Underage residents.

I will never do a AR for age..... It would be an assumption, not a fact, I am not LL's police force. I will only do a AR that I have absolute proof that its ARable.... not an assumption.

Emily, you might be a slut, you may be a prude...but you are most definitely a nut.

Ahhh... the pitfalls of selective breeding. Shame

The post seems to be drifting from its original intent to more favourite topics - to AR or not to AR, the SEX topic with usual rants by people who dont do it (never really get to hear from teh people who celebrate their sexuality in as many ways as tehy possibly can) and then teh age verification issue.

I am not so sure that we really attract that many genuinely underage users. In my real life I am co-mingling with a majority of people aged 16 to 27. I am NOT a teacher but its teh nature of my work to be with young adults. (I will withhold my opinion of the education system in in teh West for a more suitable forum) I have only ONCE heard a person in my presence even hint at SL even existing (and she was in her 40's) and she only used the word "newbie" which made my ears prick up. Young people I know just arent interested in SL's offerings. I like SL coz I liek art and I like doing stuff with my partner BUT I am NOT underage.

ARing is an issue and I have heard that phrase becoming more and more common. I think its getting used more like a "tut-tut, what can I do to give this person a hard time?" I have only used AR once in my time in sl and that was to report a Neo-Nazi who was typing vile statements and sending them to me and my partner. I really believe it should be used with much more discrimination by people; its being used as a threat and it indicates character of teh poster to use that as a threat. Live and let live is what I say, as long as teh person is not making homophobic or racial slurs and threats. How could I possibly AR a person I "suspect" of being underage? or "suspect" in any way in what is, essentially, a virtual world with a limited perception-field?

If I hear one more person decry sex or even hint taht they disapprove of sexual content in sl I shall go ballistic. I have withdrawn myself from forums on purpose (and, I am sure, gladly as far as most people feel) although I do log on to sl world. Coming on today simply confirms my opinion that this is a jury-forum not an open discussion forum. Even a forum that undulges in more griefing of people than I have ever seen in the sl world.

In a sense I think the threads we write get hijacked by a vocal "few" whose intent is to amuse themselves with slamming posters or commentators unecesarily. Anyway, I have wandered off topic as usual and I expect teh usual "pack" to clamber on board and gimme a going-over. I liked the thread but I agree with one person you cant be a slut and a prude at the same time. We sluts don't allow it.

That's not 'underage'; it's 'newbie'.

Tomorrow, I plan to walk around SL eyeing everyone with suspicion. If they're not underage, then they must be paedophiles. Or cheating spouses. Or men/women in female/male avatars. Or... dogs! Or... or... people! Or... something!

Or, y'know, I could just go about my business in SL. Which is mainly: relaxing, having fun, being with my gorgeous fella, building stuff, exploring, dancing, shopping, roleplaying, etc etc.

In fact, anything BUT abuse reporting things that make me squint suspiciously. If someone griefs us or our home (or I see any griefing elsewhere), sure I'll AR them. But I have better things to do with the time I spend in SL than looking for underage residents.

I decry some sex and disapprove of some sexual content. Is that enough for you to go semi-ballistic? Go on - let yourself go! It's Friday . . .

Pep ("I have withdrawn myself from forums on purpose". Funny, I am sure there's a post by you just below this one)

PS Wouldn't have wanted to disappoint you.

Nor me you - blow it out your ear, Pep.

Disappointing! What's ballistic then?

Pep ("Oh dear"?)

What gets me is that some people are just careless. We had a customer whose profile said nothing about their age, but had a link to their MySpace profile, which said they were 15 years old! Er... DUH!

I have seen underage people in SL. Eighteen is an artificial barrier and SL like the rest of the web routes around damage. I was in a very large dance establishment (By far the largest one I'd ever encountered) and the conversation just sounded an awful lot like that I sometimes have read on teenage (read high school age) role play boards.

I just knew then that there were at least some sixteen and seventeen year olds in the room. By the way, I suspect that most underage folks are sixteen and seventeen. They may be on the adult grid because their friends have turned eighteen a few months ahead of them. They're sick of hanging out with middle schoolers. They like the idea of sneaking into the place where the grownups play.

