[Air-L] Antw.: Virtual memorials in online-games SURVEY, please pass on!

[Tjarda Sixma]

To Anna,

I found the screenshots from the Virginia Tech memorial monument in  
Second Life I wrote you about earlier. They are from April 2007 right  
after the shooting took place. The memorial wall contains pictures of  
the RL victims.

As for my copyright:
I haven't published them in a paper, but did use them in a lecture at  
Utrecht University.
You can use them for your PhD paper if you mention my name (for other  
publications please ask permission again).

Furthermore I have a chat log involving a player/avatar who was  
present when I visited the Virginia Tech monument. She also posted a  
notecard at the memorial site with a declaration about the disaster.  
If you are interested I can ask her permission (if she is still in SL)  
to pass on the log file and notecard to you.

Lastly there are some general questions about the publication of in- 
world logs and screenshots I’d like to ask to all on this email list.


To all on the AIR list,

I’m interested in knowing if any of you have ideas on how to deal with  
privacy issues such as the publication of screenshots involving RL  
portraits and notecards on virtual memorial sites (like described  
above).

Linden Lab has published some general information about these issues  
on the web.

1) Snapshot and Machinima policy:
http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Snapshot_and_machinima_policy

LL writes that Land Owners (in some cases e.g. when not on main land)  
also have to consent for screenshots taken on their land. Would this  
apply to the screenshots from the memorial?

Screenshots of avatars seem to be allowed (2b).

2) Sl Community Standards:
http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php

LL forbids disclosure of RL information and publication of  
conversation logs. What about the RL pictures of the victims? They  
have been published in newspapers. Does this mean that a screenshot  
involving their RL pictures can be published as well?

Can a message left behind at the memorial site be considered as part  
of the public domain and thus published without prior consent?

Lastly I wonder if there are any guidelines from within the field of  
research.

Best wishes,
Tjarda Sixma

(SL resident from September 2006)