Recently a few of my friends have said they’ve been banned from some sims or events, and yet they continue to want to support the designers in those events by blogging the items. This problem is unique to SL bloggers, cos even though they are banned, they still receive review copies from designers participating in those events. My advice would be to not blog the event at all, cos your presence is clearly not welcomed, why give them any publicity? It also seems fake to promote an event that you personally have not experienced, then how do you know it is worthwhile?
I wish more bloggers would have some self respect, and stop allowing their time and blog to be used by people who do not respect them. You can still support your designer friends, by blogging things that are released at their main store.
What are your thoughts on this? If you’re not a fashion blogger, would you purchase items on the Marketplace from stores that have banned you? Do you care?
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I hold the item(if I like it) and blog it AFTER the event. Thus supporting the creator but not the event.
I’m not a blogger, but honestly, if I really liked an item on Marketplace and was banned inworld, I’d still buy it. Wouldn’t leave them a review though, lol. But to me, it’s just a business transaction – lindens for an item. I don’t care whether the seller likes me or not.
I think if I was a blogger in a ‘banned from event’ situation, I would still blog about the item I had been given to review but say very little about the actual event. Maybe just mention the item will be in the mainstore after the event. Then if people want to find out more about it and attend it’s up to them.
If the creator who sends review copies isn’t the same person as the event manager, they probably aren’t even aware of the ban situation. Perhaps a polite note in return like “I’m not covering that event, because I was banned from it” would give the creators the chance to reconsider whether they wish to be part of such a setup.
And there is a point in the “personally not experienced” line … as a reader, I would prefer to read that you are showing the items, because you like them, but you could not attent the event itself. Is that likely to cause a shitstorm? Why, quite so. But what issue related to SL doesn’t, so what…
There’s plenty of resources to spend money in SL, if the managers prefer to cater to selected audience, I do not wish to put L$ into such highschool drama of “so and so isn’t part of the cool kids”.
Hi Lillith! You make a great point about letting the designers know why you cannot blog their item. I do hope that more designers will take notice if an event organizer is banning people for personal grudges, and not legitimate reasons.
Very few bans from sims or stores these days are for what I would call “legitimate reasons”. Most often, bloggers (and even just people who review things on the Marketplace) get bans from merchants who get upset if you don’t praise their product unconditionally.
To me, the only legitimate reasons for banning someone are if they are griefing or otherwise harassing people. Bans should be a last resort, but they are all too often the first tool employed.
I even gave a five-star review to a product on the Marketplace but mentioned that there was sometimes a glitch in the mesh. The creator threw a fit in IM and banned me, and I quote, “From my store until the end of time.” But I’ll give him a few thousand years and he’ll forget about it, I’ll bet.
What are the main reasons your blogger friends got banned? Banning is a pretty harsh thing. Do they get banned for major crimes (griefing or harassing seems to be the only legitimate reason to ban someone, in my opinion) or was it just because they had a disagreement over something?
Anyway, if I were to get banned, would I patron that seller? HELL NO. I try to be polite and considerate, and if that’s not returned, my time and money go elsewhere. My biggest pet peeve is being ignored by creators when I have a simple question or request. I’m patient, I give them a couple of days to respond before I ask again. But if I’m ignored completely, then they’ve lost my business. I have a short attention span, and there are plenty of talented creators in SL who make great products and are considerate of their customers.
That’s what the rude creators/merchants (and fortunately there seem to be few of them) forget: we have plenty of choices in Second Life. If you anger one customer, that person may not recommend your store to a dozen friends…and you’ve lost a lot of customers.
Some merchants think they are so talented that their products are indispensable. To quote the former French official, Georges Clemenceau: “The graveyard is full of indispensable men.”
I wish if you were banned, that the owners or managers of the sims in question would contact you about the sim. I was banned on one sim, which to this day have no idea why I was banned, really I do not talk in chat while at stores, I look around, I buy I leave. Always have. (thinking they banned on my avatar alone without anything else, demon). So for about 4 years now I have not boughten from that vendor and make sure none of my friends buy from that vendor because of their bad management on their part, I have never been one to make a scene.
So for these bloggers, if I were a blogger (dont know how to do all that or where to start or I would probably) I would not blog an event I was not welcome at. That is like in RL being banned from a club, or an event. Would you promote something you were banned from in RL, no probably not, you would be upset in RL you were banned from that and would probably have nothing nice to say, and RL would probably ask your rl circle not to go there.
So In my opinion. If you would not do it in RL do not do it in SL and have some respect for yourself as a person. Do not be a drone, blogging things because you are given gifts from vendors. You can always politely say “I will not be blogging this event, thank you for your merchandise, I can refund you if needed, and please make sure you do not send me merchanise for this event in the future.”
