Is it wrong to cheat on “Words With Friends”?

The short answer is yes. Of course it’s wrong. Unless you happen to be stuck with all vowels and a Z and you’re in a really tight game.

Just kidding on that last part. It’s never OK to cheat in this stupid game, especially since it has a built-in cheat that lets you try all sorts of preposterous combinations with no penalty whatsoever. Try that in real Scrabble sometime. Is “zypotix” a word? Well, let’s just run it up the flagpole and see who cheers. … Hmm. No. How about “coxae”? Yes!

The reason I’m pondering the question is because I suspect others are availing themselves of the various Scrabble word finders on the Internet whenever they find themselves in a jam. Never mind the ethics of this; the logic is even harder to fathom. It’s like a pickup basketball game where LeBron James stands in for you while you shout encouragement from the bench. You are no longer a player, but a spectator.

I’m playing just one game of “Words With Friends” now, and I am not implying in any way that my opponent would even dream of getting a few hints from the Internet now and then. Of course not. But I watch other people, including loved ones, and I believe some of these contests become quickly reduced to luck alone. Here are these seven random letters; now let’s sit back and use the limitless memory of the Web to maximize their potential. Talk about fun!

OK, that’s enough about ethics. Let’s turn to questions of etiquette. My question is this: Should people playing “Words With Friends” repeatedly ignore those present in the same freaking room, while said players try out impossible words like “mongoz” and “xoast”? That’s been happening a lot around here. Discuss among yourselves.