Panopticon

The theory of the panopticon illustrates how one is always watched, we are forced to abide by laws, and social norms with fear of being watched and reported. Jeremy Bentham illustrated a prison shaped as a semi-circle with one watchtower in the centre; this single form of observation created fear within the prisoners and encouraged them to abide by prison rules. In WoW there are no set rules or norms, so even if anyone is watching, there are no repercussions because there are no rules to be broken. Within World of Warcraft the lack of rules, laws and regulations encourages the player to act in whichever way they please with their surroundings; attacking animals, provoking fights and acting in such a way that is parallel to actual actions in the real world. Within this photo our WoW player has killed a boar and although there is a trogg witnessing this, there are no repercussions because there is no law against this, and no law at all to prevent such action. The first characteristic of the panopticon is omniscient surveillance, which is the continuous surveillance and is everywhere at all times. Within WoW many players can see you playing, because it is online there is always someone playing who is in your world and in your realm but because there are no rules or norms, no one is watching your actions closely making sure you do not act negatively. The image below shows our player observing another player attacking a wolf. In relation to the panopticon in reality, certain rules and norms are followed that restrict people to initiate fights. In WoW, players have the freedom to do what ever they want without facing any consequences. Although our Wow player is watching this as it takes place, no immediate action is taken to prevent negative behavior. The image below also explains the panopticon theory as we can see a dead WoW player simply lying on the ground. It is typical in reality that people will avoid injuring and/or killing others as it may result in serious consequences.
 * //Panopticon//**