Your Real-Life Personal Information

Recently, a player who hates me and disputes me on the forums, somebody I don't know very well, has started coming up to me in the game, trying to get me into conversations, notecarding what I say, publishing them on third-party websites, etc. That's just "the norm" in this game and I ignore it, as I ignore the bombardment of IMs and PMs from this game alternately asking to "be my friend" and "stop the exchanging of insults on the forums" or vowing to be an enemy.

Now, this individual is sending me messages on the internal forums messaging service warning me that he has performed an "investigation" on me. He has dug around all over the place, in TSO, on other games, on websites, with google -- God, the poor guy must have spent hours! He is coming up with all kinds of personal real-life information that I certainly never gave to me -- my RL name, my location, my job, my publications, my family members, etc. etc. This is incredible.

It's not a difficult thing, really, in our time, if you are filled with malice, to use google and other types of devices (Trojan key-loggers?) to gather information on people's N/A/S/L if you are a mind to.

The fact is, that is against the game's rules.

Harassment Given the myriad capabilities of Second Life, harassment can take many forms. Communicating or behaving in a manner which is offensively coarse, intimidating or threatening, constitutes unwelcome sexual advances or requests for sexual favors, or is otherwise likely to cause annoyance or alarm is Harassment.

Disclosure Residents are entitled to a reasonable level of privacy with regard to their Second Lives. Sharing personal information about a fellow Resident --including gender, religion, age, marital status, race, sexual preference, and real-world location beyond what is provided by the Resident in the First Life page of their Resident profile is a violation of that Resident's privacy. Remotely monitoring conversations, posting conversation logs, or sharing conversation logs without consent are all prohibited in Second Life and on the Second Life Forums.

This person has been abuse-reported in full, both in-game and out, because it is a clear-cut violation of the game's rules. I know the Lindens take such things seriously, but I know they are busy, confused, disengaged from the community in places, overwhelmed, and they cannot always act.

The best thing to do with blackmailers is to publicize what they do. But they have the system rigged here that if you publicize an allegation like that, even if it is true, you can be accused of a "personal attack". So I have no choice but to let the Lindens try to find their way with this one, because it's a really, really important precedent and issue. No one player should be allowed to use whatever methods they can come up with to gather RL information on a player with an intent to do them harm either by pressuring them into silence or by disclosing this information, in whole and in part.

My personal policy on RL information is that I like to keep SL and RL separate. Isn't that the point? If someone would like to get to know me and become a close personal friend, and even date me (I see some reaching for their barf bags), they can come and we can talk A/S/L stuff like on Yahoo or AOL. I'm actually usually too busy for that, but if you are really love-struck, sure, we can talk A/S/L stuff, hon. You never know, sometimes opposites attract ROFL.

If you are just an enemy, a classroom bully trying to pull my pants down in the schoolyard, and spy on me in some fashion with malice, go find something else to do, you aren't going to last long in this game with that kind of behaviour.

I don't hide my RL information, especially from those with whom I have close intimate relations in the game, and from close friends I've had even in several games. It isn't my expectation that they use that information to harm me. I don't care if my RL information is published on the ebay subsidized links, if it is important to someone to do that. But I do think that we all have a right to privacy, and a right to chose the time/place/manner in which we do the A/S/L thing. People should have the right to form close ties in an atmosphere of trust in a game to exchange such information, not have it be forced out of them through coercion.

Even any of you who hate me need to understand the principle at stake. If you do not protect the privacy of residents, if anyone can come in and spread your RL information obtained by false methods or by illegal methods without your consent, we don't have a new, great society, we just have a new method of torture.

Sorry to hear about this, Prokofy. Thanks for publicizing your plight, as I'm sure the majority of us advocate strong privacy rules/rights. If you are open to it, please post updates and/or progress reports as they arise.

A/S/L?



No seriously, whatever happens, whoever agrees with you, whoever doesn't, nobody has the right to go round digging up crap on you and show such stalker like tendancies (even tho its not against teh TOS), I don't always agree with what you put Profoky, and you may sometimes take my jesty posts as flaming, and really it isn't I just like to be a sarcastic dork... But I really don't think you deserve some of the flaming you get and you definately do NOT deserve to be harassed like this.

I seriously hope the Lindens pull their finger out on this one, if its inworld or in forum harassment...

Oh and I would date you if I were single, just for your land you understand....

