Political billboards?

[Paul Hexem]

I keep seeing conflicting messages. Are we allowed to put up big political billboards on the mainland?

I saw one support message that said they weren't allowed, there was a forum thread complaining about someone having theirs removed, but in a section of mainland near me, there's some really large ones up, even more than a week after being reported.

I don't want to say that it seems like LL allows it based on who the ads are for, but...

[Vicious Hollow]

According to what I just read regarding the subject, one as of this past August, is no longer allowed to put up politically based add boards/signs. I've still seen them, but now that you mention this, I've seen way less then before. So I guess more folks are taking theirs down as they get to it. The thing I was always wondering was what would happen to the small add boards once the election was over....guess that answer will come sooner then expected 😁

 

Here's a link to the (advertising) rules and restrictions section - http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Linden_Lab_Official:Policy_on_ad_farms_and_network_advertisers#Advertising_rules_and_restrictions

 

Followed by a recent article which has the LL statement regarding such things  - https://massivelyop.com/2020/09/03/second-life-bans-all-in-game-advertisements-that-are-political-in-nature/

[Lyssa Greymoon]

2 hours ago, Paul Hexem said:

I keep seeing conflicting messages. Are we allowed to put up big political billboards on the mainland?

It appears so, as long as you aren't an ad farmer or live in Bellesaria or whatever the Linden homes all the cool kids have is. 

Political signage that doesn't appear to be part of ad farms seems to hang around. I am assuming easily butthurt partisans of all stripes have searched for content they don't like and AR'd it a long time ago. It's not too hard to find stuff on both sides of the fence, so I'd conclude those ARs were unsuccessful. 

[Paul Hexem]

26 minutes ago, Lyssa Greymoon said:

Political signage that doesn't appear to be part of ad farms seems to hang around. I am assuming easily butthurt partisans of all stripes have searched for content they don't like and AR'd it a long time ago. It's not too hard to find stuff on both sides of the fence, so I'd conclude those ARs were unsuccessful.

Not gonna lie, I'm tempted to put one up I don't necessarily agree with, to see if it stays up or not.

[Theresa Tennyson]

3 hours ago, Vicious Hollow said:

According to what I just read regarding the subject, one as of this past August, is no longer allowed to put up politically based add boards/signs. I've still seen them, but now that you mention this, I've seen way less then before. So I guess more folks are taking theirs down as they get to it. The thing I was always wondering was what would happen to the small add boards once the election was over....guess that answer will come sooner then expected 😁

 

The advertising policy and the statement you quoted are for "networked advertising" - when somebody owns many tiny parcels used only for advertising. The statement in your second link specifically says you can put up a political sign "in [your] virtual 'front yard'."

[AlettaMondragon]

The person that has complained here when these rules were introduced was basically the only person on Mainland that used multiple ad parcels (her own parcels), to host political signboards. In fact, those were really small signs, noticeable, especially at 50 locations on roadsides, but still entirely civilized. However, she was the only person that would have been effected by the new rules, and she removed all of her signs. At the same time, those that have converted thousands of square meters of their lands into huge political campaign eyesores, or rezzed huge fullbright prim boxes above their lands with political campaign signs, or those that use others' carelessly open lands to deploy spam objects on roadsides, can continue without any restrictions as long as their signs aren't seriously offensive.

I don't really care about political signs on mainland, but if the recently imposed rules really only affected one person, it brings up the question for me whether it was really just against her (based on that many people didn't like her Trump signs "everywhere"), or LL wasn't aware of what kind of "political advertisement" they wanted to restrict, which actually wouldn't surprise me.

[BilliJo Aldrin]

-deleted-

 

Edited October 20, 2020 by BilliJo Aldrin

[Theresa Tennyson]

12 hours ago, AlettaMondragon said:

The person that has complained here when these rules were introduced was basically the only person on Mainland that used multiple ad parcels (her own parcels), to host political signboards. In fact, those were really small signs, noticeable, especially at 50 locations on roadsides, but still entirely civilized. However, she was the only person that would have been effected by the new rules, and she removed all of her signs. At the same time, those that have converted thousands of square meters of their lands into huge political campaign eyesores, or rezzed huge fullbright prim boxes above their lands with political campaign signs, or those that use others' carelessly open lands to deploy spam objects on roadsides, can continue without any restrictions as long as their signs aren't seriously offensive.

