Heralding Personal Abuse

It's easy to click on a spam prim and anonymously report the abuse and delete the prim.

Insulting, intolerant personal chat is still a violation of Second Life's Terms of Service or Community Standards, but it is a harder to deal with. SL Mentors and Greeters are often trained to take the following tactics, in about this order:

~~Chat a comment. The offender may simply be clueless, so you are a teacher.
::You: Avatar, please don't use that rude word here.

~~IM a comment.
::You: Avatar, please don't use that rude word. It violates terms of service and can get you banned.

~~File an abuse report.
Using the Abuse Reporter tool located under the Help menu in the in-world tool bar. You might click the avatar and "more" until the "report Abuse" panel appears, but that option is not available on all viewers.
Every Abuse Report is individually investigated, and the identity of the reporter is kept strictly confidential. After you file an AR report, you get a confirming e-mail. The accused only finds out about it IF the report is complete and shows a real rule violation.
Encourage everyone present at a violation to file and Abuse Report - many reports for the same area generates faster action from the Lindens. Here is a walk through on filing an AR, with instructions for other actions, too.

~~Mute Avatar
~~Eject avatar from the area
~~Ban avatar from the area

Since mute, eject and ban is wholly voluntary, there is no repercussion other than the questions other residents of Second Life will ask. Go ahead an answer individuals, even write a note card explaining yourself, you might even get through to the avatar. But do not to publicly say why you are banning someone: your publishing that someone is "guilty" in any form (Group notices, for example) without solid evidence opens you to real civil charges of libel or slander.

I've heard it commonly held that "AR's do no good" Yes and no. Anyone can make a new avatar, and there are ways around Linden Lab's limits on avatar numbers, so griefers can simply return in another avatar. But AR after AR after AR (from many people) and eject after eject after eject (from YOUR area) and canceled avatar after canceled avatar after canceled avatar (from Linden Labs), the mischievous DO get the message and lose interest and take their abuse elsewhere.

Some avatars just need training and attention brought to the rules. Others, though, we can best hope that they take it elsewhere. Maybe some abusers might come to their senses and play nice.

Love, Arth

How to remove Chat Spam in Second Life

[8:01] Resident Avatar: (Saved Tue Aug 05 11:56:09 2008) Hey.
[8:01] Resident Avatar: (Saved Tue Aug 05 11:56:30 2008) I need your help... my SL is screwed... I have a constant local chat spam and it doesn't show who it's from.
[8:02] You: Hello, Avatar.
[8:05] You: Chat spam from an objects is a challenge: you need to locate the object and touch it, then mute it, remove it and/or abuse report it.
[8:06] You: If the chat is in a particular location, go there, then file an abuse report on the location itself so a Linden or estate owner can come and remove it. If you have a talented friend, send them a landmark so they can come do it, too.
[8:08] You: If the chat follows you wherever you go, you are likely wearing an attachment or HUD that is causing it. Take everything off, then start adding things back to find which one is causing it. Get it repaired, replaced or trashed.
[8:10] You: Good luck.

Trouble Shooting Build Packer Rezzer

~~ Build Packer: Rezzer Troubleshooting ~~ By Arth Karas, August 2008


BUILD REZZER MENU CHOICES AND DESCRIPTIONS
===============================================
~Help~ (Gives this card)
~Rez!~ and position the packed build. (reports if there us nothing to rez)
~De-rez~ this build. (Asks to confirm:)
~~Delete Build~ will remove all parts, but not this main Object nor (no copy) parts.
~Freeze~ my build. (Asks to confirm one of two options.)
~~All Done~ removes all Build Packer scripts nearby. This cannot be undone.
~~Disconnect~ leaves scripts present, but not active. This can be undone.

After a ~Freeze~, prims and other scripts will remain as they are. Parts will not follow the main Object. The main Object no longer gives menus.

FAQ
============================================

~~I clicked the menu, nothing happened:
The menu is active for only 30 seconds each time it comes up to lessen sim lag. To get a new menu, touch the main object using left click or right click > touch.

~~ How do I get the menu to work again?
Touch the main Object. It has floating text that reads "Build Rezzer"

~~ I have the main Object out, but no menus appear.
Reset it's scripts. Detailed instructions are below.

~~ The build looks weird - the parts are not in the right spots:
Check the ground level and the sim and property border. Move or rotate the main Object so the build moves away from them.

~~ The build is sticking against the ground:
Build parts don't want to go below ground level. Instead, they just stick at ground level. Move or rotate the main Object to lift them up.