Well, it's not against the ToS to Google info on anyone. What would be against the ToS is sharing that information with another SL Resident via LL's own servers and systems. And of course it certainly would be harassment if he's taunting you about it and threatening to disclose it, and if he's doing it via SL's forums or inworld, then they can verify and ban him, as he richly deserves.

As to what would happen if he disclosed the information on a 3rd party site, I dunno. It's not really clear whether LL would do anything at all. Though I don't see how they can police 3rd party forums or even verify whether that SL resident is in fact the same person on the 3rd party site, I also don't think they can ignore it as a means to a convenient 'get out clause' to breaking the ToS. Unfortunately, past form would appear to indicate this is exactly what will happen.

Well, I am single, but as you can imagine, nobody loves me for my sparkling personality, they just love me my mature awesome waterfront. It's really a problem : )

I actually like your name too, we could have a winner here!

<deleted personal information -Pathfinder>

And withholding the name despite giving away their real life location, gender and job here on the forums puts you in the clear, does it? I wonder if LL feel the same?

so that's why your posts are always so well structured and oozing with staistics and relevant information?

Uh Kris, this person is published on the net. Her RL location is RIGHT THERE, For all to see. Get it yet? Naw. Your just grinding an axe, and looking ridiculous in the process.

Don't make me post links.

And please spare me the holier-than-thou bullshit "Miss say whatever the fuck I want".

Your such a counter culture hardass.

Sell your sim.

Nolan, you are kinda creepy and scary, you know that. I'm so glad I've never had any dealings with you in-world or out. Going to these sort of lengths and releasing even the information you have above is pretty unhinged. What you're doing is making a connection between the avatar and the RL person - that's not allowed under the TOS. You are giving away personal information that is freely published, but you're linking it to the avatar in SL. You really should stop it right now.

The fact that someone is published on the net doesnt actually give you the right to publish here links to it or the information. While the information may be public domain, the link between 'anonymous avatar' and real life person is not, and it's not your right to make it so.

As to the rest, I'm really not sure what the axe is I'm grinding, or why I'm looking ridiculous, or why selling my sim is relevant. Sorry for being so dumb.

I don't feel that even when a blackmailer publishes information he claims is true, you have to comment whether it is true or false. The principle remains the same. It is a violation of the TOS to publish information like this without consent. And I repeat what I said, if someone wants to get to know me in the game to form a close friendship or date me, they can come and get an A/S/L kinda thing going without having to turn the forums into a personals classified section.

Nolan obviously feels a sense of impunity to engage in these actions, no doubt secured from his reading of how Lindens react, what his grouplet of friends will do to support him especially if they are older players connected to Lindens, etc. etc.

I imagine the Lindens are too busy banning people for swearing in the PG zone, Kris, to be able to put their heads up and see these larger issues.

I know I personally give a lot to the Lindens to chew on. I stick to my guns, and I raise precedent-setting issues. I know I will be scape-goated in the process and I don't mind that. But I personally feel I hit the wall in this game, and I do not feel it is a secure metaverse space for me. Why?

-- anti-gay attacks, vicious, from a repeat offender, on my property and those properties of neighbours and would-be purchasers
-- anti-commerce attacks of the garden variety, i.e. expressions of contempt against me just because I bought a whole sim on the auction, etc. -- just hatred of anybody dealing in land, however friendly and honestly they try to do that
-- anti-newb attacks -- hectoring, condescending, bullying, know-it-all comments from older players in the forums
-- live helpers who cannot keep to their roles but abuse their positions of power to pressure a player, for example, to make a land sale
-- impunity for bounce scripters who are essentially using weapons against other avs -- inconsistent Linden policies on these pernicious animals
-- flawed land group tools that left me twice vulnerable to treacherous officers pulling all their tier out without notice
-- impunity for a player who harms my business reputation by actively and maliciously spreading slander about my business
-- a climate of hatred to those who try experimental communities like Free Tibet due to a PC-disease and also related to the commerce allergy
-- anti-Catholic hate speech allowed to stand where hate speech against other religions would be removed.

Silly me, I think it's important for the newbies, gays, Catholics, real estate agents, experimental community builders, residential homeowners, etc. etc. to feel they have a free game space.

They don't.

Well people like Chip Midnight might just snort and say, can't you see that YOU are the problem, that YOU are the sources of all your antagonism?

But any one who is intelligent and can sift through the issues realizes these are generic issues, and I've just tried to push the envelope and get to that wall, and now I'm there.

Really? Did you just write that rule?

