It has taken me some time to truly rationalise my emotional reaction to not filling in this document when LL threatens to terminate my account if I do not.

At the root of all of this is the US Government collecting taxes from my earnings in the US even though I am not a US citizen. However the form, which I am not legally obliged to fill in, is really a question about would I like to give money to the US Government?

Since I am not a US citizen I have a choice about it. US residents do not.

So do I

• Support NSA spying and mass data collection?
• Support US endless wars and invasions overseas?
• Continual erosion of the US Constitution?
• Endless US Government debt which drains wealth and assistance from its citizens?
• and many other activities?

In good conscience I can’t support these things. Therefore I am unable to give money to the US Government. Therefore I can’t fill in the W8-BEN. And therefore the US Government will force LL to terminate my account.

This outcome has many benefits

• My (insignificant) support of the US Government will not happen.
• Second Life citizens get the benefits of a (hopefully good quality) security orb with the ability to see how it works, modify it, give it to others, and generally have it work for as long as Second Life or its clones exist.
• Anyone can improve it for the benefit of all.
• I get to rest from being its only maintainer.

It’s been fun. Back in the day I made good money and paid my taxes to my government as required by my laws. Now I get to make a stand against things I disagree with while giving more to the people and adding some freedom rather than taking it away.

I am very happy with my decision.

I would also like to add that I am not against taxes. All great civilisations are built on some form of slavery. Taxes are a very humane method of slavery where about a fifth or a third of your day, for most people, is spent working for the Government rather than yourself. This is much better than being a captured servant or building pyramids. Taxes help keep what would otherwise be anarchy, at bay.

Update:

I realise now that this has parallels to the saying “No taxation without representation”.

Update 2014-08-03:

Cerise at SLU has found documents on how the IRS applies the tax treaties. For me, an Australian resident who never goes to the U.S.  no tax is applied. How embarrassing! I do note that for some other countries the tax exemption depends on the income source not being American. So while the tax paying issue no longer applies to me it still may apply to other non-US people.

I have received a request from LL to fill in a IRS form. Since I am not American I won’t be filling in the form. As a result my account will be terminated because US law requires them to get the information. I am not legally obliged to give it.

As a result the PDS HomeSecurity Orb is being open sourced and licensed under the https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-sa/4.0/

SL MarketPlace: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/PDS-HomeSecurity-Orb-FREE-Open-Source/143384

Files: http://psykephaeton.net/ or http://www.sluniverse.com/PDSHomeSecurityOrb_OpenSource-20140803.zip

Thanks Teqi Falta.

Press Updates on the Orbs main menu.

Sorry everyone who was affected by this! :(

Thanks Ami Thibedeau for the bug report.

Comma in command breaks Orb

PDS HomeSecurity Orbs between version 14.011 and 14.120 have a bug where using a comma to enter data ends up confusing the Orb’s Sensor script.

The Sensor script is responsible for scanning the area and initiating the removing people who are not authorised and displaying the floating text.

The reason is the Orb was exchanging blocks of information between two scripts using commas to separate pieces of information. The additional commas from the Operator entered information messed this up leading to the Sensor script having the wrong information and then malfunctioning.

Fixed in version 14.121. Commas are no longer used to separate blocks of information, ¢ is. Attempts to use ¢ in commands will result in an error message.

If you have never used commas in any commands ( typically /8wmsg,  /8gwmsg,  /8amsg ) your Orb will be fine but you should update anyway.

This update should rescue Orbs broken by the comma bug.

Thanks ʝԹՌȝՎ Humphreys for the bug report.

Update freezes after script 1Security updates

Not sure what has changed here but it looks like updating scripts no longer causes SL to trigger  CHANGED_INVENTORY. I have added a few things to avoid the consequences.

• Security script stores/restores channel number after this update.
• Security script re-reads “HomeSecurity Channel” upon being updated to restore channel information.
• Made Security send list of Operators to 21Sensors just before backup/restore.

