Understanding the “Little Hitlers” of Second Life
by Pixeleen Mistral on 24/10/11 at 1:50 am
I’ve long wondered at the connection between Second Life’s endless supply of over-the-top drama and the strange psychology of certain players -- particularly those seriously invested in “defending” Linden Lab and “policing” the Second Life grid.
What is it about Second Life that attracts and retains obsessive-compulsive meta-gamerz who can’t keep their play inside the game?
Do large land tier payments to the Lab trump civil discourse even when Lab staff are swept up in an ugly cycle of Twitter/Google bombing payback as we saw with the LabRatuOut mess? After a concerted effort to attract the Lab’s attention to the recent excesses of the Justice League Unlimited, some of my friends in The Pink Hands faction are getting a bit cynical.
the Pink Hands faction is becoming cynical about Linden Lab
The golden rule seems to be in effect - those spending the virtual gold, rule. Perhaps Rod Humble is just hoping he can finish his new not-SL mobile-device-enabled game before the house of cards falls.
Meanwhile, consider notoriously toxic trolls such as Jumpman Lane, Kalel Venkman’s Justice League Unlimited vigilantes, or Prokofy Neva -- and the level of effort required to spend years tracking and data-mining other players or mounting an endless series of intensive blog, Twitter, and Google bombing campaigns designed to humiliate and destroy enemies.
Forgiveness and redemption seem to be alien concepts for some trolls upstanding Second Life residents, which implies a deep psychological need is being addressed. What exactly is going on?
A recent article in The Economist describing how “quite ordinary people will succumb to bad behaviour if the circumstances are right” may hold some answers.
According to the article, Nathanael Fast of the University of Southern California and colleagues at Northwestern and Stanford universities ran a series of experiments to see if social circumstances around power and status have the potential to create “little Hitlers” who annoy and frustrate others for their own gratification - or are certain individuals predisposed to this sort of behaviour simply gravitating into situations where they can behave badly?
The experiments randomly placed participants into one of 4 groups: high power/high status, low power/low status, low power/high status, and high power/low status. Participants were given the option of forcing other participants to perform humiliating actions -- or not.
Those in the low status/high power group chose significantly more demeaning tasks to impose onto other participants, while those in the other 3 groups did not exhibit this behaviour.
Does this mean that the more extreme guardians of Second Life feel they are in a position of low status in real life and are compensating by harassing and humiliating those within their reach?
If, as the study suggests, the combination of low status and high power is a recipe for trouble, I am beginning to think the celebrated free social media tools which empower those dedicated to cultivating their Internet notoriety may contain the seeds of their own destruction as the "little Hitlers" of the social media use their online power to trash everyone else.
Do you still want to play Web 2.0 after watching Jumpman Lane’s Twitter assault on Stroker Serpentine, LabRatuOut’s assault on Esbee Linden, or after following Prokofy Neva’s carefully crafted Google bombing attacks on all and sundry? How do you feel after learning that Kalel Venkman is still expanding and unsuccessfully attempting to secure his Brainiac wiki data mine?
Is this the sort of game you want to play?
Tux
Jan 14th, 2012
So, Reader, how about it? Explain your interest in SL4.me, and what you have imagined as to the reasons where and why it is no longer visible?
Or side track and bitch some more.
On another note it was funny to watch GLE call in for assistance in the sand box early this morning (GMT). I guess the JLU failed to figure it out. Four JLU and still confused as ever! Brilliant!
potosi abonwood
Jan 15th, 2012
At least we can tell who the real stalkers are now. Just have to pay attention to the comments and it becomes amazingly obvious.
IntLibber Brautigan
Jan 16th, 2012
Potosi, yes, but its not like they admit to who they are in SL, tho we can guess pretty well.
potosi abonwood
Jan 16th, 2012
I also pretty much toss out anybodies opinion on here if they don’t at least use their main SL name. Or a name that is pretty much known to several people (like Tux). All I hear from the want to be anonymous folks is ‘blah blah blah’.
