Empowerment?

IMHO, I would say that such a simple write-off of people that are "addicted" to MMOs or MUDs is ultimately unproductive. The article on MUDs approached the "addiction" issue in a new light that I found completely refreshing. The author brought up the universal human need for mastery. As the author points out, many of the people who spend time building a character in their respective MUD are learning and empowering themselves --some are even becoming virtuosos and stepping up into important positions such as "architect." Many of these people are doing just fine in RL as well; if some people are being empowered by MUDs then perhaps that extra self-esteem is spilling into their RL and helping them grow as a person. (Btw, I don't now, nor have I ever, participated in MMOs or MUDs.)