Stalkers, Griefers, Security, Privacy, Scripting and SL Policy

A recent incident has made me seriously ponder the security and privacy situation in SL and its wider implications and lead to some intersting conclusions. I have been dealing with and in security for people in SL for about a year and so I feel somewhat qualified to give a report from in the field, so to speak. I believe I have the solution to this problem. Allow users to toggle off the effect of llPushObject() on their avatar/land. Let me explain in detail how I reached this solution.

Please distribute this paper!

This paper has not been proof read because I am sick of typing! LOL

1. Reasons for the Psykes Defense Systems HomeSecurity systems (HS) existence.
1.1 Personal Freedoms, Privacy and Harassment
1.2 Tecnically Possible
1.2.1 Scripting and llPushObject()
1.2.1.1 Weapons of Grief and Mass Grief (WMG)
1.2.1.2 Anti-Grief Systems
1.2.1.2.1 Defensive
1.2.1.2.2 Agressive
1.3.2 Scripting, Mass Distribution and Economy
1.4 Ineffective Officially Implemented Technical Solutions
1.4.1 Land Banning and Access Controls
1.4.1.1 Border Standing "Peeping Toms"
1.4.1.2 Insufficient Height "15 meters"
1.4.1.3 Unmodifiable by the Scripting Language
1.5 Ineffective Official Social Solutions
1.5.1 Live Help - Unresponsive and Incapable
1.5.2 Lindens - Unresponsive and Incapable
1.5.2 Abuse Reports - Time Delays
1.5.3 Terms of Service - Major Time Delays

2. Solutions To Griefing
2.1 The Social Problem - Unfixable
2.2 The Technical Problem - Fixable
2.2.1 Removing/Restricting llPushObject() command

3 Solutions to Griefers Using the HomeSecurity System.
3.1 Problems With Manufacturer Back Doors
3.2 Linden Access and Control of the System
3.3 New Code That Stops Mass Griefing Accross Land Borders

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1. Reasons for the HomeSecurity systems (HS) existence.
1.1 Personal Freedoms, Privacy and Harassment

People expect in SL the same things they expect from life in their own country. Freedom (when not breaking laws), privacy and protection from harrassment. We have freedom in SL. We dont have privacy and we have nearly no timely and effective protection from harrassment. This void had been filled by people like myself providing timely, effecting solutions to privacy and harrassment.

1.2 Tecnically Possible

SecondLife provides a very powerful scripting language (LSL). Used effectively it can do anything almost. The above void in player expectations is easily filled by scripts. This supply and demand makes the HS the solution and occassionally the problem it is today.

1.2.1 Scripting and llPushObject()

The most serious harrasment tool available is LSL and within that the most power mass harrassment command is llPushObject() being applied to an avatar. This command works everywhere and has no known defense except sitting.

1.2.1.1 Weapons of Grief (WG) and Mass Grief (WMG)

llPushObject() was at some stage toned down so the push effect was not amplified past a certain float value but this has been avoided by apply the llPushObject to avatars multiple times instead. Add the ability to use llSensor() to target everyone in the 96m range and you have a handgun converted into an automatic weapon.

The non-technical solution to Wepons of Grief and Weapons of Mass Grief is to sit down. Sitting down requires additional thought and action by the game players and is non-intuitive. People at parties and nightclubs stand around and talk etc. And since we are sitting in real life already we have no urge to ponder on resting our avatar legs.

1.2.1.2 Anti-Grief Systems
1.2.1.2.1 Defensive

Besides sitting the only other potentially effective solution is llMoveToTarget(llGetPos()) (aka "movelock" or "anti-push" running in a scripted object attached to the victim. This system will fail under multiple bombardments from llPushObject(). Defensive scripts are not a solution.

1.2.1.2.2 Agressive

Since sitting isn't going to be what we do all the time and there is no other defence. It's natural then to turn to an agressive solution. This is where I and others come in and try to supply agressive products for defensive purposes. My HomeSecurity system protects homes, shops, nightclubs and whole sims from griefers and privacy invaders. My PersonalSecurity systems are basically an anti-stalking device that attacks a griefer any times they are within the range selected. The problems with these systems is they can be set too agressively. So why do I do that?

