Hobbo Hotel Should be a Warning to Others!

The recent problems with Hobbo Hotel, the teenage virtual world, have had with active paedophiles should serve as a timely warning to all virtual worlds that they really should take the full responsibility of the policing their own virtual worlds rather hiding behind the excuse that they are only companies who are running a business!

As the creators of virtual worlds, Hobbo Hotel and even Second Life, should now after recent events take the full responsibility of the policing and making sure that the residents of these virtual worlds are safe from those who intended to cause harm, bully or abuse them!

The excuse that they are only the creators and facilitators of these Virtual Worlds does not hold water any more as it is high time these companies took full responsibility of their creations before they find themselves in very deep water indeed from both their own residents and real world governments.

In the end the companies who created Hobbo Hotel and Second Life really do not have the choice as if they do not act sooner than later it will kill off both of themselves and the virtual worlds themselves because of this lack of control and responsibility they show for their creations.

Basically the companies who run virtual worlds will find it makes good business sense to look after and police their creations as in the end people are looking for safe environments and if they create such environments people will flock to them in the full knowledge they are safe there!


Please Note: If want to view my Second Life Journal then go to the Journal of a Spectral Traveller.

Please Note: If want to view a Second Life Wikipedia then go to the Encyclopedia Umbra Machina.

A Problem with Virtual Vigilantes!

Recently a friend posted a Plurk about a partition about two vigilante groups on Second Life called Justice League and **Police Department** both of which had overstepped the mark both in Second Life and Real Life.

This got me thinking about the efforts Linden Labs actually do to maintain Law and Order within Second Life itself which frankly can be very poor indeed as regularly outside Police Agencies have to go into Second Life to track down those who break the law.

My personal view it is high time than Linden Lab took on the full responsibility of law enforcement within Second Life and stop hiding behind their Term of Service as Second Life is a growing community and economy which needs proper laws to function properly.

Currently there are very few laws within Second Life which cover basic things for example consumer protection, copyright and thieving. All made worse by the fact that real money and people are making a living within Second Life now.

Linden Labs need to modify the way they write and maintain their Terms of Service in such a way it becomes a series of proper basic laws in addition they have to put in place a proper procedures to deal with resident disputes and crimes within Second Life. This both to protect its residents, themselves and to stop any criticism from external sources that Linden Labs is not doing enough to stop criminals and law breaking within the Second Life Grid.

Add to this the woeful way Linden Labs deal with such breaking of their Terms of Service or Laws within Second Life in so much it is done via their Support Department which is geared to deal with support issues not breaking of the Terms of Service or resident disputes.

It is long overdue that Linden Labs to deal with such problems outside of their Support System where it is inappropriate to deal with such problems and issues. Such issues should be dealt with by purpose built department within Linden Labs itself with people more qualified and knowledgeable about such matters. Though at the moment this as much as Linden Labs need to do as I believe a Police Force as such is not required on the Grid yet.

This failure on Linden Labs has lead to the creation of a number of vigilante groups within Second Life who are accountable to no one especially Linden Labs themselves. From past experience in real life such groups cause more damage than good as they always end up abusing their position and already within Second Life there have been cases of such groups overstepping the Terms of Services.

In addition a large majority American residents within Second Life may accept the existence of such vigilante groups but the large majority of European residents do not trust or like such vigilante groups being active within the Grid itself. As an example just how strongly people within London in United Kingdom feel about such vigilante groups when the American vigilante group called The Guardian Angels tried to set up in London they quickly were told by residents there they were not welcome and they received no support from the general public.

In conclusion it is high time Linden Labs started to take more responsibility about it’s creation called Second Life especially in the Law and Order issues.


Please note: If  want to see my second life journal then go to the Journal of a Spectral Traveller.

U.D.I. Second Life, An Idea

U.D.I. Second life is a personal group within Second Life created to embody an idea which was valid when the group was created and even more so now as Second Life is becoming what it truly is a social web site.

It is a personal group of mine which is meant to start a proper discussion of the future of Second Life which includes the Linden’s Governance of Second Life and which, if any, real world laws apply to Second Life.

All this is because I am very passionate about Second Life as it has added so much to my Real Life and I would like it to continue and grow.

The following is the group’s original charter for the Second Life group called U.D.I. Second Life as of February 2008:

Question: Why the striking name and symbol for the group?

Answer: To get the attention of the residents of the virtual world of Second Life.

This is a serious group whose sole purpose is to spark off a discussion about Second Life as a virtual world and as a separate entity to the real world.

The idea of this group was formed because of the recent moves by Linden Labs in enforcing the American Gambling laws on all residents of Second Life and the VAT on land costs of the European residents.

Myself, along with others in Second Life believe it is wrong to enforce these laws as they apply to the real world countries alone. Also it is fundamentally wrong for the Linden Labs to enforce real life laws within Second Life itself being that it is a world-wide entity and therefore a country in its own right.

It is time that we (the residents) start a serious discussion about Second Life as a virtual world and how we want to mould its future, for example which laws apply and who runs Second Life, especially now it is going open source and the such.

Initially this group is to act as a rallying group for those who want to do something about issues including the following:

1. The Linden Labs enforcement of the American gambling laws on all residents of Second Life.
2. The Linden Labs charging VAT on land prices on European residents of Second Life.
3. The charges made on land tiers for American residents as the finance is dealt with in the UK.

Please note that this group is only for those who want to start a serious discussion and not for terrorists, griefers and people who want to bring down the Linden Labs, those who do should go elsewhere.

The group was originally created because of Linden Labs banning Gambling within Second Life which originally thought to be because of the US Government’s Internet Gambling Laws but subsequently it has been found it was more to do with the pressure brought on Linden Labs by such companies like Pay Pal who were not happy about gambling within Second Life.

This group’s idea is still relevant now as it was then as finally Second Life is blossoming into what it should have been in the first place a Social Web Site and real virtual community which touches the so called real world.

If anything it’s relevance has increased as Second Life nature has changed especially now people within Second Life are making a real life living within Second Life and creating a real community based around Second Life itself. It is quickly becoming more important that Second Life residents and Linden Labs both start to talk seriously about the future of Second Life including Laws and how Second Life’s community needs to develop in the future.

Second Life needs to develop from within as its nature changes and serious thoughts should be put how Second Life society should develop and this group’s idea is to start such discussions. A failure not to discuss such now my spell the end of Second Life and it’s community before it has a chance to develop into full blown real community and even an economy.

Plus such discussions should be done by both Linden Labs and Second Life residents themselves before external agencies including real life governments enforce unwanted and inappropriate laws onto Second Life which will prove damaging to Second Life and it’s future development.

At some point in the future I will get around to rewriting the group’s charter so it is more relevant to the current situation within Second Life itself but as always real life sticks it oars in and takes up a lot of my time when it should not.


Please note: If  want to see my second life journal then go to the Journal of a Spectral Traveller.