I don't really care about political signs on mainland, but if the recently imposed rules really only affected one person, it brings up the question for me whether it was really just against her (based on that many people didn't like her Trump signs "everywhere"), or LL wasn't aware of what kind of "political advertisement" they wanted to restrict, which actually wouldn't surprise me.

There are real-life requirements for online businesses that sell political advertising involving disclosure, etc.

When someone pays for multiple small areas that are only used, and effectively can only be used, for advertising signs it can be argued that they are paying for advertising and that means that Linden Lab would be selling advertising. The regulations that the political advertisement ban were put under are specifically for advertising. The reason that the Trump signs were "still entirely civilized" is that they were (eventually) made to conform to pre-existing regulations for advertising.

Therefore, if there were political ads on these "advertising lots" someone could argue that Linden Lab would be selling political advertising and therefore be subject to the legal requirements. And why would they want to even have to go there?

[Mollymews]

37 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

There are real-life requirements for online businesses that sell political advertising involving disclosure, etc.

is some merit in this argument

normally election advertising has to also contain a message saying which realworld traceable person/org has authorised the advert

[AlettaMondragon]

7 hours ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

There are real-life requirements for online businesses that sell political advertising involving disclosure, etc.

When someone pays for multiple small areas that are only used, and effectively can only be used, for advertising signs it can be argued that they are paying for advertising and that means that Linden Lab would be selling advertising. The regulations that the political advertisement ban were put under are specifically for advertising. The reason that the Trump signs were "still entirely civilized" is that they were (eventually) made to conform to pre-existing regulations for advertising.

Therefore, if there were political ads on these "advertising lots" someone could argue that Linden Lab would be selling political advertising and therefore be subject to the legal requirements. And why would they want to even have to go there?

 

You're right, I had some tunnel vision focusing on inworld stuff in this matter. I'm wondering though if selling hundreds of plots of virtual land where the owners do the same political advertisement one by one would really differ too much from this, though, when someone would look at it from outside of SL. Of course that isn't as obvious as one person with multiple ad parcels.

[Malin Sabra]

I'm tired of seeing politics everywhere you go RL and SL.

SL is no longer an escape from RL BS.

I made my own SL related political sign.

[iamyourneighbour]

I thought people would be capable of not chimping out at different political views.

As I always say, apart from talking about politics, I think we will both get along fine at a party.

[AlettaMondragon]

14 hours ago, iamyourneighbour said:

I thought people would be capable of not chimping out at different political views.

As I always say, apart from talking about politics, I think we will both get along fine at a party.

 

As a matter of fact, and quite an interesting one, I haven't seen any Democrat campaign signs saying any even mildly offensive things about the opposition, while it is a common feature of the Republican ones inworld (until they get removed due to the curse words on them). Yes, people can get along fine at a party. It only depends on which party it is.

[Rabid Cheetah]

On 10/31/2020 at 12:49 PM, AlettaMondragon said:

 

As a matter of fact, and quite an interesting one, I haven't seen any Democrat campaign signs saying any even mildly offensive things about the opposition, while it is a common feature of the Republican ones inworld (until they get removed due to the curse words on them). Yes, people can get along fine at a party. It only depends on which party it is.

Welp, I'm more than willing to drive an official Democrat campaign bus down Route 12 or whatever, just so folks can get their jollies roleplaying trying to run me off the road with their tRump tRain pickup truck caravan.  But I draw the line at lettin' 'em place burning ballot boxes by the side of the road, or decorating polling places with nooses.  That kind of stuff should only be done in the real world.

Edited November 2, 2020 by Rabid Cheetah