So what is the grid going to -look like-?

Of all the ways the age-verification logic is twisted, the way I find most disturbing is the idea that any content a minor might find on the grid could possibly corrupt them beyond the level of corruption they've already demonstrated by lying about their age.

Sure, some kids do it, but I find their willingness to submit a legal online form with false information to be far worse than anything they'll be able to see on the main grid. (I'm actually serious about that.)

Now, with age verification, those of us who tell the truth (at least about that) can be spared from the deceitful minors, at least in restricted areas. (Or maybe not so much.)

Good idea. So in my store, I could just consolidate the mature content into one section and parcel it off to mark it mature. People can go about their business as usual, and technically I am in compliance. Even better, I can still access my own land, because I do not intend to verify.

My view--like several other folks here--is that we will always adapt, and that no matter how catastrophic an event or decision may seem, in the end 'life' goes on.

There may be times when you FEEL like giving up and throwing in the towel--but if you're a true lover of 'virtual spaces' and drool over the ability to create content and assets--Second Life is by far the best application available...this will keep you coming back time and time again.

The day you feel the cons outweigh the pros...it's time to move on. There's enough drama and venom in real life...we don't need a compilation of both driving us to Negative Town.

I agree that it is good for SL to protect themselves. Sadly, though, as ISPs, P2P, etc., steadfastly stonewall such, I guess SL has decided to make sure they have the personally identifiable information at hand and ready to ship at a moment's notice. If they are going to take that tack, then they'd better give us ways to prevent adult material from being delivered via group notice, etc.

This isn't about keeping kids out of protected land. This is about being able to hand people over to the authorities when they come knocking. Any kid that can get a credit card number can get a DL number. On the other hand, as with the casino situation, when something "illegal" is going on and you're being investigated, I guess it would be handy to just say "Here's the culprit, have a nice day!"

I use quotations around illegal because, as with the recent casino junk, I worry about the middle ground issues. What law are we going to bow to? "Hate speech" which has a different standard in every country, pornography, harassment, disrespect for particular governments, transmitting material considered threats to national security, etc., are all things that no one at this point really agrees upon.

Yet, as ISPs and others work to prevent having to hand the information over, SL is gleaning it, I think, so that they'll be ready to. That's great if it is kiddie porn, but if it is a Jack Thompson subpoena, or an RIAA subpoena, etc., I think this could be bad.

Above all, if they are interested in the kids, then they need to offer us a way to limit our interactions with anyone that isn't verified, for our OWN protection. Obviously keeping someone out of a few parcels when anyone can send them porn or do harem dance for them in the noob area isn't what I'd call effective.

Hallelujah Sling, finally some sanity injected into this debate.

I think that everyone worried about their private-use adult toys, etc inside their private homes should take a breath and re-read the above from Sling. There is no way that you should REASONABLY be held liable for some determined busybody camming into the bedroom of your private residence and spotting activity of an adult nature and then ARing you.

(How would that AR read anyway? "I was walking along in Jingi--a completely residential island sim--when I spotted a cool house and thought I'd just take a peek inside. I disabled cam constraints and wheeled my cam inside and I observed a full-on BDSM dungeon with a furry dog whipping a chained woman and they were both nekkid! I am offended and want them both banished to the cornfield! BTW, put me on the list for when you seize this property, coz I wanna buy it."

Of course I realize that using the words reasonable and Linden Lab in the same sentence is a bit of a stretch....but I'm not going to be overly concerned about this. I think the fish LL wants to catch are the commercial, publicly accessible venues, not individuals who have a couple of sex balls on their couch.

To answer the original question....I think there will be a lot fewer of the open "free love" areas, but other things will be pretty much the same (crosses fingers).