While VRChat is showing strong and positive social use, it's also being hit with the bane of every user-generated content platform -- UGC-based trolling. And while there doesn't seem to be a way to upload into VRChat, say, the flying penises that plague Second Life, it's bad enough of a problem that VRChat's managers just added a content gating system:
When a user first creates a new VRChat account, they will be unable to upload custom content like worlds or avatars. After spending some time in the app and having positive interactions with other users, they will eventually receive in-app and email notifications that their account has access to world and avatar creation capability. This time may vary from user to user depending on various factors.
If the new user chooses to spend time in VRChat behaving badly or maliciously against other users, they may lose the capability to upload content. They will receive a notification in-app and via email that they have lost access to content uploading. If they spend more time in the app and follow the Community Guidelines, then they will eventually regain access to these systems.
This strikes me as a pretty smart compromise: You want most users, all else being equal, to be able to upload new content with minimum friction. However, a random new account isn't necessarily the same thing as a "user" (as opposed to an abuser), and making the ability to upload content a privilege that is earned, and not an inalienable right (the Second Life approach), should curb quite a lot of abuse -- and just as key, put more emphasis on content created by established, positive users.
On the other hand, these mechanics will also encourage trolls willing to play the long con similar to an Eve Online heist, fooling the community and the owners that they're benign players, and then no one's expecting in, unleash the Goatse. (Don't Google that.)
Another notable point:
Nothing about the announcement says anything about gating IP infringing content, i.e. avatars created from Star Wars (as above) and other well-known, corporate-owned franchises. I'm not a lawyer (although I play one on the Internet), but I have to think that'll provoke some uncomfortable questions in the future. Such as: "You block users from uploading abusive content, so how come you don't block content that abuses my client's IP rights?"
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