Most players on LambdaMOO, for example, upon first encountering my wizard
player, treat me with almost exaggerated deference and respect. I am frequently called ‘sir’ and players often apologize for ‘wasting’ my time. A significant minority, however, appear to go to great lengths to prove that they
are not impressed by my office or power, speaking to me quite bluntly and
making demands that I assist them with their problems using the system,
sometimes to the point of rudeness.
Found it: Mudding: Social Phenomena in Text-Based Virtual Realities
‘Exagerrated rudeness’ could also be a product of the greater internet dickwad theory.
Attitudes toward MUD wiz teams are also part politics, since the leaders are often dictators of the local environment.