Griefer Controls

Griefers need to be dealt with. Their numbers are rising at an alarming rate as the number of beta testers enters the world. And their numbers will grow even faster once the game goes live. They are responsible Kerstin's departure.

What controls can, should there be?

- 'No Scripts' option on land so that only the land owners scripts work.

- 'No Teleport' option on land to prevent others from teleporting onto your land.

- 'Not Allowed' list on land. A simple way to put peole on a list that are not allowed on your land, either all your land or that specific parcel. They shouldn't be allowed to fly over it, or teleport onto it. It could be based off the 'Mute' list, or something similar.

- Moderator script calls. Methods that only work on the owners land (like llTeleportAgent or whatever it is). These methods would include ones that prevent others from talking, specify specific people that can talk, designate specific areas as closed - that on one can enter, except the owner and maybe a list of specific people.

Those are the first that we talked about in chat, I don't take credit for any or all of those ideas.

I agree with everything in this post, 100%.

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Sinatra posted this, please read. I agree we need a boot/mute. A function where we can boot a greifer from our land (they would teleported "home". Having boot with mute included would give us a quick single button to deal with this. This won't of course, if we are somewhere that isnt our property.

Ama posted the full list I was thinking of.

PLEASE! As soon as possible!

*raises both hands and a leg in favor of this idea*

PLEASE!

Also, if it is possible (as long as we are asking for the moon), it should work for some height above the land (presuming that is not already implied). That way, griefers cannot fly high above and make bombs up there and drop them and have them successfully annoy the users on the ground.

Does that mean it has to work all the way up to the ceiling? No, but it should take effect something like 5m above the highest object on the person's property or some such--that is if it's even possible.

Envision the scenario:

Owner A has a house B somewhere (outlands, non-outlands, does not matter) that is 10m high (tallest object is top of roofline at 10m).

Griefer C hovers over house at 20m+, creates bomb D, starts dropping it on B. Repeats for extra annoyance.

As D hits 5m above highest part of B, D evaporates because it was not created by A, and A has turned off scripts and non-A object creation on property.

Sounds good to me.

The other alternative is to have zones (like Lusk, for example) that could be marked as "no non-owner scripts" areas (like no-fly, but different) as a default. That would stop C from dropping D next to B since they don't (potentially) own that land either. Yeah, you could extend this scenario ad infinitum (what if C buys plot next to A, when C acts up, A complains and C gets "voted off the sim", what if C gets a new account, etc.), but at least it creates the necessary dis-incentive that is so attractive to griefers.

OK, here is what we're testing for the 0.6 release:
- a script call to kick people off of land that you own
- a bouncer object that allows you to kick people off via voice command using the script command
- a invitation dispenser that coordinates with a doorman object to control who can come onto your land (again, using the script command)
- no script option for land parcels (only scripts that you own run on your land if this is checked)
- no teleport option for land parcels (people who teleport onto your land get bounced off of your land)

We're still testing, so no guarantees!

Also, as Hunter posted, we're modifying the community standards to make it a little more specific about your land versus other people's land.

Cory

Excellent.

I can't wait to see all of this implemented, at least in testing-mode.

/Cheer!

-Voodoo

I found this old thread from Cory -- I don't know if all these things were implemented (this is from 2003) but I think they are currently available, and if not all, at least the most important tools for keeping annoying avatars away from the enjoyment of your game and your property.

Meanwhile, on the subject of bouncer scripts in general, I found little discussion, but the general received wisdom that they are "ok" because they are part of "I can do what I want on my property" -- the freedom we all wish for ourselves, but the freedom we all wish others would use more responsibly.

Why do Lindens allow bouncer scripts that bounce avs half way across sims, often up in the air or out into voids? If weapons that do that are banned, why are they allowed in the form of "house security"?

I have posted a hotline note to the Lindens about the pernicious problem that effectively ruins the enjoyment of people's properties and businesses for many squares around those who chose to maliciously use these functions. I've cited all my arguments against them there.

I find two kinds of people using them:

1) Innocents who were harassed once in the game, usually when they were new, and didn't realize that griefers usually move on, they often leave after trial accounts, and they often forget about you the next day. Planning your life around them with defensive action only makes you a nuisance to your neighbours and preoccupies you with revenge. The best policy is to report them, and ignore them.

Most innocents don't realize they can go: right-click/about land/ban avatars in three easy clicks and type in the name of the offenders -- or "ban all" except themselves and their friends. Very very easy and effective. I don't like when people do this because they create an ugly red-lined wall around their property that bumps you as you try to fly, but it is tolerable, within the game norms, and you can just fly around it because it really is only a bump AND it warns you "can't come on property not on list". That's different than the pernicious bounce script that hits you without warning and bounces you far from your home.

2) Malicious gloaters who think they should have maximum property rights and just like to offend people and feel like tough mafias. No matter how patiently you explain that they could more effectively use land tools and not harass their neighbours, they still buy these scripts and install them because it makes them feel like RL homeowners installing a big macho security system. They don't feel the effects of the bounce nor do their guests, so they don't care. They have no concept of neighbourliness or community, and their response to even the most polite inquiry is to imply that you are harassing them, which is most idiotic because you a) didn't touch their avatar b) didn't devalue their property; c) didn't interfere with the flight access to their residence or business. They are objectively harming you, whereas at most, you are only subjectively "harming" their inflated macho sense of themselves.

Here is my policy regarding these offensive pernicious devices:

1. I ban them from all my properties, for sale or for rent, so if you are bounced from a property with one, you can rest assured it is not ON my property or any of our group properties but possibly only NEAR these properties.

2. I instantly, no questions asked, negrate the person who uses the bounce script AND I negrate the owner of the building on their property. Is this fair? Yes. Because in my experience, people don't respond to polite inquiries, or they are offline and ignore things like this, but when you negrate them, you get their attention. When the offending script is removed, I promptly remove the negrates. Is it fair to negrate merely a builder on a property? Yes, because builders who contribute to people who use pernicious bounce scripts must also take responsibility for what constitutes a type of weapon, and a pernicious devaluation of property for many squares around. They don't get to do this.

3. I report the bounce script as abuse to the Lindens. It is abuse. I expect the Lindens to record it in their nighly after-action memos, if they have such a system. I report it to live Lindens online, to get their attention to this chronic problem, and of course I use the abuse report customer service system to alert Lindens to this form of griefing.

4. I encourage all neighbours, tenants, and roomies, as well as any patrons of businesses affected by the script, to negrate the land owners and the builders of buildings on the properties of those who use pernicious bouncer scripts. If it is group-owned, that means messages and negrates to all the officers.

5. I supply $75 stipends to any tenant/neighbour/patron harmed by the use of these pernicious scripts, so that they may negrate the offending property owner and builder on the property using these pernicious scripts.

Negrating is a legal operation in the game. It is used to express disapproval of an action. It is legitimate, it is healthy. Giving of $75 gifts to other players in the game is also legal. Anyone who finds this a form of "harassment" is welcome to take it up with the Lindens. The Lindens need to examine the issues of harm of avatars and devaluation of residences and businesses caused by bouncing scripts before they rush to defend pernicious bounce script users.

What about just a friendly note asking someone to reconsider their use of the bounce script? Oh, I do that, that's my first response. But in 90 percent of the cases, the bounce script user is so wedded to his or her macho sense of power that they refuse to part with this script and its side effects. So they get a negrate, an abuse report, and an encouragement of others to negrate and abuse-report.