Many governments use points for drivers, to decide who has broken the rules to such a degree that they warrant a ban. Why can we not adopt this for Second Life? My points system would work as follows:
- Probation period: Most griefers can now create new free accounts and get straight to griefing. I propose for the first six hours of a residents "life" that the points penalties are automatically doubled.
- The system is based around 10 points. Sanctions begin at 3 points, then 6, then 9 and finally 10. Points lapse at the rate of 2 per hour. Automatic suspensions lapse after 12 hours.
- Residents may "warn" other residents ONCE per twenty four hour period.
- In order to "warn" another resident, a resident MUST enter a description of what that warning is for. (if they try to leave it blank, the system asks if they want to abandon the warning). The warning may be set to be a minimum number of characters to eliminate someone putting in a few dots. Warning texts are visible to Linden Labs employees as a right-click option on a resident. Warnings stay on file for two weeks, and may be brought up by Linden Labs employees investigating abnormally high numbers of warnings or suspensions, or reports of consistant abuse.
- Each time a unique resident "warns" another resident, the warned resident's point total increases by one. Probationary residents may not warn other residents until they have been "alive" in Second Life for six hours. (that's six hours online time) - by the time they've been around for six hours they should know enough to judge, and this would effectively eliminate griefers subverting the points system as a tool for griefing.
- After 3 points (three warnings from different residents) the warned resident loses the ability to run scripts. Any scripted items cease working. The resident becomes unable to equip scripted items. Unscripted items such as clothes may be equipped normally. The resident receives a popup notifying them they have 3 points against them, and that they are now being sanctioned.
- After a further 3 points (the resident now has 6 points against them) the resident becomes unable to 'talk' on the general channel. They may IM normally, and be IM'd, but anything they "say" only has a whisper distance, thereby stopping them flooding places like the welcome area. It wouldn't stop them from communicating, anybody standing right next to them will be able to hear them, but it would stop textflooding and textspamming. They receive a further popup warning them of this.
- After a further 3 points (the resident now has 9 points against them) the resident loses the ability to enter or teleport to private land. Access is restricted to Govenor Linden lands; the roads, welcome areas, intro island etc. They receive a popup box telling them that further harassment will result in a temporary removal of service.
- If they should receive a further point, the system boots them immediately with a popup telling them they are suspended for 12 hours. The system will no longer accept login requests from that resident until 12 hours have passed.
There are a number of major advantages to this system that I can think of. Primarily:
- Griefers can't use it themselves. Probationary accounts can't warn. The vast majority of griefing is done by people creating a free account with the express intention of griefing. If they can be warned, but can't warn themselves for the first six hours of the accounts existence, they're gonna get sick of it pretty quick and go elsewhere.
- Linden Labs only need to get involved if someone constantly gets banned, or if there are reports of the system being abused
- The requirement to enter text describing the reason for the warning will allow Linden Employees to quickly spot patterns that may indicate the system is being abused
- Probationers can get sanctioned at 2 warnings and booted at 5, cracking down on those who create accounts purely to grief.
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