Personally, I find virtual violence to be a new form of verbal abuse. If a stranger mailed me a copy of a story about a character that rapped and killed a character that had my name, my physical description, and my personality, I would be scared that this person knew where I lived. If a stranger rapped and murdered me within a MUD, I would be wondering if this person could find out where I lived. When an author writes a novel about a violent character, the violence is directed towards another character that that same author has created. With virtual violence, one human being is actively being violent towards another human being.
Virtual violence is a personal violation towards another person's creation and sense of safety.
MUD's and novels are both forms of fictional realities. The main difference between the two media is that a MUD allows for interaction between human beings, while a novel does not. Everyone should interact on a MUD at least once, because it is such an unusual and interesting experience. Bibliography Turkle, Sherry. Aspects of Self.