Rage
Jan 16th, 2012
When I came to SL, I gravitated towards whomever was on voice:
man, woman, old, youthful, smart, ignorant…
I did not criticize the means with which people created. It did not concern me. I knew people came from different backgrounds.
I just wanted to see new combinations of things, see human expression. Sometimes people can express things they keep inside through art.
I am not a judgemental person, I like to see people’s genuine selves and help them, if I can.
I am told I give too much. I am told it is my turn to be given everything. But you can’t really be given if there is no one giving.
I cannot wait to just be working all the time and knowing everything is fine all the time. All I want to do is make beautiful things.
Robble "Little Hitler" Rubble
Jan 16th, 2012
/me golfclaps
Imnotgoing Sideways
Jan 16th, 2012
Has anyone seen my pannies lately? (^_^)
James Doe
Jan 17th, 2012
InTlibber, Potosi
Its amusing because Tux isn’t Tux anymore.
I am and have been the same person I was the moment I Joined SL.
Why isn’t Tux? Oh he was Banned !!!!!
And so were some of his WH Buddies.
Again you people always wanting to know who someone is?
Why Are you so determined into knowing who someone’s SL or RL name is.
I have used James Doe in SL so stop your crying people.
PoTosi are you not suppose to be a defender of ALT protection and Identity in SL and here you are crying about Pseudonyms?
Robble "Little Hitler" Rubble
Jan 17th, 2012
Display names don’t count James Doe, that’s why people ignore you.
James Doe
Jan 17th, 2012
Again you people always wanting to know who someone is, you think I am this or that or JLU or Kalel Venkman. You will never know Kalel like I know him. You can stop your crying people. Tux is banned!!! and his WH buddies too, but I still have Kalel. soft and warm and hard and hot. You are all Psudonyms to me
Robble "Little Hitler" Rubble
Jan 17th, 2012
Also you’ve been sitting here whining for months while everyone else fucked off to go do better things with their time.
Pseudonym
Jan 17th, 2012
James Doe enjoys dicks in and around his mouth, he doesn’t want anyone to know about his main account where he’s a gorean prince who happens to part time roleplay in doctor who sims. One day he saw a picture of a man sticking a fish up his ass while at his super important SL scifi convention and has been on a crusade against indecency ever since.
sockpuppet
Jan 17th, 2012
James Doe touches himself at night while thinking thoughts of sultry Daleks sticking fishes up their exhaust pipes.
Robble "Little Hitler" Rubble
Jan 17th, 2012
James Doe, I know who you are, I just looked up the old chatlogs in the JLU wiki of the scifi con and looked for the most offended person in text who was screaming about how the con was ruined and how he owned a sim. I’m not going to say though because honestly I think you would like the attention. Have fun being offended on the internet.
internet superhero
Jan 17th, 2012
It’s okay JD, you can’t hear any of those nasty people making fun of you when you are safely tucked inside your tardis.
Robble "Little Hitler" Rubble
Jan 17th, 2012
JD I am sorry for the time I mistook your tardis for an outhouse.
With Love,
Robble
Dumpman Zane
Jan 17th, 2012
PAYYYYYY ATTENTION TO MEEEEE WAHHHHHHHHH
Neckbeardo
Jan 17th, 2012
I found a picture of JD irl:
http://i.imgur.com/A3F46.gif
Tux
Jan 17th, 2012
@Neckbeardo
That looks like the woman (if it can described as such) that a certain JLU was sharing nudes with! XD
@JD
Bawww! Tux this and Tux that. Obsessed much? Many people only know me as Tux. That is why it is a valid name. I still use Tux in other games, not just Second Life. Which btw I am allowed back into, as my premium status proves. You should visit sometime, see all the wonderful scripts I have on my land, makes Linden Realms look like Disney’s Toon Town!
‘You will never know Kalel like I know him.’
