"Emerald Gate" Gets a Twitter Hashtag: Follow It Here!

Update, 3:45AM: Just tuning in?  Here's the gist of what's happened since Friday:

• Emerald Developers Deny Using Software to Launch DDoS Attack on Rival Developer's Blog With "Silly Idea"
• Emerald Update: Embattled Third Party Second Life Viewer Removed From Linden Lab's Approved List; Lead Emerald Developer Reportedly Resigns

And in a sign the scandal has arrived, the Emerald controversy covered here over the last few days not only has an inevitable title, "Emerald gate", it's got its own Twitter hashtag: #emeraldgate. More from me on Monday, but meantime, monitor it here:

Comments

[Delinda Dyrssen]

You have to credit Toxic Menges for that one. she started it.. clever she is.

[Zidonuke]

EMKDU @ mirror.modularsystems.sl/emerald/EMEXT_WIN.7z is using ECC Public Key Encryption. They will not stop

[SoyaKnow]

As was posted on the other thread, the new server for Modular Systems is being hosted on an anonymous out of U.S. hosting site. This is not good. At . All.

Let that ship sink. All of you still clinging for dear life to Emerald get yourselves over to the Imprudence blog.

[Hitomi Tiponi]

So let's recap:
- Emerald's 'spin queen' Arabella takes over - a person who admits she is not a techie, and just reposted what Fractured used to tell her, and only allows positive comments to be posted.
- They host the new server in Portugal with no named person responsible for it.
- A notable ex-griefer and copybotter who is still working on the Onyx Viewer with certain banned features is still part of the team.
- They insist on continuing to use emkdu rather than llkdu like all other Viewers do, meaning there is no transparency, and they may continue to gather personal data without anyone knowing.

They describe it as a 'resurgence' - I describe it as a 'rehash'.

[Toxic Menges]

@hitomi succinct and on the money.

[SoyaKnow]

You know I am thinking the move to an out of U.S. host was a calculated move. This would change the laws and restrictions the 'owners' are bound to in some way.

I eagerly await some official response today from The Lab.

And yes Hitomi nailed it!

[Little Lost Linden]

"- They host the new server in Portugal with no named person responsible for it."

I still want to know what the pizza is like in Portugal.

[Tary Allen]

The pizza is quite good, but if you come to Portugal try some of our cookings (and wine), they are great :)

Madeira its an island in the Atlantic ocean BTW, and has a special regime of "off-shore" till 2020, that doesn't apply to the rest of the country.

[Marcus Zenoria]

Does anyone know, how soon after being removed from the approved list, it takes before a viewer will be blocked from SL?

[Adeon Writer]

@Marcus: Never. Not being on the list does not mean you are not allowed to use a viewer.

[Marcus Zenoria]

Ok.....
I understood that LL were blocking all un-approved viewers? Wasn't that the reason, not so far back we all had to make sure we had updated to the latest versions etc?

[Nalates Urriah]

Marcus Zenoria you misunderstood. The basic technology escapes many. When one can write their own viewer software they can make it appear to the SL servers however they wish. They can make their viewer look like an Emerald viewer or a snowglobe viewer or whatever. This makes it impossible for LL to rationally block viewers. Griefers would tie them in knots misdirecting their blocking efforts.

LL has instead decided to monitor resident use of viewers and what they do with them. When a user violates ToS, regardless of which viewer they use, they block the resident.

It is doubtful LL will ever block the Emerald viewer or ban someone for using it. If LL decided to make such a broad change they would announce it. LL has enough problems without getting into the viewer wars.

[Marcus Zenoria]

Ok, thanks a lot for the explaination, much appreciated.

[Innula Zenovka]

@Tary -- you write "Madeira its an island in the Atlantic ocean BTW, and has a special regime of "off-shore" till 2020, that doesn't apply to the rest of the country."

Do you happen to know if Portugal's implementation of the various EU data protection directives apply there?