Moderator: SC Moderators
For history's sake:
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Question: Has there ever been a form of protest like this in the CDS before?
TOP, just for the record, what exactly is the purpose of this poll?
If it's just to perpetuate the on-going forum drama, well, I really don't think it's worth continuing to insist. We definitely had some griefer attacks and similar 'defacing/vandalism' issues, although mostly by non-citizens, and they were dealt with...
In this case, we're just talking about a nasty way of covenant violation — improper use of public space without the Chancellor's written permission, and rotating signs, which aren't allowed in the CDS. What the signs actually say is irrelevant. Sometimes we had rotating signs just saying "for sale", and they were also deleted.
We [i:30si4g35]also[/i:30si4g35] had in the past some rallies and protests on the Marktplatz, and they were, to an extent, even nastier in their wording. But... they were duly organised, they got permission, and people exercised their right to free speech in that way. That's fine. We have a tradition of allowing people to express themselves in various ways, so long as they do it with permission. And sure, sometimes this also got out of hand, people were becoming [i:30si4g35]too[/i:30si4g35] nasty, and we had to deal with it. But overall it worked fine.
As a personal opinion, however, I just find it sad that people need to resort to extremes to pass a message, which, in this case, it's not even correct and subject to eventual cease and desist orders under CDS law, as well as potential libel suits.
Alas, if the idea is to ask if we should define more closely what is allowed and what is not, well, that's another discussion entirely. But when the reputation of a citizen is slandered in public, there is a fine line between freedom of expression and what you do with it.
If you have noticed, the signs are still on Jeremy Bender's building façade, where they will remain (as they don't violate covenants directly), unless a cease and desist order is emitted and evaluated by the SC's judiciary and found worth of a takedown notice. Only the signs that clearly and unambiguously violated covenants (improper use of public areas without permission and rotating signs) were removed.
"I'm not building a game. I'm building a new country."
-- Philip "Linden" Rosedale, interview to Wired, 2004-05-08
PGP Fingerprint: CE8A 6006 B611 850F 1275 72BA D93E AA3D C4B3 E1CB
I don't see a reason why I should 'defend' or explain a poll that's about things that are happening in CN. Do you see me making drama? Also, It's no secret that I have my concerns about CRAEDOs president's modus operandi.
But because you have 4 owls above your avatar I'll explain: I started the poll because I'm curious whether people think:
- If the point made by the signs is significant: Is Jeremy's concern justified/unjustified?
- If this form of protest some 'new phase'? (Or remarkable enough to be meaningful.)
- ... I don't know what people are thinking, so it's up to the reader.
It seems that for being a "democracy" for and by citizens, the CDS is a harsh and restrictive place. It seems that every decision must be made or cleared through the RA, executive and SC.
If I wanted to put up a sign in advertising the Peace Center, I would just ask Desmond or an estate manager and am not sure if that is really required.
If you make such a fuss over these little things, how can you get anything really important done? Also these fights of yours tend to drive away your citizens.
Why not come up with a more relaxed set of rules for using public space? It would attract more functions and you would be on the way to having a sense of community.
I'm not sure vandalism is the right word here. The signs were perhaps not the most tactful statements, but one could, depending on how one understands CRAEDO and the CDS, view them as political speech. Were they on a private parcel, I think they would be nobody's business. Since they were placed on a public plot, there's a regulatory issue to the extent of not implying a CDS endorsement of the statements, but not, I think, that they are some sort of "hate speech".
This protest is mystifying to me. The claims it makes are unfettered from reality. However, free speech protects even insane speech.
That said, I am concerned about two things. First, if the statement that CN is a "wholly owned subsidiary" of Roma was meant as intended -- then there is at least one person who is deeply confused. This would suggest a need to expand and step up our SL-wide education and promotion efforts -- so that people become familiar with the CDS.
I also don't understand the attack on Craedo. While I disagree with CARE -- mostly on grounds that it seems like a facile organization that tries to be all things to all people, while serving primarily as a means to protect Craedo's SL presence -- I don't have the same problem with Craedo itself. Having RL organizations like Craedo set up a presence in SL in general -- and in the CDS in particular -- seems like a positive development.
On that line, now that RL political campaigns are setting up in SL, perhaps we should devote ourselves and our efforts to attracting them into the CDS. As part of our sim expansion, we focus in particular on additional gathering places -- perhaps with audio-visual capability -- with the specific intent of providing a forum for RL political speech, debate and advertising. Our current spaces are good for SL meetings -- but less good for SL/RL interface.
I know that CARE and CRAEDO both support SL/RL interface -- especially with regard to political speech. I think our best response to this irresponsible and unbalanced attack on CRAEDO would be actively pursue an enhancement of SL/RL interface in our future projects.
Beathan
[quote="Ranma Tardis":3rdcdwaq]
If I wanted to put up a sign in advertising the Peace Center, I would just ask Desmond or an estate manager and am not sure if that is really required.
If you make such a fuss over these little things, how can you get anything really important done? Also these fights of yours tend to drive away your citizens.
Why not come up with a more relaxed set of rules for using public space? It would attract more functions and you would be on the way to having a sense of community.[/quote:3rdcdwaq]
Ranma, in the CDS, if you want to use public space in the CDS, you just ask Aliasi, our Chancellor 
It's the same thing...
The "fuss" is that Jeremy Bender, without any request whatsoever, "decided" that as a citizen, he could place his signs wherever he wanted. This is not so. He can do whatever he wishes on his own land, subject to the covenants (and, indeed, his signs are still displayed on his building's façade). He can also ask others to do the same within their respective lands. And finally, [i:3rdcdwaq]if he gets the Chancellor's permission[/i:3rdcdwaq], he can also do rallies, protests, and set up signs on [i:3rdcdwaq]public[/i:3rdcdwaq] land, too.
CARE has, for instance, contributed to a lot of signage on public spaces. They have publicly asked for permission to do so, and it was granted. Others have also left things like an "event calendar" on public space, and the permission for that was also granted. Events are routinely setting up signs on the Forum or the Marktplatz. We have a long tradition of granting people the right to place whatever they want on public space — [i:3rdcdwaq]if they get permission from the Chancellor first[/i:3rdcdwaq].
That's really just my point here. Like on Caledon people just ask Desmond for permission to drop an object wherever they like, in the CDS, they ask the Chancellor. Just an IM is often enough, and in most cases, Aliasi doesn't even to be physically in-world to set up things, all she needs is to IM back "Permission granted" and that's all it takes (most public land is set to group).
"I'm not building a game. I'm building a new country."
-- Philip "Linden" Rosedale, interview to Wired, 2004-05-08
PGP Fingerprint: CE8A 6006 B611 850F 1275 72BA D93E AA3D C4B3 E1CB
[quote="Gwyneth Llewelyn":1xlw8e4j]
That's really just my point here. Like on Caledon people just ask Desmond for permission to drop an object wherever they like, in the CDS, they ask the Chancellor. Just an IM is often enough, and in most cases, Aliasi doesn't even to be physically in-world to set up things, all she needs is to IM back "Permission granted" and that's all it takes (most public land is set to group).[/quote:1xlw8e4j]
And, I might note, there's no history of me refusing a request. I don't think I've ever actually refused one. At most, I had a little back-and-forth with TOP over the primmage of some MoCA art he wished to place on public lands, but that went over well enough.
