Is Identifying Alts Against the Rules?

There were some posts deleted in a previous thread where I was attempting to make the connection between a prolific poster and what I believe to be one of its alts. I felt that this was important, as the player and the suspected alt seemed to be churning the forum by expanding upon and answering their own questions.

Clearly linking virtual-world and real-world identities is forbidden, however I looked in the CS and ToS and found nothing about linking alts to a main avatar. As a matter of fact the only thing I found in the CS concerning alts is this:


I don't want this discussion to be about individuals. Rather I would like it to be about ideas. Namely, is identifying alts against the rules? If so, does that mean we have no recourse but to suffer their self-supporting posts and self-perpetuating threads? If identifying alts is only forbidden in the forums, can we do it in world?

~Ulrika~

I think the problem is in the assumptions. Unless an alt has been admitted, it's only an accusation, and it's rarely done with a positive connotation behind it. I've seen plenty of people talk about alts that are forum common knowledge and get by without being censored, so this is just my guess, not based on any hard facts.

To me, there's a difference between mentioning that Ianthe is my alt, (she is) and claiming that I'm someone else's alt. (I'm not.)

According to Pathfinder Linden it is illgeal and he knows what he is talking about. Even more important, in my opinion, is why in the heck would anyone run around trying to identify another person's alts? There are a lot more funner things to do in SL than worrying about other people. I also believe that identifying, or even attempting to identify another person's alts, is a form of harressment. Someone swat me if I am incorrect.

Susie, Ulrika explained very clearly why it may be important to understand the connections between a person and their alts. There are occasions on this forum wherein an individual will post a thread only to reply to it using an alt to simulate agreement. I think such maneuvers are worth knowing about in the course of mature discussion.

What I'd give to see vBull's IP logs of posts.

I read through the CS, TOS, privacy statement, and forum guidelines, there was nothing in particular about naming alts. Didn't Pathfinder said that it falls under breach of privacy umbrella though?

IMHO, I believe that the problem is naming names in particular. Unless there is a way to know for sure, through the admission of said alt, then I think they (lindens) would possibly consider it a personal attack. Especially if accused individual is highly known for the constant need to AR every comment made toward them.

Well, if RL information is verboten, then maybe alt-outing is illegal because the connection between alts is a RL person.

Yes. I was told it violates privacy and is against the guidelines. However, I see nothing to that affect in any of the documentation. Further it in no way involves RL identities, so the privacy guidelines seem moot.

I see no reason why we should not be allowed to state when alts are being used to clearly game the forums.

~Ulrika~

Reposting – If a moderator removes your post, do not repost it elsewhere. Do not repost threads that have been locked or deleted and do not repost content that has been edited or deleted by a moderator. Furthermore, please do not post a "why did my post get removed" post. Send any further discussion regarding post removals to [email]abuse@lindenlab.com[/email].

Hmm I can see it's time for me to get off my lazy butt and train my vast army of alts to get in the forums and start singing my praises!

...please note language, such as "fraud, liar, cheater, griefer, troller, jerk, scam artist" etc is strongly discouraged, but will not be removed.

Is calling someone an alt akin to calling them a fraud?

Could I reiterate, Ulrika, that Cocoanut is NOT repeat NOT repeat NOT my alt. That is your charge. We are completely unrelated, merely being friends from a previous game, TSO.

I don't need alts to churn, Ulrika. I churn all by myself. Sometimes I have alts associated with various communities where I have rentals to be able to divide up the labour and keep the accounts straight on different properties. The people in the communities know this, and the land groups are all the same. So get a life, alts are not here to churn or have fake debates with "itself".

Prokofy is he. I am he, not "it".

Please get off this topic, Ulrika. Your constant harassment of me and Cocoanut by claiming that we are alts is just sick. Get Urizenus Sklar, who used to do this same crap, to testify -- he finally confessed that he had proved we were separate people. I know it is terribly hard to take when you find someone who seems friendly to me and even agrees with me sometimes, but honestly, it does happen!

Ask anybody who was in SimArts and they know we are completely different people. They know because there is no way in hell I could be hosting gameshows in TSO on the very night I used to have to work and you could easily prove I was at work; or if I was logged on to TSO, I'd be doing something of my own, some event on my lot and Coco was running her lot.

I honestly have no need to have fake debates with myself. I can get plenty of debate going just from the other real people on these forums. I can even find people who agree with me, without creating fake alt interventions. The times I have put an alt in here has been to make an obvious joke, like I did with my funny "democratic discussion" about how my alts were going to all vote on the propositions.

Ulrika,

Maybe you are right (and you are) that linking SL av to SL av should be allowed, but in the forums it might be a case by case basis.