The axe you're grinding is the one you have carried since I deigned to disagree with you ONCE. Don't ever disagree with Kris! She is the authority of all that passes her gaze. A "Q" in waiting.

You show me dear, what I have done that is against the ToS. Put up or shut up. And PLEASE
sell your sim.

Naw. I read the ToS.

I am not giving you my money even though you are trying to coerce me with subliminal messages.

Sincerely, The Loon

Minnesota state bird!

I am a Minnesotan!

I am a loon!

Sorry to hear about your plight. Really sucks and I hope it doesn't get more serious. However since there is no real effective way to prevent this in this day and age (all the rules are geared toward punishment, not prevention), then empathy and tact become survival traits. Know thy enemy also becomes a rule of thumb.

Simply put don't piss people off without a thought. If you have a strong viewpoint that you can't keep to yourself, then make sure you know the audience to which you're speaking. Otherwise this is, as demonstrated, a very real consequence. It may not be right, but it's the way it is. There's always some risk of course, that you don't know your audience, particularly in a forum like this. The safe route would be to not post at all but we're all either oblivious, dramatic, or fate tempters .

Sorry, Rickard, but I won't live in that medieval village, complete with medieval torture tactics, that you envision.

Nobody gets to be punished because you don't like their point of view by being harassed, blackmailed, and outed as to any real or alleged RL information. These are norms.

That cautionary, patronizing, paternalistic tone you're taking -- "watch out how you behave in a little small town like this" -- is the problem, not somebody like me who pushes the envelope of this hicksville because they want it to become a larger, urban experience instead of the provincial one it is now.

Hmmm, well let's see Prok... since you got here you've done nothing but malign everyone and everything in SL that doesn't conform to the way you think things should be (which is pretty much everyone who isn't you). You don't think that's likely to impact your reputation? Or is it all the fault of everyone else for not recognizing the righteousness of your position? It's simple cause and effect. It doesn't take a teki-wiki scripterati technocratic feted inner genius to figure out why you might have engendered less than complimentary feelings in a lot of people. I'm sorry if the truth hurts. Deal with it.

Chip, let me get this clear as your posts on Prokofy's two thread seems to suggest you're excusing the actions of the other party because Prokofy has strong view points. That's what you seem to be saying which, to be honest, suprises me.

Whether or not Prokofy's views or the way Prokofy has argued has put some people's noses out of joint is besides the point here. 100% totally besides the point. The actions of the other party are linking the avatar Prokofy Neva with the RL person behind it - which is a TOS violation and a violation of privacy. Yet you seem to be defending that? Are you saying it's OK if it's against a person you don't like?

I'm no fan of Prokofy, but that's beside the point. Nolan went too far.

Nolan, you should delete the post with Prok's personal info; it's the right thing to do.

Edit: Never mind, Pathfinder got it.

This is astounding, and hugely disturbing.

I am impressed with Nolan's research ability, but his using any facts he has uncovered (or thinks he has uncovered - an important detail) to intimidate another player is clearly against the TOS. I'm also amazed that he has outed himself in this forum as the person Prokofky was talking about. I guess he doesn't realize how distasteful, if not despicable, many players would find his behavior to be.

I have known Prok as a friend since TSO days, and even I don't have any idea of his real life name, location, or occupation. Probably because I recognize people's innate tendencies or needs for either closeness or distance, and I respect them.

More to the point, I think having fun in online gaming depends on the presumption that one can keep one's rl stats from becoming common knowledge to what is, let's face it, a huge population of total strangers (some of whom are nutcases happily hiding behind their avatar to wreak havoc on their various victims). The same principle of a certain level of assumed privacy would apply in a crowded mall: One would reasonably expect that another random mall-goer would not suddenly stand up on a bench and yell to all the total strangers around one's location and occupation.

Disclosing rl information about players in a mal-intentioned manner to other players is against the TOS of this game and of doubtless every online game that exists. Stalking behavior - whether due to a grudge against a particular player or a sick crush on him - is also against the TOS of doubtless every online game. And should be: This sort of thing threatens all of us. It ruins the fun and the game for players less thick-skinned than Prok. We all know players who have been run out of games, and, indeed, fearful for their own real lives, due to another player's obsession.

It is one thing to disagree with another player's ideas or style of communication. It is quite another to go to lengths to uncover personal data and to disclose that data to others. To do so on a public forum - as Nolan has done here - is unconscionable and should be dealt with appropriately by the Lindens.

coco