Security Observations and Questions

I am new to this game, an unpaying dreg of society. I thought I'd sign up and see what the game's all about before going further--as in paying money.

Unfortunately, RL issues and a broken computer has prevented me from spending much time in game. So I have been reading through these forums and searching on the net to learn what I could about SL.

Aside from truly functional age verification (Good luck with that, btw. Such a thing doesn't exist on the internet.), the biggest issue I see with SL is security for the residents, landowners, and business owners. Apparently, SL is somewhat besieged by terrorists, various mobs, gangs, and all around pains in the ... Griefers, I believe, is the generic terms for such nasty little hooligans.

Considering the time invested by some residents, and the monetary connection possible between RL and SL, this seems to be--at least to me--a large problem to the residents that actually make SL a workable and enjoyable enviroment.

Oddly enough, there doesn't seem to be a police force--a functional, weapon-wielding, butt-kicking, avatar-pounding, law-enforcing, Linden-backed group of individuals to enforce peace and tranquility.

Is this because of fear of police corruption and abuse of power? Or is it, more along the lines of what I believe, because it is not the place of the Lindens to create political and law enforcement mechanisms to this fine degree? In other words, do people really want the Lindens to police their worlds? Sims, I think they're called. Sorry if I got the terms wrong. I'm new.

Are there private security firms run by other residents to fulfill such a gap in law enforcement?

If it is the responsibility of landowners and business owners to provide their own security, how does the hired security avoid being branded Griefers by the Lords and Ladies of Linden?

I don't think it is the responibility of the Lindens to provide security to a degree what many people seem to be asking for. They are, in effect, the creators of the SL universe. It is up to the inhabitants to form their own governments, political structures, and security--provided these devices do not break the equivolent of the Linden's ten commandments, as it were.

Would it not be possible for a group of residents or business owners to form or hire an individual or individuals with the sole purpose of securing a specific area, tracking down Griefers, filing abuse reports, and in general making a specific area undesirable to Griefers? Such a group could then be "registered" with the Lindens as a law enforcement unit.

Sorry for the long post. Just being a noob.

Fantasy, no prob. You summed up things pretty clearly, and your paragraphs are short. Welcome to Second Life too.

This, I'll let you know historically, is one of the classic "It looked good on paper" scenarios. Not faulting you or *anything* bad like that, but... here at Linden Lab, we believe strongly in Resident self-organization and help to provide tools to facilitate that (e.g., the new Group system currently in Preview).

Here's some points:


* I've firsthand seen many times where armed attacks from unauthorized "police groups" leading to a lot more, getting not only the right, but many of the wrong butts kicked and avatars pounded. Lots of innocent bystanders assaulted, leading to LOTS of complaints to our Customer Support and Liaisons.

* There is no need for showy firepower at the root. If an account is ruled to be doing a lot of wrong which would warrant a suspension or a ban, it can be done elegantly by Linden--and only by a Linden.

* Infighting in law enforcement organizations, leading to divisive factions, civil wars, and really, being able to hold peace amongst themselves, let alone the Residents.

* Competition amongst groups of this type, each one clamoring to be recognized as "the one true Linden official source", leads to cloudy confusion. And leads back to letting Lindens handle abuse as we can.

* Many good Residents who hate the thought of a "police state" and who simply don't want to be "enforced".

* Shooting another unwantedly on safe land is an assault. Our "ten commandments" are a simple six: the Community Standards.


What looks more likely in the future: emergent self-governance. We have Covenants on the way, which dictate "the law of the land" on private islands. For example, a warmongering overlord could own his own continent and have an elite squad set out to lay the smackdown on evildoers--but *only* on his estate. Nothing would be gridwide, but much as countries in the world, we'd see local customs and rules.

So what you suggest definitely has a place in Second Life. In the meantime, always a good idea to file abuse reports with sufficient details, we do appreciate this.