British police want to put up "posters" of missing four-year-old in "Second Life."

British police want to put up "posters" of missing four-year-old in "Second Life." Because that's where she is. Wait, what?


LONDON, England (CNN) -- British police plan to post pictures of missing British toddler Madeleine McCann in virtual world Second Life, a UK-based child protection law enforcement organization says.

The virtual posters of the four-year-old, who vanished in Portugal nearly six weeks ago, will appear in prominent locations in the online world.

Officers are in talks with Internet-based Second Life, Britain's Press Association reported Tuesday.

Second Life is a virtual world, sometimes described as a game, in which people control "avatars" to meet people, fool around and even run businesses.

Jim Gamble, of the Child Exploitation and Online Protection Centre (CEOP), told PA the move demonstrated the commitment of police to pursue the case.

Traditional posters appealing for information from the Portuguese resort where Madeleine disappeared have been translated into several languages, Gamble said.

Tourists who stayed at the Portuguese resort from where she was abducted have been urged in the past three weeks to hand over any holiday photographs which might contain clues to her kidnapper.

British detectives have been using advanced facial recognition software to scan the pictures and pass on any useful information to Portuguese police.

Gamble said 1,000 images have been uploaded by British and some German holiday makers who visited the resort in the two weeks before Madeleine's disappearance.

Madeleine was snatched from her family's holiday apartment in southern Portugal on May 3 while her parents, Gerry and Kate, ate at a restaurant only 100 meters away.

The McCanns traveled to Morocco Monday where they met top government officials as part of their campaign to publicize their daughter's disappearance.

"Kate and I believe, after the meetings today with officials from the government in Morocco and non-government organizations, that if Madeleine is here in Morocco, then she will be found," Gerry told a news conference Monday.

The McCanns have met Pope Benedict to publicize their appeal and traveled to Spain, Berlin and Amsterdam to meet tourists who may have seen Madeleine during their holidays in Portugal.


http://www.cnn.com/2007/WORLD/europe/06/12/mccann.virtual/index.html?eref=rss_topstories

The posters are already in various locations and have been for some time.

I already see posters about her all over the place. They're starting to outnumber the ad spam in some places.

Indeed. I saw somebody standing at the back of a welcome area a few weeks ago wearing a big Find Madeleine placard and an erect penis he'd obviously forgotten to detach. Somebody orbited him eventually because he wouldn't remove it.

I wonder if Google refused to superimpose that illustration of Madeleine McCann's distinctive eyes over the letter O's in their banner? That was the last plan I heard. Maybe that's why they're now targetting Second Life. The problem for any company being approached is that there are a LOT of missing children in the world, and once you draw attention to the plight of one, how can you justify NOT doing the same for others? Google's front page would never be their own again.

The difference with Second Life is that they can get bring the images in-world themselves. Linden Lab need not be involved, but as you say, the posters are already here anyway.

I'm sorry, but what a load of bs. Seriously, this whole media hype thing is going too far. It's almost another Lady Di phenomenon. And I don't think just because everyone and their aunt think they have to "be involved" is helping much, on the contrary.

And hundreds of children are dying of disease and malnutrition every day ... what about them?

Well, that explains why I was seeing images of the girl all over the place.

I'm trying to think of a way of putting my thoughts into a 'not mean, but honest' way.

The police want to look 'more effective' so they contact Linden Labs?!

There, that was it.

Frankly, I think the Center for Missing and Exploited Children could stand to come in and open their own SL Headquarters. They'd need a branch in both the Main and the Teen Grids, but it'd be worth it.

That's a cool idea, deff for the Teen Grid.

Both in RL and in SL most people have become quite effective in "blanking out" things they are not interested in. So no big issue, IMO. *shrugs shoulders*

These posters for sure aren't worse than the proverbial giant rotating particle spewing male appendages put on 16 sq ad farm parcels.

Put your own posters up in SL about that then.

Where can I put up a poster asking why her parents are not in jail for leaving her unattended?

MY THOUGHTS EXACTLY!
And yes, if people would spare the same amount of attention to all the other kids in the world that need help...

They did ring Linden Lab but after a ten minute wait were told to leave a voicemail if they wanted a callback. When nobody called after a fortnight, they sent an email but it bounced because they didn't have a premium account. I'm sure plod will come up with a cunning plan to get in touch with this company eventually though.

Missing childern spam..just what I naver always wanted

Well, I know this has been saturated in the news media. Im sure they have milk cartons in Portugal, so Im sure that angle is covered. SL as an auxiliary form of exposure? Doesnt bother me, all it can do is exhaust another avenue to find this missing kid. If this is considered 'spam', I would consider this a worthwhile, if not futile, form of spam. Go for it.

I'm not calling it spam, and I do think it does serve a purpose. I just wish they had gone about it a better way, you know? And I do see the potential of something like the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children to actually do some good. Hey, let them on the teen grid and they can provide more information to the teens about internet and RL safety.

They could make all the info on their website available in SL on both grids and if it helps one kid.. well, it's worth it, I think.

I'm not sure where I stand on this issue. Missing posters in an online world sort of trivializes the message. On the other hand, I had never heard of the girl until I saw a sign in world a few weeks ago.

She's all over the tabloids at the grocery store.

In game ads in online video games that have such things would reach a lot more people, wouldn't they?

Do these forums have a :whogivesafuck: smiley

What makes this kid so special that she warrants international attention?

You people against this action are the very same people who come here crying about the fact you lost a pair of %^^& shoes from your inventory ... your pathetic .

THIS IS A LITTLE GIRLS LIFE WE ARE TALKING ABOUT !!!

Any step .. and i do mean ANY step that can be take to try and help find this little girl ..or the people that have taken her should be used .

I wonder how many of the people here that have repyed are mothersx and fathers ?? ... if you are you should be ashamed of yourself .

If your not yet a mother or a father ... lets hope nothing happen's to your kid's

I 100 % back this move

It is sad that it happen but she is missing because her parents fault and the only reason why she has media attention is because her parents are somebody wealthy.
There many, many other brown and white skin children who vanish, are kidnapped or even sold into child slavery even houses of prostution through out the world even in USA every day and no one is looking for them.

So do something about that, schmuck, instead of putting up smug, I'm-so-superior posts.

The child Could be anywhere in the world by Now, and the More eyes they have looking for him, the better.

Go for it!!

And for those of you who can't imagine the hell these parents are going through right now (Self inflicted or Not), Lets hope you never have to find out what lengths YOU wouldn't go to to find your child if they went Missing. A show of heart right now would do you more credit than a show of Rightious Indignation.

Angel.

I'm having flashbacks to the "Impeach Bush" fiasco.
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Sadly this forum isn't for discussing news. I'll move it to RRW and lock it.