Closed

Okay it's in CS. Disclosure, # 4. At least how I interpret it. IOW,

If it ain't in the profile it ain't okay to ask let alone badger/pressure/shame someone to get it.

http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php

I agree with ArchTx, I do believe that it is against TOS to disclose an avatar's real life information (unless it is in that avatar's public profile) but I don't see why it would be against TOS to ask for it, it's not like anyone that doesn't want to participate is required to.

I agree with some of the previous posts. It took me 2 years before I reached a comfort level with divulging any personal information about me. I came to sl not really caring about what so and so was/is irl. As my friendships developed and I reached a certain comfort level then I would tell some rl facts about myself. But even with that, I am very selective. This year is the first time I actually met someone outside of sl. That was a tremendous leap of faith on both of our parts. It turned out to be and still is a wonderful experience.

In addition to cultural, I believe it is a generational difference as well. Folks that grew up in a society where certain things are never discussed in public, probably still has that mindset to a certain extent. The gen-X folks which grew up with the internet has a greater comfort level with revealing more personal information. This generation can take a page from the older' generation with respect to utilizing some discretion. Not everyone needs to every nugget about someone's life.

IMO, maturity is not defined by one's age but displays in their behavior and their mindset.

SL is not Facebook/Myspace. SL is a place if one chooses to escape the rl.

I think there are teens who were raised to never tell anyone their RL info for safety reasons.

And, FWIW, I think of this as a key thing of SL. I mean, we all adopt a name when we come into this world, with a surname that is likely very different from our real-world name. IMO, this is meant to encourage you to "create a new life for yourself" from the get go. Besides, I have a real life already.

This.

It's called SECOND Life.

it's the net, the only relevance to age tends to be cultural (there's a difference between hearing about something and having lived through it) but as far as behavior... it doesn't seem to be a great predictor.

some people want to make RL connections; they share some personal information and they want others to do the same.

some people want to be the person they represent here, and be taken as is on that basis; they don't share personal information and don't expect others to either.

some are inbetween, for various reasons of security, and will only share personal info with people they choose to trust.

takes all sorts.

PS asking personal info is ok, it's relaying PRIVATE personal info that is against TOS (public info is still fair game though)

This reminds me of my former long ago and far away years in IRC when one would regularly receive IM's that just said "a/s/l"

I hadn't thought of that in years...lol

Some possible responses to the old a/s/l cliche:

How old do you want me to be? / Yes, please! / In front of Baskin-Robbins excite you as much as it excites me?

Older than dirt / I think I remember what that is / An undisclosed safe location

Old enough / Never with you / Irrelevant, see answer to #2

It isn't always about safety it can be just as much about privacy, comfort level, and/or imagination. But those who think everyone's life and privacy is fair game will always make something judgmental and pejorative out of polite decline to share.

Some of us were raised that private is private. (Example: I do not even ask such things of people I have known for decades in real life. If someone wants to tell me something, they will. Period. Was raised that to 'pry' is common and rude, to be frank.)

Doesn't it come down to respecting someone else's wishes politely though? No is no.



I disagree with this and think it can (again, I wasn't talking about chitchat among friends) often be the beginning of or a means of harassment. How many people do you know who can keep a secret? I have not ever known one.

How often (online) has the insult come immediately after a polite "I do not talk about my real life" - 99% of the time. So - that's who I'd have been literally entrusting my life with.

Nothankyew.



(PS not sure what you meant by public or private personal info - 'public private info' is an oxymoron, imo. Unless you mean 'if it is in their profile it is not private.' I did specify that if it was already in the profile, it wasn't what I meant. I wonder if there is even a concept of privacy in society today, in our blog culture?)

Once you answer one RL question, there are always more. It's expected to continue in kaffee klatsch mode. Moreover they assume you HAVE done the same with everyone and WILL as a matter of course blithely/casually go over the entire convo with others. Been there, done that. Shredded the T shirt.

I have enough trouble not putting people to sleep as it is... if I started telling them about my RL I'd be the only one awake!

I like this answer.

That I know of, RL fallout of SL has been one murder, one attempted abduction, and countless broken homes. You have to go out of your way to give someone RL information and that's probably a good thing.

We already have one congressman who's decided SL is his witch to burn and is using fear tactics and disinformation for his agenda. Let's not encourage people to say things they might regret later.

This. It's perfectly fine to ask someone anything...that's part of interacting. But if they do disclose it, you can't disclose it without their permission, or if they choose not to, you can't badger them for it.

But you are the type of people LL doesn't want anymore, Mari. We all are. They want the SpaceFaceBookPlurkers, M has repeatedly stated he wants better integration of SL with "social networking" sites.

'Social networking' (on a worldwide scale) just gives me the creeps.

There, I said it.

And yes, 'badgering' is the key difference in the issue. Ask once, then drop it without an insult preferably. Lol.

That is the worst thing I've heard in a while. It often seems that LL doesn't know what it's got here.

.

That's an interesting thought. But could it be that LL knows exactly what it's got here and wants something quite different.

I am 28 Annna. No need to hide that.

yes. the only thing it wants from us these days is our money and our content to use in their marketing. The certainly don't appear to think we bring them any prestige.

Is giving out your age really that big of a deal to some? I don't see how that can classify as identifying information.


I am 36 ,but mentally 15.

I really dont know why people,specially Clarisa,get mad when i ask them anything about they're life.Is that a some big secret maybe?Even they're ages are secret.If they don't want to tell that's ok,but still...

Send me your telephone number annna, and I will call you to let you know how old I am.

Pep (Well, is that some big secret? )

I wouldn't tell you either, Annna. Once a person who had a lot of time on their hands figured out who I was from remarks I made on line, and they threatened to come visit and annoy me in person.

All because of a misunderstanding in a forum. (Not this forum, though!)

.

/me sighs.

Here is the sum total of what I said to Anna.

"I don't answer questions about my real life."

Does that sound angry to anyone!?