Law Enforcement in Second Life: Policing or Pastime?
by Alphaville Herald on 16/01/09 at 12:15 am
Some SL police lack real-life law enforcement, criminal justice, and TOS experience
by Sigmund Leominster
Within the Second Life environment a number of groups designate themselves as police forces. But are they sincere attempts at providing some vague enforcement of “law” – which translates to Terms of Service for the most part – or simply another way for people to enjoy role play; a rent-a-cop fantasy for real-life wannabees?
Hope McAlpine
One resident feels very strongly that law enforcement in Second Life should be a serious endeavor and that her experience of trying to be a serious law enforcement officer has ended in her realizing that there in-world police forces are primarily there for the satisfaction of the egos of their members. Hope McAlpine, a resident since December 2006 is about to release her new blog, Policing in Virtual Reality, that criticizes the role of policing in Second Life. Her criticisms are aimed at opening up the debate on in-world policing and, at a broader level, the nature of law and justice in virtual world
“Real-life police officers… are regarded by society as esteemed position with much integrity, which is a must in order to secure public trust in the time of need or danger beyond a citizen’s control. Sadly, the majority of those who do role-playing in Second Life feel they do not need to earn this reputation… They welcome themselves to abuse this power over citizens without worrying about the consequences. Simply carrying the title and uniforms is all they need to boost their ego trip. They know that no avatar’s life will be lost and they face no serious danger to their real life health and life. They simply helped themselves (to power) just because they say so.”
There is no official Second Life police force. This does not stop claims being made to the contrary. McAlpine gives the example of one Chief of a police department she refers to as the Purple Police Department:
“Police departments in Second Life, in general, do not have real life experience in law enforcement. What occurred was that this chief of police created an impressive international conference center – a brilliant, beautiful European building with the police department’s logo on flags lined up perfectly on the sidewalk. Velvet red ropes with fancy carpets lay between them. The ropes lead up to a large round table with chairs, and the auditorium seating area surrounding it. It was massive and I was simply awe-stuck with all of this work. And this avatar went to such a great length to get this started. But the chief went further; he took Linden Lab’s logo without their endorsement, which they would have never have granted anyway.”
With no policing of policing, such claims can be made with impunity. Even general hints of official sanction can be sufficient. And claims to legitimacy can be accompanied with claims to a level of professionalism that doesn’t exist.
“Officers in Second Life tend not to have real-life experience in law enforcement and the criminal justice system. They often tend not to have had extensive training in the Terms Of Service. They tend not to have had any experience in dealing with real-life crises… such as mental illness, domestic violence, suicide, and a whole host of social illnesses. They do not have any experience in psychology.”
Of course, if an individual is role-playing, there is no need to have any “training” or “experience;” Goreans don’t take real-life courses in “Slave Handling” or “How To Wield A Whip,” nor do Vampire Hunters need to graduate from the Van Helsing University in Transylvania in order to hammer a prim stake through a prim heart. Problems only arise of the avatar claims not to be role-playing; basically claiming to be legitimate. And deceit and duplicity is endemic in any virtual world, where knowing the “real” person is almost impossible.
But even the need for legitimacy presupposes the need for law enforcement in Second Life. The “law” is the Terms of Service; the “offenses” are the “Big Six” – Intolerance, Harassment, Assault, Disclosure, Indecent Exposure, and Disturbing the Peace; the sanctions are warnings, suspension, and banishment; and the executive is the Governance Team.
So is there a need for a police force – or police forces? Right clicking and pulling up an Abuse Report is hardly a complex procedure; the virtual 911 call. But unlike the real world, the GTeam does not turn up on your sim doorstep with all guns blazing. In fact, several reports in the Herald attest to the fact that some residents find the GTeam is ineffective. It’s therefore not surprising that some sim owners will contract with police departments to provide a security presence. Typically, sim owners provide policing group members with the power to ban and eject individuals. If there are problems at a policed event, the police can use these on behalf of the owner. In contrast with GTeam response, which can take weeks and demand investigation, a police group can take immediate effect.