You are right, do you know why? . . . . . . Because we don’t let weird elderly men, who think people are humanoids, perform sexual acts on us in the name of justice.
James Doe
Jan 17th, 2012
Now see you all prove your childish behavior by trying to pretend to be me. In several posts. Then of course having to try to insult a person.
Again you all think I am in league with the JLU.
Apparently none of you can read, very well.
Robble its amusing that you jump back on just to tell me I am obsessing on this still.
Now if someone was to point out you were obsessing you will make some poor excuse to why you are not..
Go back to Documenting people in the SLU forum Robble its what your good at. Some defender of internet privacy you are. That was sarcasm if you missed it.
Many People Know me as James Doe just not your crowed of hooligans.
Bunjie
Jan 17th, 2012
@Tux
“Which btw I am allowed back into, as my premium status proves”
I looked at your old account on mySL it’s still inactive, or are you talking about that account you made that Linden Lab said was OK to do just to talk to them? and that they intentionally shield you from abuse reports on? do they still shield you? as that would be totally ironic lol
And whats this? https://my.secondlife.com/tux was one of you JLU childish enough to grab Tux Resident last Nov, then change the status name into tux (disabled)?
Or was that you Tux?
If not the JLU are like fucking noob companies who try to buy up every keyword domain related to them or their competition in every TLD.
James Doe
Jan 17th, 2012
Pssst Bunjie
You calling the JLU Noob companies when just above Tux said he buys Domains and parks them as well.
So is Tux a Noob too?
Reader
Jan 17th, 2012
https://my.secondlife.com/tux is a dead end. research much?
until Tux reveals his *new* and current supposedly “allowed” alt account, all this crying about who is who outside the circle of children is simply laughable. just because tux keeps stating “i am known as tux” doesnt do much to bolster the ‘i am open, free and innocent and its the other guys that are hiding like bitches’ argument.
still waiting on the comments about the key word name list of inner circle people. what say you? Enquiring minds want to know
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/National_Enquirer
h t t p :/ / pastebin dot com/ FfZryWZu
names like mies, muziekfreak1980, dan, dan peleg, raine, raine brucato, kobe varnish and whatnot are names you and Rob Nelson are not unfamiliar with Tux? come on, dont be bashful. piece it together for us buddy and help a research student out with these strange relationships peppered on the webs
James Doe
Jan 17th, 2012
@Reader
Yes but Tux will not give his super secret new alt ID away and he will use the excuse he doesn’t want the JLU to get wind of it. Because they will AR him for Ban evasion LOL.
Or that he doesn’t want to be hassled.
But see with these people here its ok for them to say that but a person like me they can’t accept that from.
can we say double standard
Reader
Jan 17th, 2012
“Also you’ve been sitting here whining for months while everyone else fucked off to go do better things with their time.”
oh really?!?!? waste your limp wrists typing on blog rants much?
Imnotgoing Sideways
Jan 17th, 2012
I gotta blog moar. (>_<)
Dontspill McGinnis
Jan 17th, 2012
What a double act..
The raging man and the man with no brain.
James, as I stated previously, you have been backing the JLU throughout this debate which is easily verified by scrolling back a page or two. (You did know that people could do that, right?) Denying it now just enhances your reputation for stupidity. As for your identity, I personally couldn’t care less. You are irrelevant.
I will say though, that throwing vague accusations around without proof and from a position of anonymity is pretty damned cowardly and is exactly the action favored by the JLU’s black ops team…
Jus saying.
“Reader”, you persist in trying to link all those names with Tux, and even myself in some futile attempt to make people think that we are all one and the same person.
You may have noticed that I have been around a fairly long time, and tux was around before me. We have been seen in world together often enough, so you will get no return on that garbage.
Come on, out with it, astound us with your insight.
i could do with a laugh.
Reader
Jan 17th, 2012
@Spill(ed milk)
learn to read. the names are out there, i am just asking a simple question of who Tux and Rob Nelson know from those key-names.
pretty straight forward.
quit crying and let Tux respond.
