Posts tagged iliveisl

If you are unaware of Ener Hax and her blog, iliveisl.com, you owe it to yourself to stop by and take a look. It is a wonderful read and, here lately, Ener has been discussing issues that are very relevant to both the future of 2nd Life and other 3D virtual worlds based on the server technology developed by Linden Labs for 2nd Life. 

A couple of days ago, Ener posted an article titled, Copybot and Steal Anything, Even Avatars. This article discusses the evils of Copybot and other such programs, but in a larger context and touches on other issues, like content licensing, the DMCA, moving creations from 2nd Life to OpenSim (or other grids), and legitimate backups.

Her article generated a heathy debate in comments and that brings me back to :Doleo: Like others, I responded to Ener’s post and gave my 2 cents (something I feel I am good at…lol). My comments are listed at the end of this post, edited for typos (and general mistakes associated with writing them when I should have been sleeping). 

Although you should read Ener’s article, along with all the comments it generated, to keep things in context, there are three points I would like to voice here on idoleo.com. They are as follows:

1) Linden Labs, over the years, has failed epically concerning inventory backups both in-world and out. This is especially true considering continual reduction in the support channels available to 2nd Life patrons. My inventory currently contains over 40,000 items, many of which are full permission textures and terrain files I have bought and use in my own creations. That is a huge investment and not one I wish to have just disappear one day.

2) There is a real need, at this point, for creatives and content developers to recognize and understand the evolving virtual world environment, as well as the growing number of grids and choices available. Linden Labs and 2nd Life are no longer the only game-in-town. There are real options and choices out there now and many are based on the same server technology as 2nd Life. As such, creatives and content developers need to adopt a broader licensing model that allows their works to be both used and ported from one grid to another.

3) From the day that Copybot was released in the wilds of 2nd Life, creatives and content developers have been hyping the reality of its use. Yes, Copybot, and other programs like it, present a real problem. Having said that… Many of the creatives and content developers in my circles piss and moan not because someone used Copybot to copy their creation pixel-for-pixel. They piss and moan because someone manually recreated a similar creation or improved upon it. To those creatives and content developers, I say… Get over it and yourself. That goes on in the real world everyday and is perfectly legal. 

Yes, I know the points presented above probably generate mixed emotions for many. That fact, however, does not change the reality that these issues are upon us and will only become more urgent and polarizing as more and more people choose to leave 2nd Life for other viable alternatives.

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Comment posted on iliveisl.com on June 28, 2010.

I took a hard read of this post and frankly I am very torn by the ideas presented here.

As a content designer and terraformer in 2nd Life for years now, I absolutely hate those that would outright copy pixel-for-pixel the creations of others. Having said that, though, Linden Labs has failed terribly in allowing 2nd Life patrons any real way to backup and protect their 2nd Life investments and creations. And… From 2004 to present, this has only gotten worse with the continual reduction in the support channels available to patrons.

I, for one, get sick to my stomach thinking my current avatar’s inventory of over 40,000 items, many of which are full perm textures, is at risk. Sure… I backup what I can in world, on my land, in inventory boxes so they are linked to the region backup. That, however, is very time consuming to setup and maintain and does not address the issue of having my backups locked into the 2nd Life grid.

Then, there is the issue I see emerging concerning virtual world content licensing. Essentially, all virtual worlds based on 2nd Life’s server technology are the same. Yet… Most designers and content creators to not see this or recognize it. As such, if you buy content in 2nd Life or design content in 2nd Life using other’s creations only licensed for use in 2nd Life, you are locked in with no way out. There was a time and place for that. We are no longer there and creatives and content developers need to adopt a broader license. 

The essence of the last two paragraphs is this… Some of us for better or worse have invested large sums of real money in 2nd Life. In the end, it looks like we are going to be screwed for doing so and without any good reason for it that I can see. For me personally, I will feel this the most with textures.

I would also like to second Winters’ comments concerning creatives crying wolf or hyping the reality of copybot. Yes, it is a problem and has been since it came along. In my circles, however, that is never really the root of the problem for the content creators I know and interact with. The real problem is they are pissed that others have or try to recreate their ideas or improve upon them manually. I am sorry, that has been going on in the real world since…forever…and that is absolutely legal.  

An example of this is a photo or texture. Yes, both can be copyrighted (and possibly trademarked). Having said that, if I take a landscape photo of the Delicate Arch in Arches National Park in Utah to sell, that does not prevent anyone else from taking a similar photo to do the same. What it prevents is others claiming or using my photo as theirs, as well attempting to profit from my work.

So… I think there needs to be a middle ground here. I think the ideas of fair use combined with broad content licensing need to be embraced to protect the investments that many of us have made. I think this is a major issue that will impact the success or failure of 3D virtual worlds regardless if they are based on 2nd Life or not. This is especially true for the content creators that actually make those worlds enjoyable and fun for the patrons that live in them.