ISSUE 56 | 01-11-2008 WWW.THE-AVASTAR.COM FREE EVERY frIDAY Benazir Bhutto memorial shock: Griefers HOTTEST AVS IN THE ruin service SEE PAGE 3 UNIVERSE! ...TEN GIRLS ...ONE CROWNSEE PAGE 12 LINDen Lab says: GET LOST YOU BANKERS!By COYNE NAGY • SLers back Lab’s bank ban LINDEN Lab’s ban on SL banks has been praised • Savings fears as ATMs close by many residents. FULL STORY: SEE PAGES 4 & 5 0 NEWS Jan. 11, 2008 Jan. 11, 2008 NEWS 0 INSIDE 150% ConFuseD By CARRIE SODWIND RESPECT: OPINION Avs gather at a LINDEN Lab have rubbis- NUMBERSOF THE WEEK portait of Bhutto hed claims their 150 per “Our avatars repre- ... per cent is the amount by which user hours in SL grew cent penalty for buying sent who we are on 383 across the course of 2007. fraudulent currency will the inside, we wear hit innocent residents. ... residents were logged in at 1.40pm SLT on Sunday, our insides on the Peter Gray, the spokesman setting a new concurrency record despire server issues. outside in SL. I treat 58,738 for LL’s PR firm told Reu- everyone in SL with ... in L$ has been raised for needy children so far by ters: “The policy seems to the same care and 100,000 the Polish Great Orchestra of Christmas charity. have caused some confu- respect I would if I BHutto serVICE sion. Linden Lab has no met them in a cafe.” blanket policy to fine all buyers of fraudulent Lin- YOUR MAIL HIlary’S IN THE House! IN attaCK SHOCK den dollars, and any inci- p.7 GRIEFERS MAR SL MEMORIAL FOR ASSASSINATED RL POLITICIAN dent is handled on a case by case basis.” The PR “The Lab says it PORNORGRAPHIC ing as “relentless”, had helped construct spokesman indicated that wants to prevent griefing shocked a said the intruders the memorial in Wells the 150 per cent penalty residents from being crowd of well-wish- used offensive slo- sim, Selena Goodliffe, would apply to exchanges ripped off, and the ers at an in-world gans and tasteless was fighting back the but not necessarily the re- last 12 months are memorial service pictures: “The imag- tears at the event. sident buyers. littered with stories for assassinated RL es they put up were SorroW of those who blindly politician Benazir both rude and por- The memorial has re- trusted their hard- Bhutto. nographic. The idea ceived a large num- LAB CEO GREETS earned virtual cash to The attack at the was to be as gross as bers of visitors since it mayor neWsom a bank, only to see it service for the former possible. was opened the day By CARRIE SODWIND disappear.” Prime Minister of SoliDariTY after the her murder, PHILIP Linden met the Pakistan, who was “The Lindens actually and the organisers of RL Mayor of San Fran- killed on December had to shut us down Sunday’s service said cisco in-world for a LEIDER 27, left many of the for a bit because of it was held for the SL Q&A session in front of STEPANOV HILARY Clinton has made it into the White House - at least at the Caricavatars 200 residents who the strain. It was so community to share a huge SL audience this p.8 sim in SL! Her avatar was created by political caricaturist Christophe Hugo. had turned up to pay sad... but it was good their sorrow. week. their respects dis- to see people stay as Jennette Forager, Mayor Gavin Newsom and THE AVastar THE AVASTAR staFF Isolde Flamand, Morrhys Graysmark, traught. a sign of solidarity.” who designed the the Linden Lab chief were THE AVASTAR is publis- CEO Lorenz Philbin Kitty Otoole, Dylan Miles, Coyne Nagy, ToolsRMe Shan, who He revealed that one memorial to Bhutto, introduced by the CEO hed by Bild.T-Online AG BUSINESS MANAGER Pham Neutra, Petronilla Paperdoll, Phil described the grief- of his friends who said she was heart- of MillionsOfUs, Reuben & Co. KG. Check out the Ikarus Santos, Azriel Enoch Spackler, Carrie Sodwind, Deeeep Witte, broken. She spent Steiger. Themes of the website at: EDITOR-IN-CHIEF Babu Writer, Konstantin Waechter the time at the serv- talk included virtual and www.bild.t-online.de. Regis Braathens GRAPHIC DESIGN ice organising secu- real life parallels, gover- ASSISTANT EDITOR Raoul Cimino, Gordon Yue rity and trying to get nance issues, education Leider Stepanov ADVERTISING & DISTRIBUTION rid of the tasteless and the digital divide. WRITERS & CONTRIBUTORS [email protected] intruders. Randi Barracuda, Honey Bender, Tina www.the-avastar.com “It was awful. The (PetGirl) Bergman, Isabel Brocco, Ginger COVER PIC Isabel Brocco and Chloe SYMBOLIC: A tiger, a symbol of griefers ruined the Cazalet, Callie Cline, Gaetana Faust, Looby, by