“The police officers in Second Life are, to blunt, ineffective officers. They misrepresent the meaning of law enforcement. Outsiders and new members of Second Life assume these officers are in positions of power. In fact, they are not. If they cannot enforce the law, then why do they continue to call themselves enforcers? Why do they continue to call themselves police officers? This is nothing more than role playing.”
McAlpine sees a glimmer of hope. She says that, “…there are many fine officers with a sincere desire to serve Second Life communities that do match up with real life officers’ Codes of Conduct. In real life, there are a few rotten apples and many good apples. In Second Life, there are too many rotten apples and only few good ones. So please do not be hasty and slap a label on those officers that do not deserve it.”
McAlpine sets high standards for the ideal in-world police department. “It is desirable to have a real life experienced police officer with a college degree in law enforcement or criminal justice (as a chief). But the chief will not be able to function fully and with great success without a valuable asset; forensic computer specialists. And, of course, it is desirable to have real life experienced officers or member of the criminal justice community to engage in working with Second Life police departments.”
Among her idea departmental staff member are a Cultural Diversity Specialist; a Crime Prevention specialist; a Patrol unit; an Investigation unit; a Terms of Service specialist; Psychologists/counselors; Human Resources specialist; and a defensive HUD specialist. She also sees a need for a liaison between Virtual and Real Life Police Departments.
Is Second Life lawless? Is there any need for policing, or does Linden Lab’s Governance Team fulfill that role? Should Second Life even be subject to domestic laws – and if so, given that SL has an international population, which country? McAlpine doesn’t claim to answer any of these but she sets the stage for debate against a background of turmoil.
Prokofy Neva
Jan 16th, 2009
Sigmund, you couldn’t be more off base using Heather as a source on this story, and not grasping the problem with Heather: she is one of the obsessive RP freaks herself.
I have absolutely no use for her, have banned her from my properties, and abuse reported her as well for impersonation and harassment.
What happens is that Heather McAlpine presents herself, especially to newbies, as a kind of “911″ or actually legitimate police officer. She is a member of a number of groups, some open for anyone to join, some not, that sport those titles and have those “missions”. And clueless newbies have no idea that they don’t need these people whatsoever — they abuse people more than help them, and only worsen the griefing problem.
On private islands, they certainly aren’t needed at all, as the owner has complete control over his land and can ban on multiple estates if he wishes.
On the mainland, they aren’t needed either, as the owner either has control of his land, or if he is a tenant, he either has powers to ban or uses a security orb, or, the landlord might hire his own security staff to perform the functions as he sees fit.
I recently had a problem with Heather being summoned by a newbie tenant who hadn’t read any of the 4 ways information was presented to her (in lease cards, on the FAQs, in a manually sent card, and verbally) that she herself had the power to ban anyone on sight without notification (people often have trouble realize even when granted this power that they don’t have to first bargain with an intruder or “ask”).
Someone was bothering her…because they crossed a corner of her parcel and seemed to be hovering around and she was concerned. It was only another prospective tenant trying to look at a house next door, but this tenant and Heather banged down with the full force of the “law” and scared off this “intruder” — and then later he “apologized” — thereby illustrating that he was not in fact a griefer.
At first, this newbie thought it was “wonderful” that there was this 911 service, but once I explained the situation further, the tenant grasped that in fact it had a definite down side — and most of all was unnecessary *on my land* and on *her land she was renting*.
NOBODY NEEDS HEATHER MCALPINE ON THEIR LAND. HEATHER MCALPINE NEEDS TO STAY THE FUCK OFF MY LAND.
See, that’s the problem. Police forces have no respect not because they are abusive; it’s because they have no legitimacy. Kids RPing police, and that includes many who claim they are “police in real life” (which means they might be on the auxiliary volunteer fire department more often than not)
When I get a loon like Heather impersonating a RL 911 or some sort of authentic “SL-wide 911″ or something even related to my rentals, I act fiercely and swiftly. I join and post in every single one of her groups, in all caps, that she is not welcome, and no RP police are welcome, and will be abuse reported if they trespass — and for impersonation, which is a TOS offense (at its worse, when they impersonate Lindens, but any rogue police force claiming to have authority can be AR’d, and I know that LL takes these seriously and disciplines those that are most out of hand, and does not encourage or welcome or help them in any way, despite their false claims to the contrary).
