Comments on: Virtual epidemics may hold scientific promise

Some see the recent plague that ran amok in the online game "World of Warcraft" as a valuable tool for examining how a real pandemic might behave.
Images: Deadly virtual outbreak

Another Game Epidemic

The online game Kingdom of Loathing (www.kingdomofloathing.com) just had a recent epidemic that causes people to -cough- in the chat.

[nightveil]

Re: Another Game Epidemic

The "epidemic" on KoL is still going on. As players become more ill
their chat text turns from black to lighter shades of grey and the -
cough-ing becomes more noticeable.

Suspicions are that this is an in-game storyline similar to others
that have been run in the past, though nothing has been said
officially so far.

[TV James]

Not Realistic

According to the article, there were people who intentionally spread the disease because they thought it was interesting/funny/etc. I assume/hope that there would be fewer people doing that in real life.

Virtual Plague a Test?

I must say that I am a little disturbed to find out that this plague was "an accident." Wheather the company in charge of WoW was trying to play this off as some kind of "mistake" or not, I for some reason have an inclination that there is a possibility that this technology could be used to study the spread of infection desieses. Thus, allowing someone to accuratly calculate a plan for bio-terrorism. I hope i'm just being hypercrytical.

[Valewalker]

Typical Blizzard oversights

Hi I'm valewalker. I can say with how buggy every patch has been. I am very doubtfull on this being on purpose.

This isn't the first bug to get past them on a patch. Also being a game world "Anonymity" of players does make it easyer for the darker side of ones personality to be shown.

People purposely spread it for entertainment in others frustrations.

Anyway. I must admit I was in tears laughing at the chaos..but it was because it was only a game.

I surely wouldnt be laughing it was real lives.