[Beta]

Just based on the fluff, it sounds like making AROs of various sorts is a routing activity for most denizens of SR 2080.  But from the rules point of view I'm less clear on how it works.

First up, a few assumptions that I'd like to check are correct:

• ARO are specific to a grid, so that something posted only on the public net wouldn't be visible from the local net or corporate nets, and vice-versa
• It doesn't take special gear, status, or approval to create AROs.  That is, a commlink or other matrix enabled device should be all that you need.
• It is possible to create ARO that are not easy to erase (why all that ad spam doesn't get cleared out easily).  Although certainly on corporate grids they retain the power to remove innapropriate content, and do so regularly
• When trying to make an ARO look legitimate (as in coming from a particular company or government department) you use the forgery skill.

Now some examples that I think should be possible for runners, based on my reading of the fluff.  Please talk to me about how you'd handle this under the rules.

1) Inside a corporate facility, post an ARO at the door to a staircase announcing that the staircase is closed, and to please use staircases A or C instead.  (or a washroom, or elevator, or other area that runners would like to be briefly empty).  And have it stay up for half an hour

2) Leave a cryptic ARO at a particular place in public as an indication that you are looking for a meet with someone who knows to look for that ARO (like AR graffiti).

3) Post a bunch of bright, splashy, ARO near the entrance of a business that seem to show the VP of Security involved in bestiality (or maybe just smoking drugs with street scum, or taking a meeting with a rival corp, or whatever else might cause an uproar).  Putting them up on the public, local, and appropriate corporate grids.

4) Post numerous ARO around a neighborhood offering payment for information about a certain person/site/business, leaving a link contact number  (maybe your link for information you are truly looking for, maybe the link of someone you want heavily spammed for a while).  Keeping these up for several days.

[Xenon]

Interesting topic.... have not really thought about it like that before.

It seem as if you can create your own AROs (on for example RFID-tags) and then spread them around the area for people to see (think spam or graffiti tags), but that people also can choose to filter out so they don't see your AROs. Not sure different grids will affect this tbh...

If a bar have an ARO displaying the name of the bar it seem as if you can see this no matter what grid you are using.

And that you can share images, tactical information and maps etc very easy. Even in the middle of a firefight. No matter what grid you or the rest of your team use.

Book also suggest that you seem to be able to hack existing AROs without explaining how (AROs don't seem to have a matrix icon of their own so this is possible done by gaining a mark on the device that display the ARO and then using the Edit File action to change the ARO?).

A device will be on one grid but you can access it from anywhere in the world and no matter what grid you are on.

Wireless firearms display an ARO that tells you ammo levels and ammo type loaded.

It seems to be possible to flood a local area with invasive or viral AR advertising, causing noise.

Global grids seem to be full of advertising and marketing (favoring the corporation that owns the grid) which seem to imply that different grids have different advertising and marketing.

Seem as if you can get spam and the amount of spam increase if you have a legal SIN (or a fake SIN that been around for a longer time).

[Xenon]

Having said that.... trying to answer your questions:

1. Mark on the door. Edit File to place the ARO. Unclear if you can program it to go away on its own after half an hour (but maybe this can be resolved with an opposed Software + Logic [Sleaze] vs. Logic + Firewall test)

2. Edit File on a RFID-tag and place the RFID-tag in the public space. Or mark an existing device at the location you where you want your ARO and edit it to display the ARO you wish for anyone walking pass.

3. Buy a bunch of RFID-tags and make a bunch of Edit File actions and then place them at the location.

4. Buy a bunch of RFID-tags and make a bunch of Edit File actions and then place them at the location.

[Beta]

Ah, you are thinking that ARO are mostly anchored to a device (such as an RFID tag).  I was thinking grid related because I figured they were just anchored on the grid somehow.   I already have stuff to go research

[Xenon]

Doesn't say so directly but it seem as if AROs need to be "anchored" on a device (often a RFID-tag). Book mention the RFID-tag and AROs quite often. As well as Commlink and AROs. Also Every icon in the Matrix is one of six things: a persona, a device, a PAN, a file, a host, or a mark. ARO is not one of them. It doesn't have an Icon of its own, implying that you interact with a device or a file located on a device.


RFID-tag (device):
geo-tagging: Assigning AROs to a specific physical location, often using RFID tags.