It is possible that the rules were cited concerning linking RL to SL avs (when the real issue was SL av to SL av) because Avatar X has an inability to argue any subject without making it personal. Couple that with an almost unbearable lack of brevity on the part of Avatar X (and possibly Avatar Y) and you have the ingredients for a repeat of the previous flame-fest that was locked.

Is it fair that Avatar X wins special immunity from accusations? No. But it is also not fair that a baby's diaper must be changed by people who didn't make the stink.

Yes, it's a privacy violation. Consider the following: suppose I freely connect my avatar with my RL identity. Suppose I have an alt I wish to remain private, for whatever reason that may be. By associating my alt with my main account, you are revealing my personal information. QED.

Just because you believe someone to be an alt, it doesn't give you the right to know if they are or not. Nor does the TOS. From a TOS standpoint, there's no difference between posting someone's RL telephone number and speculating about who owns which account.

It is not the definition of alternate accounts that makes identifying alts illegal. It is Linden's interpretation of the privacy provisions.

The provision you've quoted says that doing things like using multiple alt accounts to gang-negrate would be illegal.

I think its comical when somebody uses an alt to cheerlead their main in the forums. Its really hard to do, though. I have two alts, one of which has posted in the forums, but that was by mistake. Its too hard to keep track of who's logged in, especailly when changing your login to the world doesn't change your login to the forums.

The reason it should be against the rules to "out" alts is because that would ruin the role-playing aspect of the game.

Be careful who you flirt with. That sultry babe in the skimpy halter top just might be me

Buster

Now that I think back on it, Ulrika, I think you did mention correlations between things that exist outside of SL. That is probably what tipped the scales toward RL>SL as opposed to SL>SL identification. If you had stuck to analysis of writing style or other correlations within the SL world (and forum), then you probably would have been okay with your speculations (though it still wouldn't have been OK in the sense of what would inevitably happen with Avatar X even if you did- but it would be OK in theory, I think).

You could do it in an indirect way. By quoting the Alt, then replying to them as the person you imagine the alt really is.

D

Phillip, you sly dog

For GOD'S SAKE! I can't get off the computer for an HOUR! Pathfinder, please DO SOMETHING! And don't do it by hiding all this, I hope - do it by looking up the ISP's or whatever the heck it is you need to do to prove to this individual for once and for all that I am not Prokofy!

It is not the supposed "outing" of alts that is at stake here, nor the coupling of RL with game personna somehow!

I just simply AM NOT THIS PERSON and it is vicious harrassment to follow up every post I make on these forums, in good faith, on any topic whatever, with some kind of comment about how I am another person!!

coco

No one is accusing you of anything in this thread. Ulrika prefaced it with "I don't want this discussion to be about individuals. Rather I would like it to be about ideas." Perhaps you'd see that if you bothered to read the first post of the thread. As far as I understand it, this thread is about whether or not it is okay to link SL av to SL av.

Using. Hypothetical. Avatars.

Ideas. Not. People.

The only people who have taken anything personally in this thread so far are you and Prokofy.

Please put the cross away.

Toy. Thank you Toy. I just noticed you are in this thread. Toy and Angelique no VERY WELL how VERY MUCH I am not Prok.

Moreover, people have met Prok irl. People have met me irl. I don't think any of those people are the same people, but they are people we have known in TSO. Everyone knows we are not the same person.

The issue here is you are HARRASSING THE HOLY HECK OUT OF ME. THAT is the issue!

Those of you on this idiotic kick, kindly think how YOU would like it if someone were following you around some forum, constantly claiming you were a liar and were really someone else impersonating yourself.

Is there a lawyer among us? I'm sure there are legal terms for this sort of thing. I'm about ready to find myself a lawyer.

coco

AND it takes a great deal - as everyone who knows ME - COCO - to piss me off this bad. I hope you're happy about that Ulrika, but pissing me off this bad is absolutely ALL you will ever get from me.

... Read everyone's posts. EVERYONE'S. There are only two people on this thread even mentioning names. Everyone else is talking about interpretation of the TOS.

::bashes head against wall::

Read. Comprehend. This thread was not and is not about you, unless you choose to make it about yourself.

Hey coco yes I do know your not a alt of prokofy that was settled almost 2 years ago in th herald

I did read the original accusation that said you were Prokofys alt and personally I would have filed an immediate abuse report

but some people think it shows ther warped idea of importance by doing so, I do hope its not to late to file it

::bashes skull against wall::
:: shoots self in head::
:: sets self on fire::
::writes a forum novella about how everyone is victimizing me::