Compensation for Owners of PG Land

LL's draft "Maturity ratings: an overview" rules substantially restrict what uses PG land can be put to and what can be done on such land.

The proposed new policies state, "a Region may be designated PG so long as it does not advertise or make available any content that is suggestive of any (even mildly) sexual or violent themes, or references to social drug or alcohol usage."

https://support.secondlife.com/ics/support/default.asp?deptID=4417&task=knowledge&questionID=6010

In other words, Linden Lab PG mainland is now restricted to content equivalent to that of a G-rated movie. This was not what PG land was sold as. LL's new "PG is G" definitions serve to significantly reduce the value of PG land.

LL has decided to offer some sort of arrangement to people who used Mature land for its original purposes--offering a swap for land on the new Adult continent. However, nothing is being done for owners of the soon to be downgraded PG land.

Linden Lab needs to step up and do so.

Well, well. What HAVE you been doing on that PG land...?

I had a museum of SL resident created art. However, it live in my inventory now, due to the new rules. Out of a 200 paintings and photos, there were three nipples visible. Under the old rules, that would not have been a problem. Under the new rules "any content that is suggestive of any (even mildly) sexual or violent themes" is forbidden.

That definition clearly covers any art that might possibly offend anyone.

This is all just madness personified..... The problem lies with the actual definition or perception of what is sexual... One person's idea may not concur with another..

For instance...

What if one was selling clothing...and the picture on the product box was a slightly 'suggestive one'....no nudity etc but a 'sexy' pose ... that to some could be construed as of a 'sexual nature' or pertaining to such... It may sound ridiculous but I guarantee you that someone, somewhere down the line will report it...

Next, anybody 'living' on PG land....such as I do.. will have to have all skin covered all the time...no hipster jeans or belly-tops....no bright shades of lipstick or eyeshadow.. Is that what will be the next step.. This area is so bloody vast and so wide open for interpretation that I really think it's impossible to monitor it fairly..

I really feel we're being treated like children...and if that's the case, I'm going to stamp my feet and refuse to eat my virtual curry....

That's a pretty good point Carl. PG is PG, sure... but this is verging on Puritan.

I can't think of too many corporate or educational environments that are so touchy. Imagine trying to study greek art or something.

Next up... hiding bare ankles and a prudish Victorian society on the surface of things? Hmm...

Good point, OP. I've seen people worried about the new Mature and Adult definitions, but not much on PG. This is a very valid point, and I agree, the PG is too restrictive.

After following all the discussions I felt I'd seen the writing on the wall on this one and began selling off my PG land a couple of weeks ago. It's annoying, but I doubt LL will do anything for PG land-holders. They seem to have convinced themselves that this is what Residents want.

/me hides the beer cans in her shack

"references to social drug or alcohol usage."

I have PG land on which I have had an occasional virtual alcoholic drink.
That will be a TOS offence under the new regime.

LL will have to move PG people to M.
Maybe they can move them to the land vacated by the people moving to AO.

That may be OK as long as that area is moved to the same configuration - the SW corner of a water sim, with Linden water sims on the boundaries to S, SW and W.

Hey, I just thought of something else.... does this mean that I won't be able to use my cigarette hud..... Or perhaps I can hide behind Bith's shack and have a smoke.. Bith, I promise I won't steal your cans...lol

Yes come on over! We can hide behind the shack and smoke cigarettes and have a beer! Can you imagine getting an AR for that?

I'll wait until they numerically define how much butt cleavage can be shown on a (PG) parcel... All those cute jeans... Gone to waste... (T_T)

Good point, Carl. LL should make some adjustment for PG owners who will be forced to move. In many cases, however, LL will probably point out that PG sim owners can simply redesignate the sim as "Mature" (or ask LL to do so; presumably they will be processing a lot of such requests for mainland). Obviously, though, that eliminates the protection that a PG designation previously gave these sims.

