TOS Question

Forgive me if anything like this has been posted before. I need to know if sending note cards to people about my business and offering them donations is against the TOS. I have an illness in RL and its really hard for me to read through all the TOS to find this. I have a business for adults and kids and I have been going to kids places and offering a donation from my business and so far everyone has been really nice. Its hard to IM everyone so can I send note cards or no?

From the TOS.

In addition to abiding at all times by the Community Standards, you agree that you shall not: (snip)(vii) upload, post, email or otherwise transmit any unsolicited or unauthorized advertising, or promotional materials, that are in the nature of "junk mail," "spam," "chain letters," "pyramid schemes," or any other form of solicitation that Linden Lab considers in its sole discretion to be of such nature.

Well, personally I would consider random unsolicited IMs or Notecards about a business to be SPAM and incredibly rude and I almost always AR the person.

If the information is requested, you can respond with an IM or a Notecard or whatever other means of communication you can think of.

Your best bet would be to figure out some true advertising methods and use those.

I would not advise going direct to people with advertising anything really..

Look at it as sales people calling your real life phone or filling your mailbox with junk mail or selling something right at your front door..

It is looked at as interrupting their second life experience..and that can get you AR'd

Now if they go to a place that you own or have an agreement to have your advertisements pop up on them..
like a Group or Store or Business or search Ect..Then that is them actually going to the areas or joining things where adds are expected and not AR'able..

You're sending them money? If you're doing that, I think a note explaining why you made the donation would not be inappropriate.

You run into trouble when you're asking them to do something. There are sooo many scams in SL and it's hard to sort the truth from the BS. Anything that sounds like you're asking for the recipients to do something will trigger peoples alarm bells..

You can also try asking the governance team about this. Their office hours can be found here: http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Office_Hours/GTeam .

Elora, I personally would consider random unsolicited IMs or Notecards about a business to be unwelcome SPAM. I think that most of my friends in Second Life feel the same way.

You may want to contact some land owners, or group owners, explain them your cause and have them collaborate with you. That may include sending a notecard to all group members.

You could even find established Second Life groups that already support your cause. Use the Search tool under the Groups tab and include relevant keywords, there are lots of groups in Second Life and they are supposed to be the best way to aggregate people with similar interests and attitudes.

I would consider it spam as well

even if you are giving them something, they never asked for it.
and if it is a donation of lindens, then people become even more suspicious

I personally don't want t ppl to send me things unless...

1. I know them, that is different
2. I asked for it
3. I am in a som or hippo group that sends out a notecard or gift

If your product is something that could benefit the kid community send me a notecard Inworld explaining. If its something credible we may able to discuss it live on the air during the next episode of the Milk N Kookies Show. (www.mnkradio.com)

oh i'm not trying to advertise i am asking them if i can donate a cookie jar that gives cookies so they can set it out for all the kids. it does not give note cards or landmarks and its not for sale. i dont sell them at the shop they are for donations only. everyone so far has been very kind and wanted one. i wont send any notecards.

It looks like LL would consider it spamming from the incident reports today:

Date: Monday, November 10, 2008
Violation: Community Standards: Disturbing the Peace, Ad Content
Region: Morris
Description: Spamming residents with unwanted notecards.
Action taken: Warning issued.

I realize it shows "Ad Content" in the violation, but is in regards to notecards. I would be careful on that one.

Yea! I didn't send any and I had only IMed 5 SL kids before I posted here. They were really nice and wanted the donation. I stopped after the post because I don't to cause trouble or get into any trouble.