I’ve been getting more SL time recently, which is good. In my travels I’ve been seeing CA slaves around, what the lady behind the program refers to as the anti-bane. It’s a nice concept, not to my taste but CAII is to be commended for her ingenuity. I can’t help but think the CA outfit is sexier than the bane one either, but then neko tend to be attracted to shiny things.
Unfortunately, I can’t recommend it. In fact I’m blogging today specifically to speak out against it, which is unfortunate. The problem? No safeword.
That is unacceptable. It’s even more unacceptable as we’re not talking a trivial commitment here; I’ve met one CA slave who’s locked in the suit till September at least!
Now you can say that it’s just SL, what harm could possibly happen and I’d say that if you’re asking that then you don’t understand BDSM. It’s 90% about the mind and if you buy in to the rich experience SL can offer, then that is powerful indeed.
The penalty for leaving the program is to be Grey Listed. That means that you’d be forbidden from participating in any program that uses th Grey List. I approve of the Grey List concept. I question that a program with no safeword can be associated with the Grey List. In my opinion there can be no support of a program that does not have a safeword.
I re-iterate that I do like the overall concept of CAII and I think it can offer a rich experience for many people.
I’ve copied the text of the program and the application form to the end of this post.
What is Community Assistance Incarceration?
Community Assistance Incarceration is a program that allows criminals and other miscreants to be punished by turning them into a slave of the community. A CA slave loses only two rights: the right to change her appearance in any way, and the right to refuse any valid order.
A CA slave wears a distinctive, skintight suit designed to make him highly visible. This lets him be called upon to serve by anyone who desires to use him. His behavior is monitored by a Custodian implanted in his brain, which also allows him to be completely remotely controlled. He also has a neural bypass installed that works like an on/off switch, and indicator lights that show the status of the switch. There’s an information projector installed on the right leg that lets anyone who wishes more information about the slave or the program to get it easily.
A CA slave can be thought of as an anti-bane. A bane is isolated from the society he has wronged. A CA slave remains within it in order to serve it.
A valid order is one that does not violate the slave’s declared limits or those of the program. The slave may be used sexually, if desired, or for any other purpose. The suit will stretch as needed to allow the slave to be penetrated, or for a male slave to use his penis, though the helmet is rigid and the slave’s mouth cannot be used.
CA Slave Application
Here’s what you need to know about becoming a CA slave. Please initial each line to show that you have read and accept it.
* You will be required to wear the CA slave suit, in its entirety, and nothing else. You will not be able to change your appearance in any way once the sentence begins.
Initials:
* You will need some editing skill to set the suit up. Some items will need to be linked together, some will need to have only some components edited, and nearly everything will need to be fitted. If you need help, it will be provided when
Initials:
* All CA slaves look basically alike. This means that any special prim attchments must be removed during the encapsulation process. This especially goes for furry avatars; you will look human during your sentence.
Initials:
* The sentence cannot be ended or shortened, only extended. Sentences are in RL time. There are no limits to the number of extensions you may receive from violations or being ordered to extend your own sentence yourself. No amount of pleading can change this. Not even CAII can reduce a slave’s sentence.
YOU CANNOT SAFEWORD OUT OF YOUR SENTENCE.
Initials:
* Your voice will be altered and processed, and will appear as your CA number, not your name. Your name will not be used, and you will be required to correct anyone who addresses you by it.
Initials:
* Your declared limits will be honored. You must accept any order that does not violate those limits, however. Losing the freedom to say no is the foundation on which the CAII program is built.
Initials:
* You will be owned by CAII, not any one person, so that you can serve everyone equally. If you have a current owner, they must surrender ownership of you for the duration of your sentence – so they must agree to your sentencing, and will not have any more right to give you orders during your sentence than anyone else. They must provide a copy of this application, completely filled in, as well.
Current owner’s name, or “none”:
Initials:
* Violations reported to CAII will be added to your sentence in accordance with the terms of that sentence. There will be no appeal.
Initials:
* Logging in without the use of RLV for any reason without the prior approval of CAII will result in your removal from the program. This policy may only be waived in a particular instance by CAII Wonder herself.
Initials:
* If you are removed from the program for any reason, your Dominatech iControl implant will only be released back to your control upon your agreement to destroy the items provided to you by CAII, and not to appear in the unmodified CA slave suit for any reason.
