LoppyDaCutie: A lot of the avatars are old and the databases need to be manually updated. An official avatar search would allow for real-time searching of avatars and better filtering.

Elocin_Anagram: mhmmm .... someone approves of avatars being placed or Logged in someone's world without the Avatar Owner's " Permission "

✩Frisk✩: I have tested this. It only shows avatars that were uploaded as public. It will not show avatars that have been uploaded as private, and then made public. I tested this with some of my older Avatars. I have a Kurisu Makise that was uploaded as private, but was later made public, and a Rainbow Dash avatar that was uploaded as public. In the search world, if you search by my name only my Rainbow Dash avatar will be shown, and not the Kurisu Makise avatar. Avatar Search worlds are going to be a good way to introduce people to creators. As their information is included with the avatar and any worlds they have created.

Elocin_Anagram: currently if someone wants to upload an avatar for a friend to use, the only option is to mark the avatar ID such that anyone on VRChat can use it. There are a lot of Quest users that do not own a PC capable of uploading avatars.

Elocin_Anagram: I understand that it searches up public avatars.

The point im trying to explain is permissions from owners.

First thing first.

( would get the quote but I’m on the phone )

The world says that “ it’s not responsible for any search results on avatars that would break TOS and are the fault of the makers if issues a rises

2nd There are some worlds that were uploaded but never made public. With those worlds … depending on their use ( could be RP, test, etc ) especially Worlds or Avatars that are meant to be Unlocked behind doors.

3rd, models that were said not to upload as public and people do so anyways … and those example are booth models. Thus hurting their ability to make profit.

4th … you have some users that have uploaded ERP avatars as public but have not placed it in worlds. Allowing their buddies to clone privately.

✩Frisk✩: make the avatar private and bingo they cant be used anymore in that world by other players problem solved.

LoppyDaCutie: Well, what Frisk is trying to explain is that some avatars creators don't want their avatars to be easily accessible. For example a puzzle game where the avatar is only unlocked if you complete it, or an avatar meant to be accessible only in their own pedestals with their own rules (gifts, stands, events, etc..)

Of course, technically you can do it, but from an ethical standpoint you are just stealing pedestals that you don't own. Having an search avatars feature is ethically not okay.

Fairplex: “when a avatar is public it is fair game” ~Tupper

Not to mention no one can own a pedestal because everyone uses pedestals when they display there avatars so it isn’t right to say oh i own that pedestal, you may own the avatar but not the pedestal.

Thus if you want to make a avatar public it should be accessible to everyone regardless if there is a secrete way of getting it by any means. By making the avatar private for everyone prevents them from using it even on pedestals.

I get where your coming from but i want to suggest if you dont want people using your avatar before solving a puzzle dont make it public its that simple.

LoppyDaCutie: "An avatar is public so everyone can use it?"

Technically: Yes. Ethically: No !

I will explain with a simple example. You make a world where the only way to obtain your avatar is to complete all the secrets. The avatar will have added value by you. That means you only want people who have completed your game to be able to wear that avatar, as a reward.

Now, me, without any ethic, I come and I take your avatar ID and I will place it in all my worlds without your consent so everyone can just grab it and spread it freely without knowing all the work done by you behind your avatar and world. Of course I don't care about what you think because it's your fault to make your avatar public !

Fairplex: if it falls under "public use" it's fair game regardless of if there is a puzzle for it. it's called public for that reason, and not hide and go seek it out. unless it's a lewd avatar or falls under making the avatar private, anyone can and should be able to search for it.

The only reason someone shouldn't be able to use it is if it is private.

more over if the world is listed as public and you have to seek out a avatar that isn't in reach and is behind a coded panel and can't be sought out easily that would classify as private and not accessible/public.

not everyone wants there avatars behind a wall where they don't get used, because they want to see others wearing and enjoying there avatars. it what makes them more popular.

people now a days look at that wall and go yea im not seeking that out.

LoppyDaCutie: Yeah, no. All you're being is upset that other people are telling you no to using their avatars, rather than making a case for public avatars being searchable. There's plenty of edge-cases where you want an avatar shareable but not public for a small number of people (eg; group-shared avatars) or even just for one other person (eg; They don't have a means to upload, but you made an avatar just for them).

The best case here is to just make avatar searching A Thing, but slap a boolean check as to whether it's okay to return your avatar in a search payload. Default to public to catch abandoned ones, and everyone comes out ahead. And if you're gonna complain "Well people will just click to hide theirs from being searchable", well yeah that's the point of it and they didn't want them searched in the first place.

Whaddageek: you said what i just explained and once again thanks for your input about me explaining something over the internet that you don’t do research on and that you dont understand. I’ll take your opinion into consideration when it becomes a fact and statement in the Tos and guidelines. Other then that imma dismiss what you said and outright ignore your remark about me being upset.

Whaddageek: Thank you for your constructive answer. I really like the idea that creators could allow or disallow their avatars to be searchable in vrchat, either being an opt-in or opt-out feature. This could be used to protect avatars to be used outside from their respective world/owners, like, if you are trying to load an avatar ID from outside of it's original pedestal, it will be denied. So maybe having a checkbox "Disallow public sharing" would provide a decent solution for creators who don't want their public avatars to be found or accessible from other pedestals

To everyone arguing over the ethics of this, the two most well known avatar search worlds have ways to have your content removed from the database. One simply requires you to put [PRIVATE] anywhere in the description while the other makes you join their discord which isn't that good but is at least something.

xxx_red_xxx: i agree

xxx_red_xxx: My favorite part is that if avatar search is implemented natively with more granular "public" levels, it would solve all of the concerns here.

Flufflestuff: Ripper store does not respect the hard work and efforts of the people who make avatars. Fair compensation for their hard work is due. If you don't understand the amount of effort it takes to make one... Then I challenge you to download and install Blender and learn how to Model, rig, animate, and texture avatar from scratch. Then maybe you'll understand why people get upset when their models are stolen.

Elocin_Anagram: I mean search public avatars on the main menu