Yes folks sorry to squash it all together, but it rolls together in this weeks theme of trust, accountability and communication.

I don’t know if Steve got his call from the monkey, but I am glad the spirit of open communications continues to blaze its way from one area to the next. Good things happen when butterfly wings flap…plus after using my iPhone to monitor it I realize I have developed a vision problem. I can’t see words that well unless under my nose- excuse typos.

This hit my mail box later after the post on “Shania Stewart’s Stand”, as I call it.

To the Magnify.net community:

This morning we woke to read this post from our friend, and Channel Creator Wayne Porter:

http://www.wayneporter.com/2007/07/27/accountability-freedom-and-making-room-for-micro-media-and-our-new-worlds/
While it says a lot - the part that has had us concerned, and frankly thinking hard, is this:

Magnify, you should…”hand over inventory control to platform users on the 50/50 model…let the users decide for themselves what and how to monetize the channel (watch out for those “Adware” deals- stop that cold) or not too monetize it. The know it. It is their passion.”

Wayne goes on to say:

The choice of coin is in their hands. As Sam and I like to say- it could be influence, or making a difference, or just having different and unique ideas to expose. At the least you and they can always use the mass of the collective and if they can’t beat that- they can join it. Some will fail, some will fail badly- but we will learn.

Well, we respect Wayne. In addition to being one of the most respected virus hunters on the internet, he’s deeply into Second Life, and has created a Magnify.net channel to present those videos. (http://virtualworldsvideo.com)

So needless to say, we’ve been giving this some thought - and we’d like your input.

As a channel creator - would you make use of the advertising inventory on your page if 50% of total inventory was turned over to you?
We NEED YOUR INPUT.

We want to hear what you think.

So please, post on the boards; We’ve created a Discussion area: “SHOULD REV SHARE MODEL CHANGE?” or if you prefer to communicate with us privately, email: RevShareDebate@Magnify.net

Thank you for your great work, and we look forward to working with you and other members of the community to evolve the Magnify.net platform.

The Magnify.net Team

As an aside, as a fan of Second Life, and the metaverse concept- this is how to solve sticky issues. They aren’t even problems yet- but concerns, yet Magnify.net is opening up the communication channels and giving user’s choice on how to talk to them- that is proactive. I will think on more ideas Steve. I pledge that- let’s start with this concept!

Meanwhile in the batcave Paperghost checks in about TRUSTe…and comScore.

I’m not sure how something that amounted to “We’re going to slam them in a ditch” turned into “go sit in the bad boy corner” but that’s exactly what seems to have happened here (in case you didn’t know, comScore’s Relevant Knowledge was installed via a security exploit, and someone from TRUSTe had said the ban-stick would be liberally applied if that was found to be the case).

For Gods sake, when are we going to stop gimping around and actually break out some actual punishments for people? Either kick someone from your program and be done with it, or admit that attempting to “rate” stuff on the Internet is essentially doomed to failure and just give up already.

The TRUSTe Blog talks about how awesome the anti-spyware community was key in shutting this down before the damage was much greater, and goes on to say:

Vigilance, cooperation, and mutual assistance by the entire online community - anti-spyware companies, third-party certification entities, government enforcement, consumer-complaint mechanisms, and self-policing by “good players” all have roles to play in making the internet a safer place for everyone.”

….but what’s the point if we have to do it all over again six months later?

Yes the community was key. I recall those days (more on it here). They were not pretty and the game is NOT over. You can reinforce reform, but some models are broken and have been for years. I know- I have the gray hair and worn out from it. One mistake, even two- fine- human. A pattern of abuse is reason for stern retribution when so much hangs in the balance.

If you recall my interview with TRUSTe and with Harvard’s Ben Edelman…it takes on perspective. You cannot control the wild field. I have talked with TRUSTe reps on my take to a one-sided approach- odds against it and the battlefield too large to patrol- especially where there are patterns of long-term abuse. They are into the pro-active approach, reward good behavior, and support reform. However, years of fighting hardcore malware has taught me that you never strike until the facts are clear, and while you can reward good behavior, I don’t see much. When you call a line in the sand you must follow through hard. Sometimes you have to use a “metaphorical baton”.

Then this report of “guns by the WSE staff” from Jimmy Daniels at Revenews summing up some of my thoughts and this disturbing stuff. I call it social engineering and with my tests it is even easier to do in a “3D Metaverse” because the physics are not the same.

Source: Your2ndPlace.

“I stayed for a little over 2 hours, trying to get to the truth of the matter. Weapons were pulled out by WSE staff, saying that they were ‘on alert’. This sort of security always amuses me; more imaginative and effective are the weapons which are invisible. I asked if they were meant to intimidate, to which the answer was ‘no sir’. Securing an area in Second Life doesn’t require weaponry. It requires agile thinking. Some people near me got ejected a few times, I have no idea why.

Still I stood there, waiting, until LukeConnell Vandeverre graced a few of us with his presence. He didn’t say much, really, but suddenly the same people who couldn’t give me an answer before had one: 15 hours. That put it at 10:30 AM PST today, the 26th of July 2007.”

The more imaginative and effective are the weapons that are real. Never pull a baton you don’t intend to use, and batons come in many shapes and forms if you think metaphorically. So when I have time I’ll trot into the metaverse myself…and have a little peek around, talk in a civil manner. I always extend the benefit of the doubt, but intuition is a researcher’s tool and it is ringing- I hope I am wrong.

My hand is itchy, and when a social explorer and experimenter gets an itch, he naturally wants to scratch it. With a baton.

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