Clarifications About InfoNet News

Due to the recent interest and 'hype' in regard to the infoNet FreePress and Gnat Technologies, I'd like to clarify a few points raised.


1). Give us the details of the author of the Second Hell Tourbus.
I can't do that. They don't want their name disclosed, and as such it is against the Second Life Terms of Service for me to give it out. In addition, I have a legally binding real world privacy contract with the author. So unless required by law, I can't give out their details without violating both US and International Law.

If you don't have a real world lawsuit against the author in question, or can't give me a summons, then I can't give it to you. So don't ask.


2). The Second Hell Tourbus should be removed from the infoNet, as it is the worst subjective biased list of places ever seen.
We believe in free speech and do our best to not interfere with publishing groups. The Second Hell Tourbus is managed by a third party group, same as all our publishing groups (Second Life Herald, Doped Goat Quarterly, etc.). In this case, they have in fact violated the Second Life Terms of Service and were removed from circulation last week.

I will say again, The Second Life Tourbus was removed in entirety last week. It's over. It's gone.


3). Why is Gnat Technologies sending out notecards to people asking for items?
There has been a big demand and public outcry for a consumer product review. This is a volountary service to merchants and they do not have to participate. Participation in the infoNet Consumer Review would mean the following.

a). As the results are published online, it is free advertising for you. Get out there, get known.

b). It will give you a benchmark on how well your product performs in the public domain, and give you a clear idea of your major competitors.

I know of many companies in the real world that PAY to get their items reviewed by popular press and get poor reviews. We are giving this service to merchants for FREE. If you are a merchant and don't like it, then don't participate. If you are a consumer and don't like it, then don't participate. If no-one uses this service, we won't publish it. The choice is up to YOU, the community.


4) What happens to products submitted to the infoNet consumer review?
Once items have been reviewed they are either returned to their owners at their request or placed into a storage area.

Once every 2 months, we hold a yard sale and sell off reviewed items at discount rates. The funds generated are donated to non-profit SL institutions and/or groups that best help serve the community (schools/support groups). (note: non-transferable items are discarded after review)


-------------------------
For more information, please feel free to contact the relevant department of Gnat Technologies.

Advertising / Directory:
News Manager:
Managing Director:

That's all well and good, but how many notecards do you plan on dropping on people? I've had 4 dropped on me over the last month. Do you have a Do Not Call list I could put my name on?

I am glad to see that the issue was resolved via proper channels, without any user of Second Life becoming an arbiter of policy.

That would have led to a much darker place than anywhere the tourbus could have taken us.

Well done.

Except... InfoNet WASN'T "popular press" until a week ago. Popular's relative. I bought an InfoNet computer and trashed it because it's a fancy notecard dispensor. I've seen MAYBE 5 terminals in-game EVER until your Godsend Infohubs were installed.

And for conversation, why didn't I get a notecard? I've been making products in Second Life for over a year. How did you choose who got the notecard? Why did some receive more than one?

Before infohubs were introduced by linden lab, there were public infonet access points in 85 regions. 5 of which you said you have visited at one time or another. In addition there are well over a thousand personal access devices in use.

I'm sadned to hear that you trashed your infoNet access device, although it is your right to do so should you feel the desire to.

As I understand it, the news team is currently reviewing t-shirt designers. I'm sorry if you make t-shirts and didn't receive a request.

As for whom receives a request, we send a request to everyone we can find in the selected category. If you feel left out, please contact myself or the head of our news team (Venya Salome) for more information.

I believe the question was how to stop receiving review requests, not how to receive more.

Squagmire,

i must say.. i have a solid respect for you and your dealings. you're an upright citizen/business person and i appreciate the candor with which you operate.

i've read the other posts here and as far as i can figure.. some cards are given out multiple times because, well.. it's hard to keep track of things like that. and others never got one, for the same reason.. SL is a BIG place and a project like this won't be all that smooth.

it seems to me that your aims are worthy and true.

you have my respect and that's all i really wanted to say.



edit: Ps - i like the whole Consumer Review type of thing you're attempting as well. like a passive BBB.