Initials:
* CAII participates in the Second life Bureau of Investigations greylisting program. Those who have been reported to the program will normally be ineligible for a sentence as a CA slave. Anyone removed from the CAII program for cause will be reported to the greylisting database.
Initials:
* You will need one empty group slot to join the CAII group. You must wear the group tag at all times unless you have a need to do something that requires a different one. If you have no empty group slots, but own a group and can give yourself the tag CA Slave in that group, that’s acceptable, although you will miss out on the help you can get from the group chat.
Initials:
* You are not required to add CAII Wonder as a friend, but you are encouraged to.
Initials:
* The suit components, if you do not have any of them already, will cost between L$2500 and L$3000. The vendors in the CAII facility are not owned by CAII. CAII is not able to issue refunds for any reason, including changing your mind about entering the program or being removed from it for cause.
Initials:
Please put your SL account name below, and the date. Then rename this notecard to “CA Slave application – <your name>” and return it to CAII Wonder. This will serve as your application to the program, and your agreement to the terms and conditions above.
I understand and agree to the terms and conditions of the program as listed above.
Name:
Date:
Shuggi's Blog 
Hi Shuggi, Marine here
I agree with you, safewords are a necessary part of BDSM. But I do not agree with you when you say this :
“I question that a program with no safeword can be associated with the Grey List. In my opinion there can be no support of a program that does not have a safeword.”
These two sentences are so fundamentally wrong that, as the creator, co-manager and member of the Greylist program, I cannot not react.
The Greylist does not endorse anything, it has only a few criteria to accept or deny memberships, and those are not based on how the groups are managed. Its main criteria is that the member groups must publish their own rules, so that the players know exactly where they are putting themselves into. It is absolutely not its role to remove a group because one of its rules does not sound right, even if it does not sound right to some (or to most).
It is not a blacklist either, if a group staff member screens a new player and finds their name on the Greylist, they still have the means and power to decide whether to accept them or not. The Greylist is purely informative, that’s all, the members have the final word. Being on the Greylist does not automatically deny access to the other RP groups, it all depends on the reason of the presence of the person there. Nobody wants a griefer or a cheater, but someone who safeworded once will certainly not be banned for life from all the interesting places.
Moreso, if someone believes they have been listed wrongly or knows they did cheat or grief in the past but believes they have grown up, appeals are fair and objective. We are a group of clever people, not machines.
So, I would like to kindly ask you to remove those sentences from your post, because the Greylist does not have anything to do with your opinion of CAII, and they could undermine the perceived integrity of the program as a whole.
Thanks for your understanding,
Marine
I am not understanding how there is no safeword involved. You are not talking about rl, you are talking about SL. In SL, you choose to log on with normal viewer or a viewer that has RLV enhancements. In SL, you choose to sit down as your computer at all.
If you are walking around in SL with RLV, you are giving consent. If you decide to remove your OOC consent, you simply log out of SL, and if necessary log into normal viewer.
So, even though I am a scripter, there is not way I can remove your safeword ability in SL.
Now, if you are speaking of the act of safewording causing you to be greylisted, then think of it this way. I see on the application where you initial several times that you agree with everything they have said. If you don’t agree, don’t participate. It’s that simple. If you have an objection to no safeword, then why would you submit an application to this place. I really at am a loss to understand here.
For some of us, Second Life is an escape from the confines of reality. Let’s face it — real life is dangerous. But, in Second Life, there is no way you can be physcally harmed. Some of us love the feel of having no options — yet knowing we are physically safe. Some of us are “turned off” by knowing that we could “take control” and “safeword” at any time we wanted.
If you disagree with a safeword in a game that you can stand and walk away from, then that is your privledge. But, please do not be so intolerant and close minded as to ruin that for those of us who enjoy the freedom that having no options brings us. Some (or hopefully most) of us don’t have that option in real life. And, Second Life is a good place to safely realize that fantasy.
And if you disagree, don’t participate. It’s that simple. Don’t try to start a campaign to ruin it for the rest of us. One thing that turns me off the worst in Second Life is when my avatar is standing there screaming, “NO! Don’t take my keys! You can’t do this! Give those back!” , and some person walks up screaming to my captor about TOS, and my captor gets scared and unlocks and walks away. If my rl player really didn’t consent, I’d go into normal viewer and reset my cuffs. Simple. It’s not real life where I can’t do that.
