Subject: re: the fine art of cheating??? Date: Fri, 8 May 1998 14:47:02 +0900 From: Ron FOSTER To: fkusumot@ix.netcom.com [[posted this to some mailing lists--if you don't find it somewhere else, feel free to post it]] At 10:40 AM -0400 98.5.7, Eric L. Sofer wrote: >Well, now I have seen it all. I was browsing about the Dojo briefly, and >caught a posting from someone who was DEFENDING CHEATING AT MAGIC. I'm not >posting this person's name because it's not important (though I am >E-Mailing him a copy) - but it seems to reflect a somewhat current opinion >on Magic. [[if you haven't read this thread on the Dojo, you should do so now. this message can wait 'til you get back.]] While the content of the message can and should be debated (as it is), I think we should respect the fact that Nate has in effect stood up on a soapbox and has publicly addressed the ethical problem more directly and honestly than anyone else so far. Even if you disagree with his thesis, you gotta give him credit for his cajones. What disturbs me more is among the replies to Nate's original message is one from a self-described "veteran Pro Tour" judge who admits that he himself not only would engage in the unethical behavior Nate describes in his first three hypothetical situations, but goes on to detail a situation where he has in fact acted unethically and in an unsportsmanlike manner! This should set off warning lights for everyone who reads it. It is one thing for players to act unethically--some always will, intentionally or otherwise. But for a judge, who is supposed to defend the integrity of the tournament and the game from a rules standpoint and ensure that all play is ethical, fair, and sportmanslike, to admit that he as a player would engage in unethical behavior is outrageous. It is unacceptible. It destroys the integrity of the game in a way that no Pro Tour Player accused or found guilty of cheating ever could. If we cannot ensure that our judges adhere to a high standard of ethics, how could we ever hope our players will? I can only assume that if confronted with his own testimony, this judge would insist that were he judging and not playing, he would most certainly not allow such behavior to occur, but this defense is hollow, being both hypocritical and unconvincing. Ethical standards are not slipped on and off as easily as that judge's shirt is. What can be done to ensure that our judges know how to "do the right thing"? For starters, when certifying new judge applicants, we judges (this includes DCI and WotC staff) should take the time to talk with each candidate and feel him or her out. While rigorous discussion may not be possible given the time constraints surrounding the usual interview, some role-playing or "ethics testing" using hypothetical situations like those in Nate's article could be done to sound out the candidate's views on what constitutes a fair play. I for one know I would turn down any applicant who said that (in Nate's examples) since it's the opponent's mistake, so be it--such a candidate to me would not be showing sufficient understanding of the concept of "sportsmanship" and "professional behavior" that is extolled in the Floor Rules but appears to be lacking is some quarters of the playing population (and, sadly, the judging population as well). We as judges are intended to be more that machines that monitor rules violations--we are also supposed to be adjudicaters of what constitutes fair play as well. In other words, we must also be an ethical yardstick. While I am confident that the majority of us understand this and take our responsibilities seriously, it is damaging to all of us to have a judge state in public that he has and, given the opportunity, would again engage in unethical behavior. I can only hope that someone, somewhere, in the position to do so, has a little "chat" with the judge who has participated in the thread started by Nate. Thanks, Ron Foster ron@bowneglobal.co.jp DCI Level III Judge Tokyo, Japan