Is Second Life Liberation Army Founder Part of a Corporate Spy Firm?
by Pixeleen Mistral on 19/04/07 at 12:13 am
Solidad Sugarbeet resigns from SLLA leadership – claims Marshal Cahill is part of real life “corporate intelligence/security firm”
by Bayesian Textbot
Today, the following notice went out to the Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA):
Dear SLLA members: Via an anonymous source, it has come to my attention that Marshal Cahill is the real life owner of Concentric Solutions, a corporate intelligence firm. As such, I cannot in good conscience remain in a leadership position in SLLA. I have tried to rectify this situation internally, and with limited success; however, the sensitive nature of this situation has left me no choice but to go public with this information. I wish you all the best, and it is my hope that SLLA will one day represent a true revolutionary vision not just for SL, but for RL as well. Sincerely, solidad Sugarbeet
I followed up with Solidad, who simply said: “I can’t reveal the source but I’m willing to stake my rep on this.” A closer look at the Marshal Cahill account reveals little of interest except that he’s managed to be around since 7/26/2006 and is only a member of a single group – his own. Even corporate accounts generally end up with a few extra groups on there.
Herald readers may remember our previous story about the paranoid delusional ranting of a security company called Concentric Solutions seeking to poke their nose into everybody’s business. We were all careful about everything we did for awhile, lest we be accused of being a terrorist.
This wouldn’t be the first time that this sort of honeytrap of strategy has been adopted by security forces. If true, this would hold to the pattern federal law enforcement has been following in trying to track down activists and radicals. Still, at this time it’s only a rumor.
While Concentric lists (through Metaterror.com) World of Warcraft, There, and Second Life as places it watches the public for signs of terror, they haven’t seen fit to let us know what avatar names they tend to use one way or another.
As this story was about to be sent in I received this notecard from Shan Bright entitled “CSI statement”:
Marshal Cahil, founder of the Second Life Liberation Army, is an officer of real life company Concentric Solutions International (http://www.concentricsolution.com/): a corporate intelligence company which boasts of employing US and UK ex-military and intelligence staff, and monitoring online games for information to pass back to the companies who employ them.
“Concentric monitors blogs, social networking sites and even MMORPGs (Massive Multi-Player Online Role Playing Games) in order to inform its intelligence program.” (source: http://www.concentricsolution.com/services.shtml)
I discovered this when I was approached by Keiko Ketsugo, SLLA Media Officer and a personal friend, and Roderick Lytton, who Keiko explained was an alternative avatar for Marshal. They asked me to build an office for a podcasting company they were starting called Singularity Media. At a meeting on the 12th of April to discuss the work, I was asked to build a third floor to house the Second Life presence of a third company, and given the URL “www.concentricsolution.com” to consult for further information.
I was shocked to discover the nature of the company’s work, and realised that many SLLA members – often committed anti-corporate and globalisation activists – would never have joined an organisation founded by an officer of CSI. I discussed the situation with the three SLLA members personally known to me – all of whom serve on the group’s Central Committee: Keiko Ketsugo, Keksakallu Klata, and Solidad Sugarbeet.
Solidad tells me she has resigned and plans to make this information public. I feel it is my responsibility to confirm her story, and put SLLA members in a position to decide for themselves what they wish to do.
I might add that I am myself an anarchist, and entirely support the demand for avatar self-rule also advocated by the SLLA. I believe the organisation needs to put its house in order, and ensure that it is honest, open, democratic, and genuinely serving the aims for which it was founded, and not in any way connected to companies like CSI who use online environments like Second Life to collect information for corporate clients.
Marshal Cahill was unavailable for comment at press time.
As SLLA members grapple with the possibility that they may have been infiltrated – if not founded – by forces opposed to their anti-corporate aims, the legitimacy of at least some of the early SLLA actions targeting high visibility corporate installations in SL is in question. Could Linden Lab have hired CSI to help in it public relations efforts? Certainly SLLA has been quite sucessful in attracting the attention of the mainstream media – for better or worse.
Joshua Nightshade
Apr 23rd, 2007
Exactly; you were cornered and caught lying, again; I didn’t expect you to respond with anything but crap.
Here’s my RL number: 1-900-LOL-PWND.
Ian Betteridge
Apr 23rd, 2007
“Evidently, Ian, despite being a “scientist” you are unable to mount hypotheses and think them through and entertain variants of explanations. That is the hallmark of an open society.”
Yes, and it’s also a hallmark of an open society that when faced with evidence that contradicts a hypothesis, you drop or amend that hypothesis. So when are you going to drop your lie about ESC being behind Copybot?
