Linden Labs = Thought Police?

The latest MOTD kinda gave me the creeps:



Anyone contemplating action to bring the grid down...?

Wow... the SL client is a lot more robust than I originally thought if it can scan brainwaves and determine what the user is contemplating.

Now I understand what LL is really saying here, but more often than not, the MOTD's don't make much sense and have errors in them... whoever writes them needs to have someone proofread them before they go live.

v., -plat·ed, -plat·ing, -plates.

v.tr.

1. To look at attentively and thoughtfully. See synonyms at see1.
2. To consider carefully and at length; meditate on or ponder: contemplated the problem from all sides; contemplated the mystery of God.
3. To have in mind as an intention or possibility : contemplate marriage; forced by the accident to contemplate retirement.


So in other words, I guess they're saying "Don't even think about it."

Yes, Vetted, I know what they mean. But it reads that if you think about bringing the grid down, they will report your information to the authorities.

It doesn't say IF you bring the grid down, they'll report it, it says if you THINK about bringing the grid down, they'll report it.

It only reads that way if you read it from an illogical point of view. You know what they are saying and it reads perfectly fine.

You fetid people aren't fun at all.

Didn't you notice? It was buried at the bottom of the release notes for the last version.

Actually, any Vulcan would tell you that it only reads that way if you read it from a LOGICAL point of view.

Very true.

EDIT: I thought it odd because this wasn't news. Perhaps they caught someone thinking about it and took steps to make sure everyone was aware of the policy.

Where is the more information they talk about at the end? I see nothing in the Announcement Forum.

Heheh. Very Minority Report.

P2

I think the concern is - does LL do searches and scans on IMs and Chat for words like "bring grid down"


Especially IM. My belief is that yes, they do search IMs for key words like "Philip" or "Robin" or "Grid Down" etc. DO they monitor IM chat as done by people like Anshe?

Kinda sad, but hey. What can you do?

implied clause, "if you bring the grid down."

I say things all the time. But do I actually mean, and DO it? No.

So, this statement here verifies that they DO keep tabs on your IMs, and alas, everything is recorded. So, nothing, 'absolutely' NOTHING is kept private while in SL.

Big Brother, Welcome home.

Actually the MOTD doesn't say whose personal and account information will be disclosed, or that this disclosure is dependent on the grid being crashed, or what law enforcement agencies this information will be disclosed to, or what personal information, or what kind of account, but we can at least rest assured that whoever's whatever information WILL BE DISCLOSED! To some law enforcement agency somewhere. If only we knew when.



Stuff makes more sense when you try to understand it than when you try to misunderstand it. Sometimes.

i'm filing this thread under "OMG RESMODs!"

Discussing compemplating bringing down the grid is almost like comtemplating bringing down the grid, which is a mortal sin. The OP should report to the nearest State place of worship and say 20 Hail Philips and atone for his sin.

It also doesn't specify which grid will or will not be considered for this contemplation.

So that in mind....does the sandboxes have a running flow of personal paperwork flowing to some Law enforcement agency?

And now on a realistic note, just by chance some script does something that one either doesn't expect, or "forgot" to change and brings a sim down? I mean there is a constant flow of noob scripters out there just learning and fiddling around with stuff that may or may not have adverse effects on a sim. do THEY get this "special" reporting?

Not to mention, that the physics engine is rather um...lacking, so if one plays a lil too much (be it by accident or not) with physics, do they have to wonder if they are going to have to cover their legal arses?

Just a thought, but I would venture to think, that a "show good cause" would take a hell-of-a-lot on LL's part to make any of that stand.

(I am in NO way supporting any dork that wants to make life miserable for others, or test the boundries of the tollerance of LL and the laws)

Or, if you're from Noo Joisey: "Don't mess wid da Grid, or we'll send Guido Linden to break ya kneecaps."



P2

^^^^I am totally in favor of the treatment for idiots proposed above. Some one has to make them take their medicine.

Don't think about taking down the grid without wearing a tinfoil hat.

Nah. That's why they used the contemplating language. They mean if you are thinking of doing it on purpose, you will be punished. Not if you do something by accident.

It's no different than a sign in a convenience store stating "Shoplifters will be prosecuted to the full extent of the law", or, "300 dollar fine for parking in a handicapped parking spot without a permit".

It's not saying you can't think about it (and really, how would they enforce that anyway?), it's saying that if you take action based on those thoughts, there will be consequences.

Saying they are policing our thoughts through that MOTD is taking quite a bit of dramatic license, to say the least.

If we adhere to that logic, then every rule in society which carries consequences for breech thereof are "thought policing" rules.

Actually, Nolan, in NYC, they do prohibit your thoughts about where to park:

http://www.travelpost.com/photo-large.aspx?imid=4700

Of course this entire thread is tongue-in-cheek and am glad to see some people saw the humor I saw in the MOTD.

I'd guess that that sign is also at least a bit tongue-in-cheek.

"Don't even think about it" is simply dramatization to help us remember that they are serious about punishing you if you break the rule(s).

We hear that stuff from our parents, spouses, bosses, drill sergeants, and so on. Do they intend that you really shouldn't think about it? In most cases I'd say no, and even if they ARE serious, it's a paper tiger, because as of yet, we don't have mind reading capability.

Now, if LL gets wind of a plot to take down the grid, and dig around in some chat logs and discover that a person or group of persons was talking about taking down the grid, as one poster alluded to above, that's gone beyond thought, and into the territory of possible collusion to carry out the act, and warrants some sort of response, or in the very least some careful scrutiny.