I honestly think this is a step in the wrong direction. Most phishing happens in store group chats, not DMs. I think the major issue you guys are having is being way too heavy handed with people goofing off versus people being truly malicious. This will cut back on socializing.

I'm just going to speak from my past position with content creation and customer support: While this idea has some merit, it will add one large hurdle to providing good customer support and the requested feature could potentially open up newer vectors of undesired attention or harassment.

First, what would the request look like? Does it just include the user's name? What about their display name? Profile picture? First X lines from their profile? Will the 'request' be the intended message to be sent over? Will the sender even know they have to send a request? The less sent over, the harder it would be for contact to be made for providing support to customers, because not all customers know the creators of their own items by heart. If I was to contact someone in regards to a failed transaction, this feature would ultimately lead to not being able to assist with something, and now the platform is the ultimate reason for why I get dinged for 'bad service.'

But let's look at it the other way: say I can provide information and context on why I am sending the request. Say my profile picture, display name, and other information is included in this hypothetical pop-up. In that case, the very harassment that people are complaining about just got a brand new vector in a form you now officially cannot ignore. Don't like seeing raunchy images? Oops! Someone changed their profile picture and just sent you a request. Guess who will get to see it? The messages? Just add it to your profile!

If I recall, TPVs solved this to some degree: Busy mode can be set to not apply to friends or even send a separate message just for them. Just extend this feature to Busy mode if the concerns are really that bad, otherwise you also have to add a solution so content creators can do their other job: providing good customer support.

I’m reading the comments, and everyone is just writing mindless nonsense, opposing things instinctively without having any clue about how this could be solved technically. You don’t even read each other’s previous thoughts; you just resist something that has already been implemented in most places. If necessary, I can develop a solution that will forward unwanted messages to those who are so eager to receive them - all in a way that prevents them from blocking the messages they get.

Why I need to read these unwanted messages what I attached? If somebody wants these messages I will gladly pass it on to them. Those who, due to a lack of understanding, are incapable of grasping that these messages can only be moderated retroactively after delivery at this point - I can only pity them. We are not on the same intellectual level, my dears.

Attachments are created at Lelutka Mainstore. This is a moderate region, not a club, not a dating place, not an adult place. Everything has its time and place. For those who enjoy reading such messages, they should consider seeking the help of a psychotherapist to treat their condition. I can recommend an excellent specialist who will be able to help.

As a woman in SL, I get a lot or random, offensive, unsolicited DMs from strangers. I think having that setting off by default is a WONDERFUL idea and would make me feel safer when in crowds. If people enjoy being harassed, they can turn it back on.

This is an absolutely awful idea. For example, if I bought an item from a Marketplace store (which has no inworld store) and if that item doesn't work, or is incomplete, how are we ever to ask questions to shop owners or shop staff who are not our friends and who we have never met? A ridiculous suggestion that would totally break communication in SL.

And btw, why does Feedback not have a DOWN VOTE?

There is plenty of reasons mentioned on why not.

I get the idea but this isn't the way to reduce it.

Vote Down

This is the most braindead suggestion ever and will fundamentally ruin SL, learn to use the block feature. DOWN VOTE

This is one of, if not the worst, idea that has ever been put forward. The absolute last thing SL needs is more ways for people to avoid talking to eachother. Even if people receive a spam IM every single day (they dont), that is a loss of 2 seconds of time to block it.

I think enough people commented on all the reasons why this bad so no need to add any more.

Just adding my VOTE DOWN (since canny has no vote down option)

I'm seeing a lot of good suggestions here that, on the one hand, recognize that receiving random IMs from people (or spam) is annoying, sometimes verging on a form of harassment, and, on the other, acknowledge that communication tools, even with strangers, are an important part of SL.

Dismissing complaints against random IMs out of hand and insisting upon the status quo is, frankly, tone deaf, and doesn't recognize that the actual lived experience of many of us (especially, I suspect, women) is full of this kind of thing. A great many people (especially women) have DMs turned off on social media platforms for precisely this reason: we don't want to have to deal with the constant barrage of pick-up lines or requests for money.

And I reject the idea that people should be left vulnerable to this kind of thing for "the good of the platform." The platform exists for us, the users, not the other way around: I am not bait for noobs looking for companionship, nor am I part of the affordances and attractions of this platform.

At the same time, yes, there are issues with simply moving from one default setting to another.

So let's better enable individual choice by making these options much easier to find and activate. Honestly, I had to search hard to determine that it was even possible now to turn off IMs from non-friends. Make it more intuitive, if not necessarily the default setting. Make it easier for us to choose how WE wish to experience this platform.