New Commands related to Avatar Script Limits:

/8slw scriptmb scriptcount scripttime scripttimecount

• SLW stands for script limits warning.
• scriptmb is the amount of script megabytes
• scriptcount is the number of scripts
• scripttime is the µs (microseconds) of script time usage.
• scripttimecount is the number of times scripttime is crossed before warning action is taken.
• The value -1 disables any parameter, the value * keeps a parameter unchanged.

An avatar who crosses these values will be sent a warning dialogue box.

/8slt scriptmb scriptcount scripttime scripttimecount

• SLT stands for script limits teleport
• The parameters are the same as for Warning above.

An avatar who crosses these limits is teleported home.

At this stage I recommend something like 500-1000 (µs) for scripttime and 10 15 for scripttimecount for /8slt.
e.g. /8slt -1 -1 1000 15

/8stmon

Toggles on/off an avatar script time monitor. The information is whispered in chat therefore you need to be within 10m of the Orb to see it.

Need to know:

• Targets + Visitors can hold up to 350 names. Adding names to Guests/Friends will show total percentage of reserved space used and total script memory used.
• Adding/Deleting names from Friends/Guests will causes a Dialog when the command is heard and chat when the process is complete. This is the best balance of speed, efficiency and features.
• About 1 name in 100 may be restored incorrectly during the update due to a bug in the backup process from previous betas. Any missing/incorrect names can just be added again. This won’t happen in following updates.
• Maximum Operators now 40.
• If the Orb detects that it has insufficient memory to complete its scan it will skip that scan cycle and display the amount of free memory instead. This should clear on the next scan. This is caused by SL being slow in freeing up no longer used memory that the script needs to reuse.

Informational

• Fixed bug where SLW did not work when SLT was off.
• Fixed bug where a name which was a subset of a larger name in the friends list did not make them count as a friend to the script time checker.
• Added more user friendly detail to STMon.
• Rearranged Script Limit dialog messages. Included “you might be removed” statement to the warning message.
• Attempts to use an invalid name like “username.resident” will result in it being truncated to the correct “username”

Technical

• Changed name storage from using lists to one long string.
• Changed how name listing works internally (ML 5900 clears the old list and names the new list. The lists name is no longer the first value in ML 5000, null is)
• Names backed up/restored at about 50 names a second. New method of backing up names for Updates stores names in multiple 1Kb length strings.
• Modified Op/Network list work correctly with new format, 5900 now sends list name
• Scanner and Sensor exchange data using CSV format.
• Removed Avatar Script Limits “deeded to same owner as land owner” requirement to help with testing
• Changed detected avatar status processing to conserve memory.
• Freed up operator_string in Sensor before repopulating to try and conserve memory.

Thanks to the testers

Heather Smithson, teqi.falta, Amberleigh922

Update 2012-12-27: Version 14.111alpha

• Moved the Avatar Script checking to a separate script to allow more room for name storage.
• Can store about 400 – 450 names now. Assuming SL average of 14 characters.
• Testers needed/Testing needed.

Update 2013-01-04: Version 14.114beta (minor)

• Turned off /8stmon by default
• Removed stray NULL_KEY chat when updating.
• Removed chat when adding deleting Friends/Guests. Pop-up only.

Update 2013-01-04: Version 14.115beta (major)

• Updating caused names to be restored with a space in front. This lead to all the names in the Orb being ignored. Fixed 21Sensor script.
• Added a fix to 9Backup script to remove spaces from the front of names. (which didn’t work!)

Update 2013-01-04: Version 14.116beta (major)

• Fixed the fix to 9Backup script to remove spaces from the front of names. (which did work, yay!)

Update 2013-01-10: Version 14.117 (minor)

• Visitor Log bug resulting in multiple Enters/Leaves messages and log entries. Fixed!

Update 2013-01-15: Version 14.118 (minor)

• Message “(21Sensor) *** Avatar Name (avatarname) you have 10.000000 seconds to leave this protected area. ***” normally said in chat now obeys the announce=channelnumber in notecard HomeSecurity Channels.

Update 2013-02-08: Version 14.120 (medium)

• /8tp name was reporting “(21Sensor) can’t find: -1.00000000|name” . Fixed.
  

