuff, man. Seriously, would you believe that terrorists are using Lord of the Rings online to train?

Now, had he used something slightly more obscure, such as Eve online, it could be more dangerous.

 

I'll believe anything they tell me to.

/sarcasm, directed at the people who slurp up todays media.

 

Frostmourne hungersss... for some infidel flesh!

 

Somehow I get the feeling like the same old "Games are bad for you!" -argument is shining in the background. Which is funny, since they said the same about Mortal Kombat when it came out

 

I knew that terrorists were a bit backward people but I'd never imagined that they'd be coming after me with a warhammer and a shield.

 

Quite the contrary Morgoroth, they're not backward at all - after all if they come at you with a hammer, they would be using the Latest & Greatest in high-tech WMDs

Seriously, I think this thread belongs in Whatnots, and so-called "expert" Bruce Hoffman belongs in outer space. He definitely doesn't live in the same solar system as the rest of us.

 

does this mean that when i fly my wyvern i may not take more then 100ml of liquid on board?

 

They still haven't found Saddam's stash of Mana crystals.

 

What? How can you say that about a game that teaches people that staying in cover is camping and a grenade wont kill you!
And you do run faster with the knife.

 

There in his bank

 

Does this mean we can send all the goldsellers and griefers to Gitmo then?

 

So, what - are they going to start arresting people who conduct terrorist attacks in online games? That sounds like what this article is trying to build up to...

 

Switzerland! I knew it!

 

Well unless the terrorist uses magical swords, full metal armour and fly on dragons, I think we're pretty safe from them. WoW, terrorist training? Did they even looked at the game? It's all about swords and dragons fantasy!

Amen to that brother, Back in 04' I was pretty good in UT2004, but I've never held in real firearm, so I'm pretty sure despite my somewhat good skills in UT I'd be really, really bad with a real gun.

Well unless they publish The Sims 2: Terrorists expansion, better leave video games out of the question eh?

I, Ofelix, hereby claim with all the BOM's people, sentient, intelligent persons as my witness that I have played many violent games, even amongs the violent-est
(Is that even a word ) video games available. I also claim to have liked them. Hear that Government all around the world? I played violent video games! Come get me!!