if a server was left...

Posted in Off Topic

a year ago my friend told me about a multiplayer online game which all the creators had left leaving one one to look after the game, when they returned they found out the place was still running and the players had taken over;it had gone insane player fractions had become uneven, 1 fraction taken over etc..(it was a ww2 game), my question is, is it possible for a mog or forum to continue running without anyone looking after it?