The Scourge is Gone!

In a bold move, LL took over title to the Satyr sim (blahgged about in a previous installment - complete with pictures) and (perma)banned the majority of the alleged griefer group, V5. This is an ineffective policing maneuver at best and better described as an attempt to create some positive PR. The Lab has been accussed of going lite on griefers and not administering much in the way of security in Second Life. Timed such that an announcement could be made at the recent Town Hall and in the wake of a grid attack using self-replicating prims, the Black Tuesday bannings were just another smokescreen. The Lab is ever attempting amateur prestidigitation and illusory tactics that are meant to obscure the ongoing primary problems in the 'verse.

All 60 members of the group were banned as LL shouts out loud that SA is not welcome in SL. However, they continue to allow unverified accounts making this gesture all but useless as far as controlling and/or punishing the actual few that were responsible for recent attacks. I am under no illusion that there is specific evidence against all 60 banned accounts. I am also under no illusion as to who the Goons are and how they comport themselves. I am not ashamed to admit that I visit the somethingawful.com forums (oh no! is my ban on its way?). They span a great range of personalities that goes beyond the stereotypical "script-kidde griefer" to include people that have a more raw sense of humor than many are comfortable with as well as some truly fine and multi-layered folks.

The Lab, in my view, has crossed yet another barrier. They are learning to mesh bureaucratic efficiency with operational mediocrity and tossing in a touch of hubris for a smooth finish. They are astonished and unhappy with the negativity (on blogs, in posts, at Town Halls). I am astonished at the loss of personal payment info, the continued bugs, performance hiccups and the "presence" problem. I have had less desire to give LL the benefit of the doubt as they break through each new barrier.

There seems to be a duality about SL that The Lab has never been able to solve. LL doesn't want control, yet They crave it. Control is integral to the egos and the growth of the business, but also demands an amount of accountability that LL is determined to put on the residents. The more they attempt to teeter between the two, the worse the problems become. The negativity is not separate from the actions of The Lab, nor is it entirely on their heads, but LL is in the best position to address the issues of SL. It is not unusual for paying customers and dedicated residents to demand better. Unfortunately, in the corporate world, it isn't that unusual for a company to see through tunnel vision. Not only do They do nothing, but They don't even recognize what is going on (or at the least, refuse to admit it).

So, there were bannings of accounts, but the drivers of those avatars are dropping prim penises on furry sims in SL right now. For those with knowledge, there is no permaban. SLife goes on but for a note in history and a sim changing hands. Those outside of the immediate blast zone are not affected beyond the few hours off the grid and some hysterical forum postings to read. The SL community is not better off, the security of SL is no more robust and the griefers are not gone. What is gone is a little bit of soul from all of us as the powers that be turn a blind, as we use the suffering of the few to assuage the bloodlust of the many.