Shaela
Shaela, I refer you to the fourth paragraph of my post.
BDSM is much more about the mental than it is the physical. Harm can and does happen in the `safety’ of online.
Thank you for coming by to discuss your concerns with me the other morning. I respect your opinion, even though I do not share it. I do wish I’d found out about this blog posting in some other way than the notice in the greylist group, however.
Fundamentally, the program depends on the honesty of the participants, since, unlike the various banishment programs, there is no good way to use technology to enforce one of the program’s two basic constraints – that a participant obey any order that does not violate her limits or those of the program, willingly and cheerfully. That’s a problem in artificial intelligence, and certainly won’t be solved in an LSL script.
I believe that participants in the program are adults, and free to make their own choices. I work hard to make sure they understand exactly what they’re letting themselves in for, and then I get out of their way and let them choose for themselves.
The program was designed as it is because there needs to be a compensating factor for the basic fact that it’s not a lot more than people RPing in a specific outfit. There should be some consequence for safewording out. Since the outfit costs just under L$2500 for women and L$3000 for men, a hefty deposit, as used in the banishment programs, would drive the cost up well out of reach of many people who are already stretching as it is to afford the suit.
I’ve spoken to the participant who drew your attention. I specifically asked her if she was comfortable with the duration of her sentence as it stood. She told me she had no problems at all.
There’s also one other part of this you may not be aware of. A domme who had previously owned one of the program participants grew irate when I explained to her that not only could I not undermine the program because of the desires of someone who wasn’t even in it, but also the choice was not hers, but the sub’s. (The sub eventually chose not to cheat out and go with the former owner, who responded by severing all ties with her.) She told me, “I am well known and know most of the important people in the prison society on here and I will spread the good word about you and your dirty business for sure.” I don’t believe you are acting in bad faith, but I do believe that this domme pointed you at me, directly or indirectly, as part of that campaign.
The folks I’ve spoken to, both participants and others, agree that allowing a safeword without consequences would render the program meaningless. I asked you for suggestions on how to do it. Your silence was deafening. I repeat the request now: If you’ve got a suggestion, I’m all ears.
Having gone through the CA program, I also have to say I disagree. I knew the rules going in, I’m a mature adult and accepted the fact that I might be there for quite sometime (admittedly, my sentence was light, just a week, but part of the excitement is knowing that once I went in, there was only one way out. Adding a safeword would have defeated the purpose.
This program is not for everyone. I routinely play with no safewords on my relay for example because that adds to the excitement. But on a pure player level, this “no way out” argument is patently absurd. If I’d truly had enough, I could’ve vanillaed out. Yes, there would be a big penalty to that. Being banished from the program forever and greylisted. But that’s all it is, a penalty. It’s meant to discourage quitting. But the choice to quit or not is still ultimately the player’s.
I went into the CA program full of doubts, but CA-00 (CAII Wonder) is an exceptional person and I truly believe her program is a valuable one. It’s just not for everyone. My advice would be, make your peace with family and friends and prepare yourself mentally first. It’s a big commitment and not to be made lightly.
Jennie Irelund
aka CA-11
Its pretty simple.
If you dont like the idea of no safeword,, dont apply to the programme.
The fact that there is no safeword is in the application and your asked to accept that you understand this, so its no surprise.
There are lots of things that happen in SL that I dont agree with, so ,, I dont go there.
For me personally, the idea that there is no safeword impses a huge commitment on the player. If your not up for that challenge, go play somewhere else
@CAII, you’re right in that I should have informed you of the blog posts. It’s not that I was trying to keep it secret, the blog post came some time later as it was going around and around my head and sleep was a problem, so my apologies for that.
I have no connection with any dominant or submissive connected to the program, so you’re wrong about that. I have an interest in that kind of play and it was random chance that I bumped in to some CA slaves.
I’m glad people are enjoying the program. I re-iterate that I think CAII is to be commended on an ingenious take with the anti-bane concept. My concern is having people Grey Listed for using a safeword, I don’t think that’s at all necessary or desirable.
@Madang, I do not believe that playing without a safeword is a challenge, I believe it is fundamentally wrong.
