SL Video: "Mac on Trial"

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From "TheOtherSideBand InSecondLife in April 20, a video about the justice system in the Tombstone roleplay community, "The arrest and trial of Mac McLeary."

One Billion Rising Coming to Second Life

On Saturday February 14, the annual One Billion Rising event, a worldwide campaign to end violence against women, will take place across the world. This includes the virtual world of Second Life, which will be having it's third event.

In Second Life, we will be marking the occasion (as we did last year) with a twenty-four hour one day event that will allow women and men to gather. There will be music, there will be art installations and exhibitions, there will be poetry sessions, there will be storytelling events, there will be live dramatic performances, there will be dancing – and there will be information kiosks that will share information about organisations devoted to promoting justice for women across the globe, and stories of events that will be happening around the world.

The Second Life event will feature a four-region stage where 200 people can dance together, surrounded by an area of art installations and informational exhibits. A variety of performers will play over the 24-hour period, enabling people all over the world to attend this virtual event no matter their timezone. The regions will have a General maturity rating to allow all residents an opportunity to participate.
The event's Second Life Group is "One Billion Rising," and is led by Honour McMillian.

The Flickr page: https://www.flickr.com/groups/2169739@N23/ 

 Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Billion-Rising-in-Second-Life/493344827375934

Main One Billion Rising page: http://www.onebillionrising.org/

Second Life One Billion Rising page: https://onebillionrisingsl2015.wordpress.com/ 

Scenes from One Billion Rising 2014

Besides Valentines Day, Friday February 14 was also the day of the One Billion Rising event. Across the planet, men and women demonstrated in support of the rights of women against abuse. Second Life was also the scene of demonstrations in form of artistic exhibits, music, and readings in the four sim OBR region. Gemma Cleanslate was there as a greeter, and took a number of pictures while she was there, along with a few from Bixyl Shuftan when he dropped by briefly.

See the pictures in Events.

Scenes From One Billion Rising

For 24 hours starting at 11PM, February 13th, the One Billion Rising event will take place in Second Life. The event is actually one of a number events across the planet as part of a demonstration in support of womens' rights. On Thursday, Feb 13th, The OBR staff invited members of the press to the four sims people will be gathering at, and there were a number of artistic exhibitions up.

 The sims the event will take place at are:

OBR Rise (186/186/24)

OBR Release (68/68/24)

OBR Dance (168/68/24)

OBR Justice (68/186/24)

For more information, check the following links:

Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Billion-Rising/493344827375934
Second Life Group: One Billion Rising
Twitter Stream: https://twitter.com/OBRinSL
Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2169739@N23/
Main One Billion Rising for Justice page: http://www.onebillionrising.org/

Pictures from Gemma Cleanslate

Press Release: One Billion Rising For Justice

One Billion Rising for Justice in Second Life ill be held this Friday - ALL DAY FRIDAY 14th FEBRUARY

On February 14, 2013, for 24 hours starting at midnight Pacific Standard Time, Second Life residents will join with activists around the world in a spectacular 24-hour event for ONE BILLION RISING FOR JUSTICE, a very special day of action in the history of V-Day, the global activist movement to end violence against women and girls.

The Second Life event will feature a four-region stage where 200 people can dance together, surrounded by an area of art installations, poetry events and informational exhibits. A variety of performers will play and perform over the 24-hour period, enabling people all over the world to attend this virtual event no matter their timezone. The regions will have a General maturity rating to allow all residents an opportunity to participate. Pictures are welcome on the event's Flickr group.

ONE BILLION RISING began as a call to action based on the staggering statistic that 1 in 3 women on the planet will be beaten or raped during her lifetime. With the world population at 7 billion, this adds up to more than ONE BILLION WOMEN AND GIRLS. On February 14, 2014, men and women in Second Life will join activists, writers, thinkers, celebrities, and people across the world to Rise, Dance, and Release as a show of unity, individual strength, and the need for change.

The objective of the event is to raise awareness, not to raise funds; however, information about real-world organisations will be available for those wishing to donate.

One Billion Rising in Second Life is sponsored by: Cheeky Pea; The Domineaux Effect; Dutchie; Gos Boutique; Heart Garden Centre; Maven Homes; MESHWORX; Prime; and Spargel and Shine.