Next, I contact every single officer in every other group she’s in that isn’t open and I warn the officers that *they are responsible for Heather* and that *I have not requested their services and they need to stay the fuck off my land*.
Here, it gets more interesting — and I’ve been meaning to blog about this to blow the lid off these assholes when I have time.
Some of them claim that they *do* have authority, and demand that I “opt-out” of their services. In fact, one asked for a list of “all my sims” so that they could be sure to do that. What the FUCK? I’m supposed to go to creepy RP fucking police and turn over lists of my properties so they don’t enter them? HUH???
Others, say, “OH, geez, there’s Heather again, she’s really a problem, too overzealous, she doesn’t represent us, etc”. And they seem cordial enough — but they are still a problem, still groups with a huge illusion that they have some “mandate” to go around “policing” SL.
They most certainly THE FUCK do not.
One of the thing kids don’t realize about police in RL is that they are *under civilian control*. In a democratic society where they are not abusive, there is oversight over the executive branch of authority which operates them. The reason the call certain countries “police states” is because…they don’t have that oversight and those checks and balances that parliament and the judiciary can give over the executive authority.
Police always and everywhere default to abusiveness. You don’t start a society by making police and having them police. You start a society first by having civilians organize into assemblies or councils or parliaments and having them decide what, if any, police they need. RPers in SL always do this backward, and with predictable results. It’s very hard to get SL residents into any kind of political bodies — they are fierce lovers of independence and hate the thought that anyone might control their land or policies with some overarching political body. Yet they mindlessly give themselves up to these assholes presenting themselves as “911″.
What is especially RETARDED about all this is that people who do not own your land, are not in your land group, and not possessing of land controls are useless in dealing with griefers. What can they do, but shoot them — which worsens the problem — yell at them — which incites them — or AR them — which you can do on your own, in your own way — if you need to. Most of the time, you won’t, as you use the eject button.
We definitely do not need Heather McAlpine with her vast empire-building aspirations and her wacky notions of psychology, crime, mandate, etc. It’s all a hallucination. She needs to get gone in the worst way.
Job one, is to get Heather off your land — ban her and her comrades from all the silly RP groups. Abuse report them if they are persistent — I’ve had success in doing that and getting rid of some of the most aggressive ones who even try to run protection rackets.
Job two is to tell Heather to *buy her own land and RP on her own land if she has society-building ambitions*. Buying and running your own land and trying to sustain a business or community so that other people help share the costs is a big challenge, but a real one, and one that tethers you to reality far faster than the extraordinary illusion that you can police other people’s land.
Baron Frampton Von Higglesworth, MD Esqu.
Jan 16th, 2009
The Parade of Failures that has become weekly practice at the Herald continues. I would like to deeply thank the twats at the Herald for bringing us such ad-hoc fuckclowns to toy with.
Hope McAlpine, you sniveling little cunt of a woman, if you had a shred of sense you’d see that your position is based on whining and a love of control and not actual logic. We already have seen what “policing” has done in Second Life. With the G team, there is favoritism, arbitrary enforcement, and outright malice. With groups such as JLU, “sim security” groups, and almost every community’s “sim management” you see AR abuse, spying, outright grief, and poor decisions. Community fucksticks partake in this as well; I’ve seen many who AR or complain to management about someone when a simple mute would do. If you can solve the problem yourself, what need is there to exert your will on someone except for malice?
The most massive failure is that grief and trolling in SL causes no permanent damage, and is easily rectifiable by muting, or banning. SL is a toy world, and no real damage will come about you. We don’t need police, and we certainly need less of the G team.
Kalel has big cocklips
Jan 16th, 2009
These virtual internet police fags should be banned by LL for impersonating authority. Sure they don’t say they are lindens, but they sure do act like they are up in ranks with them. Most of these grid enforcers threaten and even carry shitty anti-griefer tools to grief the griefers… yeah, that’s gonna help.
