Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. B  However it seems that has left a void and no reason for GZ to exist other than to be a vigilante force. You cannot pretend that GZ was only blackmailing his "practices" and not him.
GZ has acknowledged threatening him, acting against his product and blackmailing him to comply with GZs demands "or else".
Based on what GZ apparently has said I think he has a fair reason to strongly dislike GZ as a group even without any other possible griefing by GZ members towards him (which odds are has happened). If the "official" (non radical) GZ party line is "we tried to blackmail him into changing his products to meet GZs demands or else" I can certainly imagine that at least some 'radical' members have done worse.
Why on earth would you or anyone in GZ think they have a right to even suggest to any merchant that they change their product to meet GZs ideas?? Think it violates the TOS? Great. AR it. Not happy with LLs actions ? Tuff.
Did that object maker overreact to being blackmailed by GZ?
Perhaps.
GZ might consider that if they do not want to be the recipient of such "threats" (after having admitted to making their own towards him) to let LL do the job of policing the grid. |
I think I should clear up some misconceptions.
First, GZ is not out to ruin anyone's day or business, nor do we issue 'threats'. GZ gives support and information to those concerned about their
privacy. Since in the past those that wanted to sniff out people in SL hid their products, the GZ HUD was chosen as a means to inform people whenever they were getting close to a potential threat to their privacy.
Before we add some gadget to the detection list of the HUD, some research is taking place. Back in spring 2011 Voodoo sploders were added, back then for good reason (details well known/also available on request).
Usually, in the progress of such a research, the maker of the gadget is contacted. The attitude of these makers towards us varies, between the polite and constructive Zen and the foulmouthed arrogant zFire. Monkey wonder was in fact often in the GZ group and answered our questions there... (and there admitted for example to the gathering of alt account information data and the sharing of such alt information data within his staff, which are also SL residents). Monkey's attitude varied, some days he was friendly, some days he was abusive. Well, he's a human after all.
In the end, Voodoo was added to the list of devices detected by GZ, that is the officers of GZ agreed after considering, that the threat to privacy is big enough to warrant such an addition, especially since Voodoo's own information was obfuscated by phrases like "WARNING: Voodoo will record your IP address to identify violations of TOS if you click on the link above". They are of course referring to their own Voodoo ToS - there is of course no Linden Labs ToS requesting you to give your IP/Avatar correlation to a 3rd party website!
Again, this is no threat. Just fact. Now, from that point on, the GZ HUD privately warns people approaching Voodoo sploders that they may threaten your privacy. Privately! No line in local chat!
Was Monkey Wonder annoyed by that?
Oh yes! How do we know?
Well, for one constant harassment of GZ members and officers by him (he labels this 'retaliation') speaks a clear language.
Also, his attempts to obfuscate and evade the GZ HUD detection (by renaming the products to 'vudu' or using an alt as creator of the root prim) are telltale signs that they are hurting his business.
Were there threats? No.
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr. B Why on earth would you or anyone in GZ think they have a right to even suggest to any merchant that they change their product to meet GZs ideas?? |
How funny. If any avatar in SL said to me as a content creator: "I would suggest you change your product here and there to do this and that, it would improve your product.", were I the maker I would listen and think about the suggestion. If the content creator is above constructive ciriticism - well.
We raise awareness to potential threats to privacy. We inform people. If informed people are making the informed decision to avoid such products, or the places using them - Well!
I am happy to discuss the reasons why Voodoo was added to the GZ HUD detection. I am also happy and ready to bury the hatchet and work to remove Voodoo detection from the GZ HUD if our concerns are addressed.
But by blatant lies (DOS attacks!) and threatening notecards, by defamation of currently over 1000 members of the GZ group just because of their group membership - it seems to me that Monkey Wonder is not willing to settle for talks. GZ officers have repeatedly offered talks. I alone did so twice.
Let me rephrase the core essence: this is not GZ griefing or threatening Monkey Wonder. This is not GZ attacking a merchant or 'blackmailing' a merchant.
This is Monkey Wonder and his products doing privacy invasions and GZ EXPOSING them.
Did you notice that Monkey Wonder is always skirting the core issue of the privacy threat by his products and always only focusses on the perceived 'griefing' by Greenzone? He does not address those issues, as there is little room for him to argue there - he DOES those things!
Instead Monkey and his supporters try to turn the table and make this appear as if a vigilante group is attacking an innocent merchant, to distract from his own actions.