New identity authentication system?

One relatively inexpensive way to deal with this, at least in the US, is to distribute notarized affidavits. At least in my jurisdiction, this gets you an independent confirmation that the person signing the affidavit has a matching governmental ID card. It's not a huge guarantee, but it's a cheap way of getting additional peace of mind.

I've only just thought about this because it seems like one way to implement an age verification system, given that credit card information isn't reliable for that purpose.

Yeah, I was thinking that just after I posted! lol

coco

That's what I'm thinking too............but some better for people to have to know it right away. And, of course, knowing that that information does mean, in fact, that an honest effort has been put forth to check that the information is accurate.

This would be a paper system

That sounds cumbersome - any paper system is going to be slow.

LL already has slow customer service as it is. Can you see them opening tens of thousands of envelops a month?

Not to mention who they gave the job to, "how the heck did I get stuck with this job?" Linden would go bonkers.

I think any system thats really feasible would have to be automated and electronic.

I was kinda thinking the same thing. Anyone that I engage in a personal relationship with will learn what they need to learn privately from me, anyone that I may do business with can see on my profile that I have a valid payment method. What else is necessary?

No offense but that is ridiculous. I'm not going to go through that just to play an online game.

Maybe Susanne can step up again here. Adult sites have a disclaimer (yes I vist them) stating I certify I'm of legal age, and what I'm doing is not Illegal where I live, Blah Blah, Blah. If LL provides the right CYA's, as it seems they are trying to do, is this enough to keep them in the clear? When the feds bust a chat room for pedophiles, they go after the actors, they don't prosecute AOL or whoever provides the service as long as they provide the information. I'm going out for the evening, discuss it amongst yourselves.

have fun , well talk about this pR0n obsession of yours later.

Except . . . that nobody would be given the job. The Tao of Linden states that all employees select the work they want to work on.

As for the AOL example, above, I think the analogy would be that AOL can't ADVERTISE (i.e., list) that they have a chatroom for pedophiles. If such chat occured anyway, then the feds would go after the actors. Not that this is about pedophiles - but I think the same principle applies.

coco

I NOW understand LL customer service.

The Zen of Coco has enlightened me on the Tao of Linden.

OHMMMMMMMMMMMMMMM

We already have that, it's "Payment Info on File/Used".

People with payment info listed don't have the option of putting false information, because then any charge/deposit will be declined or run the risk of getting flagged for fraud.

Meanwhile the no payment info accounts can put down whatever they wish because there's absolutely no penalty for them do so, and no way to verify whether it's accurate information or not.

It all boils down to a simple fact. That fact is that Linden Labs provides a platform, game, or service that has adult content and activity and because of that the laws of the country (and state) must be adhered to by the company who owns that platform, game, or service. Linden Labs has to put forth an earnest and valid effort to make sure that the users of their product do not engage in any activity that violates those laws. It's cover your ass..........yeah. But if you violate the laws then you are responsible. Now just saying you are responsible is not enough to fully cover you butt. A method has to be in place to find who the violators are........if that is not in place then it will fall back on Linden Labs (legally).

It's merely time LL grew up and abandoned that pipe dream of "everyone will be nice if left to their own". Pretty thoughts.........but so naive. Borders on stupidity.

It had to happen...........I'm glad it looks like it finally is about to come about.

I don't think Kidd was suggesting that as the only method, just a possible alternative....

I'm the same way. I really don't pay any attention to whether people are verified or not, but I can imagine that people doing business with me might feel more secure about it knowing I'm who I say I am. I don't know that the proposed system will even provide for that though, so who knows

the way I'd prefer the identity verification system (and the current "payment info on file" is that this data should never leave the server.

You shoudl be able to give the servers whatever pieces of identity you wish, and age, payment status, gender, location, sexual orientation, nostril hair length, etc. should all be optional to give to this "ID server".

Parcel owners should then be able to ban visitors according to one or more of these, or some combination. Alternately, they could allow only those who match a specific set of criteria.

As part of this, to prevent identity phishing, this data on the ID servers should never be made accesible to any scripting, and should never get sent to any client except teh avatar in question.

In terms of user interface, if an avatar that matches the ban profile (or does not match the allowed profile) tries to enter a given parcel, they should come up against ban lines. the actual data on what kind of profiles get banned/allowed from a given parcel should be visible.

So don't.

I wouldn't expect every single SL member to do this. Rather, existing age verification services could use it, and the people who already sign up with those services could choose to go this route. As the demand for age verification services becomes more widespread, these services could start selling their verification services to more mainstream sites. Currently, they're pretty much limited to porn sites.

The implication is that an individual would only need to do this once, and then could use that ID on SL, or the various other adult MMOGs, or wherever. So it wouldn't be a huge burden.

In any event, for business services over the internet, as mentioned in the note to which I originally replied, it's perfectly reasonable.

As a 3rd party serivce this does make more sense as a long run concept. Someplace with insurance and security.

However a Linden Labs based system I dont see it working.

Even in RL I do all in my power to hide my personal information. I try to make sure mail only has a single initial and no honorific, phone is unlisted and is under an initial and last name only. If I'm going to have any service persons at my home I make sure that I have at least one other person there with me. I am certainly not going to allow any information other than being over 18 and living in the US to get out on SL unless I coose to release that information.

