Tuesday, October 27, 2009

Changing my permissions

In the past, I've provided many objects full perms. Unfortunately, some people have taken to using full perms items as a way of concealing their culpability in making collections of stolen goods, or making griefer tools.



If you receive an item which purports to be from me, but doesn't seem like my usual style, do not trust it!
Also, do not trust a scripted item which claims to be from me, but did not come from one of my stores*, Xstreet SL (with me listed as the seller), NCI, Primwynly or Twisted Thorn Textures.
* My stores are listed in my profile picks, and on this blog.

Unfortunately, this means that as I change things over, those will be the only places from which you can get my full perms freebies. Some no-mod/copy/transfer items (especially information notecards) will continue to be available for free duplication and spreading around SL.

Regrettably, I have to recommend to other creators of freebies and useful items that they do similarly. This is, quite frankly, dreadful because it limits how easily people can spread innovations.

I recommend that scripters who want to share knowledge make use of the scripting library forum at http://forums.secondlife.com/ - this way, the information is there, but if someone abuses it and creates malware, your name is not on it.

Provide goods for sale as "copy/no transfer" or "no copy/transfer" - modify or no modify as you prefer, though think hard before making cheap "modify/no copy/transfer" items.

Provide freebies as "modify/copy/no transfer", "no modify/copy/no transfer", or "no modify/copy/transfer".
When providing full perms freebies to centres of freebie-giveaways, such as New Citizens Inc or The Shelter or Yadni's Junkyard, ensure that the person you are giving it to knows which permissions you want it distributed as, and will change them accordingly.



Note that textures and sculpt maps have to be downloaded to be modified, then re-uploaded under the modifier's name. Animations and sounds can't be effectively modified. Thus, all of those are safe from the malware-with-you-as-creator problem, though the reselling problem is still there.
Unfortunately, I know of no way to protect items sold as components - they have to be at minimum copy/trans to be useful. I hate that.

The goal is to reduce the likelihood that someone will get an item of yours that is both modifiable and able to be given away: only one of those sets of permissions fits that bill, and they have to buy each and every copy.

Items which are not modifiable and able to be given away are safe to be out with your name on, even if they are both copy and trans, since they can only be given out in the original condition.
Items which are no trans can be modifiable, because the modifier cannot then give it out. (It is possible that the owner can make a griefing tool from it with your name as the creator, but the Lab can compare that with other copies of your item and see it for the blatant lie it is.)

I really, really hate having to look at my products and worry about how they might be misused. And I hate having to advise you all to do the same. But alas, no world is perfect.

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