The feds are coming to Second Life, but it's not a raid.
Virtual Worlds News reports that the FBI is establishing an SL presence for the purposes of recruiting, accepting crime complaints and publicizing wanted felons. The agency is describing its venture into the SL metaverse as a "pilot test."
Jonathan Cox, a management analyst who spearheaded the FBI's Second Life foray, commented:
Unlike 10 years ago, almost everyone today has had an experience connecting online through virtual media, whether through a gaming console or popular sites like Second Life. The ease at which information can be transferred, ideas can be exposed, and technology can be shared in virtual worlds will hopefully lead to the arrest of a fugitive or the location of a missing child in the near future.
In addition to SL, the FBI outlines it use of other forms of social media here.
Comments
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
I guess some people still don't know that Second Life is not, and never was, relevant. Personally, I feel it is the lair of the dregs of society.
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
What a pointless waste of time. There are far more effective PR stunts they could have pulled.
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I LIKE the fence. I get 2 groups to laugh at then.
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
(pic related)
That´s what they always say when they are "investigating the interwebz".
I know there are many crimes online but I don´t think it´s gonna be more effective just opening accounts on every virtual game.
At least they are not trying to regulate the internet... yet.
The cynical side of videogames (spanish only): http://thelostlevel.blogspot.com/ My DeviantArt Page (aka DeviantCensorship): http://www.darkknightstrikes.deviantart.com/
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
Was gonna say I give it a week before 4chan wreaks havok with this, but you sorta beat me to the refrence.
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
"FBI is establishing an SL presence for the purposes of recruiting, accepting crime complaints and publicizing wanted felons."
Yeah, if I had a SL account and if I were looking for a job at the FBI, the first thing I'd do would be to log on to SL and start the application process there - not geeky at all!
Also, if someone had committed a federal crime, I'd pop right onto SL to report it - I mean why bother with quaint low-tech things like telephones. This is the 21st Century! I mean if anything needs to be done, the 21st Century way to do it is to power-up thousands of dollars of equipment and waste minutes launching a needlessly complicated program that gets the job done far slower.
And when I'm in an online game, one of the funnest activities is perusing noticeboards looking for real life criminals. Heck, that's why I buy games in the first place - to really get me involved in the most depressing aspects of real life.
Jeez!
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
Not too bad an idea I guess.
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
"Dear Mr. FBI" -- salutation in a letter written by Jack Thompson
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
As all gamers know, Second Life is and always will be the single most popular and relevant online game in existence.
Re: FBI Investigates Second Life, But in a Good Way
Awww, don't be too hard on them. Second Life is probably the most advanced online presence they can get on without being instantly shouted down, ignore-listed, or flamed. Anything newer and you know that's gonna happen. :P What are they going to do, join WoW and create Warcraft-ized portaits of most wanted criminals? Or maybe recruit players into an FBI guild, so they can raid virtual drug lords. XD