Official Word on Outing Alts In The Forums

I am trying to find the official word on whether it is ok for Person A to claim in the forums that one avatar name is an alt of another avatar name.

I seem to recall that this has been forbidden in writing but I can't find it in writing.

I have done some searching but can't find official word from a Linden anywhere.

Also I would like to know if Person A says Person B is the same person as Person C, and also makes statements about Person C's real world actions, is that a violation of both B's and C's right to freedom of disclosure of real world information other than what is revealed in the first life section of their inworld profile?

Can you point me to any section of the Community Standards, Forum Guidelines, Terms of Service, or any other official, binding, and quotable statement of policy on this issue by Linden Lab?

Please note I am not trying to start a debate or ask anyone their opinion. I don't care what the user's opinions are, I want to be able to quote the exact official policy on this subject.

I have posted this question in the Hotline to Lindens forum but sometimes we users answer questions faster or more completely than the overworked Linden staff do.

I always thought that outing an alt was a violation whether in world or in a forum post. I know of people who have been suspended in world for outing an alt in a profile. As far as alt outing in a forum post. I have seen some people get away with it and others have gotten slapped with a TOS/CS violation.

Seems to go back to the same old same old...uneven rule enforcement, which leads to unpredictable results and accusations of favortism.

Favoritism!

I think its likely something that's open to interpretation by the mods: whether the alt has already been self-outed, and whether the purpose of the outing is to slander or harass.

The forum CS or TOS do not spell it out, however - as far as I can tell.

Pathfinder told us once that it's a privacy breach, whether it's a true accusation or not.

Apparently this has been neglected, because Catherine Cotton keeps insisting that Cristiano and I are alts. I have reported it multiple times, as has Cristiano, and nothing has been done. The accusatory posts still stand.

Haha thats a bizarre pairing.. You don't even talk similarly.. Not that I've noticed anyway..

Weird thing is now, unless you edit your own post, the link will be forever imortalised in the forums from your own post

I can verify that outing alts is not stated as forbidden in the ToS, CS, or Forum Guidelines. Of the many times I've done it, only once did I receive a formal warning. Although I emailed support (multiple times) for an explanation (and appeal), I never received a reply.

With that said, I think the rules on outing alts are common sense. If it's obvious or done in passing, it's acceptable. If it becomes harassing to the alt (or the person you think is an alt), then it's a violation of the Forum Guidelines.

~Ulrika~

Just wait until I introduce Nashzilla! People will talk!

Actually, it all started because Cris and I both used the word "hyperbole" a couple of times... That's hard evidence your honor!

I concur.

So privacy again succumbs to the penchant for idle gossip? How about just not do it? If the person wanted you to know they would tell you. And so what if so and so is a such and such when he posts ans johnny ALTerboy? Screw it.


besides everyone knows that Cristiano is my Alt. So is Nolan. Does that make them alts of each other? Of course since you are all fignments of my imagination, really you are all my alts.

I want a vanilla Alt personally, from baskin robins.

Look my thought is that the dictates of privacy and protecting personal information cover alt accounts. In that case the TOS policies regarding personal information would cover disclosing that somoen is an alt. Really it would violate the both the mains privacy and the alt, so maybe you could get a double whammy.

Are Alts considered "bad form"? Humor a new user here.

No. Alts are not bad form. Some people use alts to be jerks when thier mains have reputations that are positive. In this case being a jerk is bad form, using and alt is not.

Only in the forum. They're used to create an illusion of support (appeal to popularity fallacy) in forum debates and as a vehicle to deliver nasty insults without repercussion.

~Ulrika~

So this whole conspiracy against me is just being done by one person?

I believe it is definitely against the TOS, both in game and out, unless someone specifies who their alt is on their profile, or has been stated by that person already on the forums. That goes for any rl info one may not wish to share.

coco

Couldn't agree more! But then I agree with everything Ulrika ever says. You morons.

Hehe Nashzilla is a wonderful name! You should make that something anyway..

There is nothing in the TOS that states anything regarding "outing alts". I just read it over (again) with a fine tooth comb to see if I could help the OP find her answer. Nothing in the TOS or community standards states that a person cannot reveal the main character of an alt, or accuse someone of being an alt.

Good memory Nolan! Here it is...

Show me where it says that.

Well, I guess this is another good one for the hotline, then. Good she put it there. Reminds me, I've gotta get off this screen name, before I get accused of having multiple personality disorder and being unable to distinguish between reality or fiction. Or being "creepy" or something.

coco

Ah, that's better. I believe Pathfinder said that, Weedy. And as well, logically, it would be the extension of divulging someone's real-life details; i.e., that he is actually playing two (or more) people.

coco

P.S. Edited to add - Ms. Jakal found it.

I didn't not post this as an alt. This was someone else. I just wanted to say that, as it makes it look like I'm calling people names, which I'm not.

~Ulrika~

Pathfinder never said that. There is nothing in the ToS, CS, or Guidelines that excludes. Alt names have nothing to do with RL information.

~Ulrika~

Where does it state that in the TOS?




How does outting alts reveal RL info? I would agree that divulging RL info is a no-no, but I fail to see the connection as to being an extension of it.