Okay, so I read a lot about Bloodlines...

Not acceptable. They do not have legal right to store information on the victim without prior permission and without the victiom's knowledge. In addition the vampire has the victims soul in its "Soul" tally without the victims knowledge. The number of souls the vampire "owns" increases their rank in the game.

Folks, I think a class action is required.

Yes. Its called the Garlic Necklace. A freebie at Bloodlines.

unless a judge is as dumb as the average spamvire, he`d just say "omwtfglol?", roll over and leave you slanding going "wtf...?" your self lol

The cool thing about owning souls is you can sell them for cold, hard cash when you want out of the game.

I'm unclear about the legality of the thing, but it seems like a frivolous lawsuit. It's kind of like suing God for the Spanish Inquisition.

I dunno about the legality. There are not a whole lot of internet laws and those that do exist are rarely enforced anyway, unfortunately. (Not to mention really horrible harassment cases, like killed "Megan" on MySpace.)

But I think it is un*ethical* to not inform a person, who after all if they allow it is probably a fairly helpful nice sort, that their "soul" also belongs to you and their name is being logged elsewhere. Vampires have ethics right?

I do think it's wrong to kill vampires too, although if someone's been abused by packs of them I understand the urge. Also, RP'ing killing anyone can get you kicked or banned from some parcels, don't forget that.

Some places completely ban RP and I think no one should RP in a freaking mall or shopping place. I know, in 'real life' it might happen but this is SL. Let people shop for their mini skirts or leather jackets in peace. Lol

Somehow, I don't see a lawsuit of this nature having a chance in heck of winning. But, hey, this is America! You don't have to be able to win in order to sue!

Speaking of the ethics of this: It could be considered lacking ethics to create a game that encourages spamming on the level of this. Given this, the creator of the game system isn't likely to be worried about the ethics of storing information about victims nor give warning via a click screen about the loss of soul or whatever.

I agree, some places might frown on the RP killing of a vampire, especially if they aren't considered an RP area. However, many business owners are to the point where they don't care if someone kills a Bloodlines vamp, as long as it gets rid of the Bloodlines vampire

And again, I agree! If the mall is in an RP area, that's one thing.. but please, please, don't drag myself (if I'm out shopping) or my customers into one's desired form of RP. It is rude.

*giggles* I'd like to see a Gorean or Vampire try to RP in a mall in RL... they'd likely be escorted out again by security.

Don´t know if anyone else has seen this, but it was mentioned on Sarah Nerd´s blog. Am sure she won´t mind me quoting -

"So along comes Yohan Pintens. I'm not sure why he did it. Probably a mix of him being sick of me bitching about bloodlines, and his willingness to help the sl community, But Yohan has created a Buffy Bot! Buffy sits nicely on your parcel and if anyone sends her a bite request, she instantly ejects and bans them. She can also just warn them but I prefer the eject option myself. Buffy is a program that runs outside of sl and works with an alt. And what's even cooler than the fact that he made this amazing Bloodlines defense tool? The fact that he made and is distributing it totally FREE!!! You can get yours by following this link.

http://www.landmachine.com/?products=buffybot

End Quote

I haven´t tried it myself, as it involved downloading Microsoft .Net Framework 3.5, which on my hopeless connection would take hours!! Not much use when you´re out and about, but if you have a store and your customers are getting harassed, sounds like a good idea!

Sounds like something worth exploring. I'll pass on the information about the Buffybot to all the estate managers and storeowners I know. Thanks.

I'm pretty sure Bloodlines is within their legal rights to have you stored on a database you didn't ask for. It's kind of like all those spam messages you get in email every day. You never asked for all the messages about "HORNY TEENAGE SCHOOL GIRLS" or "ENLARGE YOUR PENIS" but you still get them. They all offer an "Opt Out" which, of course, never works.

So think of Bloodlines the same way. It's a spam company with an opt out. If you do manage to get the opt out to work, then you're covered. Otherwise vampires will continue to spam you.

See my picks for the name you need to contact. When you contact him tell him, "I'm not looking for your garlic necklace. I want you to delete me from your database."

Sometimes it just takes a lot of bitching to get what you want. Personally, I have no idea if the garlic works or not. I was removed from the database before the garlic was released.

