The DreamScape has many security safeguards that are designed to keep you and your items safe.
The most important thing to remember here is that:

A thief can NOT steal from you here.

This picture shows what options come up when someone clicks on the Crash '99 Lion I am holding.
Do you see an option that says "Steal it out of her hands" or "Take this object"?
Heck, there isn't even the plain old "get" option.
Why?  Because I am HOLDING the lion.
Because of this, there is NO WAY...
please read that again...
NO WAY
that someone can steal that Lion from me. <shrug>

In the real world, a thief can grab an item from your hand and run.  
Here they CAN'T. 

YOU have to make that item accessible to the thief...
in other words, you have to GIVE it to the thief
or set it down for the thief to pick up
(which is basically the same thing).

If you GIVE your item to someone, it is not theft.

What is wrong with this picture?

I am standing here, in front of the Temple with a chest sitting on the ground...
I might as well put up a sign that says "Please take this chest!"
because it is inviting someone to swoop down from the clouds and take it!

"But no one would do that with an Aco standing right there!"
WRONG!
There are some that would.
If someone would take the chest with an Aco standing there
have NO DOUBT they would do it if you are standing there.

Now, before everyone hollers and screams too loud <g> I will fess up to the fact that
I DID NOT set this chest down in the street to take this picture!
This Dragon may be many things, but total fool is not one of them! <g>
This picture is a fake... I took the picture of the chest and inserted it in the other picture
just to prove these points.
I happen to like this chest and have no desire for it to sprout legs and walk off.

Does it make a difference that I am standing so far away from it?
NO!

Here is Acolyte Voodoo Cat and the chest.

I don't care how fast you are or how fast your connection is...
even if the chest is right in front of you...
someone swoops down from the cloud, intent on grabbing it...
...you suddenly hit a small lag - no more chest!
...you accidentally misclick - no more chest!
...the other person happens to be faster than you - no more chest!

Is it wrong for a thief to take it?
Of course it is.
But when you set an item down in a public locale,
you are inviting (maybe even daring) someone to take it.

There are those that will take the item because they figure you don't want it.
There are also those that will set an item down, wait for it to be taken
then call "THIEF"!

Want to keep hold of your items?
DON'T SET THEM DOWN
WHERE OTHERS CAN PICK THEM UP.

Pretty simple, isn't it?

What about the locales that people decorate periodically?
Same thing applies.
If you want to do it, have at it...
BUT do so knowing that people WILL take the items.

If you page an Aco, the Aco is going to want to know
WHY you set the item down in the first place.
After all, you DO know better.

Even though this next subject will be covered more completely in the section on "Cons,"
it also deserves some mention here.

You are standing on the street, looking for something in your pocket.
Your pocket is full...
DON'T pull out a container (or item) and set it on the ground.
DON'T pull out a container (or item) and hand it to someone to hold.
Why not?
Hand it to the wrong person and you just lost it.
Set it on the ground and it is probably as good as gone.

Would you hand your purse or wallet to a stranger on a street corner in the real world? 
Would you set your shopping bag down on a busy street corner and leave it sitting there?  
Can you tell by looking at someone in the real world if they are honest or not? 
Can you tell by looking at an Avatar if they are honest or not? 

Of course the answer to all of those questions is NO!

Most people are honest and won't take the purse/wallet/chest/item.
But, there are those that will.

Be SMART.
Use your head (and some common sense)
if you want to keep your items!

Another word of caution here about changing rooms and the cloned elevator...

If you set something down in the cloned elevator and you crash, that item is gone...
gobbled up by the server and you can not and will not be able to get it replaced.

If you set something down in a changing room and you crash,
someone else can enter and get what you left on the floor.

If you need to organize your pockets
do it in your turf.
It is the safest place.

BASIC THINGS TO REMEMBER
Don't set something down in a public locale UNLESS YOU DON'T CARE IF IT IS TAKEN.
Don't just hand an item over to someone to "hold."
Don't set something down in a changing room or cloned locale.

Thieves CAN NOT steal unless YOU LET THEM.

It's your "stuff" and your choice.

Please use your back button to return to the security page.