Commlink (device):
You don’t have to be an expert to make an ARO. If you want to send directions to your place from the party, you can draw a line on an AR map and share it with your friends. If you want to point out a person in a crowd for a buddy, you can make an ARO highlighting that person and send it.


RFID-tag (device):
You can choose which of your AROs are seen by which people, so you can keep it private or, if you’re feeling impish, put vulgar AROs on RFID tags and scatter them around town for all to see. Of course, other people can filter out the AROs they don’t want to see, and so can you.


RFID-tag (device):
Tags are used for geo-tagging locations and objects, leaving a virtual AR message for anyone who comes by, employee tracking, access control, owner-contact information for everything from vehicles to pets, vehicle and weapon registration, and so on. They can also be used as tracking devices, periodically transmitting GPS data to the Matrix.

RFID tags are devices (p. 234) that can hold one or more files, but not much else. The physical location of a tag can be found via the Matrix (Trace Icon, p. 243). Tag data can be erased with a tag eraser (p. 441) or programmed with an Edit File action (p. 239). RFID tags have owners like all other devices, but unlike other devices a tag’s owner can be changed to “nobody.”


Commlink
As long as you have some way to allow your commlink or cyberdeck to send you visual information—such as cybereyes, eyeglasses, or goggles—then you can see the AR information the Matrix has to offer.


Image Link (working together with a commlink):
Image link: A standard upgrade, this lets you display visual information (text, pictures, movies, the current time, etc.) in your field of vision. This is usually AROs, but you can display pretty much whatever you want on it. You and your team can use it to share tactical and situational info in real time. An image link is what you need to truly “see” AR and participate in the modern world.

[Beta]

Wow, thanks for pulling all that together!

Pulled together like this, it does make it pretty clear that they have to come off of something.  Which makes me wonder about spam zones --- are they literally littered with RFID tags?

[Xenon]

I think spam zones are mostly "a lot of traffic" which basically will have a negative impact on the bandwidth which will slow down connections over all. A lot of streams going back n fourth. During a widespread emergency everyone will send messages at the same time which will increase noise dramatically, but just being in the downtown area will induce noise due to "spam zone". Massive targeted marketing information (national SIN NQ suggest that it might even be based on your SINs purchase history etc) will probably also contribute if you move around in a major commercial area.

But yes, Spam Zones are also an area flooded with invasive and/or viral AR advertising (possible originating from RFID-tags or other devices), causing noise.

Data Trail define spam zones as: Spam zones are the exact opposite [to static Zones], having multiple levels of access, but overburdened by so much traffic that bandwidth is overwhelmed and unable to flow properly.....while spam zones annoy them by constantly flooding every bit of their perception with advertisements for consumeristic garbage.



DT also goes on saying (this is in the same vicinity where they also explain TM echos such as Quiet and Resonance Scream which lower and increase noise in the general area): Creating or enhancing those zones is fairly subtle—after all, if you’re not expecting the best wireless service in an area, do you complain about how it really isn’t working one day? Or perhaps people just shrug because the spam is particularly thick today—maybe some great new cat video got posted that everyone needs to watch.

If someone uses the wrong type of Noise in an area, however, things get quite less subtle very, very quickly. After all, if there are no people in the area who can see into augmented reality, why would a spam zone suddenly pop up that can be seen by anyone with even the most basic commlink? In the other direction, a spam zone being flooded with static and a lack of ability to get out those advertisements is going to slot off a corporation or two— they don’t like people messing with revenue-generators. It’s a basic rule of shadowrunning—don’t do things that call too much attention to yourself.

[Sphinx]

An ARO on an RFID tag is basically just a file. No reason not to add file protection to keep people from messing with it (Edit File, p.239). Maybe even a data bomb? (Set Data Bomb, p.242).

[Xenon]

Actually not sure an ARO is a file.

But assuming it is; If you want people to actually see the content of your ARO you might not want to protect it....

SR5 p. 239 Edit File
A protected file cannot be read, changed, deleted, or copied until its protection is broken.

[Stoneglobe]

I love ARO's and manipulating/placing them especially when playing my technomancer graffiti artist. He uses security tags or any fixed device he's previously hacked with databombed encrypted files to display his unique graffiti.