1.3.2 Scripting, Mass Distribution and Economy

SecondLife and its economy and ability to script and build leads to capitalism. Many people suggest that SL is not a game because it has no goals. However there is one goal to SL that people can set out to achieve and that is to run a successful "company" within SL by selling product you produce. I never set out to make money but by seeing the inadequacies of SL security on my third day online I set out to solve that for myself only. Later it was obvious to sell it and see what happens. Things have grown into the state it is today. I enjoy the income I get from selling my systems as much as I enjoy keeping hundreds of people save from stalkers and griefers. I have heard endless stories of harrassment and received endless thank yous for supplying a solution.

What happens then if I limit the capabilities of my products, or put in back doors to control them without the owners permission? One thing happens - people will by a product not limited and not hackable elsewhere. Does limiting my products abilities remove the problems inherit in SL? No, it just removes my business. Which then means I might get bored and go play World Of Warcraft instead.

Scripting and the SL economy allows and promotes mass distribution of full featured products including products that can be used to cause grief.

1.4 Ineffective Officially Implemented Technical Solutions

I have had more reports given to me about privacy abuse and harrasment than most people besides the lindens are likely to hear. There is little point to me giving examples, anyone online long enough knows about online harrassment and stalking. The solution provided natively by SL are ineffective or if effective are not immediate. In either case the victim has NO immediate abilty to defend themself unless they use an agressive script. And this is one of the roots of the problem (the other being llPushObject() having no defense).

1.4.1 Land Banning and Access Controls
1.4.1.1 Border Standing "Peeping Toms"

I have been told by people that they have a stalker who stand just outside their land and watches them. Very annoying but not against TOS as far as I know. I provide a solution, if I dont someone else will. If a automated solution was not avalaible people would use guns. Either way the appearence of the attacking object is only an illusion. Both use the same scripting attack; llPushObject().

1.4.1.2 Insufficient Land Ban Height "15 meters"

For rwasons best known to themselves land banning (when I last checked it) only worked up to 15 meters! This is crazy many homes including mine are multilevel buildings. And whilst the designers of SL would guess that 15 meters meant 7 stories high in practice with the large camera angle of the screen each level of a building must be much taller than an avatar. My home has 2 levels plus a roof. The roof is above the 15m height. People can land on my roof while my land has no access set! This is a huge reason for why scripted home defense systems exist.

1.4.1.3 Unmodifiable by the Scripting Language

If the land banning height was higher and then adding the ability to add and remove names by scripted products would also increase its usage. Note that even higher land banning height does not stop other griefing initiated activites from outside the land nor does it stop privacy invasion my listen() scripts, border standing and alt-zooming.

1.5 Ineffective Official Social Solutions
1.5.1 Live Help - Unresponsive and Incapable

All my experiences with Live Help have led to no response ever.
If I did get a responce I an near certain they could not stop a griever as I assume these people have no powers to disable scripts, return objects or ban griefers.

1.5.2 Lindens - Unresponsive and Incapable

Recently my experience with contacting a Linden to get a malicious script removed basically resulted in replies from Lindens like "keeping someone from accessing there land is against TOS", "Make a abuse report via the menus" and "I cant help you sorry". It was not until I badgered a nice Linden (whom I wont name) that they came and solved the problem by returning to the owner 3 of my HomeSecurity systems that had been configured malicuously. (See 1.3.2 for why this is possible). If 5 Lindens can be online and none are capable of helping or it is not there job to help then people will resort to action themselves! Let me put this another way, if there is no quick response police force people will arm themselves!! Armed citizens solving their own desputes with violence is called anarchy. Are we a civilized society or anarchists?? Where are the three pilars of civilisation: law, police and governemt?

