I’ve been finding ever-increasing amounts of spam in my email inboxes and have to wonder at which point the cost of using this technique will outweigh the benefit. But in the meantime, another kind of spam which I’ve been expecting to become seriously disruptive for some time, appears to be gaining an increasingly firm virtual foothold. While spam inside the Second Life virtual world isn’t new, the levels of it haven’t been so bad that it’s gotten the kind of attention it now appears to be getting (or maybe it just seems like it’s getting more attention since the information is posted on a blog instead of on a forum). Anyway, from the Linden Lab official blog (Link):
[ 8:20 PM PDT] We’ve checked repeatedly and aren’t seeing any more reports of spam. Consider this resolved — and again, thank you for your tips and comments of support while this was happening. We Lindens really appreciate it. :D
[7:55 PM PDT] Grid status looks stable.
[7:30 PM PDT] We’ve spotted more spammers, including some on private estates. Hunting them down right now…
[7:24 PM PDT] Many thanx to the many Residents who IMed us — including me personally — and reported what was happening on Live Help. The info helped us identify what was going on. I apologize I couldn’t reply in the midst, but do know I did read all your messages. :)
[7:17 PM PDT] Identified mass spam objects up to this point have been DESTROYED. We’re continuing to keep an eye on the grid…
[7:14 PM PDT] Kill spam dead! Spamming objects are being nuked across the grid as we find them. We’re doing a full sweep.
We’re currently dealing with a mass spam object broadcasting ads across the grid. We’re hunting it down!
But as bad as the spam is, I suppose the recurring permissions exploit issues currently causing a grid closure are worse for many residents (Link 1, Link 2). I’m thinking they should just call Cory Doctorow and get an explanation for how breaking SL’s DRM system benefits them. I certainly can’t explain it.
{Blogspam loves this one, so shutting down comments a bit early.}