Second Life Backlash Continues

The virtual natives are restless.  I'm waiting to see if this is an uprising of citizens for better corporate behaviour, or an effort to squash expression of opinions that don't please some Second Life pioneers.

Residents of a portion of Second Life have voted to ban companies and agencies from their portion of the virtual world who make unwarranted claims of accomplishments.

"The resolution: Some PR agencies and RL companies have abused SL and made claims in RL media of being first to do things many SL residents have done long before them ('1st radio station in SL', '1st fashion brand', '1st tabloid').

"SHOULD WE BAN THEM FROM DREAMLAND?
Group Dreamland Citizens  Proposal PASSED!"

Complaining that companies jumping on the Second Life bandwagon are unethically claiming credit for the work pioneered by others, "real" estate developer Anshe Chung issued a statement that the ban (see below) can take place if a company or avatar is judged to have falsely claimed credit for a Second Life innovation and hasn't apologized for the offence. (whatever that means) will take place.  Some form of quasi-judicial review will also take place online. Screenshot of Anshe Chung courtesy Second Life Herald.

According to the Second Life Herald, the gesture seems to be a call for repentance by anyone who is claiming to be "first" at things that have been done before in Second Life.

The Herald, meanwhile, takes offence at comments about Second Life by Shel Holtz and Neville Hobson on their podcast.

Update:  I missed this part of Chung's news release that explains the terms of the ban:

"Organisations and their avatars will be warned after a violation has been determined by a jury of residents. A ban will be issued if no adequate retraction and public apology is made by the offending party. In case of repeat offenses or especially severe violations a ban may be issued without prior warning."

Update II: With BL Ochman commenting that "IBM CEO Samuel Palmisano's avatar will become the first Fortune 10 CEO to appear in SL" next week, does that mean Palmisano will get spanked by a Second Life jury if it turns out not to be true? Has IBM called each of the other Fortune 10 CEOs to verify that they don't already have a Second Life avatar?

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Comments

[Andrea Weckerle]

If a community is willing to undergo a jury trial of sorts, perhaps another option, to be considered for future use, is mediation. Mediation has worked successfully in 1st life, even in distance situations, and would therefore likely work in many SL situations as well. But in 1st life, success is greatest when the parties/representatives of the parties voluntarily choose to participate vs. being required to by an outside entity, and there's no reason to think that would be different in SL. If an offense, transgression or something else has taken place and the goal is to open the lines of communication and truly resolve a particular problem, or at least come to a "mutually agreeable solution," mediation may be one option.

[Eric Eggertson]

This is an interesting case of having to defend your reputation in a semi-official way, as opposed to keeping an eye out for rumours, and trying to combat them with information.

Like I said, it will be interesting to see if this goes in a positive direction - encouraging discussion of expectations and rules of behaviour - or if it's the virtual equivalent of the blacklists, where corporations are assumed guilty until they appear before a committee.

Mediation would be a good alternative, but only if there's an intention to reach agreement. And then you have to find a decent mediator...

[Kami Huyse]

Andrea could do it. Why doesn't she open a mediation office in SL? I'll have to ask her.

[Liz]

I'm a college student, and we talk about Second Life a lot in my audience research class. I'm not surprised that Second Life residents are in an uproar. It seems that big business is trying to take over their territory (rightly so I guess considering the HUGE advertising and marketing opportunities there). I just hope that these "juries" don't turn into witch hunts, banning banning businesses for personal, not professional reason. I found this post interesting and linked to it in my blog. (prcrazed.blogspot.com) Thanks!

[Mike Driehorst]

Are the SL residents trying to set up a utopia?

Well, at least by banning agencies and corporations, it'll open the door for individual PR guys and gals for real one-on-one WOM efforts.
Mike

[Eric Eggertson]

Mike:

I have to admit I'm at a disadvantage in gauging the degree of outrage in Second Life, because I just don't go there (it's not that I'm afraid of a virtual world - I just know I would spend way too much time wandering around).

How real are the claims that this is a bona fide citizen revolt? I haven't seen any details of the vote that was taken, how many people participated, etc. Was it one or two people IM'ing 30 virtual neighbours to achieve a "democratic" result? I have no idea...

Until I see something that proves this goes deep and wide, I'll remain healthily skeptical about the degreee of unrest.