
The Twit Filter: The Rules Lawyer
by Dave Bealer

Human beings value the concept of personal freedom.  At the same
time, most of us recognize the need for some rules and regulations to
keep others from infringing on our freedoms.  Many of these rules
embody the principle of "common sense."  Rational people don't need
to check the specific State or Federal statutes to see if murder,
rape or robbery are allowed.  We know automatically that they are
not. 

Some rules and laws adopted by governments and organizations can't
be explained by "common sense," or any rational measure.  Since the
average person cannot anticipate these rules, and will not commit to
the study of the rules necessary to become aware of them all, they
remain blissfully ignorant of these rules/laws.  Ignorance may be
bliss, especially in this case, at least until a rules lawyer comes
along and causes trouble.

We all know that ignorance of the law is no excuse for breaking it,
but even professional law enforcement types will steer clear of
trying to enforce the sillier laws; at least until a rules lawyer
comes along.

The rules lawyer takes great delight in studying every wrinkle and
nuance of the laws of an area or the bylaws of an organization.  The
goal is always the same, to use said laws/rules to his own advantage.
Whether it be financial gain or power, the rules lawyer is always
after something.

Borrowed from role playing games, the concept of the rules lawyer
transfers easily to the online world.  Rules are necessary to avoid
total online anarchy, although you can easily find people who will
tell you that is exactly what we have.  Avoid these folks, they are
probably frustrated rules lawyers.  There are hundreds of networks
and thousands of online systems out there in cyberspace.  Most of
them have rules, ranging from two or three sentences that say, in
essence, "try to work and play well with others," to dozens of pages
of legalese.  Very few of these sets of rules have actually been
created by legal professionals.  The longer the set of rules, the
greater the chance that something silly has been incorporated.

Frustrated rules lawyers, the ones who finally figured out that they
weren't going to get the money or power they desired, despite all
those years of poring over the rules, eventually settle for making
the folks they perceive as having the desired power and wealth look
silly.  They also try to make as many other members of the society or
organization miserable as is within their power.  They accomplish
these feats by invoking, or hiding behind, the most ridiculous rules
they can find.  The only thing more difficult that dealing with rules
lawyers is actually trying to eliminate or modify the silly laws or
rules that gave these sickos their power in the first place.    {RAH}
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Sound Byte:

  Q:  Which one doesn't belong:  Jupiter, Mars, Mercury, Bosnia
 
  A:  Jupiter.  It alone has a gaseous surface.  All others are
      cratered wastelands completely inhospitable to life.
        
         (contributed by Mark Kaplinsky of New York, NY.)

