Re[2]: A bioterror attack in World of Warcraft.

[Pierre Vandevenne <pierre () datarescue com>]

Good Afternoon,

In the real world, the solution is proven and well defined. Vaccine a
sufficient number of susceptible hosts and you don't have an epidemy.
After a certain treshold, which is not 100%, the disease won't spread
and will essentially disappear for a while (which can be a long
while). The causal agent might jump to another "backup" host, might go
dormant, or even be replaced by a less harmful variant.

This is why, while there is some lively discussions in scientific
circles about a possible bird-flu pandemic, there is no discussion as
far as the best method to handle it is concerned: have vaccines ready
and lots of them.

Some companies are even betting on the flu and on supply
problems/issues - see the Chiron/Novartis saga.


Wednesday, September 21, 2005, 8:57:04 AM, you wrote:

GE> Roland Dobbins wrote:
> > There's a lot of food for thought, here:
> >
> > http://www.collisiondetection.net/mt/archives/2005/09/ _dig_this_an_eb.html

GE> A must read indeed.

GE> Moving beyond this story being cool, I'd like to actually discuss what
GE> we can learn from it.

GE> I don't think establishing such games to learn how diseases spread can
GE> really teach us much beyond being a sweet treat to someone working on
GE> their Ph. D. There are a lot of metrics that can be collected here and
GE> therefore this can be interesting for many different research purposes,
GE> from the spread of diseases to comparisons between the biological and
GE> computers world.

GE> I believe that looking at the ways the online game tries and will try to
GE> *cope* with the problem is by far more interesting.

GE> So far we have seen "local authorities" try to quarantine users, as well
GE> as some other such measures. But what can really be done?

GE> I suppose it all depends on the game and the capabilities of the 
GE> software manufacturer and server managers to modify it "unfairly", which
GE> is basically what most game manufacturers try and prevent.

GE> If they could wipe the disease out they would have by now (I hope), so,
GE> what could they potentially do?

GE> They could use the band-aid approach and send the game a new item, much
GE> like they send a new monster. Widely distributing healing potions and/or
GE> something that will heal this particular epidemic.

GE> They could do (potentially), a global "blessing" of sort to heal everybody.

GE> Whatever it is they do try their solutions will fall under one of the
GE> following four categories:

GE> 1. Band-aids, trying to help as many as they can where they can. They
GE> could potentially heal most people, or have them take the medicine
GE> continuously over-time, as they will keep getting re-infected.

GE> 2. Do something global - "heal everybody". Problem is there are players
GE> who won't be there when everybody is healed and will just re-introduce
GE> the disease when they come back. I suppose constant global healing is
GE> not a Bad Idea, but it is once again a limited solution.

GE> 3. Game manipulation: just edit this out from the game and/or ALL 
GE> characters, whether at the DB level or "on-login".

GE> 4. Scorched Earth. Kill everything. Maybe try to restore data from
GE> before the "attack" and/or from after with the disease data removed.

GE> It is very interesting to see a feature that does what is intended and
GE> yet "runs" out of control. Following this story will be extremely 
GE> interesting.


-- 
Best regards,
Pierre                            mailto:pierre () datarescue com
  

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