The Alphaville Herald

Linden GTeam and JLU – Improper Conduct?

by Alphaville Herald on 12/01/10 at 8:56 am

BrainiacWiki papers claim Lab staff leaks to role play game cops

by Pixeleen Mistral, National Affairs desk

A troubling pattern of what may be Linden governance team staff collusion with the Justice League Unlimited is beginning to emerge after the JLU's BrainiacWiki papers were leaked to the internet at large by the Wrong Hands infiltration group. Linden staff coaching on abuse reports, sharing alt account identities, apparently using JLU's database and avatar scanners – the list goes on and on. Perhaps most telling are claims that the JLU accounts for 1/6th of all abuse reports on a weekly bases as of the summer of 2009. Have some Linden GTeam members decided to take sides in the game – and keep the volume of abuse reports artificially high by indulging the JLU with special favors and special access? Fueling the faction wars between the JLU "superheros" and the supervillain griefers might be a form of game moderator job security after all.

Given the volume of the papers – imagine trying to report on an encyclopedia – it is likely to be some time before all of the gems have been uncovered. For readers without their own copy of the JLU BrainiacWiki papers here are some highlights:

Plexus Linden using JLU database and wearing JLU avatar key logger

"Not the leader of the LindenLabs Governance and Response Team, butcertainly one of its more influential members. Of the G-Team, Plexus isthe most conversational and responsive, and is currently listed in theBrainiac database as an external operative. This gives him access toour communications system, and the ability to wear and use the avatarkey logger in the commlink (which he uses in full knowledge of what itdoes) and the ability to use the Brainiac Mini terminal he now wears onhis right shoulder.

At one point he was also is a memberof the GLC/JLU Tactical Groupand could see and respond to messages there. However, in the interestsof complete transparency and equanimity towards all groups, herelinquished his membership in this group.

Plexus was made a part of the Linden Maintenance Groupon Nov.8, 07, and was a forthcoming and valuable asset to the Justice League,frequently volunteering information relevant to the anti-griefer workwe do."

Plexus Linden revealing alt account identities to JLU

JLU generates 1/6th of all Abuse Reports

BrainiacWiki_Mal-W/default_399.html

Notices for June 30, 2009 – August 1, 2009
….
TheLeagueitself generates about one-sixth of all the abuse reports filedon the entire grid on a weekly basis. By giving the peacekeepercommunity specific targetted instruction on the quality of filedreports, Harry Linden improved the system by making it easier andfaster for Lindens to evaluate and to respond to emergent situations.This was a surgical strike on a growing problem by the GTeam.
The GLC are focused on a "magic number", making the same error thatmost ordinary citizens do – that the abuse report system is a machine,and that decisions are made solely by that machine.

–KalelVenkman 14:52, 23 July 2009 (UTC)

The source of the above information is, unfortunately, secure GLCforums. Yes, the GLC is leaking information, and this is informationthe GLC would probably prefer not to have been disclosed to anynon-Core reader. The closed nature of GLC internal politics suggeststhat most of the rank and file know little to nothing of thisdiscussion. As with anything else in the BWiki, it is important indeference to the GLC's own needs that we allow this information to gono further than it already has, so any discussion must remain here. Iunderstand that this information was just dropped in our laps, but wemust take better care of their information than the GLC apparently did.

–Kalel Venkman 01:32, 24 July 2009 (UTC)

Not the leader of the Linden Labs Governance and Response Team, but certainly one of its more influential members. Of the G-Team, Plexus is the most conversational and responsive, and is currently listed in the Brainiac database as an external operative. This gives him access to our communications system, and the ability to wear and use the avatar key logger in the commlink (which he uses in full knowledge of what it does) and the ability to use the Brainiac Mini terminal he now wears on his right shoulder."

