Are there many off-world Search Engines?

(RR NOTE: I don't think I'm trolling, but if I am, I will delete this post.)

I want to get my name removed from all off-world search engines, if there are more. If you know of any besides the "goat-like" one, please send me a note. (I'm not sure I can even mention the name of the one I found, nor do I want to give them business.)

I read about that one this morning. There was controversy about accidentally setting one's personal property for sale and having someone else come along and buy it out from under your nose. (stuffbots!)

So I went to the Web site to see for myself. It appears to be a search engine for items that are "for sale" in SL. You can search by item name/description OR AV name.

I tested it with my name and then tried a friend's name. A chair of his showed up and was marked for sale (He doesn't make or sell chairs). I clicked the hot link and it sent me directly to his home and stood me on his chair. Although it was marked for sale, it would not let me purchase it. Whew. But then I got to thinking...

YIKES.

I don't have an LM to his home. He doesn't give it out. I am concerned that this "search engine" can now be used to find where folks live and TP there directly without their permission or knowledge that it is being given out. I have sent my concerns to the search engine's company and will also send off an email to LL.

The other crappy thing about this particular search engine, is that you must OPT OUT to not be included in their search listings. Since I had no idea I was IN, how would I know to OPT OUT? Now I must visit their headquarters in-world and get my name off their list. I also have to ban their stuffbot from my properties to keep from being scanned.

The one beneficial thing: you can see if someone is reselling your items or reselling freebies! I discovered a famous artist's freebies are being resold by a few folks and will follow up with them.

So in conclusion, what other search engines are out there that I need to opt out of???

For quite a while there was a bug where if a prim was set for sale with "no modify" for the next owner, and left click defaulted to "Buy Object", it wouldn't reset back to "Touch" on the purchased copy. As a result there will be quite a few objects marked for sale that really aren't, and as you pointed out, it makes a great stalking tool.

I doubt opting out really means that either, ESC will still have the records for whatever personal use they see fit.

Well I just came across this thread this morning:

/128/9c/172697/1.html

Someone is scanning sims and listing all the parcels and who owns them etc. They have yet to say how they are doing this but I would suspect its also a bot. And so far they don't even have an opt-out option, it's just tough luck for anyone owning land. But on the plus side, it's not searchable by name, *yet*.

There is a much better one that I've seen being maintained by one of the older land barons, but it would appear that I have not kept a bookmark. If I remember right, it was searchable by virtue of the fact that the parcel names and owner names were on the same page, just do a "find on this page" or whatever your browser of choice uses.

Eek! It showed some flowers in my bedroom as being for sale...I ran right over and clicked the frickin' sign to opt out. I've also alerted my friends, as a couple of them also show up as having items in their homes which I'm relatively certain aren't actually for sale.

I went to sheep island via their website as i couldnt find the opt out sign when i visited as it is not as you arrive at the island, (neither was it signposted at the time of my visit) and removed myself from the list. Schemes that collect data and need you to opt-out are never to be trusted imho, especially ones that do not making finding out how to opt out, easy for people

Perhaps it would help those of us not aware of this to know exactly where to go to opt out (link to site? link to article if it's mentioned?). I personally don't like the idea of having to worry when I'm not in-world whether or not someone is merrily wending their way through my little plot of land or whether or not they're even walking around my place (it's not the most secure), to see if I have stuff for sale - though why they'd want a singing Little Snow Fairy Sugar doll is beyond me.

According to that site, Kitty Barnett's birthday invitation is for sale

Now they just need to invent a bot that will go out and buy these items for you and send them to you.

or maybe even an auction?

Call it ..

SLebay

http://blogs.electricsheepcompany.com/christian/?p=149

HTH

They could check to see if an item is available at SLBoutique and if so include a link to the item's SLB product info page.

Which makes their claims at being privacy conscious rather hollow. I can opt-out of it all I like, won't change the fact that it's listed there, disclosing RL information that wouldn't have been there for all to easily (easily being the keyword) find without it.

Am I going to be hurt in any way because people can find out my RL birthday? Not at all. Do I care? Yes, because that's not something I personally feel should be just out there, with no recourse for me to get it delisted from ESC's "harmless" tool.

And I'm probably overreacting, but *shrugs*. The item isn't even really up for sale, it's in a private residence, there's no good reason for it to show up at all.

(Zaphod... you owe me a birthday prezzie now )

[Christian removed the listing since, thankies ]

Here's one.

You think that is bad? Try Googling your name and try to opt outta that one