Rape in Cyberspace

"A Rape in Cyberspace"
This article was very strange to me. I couldn't help but feel alienated as I read it. In my mind the word rape represents an action much more forceful and violent than the events described by the article. Yes what happened may have been annoying to those involved, perhaps the action could have been considered offensive even, but in my mind that is as far as things should have gone. It seemed at time that the people in this VR world were loosing grips on their RL personas. I understand that an avatar can be considered an extension of self, but come on. Some punk kids made a digital representation of a person, that is no more connected to that persons physical existence then an animated animal is to the RL equivalent, eat her pubic hair, SO WHAT. Worse things are displayed on TV and Movies today. The degree of seriousness given to this case was surprising to me and, to be frank, I feel over exaggerated. The reaction (or lack thereof) for repercussions for this action were fitting. The rude player was ejected from the server. In that respect the punishment fit the crime, but the crime was so benign that it hardly warranted the attention and at times hyperbolic descriptions of the offender and the offence.