Wall of Shame

Devlin mentioned an idea about a Wall of Shame for people who knowingly (and I think most of us are bright enough to tell the difference) resell another person's creative works. After my experiences last night and this morning, consisting of my first Neg ratings (yay me!) and highly abusive and inanely threatening IMs sent to my email (thanks to Mscutieq Buttercup, mule account of Veeay Buttercup) this is sounding like a better and better idea to me.

I've spoken with a couple other merchants who are downright fed up with this practice as well, and one has been kind enough to offer space beside a Telehub to host such a wall, and even suggested a group be formed to alert others when their items are being resold.

I'm posting here because I'd like to know who else would be interested in participating in something like this, and also for some advice on how to go about it best, without griefing and/or violating ToS.

Note: I'm not referring to reselling an Original you paid for but can't really use, or even selling a derivitive work, I have no problems with either of those practices. I'm talking about buying copiable/transferable items, immediately slapping a higher price on them, and then reselling them as your own work. Especially when you're abused, threatened and neg rated for having the gall to ask them to stop selling them, and getting the run around about how they created the items themselves, despite your name being listed clearly as Creator.

W00t yes ... all for it!

And I'll provide space for a wall in Mocha... lets spread the fun...

*cue's Madness' "House of Fun"*

Count me in, sounds like a blast!

As for the negs - badge of honor and all that jazz

And for the more serious stuff side of threats etc... I give one first - last - and final warning:

Although threats, especially ones pertaining to RL are the first thing that make my 'minor-ometer' go off, and 99% are a blast of hot air from an empty vessel... Be warned that in RL I am nowhere near as 'fun and fancy free' as here.
I've walked quite a few places where angels fear to tread - as such I am totally unimpressed by anything your weak imagination can type.. Anyone who wants to spill over to RL, roll your dice, take your chances - but when it comes to me and my RL family, I don't f*ck around.

Siggy.

I think it's a good idea, but you should be careful how it's implemented. Anytime a name is adding to the list, you should also record who suggested adding the name and why -- specifically, and without generalities.

There should also be a way for anyone on this blacklist to remove themselves. People can change. People can also be wrongfully blacklisted. There's nothing worse than having your reputation destroyed based on rumour and false accusation.

Can I be on the wall of shame? I want the biggest picture of the bunch, mile high with flashing lights and sounds, because I want to stand out above and beyond the meer wanna-be's.

Siggy - Yes, I questioned whether the IMs came from a minor, and the response I got was that my mother was a minor. I'm sure she would have been flattered by that. She did look pretty young for her years. As for the threats.. I don't take them at all seriously.. I doubt someone who can't manage to spell could wind their way across the country looking for me.. And if they did, I've little doubt I could hold my own, if not rip them a new one, as you well know.

Cubey - I agree that implimentation is crucial. I have no desire to smear the reputation of anyone who simply didn't know any better. Nor do I have any desire to assist in someone's petty grudges by listing the name of someone who's done nothing wrong. This is the very reason I posted here soliciting ideas and thoughts.

Another thought I've had is getting together interested creators and perhaps teaching a class for newcomers on how to check items for Creator. For instance, opening an edit window, contents, and checking the properties on boxed textures. Not something most people think to do, and a bit of a pain to go through, but well worth it for me, because I choose to support the creators rather than the resellers. It was someone doing this very thing that informed me that textures I sell in bundles for a dollar were being sold in a bundle for 500 dollars, with the added note that is was a 200 dollar value. :/

i can't help but think that all this will accomplish is to up the drama factor in sl.

In that case, we'd best order in some more popcorn... and more comfy seats...

You may be right. But if exposing people as cheats and alerting others that they're being ripped off is drama, so be it. Might be a nice change of pace from the who's-cybering-whom drama.

I've always thought it would be great if someone took it upon themselves to create an SL Better Business Bureau. It could keep record of unsavory business practices, or keep some kind of ratings system like ebay merchants have. It could also serve as a mediator for disputes. Newer merchants could have their store checked out by a BBB person and get a rundown of acceptable business standards. Complying businesses could display some kind of seal. Sounds like a whole lot of no-fun to do, but I've often wished someone would.

Sorry, I didn't get around to implementing the Wall of Shame myself, but every time I get a suggested name and told where to look, I crash half a dozen times trying to verify the info. For now, I have given up trying to fix my crashing problem, as SL is the only program I have a problem with.

I happen to have a nice comfy seat too -- free to copy I might add ;P

Siggy.

Yes please to the wall of shame!!

Ane anyone ever thought about taking your idea a bit furthur Jonquille...like a SL Etiquette class? Include things like don't resell others things, don't leave your litter about, don't randomly shoot people, etc.? Maybe no one would attend, but I dunno, just a thought.

I built two bicycles and had a friend help me with the scripts as I knew nothing about scripting. Anyway, on my bicycles it shows her name as the creator and me as just the owner. Does anyone know why that would happen?

The "Creator" is always the person who rezzed the parent prim -- the prim to which all the othe prims are linked. You can see the parent prim when you r-click and object and choose Edit. It's the one highlighted in yellow.

I'm all for it ...tired of seeing freebies for sale. But I can't see the lindens letting a wall go up in world. I 'm sure they would have something to say about it.

It could be the order in which they were linked, if the person gave you the script in the prim, or there is a prim there that they created..

... the creator/permissions system isn't perfect and can throw you a curve like that sometimes.

But if there is an agreement with you and that person then all is well in the world, and I don't think anyone would give you grief over it.

Many of the problems at the moment are with items many people have made free for the world to enjoy being jacked up to several hundred dollars with the only change being some permissions removed -- or in some cases a single texture being changed.

Perhaps if not a 'wall of shame' then some sort of 'consumers catalogue' -- make a free product, register with a pic of it - some info - what it should have.

Drop it in kiosks around the place with participating shops etc. as a service, post on the forums when it is updated....

Or maybe do both.

Some food for thought.

Siggy.

I had an idea a few weeks back that I forgot about, but you just reminded me Siggy. I'll start a new thread so I don't hijack this one.

how dare you terraform your land!

There have been a lot of really good ideas suggested here, and also in Chip's thread regarding the Freebie Vendors. Many of which compliment each other well, and could all be implimented with little time and effort if we do it as a group or team.

What are the chances of a good portion of us meeting in world sometime soon and hashing some of these ideas out? Does anyone have free time this coming weekend to attend a meeting, and would anyone like to suffer the dwell of hosting it? I have room, but it's just a store, so no comfy chairs or popcorn maker.

As for you, Jauani... I'll terraform your ass in a minute! Don't make me come over there.

I will be available, and I have plenty of spare land in Leda... if you all are interested in hosting something for this let me know..

that' not fair. i don't know if i'm being threatened or propositioned.

I have room and a soap-box, er stage ... lol... in Mocha.

Actually, Julia and I are holding a flea market this weekend. We're emphasising the no-piracy angle, so this might be an ideal spot...

Let me know ...

I should be available this weekend.

How does Saturday at 3pm Pacific look for everyone?