tigerlilylynn wrote:We've been discussing both.
For the Petaluma Revisited drop I was told to have Luv stay put while "brother" was in route. I shilled so she didn't drive home another 3 hours empty handed.
That's not shilling either, as most everyone, it seems already agrees. I'm trying to illustrate the difference because people seem to be really confused about what a "shill" really is. What you did was not for anyone's benefit per se...just keeping the game on check. That's like a yellow or even red flag in a NASCAR race.
A shill is somebody who actively works for the game operator...and knows they're working for the operator. They pretend to be a game competitor in order to garner attention and play to get things movings along. This is done for the benefit of the game operator, and often at the expense of participants. It's also seen in auctions...when somebody continually hikes up a bid price in order to raise the final bid....but without actually winning the auction. This person is usually working with the auctioneer or owner of the item being auctioned.
A cheat is somebody who does anything outside of the generally accepted rules of the game in order to advance themselves as a player in the game. They do it for their
own recognition and benefit. A cheat can be working with or without the knowledge of the game operator, there just usually isn't any benefit for the operator except for auxiliary favors, perhaps.
IN this case...it seems the ones who apparently did what they did....did it not for the benefit of the entire game, but for themselves--to get credit for figuring out the puzzles. That's cheating.
Some have said that it's no different than getting hints from the characters. That's not true.
For example, Tachyon gave my a very good hint about the swimming pool in that one movie scene. That was the hint that helped "break" the case as it were....but I did it within the realm of game play by sending a message to Tachyon via youtube. And, as per the rules, I posted the message for everyone to see. That was for the benefit of the entire game.
If people were getting hints from the PM, then they are obligated t post the hints in the forums for everyone. Clearly, they weren't doing that? Why? Because their methods of getting hints/answers was outside the rules of the game...they were cheating. What's worse is the the PM went along with it...and perhaps even encouraged it. Rumors like that have been circulating for months, but nobody was ever willing to prove it.
Can we compile all the facts? I don't think posting chat logs is necessary. Just someone who has the logs or knows about instructions (like in your case Tiger) or hints given by Glenn, could you come forward with facts? I don't care who it was, I just want to know what were the specific instances, to see how pervasive the practice was.
I think, as game participants, we are owed this. Thing is, people don't want those logs posted because there was "personal" information revealed. Others don't want them posted because they don't want to be "outed" as a cheater. Well, screw that. I offered before, and I'll do it again. If anyone has them...send them to me and I will personally redact anything remotely personal and off -topic. I'm very good about stuff like that and do not gossip about that stuff.
I have to say, though, again...you guys should never, ever consider forum posts or chat logs to be private, especially when you are discussing elements of the game. There is no such thing as a "private chat" when you're dealing with the Internet. If you choose to reveal personal information, then you need to be aware that anybody could possibly have that.
Take Miss Antonella Barba on American Idol. Those photos of her were meant to be private....but they still got out.
) lurker. I read everything in the Opaphid Forums, love TigerLily's explanation videos, and bore my friends to tears with details about what is happening in the Tachyon/Op World (even when they are no longer listening). When Tach's music came on in "Human Ransom" I jumped up and started dancing - and I almost joined the forums then just so I could post to other people that would "get it." But I never joined because I knew I was not smart enough to help with the puzzle solving (It's in Hexa - wha?). 
