PG, Mature and now "Adult"

Just a few comments on the proposal to add another , "adult" category, from a 3-monther who happens still to be noobie. So far, I don't see anything wrong with this cultural distinction (PG and Mature) in SL. If you don't like what some people consider Mature, then stay away from them. But as long as they don't force their culture on you, leave them alone. In this respect, SL is just not broken. So it doesn't need to be fixed.

Second, if there's an issue with federal or even state or local decency laws, it's easy to post warning notices so that people know what to expect. And there's no one under 18 here. It looks to me that most sites handle this matter quite well. When I firstd got here I was told that in the appearances facility I couldn't be seen by anyone, so I could get naked, and then, after making adjustments, get dressed again. I was gently brought up to date on the matter.

Third, recognize that patterns of behavior are really cultural issues, just as they are in First Life. As anyone thoughtful can see, there are a large number of cultural styles in SL, probably many more, and more prominently, then in First Life. The basic character of SL will be compromised if steps are taken along the path of formalizing cultural distinctions. It's not a matter of having a "thought police" or a "behavior police", although those are ever present threats. It's something worse. I heard a rabbi speak once along these lines: Well, the nazis came for the jews and nobody stepped in to help; then they came for the gypsies, and no
one stepped iin; then they came for the labor unions, and then for the homosexuals, and no one stepped in; then one day they came for me, and there was no one left to step in. It is at the heart of freedom not to treat different people differently. If another distinction is drawn, then yet another will see the light. And then yet another. Where would it end? There's nothing wrong with SL. Let it be.

Well, thanks for reading this far.

You're preaching to the choir, brother.

And have given us a Godwin!

*whips off her pants and waves them in salute

Sheesh, Godwinned in the first post - that has got be a record for the Adult debate!

Fact seems to be that most residents don't see the need for it, but that doesn't matter. Linden Labs feels that this is the direction they want THEIR world to go, so THEY are making it happen. Many residents on the forums are just trying to make this as painless as possible.

The only vote we get is with our wallets - we choose whether to still support the product by being in-world and spending money or not.

I haven't felt this helpless since I mistakenly wound up on a flight to Cleveland.

Well put.

It occurred to me that this latest flood of new rules (Homestead, New Adult rules, no more traffic bots), as well as the other recent changes over the last year or so, is really just LL looking for either a buyer, or preparing for a public offering. They're trying to sell SL as a business and education platform, so all the stuff they're moving so aggressively to "clean up" is designed to make themselves appealing to those potential new owners.

They're using the numbers generated by the stuff they're now moving to rid themselves of as part of the pitch. And it doesn't take a rocket scientist to see that their daily numbers are over inflated by the traffic bots. If SL were a website and looking for advertisers, real traffic numbers would be required to sell that advertising space to a potential advertiser. It's not a website, so the numbers game is different. And their targets are different and have different needs. Educators wouldn't care about traffic. But corporate presence would, and would be fearful of a place as lawless as SL has a reputation of being (all those naughty bits, oh my; all those druggies, oh my; all those <insert cultural distinction here>, oh my). We've already seen a lot of corporate presence make a stab at it, then run away when the hype turned out to be just that, hype.

So they're using the people who are paying the bills now, to sell to people they hope will make them rich through a single sale, or a public offering. It's only slightly bizarre to be doing this in the middle of a world-wide recession that shows no sign of bottoming out any time soon.

Remains to be seen if it will pan out for them or not.

Yet.

They're coming.

At least the ones who've reached puberty.

You are a self describe noobie. Let me in on a secret from the FIC... some people lie about their ages on the website and then tell everyone there real age once they get in.

Oooh I missed that... nice catch!

LMAO


Right on Edwardo (((hugs)))) love ya brothah!! Great post, but sadly.....there's really not anyone here who would disagree with you....and I don't think the Lindens are taking this particular forum too seriously. Still.....every voice matters.

Indeed. Ordinary Germans who did not belong to any of the persecuted minorities also suffered and died at the hands of the Nazis. They are the forgotten victims of the Holocaust.

I see the new moves as a trend of tailoring different bits of the Grid to appeal to different users. I actually think that the 'adult' continennt might be aimed at keeping or attracting more users who are interested in a more risque virtual experience, in the light of competition from other virtual worlds. I have an idea there's at least one grid developed from OpenSim that is primarily for adult behaviour - and then there's also another quite well-known virtual world that is there purely for pixel sex!!

I thought that WAS secondlife =X (not that I care but I've certainly never heard of it)

laughing

You don't really believe that, do you?


Let me clarify for those that seem to be a bit confused on where LL is going with all of this:

Current PG will become G, current Mature will become PG, new Adult will be everything from PG-13 on -- all mostly based on the movie ratings used here in the US:

http://www.mpaa.org/FlmRat_Ratings.asp


Welcome and please enjoy your new and improved SL

And it seems LL is more concerned over how you describe your land and it's contents rather then what is actually in it. Blondin is telling people in the other thread to just do some word play in ad's and descriptions, and they should be OK. This idea is becoming more idiotic as each day goes on.

Doesn't this imply what they are really interested in is hiding SL's seemier side from casual "Search" users?

IE naive businesses trying to ascertain if SL really is wholesome as they say.

Oh, and Brenda .. which other thread?

I have a question for Daniel. Um I mean Blondin.

ohhhhh where??*runs to check*

My current thoughts on this breakup of parcels is that SL could turn out to be a better place for everyone involved. It's like going to a video store. The adult section is in the back so you can easily say that you are going to the video store to get a new release when you are really going in the back room. If the video store were a purely adult video store or had mixed adult and regular videos you really couldn't get away with feigning innocence and it wouldn't be a very appealing place to enter for the average person walking by. You might say that someone in the store would notice you going into the back room but to the person outside the store it appears you are a normal non-pervy type of person. The main point being that the video store appears to be a respectable place even with an adult section.





p.s. I have never been to the back room of a video store.

This search should show you the posts Blondin made in the "Upcoming Changes for Adult Content: Answers to Questions" thread.

Bingo! This is all search driven, in one of the brown bag audios they mention how they've been looking in search.

Ah if only that were the solution, that would be a parcel flagging solution. However the LL solution is like going to a video store and being told the adult section is across the other side of town, turn down a few darky alleys, over the bridge.