Yuniq's Rules of Social Engagement

That’s it. It’s time someone hammered a couple of freaking stone tablets around here. These are in no way passed down by the hand of God, but they’re a damn sight better then all this worship to the golden calf of Griefer.

This is NOT a Bill of Rights. It's a Bill of Priveleges and a Bill of Responsibilities, and it's about time we had one. Why? Read on.

RULE #1: Your Rights Are FAR Dwarfed By Your Responsibilities.

Let’s get this straight. You do not have a right to play Second Life. You do not have the right to go wherever you want. You do not have a right to do anything you want. If you wish for these rights, go design your own game. For the second you step into someone else’s server and start interacting with other people, we’re not really talking about your RIGHTS anymore. Real-world laws do not apply within the bounds of Second Life. If I don’t have the right to arrest you for creating a public disturbance or assault on my person, you do NOT have the right to claim “it’s a free country.”

RULE #2: Privileges Are Like Gifts.

You have been granted the PRIVILEGE of being able to partake in Second Life. Even a full-fledged paying customer is paying for the privilege, NOT THE RIGHT, to play in Second Life… a privilege that can be revoked for misuse or abuse. This privilege gives you the ability to do whatever you want, UNTIL the point where it affects anyone else. Why? Because they have the right to do what they wish as well, until they affect other people. It’s the complex interaction at the edges of that privilege that makes up what we call society. If half of the people playing Second Life would think, “wow, it’s cool that I’m allowed to play here,” instead of “I can do whatever I want,” the world would be a much better game.

RULE #3: Responsibility. You’ll Learn That When You’re Older.

Underage players: We know you’re out there. Those of you who have learned the system and are acting socially: I applaud you. You’re a testament to your generation. Those of you who visually appear to comprise 90% of griefers: It’s time we had a talk. Welcome to responsibility. Much like the adult world, in Second Life you can do everything you wish you could do now, but much like the adult world, there’s ten times more new responsibilities than new freedoms, and it’s about time you learned them. Grab a pencil, there will be a quiz later.

You have a responsibility to act like a well-adjusted social human being, at least in the presence of others.

You have a responsibility to be respectful to others.

You have the responsibility of doing things in the appropriate time and place for doing them. More on this later.

You have a responsibility of following the rules. If you have discovered a way around the rules, you must report it, AND NOT EXPLOIT IT REPEATEDLY. To do otherwise makes Lindens cry, right up to the point where they ban your account.

You have the responsibility of ensuring that your appearance, accessories, expressions, objects, constructions, and land, while expressing your own individual opinions and ideals, are not deemed offensive to those around you. Reshaping your land into a hand with middle finger stretched skyward is probably a good example. Yes, I know, the Mature sims are made for a reason, but I hope for the sake of social interaction, I hope people hold back, at least until the minor restrictions are in place.

Most of all, you have the responsibility to always remember that other people have as many rights and privileges as you have, and the more people you’re running up against, the more you should respect their wishes.

RULE #4: Respect The Public Space.

This is an area that is grossly understated in Second Life, even flagrantly violated. You can do, show, say, build whatever you want, on your own property, in your IM chat, whatever. But when anything you do, say, or make is visible/heard elsewhere, you then have to respect the tastes and opinions of others.

I personally feel that the “if you don’t like it, move” rule will not work in this environment. It’s already failed, in fact. What this rule has bred is a completely different social environment: If I don’t like your place, I’m going to be MORE offensive than you until YOU move! Or better yet, I’ll buy the land around your property, raise it 50m above your house, and cap off the top so no one has to deal with your property. You can then either live in your still-perfectly-function house, and have to teleport in and out (because I have a right to restrict your movement in MY property), or move.

This will snowball without changes. I can perform the same tactic on anyone I just don’t like. Maybe I’ll do it to the house of the person next to me who hosts events that lag up the sim, or because she complains about my guns. For God’s sake, people, you’re in a world with other people. Sure, it’s your land. If you want to put up a wall so no one else has to see it, you can build whatever you want, but if it’s visible from my property, I have a right to at least claim that your stuff has no place in the neighborhood. The goal of society is to meet the NEEDS OF THE MAJORITY first, and the rights of the individual second.