~~ I need part of the build to be underground:
Terraform a basement, then set the build in it, "Freeze" it, and terraform to bring the ground where you need it to be.
This is a bit tricky, but works, too: "Rez!" the build above ground, "Freeze-Disconnect" it, then draw a big edit box around the whole build and carefully drag it where it needs to be.

~~ The structure is piled against the border:
If you are near the edge of the world, the parts try not to fall off into the void into your "Lost-and-Found". Move or rotate the main Object away from the edge of the world to fix this.

~~ I lost a part of the build:
If your part moves off-world or over an auto-return plot, it appears in your inventory "Lost and Found" folder.
Move the main Object so you don't lose the part again. Drag the Lost-And-Found part to the ground. Now move the main object a little, wait, and the part will move to where it belongs in the build.

~~ The main Object says that it's empty:
If the creator packed a (no copy) build, it disappears from the main Object when you "rez!" it.

~~ I don't want that drop-down dialog menu anymore
~~ That "Build Rezzer" floating text is annoying.
Touch the main object, click "Freeze" and confirm with "Disconnect". The build freezes in place and the Build Packer Rezzer script goes inactive until you manually select and reset the Build Packer Rezzer Script.

ADVANCED ISSUES
====================================================

~~ I can't drag the build parts back to the main Object for storage.
If the creator made a (no modify) main Object, you can't drag things back into it for storage. One storage solution:
1) Create a new prim, name it and apply permissions as you wish.
2) Take all the all the build parts to inventory, including the main Object,
3) Drag all the parts from inventory to the prim's contents.
4) Take your prim into your inventory.
5) Later, you can drag it out, open it, and take all the parts to inventory
6) Drag those parts to the ground
7) Edit and move the main Object. Your build will snap in to place after a brief wait.

~~ I've got two Build Packer builds to rez.
Two Build Packer main Objects out at the same time will interfere with each other, even if you used "Freeze-Disconnect". "Rez!" one, then place and then use "Freeze-All Done" on it. Now you can "Rez!" and place the second one without messing up the first. I am working on an upgrade for this.

~~ I used "Freeze - All Done" but I want to use Build Packer again.
Buy the Build Packer kit through Arth Karas. Follow the Builder's instructions.

~~ I lost my build.
If you cannot find the build in-world or in your inventory at all, contact the creator or seller of your build about their replacement policy.

~~ Can a builder friend help me?
Great idea. While only you, the build owner, can see and operate the drop-down Build Packer menus, you can allow a friend to edit your prims in your friend window. With your permission, your builder friend can move and rotate your main object, and the other parts will still follow it. That friend can adjust the parts for you after you have used "Freeze -Disconnect".

~~ Can I pack my own build or add stuff to this one?
Purchase the full Build Packer through Arth Karas. Your new Build Packer will work just fine with parts that someone else created and packed.

~~ HELP! I need support.
First, contact the creator of your build or the person you got it from, since they will know how it is supposed to look. When all else fails, OK, contact me and I'll try to mentor you.


Namaste, Arth Karas.

Build Rezzer Instructions

~~ Build Packer: Rezzer Instructions ~~ By Arth Karas, August 2008

Congratulations! You have a build that will construct itself for you using Build Packer.

HOW TO USE IT
==============================================

0. Get this Help note card. (You already did that! Well done.)

1. Drag the main Object you received from your inventory to the ground near where you want the finished build to be.

2. Select "Rez!" from the pop-up menu. Wait while the entire structure rezzes in a pile, then moves into position.

3. When you move or rotate the main Object, the is a moment's pause and the build moves to match it. Move the Main Object to put the build exactly where you want it.

4. Got the placement perfect? Now, "Freeze - Disconnect" the build. Moving the main Object no longer changes the others. It deactivates touch menu and float text, too.

5. Enjoy your build. You can use, take, delete, move or rotate any part of the build in the usual way without changing the other parts now.

6. You can pack up your build into Build Rezzer easily when you need to. Detailed instructions are below.

=========================================================

BUILD REZZER MENU CHOICES AND DESCRIPTIONS
==================================
~Help~ (Gives this card)
~Rez!~ and position the packed build. (reports if there us nothing to rez.)
~De-rez~ this build. (Asks to confirm:)
~~Delete Build~ will remove rezzed parts, but not this main Object nor (no copy) parts.
~Freeze~ my build. (Asks to confirm one of two options.)
~~All Done~ removes all Build Packer scripts nearby. This cannot be undone.
~~Disconnect~ leaves scripts present, but not active. This can be undone.

