Disclosure!!

Ever had a conversation so interesting you just wanted to save it? Been tempted to reveal that neighbor A is really a guy and not a blonde bombshell? Think you need to be able to prove to your significant other later that he really did say you look fat in that avatar? Well even though you said it, and he replied, be careful before you click that copy button. Disclosure in Second Life is a tricky business, so be sure you know the guidelines before you post your ex-BFF's comments about her secret lover on your favorite billboard.

The "Legal" Bit

The Community Standards state: "Residents are entitled to a reasonable level of privacy with regard to their Second Lives. Sharing personal information about a fellow Resident --including gender, religion, age, marital status, race, sexual preference, and real-world location beyond what is provided by the Resident in the First Life page of their Resident profile is a violation of that Resident's privacy. Remotely monitoring conversations, posting conversation logs, or sharing conversation logs without consent are all prohibited in Second Life and on the Second Life Forums." The key points here are reasonable level of privacy and how we handle conversations; the monitoring, posting and sharing of them.

What That Really Means

Privacy concerning people's real life identities is a serious concern. Second Life is a wonderful opportunity for people to be everything they ever wanted... or just the same as they are in Real Life. It doesn't matter what they chose, but it does matter what they wish to share. The First Life tab is a good guideline if you are unsure, and it is the one Linden Lab uses to determine (to some extent) disclosure violations. If it's not listed in the First Life tab, it shouldn't be disclosed. In most cases it's a matter of common sense, especially if people have directly asked you not to reveal anything. Of course everyone makes mistakes, but do your best to be a good neighbor or friend and you should be all right.

Monitoring conversations is a no-no, remote, in their face or otherwise. (This should not be confused with the legality or illegality of owning objects or items that monitor chat... you can own them, but shouldn't MISUSE them. As in the real world, not everything you buy is necessarily legal.) This makes sense when you think about it. Who wants to have everything they say recorded and then possibly distributed (in and out of context) all over the place? The same goes for the posting of chat and private IMs in any form without the consent of every Resident involved. Doing so will earn you a quick trip out of world for a few days or an adventure in the Cornfield, not to mention a ton of bad karma. Asking if you can post and then doing so is ok, but you might want to save the consent chat as well. Posting chat from outside sources isn't a great idea either. The potential for real life disclosure is, of course, pretty high!

One of the sacred tenets of Second Life is that you can make of it what you will. This chance should be given to everyone who joins us in-world, no matter their real world circumstances. If they give you permission, great! Create a 10x10 with a picture of their vacation to Aruba. But if they have not, be respectful. Keep privileged information private. Even better, if you really don't want people to know about your first life, keep THAT to yourself.

And don't post other people's comments without their permission. It's tacky.