In-kind sponsors are: CaLLie CLine; Fruit Islands; KittyCatS!; Liv-Glam; Style by Kira; Sway’s;and Prim Perfect Publications.

The four regions have been named for the four core elements chosen as the focus of this years global event, One Billion Rising.

OBR Rise

OBR Dance

OBR Release

OBR Justice

For more information:

Our blog: http://onebillionrisingsl2014.wordpress.com/

Our webpage at One Billion Rising: http://onebillionrising.org/page/event/detail/startarising/wd8

Our Second Life Group: One Billion Rising: www.onebillionrising.org/events/one-billion-rising-in-second-life/

Our Facebook Page: https://www.facebook.com/pages/One-Billion-Rising/493344827375934?ref=hl

Our Twitter Stream: https://twitter.com/OBRinSL

Our Flickr Group: http://www.flickr.com/groups/2169739@N23/

Runescape Puts Rulebreakers on Public Trial in "Botany Bay"

Bots aren't a problem only in Second Life. In the MMO game of Runescape, they're a problem for both the staff and honest players alike. For those not familiar, a "bot" in Runescape is a player put under the control of "macros" to perform a repetitive task, such as mining and woodcutting. Illegal, if a player is caught, it results in a warning and a short ban. The second time is a more severe warning and a longer ban. The third time results in a permanent ban with the account removed.

Lately, the Jagex staff  "decided to have a little fun" with the disposing of those caught three times. So they came up with "Botany Bay," a dreary prison-looking place that can be visited in only one manner, accept an invitation from a town caller to take part in a "trial" of a three-time offender.

 As we hunt for and identify botters, you - the good citizens of Giellnor - will be the ultimate deliverers of justice! Unrepentant and persistent bot-users will now find themselves banished to Botany Bay. This foreboding island is the staging ground for trials run by the Botfinder General, where there's only one verdict, and justice is swift and uncompromising.


Those accepting a town crier's invitation to take part in a Botany Bay event will be teleported to the courtroom. Rotten tomatoes are available to pelt the condemned, whom is cowering in a small platform in the middle of the court. The players have no say in whether or not the account on trial is guilty, that's already been decided. Instead they decide on a choice of three fates: crushed by a giant limb, fried into dust by an energy beam, or devoured alive by some unknown something from below. Repeat jurors are awarded the "Pitchfork of Vigilantism" and later the "Pitchfork of Justice."

The accounts in question have been banned anyway, so the purpose of these trials is for show. There's just something about seeing a cheater get his/her coming.  There's also the possibility that Jagex also had in mind these trials were to cut down on criticism. By giving these show trials, that would give the impression something is being done about theft.

Such a system could easily be replicated in other MMOs after adaptations, and perhaps Second Life. It's easy to imagine a "Botany Bay" for copybotters. But suppose if such a system was being set up on the Grid? Why not allow the jury to determine an avatar's guilt or innocence?

I  imagine though that those accused of griefing would prefer to take their chances with the Lindens instead of a jury. Suppose someone accused of dropping particle bombs on Luskwood found themselves facing a jury of furred avatars?

Oh well, one can dream.

Source: Jagex

Bixyl Shuftan

Kony 2012 Campaign in Second Life

In recent days, there's been an activist campaign that's been taking the Internet by storm: Kony 2012 by "Invisible Children." For those who don't know, "Kony" is Joseph Kony, the leader of a guerrilla army in Africa known for it's kidnapping of children and it's ruthless brutality. The idea of the movement is to make Kony better known by spreading word of him, and hopefully encourage people to go after him to either kill him or bring him to trial. Look up "Kony 2012" on Youtube, and you'll get lots of videos. Plus people on Facebook & Twitter have been forwarding Kony 2012 stories as well.

Any1 Gynoid informed me this movement reached Second Life by sending me an object labeled "Kony 2012." Rezzing it, I found a cube with a poster on all six sides of the man's profile next to Bin Laden and Hitler. Inside the box were a number of posters from huge to medium size of three different kinds, all with anti-Kony messages.

Not all the stories on Facebook I spotted followed the Kony 2012 bandwagon. One from "foreignpolicy.com" expressed skepticism of the hype.

Bixyl Shuftan