Step UP! Day – did it achieve anything?

So, Step UP! Day has gone.

Did it make a difference?

Well, anyone who woke up on the morning of the 6th November expecting to see a whole bright shiny new Second Life would have been severely disappointed. And, of course, there were a few blog posts only too eager to point out gleefully that nothing had changed.

Well, actually, it had.

For the first time a wide group of Second Life residents had come together: builders, designers, artists, musicians, scripters, machinima-makers, media people, bloggers and people who simply enjoy the immersive world of Second Life. They had shared their concerns, they had learned things they hadn’t known before, they had participated in a protest and they had joined in celebrations.

And that is the first step up we have taken in our long term bid to end the menace of content theft.

Other steps have been taken too. Some were taken earlier – by groups like the Content Creators Association, which has Ideas have been brought forward, and shared, and discussed – sometimes argued. But there are certainly things to explore as we move forward.

There’s also a wealth of educational material and information that has been gathered, that we now need to disseminate in the most effective ways.

And people are more aware of the issues. There have been question and answer sessions on the Ning and in the inworld group. I’ve talked people through what to do when they spot what they think is content theft, and what to do when they encounter some really gross violation on XStreetSL. People are becoming aware, and they are hungry to know more.

It’s often said, by the pessimistic, the cynical and the despairing, that people will steal if it’s there for them to steal. Actually, in my experience, people would rather NOT steal, once they realise exactly what it is that they are doing. In fact, they derive more fun from tracking and catching thieves than they do from stealing themselves – the problem then can become over-enthusiasm rather than lack of it! One of the key things that we need to make people aware of is that you DON’T confront thieves directly; they will simply pack up their shops and move on, before the creators can get in there, gather evidence and file DMCAs.

The thieves are still out there, and their tricks get dirtier. I’ve had reports of them hanging around Public Help Islands using a Groups exploit to pose as Mentors and then tricking newbies not just into accepting stolen goods, but into taking part in some exploits themselves, in the belief that they are helping.

And Linden Lab, who could be engaging in dialogue, seem more concerned with pushing SLEnterprise and looking after the interests of a small number of creators who will be invited into the Marketplace – a topic on which I’ll be sharing my thoughts soon.

But we, the creators of the content of Second Life, are here, together, and working together. And each step we take will make us stronger, more knowledgeable … and more prepared for what the future holds.

So we took the first step. Now we need to build on that – and over the next few days, we shall.