Are People getting ruder and ruder?

[WitchdoctorDan]

And, maybe the SMALLER party should join the larger one. If you're mastered, why worry about rep stealing? If you decide to make an issue of it, than it's griefing. You said:

just for the sake of having them stress over my presence

Meaning? Griefing. If you are mastered, cut the unmastered some slack. They still have to worry about leveling and notoriety and all the rest. Guess who doesn't? If they actually want to get rep, then they aren't acting like they own the server. They just want to enjoy the game. And you deny them of that.