1.5.2 Abuse Reports - Time Delays

I have never filed a grief report because I have scripted solutions. And its obvious which is more likely to solve my problem faster and with less hassle. Need I say more?

1.5.3 Terms of Service - Major Time Delays

The TOS is a legal document. It does not get read by griefers. It does not stop griefers. It wont save the victims of griefers.

1.6 Hiring Body Guards, Security Personal and Hit Men

The inadequacies of the SL security systems have also led to a new disturbing trend. I have had numerous requests for products by "body guards", "private security" and "hit ment". This trend in itself shows that not only is land unable to be secured but people are unable to feel secure anywhere. Welcome to the arms race. Unfortunately llPushObject() superceeds all defences and so, in SL, violence wins.

2. Solutions To Griefing
2.1 Griefing - The Social Problem

2.1.1 Griefers - Unfixable

We can not stop griefers existing and get into SL. We can ban them and they get new accounts. There is no solution here. I know women who are stalked by the same person on changing account to the point that they leave SL and return as a new name and cant inform anyone they have done so. This is aweful!

2.1.2 SecondLife Police Force - Time Consuming

In real life these problems are solves by the police. Applying the concept to SecondLife would have a psychological effect on griefers. When you know you can be frozen, muted, banned, knocked offline etc and that the police are better armed and trained than you are you soon stop pondering bad deeds. All authority is derived from force! This solution takes people and training, its not an elegant solution for SL. I believe technical solutions are.

2.2 Griefing - The Technical Problem - Fixable
2.2.1 Removing/Restricting llPushObject() command

The analysis of the situation has led me to beleive that the solution is a technical one. The things that happen in SL are controlled directly by the game makers themselves. Every SL problem has a technical solution therefore. Altho I admit some would ruin the nature of the game. Unlike in real life, weapons of mass destruction and violence can be removed from the SL world. The biggest and most devastating WMD in SL is the LSL command llPushObject() applied to avatars. The removal of this (or its application to avatars) is a radical proposal that in one sweep changes the nature of SL and even ruins the fun of Jesse. But it stops griefing significantly. So what type of game do we want?? But before we get this radical lets look at less radical solutions. Another fix might be to lower again the effect of llPushObject() but this doesnt stop the frequency of griefing which means no true solution is here.

2.2.2 User toggle to make llPushObject() ineffective on them

This is my favourite solution. Rather than removing the weapon, make the victims optionally invulnerable. Simple, elegant and people will be singing in the streets. However there are side effects. A stalker "border watching" you on your land can no longer be sent on their way. Not only do major griefers loose a WMD but victims loose a defensive measure. This is the real life equivalent of disarming both police and citizens of any projectile weapons and giving them all knives.
The problem isnt solved just diluted. And thats not a bad idea.

2.2.3 Land Toggle to make llPushObject() ineffective

This idea doesnt stop privacy invasion but it stops you suddenly ending up in the next sim when at home

2.2.4 Land banning a name also bans objects/scripts from that owner too

This is a nice solution too. Make a person unable to have any effect in any way apon you when you are at home.
Objects cant enter or scripts can't run.This should be simple to implement.

2.2.5 Mega Mute or Personal Avatar Effect ban/access Lists

Would you like to completely stop a person from being able to interact with you in anyway possbile?
(Muting can be bypassed by a griefer by having a script relay what it owner says to chat or IM the victim.)
How about a "MegaMute"? No chat, no push & no script from the owner can effect you. How about even making the griefer invisible so its like they never existed too! I like this solution too!


3 Solutions to Griefers Using the HomeSecurity System.
3.1 Problems With Manufacturer Back Doors

Adding back doors to Scripted security is an oxymoron. Ruins the scripts credibility and it wont sell.

3.2 Linden Access and Control of the System

The script could allow access to Lindens but if a Linden is there to turn it off.. they could just as easily "return to owner".
Relying on scripters to add Linden access is not a good idea.

