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Agency Equipment Theft
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Sleuth Admin
Sleuth Admin
Tale Spinner

Aug-30-2004 11:29

There has been a bit of an epidemic of thefts from agency equipment lockers lately. Although there is some access control provided by the current agency rank system, it is clear that the current system is not restrictive enough. I've had to spend a fair amount of time lately trying to clear up the server and network stability problems, but providing adequate security for agency lockers is now my top priority after keeping the game up and running.

With that in mind here are some options that I am currently considering adding. If you are currently or were previously an agency member, I would appreciate your feedback.

1) Transaction Log for Agency Safe - Keep a list where Directors can see who has put money in, and taken money out of the agency safe. This might be a feature agency's have to purchase.

2) Transaction Log for Equipment Locker - Keep a list where Directors can see who has stored and retrieved items from the equipment locker. This might be a feature agency's have to purchase.

3) Officer/Director Locker Storage - Allow users to flag certain items as only being able to be removed by Officers and/or Directors. This might be a feature agency's have to purchase.

4) Marking Equipment as "Agency" Items - Allow Items to be marked as belonging to an Agency. Only Officers or Directors would be able to sell an agency item. Nobody would be able to logoff or quit an agency while using an agency item. I have some concern that doing this would take a LOT of programming time. If it is the prefered solution, I could do it, but it would take much longer to do than the other options.

5) A "Thief" flag - Allow Directors to mark ex-members as Thieves, so that other agencies could be wary of bringing them on. This would be easy to do, but I really don't like the idea very much. It seems likely that it would eventually be abused.



Replies

Evita
Evita
Well-Connected

Sep-1-2004 04:01

I vote for 1-3. They are simple and effective. Directors can post messages about thieves on the boards if they want when they find out what has happened, so 5 is unnecessary. 4 is too much work.

PRettyhaha
PRettyhaha

Sep-1-2004 16:13

I will be honest, I them all, and as far as five goes, I do agree with it because it will keep people honest, but I also think it should be temporary thing, like your first flag is two weeks, second flag is 4 weeks, and so on. I als very much like the idea of the log for the office, it would be alot easier keeping track of who is helping out.

Shannon Anderson
Shannon Anderson

Sep-1-2004 19:48

not a fan of #3 or #5, but the others would work

Violet Holt
Violet Holt

Sep-1-2004 22:08

I like #'s 1&2 a lot. That would cut down on most of the problem. #'s 4&5 would undoubtedly work, but #4 would make it harder for lower members to get money if something they put in there were marked, even if it seemed like a good idea at the time. #5 could and probably would be abused, but other than that it is a good idea.

Dr. Falco Maltese
Dr. Falco Maltese
Well-Connected

Sep-2-2004 03:08

#1 Agency safe transaction log would be good. I, for one, forget whether I've paid my personal rent to agency on any given day, even.

#2 Equipment locker log seems possibly cumbersome. We started doing one on our agency message board, and it seems overly complicated to me. I would like to see items labeled with the contributor's name on them, and if they want to mark them "Agency," they could do that instead. Items purchased from agency money could be marked "agency" automatically or the directors could change names.......I dunno. I would like to be able to give a seal skin hat for someone's personal use and label it with their name. This wouldn't mean we couldn't still share. Marking things as in case files might be one way, or having certain items that directors flag as "unloggoffable" or "unresignable" with would be another...

#3 I think everyone should be allowed to use the locker items (except rookies). That is a benefit of joining the agency, and it is nice that the directors and other older agents support the newer ones with better gear as well as wisdom. If too many things were marked private, we might as well have individual storage rather than group storage. Then if someone wanted to borrow something, we'd have to send it over like we currently send money.

Dr. Falco Maltese
Dr. Falco Maltese
Well-Connected

Sep-2-2004 03:19

Having said all that, it seems like #4, while perhaps more complicated to program, would be the most user-friendly in the long run.

Plus I still like the idea of marking items with the name of the contributor. That way, if the locker is getting full and items need to be sold, individuals could be compensated for their lower-end items.

I admit I am thinking this out as I write.

Okay, I think this is my best synthesis of ideas so far:

Make the equipment locker like the case files. Allow directors to store more items than everyone else. Let everyone mark items "private" or "open." Precious equipment could be kept by directors, officers, or whomever was trusted to keep it and marked as open when requested. If an agency was full of mutual trust and goodwill, they could be left marked "open" all the time.

And since I want to be able to put cases back in someone else's file storage, and I'd like to be able to see who originated a case, while you're adding these features to the equipment "files," you could just ease them on into the case file storage system, too! :)

#5 I don't like at all. I don't think it would work, and I think it would end up generating more ill will than the recent thieving events.

Dr. Falco Maltese
Dr. Falco Maltese
Well-Connected

Sep-2-2004 03:23

Lastly, while I am not opposed to agencies buying things as part of the game to make things more interesting, I would hate to see younger agencies suffer by becoming vulnerable to security risks that don't threaten established agencies. Perhaps these "pay" features could be free for new agencies, and then as their fame grew, they would be required to pay protection money to La Cosa - and the fee would increase with the fame, as the shady guy's fee increases for individuals?

Kay
Kay
Well-Connected

Sep-2-2004 10:31

i think that the theif flag should be confidential only to Directors. that way if an Officer helps in the recuriting it should be the Directors who approve this newbie (because they can see the confidential file of the theif flag).

As far as the equipment locker you might have to do it the same way the case file is done. if one doesn't want thier equipment to be used then mark it privite and if it is open for use and someone wants to use it there should be a borrow botton in order to use the item and when the case is solved or you falsely accuse then the item you borrowed should automatically go back into the locker when case is over (meaning after every case you have to re-borrow).

also maybe when an item is taken from the storage locker on our detective photo (that shows our items) at the bottom (maybe font 6) it reads borrowed item.

now as for selling of items, i think that if an item that is sold and is not yours the money should automatically go to the original owner or to the safe with a pop up stating that sam sold mary's item and then the director can forword the money over to the rightful owner and can try to handle that action before it gets out of hand. like a warning. and if its done 3 times then the teift flag is turned on (because that is being dishonest).
but remember it is a game and we are here to have fun and meet ne folks from all over.

*repeating myself*

elvenwonder
elvenwonder

Sep-2-2004 11:16

What about having Officers able to recruite, but not promote? This way only Directors, who see the theft flag, can promote to agent and use of the locker?

Moonshh
Moonshh
Well-Connected

Sep-3-2004 12:03

Please don't do #5. Couldn't people create a character, subscribe, join an agency, steal equipment, join another agency and then either stay or create a different agent and repeat the process without being flagged? And people could be unjustly flagged....

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