Reader
Jan 17th, 2012
“…you persist in trying to link all those names with Tux, and even myself in some futile attempt to make people think that we are all one and the same person…”
you would be better served simply doing a RAGEQUIT
move aside idiot
Dontspill McGinnis
Jan 17th, 2012
@ Reader
Thanks for obliging with the laugh,
I knew you had nothing,.. as usual.
James Doe
Jan 17th, 2012
@The Angry Dwarf
You can’t read.
I have explained it many times that the JLU and TWH and others in SLU forums are cut from the same mold.
You keep missing that point. Because you don’t want to see it.
Then of course you revert to calling me Idiot or Stupid just like the others who can’t have a discussion.
Now your jumping on the band wagon of wanting to know who I am. Like giving you some name you all can look up and Document will make what I have to have more meaning.
Here you go, Look up James Doe have fun docing me.
Dontspill McGinnis
Jan 17th, 2012
Repost for James Doe
” As for your identity, I personally couldn’t care less. You are irrelevant.”
Reader
Jan 17th, 2012
RAGEQUIT predicted, RAGEQUIT demonstrated!
classic pickle
” As for your identity, I personally couldn’t care less. You are irrelevant.”
Dontspill McGinnis
Jan 17th, 2012
@ Reader
No ragequit here “Reader”. I don’t get rage.
I’m sitting here supping my ale and laughing at your efforts
Carry on
)
.
.
Tux
Jan 17th, 2012
@ Bunjie
‘I looked at your old account on mySL it’s still inactive’
Yes, I don’t think they will ever bring that one back. XD
‘or are you talking about that account you made that Linden Lab said was OK to do just to talk to them?’
I do still have that account but I don’t bother using it.
‘and that they intentionally shield you from abuse reports on? do they still shield you? as that would be totally ironic lol’
Lol, wouldn’t it just! ;o)
‘And whats this? https://my.secondlife.com/tux was one of you JLU childish enough to grab Tux Resident last Nov, then change the status name into tux (disabled)?’
Not mine. I guess someone else felt the need to be Tux. Surprising how many do really.
But no, I have a premium account. I also have land, which is where I like to stay mostly. As my time with the TWH is over, I don’t visit their lands or meet up with them. Although I do still hang with Dontspill on occasion. I still script, and have products in the marketplace. LL allowed me to keep the majority of my accounts aside from a handful of throwaways. This pleased me as I only lost pocket money in L$ (pocket money being relative of course). So despite everything, I am stil playing SL and enjoying it!
@ JD
‘Yes but Tux will not give his super secret new alt ID away and he will use the excuse he doesn’t want the JLU to get wind of it. Because they will AR him for Ban evasion LOL’
My main account is not secret, I use the name Tux (not just a display name either). It is an account which has never had a ban and is not a noob. I don’t see why I should do the leg work for the overly obsessive types who seem to be around every turn. Of course, those important enough already know this. You want to trawl through the lists of Tux named avatars to find me, go ahead.
@ Reader
‘until Tux reveals his *new* and current supposedly “allowed” alt account, all this crying about who is who outside the circle of children is simply laughable. just because tux keeps stating “i am known as tux” doesnt do much to bolster the ‘i am open, free and innocent and its the other guys that are hiding like bitches’ argument.’
Sigh see above.
Also Reader you still haven’t answered my question: Explain your interest in SL4.me, and what you have imagined as to the reasons where and why it is no longer visible?
Because, you see, it appears you (and JD also to a lesser degree) are highly obsessing over me and the things I do.
Reader
Jan 17th, 2012
do yourself a favor Spill(ed milk), turn your attentions to things you actually like to do, defined as “That” and ignore the “You are irrelevant” types, otherwise defined as “This”. crying is one thing but adding raging with that last quoted line makes you look pretty messed up.
graciously fixed that for you, now it’s your turn to simply stfu Mies;
last time I checked being “irrelevant” meant something along the lines of not being of material interest. learn that and shut up.
or are you going to RAGE ON some more for the audience?
