Anti-Bush signs

Hi everyone. I'm new to SL and I've really been enjoying my time here. My thanks to all my new friends who have opened their hearts and minds to me, and who have taught me amazing and wonderful things. I am so in awe of so many aspects of life here it's hard to list them all. However, I do have one pressing concern, and that is about the anti-Bush signs.

We all work so hard on our creations, it saddens me to have them obscured by these hideous billboards. I don't deny the sign maker his right to free speech, but when do my rights begin? I enjoy SL because it is a break from the real world. Bringing in these signs is a harsh reminder of real life and I resent them. Instead of drawing me to his cause, I am disgusted and saddened by his intrusion on my time.

I know he isn't breaking any rules but there must be better way of expressing his opinion without punishing the rest of us.

Thanks for letting me vent. I look forward to meeting more of you soon.
Best wishes
Shy

The option for: "I don't like them, but changing the TOS has implications that may infringe on the concept of 'Your World, Your Imagination' that I don't like either" wasn't there, so I didn't vote

Personally, I think the solution that treads on our creativity the least involves making them irrelevant: allowing us to permanantly Hide objects we don't wish to see in our client.

Neighbor's build causing you to lose sleep at night? Render it muted!

Interesting concept Travis LOL Wish that could happen..one thing.... it would have to be phantomed too wouldn't it ??


Peace and brownies

Jase

I am not against the signs existing but I am against them existing as a pollutant to SL's visual environment. When it comes right down to it, I think there should be a rule that eliminates any floating sign unless it is above place a of business.

As we all know, there is a certain real estate broker that has signs throughout Linden but I do not find them environmentally unfriendly as you can only really see them if you are flying over the land and she has every right to advertise her land as being for sale. An exception would have to be when the land is on a mountain or cliffside but you cannot realistically expect that to happen on land that isn't flat.

I spent several years in the gaming industry. As many of you are probably aware, casinos have and frequently exercise the right to refuse anyone's business for pretty much any reason they choose, especially if that person is cheating, counting cards, or making the other guests' stays less enjoyable by their actions.

While I do not deny the cleverness of the manner in which Lazarus is making his money (and I don't believe for a second that he is really doing this strictly for political reasons, no matter what he says), I disagree with the pollutive manner in which he is doing it and something must be done...up to and including refunding him for his land, putting it on auction at a resonable price and kindly telling him that his business is no longer wanted here. That's certainly what I'd do if I were running this ship.

So does LL - they even say it up front. From the Terms of Service:
They just don't use it, especially when Mr. Signage is paying tier for his right to "say" a boring message (that I don't disagree with) in the least attractive manner possible.

I tend to believe that he is doing for political reasons as he seems to be very well financed and do not see how he can be making $$$ from the sale of 16m parcels.

I am fairly liberal but from the statements and actions I have seen coming from the extreme anti-Bush activists, nothing surprises me any more.

IMHO well here it is in a nut shell It is his land and he should be able to do what he wants with it with in the TOS.

If we start taking down things we do not like there would be nothing left in SL because every one has different opinions on what the want in SL i for one would remove all big clubs and malls, space stations and gothic things. what fun would that be?. I know it is annoying but I want the right to build as i see fit so he Should get the same right, as should we all.

If you do not want to see it build a wall with clear on the out side so others don't have to look at the wall.

Sorry, I may not like the things he builds but I have to protect the right for him to do as he sees fit to on His land. With in the TOS.

I don't think those signs are any uglier than many builds. I'm for freedom.

It would not be allowed to slander any of the residents, why should the president of the host country be slandered in public?

I can understand if people do not like him but I do not want to see these eyesores. Perhaps some Chinese or Korean might start posting anti Koisumi (PM of Japan) signs?

If they want to spread their garbage perhaps they should do it on a political website where like minded people can gather. Please kind people I do not want the real world problems intruding into my mental vacation. Also it works both ways! How would you like your favorite political person slandered in SL. Lets keep SL a friendly people place.

It has been mentioned that he is verbally abusive and rude to people that block his signs.

I voted "I want them all removed", because this "game" will be one step closer to more accurately simulating the other.

I am so glad to see this posted. I cant sell my land because of those darn signs. God bless em for having his opinion but... kindly keep it in your first life

The "crime" in this case is not free speech, it is boring free speech.

Actually the crime in this case is extortion. Unfortunately, the criminal has used methods which are difficult to prevent without infringing on ACTUAL speech.



Then you haven't seen his prices.