RULE #5: Public Events Are NOT Yours.

With the recent events, I can’t state this enough. This needs to be drilled firmly into every player’s mind, because I had a headache last night attempting to explain this to one of the individuals involved.

Players host special events. These events take a LOT of time and effort on their part, not only in preparation, but in hosting the event itself. You cannot BEGIN to comprehend the stress of running an event until you try to contain twenty wandering, chattering players, half of whom are a pang of boredom away from starting a fight or shooting off a rocket. It’s hard enough when a large group is behaving themselves.

The words “public event” have been horribly misconstrued over the past few weeks. A public event is open to everyone, PROVIDED they follow the social guidelines of the event. This is completely different from standard public airspace, where anyone can usually do whatever they want. In normal public space, no one’s actions have precedent or priority. But a public event has been planned, and structured, and scheduled in that space. It therefore takes priority over individual actions in that area.

You have the privilege of attending an event so long as you obey the responsibility of behaving according to the host’s wishes, be they Linden, player, or whoever. If you cannot obey that responsibility, then you forsake the privilege of attending the event. There are no arguments to this issue. The world is big enough that you can be somewhere else for an hour. Frankly, this should be an official rule for any event that is posted at the board or on the site.

RULE #6: Stop First, Ask Questions Later.

Again, another rule that needs to be beaten in with a sledgehammer. I cannot state this enough.

If someone asks you to stop doing something—I do not care if you disagree with them—the very first thing you do is: STOP DOING IT.

I’ll repeat that. Even if you disagree with them, first STOP the action they have grievance with. If the host of a swordfighting event asks you to stop swordfighting, please have the common decency to stop swinging long enough to type out “but why?” It’s failure to follow this rule—not stopping an action when asked—that’s causing most of our trouble with griefers. If you don’t first stop when asked, and then pull our your brilliant arguments of “it’s a public event” et al, then don’t complain when the person asks you to leave or forces you. And if you did not stop the action when asked, don’t stop it as they’re preparing to escort you from the premises, and then complain because “you stopped” far too late.

When in doubt, CUT IT OUT!

RULE #7: Respect, Respect, Respect.

This one rule would solve every problem in Second Life if applied to the fullest extent. In fact, it’s little more than the underlying theme of this whole rant.

There are only two rules in Second Life. The first is to respect and value the Lindens and the game itself. The second is to respect and value your neighbor’s freedom as much as you value your own.

There’s a rocket training class going on in Perry. Yes, rockets are one of the most annoying things at public events. Yes, the class puts a LOT of strain on Perry, which already was having trouble last week (but is now clearing up). So yes, you could easily say I’m not fond of the rocket class. But you know what? I respect Darwin’s right to host it. I know there’s a lot of interest in that class. I also know that, despite all the smoke and explosions, it is in fact an organized event, which Second Life desperately needs more of. And when Darwin’s hosting that class, even though it’s a stone’s throw from my house, when I come within range of the class, I respect it and stay quiet. And on the occasion where I fail to (for example, someone comes up and we start talking about something else), I immediately STOP when Darwin asks me to please take the non-class discussion to IM.

The more freedom players in Second Life give EACH OTHER, and the less they attempt to hoard for themselves, the better the game will be. Anything else is just going to plunge the world into chaos.

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That's my piece.

Beautiful Yuniq, and I didn't even read most of it I can just sense this is good hahaha!

Thats so good i almost want to copy and paste it into signs around my house in hawthorne

well done

Hear Hear

* bump*

Good post! But I'm curious... what was the final incident that prompted you to do it?

Thanks for bumping... with the new influx of people (me included), I think this is a must read for people who take the privilege of being part of this beta test or any game interacting with others for granted.

I just hope those who read it actually follow it…

Thank you Yuniq,

Hopefully your words will not only be listened to but actually heard also.

I still think the ww2olers will still act like jerks....i mean that one guy almost knocked you from your store yuniq and didnt even say sorry or anything...i mean come on....