SUMMARY:

• Avatar Script Time Limits was added to v13.036 PDS HomeSecurity Orb, with 10.037beta I am trying to improve it.
• /8slt and /8slw without parameters prints the current settings. (new)
• /8slt and /8slw now have a fourth parameter called scripttimecount. This represents how many sequential scans the avatar’s script time can be over before action is taken. (new)
• Parameters left off the end will remain unchanged. (new)
• -1 is used to disable any parameter. (same)
• * is used to keep any parameter at the current setting. (new)
• /8stmon command will toggle on and off script time Whispers – 10m range (new)

UPDATE 2012-10-11 (13.037.1beta)

• Script Time was incorrectly ignored if neither Script Count or Script Memory was being used. (fixed)
• /8slt now has a 4th parameter which represents how many consecutive checks an avatar’s Script Time usage has to be over the Script Time Limit before they get Teleported Home.
  Command format: /8slt scriptmb scriptcount scripttime scripttimecount
  Ignoring scripttimecount causes it to default to 10 15 (changed to 15 in v13.037.6beta). When someone arrives it can take a minute or two for their Script Time to settle down.
• New command: The /8stmon command will toggle on and off Whispers (10m) from the Orb about avatars with script time above Warning or Teleport Limits as it processes them. You can use this information to fine tune your Script Time settings for your area.
• At this stage I recommend something like 500-1000 (µs) for scripttime and 10 15 for scripttimecount for /8slt.
  e.g. /8slt -1 -1 1000 15
• No equivalent work has yet been done on /8slw yet in this beta test.

UPDATE 2012-10-19 (13.037.6beta)

• /8slw (Script Limits Warning) equivalent of the above has been added. The default slw scripttimecount is 10.
• /8slt (Script Limits Teleport) scripttimecount default is now 15.
• The commands /8slw and /8slt without parameters now print the current parameters without changing them.
• Substituting any parameter with * will keep the original value. e.g. /8slt * * 1000 15
• When a parameter is missing or has * then the value is now left unchanged.

UPDATE: 2012-10-23 (13.038beta)

• /8stmon incorrectly whispered and tracked every visitor when either slt or slw was off. Fixed.
• When attacked due to avatar age too low the avatar gets his age and the age requirement in their notification message.
• AvLimits menu now shows “Ignore Time” rather than “-1µs” when Script Time checking is off.
• /8age command where duration was between 0.0 and 1.0 hours resulted in maximum duration rather than the expected fraction of an hour. Fixed.
• Clarified how Weapon/NotifyOp (3Weapon) and Scanner/VisitIM (81VisitorLog) send messages to the Operator.
  • NotifyOp enables/disables notices for:
    • Attacking unauthorised avatars
    • Attacking fake Operator Display Names when AvLimits/DispProt is on.
    • Attacking excessive script limits when /8slt is used.
    • Attacking when avatar age too low when /8age is used.
    • VisitIM enables/disables IMs for:
      • Avatar entering
      • Avatar leaving
      • Avatar Display Name similar to an Operator’s name warnings
      • An Operator uses the command: /8lb hours user.name
      • An Operator uses the command: /8tp user.name
      • Failed attacks

UPDATE 2012-10-26 (v13.038.9beta)

• Added “Warn” and “Attack” feedback whispers to /8stmon
• Stopped Warn pop-ups from being sent more than once for every scan that they are over the warn limit.
• New Settings Notecard entries: script_time_warn_maxcount and script_time_teleport_maxcount.
• Changed spare memory buffer from 10kb to 8kb to stop new code from reducing name storage.

• Experimental third parameter added to /8slw and /8slt for checking avatar script CPU time usage.* Click for more. (Initial testing shows that a newly arrived avatar can have a large spike in script time usage before it drops down. The Orb may need further refinement to ignore this initial spike. See v13.037+ above)
• Floating text display shows script memory/CPU time usage in µs (micro-seconds).*
• UpdateDisk must be within 10m of an Orb to update it (was 20m)
• Clearer messages about why someone was attacked.
• Add/Del’ing names causes a pop-up dialog reply because many people are now using Orbs from far distances due to one Orb covering a whole region.
• Notifications now include SL Time (SLT) and link to profile.
• Updates after this one will back up and restore names 7 times faster.
• Script memory check uses decimal point numbers.
• Log records attack reason also.
• A single attack notification sent now. Not two.
• Web page shows Script Limits, Teleport properly.
• Visible/Invisible fixes.