But the worst of these kind of users are the infamous group known as the JLU… What’s scary is that these guys actually do have power over everyone else. Some G-Team members take every report filed by these fuck nuts as fact, and will ignore investigating the incident. The JLU take advantage of this too, so don’t piss them off if you like your account.
My main recently got disabled for simply standing in Sandbox Cordova while the PN spammed the fuck out of it. Kalel was hovering near me, so it was probably him who AR’d my account. I had to provide ID to LL before they would reactivate it, and I ended up losing all of my alts(which were innocent) because one Linden is a jackass. No wonder nobody likes you.
Orion Pseudo (Shamroy on SL)
Jan 16th, 2009
Solution seems pretty simple to me… The Lindens made the rules so its up to them to enforce em. As users, we simply act as a neighborhood watch and report what we see using the AR tool. Now, the problem is this. There are at least 300 people, probably more who are employed by Linden Labs. Yet how often do you see these folks in world and actually mingling with the rest of the society? During the day they hide in their RL offices and only show in world for meetings or office hours. You would at least think they’d leave the client open and let their avi idle while they’re working. And when they get home, you’d think they would pop right back on and have fun with the rest of us right? Apparently not.
All Seeing Eye
Jan 16th, 2009
Here is a better analogy:
Second Life is a flock of sheep.
Linden Lab is the shepherd.
Linden Lab has been feeding the wolves jerky treats and scritching them behind the ear and probably doing other past time activities with the wolves instead of shooting them dead with a rifle and hanging the wolf carcasses on the fence like Linden Lab is supposed to do.
Rove Stromer
Jan 16th, 2009
Wow… took you this long to realise it huh?
GreenLantern Excelsior
Jan 16th, 2009
Good point, Orion. The police and superheroes and residents are no more than a neighborhood watch, alerting the Lindens to the existence of a problem so the problem can be stopped. Any resident who believes he has the authority to run around giving orders deserves nothing more than a click of the Mute button.
I believe that the police and superhero groups can serve a useful purpose by providing help and support to new residents. Some of my most rewarding time in SL has been spent helping newbies who are unsure what the place is all about. It’s great to hear a person’s joy when he realizes he can build something himself and save it to his inventory. And it changes your whole attitude. Instead of just patrolling to look for ToS and CS violations, you’re also searching for people who need help.
Anyone who patrols SL frequently knows that some sim owners don’t like to have outsiders patrolling their parcels. It’s courteous to respect the wishes of the sim owner and stay out of those areas. There are plenty of other places that need our help, where the parcel owners are glad to see us.
Zimbardo
Jan 16th, 2009
Doesn’t matter how benevolent your intentions are. Unless this is officially sanctioned and regulated, you’ll have a bunch of vigilantes just like you do now. Please give me a break. Read Zimbardo for why this is a bad idea… F a police state – that’s half the reason I’m in SL to begin with – to escape this oppressive RL police state. I don’t want a bunch of rats running around SL playing high and mighty. No thanks.
Green Lantern up the ass Core hater
Jan 16th, 2009
So… the JLU and the GLC openly admit to patroling all sims looking through your stuff. And its up to you to lock them out… I say DO IT. Lock those cape fags out of your shit pronto and save yourself mass drama fail. Jeez, can you believe those guys? Where are the Patriotic Nevas or whatever they are called when you need them to push back against those turds?
We
Jan 16th, 2009
@ Prokofy
I agree entirely, these police and other enforcement groups form up for pretty much the sole reason of giving themselves a false sense of power that they can “abuse” on other residents. Nobody appointed a police force or a superhero group to manage and maintain SL, and I’d say most sim owners certainly don’t want them around.
Even the only thing they are able to do, abuse reporting, can be harmful. If they show up in a “he said she said” situation, where both sides are accusing the other of doing something wrong, but no one has actually done anything, they may take a side, and start sending Abuse Reports on the other person, who did no more wrong than the person they took the side with.
cookie
Jan 16th, 2009
*FACEPALM*
No…no,we do not need your shitty pretend police on our land.The minute I’ll see you and anyone of your rp buddies on my parcel – B&.No question mark.
