The biggest news to come out of Culver City this week has to be the bans Riot issued to several thousand offending players. I have to admit, I was a little worried when Pendragon made the initial post. I’ve been a bit more ragey than usual in my ranked games. My rating has plummeted from the high 1500s to mid 1300s over the past couple weeks, a frustration I’ve leveled at whatever feeder/afker/incompetent-boob is closest. I’m still in the clear and I’ve refocused most of my frustration into attempts to climb the ELO ladder. Other players were apparently a bit more liberal with their insults, but surprisingly, few players understood why they were banned.

Pendragon made a post offering to explain to the first five respondents, all of whom must have been banned for a week or more, the reasons they had been banned. The reasons? Racism, afking, intentional feeding, reporting other players’ positions through fog-of-war, real-life threats, claiming to be/know a Riot employee, Teemo shroom art (that one made me laugh). It’s a hell of a list, especially considering that chat logs are recorded.

Honestly, I have to wonder why these guys think they could get away with it. Some of the players seemed genuinely surprised to get banned. And to think, I was worried. I make aggressive use of words like “moron,” “idiot,” and occasionally “mongoloid” if I’m feeling extra emo. I swear profusely. But none of this is even close to racism or the kind of game-wrecking crap like fog-of-war revealing. The funny thing is, I’m a really nice guy on an average day. I don’t belittle people. In fact, I even try to avoid fraternal diminutives like “bud” or “bro” lest they be misconstrued. I’m typically friendly to a fault.

When I’m online, though, and all I want is an enjoyable game with skilled players, I’m like a toddler. I don’t get my way and something ugly starts to bubble up. Obviously, anonymity exacerbates the problem. The fact that I don’t have to see the targets of my aggression make it that much easier to unleash. It’s a strange phenomenon, and something I’ve been making a concerted effort against since I first logged into a competitive video game. I still slip and freak out here and there, but it’s gotten better over the years. I figure by the time I’m 50 I should be a zen master of cool composure, even when my son is whooping my ass at Soul Caliber 34.

What about you? Is your online personality dramatically different than you behave offline? Just a little more ragey? Or have you already achieved enlightenment?