SL is a wonderful place but it has its rotten side. Alts are one of the most rotten of the rotten.
By virtue of the way that Linden Labs has set up account creation alts are a part of SL. There is a provision that prevents making more than three accounts from any single IP address but that is crap. Almost all residential users of SL have dynamic IP addresses - so their IP address changes all the time. Thus it is possible to set up as many accounts as a person wants - both paid premium accounts and free basic accounts.
What does this mean? It means trouble - big trouble. Why? Because it means that although you are the same person at the keyboard side of the computer, you can be many people on the SL side of the machine. Which means you can escape accountablility for your actions. Nasty - Nasty - Nasty.
I am going to make a number of posts about this - I think it is extremely important. But let's look first at some of the implicaitons. You can try on all kinds of things that your friends would find reprehensible, without them knowing it is you. Think of the most effective disguises-Alts are better. You can be a compassionate healer in one avi and a serial murder in another - and your friends in either know nothing of your other life.
This sucks.
You can lie, steal, and decieve, and you can't be held accountable. This sucks.
You can create free accounts and grief, threaten and be unfaithful. And in one avi you can condemn yourself in the other avi. How bizzare.
Nicho was hanging with me at home while Esmie was away and we were griefed - two of the ugliest avi's I have ever seen came and threatened him with sexual assault. They were basic accounts - anyone could create them in a few minutes. I filed an abuse report, but there is no way to know who they were or how many accounts they had. You can ban one alt and two more can be created in five minutes. Sucks Sucks Sucks
Are there good uses for alts? perhaps, but not if they can not be linked to their primary avi's. Sorry that is my opinion - I know others disagree. But for me SL is a way to communicate - so YOU whoever you are must be true to YOU. Communicate - not deceive. And that means you are who you are - and your avi has to own up to it.
There has to be accountability in life - otherwise there is no ethical standard against which to live.
So sorry - I think it is wrong. I know people who have avi's they use to work things out - and it gives me pain each time i see them. I want to see my friends for who they are. If I can't acccept all of what they are in one Avi - then I am not much of a friend. And if they can't show me all of who they are in one Avi - then they are not much of a friend.
Argue with me - I will look forward to it. Until then I wish Linden Labs would find a way to stop multiple avi creation. It sucks.
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2 comments:
I gotta say I am very tempted to create an alt for some reason. A female one. I just wanna explore the infinitely larger fashion options that exist for ladies in SL. And I wouldnt feel comfortable doing that as Esmiel, who is most definitely male *lol*
I wouldn't hide the alt, and would only use it at times when I had nothing else to do. Would that be so bad?
No not at all - because you don't plan on hiding but on trying out things for yourself. That isn't different from trying on drag or going to a fancy dress party as far as I can see. It is all in the intention I guess and we can't police intentions. So just like so-called Real Life we have to try to work it through. THis is a tough question - i am not sure I have the right direction or slant on it. Thanks Esmie - what do others think?
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