They can be a minor nuisance or cause considerable damage. These people have different names depending on the virtual world you are in. In Second Life, these people are called Griefers. Many SL residents, especially those new to SL, have had encounters with these people.

Some feel helpless when it comes to Griefers, but not Marijuana Janus. She decided to fight back by starting Griefers-Exposed.com.

“Fantasy is fantasy, but when it’s on a level where your work is stolen or you have some other things happen to you caused by others, that’s not fantasy, that’s abuse,” Janus says. “Some people believe they are acting out their fantasy in Second Life, which is all well and good for those that want to be victim's of someone else's abuses, but for those that don't, Second Life becomes a nightmare.”

Janus has set up a small office in Malvern (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Malvern/120/249/93). Residents can sign up to join her group or visit with her about their experiences. She also encourages residents to take a packet of note cards that have information on abuse and other topics. She encourages SL residents to hand out the packets to others, especially those new to the SL world.

Another large part of her effort is a Web site at http://greifers-exposed.com/?cat=1. Residents are encouraged to upload a photo of the abuser to the Web site.

“Residents can upload information about their experience of being a victim,” Janus says. “If the Griefer wants to argue the case against them, they can do so openly so that we can all see who is telling the truth. However, none of those listed has ever attempted to deny what people are saying about them, even though they have the opportunity.”

Janus believes that if people are griefing for the fun of it in SL, they also may be doing it in real life.

“If a Griefer doesn’t have the guts to seek mental health treatment in real life, then exposing them here in SL may help that person recognize that they have a problem before they act out their threats in real life."

She set up the group a few months ago, but admits it has been a little slow in growing. “I really haven’t had the time to go out and promote it much, but it’s there,” she says.

Linden Lab says it is trying to do its part in the fight against Griefers.

“If residents believe they have encountered griefing or other violations of Linden Lab’s Terms of Service or Community Standards, they can file an abuse report with the Linden Lab governance team,” says Cyn Skyberg, Linden Lab customer relations vice president. “Residents can easily do this using the Help section of the toolbar in the Second Life Viewer (more details about the process is available on the Second Life site at http://secondlife.com/policy/security/harassment.php).”

Once a report is filed, the governance team accesses the log information inside SL, reviews the activity and then decides on an appropriate response.

“It often just takes an official warning to sort out a complaint, but in more serious cases Linden Lab’s response may include suspension of the account and alternate accounts, and in the most egregious cases, a permanent ban from Second Life for the resident, and potentially for alternate accounts as well, depending on the severity of the issues,” Skyberg says. “In cases where the resident feels our response is unfair or that they want to provide more information, we have an appeals process. This straightforward reporting and review process has enabled us to maintain an open platform for our growing global community.”

When asked, Janus would not comment on what type of abuse she may have suffered, but did have more to say to potential Griefers: “Please remember that Second Life is a public access Internet interactive game. Your fantasy can be exposed to the public, so don't embarrass yourself if you are a Griefer!”