Ethical Issues in Second Life and Cyberspace Behavior

Introduction: The Virtual World of Second Life

"At Linden Lab, creativity and innovation drive our business... we work hard and have plenty of fun along the way... we know it's our job to make dreams come true for our customers. It's all just part of our culture, the fabric of what makes us tick..." (Linden Lab Careers).

One of the first questions to be asked is: what is Second Life? Botterbusch and Talab explain that it is a "3-D virtual world" created "entirely" by residents who "live" there. Approximately 60,000 or more "residents" per day participate in this virtual world, where they hold conferences, attend various meetings, engage in "career exploration," and carry out research projects (Botterbusch et al., 2009, p. 9). There are also educational groups active in Second Life — among them the Ohio Learning Network, the Association for Educational Communications and Technology, and the International Society for Technology in Education — as well as government-level groups such as NOAA and NASA.

The authors state that there are "many ethical issues in Second Life." Perhaps one reason ethical problems proliferate is that users have no fear "of consequences" that might result from unethical activities in the real world. In other words, a person can get away with behaving unethically in a virtual world, giving rise to behaviors such as copyright infringement, spamming, multiple identities, identity deception, and possessing "illicit materials" (Botterbusch, p. 9). Beyond that list, there are also privacy breaches, eavesdropping, breaches of confidentiality and proprietary information, and even "harassment, vandalism," and password theft — not to mention trademark infringement.

Ethical Scenarios in Second Life

What position do Botterbusch and Talab take with regard to ethical lapses in Second Life (SL)? They begin this portion of their paper by following the narrative of "Miss Avatar," who entered the virtual world as an attractive but naïve character. Not long after arriving, Miss Avatar accepted an invitation from a "creative creature" and was "teleported to lands unknown to witness things that cannot be said within these pages" (Botterbusch, p. 10). A reader can reasonably assume those unmentionable activities were sexual in nature — the "seedy" side of SL. Later, she agreed to change into a "furry skin," which proved to be another mistake, as she then had to "fend off" aggressors' "unwanted advances" (Botterbusch, p. 10).

The authors examine four scenarios in their article, all designed to explore the ethical issues inherent in SL. Scenario one involves "exploitation": Miss Avatar was apparently caught up in the "seedy" side of SL, and independent security analysts the authors consulted suggested that money could be stolen from "innocent Second Life victims" (p. 10). Scenario two relates to her change into a fur avatar and the aggressive behavior of male users toward her; the "GoodPlay Project" is discussed in this context, as it addresses the "promises and perils" of participating in a virtual world.

Scenario three deals with identity. After becoming interested in "Mr. Avatar," Miss Avatar was "mortified" when he simply said goodbye and logged off. The reason Mr. Avatar may have departed so abruptly is that research shows "80% of female avatars are actually men and 75% of male avatars are actually women" (Botterbusch, p. 10). Ethically, this reveals that identity in SL can be a profound deception: anyone may adopt any gender they wish, because no one truly knows who or what another user really is.

Scenario four demonstrates that a significant number of SL users are there to harass and vandalize others. These individuals are called griefers, and they "derive enjoyment" from "being obstructive," "preventing the enjoyment of others," and "wasting a person's time" (Botterbusch, p. 11). This amounts to antisocial behavior that would result in arrest or other sanctions in the real world, yet thrives unchecked in SL.

Scenario five deals with crime: Miss Avatar was victimized when "someone had used a Copybot to steal her digital coded goods" as well as her "trademarked logos and name brands" and was selling them. Botterbusch mentions other crimes on page 11 that cause real harm to people in the actual world. In their concluding paragraph, the authors state only that "it is hoped" that the information they presented about exploitation, harassment, identity theft, crime, and vandalism "will guide the reader into making ethical decisions" when using SL for educational or other purposes. That is not a particularly forceful condemnation of what appears to be a virtual world where crime and viciousness are not only tolerated but embraced.

Copyright Infringement and Illegal Downloading

In his article in IT Pro, John Berti covers both legal and illegal approaches to copyright issues. On page 42, he updates readers on what "intellectual property" comprises — books, music, plays, movies, computer software, photographs, paintings, and the like — and briefly describes the relevant laws. The crux of the article concerns how easy it is for internet users to copy intellectual property "with the click of a button, at no cost whatsoever" (Berti, 2009, p. 42). Most copyright infringement is carried out by younger people, Berti explains, and those who infringe tend to justify their "illegal activities" as simply part of the online experience — the attitude being: it's free, I don't know any better, so I'll just take it.

In reality, pirating films and music is more than a copyright infringement — it takes money away from the people who created that content. Berti argues, however, that the fight against illegal downloading has been waged in the wrong way. Those trying to stop piracy have concentrated on shutting down illegal sites or taking legal action against their operators, when Berti believes that launching an "awareness campaign" beginning with elementary school students — or "even earlier" — would be more effective.

One reason that simply closing illegal sites will not work is that attitudes form at a fairly young age, and some young people view pirating movies, music, and other intellectual property as "an act of revolution or a form of anarchy that promotes the free exchange of information" (Berti, p. 43). The author makes a valid point when he argues that ethical attitudes take root early, though he does not explain in detail how any campaign could effectively reach elementary school children or those even younger. He might have spent more time outlining that plan rather than exploring extensive technical data about copyright law. There is no harm in educating readers — and Berti does that on pages 44 and 45, noting that digital strategies could be employed to prevent illegal downloading — but his sharpest observation is his simplest: young adults and teenagers tend to ask, "If I can get it for free, why pay for it?" (p. 43).

Conclusion

The line from Linden Lab stating "It's our job to make dreams come true for our customers" should perhaps have an additional phrase tacked on: "We also help create nightmares if you're not a savvy user." The article about Second Life is very informative, and for those unfamiliar with what life in a virtual world is actually like, it offers a vivid taste of what awaits there. The other articles examined in this paper point to personal values and ethical considerations related to broader internet use. Being well read and well informed about all aspects of online culture is the most reliable way to avoid being harmed, exploited, or deeply disappointed.

Works Cited

Berti, John. (2009). Copyright Infringement and Protection in the Internet Age. IT Pro. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from http://www.computer.org.

Botterbusch, Hope R., and Talab, R. S. (2009). Copyright and You: Ethical Issues in Second Life. TechTrends, 53(1), 9–12.

Lee, Sang M., Yoon, Seong No, and Kim, Jongheon. (2008). The Role of Pluralistic Ignorance in Internet Abuse. Journal of Computer Information Systems, 48(3), 38–43.

Linden Lab. (2011). Join Our World / Open Positions. Retrieved October 4, 2011, from

Moringiello, Juliet M., and Fleming, Michael F. (2008). More Electronic Communication, More Challenges: Introduction to the 2008 Survey of the Law of Cyberspace. The Business Lawyer, 64(1), 153–156.

Schiffman, Leon G., Sherman, Elaine, and Long, Mary M. (2003). Toward a Better Understanding of the Interplay of Personal Values and the Internet. Psychology & Marketing, 20(2), 169–186.