Oh and Hope?Is your head soposed to look like it’s on fire?
well if it’s intentional,then ok I’m fine with that,but if not,you should look for some new hair.seriously
Neo Citizen
Jan 16th, 2009
Yeah, yeah, yeah – look, estate managers have some pretty good controls for keeping griefers out. That’s fine, and from what we just read from GreenLantern whatsisface, those aren’t the places he goes, because it’s unnecessary, first, and bad manners second. You’re putting words in his mouth for dramatic effect. And the previous poster is just probably just another guy who kept breaking rules and got all pissed off cause he kept getting caught at it. Go cry in somebody else’s beer, kid, this seat’s taken.
And “We”, abuse reporting, that’s the only tool apart from the estate tools anybody has, so you’re setting up a straw man argument here. You’re also making the same mistake lots of other people make, which is that the AR system is some kind of program you can jimmy up to get skewed results in your favor. Not how it works, “We”. The Lindens actually do keep a running log of everything that’s said, everything that’s rezzed, who did it, who hit whom with what, who built what and gave it to whom, everything. Only the Lindens have that, and you can’t fabricate it. So all this BS of people fabricating abuse reports and getting people in trouble is just that: BS. If people like the sandbox rats or the JLU or whatever are filing abuse reports and making ‘em stick, it’s because there’s something in the database that tells the Lindens they’re not lying about it.
Personally, I’ve never had a problem with the them. Okay, maybe one, but they filed an abuse report, and guess what? Nothing happened!
Dun dun DUNNNNN!!
Because I hadn’t done it. Case of mistaken identity, wrong place wrong time, they apologized, I choose my friends better now, end of story. But I don’t fucking whine about it.
Reality
Jan 16th, 2009
Neo, it is a point of fact that Linden Lab does nothing about a single abuse report unless it is a serious offense type category and even then they believe in “Shoot first and ask questions later” approach.
Please return when you actually know what you are talking about: Number of reports DOES affect how fast an action is taken, the severity of said action and whether or not they check their logs first, second or at all.
Solar Legion
Jan 16th, 2009
Prok, sending an unsolicited Instant Message is a violation of the Terms of Service and Harassment. If I ever see you doing so in any group I am a part of or run you WILL be reported for such and you will be ejected from the group.
I frankly do not give a damn what your reasons are for doing so either, your actions are those of the people you claim to ‘fight’ or ‘push back against’. End of Story.
GreenLantern Excelsior
Jan 16th, 2009
“Even the only thing they are able to do, abuse reporting, can be harmful. If they show up in a “he said she said” situation, where both sides are accusing the other of doing something wrong, but no one has actually done anything, they may take a side, and start sending Abuse Reports on the other person, who did no more wrong than the person they took the side with.”
Nobody does this. Unless you’ve seen an AR category of “Resident was standing nearby looking guilty,” this is not true. I never write an AR on anyone unless something happens in my presence. “AR this guy – he shot me 5 minutes before you arrived” is not good enough. All major superhero groups operate that way.
Sometimes it’s not even necessary to write an AR. We will respond to a call and find two people having an argument, but all they want is for someone to tell them what they can do to solve a problem. They can’t really call up anyone from Linden Lab, and they don’t know whether the situation warrants an AR or not. They just want someone to talk to who can explain their options, and we are glad to help. Several times after these sessions I have been friended by both sides of the argument. Sometimes we don’t have the answer either, but most times we do. So there is value in what we do.
Arthur Fermi
Jan 16th, 2009
SL Police == Griefers
Neo doesn't know shit
Jan 16th, 2009
“The Lindens actually do keep a running log of everything that’s said, everything that’s rezzed, who did it, who hit whom with what, who built what and gave it to whom, everything. Only the Lindens have that, and you can’t fabricate it. So all this BS of people fabricating abuse reports and getting people in trouble is just that: BS.”
