Archive for 'Mafias, Gangs and Virtual Governments'

Bruce Schneier’s Bat Signal Alarms Internet Engineers

Pixeleen Mistral interviews Mark McCahill to calm Herald technical staff I realized something was terribly wrong when The Herald’s electronic press fell *out of sync* with the soothing retro-euro-disco thump of Daft Punk’s Random Access Memories playing in the editorial offices. Normally the technical staff are careful to avoid harshing the mellow of the writers, [...]

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Barrett Brown Calls and the Herald Answers!

Barrett Brown Last week I was on the Herald Yacht, steaming towards the Herald retirement villa in the Turks and Caicos islands, when the emergency phone rang in the ready room. Helmut, my trusty cabin boy summoned me. Barrett Brown was calling. Mr. Brown, for those of you who don’t know, is currently in federal [...]

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Tizzers Foxchase: Rock Fresh

Exclusive interview and pictures from Fort Longcat Early this week, Linden Lab destroyed the Sandvich region of Second Life and banned Sandvich land owner Sarilia Tryce and associates from the game, presumably in response to the Justice League Unlimited gang’s favorite tactics: abuse report frenzy. The JLU and their allies were spurred into action as [...]

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Linden Lab Nukes Sandvich Sim

JLU gang leader claims responsibility – thanks Michael Linden for swinging banhammer Monday, Linden Lab suddenly deleted the Sandvich sim, a popular Steam-themed region in Second Life which inspired a chaotic YouTube video tribute. The Lab’s action sparked a round of protests as banned players were stripped of their virtual assets – without any sort [...]

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Shock! Griefer/Egghead/Hollywood Conspiracy Exposed!!!

special to the Alphaville Herald – by Pat the Rat Someone pass me the Pepto Bismol, please! That is all I can think of saying after surviving the social event of the decade in the new, post-Linden, metaverse.  [photo by Paparazzo Joenz] Attending this A-list event were Alphaville Herald staffers Urizenus Sklar, Pixeleen Mistral, and [...]

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Jumpman Lane – The “Kang” of Second Life

Last week, well-known virtual world entrepreneur Stroker Serpentine threw in the towel on Second Life after a long running series of feuds with Linden Lab and the notorious Jumpman Lane. Mr. Serpentine announced his departure in a series of tweets that caused alarm among his friends at the news that he was apparently exiting the [...]

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SLCC 2011 Drama!!! Avatar Identity: Privacy and Transparency in Social Media

Mysterious threats leads to last minute SLCC program revision – a pattern of harassment? The first indication I would be playing another round of Second Life as a real life alternative reality game came a few hours before the SLCC 2011 panel discussion on Avatar Identity: Privacy and Transparency in Social Media. I was eating lunch, [...]

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The Artemis Fate Interview: Justice League is Unnecessary and Overzealous

Longtime SL resident asks Linden Lab for statement on anti-griefer groups’ limits by Robble Rubble [In Robble Rubble's exclusive interview with Artemis Fate, Ms. Fate - a respected class-of-2003 resident - points out that the Justice League Unlimited and similar anti-griefer vigilante groups are superfluous and attract exactly the sort of behaviors they claim to [...]

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Cheergirl Allen Smacks Justice League Unlimited

Anti-vigilante war in Second Life escalates I’ve known Cheergirl Allen for years, but never thought of her as particularly active in the Second Life political scene. However, that changed recently – a development that cannot be good news for Kalel Venkman and his Justice League Unlimited faction. Cheergirl’s organizational skills and connections have never been in [...]

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Interview With Green Lantern Excelsior of the JLU

Green Lantern Excelsior in the Bronyville  sim before Bronyville was deleted (file photo) This evening I chatted with JLU spokesman Green Lantern Excelsior hoping to discover why Kalel Venkman has been unwilling to discuss the JLU’s Brainiac wiki leak situation in anything other than heavily moderated forums. While Green Lantern could only speculate on Kalel’s [...]

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