I agree it's rude...and it really annoys me too when it's a sexual RP going on in a mall. Even if it's someone 'towering' half nude for hours. You go back later, still there. Go back next day, still there. What is that about? There are so many OTHER places for that. Why in a dress shop? LOL.

I also puzzle at being approached by a vamp in an outdoor (non RP) mall during the SL daylight. :0/ LOL

Josh, if that Buffy Bot is full transfer maybe someone can give you one in-world.

Yeh, we have few enough attachment points as it is.

And not a single one of them is a neck attachment point!

bloodlines does offer just such a necklace for free as well, which in effect shuts down their system when attempting to use on said person until such time as said person removes this protection via the aforementioned necklace

you all also need to understand you need to only wear the necklace and click through the options once and then never touch it again, end of story about precious few attachment points, let's face it bloodlines is no worse then being shot in a store due to proximity to a dcs combat area, you didn't ask to be shot at but you are involved in their rp anyway once again while you shop, never mind some stores where you can be killed because part of the sim allows it, you are once again involved in another's rp area, for instance the store of Kornscope is on a damage enabled parcel, so if they fire a nuke, you will be blown to kingdom come for wrong place wrong time, and also bloodlines is not the worst offender dcs itself has vamps who can force a bite without your permission

Someone asking to animate your avatar out of the blue is not RP.

Most of the places I hang out, shooting someone will get you ejected and banned. Some of them will permaban you after two strikes. Regardless of whether there's any kind of combat area around. So saying Bloodlines isn't as bad as something that's pretty much unacceptable is hardly a rousing endorsement.
What does that do? They play an animation while your avatar ignores them, and if you happen to be AFK at the time you may never know it happened?

Thank you - 100% agreed.

next, from reaper:



I didn't realise the garlic necklace only had to be used once to protect forever? Others have been saying you have to wear it while you want to have its protection. Cos if you do have to wear it to be protected - who wants to walk around wearing garlic? Especially those of us who spend a pretty Linden on prim necklaces...

Ask youselves this: Would you want a bunch of Goreans running around willy nilly spamming "Wanna be my slave?" and asking to collar you? OR- what about Furries?? Or any other "groups" in SL?

Oh, you're absolutely right that it's unacceptable behavior on the part of the game's designer. My response, though, was to a newer resident who was afraid that Bloodlines could somehow mean "game over" for his SL. And the truth is, it's not going to do that, and it can't.

I probably should have added the information on how to contact the game's creator and demand to be removed in order to send a message that the game's behavior is unacceptable, but I'm not 100% clear on it and it's already been stated either earlier in this thread or in others.

All I was really trying to say was "Don't panic. They can't *really* hurt you. Spampires are not a threat to your SLife."

nor was i implying that it is at all, but at least with bloodlines you get the choice of saying no, and as for the gentleman's response on banning with weapons, i said, and it does happen you go to a mall, next to a dcs combat zone, you can be shot at, and the only warning you get from the store is don't leave here unless you intend to play. now i am not saying that some vamps are a nuisance , but like i said the garlic is a freebie, you waer and click on it once and that's it, no more bite requests at all, hud shows you have asked to opt out basically. if anyone wants it im me inworld and ask i will gladly give you one

there is unfortunately noo grounds for class action on this anyways they have no real information on you, just you sl name, and a date where you allowed somone to bite you, actually should stop half of the bite requests anyways, so you should be happy your name is on that server

AR, Ban, Mute, Eject... also completely free, and doesn't involve me in your inane pseudo-rpg.

Wear a garlic necklace... you've got to be kidding me. Doesn't that just involve me in your stupid little game? Thanks, but I'll pass. A garlic necklace wouldn't compliment my outfit.

How many malls are next to combat zones? What KIND of mall is next to a combat zone? If DCS plops combat zones down next to random non-military-themed malls, then I guess they're just as bad. Which does not, of course, justify anyone else doing the same kind of thing.

Keep your bloodsucking to themed malls near RP zones, then complain about the way people react to you.

Just had a complete IDIOT Bloodlines Spampire start sending bite requests out at CG's Office Hour today.

How desperate do you have to be?

I honestly think you answered your own question?

They have to be pretty desperate to be spamming in the first place. I'm waiting for them to start this crap at a Linden office hour