3.3 New Code That Stops Mass Griefing Accross Land Borders

My current HomeSecurity system allows a combination of two options that can cause mass grief. When a user allows llPushObject() to work on "foriegn land" (land not owned by the same owner the HS is over) it can still be set to "Alarm Mode" (which means shoot anyone not authorised.) I will be looking into removing that possibility.

The only side effect I can think of is people will building built up in the sky who want to stop others alt-zooming in to watch them and their escapades. So I might allow "foreign land" attacks in "Alarm Mode" when above 200m.


This concludes my thoughts. I have not proof read this document as it is too damn long! If I have made anything unclear please feel free to message of email me.

Kind Regards,
Psyke Phaeton
Psykes Defense Systems

P.S Kyrah Abattoir has raised a good point that toggling off the ability to be pushed on your avatar gives unfair advantages in shooting games. I suggest land/sims have a forced llPushObject() setting in the same way that people can force No Fly and No Script etc.

This doesn't belong in feature suggestions, and I have been ejected from land innappropriately by misuse of your scripts and similar scripts, with 0 warning, more times than I can count, just flying around.

ok i will rewrite what we talked about here, and i think its the berst solution for everybody. Keeping you from any harrasment.

THE WHITEOUT ABILITY
=================

allow ing you to virtually whiteout someone, you do not see his text, you do not receive his IMs and any scripts the person did do not affect you in any way (you do not hear em do not receive imsd or mails from them or objects, they dont push you either and the physical objects do not touch you , as well the sensors of this person do not see you and collisions with you arent recorded)

this will stop once for all all the griefers, someone bumped you offworld say you insanities or use any scripted objects agains you WHITEOUT HIM!

and enjoy your second life as you used to before.

and even if the person do an alt, you will just need a few clicks to whiteout him again

this is the best way to me because it do not jam games, do not need to remove or alterate lsl functions and do exactly what a griefed person want, no more interaction with the griefer!

Hiro, respectfully - I disagree. I'm reading all of this to mean that Psyke is pleading the case for a land option for disabling llPushObject(). Assuming this is accurate - this is a feature request, and not only does it belong here - I think it would greatly reduce the need to misuse scripts like Psyke's in the first place.

If I could disable the following:

llPushObject()
llPlaySound()

-and-

If I could delegate the "right-click & eject/ban" feature I currently have as a landowner to other non-grouped individuals....

....there would be absolutely no need for me to have a security system of any kind. Of course, even if we get these new land tools, there will still be folks that will insist on running 3rd party security systems. However, if effective and delegatable land tools are in place, folks' justification for running such scripts will be severely negated.

BTW - I am speaking of security scripts in a commercial context. IMHO - Security scripts used in a residential context are excessive; I see no reason not to use the current available land tools for that kind of setting.

Just my opinion

Travis

Psyke i use to have great respect for you; until I had first hand experience with your security system. Specifically the feature that resulted in this was the one described 1.4.1.1. Let me describe how it violates the anti-griefing rules.

The rule in question has to do with leaving unmanned weapons that auto target. With how your system is designed all security features can be left turned on while the owner is away. It could be construed as with in the owners rights to protect there property from intruders I will not argue this. But with the script reaching across property lines it effects neighbors and what they can do with their property. Case and point, say I want to hold a party on my property, but anytime my guests get near my neighbors house they find them selves half way across the sim. In effect this "Security" system is griefing.

It's a turret that shoot people who come near when it's unmanned. How is this description wrong?

But honestly what were you thinking making this a feature that can be left on while nobody is home?

How can I respect someone who sells griefing tools under the guise of security?

The only reason I haven't neg rated you is that it pops up a dialog box telling who the owner is (which i have used to abuse report the owner).

1.5.2 & 1.5.3 response: If you want a griefing war we can launch one. Just imagine how much things could suck if things devolved to pure anarchy. Can you say Massive Parallel IM DoS? Distributed Followers Group Deeded that push people around. Just imagine what a well thought out griefing script could do. Do you really want to encourage that?

Totally irresponsible.

