Originally by: UMEE

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why do i have to use a mic? why cant i just listen in? this has been my issue since the beginning of EVE. after my first month in this one corp, i liked the people and they liked me. one day the CEO convos me and says that "everyone would like to get to know you, why dont you just go out and get yourself a mic, it's only a few bucks?" the convo went on for about 15 minutes, and it was all him trying to convince me. I didnt feel that i had to justify my values, or enter a philosophical discussion. i did anyway, but it didnt end so well. i renew my account, try to get into another corp, and same BS.

my first question is this: why cant i play WITH, and not play with in order to BE? my thing is...i dont want to get to know you. i dont particularly like speaking to people whose faces i dont know over the phone. this is why im not a telemarketer. i certainly dont want to have to sell myself by allowing others to "get to know me" in order to enjoy this game in its full entirety. for me, this isnt a conduit through which i will form meaningful and/or lasting connections. i want to play.

my second question: what if i was a mute, or deaf? the people that i speak to like to say that im shy...but this isnt the case; i work in a very social profession. in addition, i went through all the normal developmental processes, and have what you may consider a normal life for a young adult. but what if I couldnt hear or speak? sometimes I wish people assumed this about me, for the purposes of playing this game.

the thing is, people aren't willing to compromise by at least acknowledging my values. i acknowledge theirs. for pvp ops i say: i'll listen in. i understand that decisions need to be made quickly. but why am i considered a deviant because i dont want to get to know you? ive been on TS before, i HAVE a mic. but 1) i dont want to listen to sad drunken asshats; this is not my idea of a party 2) 70% of the time, i cant make out what people are saying due to static/volume issues 3) i cant understand half the accents out there. 4) most importantly, i dont want to get to know anyone, or make "meaningful" connections with people that i will never meet. this is my value, but no one seems to want to respect that. but I have to respect everyone else's.

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