It’s a hallmark of your intellectual pretension – and intellectual bankruptcy – that you attempt to disguise your rhetoric as rational argument. You cloak yourself in the terminology of Popper, but Popper would have been horrified by your anti-rationalist, conspiracy-laden rubbish.
“Ian, when was the last time you refreshed your blog and wrote anything or made any contributions?”
That would be the blog that’s had 18 posts in the last week? Oh do keep up, dear. Or, as you’d no-doubt put it in your peurile way, “DUH!”.
Cocoanut Koala
Apr 23rd, 2007
Joshua, I don’t know why you wish to cause Jennyfur and Flip loss of face even at this late date, but I do not, any more than I wanted to the first time you were pestering me to provide the quotes.
Instead, I provided quotes where YOU were talking about how Prok had been banned. I have the other quotes, and I’m stilll not going to post them.
You have a tenuous grasp on reality, and you’re the worst liar in SL. And I do mean “worst” in both senses here.
coco
Joshua Nightshade
Apr 23rd, 2007
Again, I DON’T WORK FOR THE SLCC. So me commenting on how I agree that Prokofy SHOULD be banned is not an official announcement saying that she was.
I didn’t ask you to post links to threads where people were agreeing that Prok should be banned. You said Jenn and Flip banned her. I asked for the proof. You provided none.
Ergo, you are wrong, you lied, and I’m still waiting to see where Aimee threatened to sue Prokofy.
It’s not about me. Stop avoiding the subject.
Cocoanut Koala
Apr 23rd, 2007
Haha. I provided none, ergo I’m wrong and I lied. No, I refused to jump to your music and provide the quotes. And still won’t.
coco
Cocoanut Koala
Apr 23rd, 2007
And – by the way – why? Because I care more about Jennyfur and Flip than you do.
coco
Joshua Nightshade
Apr 23rd, 2007
K. So then you’re wrong.
You made a statement, twice, and claimed it as fact both times. Both times I asked for proof and you offered none.
It’s not about “jumping to my music,” it’s about backing up your incorrect claims with evidence.
Back it up, or stop repeating the lie.
Joshua Nightshade
Apr 23rd, 2007
Don’t lecture me about how much you care about Flip, Jenn and Aimee when you’re spreading lies about them to begin with.
Cocoanut Koala
Apr 23rd, 2007
You’re nuts, Josh.
coco
Joshua Nightshade
Apr 23rd, 2007
k. Continue to avoid the question, it just makes you look ever so foolish.
Cocoanut Koala
Apr 23rd, 2007
Go find them yourself if you’re so interested. I’m not going to post them.
coco
Joshua Nightshade
Apr 23rd, 2007
I didn’t make the statement. You did. And continuing to not back up your claims with evidence means you’re lacking said evidence. It’s not my responsibility to fact-check your bullshit for you.
Plot Tracer
Apr 23rd, 2007
Personal statement from Plot Tracer:
It makes me angry when I read people as sectarian and reactionary as Keks say she was fooled, but had suspicions etc when she did all she could to wreck a genuine attempt at a left unity project on sl – sllu.
I hope never to meet her in rl left organisations, of which i am a part in Scotland. Tommy Sheridan springs to mind, as does the SWP. And now the episode will be expunged from her memory as something she did right. Just like these self deluding egotists.
Both her and Solidad went to town in the Marshal “love in” during this sordid episode of populism.
Shame on both of you.
The alarm bells on this orgaznisation, SLLA, were sounded a long time ago in SLLU. Pity neither of you listen to the majority. You are only interested in your “place” in the fight. People of destiny. History has many examples of your kind…
A Second Life Anarchist-Communist
Apr 27th, 2007
I hope the corporate spies enjoy reading Fred Woodworth’s anarchist, “Review of the Koran” (he has some interesting and highly critical stuff to say about religious fundamentalism and bomber/terrorist types which he wrote just after 9/11), and if they attend any SL Anarchist-Communist meetings they will find that griefers and whackos are not welcome, and any opinion seriously discussed would very likely already be published in a magazine for the public (like the links below), or said at a lecture by Noam Chomsky.
The Northeastern Anarchist Magazine:
http://nefac.net/nea
Anarcho-Syndicalist Review Magazine:
http://www.syndicalist.org/
———-
Review of the Koran, by Fred Woodworth:
http://flag.blackened.net/liberty/woodworth-koran.html
———-
Anarchist Noam Chomsky Comments About 9/11 Conspiracy Theories while in Hungary::
Part 1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BzGd0t8v-d4
Part 2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LoDqDvbgeXM
Phantom
Apr 29th, 2007
Anarchist – communist
I’d have to say I haven’t heard of any stranger combo.
