The Alphaville Herald

Did Linden Lab’s Emerald Dev Coverup Lead To Woodbury Ban?

by Pixeleen Mistral on 19/05/10 at 12:47 pm

An attempted coverup of the leaked ModularSystems.com datamine database connecting IP addresses and Second Life avatars names may have been to blame for Linden Lab’s mass ban of the Soviet Woodbury faction and deletion of Woodbury University’s Second Life assets, according to chat logs provided to the Herald.

As previously reported, a group of Second Life client developers with close ties to Linden Lab maintained a database connecting over 16,000 avatar names with IP addresses and geo-location data at the ModularSystems web site. The database was populated by both in-world monitoring of avatars and from sign ups for Second Life accounts using the Emerald developers’ web site – and perhaps other methods.

Fractured Crystal has no comment for the Herald

Under close questioning by Cam Mitchell, Emerald developer Fractured Crystal admitted to the existence of an avatar IP address tracking database during a vigorous discussion last month with some members of the Soviet Woodbury group and other onlookers. This may explain why, in the chatlogs below, Fractured Crystal is eager to point out that Cam Mitchell had received the gift of a hammer – presumably a “ban hammer” from the Linden staff. Is asking Fractured Crystal hard questions in public now a ban-worthy offense? Perhaps so.

After highlighting the ban of Cam Mitchell, Fractured Crystal warns Katelyn Manamiko that the consequences for the Woodbury faction could be severe, saying a database leak “could be considered sensitive information that some people wouldn’t want being lol released”.

Fractured Crystal/Jcool410 goes on to say that the planned public spin on the datamine was as a countermeasure to fight “griefing” on his land.

With 30 Linden Lab staff members in the database along with what may be some Linden alt accounts, Jcool and the gang seem to have a broad definition of griefing and acceptable tactics to fight anti-social behavior in the online realm. Does creating a large database populated almost entirely with what we presume are innocent residents really do anything to prevent drive-by particle spamming by troublemakers – or is this just a convenient cover story?

After switching to Sype chat Fractured Crystal/Jcool410 goes on to say, “I know what i’m describing is a bit harsh on WU but I feel its the only course with the highest probability of containing the situation, and preventing the unnecessary exposure of sensitive information about residents”. Apparently Fractured Crystal is not only working on a third party Second Life client – he is also helping make policy for the Linden governance team.

Working to further establish his thug with insider connections reputation, Fractured Crystal/Jcool410 says, “I’ve never claimed to be an angel, i’ve done terrible things in SL and I’ll probably do a hell of a lot more before i’m through but for me, the ends here justify these means”.

Is this someone you want writing your Second Life viewer software? Really?

For Linden Lab, has the end also justified the means? While the Woodbury faction is unlikely to maintain any sort of presence in Second Life after their second mass ban, the lack of action against the security and ethically challenged ModularSystems group does not inspire much confidence in the Lab’s judgement. While various Second Life mafias and factions exploit security issues in each other’s web sites, the Lab is sending a clear signal that anything goes – as long as you have powerful Linden friends. Look for M Linden to reposition Second Life as "Mafia Life" in the near future.

– Instant message logging enabled –
[12:38] Fractured ModularSystems: whats your opinion of Woodbury University (the inworld entity)
[12:38] Katelyn Manamiko: lol
[12:38] Katelyn Manamiko: hmm
[12:38] Fractured ModularSystems: also I heard Cam Scientist got a gift
[12:39] Katelyn Manamiko: the gift of a hammer?
[12:39] Fractured ModularSystems: something like that’
[12:39] Katelyn Manamiko: damn, looks like he did. I’ll have to find out if he’s back in yet
[12:40] Fractured ModularSystems: haha
[12:40] Fractured ModularSystems: anyways yeah
[12:40] Fractured ModularSystems: whats your opinion of Woodbury University (the inworld entity)
[12:40] Fractured ModularSystems: lol
[12:40] Katelyn Manamiko: well…
[12:40] Katelyn Manamiko: It’s complicated :->
[12:40] Katelyn Manamiko: There are some very good aspects, and some not-so-good.
[12:41] Katelyn Manamiko: I think what tizz is trying to do for education in virtual worlds is interesting and pretty cool.
[12:41] Katelyn Manamiko: some of the other stuff, i.e. griefing and trolling people, I could do without
[12:41] Fractured ModularSystems: ill cut straight to it, while they were playing security breach they got a database of IP/avatar correlations
[12:42] Katelyn Manamiko: ah…. interesting
[12:42] Fractured ModularSystems: i don’t know what effect that would have if released
[12:42] Fractured ModularSystems: but I think it would do far more damage to WU than anyone else
[12:42] Fractured ModularSystems: as a enity inworlkd and its reputation
[12:43] Fractured ModularSystems: entity*
[12:43] Fractured ModularSystems: I’ve already messaged Tizzy but i wanted to run stuff by you because your online and i was curious what you’d say
[12:44] Katelyn Manamiko: Well, my first question is, why were you / you guys keeping such a database?
[12:44] Fractured ModularSystems: I can explain only if you keep the explanation to yourself, as its intended to be used in a public notice if things are unable to be contained
[12:45] Fractured ModularSystems: o.o
[12:46] Katelyn Manamiko: Contained how? I thought everything was rosy… The subtext I’m picking up here is that this DB is intended to be used as dirt on who is whose alt, because that’s pretty much the only thing I know of that one could correlate from tracking IP addresses, and even then it’s not foolproof.
[12:46] Fractured ModularSystems: "Datamine (named such in humour) was a database that was initially created to correlate the IP addresses of visitors to the Emerald Point simulator after several instances of chain-alt griefing. These correlations were created through the use of the standard land media functionality in any viewer. , although these nodes were eventually removed."
[12:47] Fractured ModularSystems: it was a griefing countermeasure for my sim
[12:47] Katelyn Manamiko: okay, that makes sense.
[12:47] Fractured ModularSystems: anyways
[12:47] Katelyn Manamiko: so if that’s all it is, why are you worried about it being released?
[12:47] Fractured ModularSystems: because I cannot predict the result
[12:48] Fractured ModularSystems: also
[12:48] Fractured ModularSystems: it could be considered sensitive information that some people wouldnt want being lolreleased
[12:48] Fractured ModularSystems: however
[12:49] Fractured ModularSystems: everything I know suggests that while the result is not something I can predetermine, I think more heat would fall on the individuals who stole the database, both from us and LL
[12:49] Fractured ModularSystems: and even if the heat was equivalent
[12:49] Fractured ModularSystems: it would likely be attributed to WU
[12:49] Fractured ModularSystems: and WU is on thin ice with LL as it is
[12:49] Fractured ModularSystems: real thin from what people tell me
[12:49] Katelyn Manamiko: In the situation you’re describing, nobody would come out a winner.
[12:50] Fractured ModularSystems: lol
[12:50] Fractured ModularSystems: I am going to tell tizzy i think its in their best interest to do what they can to ensure that no such incidents took place
[12:50] Fractured ModularSystems: skype
[12:50] Katelyn Manamiko: k

