The Alphaville Herald

35 Responses to “AvaStar Moves to Silence Critics: Issues Bans, Files Frivolous Abuse Reports, and Seeks Real Life Information on One Critic.”

1. 

   Prokofy Neva
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   That’s quite the story, Uri, good reporting.

   I guess I can’t be surprised that even a big RL corporation like Axel Springer would follow the path laid down for them by Linden Lab and immediately pick up on their police-informant culture and star-machine tactics — picking out a few to butter up, turning like junkyard dogs on any who become disloyal, etc.

   And I marvel at how they turn to LL to solve their problems (aren’t we all supposed to be governing ourselves soon). I wonder if they will get very far with that?

   Aimee wasn’t merely the builder for this job. She took a very active job in the PR flakking. Remember, she is on metaver.se dissing on the Herald as “undermining” SL, etc.
2. 

   Lewis Nerd
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   This is the sort of thing that happens when people think that coming to SL with their corporation is a “good idea” – without actually having a clue.

   I wish some of the other developement directory companies would take their lead from me, and talk to people to make sure that what they are trying to do is practical and that they understand what SL is, instead of just taking the money for the project and running.
3. 

   Frederic Prevost
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   Now, SLH, can I be your post 6 boi?

   I will take my clothes off ! (lmao)
4. 

   Myrrh Massiel
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   …what is this, seventh grade?..
5. 

   Tenshi Vielle
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   Sigh.
6. 

   Inigo Chamerberlin
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   One can only suppose that someone at Axel Springer GmbH heard about SL and decided that if they could capture, say 10% of the ’2 million plus and growing’ userbase, as regular readers, they would be making a nice bit of change for minimal risk, minimal investment and with maximum publicity – ‘ Ava-Tard, ooops, sorry, Ava-Star, SL’s first tabloid newspaper’ for instance…

   Shame no one told them a few home truths about SL, like ’2 million and growing’ is very likely no more than 200,000… And that SL is full of con-artists and rip-off merchants who have no idea of SL whatsoever, who’ll jump in and bullshit you into real trouble without a second thought…

   Ah well, one thing for sure, this is going to be highly entertaining to watch.
   Personally I hope they don’t get a clue and continue down the shambolic path they have embarked on – I do love a nice messy train-wreck!
7. 

   Cocoanut Koala
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   Doesn’t sound to me like this newspaper has much of a future. (Or is much of a newspaper.)

   Avatard, indeed.

   coco
8. 

   Frederic Prevost
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   Haha, Bild t-online/avastar website REMOVED the RL pictures/RL names of the project team from their own website.

   “Das Entwicklungsteam”

   Above page is removed completely.

   Apparently, they decided to hide behind their avatar in SL.
9. 

   Spankubux
   

   Dec 27th, 2006
   

   Urizenus, can you please keep your reporters from airing their personal vendettas on this blog? Prokofy Neva’s fixation on Aimee is really kind of sad, and it discredits the SLH.

   This was actually the first piece of decent reportage I’ve seen from you guys, but its ashame you let childish nicknames like the “avatard” and one reporter’s fixations degrade that. I’m sure the New York Times wouldn’t be printing letters from Adam Nagourney complaining about the Democratic Party. Prokofy should, at the least, be asked to refrain from using the comments as another front in his ongoing war with an imaginary enemy.

   It’s one thing if Prokofy’s prejudice guide his reporting. That can still lead to decent work. And it’s another thing if private user Prokofy uses your comment section to make his points. But it is unacceptable for someone who is working for this publication to use the equivalent of the letters to the editor section to promulgate his views as he does.
10. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    I find it remarkable that in the comments to a story on how AvaStar is trying to censor people, including their ex-employee, the only morale you seem to be able to draw is that we should censor someone in the comments section on this blog.
11. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    Oh, and so far as I’m aware, the term ‘Avatard’ is only used in the story above to talk about the ‘AvaTard’ T-shirt, which you see Vielle wearing. And it looks good on her if I may say so, but then I’m quite sure that *anything* does.
12. 

    Prokofy Neva
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    The reader may judge for themselves about Aimee’s remarks about the Herald:

    http://metaver.se/2006/12/22/aimee-weber-and-the-avastar-corporate-love/#more-60
13. 