"I still think the ww2olers will still act like jerks....i mean that one guy almost knocked you from your store yuniq and didnt even say sorry or anything...i mean come on...."

There's a hundred or so in SL, thousands otherwise. That's a bit of a generalization isn't it, RYGAR?

You're gonna hate it when SL goes gold... maybe they should print "No Jerks Allowed" on the box.

The bill of rights is right on target. I would like to suggest (and its only a suggestion ) that it be written in a much. much shorter form and be worded, well, a little more nicely. I thing what was written was perfect, but a little lengthy to hold some people's attention. Especially when there's distractions like rockets to fire at public events....
Anyway, good job Yuniq.

Hooray... All I can say is *F5*

"I still think the ww2olers will still act like jerks" -RYGAR

Great generalization!!

Have you met all of us?

Please don't judge all of us by the actions of one.

First, great post, Yuniq.

Now, I'm hoping not to hijack this into an anti/pro-WW2OLer thread, but I feel a MUST act to defend myself and the other WW2OLers after RYGAR brought us into it..

Spleef and Concarne are correct. Personally, I try to be as respectable as I can toward anyone. Ask Ethereal Brightwillow, who DID face some accusations as a spy when she first came to our island (understandably, I think, though unfortunate). However, I tried my best to talk her into leaving the few trouble-making WW2OLers alone that she was talking to, and seeing Avondell for any questions she needs answered. And I've since welcomed her very much onto the island, as have most others (she even admitted most of the trouble comes from outsiders to Jessie and the WW2OLers/Wargamers).

Aurelie Starseeker might have a comment on that, as well. I came across her and her house almost two weeks ago, and asked her politely if she'd mind me taking a look around inside. Surprisingly, she agreed. After a brief tour, I thanked her and complimented her on her fine building.

I've only run into Yuniq a few times, but all the times were very pleasant for the both of us.



I don't mind anyone calling out specific names that are trouble in the WW2OLers, but the majority of us have very good intent. Believe what you will, but Spleef couldn't be more right....there's over a hundred of us in SL - unfortunately, you'd have to expect a couple bad eggs in any community with that size.

rygar,ive been here less then 2 weeks.

ive seen various posts by you,every single one has been a bash on us.

you are showing your group in a bad light especially since youre the leader.

youre acting childish and it seems like you act so just cause we now outnumber your group.

BUMP!!! This is a very important thread with all the newbies!!!!

Although I hardly EVER talked to Yuniq, I miss her, she was cool...

Bleh, double bleh, and triple bleh.
If there's anyone who can be far more annoying than a griefer, it's the pedant, the disciplinarian, the control freak, you know who they are... those who do not have a concept of individual freedom and want to impose their view of the world on others.

This is great - I thought she was refering to REAL recent events but its from 5 months ago. I guess times havn't changed.

good stuff..too bad the only people who would follow this already do and those who don't would never read it and think "i must change my evil ways."

this should be a hand out given away to new folks when they come inworld...excellant writting!! clap clap clap

I didn't look at the date when I first started reading this. I was reading and thinking "I don't remember seeing this person at my event" This thread is so true now. At my last event I was attacked by a player, with a bat and thrown into the seats, while I was hosting. If she was still in game these days, I wonder what she would think of the totally horrible behavior being shown at events now, by both trial and veteran players

yeah I miss Yuniq too she used to be my neighbor when I lived in Clara, Any this note I send is maybe we should institute this as required reading for the noobs like was said before.

Apparently People that are comming in now have little or no respect and have no clue what being social is all about. If you were in a bar non of the behaviour that has happend recently would be happening. Real life a person just cant walk up and hit someone with a bat. Were it real life they might be a pulp when I got done with them.

So, as a simple note I just want to ask the Lindens if this can become part of the Mentor Package to newbs so that when one is mucking up we can pass this to them so they can understand that their behaviour at times is unacceptable.

ShadowWeaver

Yeah, something like this would probably have more influence, coming from a resident as it does. Very well worded, too -- bravo Yuniq (if you ever read this). However, as others have said, the only people this will stop are those who're just ignorant. The real troublemakers will set it on fire and go on their merry griefing way. :/