To echo Cybin's post, I've owned and installed several personal infonet terminals to-date. I know more than a fair few whom own and use them regularly.

Case in point, the halloween haunts section was really useful to me in that I never know where some of the more clever seasonally themed builds are until well after the fact. If not for infonet I'd never have gotten around to see Crystalshard Foo's amazing haunted house, or any of of the other builds mentioned.

I for one really enjoy Infonet and appreciate the efforts made by the Infonet staff.

I purchased a terminal recently and wanted to say it is a way sweet "fancy notecard dispensor" .

Huh? I made 10 T-shirts my first newbie week over a year ago.

Well, I made 187 my first newbie week. Your move, skipper.

Wha? I made so few cause T-Shirts are dumb. Why did you waste your time on so many?

What's infonet and why should I care?

I didn't see an answer to this, so I'll ask again...

Do you have a Do Not Call list so we can stop getting the notecards dropped on us?

So I could outstage you.

You made 187 T-shirts back when you joined the game so you could outstage me?

Yup yup. I'm da winna!

Though I have not heard any kind of public outcry, in the forums or in world, for product reviews. It is also interesting that the person who was pressured to submit her/his first ever shirt hadn't even made a t-shirt, but a different kind of shirt entirely.

May I ask, who will the panel be for the product reviews? Popular presses do review products, food, restaurants, etc. but they do this riding on the reputation of the reviewer as someone with tested and proven taste. My uncle Archie, for example, isn't going to be allowed to write theatre reviews, and it's probably a good thing as he has never seen a play other than the ones they have in church. How do we know that the judge will be unbiased and not just shilling for the people who pay for listings? or their friends? or their own alt's business? Is there some way that you can assure the public that the reviewers are honest and fair?

Also, how does a publisher get access to InfoNet to publish? Does it cost money? Can I publish anything I want through InfoNet as long as it doesn't violate the TOS?

**Note: Since posting this, I have received a good deal of additional information from
Venya and feel now that they are preparing to do an honest job of product evaluations.
I'm also told that the issue my friend had with being pressured to submit has been resolved, so that is good news. I look forward to seeing the product evaluations. Cheers and thanks to Venya for her follow through and diplomacy.**

Happy to be of service!

Contact me if any more issues pop up, or if you have any more questions.

This is baloney. What a simple task to not bother people with more than 1 notecard. I don't really care if the InfoNet does product reviews or whether they are even unbiased, but don't spam people with notecards. "It's hard not to" isn't really a decent excuse for not spamming people. I am so happy that people are willing to accept amateurish business practices in SL. Makes it all seem so much more than a game, doesn't it?

Considering the hundreds of merchants out there it's a little harder than you would think.

However, in regards to the multiple cards... the root cause of this situation should be resolved now. If you (or anyone else) is a merchant and is still being contacted multiple times, or after declining to participate, please IM me.

In addition, if you have any questions/comments regarding the process itself contact me. I'll be happy to answer any of your questions, or address your comments.

Thank you.

I notice that "Second Life Tourbus from Hell" is still plastered all over the infohubs, complete with the listing of hellacious citizens to avoid therein.

Also still there is Dione's Designs. As before, her name is still there, in a special slot devoted to her particular hellaciousness, apparently, though the material itself has been erased.

It was promised that this would be removed. When it wasn't, I stated that Infonet had no intention of cooperating with people's desires that it be removed.

When it was then stated that yes, it would be removed, I asked if there was some technical difficulty. I was told that yes, there was.

The material is still there, so that must be one heck of a technical difficulty.

My new question is this: Why did LL chose to give the Infohubs to a private business which finds it too difficult to change any of the material on their sign? Shouldn't they at least have given these signs to someone capable of removing material on them?

coco

P.S. If anyone is unclear what I'm referring to, it's the part that includes this:

"The Second Hell Tourbus is a weekly tour of Second Life's worst places and people. We're talking the ugliest offensive builds, the most expensive stores, worlds biggest rip offs, and the con-artists of SL.

"We will take you on a tour through hell.... and you'll thank us for it. Welcome to the tourbus."