What kind of PR and TOS enforcement policy is this?!

On the secondlife.com homepage, you're currently linking to an article from the April issue of Discover magazine. Given the fact you're linking to it, I'm going to assume someone from LL has read this thing and considers it to be factually accurate and all quotes to be likewise accurate.

The article states that User X "...was exiled to the corn field for three days for reverse-engineering a bit of computer code to steal virtual items from a vendor in Second Life."

Ok so we're all clear on this fact: it is acknowledged that a member has been caught STEALING ITEMS from a fellow community member - breaking US law, breaking the TOS tp which we all agreed and upon which we all mutually rely, leveraging a loophole in your code, and using it to deprive another member of money to which they're entitled.

Personally, I'd boot his butt forever. Whatever, I don't run Linden Labs, and obviously you're going to do whatever you're going to do. But the quoted Linden Labs response comment is this:

"The cornfield is not used often, and it is only for white-collar crimes," explains Catherine Smith of Linden Lab... "It is supposed to be funny more than anything."

FUNNY? Your corporate decision on how to punish someone who is reverse engineering your code and STEALING FROM OTHER MEMBERS is to send them somewhere you built to be FUNNY?

You're aware that under the DCMA that is actually a criminal offense, right? I'm a business owner and I have no choice in SL except to rely on you to protect me and my legal rights within SL. No, I'm not suggesting you should have criminally prosecuted this user, but for the love of God, please don't make public relations statements that make it clear you take this so lightly you ship offenders to somewhere you find funny.

Because I really do not find it funny. In fact, this was a big wake up call for me and I'm sitting here feeling let down, vulnerable, horrified, and not the least bit amused.

I agree, violations of the Community Standards have disciplinary measures because of this.