After a ~Freeze~, parts will not follow the main Object. The main Object no longer gives menus. Prims and other scripts will remain as they are.


UNDOING "FREEZE-DISCONNECT"
=======================================================
~ Reset the Build Packer Rezzer Script in the main Object.
Two ways to do that and get the controls back:
a) Right Click the main Object. Open More and Contents tab. Click and open the Build Packer Rezzer Script. Click the "Reset" button. You are in business again. Close the edit window
b) Right click>Edit the main Object. In your SecondLife menu, choose Tools>Reset Scripts in Selection. (This way is easier to do, but it could mess up other scripts in the main Object.)

STORING A (no copy) BUILD
======================================================
1) if you used "Freeze-Disconnect", undo that.
2) Leave the Build Rezzer main Object out for now.
3) Take all the other parts into your inventory.
4) Edit your Main Object, open MORE and the CONTENT tab
5) Drag the parts from your inventory into the prim contents.
6) It will work like new now. Take, store, transfer, or Use as you wish.

TROUBLESHOOTER

Namaste, Arth Karas.

Herald Blogging

I found a small but interesting community here:


View my page on Second Life Bloggers


After playing a bit with customization there (inspiring me to change the look of this page, too, I sent a bunch of invitations to folks in my Gmail list who I know blog. The creators at "Ning" make it too easy to send it to all my contacts, but that is too spammy for me. Withing minutes, mad patcher Nicholaz had joined.

Best pal Arianwen Mercy joined too. Last week, she me to start posting product descriptions to her brand-new Mercy Heavens shop blog in exchange for her putting some of my machines and gadgets in her shops. It was a bit unusual, too: she gave me her Blogspot password and asked me to post something. Instead, I added Arth as a poster to her blog and discarded her password.

So this is a new endeavor in merchandising for her (she's already making her rents and fees in SL with her creations) and me (have often marketed other's products, but not my own.) But since all it takes is a bit of time, risk is low and it might be fun! Perhaps instead of offering an explanatory a note card (ugly), open a full color dynamic linkable page in SL's new web-browser. (wow!)

With all the tools out there, blogging has become websites and pages for everyone, regardless of nerdiness or cash. As a marketing tool, it's more an information dump that active marketing because there are so many blogs and sites that even the most exact searches deliver scads of hits. But using active marketing for SL products in SL, and providing product data via blog or web page - this I like.

Dr. Loren Pankratz is a psychologist and clinical professor at Oregon Health & Science University here in Portland, Oregon. the New England Journal of Medicine and the American Journal of Psychiatry and other peer-reviewed medical journals have published his articles on the subjects of deception, lying and

In a recent article in "The Oregonian" newspaper, Dr. Pankratz had this to say:

Lie-catchers often believe they can catch the lie within an interaction. But that's not the best way to catch a liar. The best way is to understand the larger context of what the individual knows, what his audience knows and how he manages his advantage. There are many clues to deception. They might look you in the eye, or flatter you. They don't provide credible information about the questions you ask. Clues always need to be checked out with facts.

Eye-contact is not detectable in Second Life, but flattery certainly is. In some role-playing scenarios, flattery is the norm, especially toward people of importance.

But checking facts and considering context is second nature.

Heralding A Stolen Hobbit

Open Letter to the Estate of JRR Tolkien:

I believe electronic copies of the JRR Tolkien works "Sir Gawain and The Green Knight", "The Hobbit", "The Fellowship of the Ring", "The Two Towers", "The Return of the King" and "The Silmarillion" are being sold in the online virtual world of Second Life without permission from the copyright holder.

The allegedly infringing works are located in an area called 'Eldamar/139/59/43' by an object called "E-books vendor" owned and benefitting one called AmandaL Memnonic. The object dispenses copies of the above works for a fee. The copies are easily re-copied and exported into other electronic media. The copies bear no copyright notice or disclaimer. In a short instant message communication, AmandaL Memnonic admitted that she had imported the full texts as electronic files into SecondLife and that she is selling them there.

My intital report to Linden Labs will be ignored according to their policy because I am not the copyright holder or the agent. They request that reports of copyright infringement include a signature and this statement:

"I have good faith belief that the use of the copyrighted materials described above and contained on the service is not authorized by the copyright owner, its agent, or by protection of law. I swear, under penalty of perjury, that the information in the notification is accurate and that I am the copyright owner or am authorized to act on behalf of the owner of an exclusive right that is allegedly infringed."

Linden Labs complete mechanism of redress and copyright protection is explained on their DMCA: Digital Millennium Copyright Act web page.