Guess what Neo? You don’t know shit about the JLU and how they are the pets of Plexus and Harry Linden. So perhaps you should shut the fuck up. I’ve only said certain members of the G-Team, not all of them. Hell I get along with a few even.
I’m not innocent, no, but I’ve gotten wrongfully accused and banned several times thanks to the JLU. I’ve already done the time for my wrong doings, now I’m just becoming a target. Taking away every one of my alts AFTER I verified my identity was a fine example of Linden jackassery. Guess which Linden it was.
Mari
Jan 16th, 2009
SL law enforcement is ALL roleplay. Don’t waste your money hiring them or your time calling them. Use the AR (get everyone present to file one, volume helps. Ban the griefer and return their objects.
Jumbo
Jan 17th, 2009
Has anyone noticed that Heather’s av looks like Stifler’s Mom??/
http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0177639/
Cai Pirinha
Jan 17th, 2009
Well, this Hope McAlpine is obviously completely nuts. Srsly, she should just get f*cking lost.
@ GreenLantern Excelsior
“Instead of just patrolling to look for ToS and CS violations, you’re also searching for people who need help.”
You know, you just need to look into a mirror to find one.
Maggie Darwin
Jan 17th, 2009
” ..[H]er experience of trying to be a serious law enforcement officer has ended in her realizing that..in-world police forces are primarily there for the satisfaction of the egos of their members…”
Wow. And how long did that take?
Hint: don’t publish the article hyping your blog before you actually have one.
Second hint: Blogging is a process. If you only have one thing to say, publish it as an article somewhere. I bet Pixeleen would rather have an actual article rather than an article about a future one-subject blog.
Steve01 Denimore
Jan 17th, 2009
good article, but a little off target…as a former RL cop i cab say we probably dont need a lot of law enforcememt is SL but we do need a better way of handling the abusers other than filing the totally ineffective abuse report. it’s a joke…don’t even bother
i’m not in favor of vigilante justice either…but i have seen some i would kick completely out of SL if i had the power to do so.
Alyx Stoklitsky
Jan 17th, 2009
@Prok:
“Someone was bothering her…because they crossed a corner of her parcel and seemed to be hovering around and she was concerned. It was only another prospective tenant trying to look at a house next door, but this tenant and Heather banged down with the full force of the “law” and scared off this “intruder” — and then later he “apologized” — thereby illustrating that he was not in fact a griefer.”
Ha ha, oh wow. Let me dissect this specimen of pure, hypocritical, comedy gold.
“Someone was bothering her…because they crossed a corner of her parcel and seemed to be hovering around and she was concerned.”
Sounds awful similiar to what I’ve ‘done’ to you! You have me banned from every little parcel you’ve ever spotted me on, and yet what have I done? Stand there. Usually without even saying anything more than ‘hello.’
“banged down with the full force of the “law” and scared off this “intruder”"
Once again, a sentence that would have been perfectly apt at describing YOUR actions. And before you bring out your little ‘you built a gigantic flashing monstrosity next to my land’ card, I shall remind you that was perhaps over a year after you first decided I was evil incarnate purely because I’m in the woodbury group, and that said flashing monstrosity was only actually there for 30 minutes or so – I deleted as soon as you were done taking screenshots, because I knew they would soon be used to do exactly what I wanted you to do: Cry on your blog.
“and then later he “apologized” — thereby illustrating that he was not in fact a griefer.”
I have apologised to you countless times, although by now I am long past caring.
Professor C
Jan 17th, 2009
I am sorry it took so long to get to this article. I couldn’t read it without getting nauseous and needing to puke out whatever meals I had been eating. But I finally got through this and now I can respond.
First of all:
@Steve01 Denimore
SHUT THE FUCK UP ALREADY. You’re not getting in her pants. Get over it retard.
Okay I had to get that off my chest. Now as for the article.
Hope … Could you be any more of a total waste of time? I mean seriously? Could you have come up with anything more pointless? I have watched years ago a ‘Police Force’ called STARS running around offering their policing services to me for my sims. I agreed and allowed them to come in because they had a few good references as security.
