Another interesting if ironic point from last weekend's PC Gamer article worth discussing: Linden Lab's lack of transparency with enforcement of abuse reports not only creates mistrust among the community -- Linden Lab staff themselves know this to be true:
When asked about the specific actions creators could take to protect their intellectual copyright, [Linden Lab spokesman Peter] Gray said, "We follow the DMCA takedown process as prescribed by the law. Abuse reports submitted by users are normally reviewed within 72 hours, although the process may take longer in some cases, depending on the type of report and information provided. We cannot comment on specific accounts, and therefore users who submit abuse reports are not notified about actions taken as a result of their reports. Unfortunately, that may lead some users to feel as if their reports may be ineffective, even when they actually result in account bans and other enforcement actions."
I sympathize with Linden Lab's bind here, because there's many very good reasons not to disclose how and when the company handles abuse reports -- for instance, to minimize abuse of the reporting system by users who want to pursue personal vendettas. But surely there's a middle ground? Linden Lab used to publish a regular "police blotter"-style report of Second Life user violations which were addressed, primarily as a way of reassuring the community that abuse was indeed being addressed. Might be something worth reviving.
In any case, I bet Pete is relieved he no longer has to answer no-win questions like this.
Pictured: Linden Lab's HQ office from one of my visits.
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