It’s important to be clear that CA does not actually have the power to greylist anyone. What they can do is to submit a request (with reasons) to the Grey List executive that so-and-so be added to the database. There are only three people (I am one) who can actually add that person to the database.
If the request was clearly abusive, i.e. someone was being greylisted for reasons other than those behind the rationale of the Grey List program, then the request would most likely be rejected out of hand (this has never happened to date).
If the request was accepted but actually had no real basis (e.g. if the subject were accused of cheating but actually did not cheat), then the subject would be able to appeal against being greylisted and would surely win their case.
There are extremists in both RL and SL who actually like to go without safewords, and I make no judgement about that. But it is not the purpose of the Grey List program to be used as a general threat. The intent of the program is to weed out cheaters and time wasters, and that is what it does.
Daisy
I would say that you clearly seem to be in the minority, here, Shuggi, even though it’s your blog.
What this should speak to you is–Don’t play in places you don’t agree with. However, also, there’s no reason to begin a campaign to get rid of places you don’t agree with. If that is what is going to happen, I am sure there are people in SL who think that any kind of BDSM play is fundamentally wrong. So, if you start taking out the parts you think are fundamentally wrong, why can’t they do so, as well?
I think you should think of it more as I think of the movie(s) Jaws (how many are there now? in the thousands? *smirsk*). And my response to Jaws 54 is: “People! It’s a shark! Stay out of the water!”
If, to you, playing SL without a safeword is dangerous, then stay out of the water. Don’t go places that require no safeword.
To me, playing SL with a safeword amounts to just playing games. So, I have always avoided the places and people who want to get my permission to do everything.
It comes down to a matter of personal preference. And you are more than entitled to have your own in the places and people you associate with. And, you are more than entitled to include yours in your Sim. Perhaps your Sim rules state that there is a Sim-wide safeword that must be observed at all times. That is your call. If it does, I can tell you that I wouldn’t play there, because to me, it would be a waste of time. But I wouldn’t start a campaign against your Sim, either. That’s your personal preference. And, you’ll probably attract some visitors like that.
But, you have to be considerate of the personal preferences of others as well. If you were able to close down every sim in SL that doesn’t allow a safeword, where would all of us play?
Shaela, I’m assuming you haven’t read my two more recent posts. If you have and you still believe that I’m on a crusade to shut down sims or programs that don’t employ a safeword, then there’s not a lot more I can say beyond what I already have.
The most recent post is titled My Mistakes and Misunderstandings. I put it on the front page of my blog so it would be prominent and not hidden away in the comments.
Ironically as I’ve had a lot of visitors to this particular post, no doubt in response to the notecard that CAII sent to the group that she graciously shared with me, perhaps the people most in need of seeing it missed it. Forgive me, I’m not used to having people directed to a specific post in my blog.
The two subsequent posts are https://shuggi.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/safewording-and-the-grey-list/ and https://shuggi.wordpress.com/2010/07/23/my-mistakes-and-misunderstandings/
It’s clear we have divergent ideas about what a safeword is and what BDSM is in SL, which is likely a source of conflict. I intend to blog about that in a couple of days or so.
FWIW, I agree with Shuggi here that safewording should not get you greylisted; the deposits in the bane programmes are enough to give me some concerns, but a thousand Lindens or so isn’t such a big deal.
Having said that, the other posts from participants in the greylisting scheme help: if the greylisting would just consist of a record somewhere that I had safeworded, anyone who would hold that against me is probably an entity I don’t want to get involved with in the first place. If it were used a straight blacklist, where those listed were excluded from other activities, I’d be much more concerned.
Personally, I like the ideas of both the bane and CAII programmes, but wouldn’t want to make that level of commitment to either. I’m impressed by my friends who have, though.
That’s an excellent point.
Okay, from what i read now, “almost” all negative Posts to Shuggis Statement are Group Members of this Program (why i dont wonder..?), i will give my 5 Cents to it.
Lets consider this situation, a person feels uncomfortable after a long sentence but is afraid to OOC (not to cheat, consider the difference, if you dont know it, hit the The Big X), what would you suggest to the person? Maybe the person doesnt want to be greylist at all for further plays in other RP Scenarios he/she wanna try out..