Turlututu Chaffe bravery, at the Bhutto memorial whole event.” DISCUSSION: Philip Linden and Mayor Gavin Newsom 0 NEWS Jan. 11, 2008 Jan. 11, 2008 NEWS 0 stoCK EXCHange By COYNE NAGY The CEO of the Royal APPEAL FOR CALM: Q&A WITH robIN BOSS CONFIDENT Bank, Cristopher Whit- BCX banker Alyssya Vella By BABU WRITER AS news of the ban on field, explained in a ROBIN Linden discus- SL banks spread across statement that finan- sed some of the chal- the grid, The AvaStar A royal cial institutions in SL lenges facing the Lab caught up with Shaun need to stabilise the at an appearance on the Altman, CEO of Meta- situation by reducing popular interview show, verse Stock Exchange outgoings without Metanomics. and Cyberland, to see RIP-OFF! provoking a run in the The Lab vice president what the future holds process: “At this time talked with host Beyers for exchanges as well we had to freeze all Sellers on Monday about as his view of the ban. accounts. We do not in perspective: “Far nell Vandeverre, CEO issues such as policing in THE AVASTAR: Have Lin- want all customers to more damage can be of the World Stock Ex- SL and a new rating sys- den Lab taken the right withdraw their bal- done by unnecessary change, sought to dis- tem. She said that due to decision here? ances, this would kill panic than the policy tance himself from the a lack of resources, the SHAUN ALTMAN: Overall ANGER: Crowds gather at JT Financial the bank. We will find itself. Many people banks: “Almost all the Lab has had to focus its I think it is a good idea, to demand their money back a good solution for all have been very un- virtual banks consist- policing efforts on things but a little late and a little BANKS CLOSE UP SHOP AFTER LINDEN LAB BAN sides, in any case, so derstanding as we ed of an ATM, little or which directly affect SL’s lacking. The bankers will please do not worry. have slight delays no terms of service or usability. That included certainly take off with LINDEN Lab’s ban purposes will be al- machines in an at- The worst thing is to in service while we conditions, extremely fraud: “If we see a pattern everything. Also, a better on in-world banking lowed to operate. tempt to access their panic.“ progress, and I thank low cash reserves and of events associated with time would have been has met with praise Ken Linden claimed savings, prompting DAMage these people as this limited account man- one person or group we 2005. from many residents the banks “have fears of a run on many Alyssya Vella, who more rational behav- agement facilities for spend time investigating TA: Will stock exchanges - while others are left brought unique and banks. In order to com- works for BCX in- iour would surely as- customers. In many that.” be included in the ban? sweating on wheth- substantial risks to SL, bat the threat, banks world and says she sist all companies af- cases these banks CONCERN SA: I think it would be er they will get back and we feel it is our slashed withdrawal is a private banker fected within SL.“ were damaging the SL There are also efforts hypocritical to ban for their investments. duty to step in. Of- limits or ceased to pay in RL, also played But not everyone in brand and not making to continue to increase example dividend yielding The decision to ban fering unsustainably out altogether. down fears the deci- the financial industry a positive contribu- the number of groups stocks when the group anyone from offering high interest rates, Many business own- sion would threaten was upset at the new tion to the user ex- residents can be mem- system itself yields divi- interest or direct re- they are in most cases ers were angry at the residents‘ savings and ruling. With the fate of perience of residents bers, Robin added: “We dends. But who knows turn on investments doomed to collapse lack of warning from commended custom- the stock exchanges participating in the SL already raised the limit what the Lab are up to. after January 22, an- – leaving upset ‘de- the Lab and now face ers for keeping things still unclear, Lukecon- economy.“ from 15 to 25, and we’re I don’t think there is en- nounced by Ken positors‘ with noth- an uncertain future. exploring other options. ough information in yet Linden in a blog post ing to show for their Murphy Larsson, who ROYAL RIP-OFF: The problem with upping and I wouldn’t want to on Tuesday, was greet- investments. As these tried in vain to recoup A badly written sign tells that number further is customers the ATM is not speculate.