They were fired two days later when they started harassing EVERYONE in the sims for the slightest infraction and ejecting them from the land. Some of them even from their own homes and not telling me. After they were all fired and removed from the sims they started making alts just to come in and keep working.
Now I know what you are going to say, that was a one time incident. Okay good. So explain to me why every time a police and security force comes up around second life that they end up the exact same way? I am a very busy person so I do not have the time to go out and compile lists of every little police force in the grid.
Some famous ones you may hear about are the Green and Red Lantern Corps and the infamous fucktards over at the JLU who always seem to attract attention.
This girl is saying she is one of the good eggs of the SL Police force that doesn’t exist. The Lab doesn’t care about you Hope. They never did and they never will. They’re going to look at your groups and tell you to fuck off. And even more likely just ignore your abuse reports. Fuck the only reason they listen to the JLU is because of they don’t the bastards will just spam the G-team with abuse reports over and over so they can’t get to the real problems.
Now can we PLEASE get onto some real news? I want good WHOLESOME drama to bitch about.
Mon
Jan 18th, 2009
I know Hope…
what you dont know… its that ppl like her come to Sl. She truly believes what she is doing. She is actually a victim of, how can I say this lightly, she does not understand that SL its a cartoon world. She thinks SL its an extension of reality. She is in fact mind toasted, poor woman…
All I can say its “lots of loonies out there in Sl.. like poor old loners like Prokofy Neva… its a actually sad… The Hopes and the Prokofys of SL.
Actually sad,
P.s $#$*$!#$”% Prokofy, Can us spare us of your extensive lyrics, if you need to post all your emptiness… pls write wuith less words will you please?
Anonymous
Jan 18th, 2009
HER FACE IS TOO SMALL FOR HER HEAD WHAT THE FUCK.
Anonymous
Jan 18th, 2009
I agree with prok to some extent, but as Alyx pointed out, I have to laugh. You fleece newbies just how this self-appointed “police” person is. You prey on people who realize they don’t have to pay insane fees to live on some “pretty” land where they cant do anything. I see this as jealousy. Though yes, I don’t like the idea of people who see themselves as some high authority going around on any land I own, telling me they’re going to patrol it and there isnt shit I can do against it. (The JLU works this way, indirectly, as they dont tell you that you cant do anything about it, they just go after you for blocking them out. You become fair game to them)
These are the kind of people who brown nosed the teachers in elementary school and tattled on everyone in sight, to the point where they start making up things to get people they don’t like in trouble. It applies here. Though naturally most people who play SL have maturity levels like this. JLU, GLC, SLPD, RLC, and any other fucktarded RP police group that roams SL needs to get the fuck out. There’s zero accountability, and in most cases, these groups just go by “that person looks shady, let’s get them banned”.
or they get rubbed the wrong way by someone who doesn’t want their “services” and they go on a mission to discredit and ruin that person and get them kicked out of SL.
Witness X
Jan 19th, 2009
Pretty transparently IntLibber post here. Almost completely uninformed and simply and provably wrong on every statement, and his knickers all atwist because he keeps getting nailed. Boo hoo.
Pro-tip: Nobody could do a thing to you, IntLibber, if the Linden Lab database didn’t prove out everything you’re accused of doing. The Lindens don’t act without that proof, so nobody can just make shit up and make it stick. Unless they bribe Lindens, or they throw tons of money at them so they can keep them on a short leash like you seem to be doing. Spending all your time accusing other people of doing what you yourself are most guilty of is pretty pathetic, really. Aren’t you even the slightest bit embarrassed to be you?
Neo Citizen
Jan 19th, 2009
Oh, please, again with the JLU butthurting.
The last time anybody remembers them doing anything like that was early in 2007, by one guy who got thrown out by the JLU over a year and a half ago, and you’re still trying to build that up into a scandal?? “Anonymous”? It’s gotta be Int again, nobody else has an axe to grind like that. I mean, you have to admit, given the reputation of the JLU lately, you sound pretty fucking stupid.
derp
Jan 21st, 2009
Lol, I was banned for standing in a sandbox the PN were griefing while I waited for LL to follow up on the ARs I filed. Fuck LL, I hope they go broke.