So you risk to continue the play even of the person is fed of all of it? Oh wait..you suggest he/she can always log and use the normal viewer..right..he/she can..but still will be greylisted..and it doesnt matter IF the person is banned by a System or just listed..it puts a bad image on the av..would anyone want that? i guess not..
So you people play what you want..and if you just create an ALT to spend years in your Suit..but stay away with that program from the Greylist..cause there will be always a situation when someone has enough..but wanna enjoy the rest of RP Activities..without being asked frequently “hum..did you cheated? i have you on list..” (@ Ciaa Wonder isnt it enough the person cant rejoin the program after safeworded out?)
PS: keep grammar errors to yourself, my native language is german 😛
Alexander, I’ll ask you the same question I’ve asked everyone else: What penalty would you apply to make sure that people aren’t quitting just because they’re bored? Becoming a CA slave is a real commitment, and the penalty has to reflect that. If they quite because they’re bored, how likely are they to want to come back int he first place? That’s why I don’t think a ban from the program is enough.
@CAII Wonder
I hope the Program itself makes sure of it, the individual who signed the Program doesnt get bored…
The Problem is more that the one who signed, could come to a point where the person is fed of it to continue..Any RP should “always” enjoyable for BOTH sides..not for one..so there is a NEED for an exit and regarding to your own Application, you dont allow that..you risk with it that the participant just stands around and doesnt react to any orders and doesnt give you any feedback anymore in this RP..if thats cool for you..fine…once again being “bored” and really wanto end cause it doesnt feel right anymore..are two things..
IMHO You as the Program Owner are responsible for all what happens in your program, not only the one who signed up and if you sense there is one who is really sick of it..i would let him out without any Greylist Consequences. (and there is still the question why the Greylist should be used for a “SAFEWORD” (Violation?)” but thats another topic..
For me it’s not that complicated a question: which action has potential to harm the sub?
This is SL, there is no body language, tone etc etc. All we can rely on is the written word and all we can do is proceed with best assuming best intentions. If someone safewords in SL then you’ve got a choice: honor the safeword and provide support to the person or ignore the safeword and risk damage to that person.
I do not subscribe to the school of thought that one can’t be damaged in SL, or on the Internet in general, so for me the choice is clear.
@Shuggi
“If someone safewords in SL then you’ve got a choice: honor the safeword and provide support to the person or ignore the safeword and risk damage to that person.”
Couldnt have said it better..
Sorry to say that here, but one of the main aspects of BDSM is consensuality at any time.
If there is no consent any more – and it does not matter why there is no consent any more – and if someone is still forced to do something, this is not BDSM any more, this is abuse.
In SL any abuse might limited to mental or emotional abuse – but it still remains abuse. And yes: it does do damage. I have to aggree with Shuggi.
So if you announce to put those who have safeworded, with other words: declared their non-consent, on a grey list, you force them to do things without having their consent. Being on the greylist means “Bad RP” or maybe “Do not play with them”.
I think it is ok to say “I do not want to play with you any more because you have safeworded…” – since you may declare your non-consent, too.
But it is an abuse of power to say “do not safeword – or others won’t play with you! I’ll notice them that you cheated!”.
This behaviour is something that can be called “structural violence” – and such a violent behaviour has absolutely nothing to do with BDSM in my eyes.
Again, if you want the option to say “ok, I’ve had enough”, then don’t play in Greylist places. But, there’s a lot of us, who are submissive and we don’t want that option.
i am the warden of the rr prison and i am a member of the greylist and the ones who are cheating out of the prison will be placed on that list
However when they ask to a guard in ooc that they wanted out the prison that is always good and they will always be released.
Do you know why the list exist, because most prisoners can be one alt and will be only have the intake for fun, let they go then to one playground.
I am happy that the list exist, it is not ideal but better that then nothing
@Hanneke: If you care to re-read my posts and the discussions you’ll see that I don’t have a problem with the Gray List, it’s more how it’s been used in this particular instance to remove the possibility of safe wording; or at least the perception of such.
Safe travels.
Shuggi
I must say, the CAII programme sounds most fascinating. If my SL mistress would permit it, and once I have the prerequisite 1 month behind me, I too would like to sign up for this. It sounds just perfect, I’m already having fun with some of the components required by the outfit, namely the iControl chip. 🙂