What should LL do? [Eek! An SL kid thread!)

Okay, so yet again, Sky News has gone whole hog on "exposing pedophilia" in Second Life, in a couple news reports that grossly (which seems the right word) exaggerated the issue, and spun the story of a debate held in their sim to make it sound like the audience was full of pedos.

I wrote a looooong thing about it all here:
http://livingtreeupdate.blogspot.com/2008/03/media-mush.html

Now LL did do a release on it to these folks, basically the same one they did for the Wonderland thing a while back. I'm wondering though, do you think LL should react stronger to deliberately defamatory stories, or should they just let them go?

I kinda wish they'd say more about it, myself, but I can also understand why they might feel it best to just not give these people the time of day.

Mari

I wonder if one day child av's will not be allowed at all, and perhaps no one under 21.

That's a great blog post Mari.

I don't really know what else LL can do. They've instituted an anti-sexual ageplay policy and are supporting it as best they can from what I can tell. If it were a government agency asking questions, then they'd probably need to pay more attention and offer up some proof of their efforts to curb those activities, but when it's basically tabloid TV? Best to be aware, but not give them the attention they're obviously campaigning for...maybe they'll get bored and go away.

It was an excellent post Mari!

I'm very tired of the media twisting "facts" to suit their own purposes. It's impossible to trust them with the truth, whatever that truth may be.

I honestly think it speaks more when residents of SL speak up and against these types of news stories. Of course, journalists going for the "gold" won't want our opinions, I'm sure, since it will ruin the sensationalism they are going for. However, when companies speak up against things like this, it's probably just seen as "covering their butt". When actual users and residents speak up, it might be taken more as the truth and less with a grain of salt. I think your blog post was a great idea!

Mari,

Just this week Law and Order SVU ran a story line about a child molester using a SL type program to act out his fantasys. While they never mentioned SL by name the conotation was there. While these are fictional TV shows they reflect and promote the values of the network that runs them. While there has never been a real case in the news that implicates such things happening the networks love to generate fear where none exsists.

Just look at the contaminated tap water stories. Every network and every news outlet ran commercials pimping the story only to discover there is no real danger, there is no cause for alarm. To be even slightly affected by the drugs in the water you would have to drink 1000 55-gallon drums of the water at once.

FEAR sells the news and the news thrives on controversy and fear.

IMHO "CX"

sometimes I jus wan to take my pail an shobel an say weave us awone!!!!!

The picture on your blog response is priceless, Mari.

Boogerheads, indeed!

Wonderful post Mari! Must be a slooooow day in *news land* for them to be harping on this subject.

Thats very funny. What an image.

Thankoo f'r all the positive feedback on the post.



Ya, most of the residents who went to the debate went because they were upset with what Sky was pulling. Instead of being heard, however, they were all called "deviants," and it was implied they were into sexual ageplay and rape fantasies. :-/



I sorta doubt they'll ban SL kids entierely, given their past history. Indeed, some of what I've been picking up at the governance meetings has been more positive than the past. I do expect that they;'ll eventually require age verification of all residents, though.



Very very true. Everything is a "hidden danger" and has a "dark side." It's all silly an sad.

Mari

Boogerheads!!!

It's a handy phrase!

Mari

For some reason, when it comes to kids, sex is the last thing that comes to my mind. Call me stupid, innocent, gullible, or what you will. Also, when I came to SL, I had no idea it had an 'easy sex' reputation. In fact, I didn't know much about SL except that having just acquired a Mac, my choices were limited when it came to any interesting online 'games'.

I'm fairly certain you can find paedophilia here, just as you would be able to find it anywhere if you were looking for it. The only way you could ever control it would be through background checks of everyone coming into SL. (!) Even that couldn't keep away every perv. It's not so much that I don't believe it happens here, it's just that I wish these 'reporters' and publications would take the resources they have and apply it to reporting RL abuses.

Ever hear about child trafficking? Child abuse and prostitution exists not only in far away countries you've never been to (out of sight/out of mind), but in our own backyards. Go to any large city and walk down 'crack' alley. I just wish more people would get in a huff about all these truly horrendous things happening to children in RL. We do see some very good reporting on this issue, but it is rare. Britney Spears is so much more entertaining. We're all a little guilty when it comes to the issue of child abuse in society. It's difficult to wrap your brain around these horrors. It's difficult for our minds and are hearts to bare, so we turn the channel to American Idol, instead.

There are many 'lifestyles' in SL that I simply do not understand or wish to. When it comes to kids, I think people would rather err on the side child protection. Fine, I understand this completely. But if you really want to protect kids, walk the talk. Until I have reason to doubt someone and the values they believe in, I will continue to see a child avatar as a person wishing to be a child in SL. If they give me any reason to doubt them (violating ToS, etc), I would react the same way I would with any other avatar who violates ToS. Since there is no immediate threat to a child here in SL (as compared to RL), I would prefer these publications use their power and resources to _really_ help children.

I've never felt the need to be a child in SL, but neither do I link them automatically to a sex 'lifestyle'. I've been far more creeped out by some comments I've received in IM a few times. SL isn't that different to RL when it comes to the sort of people you meet.

