There’s a lot of rumblings on various boards about content theft. Yet again, theft has reared it’s ugly head  as the topic du jour, and it’s started some real flame-wars and drama across various SL blogs.  I thought I would share my views on it with you again, and it won’t take long. Theft is theft, simple as. If you promote something as your own work that isn’t, and you intend to profit from it, then you should feel pretty ashamed of yourself. In fact I know how you should feel, you should feel exactly the same way I felt when I was a 12 year old kid at school making boxes in Art. I couldn’t grasp the concept of the dimensions..I struggle with mathematics ( I’m completely dyscalculic) but Art was my favourite subject. I was also very good at it, and I didn’t want to appear a failure but I was having real difficulty creating something that should be so incredibly simple.  I had status (or so I thought) I  was considered top of the class in my subject, so in a moment of utter madness I copied the design of my friend’s box to the millimetre and passed it off as my own.

I’d like to say it was out of desperation, instead it was driven by ego.

The rollicking I got in front of the class for copying the work of someone else was so severe that I was left a gibbering, quivering wreck. My self-esteem flew out of the window, along with any credibility that I had amongst my peers. I was utterly bereft. I’d let myself down, but I had also let the people down around me who had previously admired my work. How could they view my work with respect ever again? That evening I solemnly approached my art teacher and begged forgiveness for my utter stupidity, and during the following lessons I also remade my box. It was crooked, shoddy and pretty crap, BUT it was my creation and no-one could take that away from me. I learned such a valuable lesson from that whole experience that it has stayed with me all my life, up until the present day.I don’t do shame, it’s a horrible sensation. So is knowing that you have copied someone and that you are lying through your teeth when you pass their work off as yours . Deep down inside you KNOW that it is wrong to take the credit for someone else’s effort, but you do it anyway. If you’re anywhere near half-decent you’ll feel sick to the pit of your stomach….This is why I can’t understand people who are ripping off other designers works’ as their own. The guilt you must feel, not to mention the stress of wondering if and when you will be found out is so horrible that I cannot believe that anyone would choose to endure it. Second Life is full of avatars who wouldn’t even consider doing something so low, but alas there are a minority that have, and believe me on this, you will get found out. Karma has a way of re-dressing the balance.

So there you have it- this is how I feel about the content theft issues across the grid. Incidentally I’m closing this posting to comments because if you need to respond/argue then there are plenty of forums on other blogs out there awash with debate on this, and believe me the posts run into the hundreds. This is a subject that everyone has an opinion on, and I’m sure you can glean from the above what mine is.Please, wholeheartedly support designers in Second Life..there are some wonderful people out there who make some truly amazing things, and they deserve every success. We should be proud of them and feel privileged to be in a metaverse filled with such talent. Do not support the unimaginative minority who are just looking to make a fast buck…they deserve to be avoided like the plague…BUT MOST OF ALL…*Please* don’t turn all this into a witch hunt! Be sure of your facts before you accuse, and be completely aware of the effect that your actions have on those around you in the Second Life community.

And now, breathe out and ….rellaaaxxxxx.