Here we go, the optional linking of our profiles to Facebook and Twitter is here, as blogged by Q Linden. First of all let’s be fair here, the blog post does have information about a useful feature of being able to login to a place that you have on your favourites bar, this sounds like a nice move.
There’s also information regarding improvements to how textures rez due to the KDU library being upgraded to 6.4, so we have three big points being made and two of them being given the thumbs up, the third point however, about improved web profiles gets a massive thumbs down.
There are people who don’t see what the fuss is about , just to add some balance and show there are differing views on the issue. However as someone who passionately dislikes Facebook, this is a big deal. I don’t want that sharing or like tab on my profile. This should be an opt in feature, I’ll happily utilise the Twitter link because I use Twitter and Twitter, unlike Facebook, isn’t so anal about having to share your real life details.
Seriously, why are Linden Lab giving Facebook the time of day when Facebook won’t allow Second Life profiles? Where’s the partnership here? Linden Lab are getting this all arse about face, if people want to link to Facebook then let them do so but don’t put these bloody widgets on profiles of people who want nothing to do with these sites, there are plenty of people who don’t want anything to do with Twitter too.
There are a few Jira proposals about this, with comments ranging from sensible to a bit extreme on both sides of the fence.
Remove Facebook Widgets from profiles has my support, but also has some extreme use cases for stating why this is a bad idea. Extreme use cases can dilute the validity of an argument and for those who want the widgets I support that choice, but where’s the choice for those who don’t want the widgets?
Allow residents to opt-in to any and all profile widgets is my favourite Jira I’ve found so far, largely because the arguments are presented in a calm and logical manner. This is what it should be about, allowing choice.
Go back to inworld only format is a Jira I reluctantly supported, I have however supported it because the way this has been foisted upon us is completely out of line, in the comments on that Jira Yoz Linden points out that the privacy policy explicitly excludes profile information. However there’s also the issue of respect and the way Linden Lab have rolled this out shows a complete and utter lack of respect.
There are other issues with profiles, the profiles that have picks for adult land, how is that being dealt with? The teen merge is rumoured to be happening today and LL have sat on their backsides and ignored people pointing out that there are adult profiles or asking for a way of flagging profile as adult, it’s completely absurd that in a world where adult content is allowed, there’s no easy way to filter adult content out of profiles, I have picks for adult land, nothing too graphic but it’s still content that I’d rather be able to flag to prevent it being viewed in a public profile outside of Second Life.
The bottom line here is that there’s a distinct lack of resepct emerging here, it really shouldn’t be this way. Those who want to use Facebook in conjunction with Second Life should be able to do so, heck it would probably be good to be able to advertise events on Facebook, although of course not as your Second Life avatar as that’s not the Facebook way, but for those who don’t want to be assimilated, where’s our choice? Play fair here Linden Lab, we chose to do business with you because we like your product, warts and all.