Virtual entrepreneurs and 'griefers' spoil the fantasy of online worlds http://technology.newscientist.com/article.ns?id=mg19526196.000&print=true * 01 September 2007 * Jim Giles IT SHOULD have been a coming-of-age moment. In December 2006, Anshe Chung, the most prominent of Second Life's entrepreneurs, was interviewed about her burgeoning [12]property portfolio, which she says is worth more than $1 million. It was a milestone to mark the emergence of a mature and corporate side to virtual worlds. But then, for a full 15 minutes, the virtual room in which she was being interviewed was invaded by [13]flying penises. Two months later, something similar happened. The Second Life headquarters of US presidential candidate John Edwards was attacked by a gang known as the Patriotic Nigras, who [14]plastered the building with objects including faeces (see Picture). Other residents say they have received racist materials from the Nigras. To anyone familiar with Second Life, airborne genitalia and offensive comments come as no surprise. Griefers - the disruptive residents who create such disturbances - have been active since the virtual world's earliest days. Since many residents are attracted to Second Life precisely because of its anything-goes ethos, such behaviour is generally tolerated. Now that Wild West spirit is under threat. With tens of thousands of denizens logged in at any one time and [15]millions of dollars' worth of transactions taking place in a single year (see Chart), a class of entrepreneurs is emerging who see griefers not just as an annoyance but as a potential source of lost revenue. That can simply encourage the griefers, some of whom are irritated by residents who seem to take life in Second Life too seriously, but it also prompts entrepreneurs to turn to [16]real-world courts to settle disputes. That in turn is cause for concern for residents who believe virtual worlds' value lies in their freedom from real-world laws and norms. "As the worlds industrialise we're going to see more appeals to the law," says Ren Reynolds, an expert on virtual worlds based in London who is establishing [17]a think tank to explore their policy implications. "The worry is that legislators will say that virtual worlds should be like the real world." That might wreck the main reason for using virtual worlds, which, despite rampant commercialisation, many still view as fantasy spaces. Last week New Scientist reported how virtual worlds can enhance social interactions, by facilitating meetings between people who wouldn't have that opportunity in real life or allowing them to step into the shoes of others (25 August, p 26). But it is also clear that virtual worlds are ripe for abusive behaviour, and that the naively enthusiastic attitude of some residents may even provoke it. Studies of griefer psychology are limited, but the Nigras' former leader, "Mudkips Acronym", who declined to give his real-life name, is happy to talk about his gang's motivations. He says that the group, which boasts between 35 and 60 members, is motivated by "laughs" and a desire to annoy the Second Lifers "who take their 'metaverse' enormously seriously". Despite the fact that the Nigras hurl racist abuse at some residents (see "Second Life - under attack"), Acronym says that he is not aware of anyone who is "truly racist". Rather, "we do anything we can to shock people". In the past, online communities have either endured residents like Acronym or acted together to punish them. In World of Warcraft (WoW), an online game full of elves and dragons where players compete for gold and weapons, users often group themselves into [18]guilds that police themselves, so that certain tasks, such as dividing the spoils of a raid, can be carried out fairly. Linden Lab, the San Francisco firm that runs Second Life, is also happy to let its residents settle their own disputes. The company says its goal is "neither to be a 'government' nor to foist one upon the residents". Rather, it hopes to "foster a self-governing community where residents are empowered to act on things they feel strongly about, and adjudicate such disputes". Self-policing is sometimes so effective that it can be used not just to punish residents, but also to wrest control of a virtual world from its owner. Last year, that's exactly what residents of WoW did when Blizzard Entertainment, of Irvine, California, which runs the world, [19]tried to block an attempt to form a guild for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender (GLBT) people. Once word spread, players organised protest marches in WoW, says Reynolds. Some wore pink armour as a symbol of support for the proposed guild. Bloggers also criticised the decision. Eventually Blizzard backed down, and now several GLBT guilds exist. The approach appears to be breaking down, however, as entrepreneurial residents call upon real-world justice systems to settle disputes. "Most people consider virtual worlds to be like the Wild West, places where the law doesn't apply," says Sean Kane, an attorney with Drakeford & Kane in New York City who specialises in internet law. "But the law will catch up." Financial disputes are the most common trigger for legal action. Last month, Second Lifer Kevin Alderman filed suit against a resident known as Volkov Catteneo over Alderman's SexGen bed, which animates Second Life avatars so that they are able to perform more than 150 sexual acts. Alderman's suit alleges that Catteneo, whose real-life name is not known, is selling a pirated version of the bed, which normally sells for $45. Another virtual entrepreneur who has contemplated - but not yet initiated - legal action is Catherine Fitzpatrick, a Second Life real estate dealer who goes by the Second Life name of [20]Prokofy Neva. She says she regularly receives obscene and racist messages from the Nigras, some of