slstats.com: You can't opt out.

I hadn't really been keeping much of a close eye on this whole slstats.com debacle. Generally, I didn't feel like anything bad was going on here, and I decided not to bother opting out. I changed my mind, though, when I found out that the opt-out system was a farce, asking you 3 times with varying buttons and other trickery whether you were REALLY sure you wanted to opt out and whether or not you were lying. That was over the top in my opinion, and made a mockery of the fact that people were requesting opting out in the first place. I went to try to find myself an opt-out box two days ago.

By then, the short-lived (only a day, it seems?) opt-out box was no longer available, and the "opt out" link on the slstats webpage was gone. Mr. Barrett was present, so I asked him where the opt-out box was, and he informed me that I can't opt out.

After a bit of discussion, he told me that slstats had been changed, and that the system didn't record any information about me if I didn't have a watch. I used to be able to do "Resident Search" and see my name and which watch-bearing avs had been near me, but now it prompts me for a login.

I had my watch-wearing friend log in and run a search on me, and there is still data about me in the system. It still keeps track of who has "seen" me. In fact, there was even an entry from Mark Barrett's watch, which had recorded the fact that he'd seen me while he was in the process of lying to me and telling me that it wouldn't be recording anything about me.

He has not responded to my offline IM in which I challenged his lie. He's had a day and a half to do so, so I feel justified in coming forward to the community on this one. Not only is there no opt-out system as promised, the site has been purposefully restructured so as to hide the fact that information is gathered on non-watch-wearers, and Mark Barrett has directly lied to me about this.

I think the problem here is the lack of honesty, openness, and cooperation with the community, rather than any specific information that has been gathered. In thinking about it, what makes me most uncomfortable about the data is that a connection can be made between me and people with whom I'd rather not associate -- all they have to do is come hang out within 20 meters of me -- and slstats.com will assert that I am their "friend". What upsets me the most, however, is that the maker seems to be doing this without regard for my preferences, and actively lying to me to attempt to brush me off.

Is there anyone else who can confirm this? (Not that I doubt you, it's just that the more evidence on the thread, the more this will be overwhelming.)

I stopped writing a lengthy journal entry on the problems with such devices on the basis that he had made it opt-in, but if this isn't the case, perhaps it should be dug out of the underwear drawer.

ack, that sure isn't nice..

i think you should...

we could all stage a protest on the outside of his land...

God damn, stop crying already. You already ruined a great service, just stop.

" This user has opted-out of having their details published. If you'd like to know more about this person, please log into Second Life, and search for their name."

Lets all start planning something before we even test to make sure it's correct! yay!

He behaved arrogantly and patronisingly and now it appears his system doesn't even do what he claimed it does, and we've "ruined a great service"?

Anyone who wants an attachment that will measure how long they've been in SL just has to ask me. I can do them one. Or one which tells them who they've met. It won't compile it into a big database though.

hey we are on teh same wave length... you want to shot him or would you rather i do it?

What? This thread is about not being able to opt out.

*oops*

Hey nimrod, since you advocate its use and one of its top users why don't you look up our names and post undoctured screenshots of the results.

Ruined a great service...for stalkers and generally nosey people perhaps. And you are so violently opposed to us not being in his database, I have to wonder if you're Mark in a sock-puppet alt?

For my own part, I figured he would so something like this after he figured a couple folks had verified it and pronounced him 'clean' in the other thread. I will wait and see what others find, but I hold out little hope for integrity from slstats.com, its owner or supporters.

He claimed that it now didn't record data on people who weren't wearing watches, i.e. it was opt-in. This thread is about that not being the case.

That is not the case, the OP should investigate further.

Photoshopping would be more fun.

Which bit is not the case?

That's the 3rd alt accusation on me today, woo-hoo! Anyways, how would stalkers get information about you? All they would know about someone who was not wearing the watch is how long they spent with someone. It'd be more useful to make an alt and stalk you with godmode then try to be your friend.

Who cares? why continue this usless babbling about something stupid.

Really, he should pull the login off of it so we can verify for ourselves without filling the LL db with one-shot alts. I mean he had ZERO problem putting us in there without asking and having it open to the world....and the watch wearers like nimrod (how fitting) have given up their privacy willingly by wearing a watch (and have gone so far as accusing us of ruining it)...so he should open it to all so that we may verify we have been removed.

The lindens say godmode is getting patched out soon. Too bad they won't patch out Mark and his site.

Sorry, just realized I had all the cluttered tabs open, ignore those!

shooting would be more fun

meh, so you decided to photoshop instead. -.-

no fun

haha, AOLer

*ahem*

but that doesn't address whether data is being held on people not wearing watches but who have not opted out - I used the opt-out cube before the link was taken down

Hi, and welcome to teh forums!

actually if you look at it, it is gathering data, look to the right of the picture
maybe im wrong.. lol