Linden Lab Blog Changes to Give Residents More Choices

Des, I don't know why everyone is making a big deal about the inworld-outworld ban tie untill now, it's not new policy it was just brought to everyone's attention. It's existed for as long as I have known (although rarely used) and if someone who's been around longer can confirm I think it's been around as long as the forums. Most people didn't know about it though before it was brought up because it was so rarely used.

First off, It's she, as should be obvious from my picture.

And Secondly, if naming my name causes bans, we really do have a problem.

And curse you for dragging me into this accursed place once more.

Further than that, I'm reserving judgement until more facts are at hand.

It wasn't that rarely used, and a lot of us have always been firmly against it on principle. What you do on the forums should not be responsible for punishment in-world and vice versa.

My apologies, not intentional since most people reserve statements of gender, I still to this day don't know what Strife is for example (he/she/they won't say) and you just never know (like that that a certain opinionated resident is actually an overweight middle-aged woman in the Midwest)

It wasn't that rarely used, and a lot of us have always been firmly against it on principle. What you do on the forums should not be responsible for punishment in-world and vice versa.

oh and I second Des as Grand uberboobah-for-life. =)

Des, I don't know why everyone is making a big deal about the inworld-outworld ban tie untill now, it's not new policy it was just brought to everyone's attention. It's existed for as long as I have known (although rarely used) and if someone who's been around longer can confirm I think it's been around as long as the forums. Most people didn't know about it though before it was brought up because it was so rarely used.

I agree with you on opposing it on principal. It's still existing policy though which most people who are outraged about it seem to be missing.

But it's a policy that may become more evident with Mercenary Moderators. LL says they will still hold the kill switch, but up this point, I have little faith in the truthfullness of what they say. If this policy of threatening residents businesses ,inventories, relationships etc, with eradication over WORDS, not actions, then I do not expect to be visiting here much anymore. Don't bother with a General Discussion area, just make it the cold , dry Q&A that many here seem to want. I have nothing to lose if SL goes away for me, but it still is a policy I will not accept.

The activity in the Burning Man thread is just the first step, and now these proposals show me that this Forum is on it's way to becoming the buttoned down, grey flannel corporatized ywanfest that LL wants, and that will be Second Life itself sooner than later.

We are contracting with a group to help us keep forum posts on topic and to handle abuse reports. They’ll also skim blog comments for off-topic posts and spam. It’s important to keep in mind that the moderators will not be answering blog or forum questions.

Thank you. I just read it, and although the comments are open there, I will comment here.
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We have been discussing the proposed forum guidelines, and they need a greater common sense check. But discussion and feedback in there has died, and it has become clear that Katt is not the decisionmaker regarding the forum policy. If Robin is the decisionmaker, we'd like to get the feedback from her.

What becomes of old forum content, especially all the SL content creation information that is not available elsewhere? Will if be preserved across this forum change, intact? There has already been content lost in earlier forum changes, and useful things like attachments in surviving posts are corrupted even now. Should residents be making plans to archive this stuff before October?

I think overall, this could be good. Could.

Some thoughts:



- I presume this will eradicate all the old forum bans, as the forum is changing?

Unless someone is bound and determined to re-enter all of them from the old software to the new?

It would be very, very scary to my mind, if anyone took the trouble to maintain those bans.



- The outsourcing of moderators seems to be a professional step... but also I'd love to see an example of the outsourced moderation elsewhere.

Best case: impartial and *fair* moderation.

Worst case: good cop/bad cop scenario with Lindens/Moderators.

Ultimate Fail: Permaban on some arcane, highly serious but laughably inane technicalities, like certain forms of disclosure.

Imagine what a clueless rookie moderator might do. "Desmond Shang, 3 day suspension: disclosure of resident Philip Linden as real life person Philip Rosedale." Hey, it's disclosure, got me dead to rights! What could I possibly say, to a guy with 'the rules' clearly laid out in front of him? I pray these guys come with a clue.



- Which brings me to inworld bans tied to forum infractions.

Anyone with any stake on the grid; be it hundreds of thousands of dollars, be it loved ones, be it freedom from their real life handicap... must strongly reconsider ever posting here. The grid's most ardent supporters, believers - the people who made this world compelling in the first place would bear the highest penalty.

Honestly, a 1000 USD fine would hurt me less than a 2 week inworld suspension due to an inappropriate forum comment. Because of this, I'm very, very concerned. I don't want special dispensation, but the risks for me posting here could be just astronomical - and arguably very unfair.

A 2 week suspension for a new resident might just mean they go read a book. For me - it would affect mortgage payments and saving up for the kid's college funds. I post here a lot - sooner or later I'll say *something* bad no matter how hard I try. I'm human.



- I'll never be uncivil, I'll never make threats nor shall I ever try to leverage any sort of advantage I might have. That's a promise. It's just not fair and no way to treat a partner, for every resident and every Linden Research employee is, loosely, a de facto business partner.

That said, residents deserve the exact same five star treatment in return. If someone is treating Linden Research unfairly, or causing trouble, people know it. Show strength and class by taking the high road, when someone is being tactless. As residents we can use mute and ignore tools if someone is being plainly awful. A few temporary forum suspensions goes a long way - there is no need to *ever* permaban anyone.

Walk into the Peninsula, or the Shangri La or the Ritz Carlton. Sure, they've got security staff. But the first thing meeting your eyes is what they can do for you, not a list of "Do Not's" with possible horrific penalties. (well okay, the Oriental has a big sign saying "No Backpackers" but that's a rarity).

Such treatment goes a long long way. It *especially* works with residents on the grid - I've been running that way for years. Right now there is literally no one on my estate ban list, and no problems.



- The moderators, like everyone else, should have a #1 mission: retain residents, not drive them off. Morality, tact, lifestyle aside.

Just pleeeeeease don't make me learn some new forums software that's not used anywhere else.

RL work does that to us. We ask for a wiki and they spend big bags of cash on some proprietary monstrosity that nobody knows how to use and doesn't really work.

....

As such, can you clarify the following:

To handle abuse reports in-world or just abuse reports from the forums? If it's in-world, are they replacing the governance team or adding an additional layer of administration? Also, what types of forum abuse would result in an in-world sanction, if any? For example, a contractor decides that a member has intentionally posted an off-topic message. Would that person be subject to an in-world suspension? The rules and sanctions need to be crystal clear.

Since these contractors are going to help keep things on-topic, is there not going to a section of the new forums that allow for a more relaxed and open ended discussions? Perhaps an off-topic section that would also allow these contractors to move (as opposed to deleting) conversations they deem to be off-topic.

I agree with you on opposing it on principal. It's still existing policy though which most people who are outraged about it seem to be missing.

Because there is a discussion going on about forum changes. If ever there was a time to voice how shitty that policy is it is now.

Not that they are going to remove it anyway.

And it's not so much a discussion as picking viewpoints that align with their own and replying to those. You notice Joshua's, Gordon's, Mine, and others were neatly skipped over with no comment. Typical Linden pattern of favoritisim.

Forums archives are part of our history! We'll make it a priority not to lose them in the transfer.