    Aimee Weber
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    “Aimee wasn’t merely the builder for this job. She took a very active job in the PR flakking.” -Prokofy Neva

    Of course you don’t mean that literally. Frederic Prevost is right, my company just built the Avastar island. I’m not getting paid to do PR for the Avastar nor do I speak for them. The stuff I said on the metaver.se about this blog are my own gleefully offered opinions.
14. 

    Prokofy Neva
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    >I’m not getting paid to do PR for the Avastar nor do I speak for them. The stuff I said on the metaver.se about this blog are my own gleefully offered opinions.

    No, I mean it very literally. You did not just build. You took a very active part in the PR flakking. Whether you did it for pay or just part of your naturally winning personality doesn’t matter.

    That’s why they hire you, just as much as for your building skills. They know which side the bread is buttered on.
15. 

    Tenshi Vielle
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    I’m only sad that red is not my color of choice.

    I coined the phrase AvaTard, thank you very much, and I enjoy using it.
16. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 27th, 2006
    

    Prok, there is a diff between Flakking the build and flakking the paper, and while I do note that Aimee did say the paper was going to fill a niche and that the Herald was a blog and basically sucked shit or something I don’t think she went beyond the call of duty here, given her involvement in the project. And in part of the interview that didn’t make it in, because the author of the story didn’t want to get off on an Aimee tangent, Fredric said something to the effect that the Avastar didn’t trust Aimee on the social end of the project. So the way I see it this project is off to a rough start because she *wasn’t* more involved.

    None of which is to say that I like or trust people who wear wings.
17. 

    Spankubux
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    I find it remarkable that in the comments to a story on how AvaStar is trying to censor people, including their ex-employee, the only morale you seem to be able to draw is that we should censor someone in the comments section on this blog.

    Whether or not you find something remarkable is of no interest to me.

    Telling your reporters to keep their vendettas off the pages of your blog is the right thing to do. Many newspapers would go farther, and tell their staff to keep their personal opinions out of any media, blog or otherwise. Restricting the activities of your reporters within the confines of your media organ is the least you can do. If you don’t wish to run a responsible journalistic outfit, that’s entirely your call.
18. 

    Prokofy Neva
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Uri, what you’re not realizing about the way flak works in this instance, is that they had Aimee do what is called the “black PR” here. She advanced the cause of Avatard by dumping on the Herald — its main competitor — and appearing to be making these faux independent statements about where the Avatard positions itself in the media stream.

    The people doing Avatard hired Aimee not even so much for her building skills, but to have her name, and to get an “in” with the powers that be. That’s how it is done. And they could reliably count on her to dump on the Herald gratuitously.

    Spankubux, I don’t debate people who don’t have the integrity to post with an SL name so that one can see where their interests lie in SL.
19. 

    Warspite Fackler
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Gah, will the Bild ever learn, not only that I don’t read them, now they grief people like Frederic. Herr, schmeiss Hirn vom Himmel!
20. 

    Mako Mabellon
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    To be honest, I don’t trust SLH’s reporting on anything to do with the AvaStar – not after the way they reported on the whole “stolen content” business.

    It’s blatently obvious that the version of the magazine with the stolen images was, as the AvaStar claimed, a dummy version, just from Cheri’s screenshots – notice the big grey space with the German word for “advertisment” on the lefh where there should be an ad.

    But despite apparently having an actual copy of the version in question, Urizenus still went around making such professional comments as:

    If you believe that was a “dummy” version of the AvaTard, then you actually managed to make this story even funnier…

    omfg, they actually got someone to believe the story! lmfao!
21. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Spankabux, anyone can write for the Herald if they want too, and many have, including Aimee. We are not about to tell Herald contributors what they can can’t say, nor where they can and can’t say it.

    Good point Mako, maybe that AvaStar “server problem” not only ripped, flipped, and “accidently” published Cheri’s photo, but then “accidently” banned her from AvaStar island, and then “accidently” banned Billie and Frederic and Tenishi and then “accidently” made Ikarus issue frivolous ARs and then “accidently” made him seek out Tenishi’s real life information. Dang, those server problems can be pesky. No wonder I keep losing inventory.
22. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Prok, I like it when Aimee dumps on the Herald, because then it makes it more fun to pick on the Blingsider.

    Blingsider…

    ::spits::

    Anyway, you need to roll down your tube socks and enjoy life more.
23. 