This is no big deal at all. For USA residents all they would have to do is show up at LL HQ wirh all appropriate documents such as birth certificate or family bible, driver's license, passport and a few sworn statements from government officials stating they are who they say they are. Of course they would have to be willing to submit to a DNA test.

For non-USA citizens all the above would apply plus a special FBI check to see if they are official terrorists.

No big deal. This is how we do it in the USA.

Offical Identification Card - all answers are optional

Name-
Age-
Gender-
municipality,county,state,country,planet of origin-
Religous affiliation-
Racial Makeup (for mixed heritage round down)-
Political affiliation-
No come on for real, your a liberal, arent you?-
Pinko! Did you contribute to the DNC?-
Do you support the war in Iraq?-
Are you now or have you ever been a member of the communist party?-
Oh Really, how do you explain this photo?
Can we administer a drug test?
Can we take a DNA sample?
Can we take your fingerprints?
Can we give you a field sobriety test?
Can we film it to show as a gag?


Thank you.

Remember all questions were optional,

however- if you do not answer them you will not be allowed out of the welcome area in order to protect the content providers.

Not excatly. On my businesscard are the phone-numbers, fax-numbers, addresses and so that are related to the company. Not my privated ones. I am already happy that I can turn off my company cell phone when I am home. I don't want to think of it that my customers could bother me even in my time off.

Concerning phone-books. My private phone-number isn't in any phonebook, nor it can be requested by any information service. It is what we call over here in The Nethelands a "secret phonenumber".

Morwen.

I hope you are not serious here?

I mean, this an <bliep> online game/community, whatever you wish to call it. And you want people being check if they are terrorists?

Good, I had a good laugh over it....

Morwen.

We always seem to go from the sublime to ridiculous on threads like this. Everyone here is a resident of SL. We all have a common goal (I would hope we do anyway). There is a problem.........actually many problems...........that effect our virtual community. But most of the problems revolve around everyone getting along and trusting others. I can get along with most anyone............IF I can trust them. The key word there is TRUST. Even if you are open minded about others (as I am) you cannot trust them till you know them to an acceptable degree. No one cares what your real name is, no one cares where you live, no one cares what your income is, no one cares if your hair is red, brown, grey or blonde. What people care about is ARE YOU TRUSTWORTHY!! Are you some creep or are you someone who just wants to have fun and enjoy a mutual virtual life? As it stands right now the creeps who are very much part of this world make it almost impossible to have trust in anyone.

Why is that? Could it be that there is a total lack of verification by the creators of this world? I don't want anyone I, personally don't tell, to know any more about me than what I present myself in SL as the avatar, Peggy Paperdoll. But, by the same token I want people to trust me. How can I do that? There has to be a way to give that confidence. Linden Labs, being the "creator", seems to be the likely focal point to validate me so others can trust me. And validate others so I can trust them.

People have mentioned they have unlisted, non published phones in RL.........guess what. So do I. People have mentioned that they won't tell strangers their personal information........guess what. I won't either. But those same people have bank accounts, credit cards, paypal, and many do business on eBay. They did not get those bank accounts, credit cards, paypaly accounts nor do business on eBay without providing personal information. I comes down to............do you trust the people who are providing the service you are seeking or not. I trusted Linden Labs to protect my personal information concerning my credit card that I use for my premium membership. And a lot of you have done the same. Why is it that so many will not? Do you trust who you are doing "business" with or not? If so then anti up the info. If not then my take is you are short lived in SL.

You cannot continue to be totally private in a public business. Like it or not........that is a fact of life. A database, kept secure, with personal information protects you as much as it protects LL. Why the stinking resistance? If you are hiding something like if you are really 25 years old when, in fact, you are 50 years old...........that won't be devulged unless you tell it. But, if you are a pediphile and hiding it and some legal action arises then that WILL be devulged...........to the legally responsible authorities. Or if you are a thief, or a terrorist............any number of bad things. The little "lies and games" we all play will not.

Verification is for protection..........protection of everyone. LL, you, me..........every single one of us.

I have no problem with verification... when it stays within reason. But I won't let meself be treated as a potential terrorist and be checked by the FBI, CIA, KGB or whatever.

(And they have my RL address already... they have my CC information... they have a lot of payments made on that CC, teirs, anual memberships, buying linden $)

Morwen.

Then I think you are pretty much in the same boat as I am. The only difference is that because of that you find LL providing some non identifying method of commicating that information to others.........like a little gold star or something so other will know that you are (as far as feasibly possible to know) who you "say" you are. And, of course, any law enforcement agency (with proper authority) can know everything LL knows.

So what's your problem with the idea?

Privacy... that is what is all what is about. LL may know my RL name, RL age, RL adress (as already said, they have it already and they may recheck it for me). But I need no star to show that I am good... or bad. That kind of signs give me a bad taste.

I take this thingy called Privacy very high. And its already been hurted by for many <bliep> reasons... not only in the US, but also here in Europe. In RL I am a big fighter for privacy and so I will be here when needed.

And ohh, privacy has nothing to do that you have to hide something....

"People who are willing to trade their privacy for temporary security,
deserve neither and will lose both in the end."
(I know this isn't the actual qoute, but it stands as well)

Morwen.