Thanks for letting me comment. 😉
Tracy the problem is when it comes to events designers have zero control over who is banned. As a designer I would appreciate knowing that the reason a blogger didnt blog an event is because they are banned from that event. It stops me from thinking they just didnt like it hahaha.
I was banned from the stiletto moody store last year and I don’t know why. I just decided to go there one day to check out the shoes and was told I was not allowed. I believe if someone is going to be banned then they deserve to at least know why. And I don’t think it should be for personal reasons or because you hold a grudge against that person for some past grievance. And I have to agree with Tracy Redangel…If I ask a creator a question about one of their designs and do not receive a reply after a reasonable amount of time then I will no longer purchase and/or support them. And will just shop elsewhere. I have had this happen to me in the past.
I was banned from a store and asked the store owner why. She didn’t know and referred me to the sim owner. I asked the sim owner and he said he didn’t know why I was banned either, his system did it automatically.
I asked if I could be unbanned. He never replied and never unbanned me! I just don’t patronize that merchant now.
For the life of me, I can’t think of the reason I was banned. It was especially strange because I had NEVER visited that store in-world before (always bought on the Marketplace). I would feel better if I knew the reason.
All told, though, in six years in Second Life, I can count all the places I know I’m banned on one hand. Not a bad record!
Was the sim owner perchance using the Gemini CDS Ban Relay spyware that was developed by someone who was involved in the Emerald Viewer spyware and DDoS scandal and should have been permabanned from SL?
The one time (I know of) that I was banned, I sent a notecard to the owner asking about it. Turned out I had ghosted on their sim, so they assumed I might be a copybotter, but when I contacted them they unbanned me. Sometimes things can be as simple a misunderstanding as that, but other times it seems like there’s more going on. A contact or two is not amiss, I never think, though.
I have had merchants ban me from their sims or stores after I left a less than five star review on the Marketplace. I try to be fair in my reviews but there are some merchants who get extremely upset if you don’t lavish praise on their product, never mind your actual experience with it.
People are too quick to ban. To me, it’s a last resort if somebody is causing you considerable grief.
Blogging about an event you didn’t even attend is dishonest. If people find out you are doing that, you’ll lose the only thing of value a blogger has: credibility.
If I was banned from an event, then the items there would not be on my blog but then I don’t accept review copies. I buy what I want to blog.
However, if I was an official blogger for a merchant & they sent me review copies for the event, I would be obligated as an official merchant’s blogger to blog about the items whether I could go to the event or not.
Since review copies are often sent prior to an event’s opening, the point that a blogger’s cred’s would be affected if they didn’t attend is moot.
I don’t think it is fair to take it out on the designers if the event management is the reason you got banned. The designers just participate; they may not even know what’s going on. I’m not a blogger myself, but I’d try to be civil first. If they are still sending items, inform them that you can review them when you haven’t been to the event. Chances are they may want to know why just as much as you do, and may even be able to get the answer.
Now if a vendor or merchant banned me, I would not bother with their products. If I didn’t grief them or cause a big fuss in their store, I see no reason for the ban other than hurt feelings over something, and frankly, there are plenty of new stores just begging for my Linden dollars.
The only place I know I’m banned from is c88 — one of those stupid “shoot first and don’t bother to ask questions” things, apparently. But even though I can’t get there I do buy things from c88 merchants to be sure. And since I can’t get there, sometimes friends of mine have gone there and have bought things for me as gifts (mostly recently that delightful picture painting thing by Pandora Popstar). 🙂
/me looks at Ziki completely confused.
Why the heck would they ban you? That’s absurd! Your blog is about art installations and sim pictorials. People are just…odd.
Lmao. Even that poll is rude. Not very friendly to say that someone does not have self respect because of a decision.
I have to say I agree with Lyric. I can think of lots of other ways of not showing respect much less self- respect. Ummmmm… nothing like skewing the results with the wording.
Yeah I have to agree with Lyric also…. just because we blog people/stores that we know have banned us, doesn’t mean we have no respect for ourselves. Thats just downright absurd to say or even to assume of people.
I’m not banned from any place, but I know a few store owners who don’t care for me…. however, that doesn’t stop me from buying their things and/or blogging them.
Does that mean I have no self respect?? LOL no…. it just means that just because someone has an issue with you (or you with them) doesn’t mean their product is crap. Not everyone in the RL/SL world will like you!
Hi Crys! I totally understand your point, about people not liking each other. However, banning means they don’t want you near their products.
Oh, this I know, but I know that store owners aren’t idiots either…. especially if they have items on MP or are in events. You won’t ever completely stop someone from buying your items if youre selling them other areas than JUST your store.
What if a place has smaller stores in malls? Can’t ban people at every location sometimes.
Sometimes people ban others not just because of products but because they dont personally like someone, think theres drama when there really isn’t, etc etc.