PS. just read 3.3, glad we see eye to eye

Course if you are going to stalk someone it's best to do it from a sim away. Using a long draw distance with the camera positioning and zoom you can see things 128 meters away like they are infront of you.

Peeping toms don't bother me so much. They usualy run away if you shout "Want to join us?" or something of the like. Stalkers can be a bit more annoying (i have a few that want script help).

You are absoluely correct. Let me explain why people can use the HS on land not owned by the HS owner. The HS owner may have the HS installed legitimately on Group Land or on Rented Land. If not for these two scenarios I would seriously consider turning off this feature.

In addition scripting can not tell what land it is on and compare it to the land under the potential intruder.

What we can do tho is check if the land under the HS and under the potential intruder are the same or not. If they arent I could force the HS not to attack.

There is one reason why I dont. People set up sky houses for there sexual activities in SL. Those buildings are over their land but zooming allows peeping toms to stand over foreign land and watch. People in this situation will not buy a security system that cant stop this. So if I restrict mine to current land only someone else will make a system that does work on foreign land. They make the money and they cause the griefing to reappear. What has changed? nothing except I have less sales.

You might think that I am saying I dont want to make this change because I loose money. No. What I am saying is the problem will exist regardless because of demands for such products. If not me supplying others will.

I chose a sensible compromise to this dilemna. I made "over foreign land" attacks an option and I gave instruction to make foreign land attacks not possible.

People don't read. People dont care. People misunderstand. And people want to hurt others.
They will hurt others with or without me.

Using my HS to grief someone is the same as buying a hand gun and griefing someone. The gun maker did not shoot the person.

If my HS should be limited to local land parcle only, then hand guns should be to. And a new player will make a HS system that fills the demand for a unlimited system.

Where is the problem then? The problem is with SecondLifes current design. This will be fixed see my next message.

I have spent a week and a half of implementing a menu based set up wizard for the new version of the HS which is still in testing. The setup wizard is designed to walk the user (who cant read documentation) thru each and every config option (13 of them) with dialog boxes in the hopes of removing any and all confusion and neglect!

The menu system itself takes up one full script. I have taken considerable effort to remove griefing including bring the matter up here, talking to lindens, making a easier product and producing a white paper on the issue.

I have done everything reasonably possible.

I have been in contact with the Lindens and they have seen my white paper. They have plans for the future where Pushing will be an option on land just like scripts and flying.

So if a automated or manual system is pushing u, turn off push

This will also make nightclubs totally safe from bombing, for example. I am very pleased with this idea.

Other ideas are also being discussed and planned.

Thats all I know.

"No Push" Land will be awesome!!

But i do think we need "white out" or "mega mute".

No Push works for me.

i am strongly agains the nopush land
will blick any fast flying devices and cause more problems in the future, the whiteout is the best to me

not everybody in SL is your enemy

good point, you should be able to push your self.

Other than land owner tools, I personally feel that our avatars should be inviolable; no pushes, no teleports, no animations, without the explicit permission of the player behind the avatar. This is a completely virtual environment; why should we bother simulating things 'realistically' to the extent of non-consent?

agreed, except on a land owners land itself.

You also raise a point that is fundamental.... are we trying to make reality (with its unauthorised violence) or are we trying to make a perfect place like a heaven.

I dont believe a decision has been reached on this. Infact SL has gone both ways. Jesse is an example of representing the violence of reality and Welcome Areas are an example of heavens. (Altho a correctly designed push gun can shoot in welcome areas!)

Options are always best. Options = Freedom. Options = more SL customers. Options = more variety of experience.

As long as LL keeps "Disable Push" limited to a certain height (Similar to the current "Disable Scripts".... I see no reason for concern, Kyrah.

One point of note - my structure is built into a mountainside, such that the bottom floor is already at 60m. I would hope that LL would select a height that would be both reasonable for elevated structures, but still safe for flying vehicles - assuming a compromise there could be made.

And LL actually working on a "Disable Push" land option? My god..... I'm speechless....