    Mako Mabellon
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Good point Mako, maybe that AvaStar “server problem” not only ripped, flipped, and “accidently” published Cheri’s photo, but then “accidently” banned her from AvaStar island, and then “accidently” banned Billie and Frederic and Tenishi and then “accidently” made Ikarus issue frivolous ARs and then “accidently” made him seek out Tenishi’s real life information. Dang, those server problems can be pesky. No wonder I keep losing inventory.

    Nice strawman, but I wasn’t claiming that. It’s obvious that Cheri’s photo was deliberately (and unprofessionally IMO) included. It’s also obvious, despite the Second Life Horrid’s attempts to confuse matters, that the version of the AvaTard it was included in was never meant for publication (and Frederic Prevost even seems to imply as much in the interview above).

    As for the bans – well, at least one of the people who was banned was basically protesting on AvaStar’s property. Try doing something like that in real life and see how far you get. (And for all I know, they could’ve been orbiting people randomly or posting private convos to visitors as well – I doubt the Second Life Horrid would bother to check.)

    I’m guessing Tenshi Vielle was ARed for posting several private conversation on her blog (not actually a breach of the TOS, but it’s not exactly clear in stating that). The other ARs do seem extremely fishy, though.

    I think I’ll wait and see what the AvaStar has to say for itself, but at the moment I don’t trust the AvaTard or the Second Life Horrid.
24. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Would you like some help thinking of a better funny name for the Herald? We will hook you up for a one time consultancy fee of 1K US.
25. 

    Chavo Polonsky
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    “The people doing Avatard hired Aimee not even so much for her building skills, but to have her name, and to get an ‘in’ with the powers that be.” – Prokofy Neva

    Evidence, please?

    Chavo
26. 

    Tenshi Vielle
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Mako, that is IF and WHEN we hear from the Avastar.

    I was AR’d for that. Ikarus Santos also threatened to AR me and my dear friend Billie Scaggs for “griefing”, which he and I have done nothing of the sort.

    As far as to go and seek my personal information? That’s a bit too far, but if he must, let him come.
27. 

    Frederic Prevost
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    WOW, AvaStar/ Bild/ CScout should thank SLH for the free publicity!!!

    There “AvaStar island” traffic is now … (*tada-) 2277

    ******
    BTW, aren’t they supposed to publish the second issue today? I don’t see them.
    (It’s US time 8:14 AM 12/28 THU)
28. 

    urizenus
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Those traffic numbers must be from all the Herald Paparazzi camping the place.
29. 

    Arthur Fermi
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Wow traffic of 2277, that is completely amazingly, unimpressive. My little sandbox is regularly over 5000 and no one is writing about that, and I don’t have a big PR campaign.
30. 

    Latok Neuman
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    “Crowd intelligence can fail (and fail spectacularly) when there’s too much information passed between members of the crowd. Members start to alter their opinions based on the opinions of others, which skews the results. The online communities that build up around any popular game would seem to promote exactly this kind of skew.”
    David Edery
    The article and related comments are confirming the theory above. A mixture of ideological partisanship and anti-corporation coalition.
    Anyway, guys, everybody knows that Second Life is ONLY A GAME. The players are there to have some fun, to share ideas and to partecipate in the community. Brands and corporations are just taking part of the community. Real life is hard enough – wars, fights, terror and death. It doesn´t make sense to fuel hostility in virtual world. Second Life could be the the best of all possible worlds or the worst. We are free to decide the game we want to play.
31. 

    Prokofy Neva
    

    Dec 28th, 2006
    

    Chavo, we see the results?

    The TOS explicitly states that you cannot copy transcripts *in Second Life* (inside the world of SL) and on the forums. LL has no jurisdiction outside of SL on third-party sites, and claims none. I recently reconfirmed this.

    Uri, I don’t wear tube socks.
32. 

    Frederic Prevost
    

    Dec 29th, 2006
    

    AvaStar DESOLVED the in world group for their staff writers and distributors.

    There are still two groups relating to them left at this time.

    Let’s see what happens…
33. 

    Warspite Fackler
    

    Dec 29th, 2006
    

    I wish the “Bild Zeitung” would desolve as well Fred.
34. 

    Upside Up
    

    Dec 29th, 2006
    

    This totally is in line of the ethics of BILD/Axel Springer. Welcome to RL.
35. 

    Warspite Fackler
    

    Dec 29th, 2006
    

    Since when did they develop ANY ethics?

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