We work with the concept that an ARO is just file placed on any device in the area set to broadcast into AR and VR as determined by the person placing the ARO. They can also be shared via commlinks so that teams can share info on the go such as maps/directions/even tactical information if someone uses their actions to update information. Actually use this as a way of making my techno useful in combat by using perception actions to identify things and update the team tactical ARO feed. Usually have a couple of circling drones set to send info into the ARO feed as well.

More or less anything can have an ARO attached to it as any and every device has infinite "storage" when connected wirelessly.

[Redwulfe]

I have alos thought of AROs as a file that has a broadcast attribute set to the on state and is stored on devices. We also felt this is how you broadcast your SIN as it is displayed as an ARO attached to your commlink. They can be animated or static and you can also make them only broadcast to specific commcodes. We usually allow AROs to be edited or created with the edit file action and require you to have a single mark on a device to be able to do so.

My question is do you all require a mark on the target device to create or edit AROs?

[Xenon]

Yes, upon closer reading it is clear that AROs in fact are files.

SR5 p. 222 Life with a Commlink
Most of what you keep on your commlink are files, this includes music, your SIN (fake or otherwise), licenses (also fake or otherwise), maps, email messages, your contact book, AROs, and so on. These files are visible to people who can see your commlink in the Matrix, so most people keep all of their files in a protected folder.


However, in this edition you don't "enter" a device in order to access files on it. If the ARO is a File located on a wireless enabled device then you need a mark on the File Icon. You don't need a mark on the Device Icon.

Having said that, files does not have ratings of their own and will instead defend with mental attributes of the owner and the firewall rating of the device they are located on.

I'd imagine that for RFID-tags which have an 'owner set to none' would be treated as an unattended device which mean that files on such a RFID-tag would defend with device rating x 2. Standard Tags have a device rating of 1 and security tags have a device rating of 3.

Datachips have a device rating of 1, but Datachips does not have wireless capability so you can't use them to display AROs.

Sensor tags a device rating of 2, but they are x40 times more expansive than standard tags so I guess they are normally not used for spamming AROs.

Stealth tags have a device rating of 3, but Stealth tags always run silent so I imagine they make poor public ARO carriers (they have a sleaze rating of 3).

[Beta]

So _in_ a host, the ARO could all be files supported by (and protected by) the host.  Presumably legitimate employees would be 'logged in' to the host when at work (invited to have a mark), so the workplace ARO might often be set only for those with a mark on the host? 

But even within, say, an Ares building there could be visitors who are not in the host, who need to see basic information.  Can a host support files out on the grid?  Or can a host support files that are not-protected (visible to all?).  Or would the ARO showing the nearest fire exit be supported by an RFID chip, to enable all to see it?

[Xenon]

So _in_ a host, the ARO could all be files supported by (and protected by) the host.

Files that are stored inside a host are protected by host ratings (both against getting a mark on the file and to resist copy or editing of the file). You cannot access a file that is stored inside a host unless you first enter the host.

so the workplace ARO might often be set only for those with a mark on the host? 

SR5 p. 215 "Augmented Reality Objects are typically connected to a physical object or location in the physical world and viewable through augmented reality."

In a physical workplace you would have AROs showing up along the physical walls and doors and offices.

They will be files on physical devices in the real world rather than files inside a virtual host.

Can a host support files out on the grid? 

No.

You cannot slave a File to a Host. Files out on the Grid will defend against attacks from the Grid with owner mental attributes and the firewall of the device they are stored at. You cannot access file icons out on the Grid from within a Host. You need to first exit the host to do that.

Or can a host support files that are not-protected (visible to all?).

Sure.

A file that is not protected can be read by anyone, you don't need a mark to do that and it doesn't matter if the file is located on a device or inside a Host. But to copy or alter a file you need a mark on the File. The file will resist your attempt to mark it and it will also resist your attempt to edit or copy it (using owner mental attributes and firewall of the device if located on a device or host ratings if located inside a virtual host).
 

Or would the ARO showing the nearest fire exit be supported by an RFID chip, to enable all to see it?

Having a fire exit ARO that you can only see while inside a virtual host would make little to no sense... An ARO showing the nearest fire exit will always be a file located on a device on a grid, where the device is physically located close to the actual fire exit so you clearly see it in AR when trying to find the nearest fire exit.

I'd imagine that you can also just ask your commlink to mark the path to the nearest fire exit (similar that you can ask your commlink to mark the path to the nearest shoe store or public toilet).