which have led to tenants leaving her properties. "I don't view Second Life as a fantasy world," says Fitzpatrick. "I'm looking at it as a business." That attitude makes some residents anxious. "The worry is that legislators will say virtual worlds should be the same as the real world and make very naive laws," Reynolds says. It is not only business activities that might bring a legal clampdown to virtual worlds. Second Life has a long tradition of adult users adopting childlike avatars, and sometimes getting their characters to engage in sexual acts with adult avatars. Users have debated whether this amounts to virtual child pornography, but since Second Life is viewed as a fantasy world, and all participants are adults, such behaviour has generally been tolerated. In May, however, a German TV show covered the practice and reported details to the police. Linden Lab subsequently banned two of the residents involved. Meanwhile gambling, which is illegal in most US states but widespread in Second Life, has also taken a hit. In July, Linden Lab decided to shut down its virtual casinos after receiving a visit from the FBI. Angry users on the firm's blog accused the company of eroding the freedom associated with an experience that was, after all, designed to be different from normal life. "Welcome to Real Life 2," wrote one user. "Enjoy your stay!" Will big online worlds like Second Life and WoW survive these legal attacks, perhaps by adopting the protected status that sports enjoy (see "Sporting solution")? Or will the pressure from commercially minded users eradicate the anything-goes spirit, perhaps allowing smaller and freer worlds to take their place? Read about a host of planned virtual experiences in next week's instalment of this New Scientist report. Sporting solution The fantasy inherent to virtual worlds is under attack from commercially minded residents and real-world laws. Is it possible to keep everyone happy? One solution is to look to sport for guidance, says New York attorney Sean Kane. When players take to the rugby field, they experience tackles that would be classed as assaults if they took place anywhere else. Courts understand this and create what Kane calls a "magic circle" around on-field behaviour. When disputes arise, the courts tend to respect the arbitration systems established by sport authorities, even though such committees have no formal legal standing. Virtual worlds might earn the same respect from courts if they ensure that the arbitration systems established by residents are fair and transparent. Another option is to have different types of virtual spaces, says [21]Ren Reynolds, who studies virtual worlds, with some regulated to keep entrepreneurs happy, and others free, for people who just want to have fun. Second Life, however, is one space that could face more legal problems. The site currently [22]reserves the right to terminate a user's account "for any or no reason", destroying their virtual assets. If the company does not start to provide residents with genuine ownership, some will feel compelled to go to the courts, Kane says. Related Articles FBI investigates virtual casinos in Second Life http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn11533 4 April 2007 Online games, real-life crimes http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19025521.700 20 May 2006 "Grey goo" engulfs virtual world http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn10616 20 November 2006 Game company sued over virtual land squabble http://technology.newscientist.com/article/dn9189 18 May 2006 Web letter: What Life? http://technology.newscientist.com/article/mg19526221.100 22 September 2007 Weblinks Anshe Chung's Second Life property portfolio http://dreamland.anshechung.com/ Ren Reynolds http://www.ren-reynolds.com/ Videos and podcasts about the Patriotic Nigras http://www.mefeedia.com/tags/nigras/ Second Life http://secondlife.com/ World of Warcraft guilds http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guilds.html Drakeford & Kane http://www.drakefordkane.com/whatsnew.htm Virtual Policy Network http://www.virtualpolicy.net/ Prokofy Neva, Second Life http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/about.html Second Life's policy on wagering http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/07/25/wagering-in-second-life-new-policy/ Linden Lab Terms of Service http://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php Survey of developers in the Second Life directory http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/07/10/survey-of-developers-in-the-second-lif... References 11. http://adserver.adtech.de/?adlink|2.0|289|113580|1|170|ADTECH;grp=125608041;loc=300; 12. http://dreamland.anshechung.com/ 13. http://www.secretlair.com/index.php?/clickableculture/entry/anshe_chung_cour... 14. http://blog.johnedwards.com/story/2007/2/27/21847/2507 15. http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/07/10/survey-of-developers-in-the-second-lif... 16. http://technology.newscientist.com/channel/tech/dn9189-game-company-sued-ove... 17. http://www.virtualpolicy.net/ 18. http://www.worldofwarcraft.com/info/basics/guilds.html 19. http://news.com.com/Online+game+warns+gay-lesbian+guild/2100-1043_3-6033112.... 20. http://secondthoughts.typepad.com/about.html 21. http://www.ren-reynolds.com/ 22. http://secondlife.com/corporate/tos.php E-mail me if you have problems getting the referenced articles. _______________________________________________ tt mailing list tt@postbiota.org http://postbiota.org/mailman/listinfo/tt ----- End forwarded message ----- -- Eugen* Leitl <a href="http://leitl.org">leitl</a> http://leitl.org ______________________________________________________________ ICBM: 48.07100, 11.36820 http://www.ativel.com http://postbiota.org 8B29F6BE: 099D 78BA 2FD3 B014 B08A 7779 75B0 2443 8B29 F6BE