None of this is earth shattering. I don't think they're romantically interested in avis with real adults behind them who are more than a few years older than they are. Our music has to be all wrong for starters. Our books and our culture is different. Besides, it's like hanging out with one's parents! There is still a generation gap.

By the way, if you accidentally cyber with an underage person, chances are very good that the act is entirely legal and absolutely consensual. In many states in the United States, the age of consent is 16-17, not 18. California is a weird exception, but generally sexual consent preceeds legal consent by a year or two.

http://www.avert.org/aofconsent.htm

The age barrier creates all kinds of weird situations. If you are a freshperson in a college course and have a fall birthday and have been assigned something in Second Life, you either have to lie about your age or find an alternative assignment. Likewise, if you are a sixteen to seventeen year old library page (Library staff in Maine use SL for virtual meetings. It beats driving over snow and ice covered roads.) and need to participate in staff meetings inworld, you again have to lie about your age.

Ideally, the age barrier should be tied to schooling or job (Your employer has a presence in Second Life or you are in your senior year of high school) rather than being placed at the United States legal age of consent.

Usually if the police are out to do stings, they will be of age but pose as someone underage... Some fat ol 50 year old cop will claim to be under 18 and if someone still wants to use the poseballs, THEN they would have a start to a solid case.

Now if the other user seems to be an adult, with the way they talk and claims to be over 18, then how are you suppose to know?

I think the people on this matter who really need to worry are those who seek the underage or seek people claiming to be underage.

I had to chuckle when I read this, considering that I had just recently read this:

in the "Bye Bye" thread.

How do you know the cop is fat or 50? And whether you know it or not, isn't that making fun of their appearance -- without seeing pictures even?

QFT

Very well stated indeed and some excellent points raised.

If a cop jumps on pose balls and finish the sex avatar act with a minor, then they would be guilty too. No?

With SL being free (meaning the kids don't use their money, they only use money from winning contents, etc) then there is no way to verify age or for even the parents to know that their kids are on SL if their children are on SL playing free.

After reading some of these threads, SL does have some probs, but also parents aren't monitoring their childs internet habits much. I would venture a guess that most parents haven't even heard of SL.

I'm a parent! And I have heard of SL!!!

Pep (Would take a bet that a majority of SL's inhabitants are parents)

Only one person in my very large extended family has heard of SL. Friends, neighbors haven't heard of it either, and one friend is a sex maniac.. lol. He'd love that BDSM stuff but never heard of it. My rl bf says NOT to tell him.. lol. And these are Californians. Jeesh, you'd think since SL was created in California, more Callies would have heard of it by now.

Most of the people I know are on WOW, but have no desire for SL or to even try it. I know one couple who got married because their life IS WOW.

San Francisco is Southern California now??? Did the Big One finally happen?

Maybe the Northern California peeps don't want to claim San Francisco anymore.

Oops, yes, let me edit that to created in California. It's a HUGE state and quite beautiful all around!

Top Ten Demographics in SL:

10) Lapsed Amish
9) People who thought they were downloading WoW
Teens claiming to be adults
7) Adults who wish they were still teens
6) Goreans
5) Furries
4) Gorean Furries
3) Noobs
2) Camping bots
1) Traffic bots

Indeed, most are buyt he kid the computer... game system, whatever.

and they don't actually sit down and learn how to monitor and control what little innocent jhonny or jane is doing.

I've watched 'good parents' buy GTA for little seven year olds... and come back the next day to scream about the store selling that game for kids... Never mind the damn box has a big ol rating on the front, and unlike movies tells you why it got it on the back.

Too much of the bs is the fact the parents and kids are never ever at fault... even when they are the ones that are really at fault. Nobody made little billy lie and commit fraud at best to get into the adult grid while underage... yet they only go after those that interact with him in the grid.

Kinda makes ya wonder why there are so many CEOs that think they can get away with fraud as adults.

I think is was thought up in Seattle. That's were us really strange and creative people live hiding from the rain thinking of ways to reign.

Being that it's true and well said it doesn't stop some from using the courts and even if you're completely innocent and would win an easy victory it still costs a chunk of change defending yourself. My Dad tells me of how a record company spent $500,000 on lawyers over a CD cover a parent said corrupted her child. They won but had to close from being bankrupt. Most likely no one will ever have this happen but I do think it's up to us to be a little bit careful.

This very well said. Thanks =)