Dontspill McGinnis
Jan 17th, 2012
/me LOL’s hard!!
Mixed up our identities again have we?
PMSL!
James Doe
Jan 18th, 2012
/me furiously masturbates to Dr Who reruns.
Neckbeardo
Jan 18th, 2012
@Reader
Is there even an audience anymore besides sockpuppet 1 2 and 3 giving each other verbal handjobs?
LOL
Jan 18th, 2012
waiting for my sock job
Mies
Jan 19th, 2012
Reader, the last time we met I told you not to use my name anymore. I told you what would happen if you did. Now reap the whirlwind.
Reader
Jan 19th, 2012
Shut up Mies!
Anguissette
Jan 29th, 2012
I am Tux too!
I’m not really. I just felt left out, since everyone else seemed to be on the alt list. Plus, it’s neat playing that ‘I am Spartacus’ kind of game.
By the way, I am loving the degree of literacy from Reader – I can see why they don’t call themself ‘Writer’. I mention this not to be petty, but because Reader said to someone ‘learn to read’, and it’s always amusing when someone who slays literacy tries to criticise someone else’s grasp of it. It’s like a chain smoker telling another smoker to quit. ‘After you’ would be my response.
Bunjie
Jan 30th, 2012
Here’s another little Hitler who doesn’t like to loose face, a reject from the Linden Lab forums, I think some of you know him he posts here?
I am of course referring to ‘Pepé Le Pew’ https://my.secondlife.com/linden.lab/posts/4f25864f3a1aa20001002ed0
Reader
Jan 30th, 2012
Pretty lame Bunjie, pretty effin lame
Tux
Feb 26th, 2012
Finally LL moves towards privacy protection, at least in some small way:
2.a.(iii): “You must not provide any feature that circumvents any privacy protection option made available through a Linden Lab viewer or any Second Life service.”
Which means TPV’s and scripts will NOT display the status of people online (unless the script is owned or created by the person it is checking). And with that down goes many of the JLU’s monitors, LOL.
Also LL are breaking viewer tags permanently, so much for spotting griefers because they always use a particular viewer.
But they haven’t protected people by preventing info gathering directly from peoples connections (like the JLU’s MOAP IP grabber for example). They have simply included the following:
2.i: “You must not display any information regarding the computer system, software, or network connection of any other Second Life user.”
Meaning: It’s Ok for our spandex clad bum chums to collect that info (or anyone else for that matter) just don’t display it in world.
IMO LL are trying to make a show without actually trying. Once again trying to make it look like they are doing something without really doing anything. But if you have status boards, they will probably break (unless they are ones with my script which already defeats it). I think encrypted IM’s will break too.
Quentina Scribe
Apr 13th, 2012
Who the hell is Tux? What are you all 13?
Paul
Apr 16th, 2012
Hi Quentina!
Tux is a griefer who has been banned from Second Life. He is, in fact, and adult, but has the emotional maturity and behavioral regulation of an eleven year old, if not a 13 year old. The more you talk to him, the more he puffs up with self importance and spews a bunch of ridiculous rationalization for why it’s ok to be rude to random people you encounter in the world for your own entertainment. He also has this m.o. of creating new alts that he presents of being above the silliness of the previous incarnations, and generally exercises this rhetoric of plausible deniability about his actions, but it breaks down hilariously with a little poking. Try it, you will see!
Thanks for asking.
all the best,
Paul
LOL
Apr 17th, 2012
thinks there will be mass susides when Second Life finally closes.
Dontspill McGinnis
Apr 17th, 2012
Paul seems to have has developed a “Tux” fixation..
He never bothers to troll anyone else any more.
What is the world of us 13 year olds coming to, eh?
(actually, I’m 247, but that’s not all that far beyond puberty for a Dwarf.)