Otoh, I can easily see many institutions wanting their area to be completely free from all nudity etc. . The mystery to me is why LL didn't leave PG as it is and create a new region category, "SAFE" or something, where any form of remotely suggestive content, and many forms of simply controversial content, will be unacceptable.

It sounds to me like this is mostly driven by schools and other RL organizations with inworld presence. But these organizations generally own their own sims, where presumably they can define and enforce the covenant however they wish. In fact, most such institutions permit only a small invitation-only group to build at all; I guess their main beef is with residents who visit with tatts or clothing that is suggestive? But it's impossible to regulate that.

I think that this new definition of PG will probably help few institutions, and cause disruption to many residents. It's more than a little puzzling.
.

lol...you know something Bith....it wouldn't surprise me..

My feeling is that all mainland PG sims should immediately become Mature sims. PG sims are not useable for anything.

PG as a designator is not very useful, so perhaps it should become EDU or something.

Maybe they can have a PG land swap, and offer to move you to soon to be vacant Mature land.

Patience is the key, when the existing mature land that is pretty much being downgraded to PG is vacant after the moves to Ursula, then they can move the PG tenants who are now residing in G rated land.

Folks, let's just use common sense. If you can go to a PG movie and see someone drinking a beer you should be able to have an image of a cartoon beer on pg land.

The guidelines are not cut in stone yet and they are not being worded by a bunch of lawyers (not with that vague language), but are being picked over as if they were. Besides, if I worried this much about what a bunch of lawyers and elected officials think I should and should not do in RL I'd never have the spine to leave my house.

I look at rules and guidelines in the same way as the late George Carlin who was once fined for jaywalking. He'd been jaywalking all his life and figured it came to about a tenth of a cent per jaywalk. He considered that a bargain for the added safety of having to look in only two directions instead of four directions at a corner.

It's our civic duty to question authority, but not to the point of stifling our lives and never making a move for fear of that authority.

After reading the description for the new Mature rating, and combining it with the description for PG, I have a hard time determining exactly what PG will be able to be used for... puzzling indeed.

All I know is that land is going to go to hell.

PG is going to be worthless

Mature with the exception of protected waterfront is going to take a large drop

Adult if not released fast enough is going to make Bay City look cheap

Now throw into the mix that LL is going to land swap if your land is mature but is adult in nature. You get to leave behind land that has dropped in value for land that is worth much more then your initial investment. I guess if a person was half way smart they would immediately change a couple of minor details on your land so that will it be reclassified as adult. I would not be surprised if that is already happening.

All of the work that LL put into stabilizing the price of mainland was for nothing.

maybe .. the pg sims is what the teens will have acces to when the merge goes through.
mature for 18+
and adult for 18+ plus verification

I believe that's the point. The trick is getting LL to follow..

actual screenshot from Second Life 2.0

As for breasts, there are court cases all over North America upholding women's right to go topless on grounds of equality, since men are allowed to do the same.

LL may actually be violating constitutional rights on that one....

Liquor is not so 'free' .. it is prohibited in public all over the place, and licenced.

Tobbacco is so heavly restricted now in many jurisdictions that you cannot always even smoke in your own home legally. And tobbacco advertising is heavily regulated, which likely would apply to depictions in SL.

Edit: Of course the liqour restrictions are not there (as far as I can tell) regarding virtual liquor.. at least everquest has not had any problems there so far.. Not sure about other virtual venues. There might be some advertizing limits on liquor too though.

None of this matters. Second Life is a business, not a government entity. Rights as such do not come into play. Just because a woman may have the right to go bare breasted on the public sidewalk outside a business, she has no rights to enter that business if they don't want bare breasted women inside.

Not saying I agree with their changes, but just to keep things into perspective...

Oh my what a fabulous idea! I think I'll apply for that job. I can just see it now.

"Hello, I'm the SL adult content inspector, I'm here to measure your butt crack."