I know in theory they go together well enough.
but I have to say both social theories are flawed because humanity is flawed.
it’s an idealistic view, that there should be no governing body that everyone should be able to govern them selfs. this doesn’t work well at all, it could work maybe if humanity was a little more enlightened then it is, or that your talking about the hard core Anarchist that believe only the strong should live and that there is no need for a governing body because it’s kill or be killed way of life. but I’m sure your not that later aspect of an anarchist, because Communism is the social theory that everyone can work for the greater good and every resource is to be divided equally.
but as we can see that the communist does not work, we can just look at modern history for that. yes the systems are flawed, but that’s what’s being human is all about.
so I’m sorry to say I do not understand the Anarchist-Communist reality in a flawed earth.
A Second Life Anarchist-Communist
May 24th, 2007
anarchist communism is pretty much self-government, where the people decide how to live.. it’s individualism and rational self-interest for the common people (not simply elites) taken to it’s logical end.. no truly free person would allow anyoen else to fuck them over, and only governments can protect bullies, thugs and exploiters. Anarchism is about as much freedom as practical and possible, while (anti-authoritarian) communism is simply an economic system where people work for needs and desires, and not the profits of others who own the land benieth their feet and thus force them to work to earn money to pay to live.
I say it is an idealistic view that the world can keep going as it does – anarchist communism is not about a perfect system or a perfect world. The fact that you never heard of it simply means you are ignorant. It’s an idea that’s been around for 150 years… and even longer with no name. It was always there, in response to authority.. from the time of the Levellers and Diggers, from the peasant uprisings all over the world. From every time of ancient history a brave person came out and said the witchdoctor or the tribal chief didnt know all the answers and didn’t do any of the work!
The way you write, with platitudes about what you think is “reality” but is simply what they tell us on corporate television, is hardly original. It is funny how even thr young people in a capitalist system think that being an asshole for a living in an unfair world that they never try to challenge is some kind of special, realistic concept.
If you don’t understand something, don’t dismiss it, read about it. Look up Peter Kropotkin and Alexander Berkman. Read about Nestor Mahkno, check out Noam Chomsky on youtube.
The scumbags whoo turned “communism” into an authoritarian Leninist nightmare, and the idiots who made “anarchy” into an excuse for pointless violence and dreams of destruction have not been able to completely destroy the original practical ideas of anarchism and it’s histoprical legacy. They still exist.. they are still out there. The world and humanity is still young, and people will only allow themselves to be fucked over for a living for so long.
Phantom
May 27th, 2007
Ok, call me ignorant as you wish, because ignorance is about not knowing something, I never claim to know everything, and for someone to even try to claim something is a fool, so in reality your no less ignorant in ways as I’m about Anarchist-communist.
you may think of me as a mindless blind sheep, but I don’t make a habit of watching TV, and what I watch I know they are feeding the people lies and half truths on things. I don’t read as much as I wish I could, but time doesn’t let me do everything I want.
and I’d say I hardly dismiss things I don’t understand, things I don’t understand I rip apart until I have some understanding of it. I gave you what I understand of anarchist and communist. you told me that’s not what your about, and told me it’s about being self govern but still looking out for the community.
I like this, as I govern my own actions, some times they aren’t “right” and sometimes they are better then “right”, and I do like the idea of looking after the community, but it’s still an idea that holds no water in my opinion. humanity has proven over and over again, it’s a greedy race, and most people are looking after them selfs and them selfs alone. now I know, this is a harsh look, and not everyone is always looking only after them selfs, and do make non-selfish choices, but it’s kind of clear if you want anything you have to step on others to do so. you may not think your actions have any effect on any one else, but they do, everything you do, every choice, effects at least one other person or thing, that interns effects even more people.
your post, for example is a form of bulling, you didn’t have to insult me but you did. I do admit I was asking for it in some ways, but you didn’t have to sink down to my level.
plot tracer
Sep 18th, 2007
SLLA were a pretty nasty wee group, doing pretendy wee terrorist attacks and trying to infiltrate and destroy groups dedicated to social justice. Some genuine people were sucked into their game; though it must be said, some took to their infiltrate and destroy remitt with relish. Some of the remnants of this stupid wee unprofessional group are still playing that game. Perhaps they are gamers. SLLU is a serious organisation wishing to collaborate with people who are seriously dedicated to social justice. Anyone wishing to collaborate on educational content, please contact me. http://slleftunity.blogspot.com/