———————————————

second part is in skype:
[3:51:02 PM] jcool410: We’ve been approached by LL regarding this issue
[3:51:32 PM] jcool410: theyhave already been provided with the IP address that accessed our systems, which will probably not reflect well on crawlingins governance notes
[3:51:51 PM] jcool410: but they indicated they would REALLY rather this be contained
[3:52:17 PM] Kate: I can imagine.
[3:52:24 PM] Kate: Let me see if I can get tizz to come online
[3:52:37 PM] jcool410: all I can say it is really seems like even in the worst case scenario
[3:52:39 PM] jcool410: we take a hit
[3:52:45 PM] jcool410: but we aren’t the ones who take the fall
[3:55:04 PM] Kate: Let reciprocate your blunt-ness with some of my own: There’s a group called The Wrong Hands that is made up primarily of members from WU, but it’s a separate entity. This is the group that took on the JLU a while back and stole their wiki. I’m not a member of this group, I’m not privy to their discussions or actions.
[3:55:44 PM] jcool410: to do the maximum damage to TWH would unfortunately effect WU anyway
[3:55:59 PM] jcool410: I don’t expect you to know
[3:56:06 PM] jcool410: I’m just looking for your opinion
[3:56:08 PM] Kate: Probably. Most people do not make the distinction
[3:56:24 PM] jcool410: we certainly won’t be going out of our way to make one for them
[3:56:40 PM] Kate: hmm, my opinion…
[3:57:14 PM] Kate: I dunno j.
[3:57:15 PM] Kate: ugh
[3:57:24 PM] jcool410: I know what im describing is a bit harsh on WU
[3:57:53 PM] jcool410: but I feel its the only course with the highest probability of containing the situation, and preventing the unnecessary exposure of sensitive information about residents
[3:58:47 PM] Kate: There ain’t no angels on either side :-/
[3:58:55 PM | Edited 3:58:58 PM] jcool410: I’ve never claimed to be an angel
[3:59:14 PM] jcool410: ive done terrible things in SL and I’ll probably do a hell of a lot more before im through
[3:59:25 PM] jcool410: but for me, the ends here justify these means
[3:59:52 PM] Kate: The end is keeping emerald legit and shiny in the eyes of the lab, and the means is… what, destroying WU?
[4:00:02 PM] jcool410: LL knows about the leak
[4:00:12 PM] jcool410: so their eyes are uneffected
[4:00:49 PM] jcool410: the end is a: protecting my work from the fallout, b: preventing the exposure of those residents alts
[4:01:28 PM] jcool410: I get it if they want to play games, but they’ve not exactly been making distinctions between CDS , Onys, and Emerald themselves
[4:01:38 PM] Kate: Kate nods
[4:01:40 PM] jcool410: I prefer brute force approaches to problems
[4:01:44 PM] jcool410: they are being a problem
[4:01:53 PM] jcool410: Cam Scientist was a problem
[4:01:56 PM] jcool410: you get the idea
[4:02:06 PM] jcool410: and I know this makes me sound awful
[4:02:18 PM] jcool410: but I don’t really see any other options on my part
[4:03:15 PM] Kate: I can see your position. The only thing I ask is that you talk to tizz about this before making a decision of this magnitude.
[4:03:21 PM] jcool410: of course