When is OK to lie?

I am seeing a lot of this on some other SL related websites. People sign up, make up something that seems convincing about someone else's product or about that person and they post it. Things like "oh that person uses alts to do this or that" or "that company makes horrible products" or "that company banned me from their island for no reason after asking for help.)

A lot of them are obvious lies and appears to be someone griefing. Is this a common thing in SL? Why do people do this and how do you handle it?

People lie in SL, for the same reasons as they would in RL.

The only one who can tell if an alt is posting is the site's administrator. You would have to ask them why they let it happen.

People are still people, here or in RL...

Here they also think that it is easier to get away with it.

It's OK to role-play, which involves saying things that aren't true. For example, when playing a part, the actress may confess her love for the leading man, when she thinks he's a self-involved prick. But she's telling the truth in-character. IMHO, this kind of play-acting is perfectly legit in SL.

When questions about RL come up, if your role doesn't match your RL self, I think the best thing to do is point to your RL tab which says "No RL", or something like that. However, some people invent an RL identity and frankly, I don't have a big problem with that as long as they're not being fraudulent. Yeah, there's a slippery slope there that's easy to slide down into the muck.

The kinds of lies the OP refers to are plain dishonesty and morally repugnant. There's plenty of that in RL, and more of it in SL because the consequences are less significant.

I think how people classify lies is a person to person thing. For me, the minute you are doing or saying something which would cause hurt, distress or loss to someone else, you are over the line. Others will say "this is just fantasy" about those same activities. IMO if you wouldn't steal RL then you shouldn't virtually but then not everyone in the world is honest, or decent, or pleasant.

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I think the anonymity of SL makes things wide open to our worst behaviors. Deception, fetishism, intolerance, or just being a general F-tard all come out here. On top of that, people get so suspicious of the goings on around them that they're prone to saying things that quickly become rumors and can easily become hurtful or damaging in no time.

Anonymity, opportunism, reputation, profitability... All things that apply to SL in a way. We are just a slice of the world culture. The best of us and the worst of us are all here and with some of the lure being the ability to do and be anything, I kinda expect the SL crowd to include some pretty wild types.

I myself have fallen in to some dangerous behavior to the point where I recently have made some drastic changes to my relationship with everyone I know. Gladly it didn't trigger any drama. I was questioned about my decision a few times, but I'm mostly surrounded by pretty accepting people, so things are improving once again.

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(^_^)y

What defines an acceptable lie, RL or SL, is a personal thing. In my mind, in RL if my girlfriend is getting a bit chunky but I know she is working on it and very sensitive about it, if she asked me if she looked fat, I would probably say 'no' regardless of what I really thought. Similar thing with me in SL if someone asks me how I like something about their look - I *might* not be totally honest in order to not hurt feelings. This one is a case by case basis depending on whether the truth might cause an unneeded hurt vs whether the small lie might do harm in the long run.

Pretty much any other false statement to me is an unnecessary lie and I see no reason for those - RL or SL. And it is totally unacceptable to tell lies that intentionally hurt someone in any way.

That being said, Role Playing in SL does not constitute telling a lie - it is just like acting in a play in RL.

In the past I would lie to not hurt another person. Though this has bit me in the ass every time. I am now of the mindset,that's it's better to just get it all out there and than run and hide.

just be straight up. no reason to lie. people don't like to hear the truth? too bad. deal with it.

those who make trouble with outright lies simply do so to hurt someone else - and they are evil.... take them for what they present themselves as - evil - and stay far away.

evil people are vindictive and carry vendettas for a long time. sociopaths. best to avoid.

Rioko, i used to play that game too. now i just let the chips fall. i've gotten pretty good at it, and that tough skin has taught me to TAKE the truth calmly and rationally..... i've been tested many times on this. recently, had a mind blowing realization. i have handled it well, i think.

It's acceptable when you can't get caught red hand

You rang? (^_^)y