Why do reporters focus so much on this subject in SL? Because it would make people feel good to know they have contributed, even in a small way, to the abolishment of child abuse somewhere. SL is an easy target as it would be theoretically very simple for LL to include in the ToS a ban on child avatars. Then the publications could claim some kind of victory - another headline story for them. They could never claim the same victory over RL child abuse, (so why try?). They come to SL to maybe act out _their_ fantasy of doing a good deed.



I personally think LL did the right thing by not giving them more time then they deserved.

Gee, long post - Sorry!

I'm more cynical than dat, I guess. i figgure they cover it cuz it sells. Which really, doesn't make them any better than anyone else selling "child sex" for profit, does it?

Mari

Yes, I agree with you there. It sells magazines, and fills their coffers. They're not truly interested in putting an end to child abuse - more in getting people to buy their publications.

I should have written that it makes the _readers_ of these 'articles' feel good. You know, they read the article without knowing much about SL and of course make judgements. As in, "Right on! Get those Pervs, etc." So if a ban on child avs were to happen, they would feel good about all the brouhaha, and their part in it. The 'reporters' would just be happy about selling their articles...

This is a two-sided weapon they are playing with then they grossly exaggerate perceived issues. When caught at it, they are less likely to be taken as a serious news source in the future. Being branded as a tabloid might sell issues/episodes, but in the end, the only ones that will take 'em seriously are the ones with major mental issues and thus, really don't need to be in Second Life.

That said, LL really can't do a thing about them, unless they enforce some form of grid wide identity verification. Can't ban them, for two reasons and one involves the typical, "they'll just make an alt and be right back," and the other is simply that they'll whine and cry that Linden Labs is being unfair to the media, which will cause all the rest of them to start in.

*snorts* Anyone wanna picket their place and see if we all get banned from their sim?

Well as far as I see it there are 2 things at work here:

First is: everything with the word child and the word sex sells major. Paedophilia is the keyword of the year. Use it in a news article and it will sell. Internet, wether it is SL, newsgroups, or web pages, will always contain a bit of everything, but why not reporting about the things that sell best?

Second is that the general public gets triggered by paedophilia more then anything else. Name the word in a thread here and you are sure to cover many pages

The only thing LL has to do, is point the public towards the TOS. Ageplay is forbidden, paedophilia as well. More then ban it, and ban people acting it out despite the TOS, they can't do. Just as no internet provider can be held responsible for everything a user does. And people who want to ageplay despite the rules... well use a skybox

Greetings Marcel

Crusading Journalists, Politicians, Preachers or Pundits never want to eradicate the things they are railing against. It sells, it keeps their faces in public view and it gives them continued existance. Without a host, a parasite dies.

I finally realized that it is the most miserable people in the world who seem to try to influence us the most. If they can't be happy, they try to make everyone else miserable. The controllers and manipulators of this world have nothing better to do. The sensationalists have nothing better to do. The insecure and deviant rich tabloid owners have nothing better to do.
I wonder what this world would be like if they all just TP'd off the face of the Earth? Wow! What a peaceful, fun, safe, place it would be for all kids (RL & SL) to play in!

Marianne, keep your kid chin up, don’t let them get under your kid skin! IGNORE them!

I would also like LL to speak out more against this, but it may be a bad idea. First, it just gives the issue more press and secondly we'll get more "reporters" seeking the few to prove LL wrong and make a bigger issue of it.

I'm worried that the bad press will eventually get enough focus that LL will be forced to restrict all age play. It'd be very sad to see and I hope my concerns are never realized.

Maybe they need a stronger TOS provision that spying and gathering information on SL residents is a bannable offense. SO they can quietly ban reporters for violating the Terms of Service.

Call it a "Privacy Clause" that usually plays well in the media. Just not here on the forums. LOL.

It's been said that there is no such thing as "bad" publicity.

As our metaverse is struggling with an awkward adolescence, anything that gets the name out to the general public will help it in the long run.

Most rational people will understand that the story is about a few perverts. some alarmists may see SL as one big seething pit of imorrality and vice, but those types also said rock'n'roll and women in pants would be the end of civilization.

There's not much you can do about the press. It's like being stung by a wasp. You can try to get revenge by smacking the wasp's nest with a stick, but that's not likely to work out well for you. It's best to just tend to the wound and get on with your life...or Second Life.

LL reacts to legal liability. The way the laws were written, they could have some criminal legal liability for sexual age play. Same for gambling, and maybe even banks. So they banned them. They are pretty much hands-off, anything-goes unless there is a threat to them. You can't blame them for that. If it were my grid, I wouldn't be willing to incur any liability either. But I doubt that this news story is going to cause them any immediate legal liability, so they are likely to just ignore it. I'm wondering about long term political fallout in the EU countries. Some people have mentioned that, and I just don't understand the political climate there well enough to comment, but unless there is an immediate threat, I don't expect much action from LL.

I think your efforts to keep SL kids from getting a bad reputation are very admirable Mari. Your blog and write-up are great and it feel it is very sad that people want to try to destroy something innocent and wholesome as SL kids because of the actions of what must be a small minority of SL residents.

As to what LL should do? I think it is a lot like feeding the trolls, it only adds fuel to the news media if LL reacts with anything other than the kind of response given. There are millions of cases where a strong response is twisted to damage even further. I think this time they did the right thing and hopefully the news media will find new victims to harass publically soon enough.