* A simulator under ideal circumstances produces 45 frames per second ≈ 22,222µs (micro-seconds) per frame. A portion of this 22,222µs is devoted to running scripts. An avatar who has a script time of 1000µs would be using 4.5% of the simulators processing time.

DETAILS:

PDS HomeSecurity Orb V13.036:

• Web page shows Script Limits, Teleport properly.
• Visible/Transparent minor bug fixes (/8visible)
  • Visibility of floating text and texture transparency will be preserved in the scripts memory for all updates following this one.
  • Turning off/on/updating the Orb obeys the Visibility state.
  • If your Orb has visible floating text and invisible prim try /8visible (or /8v) a couple of times to clear it.

PDS HomeSecurity Orb V13.035:

• Removed obsolete Twitter code from VLog.
• Fixed minor bug where Script memory checks were using integer rather than float. i.e. ignoring numbers after the decimal place.
• Improved AvLimits menu to show decimal memory usage.
• VisitorLog records attack reason along with attack type.
• VisitorLog no longer sends unneeded Attack messages to Operator when Scanner>VisitIM is on. (Weapon only should send messages to the Operator about a Target being attacked when Weapon>NotifyOp is set to IM or Menu.)
• Changed Script Limit, Warning pop-up to say “Preferred <” and Script Limit, Teleport to say “Limit”
• Script Limits checks avatar’s running script count now rather than total script count. i.e. Stopped/crashed scripts are ignored.
• /8slw and /8slt now accept a third parameter for scripttime in µs (micro-seconds) per sim frame.*
  The new format is: /8slw scriptmb [scriptcount] [scripttime]
• Floating text display has replaced avatar script count with avatar script time in µs (micro-seconds) per sim frame.*
• Added “script_time_warn” and “script_time_teleport” to Settings notecard. NOTE: these use decimal point seconds (not micro-seconds).

PDS HomeSecurity Orb V13.033 beta:

• Removed some debug code from Command Log script
• Changed UTC Time to SL Time for Weapon Attack messages (IM or Pop-up).
• Changed UTC Time to SL Time for Visitor Log IMs.
• Adding a name causes one notice not multiple notices. e.g. Adding an Operator causes a notice and also adds to Friends List, however only adding to Operator causes a message.
• Name backup and restoring, during updates, now 7 times faster. (yay!) This won’t show until the updates following this one.
  Unintended  consequences:
  • Settings notecard could take multiple comma delimited friend=, target=, operator= and network= values on the same line. e.g. “friend=psyke.phaeton,another.name“
  • /8add[f|g|o|n] commands could take comma delimited names. e.g. /8addo psyke.phaeton,another.name
  • Using comma delimited names is not recommended because sanity checking is not done. (For example; adding someone as an Operator/Friend/Guest will not remove them from Target List and vice versa, checking for duplicate names does not occur, etc.)
  • You cannot delete multiple names at the same time.
• Moved Friend/Guest backup to before Target backup so that should there be a memory shortage a Target is dropped rather than a Friend/Guest.
• Added “Full” message to pop-ups when adding names but memory is full.

PDS HomeSecurity Orb v13.031 beta:

• Over time the Orb’s tasks have moved on from the simple black-list/white-list. The Orb can also remove people because of display names, script usage or avatar age. However attack messages have remained unchanged and therefore unclear. I have changed the Notify Target and Notify Operator messages to clearly state what has occurred and why.
• Since 1 Orb now covers a whole region, shouting commands to add and remove names is more common. Since the Orb only llSay‘s back (20m range) Operators past 20m get no feedback. Now the Orb llSay‘s and sends a pop-up to the Operator. These new pop-ups only apply to adding and removing names/networking.
• Changed messages regarding Avatar Age to more obviously show: less than and equal to X days old avatars are removed.
• New command: hide “Operated by: Name” in Notify Target pop-ups: /8nthop on|off 
• Tidied up Weapon script to avoid duplicate messages.
• (Weapon) Notify Operator by pop-up now has a “Name (user.name)” and a link to target’s profile (shows in version 2+ based SL clients).

