This post is typical of today's society. People love to look for a 'reason' or an 'excuse.' What ever happened to taking responsibility? Guess it went out of fashion some time around 2500 B.C.
Has nothing to do with not taking responsiblity. Persnoal responsiblity is paramount to any sucessful society. And Meister did take responsibility by stepping down as the Program Directory for AO Stratics. As far as the banning is concerned that's between FC and Meister and not for any other player to decide.
As far as looking for an "excuse" or a "reason"? Don't you believe in mitagating circumstances? I'm sorry there, friend, but life isn't black and white.
Hatchet
Incorrect. It _IS_ between the players at large, and not just FC to decide.
Why? Because in the doing if it gets done or not done and no player has a say about their feelings on it, FC will consider it viable and that creates a precedent. And anyone with half a clue knows once a precedent is set, it is a perpetual uphill battle to change that, since the focus will eventually come back to being, "You didn't complain before, why complain now?"
In the case of Meister if the players were not to cause grief now, this could happen again, and again, and again with FC being the source and some other individual being the tool as Meister is now, and FC would simply brush off the playerbase by saying "Stuff it please...you didn't complain or raise any issues the first time it happened..."
Therefore as I started this with, incorrect.
Mitigating circumstances? Let me tell you about 'circumstances'. A) Meister could have done his review by checking Test server. B) Meister could have done it on live, with a GM chaperone. The fact neither happened is indicative of the fact that FC allowed this to happen, and Meister abused that trust by thinking he could make some extra cash while he was doing the 'review'. Nevermind the fact he couldn't have any competition because no one else could get there. And that in itself is what has caused such a outcry.
In RL Hatchet you are correct, there is no such thing as black and white.
In a MMORPG, you're completely off base. It is either legal, or not legal, and steps should be taken either way. Meister's foolishness was clearly -not- legal, and those prerogative steps have not been taken.
-Culann