Suzanne-LeibrickDuring Google’s Daydream Labs presentation at Google I/O, they discussed how to deal with different types of trolling behaviors. Suzanne Leibrick is a VR user interface and user experience designer, who has experienced different types of online harassment within virtual spaces. As a response to this, she wrote up a number of different suggestions in a post titled Social VR solutions. I had a chance to catch up with her at Google I/O to talk about some of these technical solutions, as well as how to create more open and welcoming social VR spaces.

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Kent Bye
  • Michael

    Repeat after me: close your window or do something else. Online harassment isn’t real. I’ve been pushed around and bothered many times before but that taught me simply to take charge. This isn’t high school anymore, children. If this is bothering you then you aren’t mature enough to be using some of these products. I now know how to handle these situations and not be scared of some pixels on a screen.

    • Raphael

      I’m going to punch your dumb head…..

      • ummm…

        answer his argument…

        • Raphael

          After pudding….

          • ummm…

            lol…chocolate, vanilla – or the swirl? seriously tho – get over his tone and tackle some of the points he brings up – or some of the points people with his perspective bring up. It can be helpful. Don’t just hit the subscribe button on every SJW blog. Enjoy the pudding. Also, how is the Vive working out for you. I was arguing the same stuff as you the other day. I’m very happy with my vive, but I’m just a little threatened by those oculus controllers, possible room scale, and the better contrast in exhange for god rays. It can be a tough argument for us to make in a few months when/if the rift gets it straight.

          • Raphael

            I would say vanilla just for a change. I will give some thought to the points he raises.

            I’ve been an Oculus fan since day 1 when it was cardboard and duct tape. Only just sold my DK2 now because I realise I won’t want to go back to it now I have Vive… even to play the Oculus games missing from Vive. Considering I had an anxiety period while my vive was on its way (I wasn’t sure I’d done the right thing buying it) – it has exceeded all expectations. I never imagined standing/room-scale VR could be so compelling.

            I’m no longer worried about Oculus CV1 controllers being superior. I think even when you add several Oculus cams the tracking won’t be as good as Vive. Palmer has stated that optical cams will be able to do more in the long term but I have my doubts. Laser light is very good for covering a large area precisely.

            CV1 has the same reflections across the lenses but they’re just softened slightly with those extra lenses. I prefer slightly taller FOV. A month ago I was saying Oculus had more and better content. Now I’m saying Oculus has more but Vive has better content. The lineup on Oculus store is boring for me with the exception of Eve Valkyrie. I think The Climb is utterly ridiculous… Sitting down and climbing a mountain with xbox controller and the price of the game is sky-high.

            Over on the Vive I purchased HordeZ for a fraction of the price and it’s truly stunning even to a VR veteran (I’d had VR long before Oculus was ever a thing).

            I think Oculus has a lot of catching up to do now. Things are going very badly with public image. At least the xbox one VR could help to keep them going in the future.

            A friend of mine got his CV1 last week so I will get to try it but really I’m not at all interested. I cancelled my CV1 while my Vive was en-route. I felt bad about doing it because I respect the effort Palmer has put into educating everyone about VR.

          • ummm…

            I ditto your comments on Palmer’s efforts, and what I will hope will transfer into an important place in this phase of VR tech – if not into the future.

            I do like Hordez a great deal. I’ve managed to compile 30+ titles already, for which I’m afraid to look at my account statement. I never tried the Rift DK’s prior to the blind purchase of the Vive, so I can’t imagine NOT having room scale. I thought that was the point of VR. There is a lot of misdirection in the the VR PR machine and it wasn’t until embarrassingly late that I round out that the Rift didn’t have room scale as a central mechanic.

            Anyhow, here is hoping I feel less sick while playing project cars and developers create quality room scale experiences.

        • Duane Locsin

          He doesn’t have to he is giving him a taste of the harassment and trolling.
          That’s the point.

          The best way to handle trolls is a community effort and using the forum resources, lest they ruin social gatherings.

          Some forums allow you to block posters, and report them for harassment and trolling and if the mods and thread creators are doing their job they can ban trolls.

          Alt space VR and vLife allows users to block and report trolls.

          There is no reasoning, rationalizing or pleading with troll because in real life they are sadists, narcissists and some cases psychopaths who crave attention and get off on making others miserable.

          So you have the social co-ordinaters bar them…..and do not feed the trolls.

          • ummm…

            lol seems like you are against MAKING AN ARGUMENT as to why the internet is so damaging as to be “unsafe” and “harassing” I’ve been on the web since back in prodigy days, late 80s etc. Strangely enough I’ve always been able to cope. Your righteousness and lack of dignified argumentation along with your McCarthy like tendencies makes me frustrated. I have a temper sometimes and can be intellectually stubborn given the chance – but your whinging is daft.

          • Duane Locsin

            No. You don’t get the point.
            Forums are meant to be a social place, and trolling and harassment are anti-social behaviors. There are rules that have to be followed in forums lest, they ruin the experience for all participants and if trolls keep violating it, then they get kicked out or banned it’s very simple to understand.

          • ummm…

            …lest they? Ok, forums are social places. it is not up to you to decide the bounds of etiquette. If the blog wants to makes clear rules then they may do so, but they usually take the law as a standard – and the law allows for certain things that might be offensive to you, as they may would be in the “real world”. Whether on the internet or in a public park it is not anybodies job, unless they are creating a closed club, to create narrow speech standards.

            Either grow some thicker skin and present reasoned and “ethical” arguments or STOP COMPLAINING. What are you 12?

          • Duane Locsin

            You don’t make the bounds of etiquette. The forums creators do and they are generally anti-harassment, anti trolling and anti-spamming. This why when you post you can flag posters for these sorts of behavior.
            If you are trying to appeal to general freedom of speech then you are wrong, because even though them are fairly open forums, the proprietors have the right to have people blocked, banned or removed and have before.

            However it’s clear to me that your sneaking in of ad hominem attacks shows you are more of the trolling nature.

            “Stop complaining”

            Goes to show your level of hypocrisy.

            I’ve flagged you and it will be clear to the mods (ironic given the subject of this threads about)what you are about.

            Anyway I’ve had enough feeding you and put you on ignore.

          • ummm…

            lol.

            1) forum creators can create their own rules, yes. My point was that many times they default to the speech laws in their country BECAUSE THAT IS THE GOLD STANDARD – and a legal line that is clear. There is a reason why our laws allow for dissent etc. Your perspective is limited, prejudiced and frankly in my opinion hysterical. If they want this forum to be a private club and be a safe space then you and the 5 other delicate souls will be the only ones left.

            2) I see you are trying to characterize my whole argument by two of my words “stop complaining” Unfortunately that was a bit of a stylistic flair at the end. You fail to comprehend that I gave you the respect of giving you a “Reasonsed” argument.

            3) you flagged me? LOL. I’d be surprised if the mods are as sensitive or fascistic as you are. And if they are then I dont ever have to come back here. This little dusty corner of the internet can be for you and all your delicate souls.

            4) people that disagree with you are not trolls. “Ironically” (in your words) you are turning into a bit of a troll.

    • Pete

      Apparently you didn’t listen to the podcast. It’s not about being scared of a VR situation, it’s about ruining the social experience for another member.

      Stick with it Suzanne, it will get better, there are plenty of great people out there.

  • Eric Pipedream Leisy

    Wow. I had’t even thought of Trolls in VR.

    • Charles

      Are we talking about World of Warcraft? What about orcs? Do we need to worry about them too?