UpdateDisk:

• Time-out now 10mins because names can take longer than 5 mins now to backup or restore.
• Will now update the first Orb to reply to it and ignore any other subsequent Orbs in range. Previously a different Orb could steal the UpdateDisk focus from an Orb during the update. Oops!
• The Orb must be within 10m of the UpdateDisk (was 20m). Updated initial float text to reflect this.
• The UpdateDisk now shows in the floating text which Orb ID is being updated as well as the particle effects.

Thanks to teqi.falta for the reports, suggestions and testing.

Web:

• Changed WordPress “Documentation” link to point to V13 documentation.
• Added /8v short-cut to the /8visible entry in v13 documentation.

To Do:

• Update bulk packs at store and MarketPlace once it is clear this version is stable.
• Forum announcement.

Old Script Checking behaviour which is unchanged:

• Orb’s Friends do see Avatar Script Warning messages but never see Avatar Script Teleport messages and never get a teleport home.
• In NoAttack mode Avatar Script Teleport messages and teleporting home does not occur, Avatar Script Warnings do occur.
• Changes to Avatar Script Warning checks only apply to newly arriving visitors (not existing visitors).
• Changes to Avatar Script Teleport checks apply all visitors on the very next next scan.

Documentation:

• Corrected V13 Display documentation for ForeignLand Safe off. V13 uses “F”. (Was “FL” in v12 and less)

Other:

• 13.016beta “21Sensor” script lost Mono setting causing it to crash. Fixed in 13.017beta. Thanks Ami Thibedeau.
• Added llGetMemoryLimit() check to Mono scripts to check for Mono scripts with Mono accidentally disabled. [13.018beta]
• Caused changes of Range or Timer to send immediately to 21Sensor. [13.019beta]
• “ArmedRng” button moved to more prominent position and “ScanRange” to less prominent. [13.019beta]

Investigate:

• Web menus: LlSetContentType (ongoing)
• OBJECT_SCRIPT_TIME – Darian Llewellyn (v13.035)
• Change other land owner check to match the Orbs owner not the Orb’s land’s owner. Usually the same but technically more correct.
• Remove )0 from [1)0] float text since Orb no longer processes out of range avatars.
• Web “Script Limits TP: Off” needs updating to new format. (v13.036)

Version 13 Orbs will have the old range functionality and the new ability to have ranges of:

• “ThisLand” only this land parcel will be monitored.
• “LandOwners” any land, in the region, owned by the current land owner will be monitored.
• “Region” the whole region will be monitored.
• Also valid scan ranges will be unlimited but restricted to the region.
• Note: SL Avatar fly height is now 5000m. SL land bans apply up to 5000m.

Ability to store more names up to memory capacity minus 10K buffer:

• Tests have allowed: 275 x 30 character names, 375 x 20 character names, 430 x 15 character names.
• 60+ Operators.
• new commands: /8delop (delete all ops) and /8delnr (delete all network relays)

Other:

• Floating text format for numeric Range “[x)y]“: x in range, y out of range when a range is set.
• Floating text { } show when up/down is not 500m.
• Floating text: R = Region, TL = ThisLand, O = Land Owners; range.
• Menus have a wider range of values (10m-500m, 1sec-30secs)
• Doco changes for new abilities.
• Clears logs on rez for privacy.
• Region idle shows on web page
• Removed references to first and last names in doco and settings notecard
• Changed bulk pack prices: 2x 750L, 3x 900L, 4x 1000L
• Ponies, Ponies, Ponies!!

Thanks to:

• lance.corrimal, gregt.frimon, foreplay.bigbear, marie.bauleri, kit.curie, oona.sharple, scarlett.luv, cincia.singh, janey.humphreys
• Special thanks to darian.llewellyn for many many suggestions.