Marine Sniper
Feb 9th, 2009
I smell Pork Products!!! Or could that be Linden Products!!!!
The High Evolutionairess
Feb 14th, 2009
There is absolutely nothing a superhero or police group can do in sl that any other every day citizen can’t. But what some of these groups do offer is something that fills the void as very much a neighborhood watch.
I see many postings above that list police and superhero groups together as assuming and portraying authority that is not granted them by the TOS or CS, however I really feel that these types of groups are seperate and distinct in portraying the level of authority they really possess.
A Police group is an analog to real life law enforcement ‘ported to the virtual world of SL. Someone out there wearing an approximation of a rl police uniform, gun badge, etc, is clearly drawing a parallel and that may lead to problems simply by the inference of users that if they see a uniform they regularly see or a close approximation therof from RL, they might be logically sanctioned to do so. Though conversation likely will clear out the misconception of this assumption, assuming a citizen feels comfortable enough to get clarification.
A Superhero group on the other hand, by definition of the genre, pre-supposes that they are not analogous to law enforcement. They are neither elected nor put in power by the owners of the virtual world, nor are they an analogous ‘port of any Real Life law enforcement agency. It should be abundantly clear that if you’re a superhero, you are either acting alone or in association with other superhero’s to pick up the slack where law enforcement of any type leaves off.
So I would have to point out that at least with the superhero groups, there is no possible way to imply that they have been put in charge by any authority other than their own need to help out where they see some area not covered.
Now, that said, it is an important fact to consider that love or hate these PD or Superhero groups, more often than not, when trouble comes, citizens make the call to one or both types of organizations for assistance. No one has forced them to do so and this clearly denotes a need.
The larger questions that few are discussing that can therefore be inferred from these actions is; Is the G-team not large enough to effectively deal with the policing task of SL? Would expanding their size be cost prohibitive? If so, would they be empowered to deputize citizens or groups to aid them?
Or, even more largely thinking, since the grid is growing and becoming more difficult to police or gain assistance form Linden staff, at what point is an inworld governmental authority/council going to be demanded by the citizens, and when/if that happens, what will be the scope of their mandate, what powers will they demand over their world from Linden Lab and what agency(ies) will they choose to enforce the generally accepted rules put forward by that authority/council? And finally what tools will be at their disposal to do so?
Hope McAlpine
Aug 3rd, 2009
Ok. Well. I certainly hope all this venting will do your a world good of therapies. You defy every logical reasons I can bring up and simply too blind in rage. You are being too busy venting and there isn’t anything I can do about it. This is just what you may need… some therapy sessions in this place. Good luck in finding peace within yourself. Doubt you will find it though.
Darkwolf Randt
Dec 28th, 2009
Its all to easy to forget that some groups, especially those running full rp sims, that they do infact make an effort to at least provide a decent and authentic experience, more often than not, such groups have privately owned parcels or sims, in which they have the power to deal with a residents needs, not every department you see on sl is something run by people who have zero idea of what they are doing, SL, believe it or not, does have some professionals within this metaverse
Ama Mosely
Oct 11th, 2013
I’ve played SL going on 6 years. Ive been a cop going on 16 years. Anyone who claims to be a police officer (outside of roleplay) and means it, needs to have a reality check.
Even if they were a real life police officer, such as myself, the spirit of the internet would pretty much gurantee they have no jurisdiction in the matter which they are “policing”. I for one, could care less about enforcing the law when im playing SL. If i want to go enforce the law I’ll go to work, not do it on a game I like to play on my off time. Minus perhaps a RL Officer helping to set up some sort of RP thing or some such, I can’t see much more involvement.
Stick to the moderators / Abuse reports / etc, even if they don’t do anything. Call the real police about an SL issue, you’re going to get laughed off the phone. Sorry, that’s just how it is.
Take the Amaretto horses lawsuit for an extreme example of what courts think of SL.
Enjoy.