…

Teagan Linden coaches JLU onabuse reporting

[21:12]  Kalel Venkman: Hey, Teagan,quick procedural question: the AR queue still triggers
on multipleAR's filed in an incident to escalate the urgency of a noted situation,correct? 
I just want to make sure we're not wasting the RESI team's time siftingthrough extra AR's if
this doesn't actually help.
[21:17]  TeaganLinden: One person filing over and over on an incident doesn't doanything to
enhance the urgency really, no. One AR is all that's needed.
[21:17] Kalel Venkman: No, we knew that.
[21:17]  Kalel Venkman: One personper incident, and as detailed as possible.
[21:18]  Teagan Linden:yes, exactly :)
[21:18]  Kalel Venkman: What happens if more than one person files on anincident.  Does that
escalate the incident in the queue?
[21:18] Teagan Linden: details details details, but just the facts
[21:18] Teagan Linden: too many variables to really say. It's a complexsystem :)
[21:18]  Teagan Linden: sometimes it might, sometimes not, all depends
[21:18] Kalel Venkman: Back in October, Socrates Linden told us that yes, itdid, that it was
algorithmic.
[21:19]  Teagan Linden: It didthen, yes. We've made changes and improvements since then
[21:19]  Teagan Linden: so now it doesn't necessarily
[21:20]  KalelVenkman: But you are not aware of the situational triggers at thispoint.
[21:20]  Kalel Venkman: We have noticed that responsiveness isup over this time last year.
[21:21]  Teagan Linden: oh good! seems to be working much better for us;glad it's showing up
for you guys too!
[21:21]  Kalel Venkman: Iapologize for the questions – I'm just trying to make my team's work
as efficient as possible.
[21:22]  Kalel Venkman: If there are thingsthat waste everyone's time, we shouldn't be doing
them.
[21:23] Kalel Venkman: Energy and effort in SL is so hard to come by, and allthat.
[21:23]  Teagan Linden: No problem :) Same thing as always really – ifit's an attack at an
event where it's disrupting many people, thenit's important to get everyone affected to send
an abuse report.It's best if they do it in their own words; I dont know if the systempicks
up on copy/paste ARs where everyone sends the same text (we see thatsometimes) but it might.
[21:23]  Kalel Venkman: It probably does.
[21:23] Kalel Venkman: If I were programming it, that's what I'd filter for.
[21:23]  Teagan Linden: also everyone doing their own perspective of itgives us better details
and a better idea of what's going on
[21:23] Teagan Linden: yes, makes sense :)
[21:24]  Kalel Venkman: Iunderstand – so that pretty much answers my questions, it's working
pretty much as we had theorized based on our observations.
[21:24] Kalel Venkman: Thank you, Teagan!
…

A Caution:
Wedo not have permission from Teagan to distribute these chatlogs, sothey should not be retransmitted in any form. The BWiki is a securelocation, and most people are not even aware of its existence. Theselogs should be safe enough left here.
–Kalel Venkman 05:13, 24 July 2009 (UTC)