I know this. for that he should hang. like I said within the TOS

Personally I wish him gone Forever just as long as there is no presedent(SP?) set to be an infringement on my or your rights.

EDIT: I do want them gone as well.

I consider the signs to be a version of a public nuisance. And really something should be done for all public nuisances. But I can understand the Linden's position on it.

But when it comes to making the value of your property go down, THAT should be taken into consideration as well.

I'm all for free speech, no doubt about that, but your freedom ends where my face begins, and this thing is definitely in your face all the time.

What amazes me is there's not 10 or more other guys like this cluttering up sl. Wait till there is and it gets to be such an eyesore that players stop playing. Hit LL where it counts, in the pocket book, and you will see action taken. In the mean time, this seems to be the only nut doing it so they dont want the hassle of this guy bringing them to court or something so there taking a backe seat on it.

But aside from the signs themselves this guy/girl or whatever they really are, has broken so many TOS and CS rules that if it were you or I, we would be banned. Now that is what I can't understand, why LL takes no action on it. Did you see what he did to that poor guy in another forum? He cluttered tress around and ON his lot to intimidate him into selling out. Thats an obvious violation if I ever saw one yet as far as I know, nothing has been done to stop it.

I agree with one of the previous posters. Signs should be regulated. They should be placed businesses or live running/occopied props. If they are allowed on 16m2 lots or similar, then they should have a height and size restriction. This could be done without any freedom of speach violations if thats what LL is worried about.

Mark my words though, if nothing is done, LD will be only the first in a long line of these types of people to come.

BTW, wonder what his plans are when bush is gone and troops come home??

I still don't understand how anyone can justify this as a freedom of speech issue and defend it, when it is a issue about harrassment, extortion, and just ruining the games atmosphere in general. LL should be more worried about the people who are losing L$ and land value because of him. And the new players he is turning away. (Like a player I refered here who didn't continue playing because of it.)

It wouldn't be a "freedom of speech" issue if it was any other message on that board. If he was going around putting swastikas on signs, im sure his freedom of speech would have been revoked rather quickly. Heck, im sure if every sign said, "Linden Labs Eats Babies" It would have been gone by now as well.

This must be the most debated issue in SL, but everyone agrees in the end that, "Something must be done" Wether its hiding objects, banning the guy, clearing his junk, or just official word that its allowed and nothing can be done about it. Yet nothings been done about it?

None of the above, its not harmless free speech, as they effect some people, but its free speech none the less..

This sign owner uses the guise of public awareness to boo-hoo because their political party lost the election, and because they are currently unhappy with the overthowing of a violent mass murduring dictator. If they really wished to make a difference they would use effective methods of public education, not 60M tall billboards to pound their chest for the whole virtual world to see.

Tactics that might make a difference:
1) Newsletters that concerned citizens could subscribe to.
2) Information kiosks.
3) Public events or debates that could be hosted to logically voice your opinion.
4) Other methods which contribute to your society instead of detract from it.

Tactics that don't work:
1) Big annoying billboards which ruin home orientated eye-pleasing sims.
2) Throwing a temper tantrum in the middle of the living room floor.

Wouldn't it be great if this person put some actual thought into cause and effect based logic, and and some *actual* effort into making a difference instead of pounding their chest all over Second Life? Every time I check my email I have to see 20 spam messages about extending the size of my overseas bank account, and now every time I log into SL I have to see this political zealot's point of view..... For shame...

Umm in case you haven't noticed all the other threads on this subject.. this is land extortion. There is a sign near my property, and the piece of land is very small and on the side of a severe slope, he's asking for about 15,000L last time I looked. That's a steep price to get rid of a nuisance. But he's counting on people to do just that.

Yes, but this is America after all, where freedom of speech only applies if they agree with what you are saying...

The parcel in Polia at <156, 178, x> is group owned.. I don't know if I am allowed to post the group name or it's members withought getting myself spanked by the Lindens, so I won't risk it... but this group's motto is "Promote political awareness through various media, especially the Web and Virtual Reality." The land which the sign is on is not for sale.

I for one would never buy land in a sim that already had this monstrosity posted, and I wonder if Anshe cares that this will effect her future land sales within <draw distance> of this sign?

But, I will say to the groups spokesperson, who has this posted in their profile "I've got more money than brains. That's good right?"... No, it is not good. In fact, it is quite a shame. You might actually not even comprehend that your actions very much detract from the cause you seem to hold dear. Meh.

Yes I think it's called extortion