JLU'scozy relationship with Teagan Linden – ban powers fail on God Modegriefer

Meeting of June 28, 2009 morning
…
[9:15]   Maverick Grunfeld: Shortly after all this is happening, Teagan Linden
showed up on site followed by Harry Linden.
[9:15]    MaverickGrunfeld: I did my usual hello to Teagan
[9:15]    Kara Timtam: YayTeagan!
[9:15]    Melanippe Karas: Yay Teagan!
[9:15]    MaverickGrunfeld: And explained the environment
[9:15]    Maverick Grunfeld: Teagan at that point tells me to IM herdirectly
[9:15]    JB Hancroft: and Harry? interesting….
[9:15]   Maverick Grunfeld: And bypass the ARs.
[9:15]    DianaPrince Carter:Coolness!
[9:15]    JB Hancroft: excellent!
[9:16]    BilliAnn Bravin: Wow.
[9:16]   Maverick Grunfeld: That basically if I spotted a person or a
troublemaker,to IM her and they would jump on it.
[9:16]    Kara Timtam: Teaganknows she can trust you. That's BIG.
[9:16]    Melanippe Karas: Awesome.
[9:16]    DianaPrince Carter:Bugger than big, huge!
[9:16]    JB Hancroft: .me hands Princess an"i"
[9:16]    DianaPrince Carter: *bigger, I meant bigger! OhBugger :P
[9:16]    Maverick Grunfeld: It was quite the colaboration yesterday.Estate
banned, LL account banned, and JLU was the eyes and ears.
[9:17]   Kalel Venkman: I don't want to get into breakdowns of sentences that
involve the words "bugger", and "huge".
[9:17]    DianaPrince Carter:XD
[9:17]    Maverick Grunfeld: The most interesting case thoughshould be noted for
the record, an abuser claimed to be Dick Burns tome in IM after he did the usual
disruption.
[9:17]    Maverick Grunfeld: The issue was, he IMed meafter having his accoutn
banned.
[9:18]    Kara Timtam: Goodtrick.
[9:18]    Maverick Grunfeld: I pointed out the abuser outrightto estate and Teagan
[9:18]    Maverick Grunfeld: It gets worse.
[9:18]    MaverickGrunfeld: So estate banned him, which meant he went to the
regionnext door to lay out his party gifts.
[9:19]    Maverick Grunfeld: Atthat point, Teagan banned based on my IM id and an
AR I fired off for good measure
[9:19]    Maverick Grunfeld: Theaccount then basically entered into God Mode
[9:19]    Kalel Venkman:Note that at this point Lindens are now talking directly
to JLU, notreading the AR logs.
[9:19]    Maverick Grunfeld: As he was banned from LL, he was no longerAR'able
[9:19]    DianaPrince Carter: eek!
[9:19]    MaverickGrunfeld: And was no longer visible in the GTeam's tools or
process
[9:19]    JB Hancroft: Excuse me… the griefer went into God mode?
[9:19]   Maverick Grunfeld: And as SL no longer saw the account
[9:20]   Kara Foley: how is that possible?
[9:20]    Maverick Grunfeld: He wasable to bypass the region ban
[9:20]    Samantha Lowell: Hooboy
[9:20]    JB Hancroft: Do we knowwhich client he was using?
[9:20]    Kalel Venkman: No, we don't knowthat.
[9:20]    Maverick Grunfeld: And was able to bypass the nobuilding on the parcel
[9:20]    Maverick Grunfeld: So he was able to rez right on top of theevent stage.

…

[9:21]    Melanippe Karas: And Teagan wasmade aware of these irregularities?
[9:21]    Samantha Lowell:*exploit
[9:21]    Maverick Grunfeld: Yes, that's the concerning part-Teagancouldn't
believe it herself.
[9:21]    DianaPrince Carter: LLshould implement Kal-El's JIRA :/
[9:21]    Kara Timtam: Dick Burnsis a PN
[9:21]    Maverick Grunfeld: Asked me to TP her right on top of theabuser.
[9:21]    BilliAnn Bravin: On a related note, New Oa wasattacked last night by the
PN during our Doors concert.
[9:21]   JB Hancroft: There are a *lot* of exploits in SL.. but most are kept
closely by the people who discover them, so they won't get fixed.
[9:21]   Maverick Grunfeld: Dick Burns was also known to be a highly talented
scripterfor the PN.
[9:22]    BilliAnn Bravin: At least one Dick Burns wasthere.
[9:22]    Maverick Grunfeld: Usually, PN claim the memes but aren'treally the
individual
[9:22]    Kalel Venkman: This must have beenafter I left.
[9:22]    Maverick Grunfeld: I've had people tell methey were Dick before or
DeadyCodeac
[9:22]    Kalel Venkman: Hold that thought, Billi.
[9:22]   BilliAnn Bravin: Yes, after the Doors stsrted.
[9:22]    KaraTimtam: Whomever this was, they surely had the scripting chops.
[9:23]   Maverick Grunfeld: But, given this guy's abilities and use of asecurity
exploit, he had the skills.
[9:23]    Maverick Grunfeld: It was as ifthe ban enabilled him to have greater
powers/permissions on thegrid.
[9:23]    Samantha Lowell: SO, what is the worst-case scenariohere?
[9:23]    Kalel Venkman: Worst case scenario is that a PN can be givenpowers even
Lindens don't have.
[9:24]    Kalel Venkman: Goanywhere, do anything, destroy anything.
[9:24]    Gawyn Philbin:Which in short, means the entire grid is pretty much boned
[9:24]    Maverick Grunfeld: With that said, eventually, LL was able tokill the
account.
[9:24]    JB Hancroft: Before we jump from thewindows (not flying… ;)
[9:24]    Maverick Grunfeld: But, that wason their backend, not sure what magic
they had to work.
[9:24]    JB Hancroft: have we seen anything likethis before?
[9:24]    Samantha Lowell: I suggest, for the timebeing, we keep a very low
profile in the field