Upcoming Changes for Adult Content: Answers to Questions

How can we measure such things?

/me can script and maybe write a bot but have no idea what info to collect. There's a traffic scanner that counts payment info around - that doesn't really tell how people will react to being forced to move and/or verify.

LL is increasingly quiet (opaque, almost) about economic stats. Haven't seem Meta blog in ages, the stats page here on this web site has hobbled for months..

It would work!

They could do lots of things that would work. Things that would be cool. Things we've been begging for for years & years.

Why won't they do it? Because they have complete delusional ideas that the grid is going to be this great place for businesses and they're not afraid to alienate large chunks of their customer base to get them. This is the 2nd round in 2 years of this age verification crap and neither time did they have a plan that would work. Twice in the last 30 months, they've raised the monthly prices on popular products by 50% or more..

Does this sound like a company that's interested in what the current users think?

I want it from the Horse's mouth.. "it would work but we won't do it that way".. then the question that must be answered.... WHY?

I think it's likely they've already estimated the number of users they'll lose, and unless they've grossly underestimated it, they're okay with that.

NPIOF users don't directly profit LL. LL gets their money through tier payments from merchants. As long as the merchants can make their tier, then it's the merchants who take the hit to their profit, not LL.

LL is probably also counting on a speculative land rush to keep all the Adult land made available occupied. After the land swap, this probably means an overall increase in tier payments to LL. More vacant mainland, but that goes back into circulation at auction, probably driving land values on the mainland down further, possibly convincing current NPIOF users to go premium to buy super cheap land.

I think unless there's a major unintended consequence LL has overlooked, it's unlikely we can convince them they'll loose enough users over this to be concerned about. That will probably involve people going out of business for various reasons. Too many of the same business in too small an area, redundant satellite stores in malls closing and the like.

Good luck.

Answer #4 at /352/11/314444/33.html#post2379542 is probably the most you'll get.

Damn, is LL still doing this? ... ugh.. I don't even want to know about this anymore. I've been trying to forget it. Someone please send LL a email letting them know we don't like this?

They sure are "increasingly quiet". All we've heard lately is from two highly placed Lindens as they jumped ship...saying the company is "profitable". I say actions speak louder than words.

I think LL is playing their statistics close to the vest because they aren't good. I think they are running in all directions trying to find a magic combination that will fix that. The OpenSpace Yes/No debacle. The announcement of firewalled minigrids. This Keystone Kops "clean up" of the grid.

Lindens, the answer to your problem is simple, and we've been shouting it at you for years. LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS AND GIVE THEM WHAT THEY WANT.

What do SL Residents want?

- Good customer service. Quick and helpful response to ARs and tickets. Better and faster methods of payouts. Reliable billing (no more annoying Holds from the CC company)
- A stable platform. Reliable TPs, inventory, transactions.
- A stable set of rules
- A stable economy
- Improved protection of Intellectual Property
- Frank and open communication. We want you to listen as well as inform us of changes.
- A world that lives up to its promise of "Your World, Your Imagination"
- Protection against scammers and griefers
- Occasional introduction of cool new features
- Affordable land and prims, so we can create homes, businesses, and things for our own pleasure and that of others.

What we DON'T want is what you've been throwing at us lately. Changes in products, performance, pricing. Linden-created builds competing with residents' offerings. Changes in the Blue Laws, introduction of a Morality Police. Inconsistent rulings by the G Team. Draconian responses to maliciously-filed ARs.

Come on, LL. Get a clue. Listen to the people who love your product, the people who made it a vibrant, interesting world to explore and inhabit. Don't listen to the press, don't listen to the marketing consultants, don't listen to the 'fad of the moment". LISTEN TO YOUR CUSTOMERS, DAMMIT!

Who do you think pays the bills, anyway?

I think will be a bit like google like you say. Where moderate safesearch is the default and we opt in to other settings. Both as users of search and as creators when we list our content and set our own tags/flags.

This is frightning if this is true from this source.

" There is a defence for the defendant if he can prove that he "directly participated" in the act, and where the participants consented, but only if the acts are those that can be legally consented to in the UK (see Operation Spanner). This defence is also not available to the photographer, or other "onlookers" who were present, but did not directly participate.[6]

Where (a) or (b) apply, the maximum sentence is 3 years; otherwise the maximum is 2 years. Adults sentenced to at least two years will be placed on the Violent and Sex Offender Register."

A Violent and Sex Offender Registery for being in an extreme sex sim? " photographer, or other "onlookers" who were present" Wow!

Yes, it is. The UK (Ultimate Kindergarten) is becoming unsafe politically. So much so, that I am considering returning to the United States where one is protected under the Constitution.

These just seemed to me to be really important considerations as I finally read them to understanding. The implications of this for citizens who want or need to move their adult residence is important here. I want my residence to be in and adult area. But, it is sounding like the Ursula will have a lot of lag if the number one attraction there is XXX commerical stuff.

Yes.

Land Linden will determine the average price for Ursula. Last year when the land wars was on Mr Jack Linden mentioned that he (LL) saw 5-7L as the typical price range for average mainland parcels, and that once the new estate policies had begun to take effect then we would begin to see this. Is true already in that most reasonably-good land for sale by real estate agents is in that range. Is also a lot of rubbish cheaper but well is because its on a rubbish (cut) sim.

If LL can add new Ursula sims in a timely manner then I think 5-7L can be a realistic goal. Ursula unlike say BayCity is marked for expansion. Rapid even.

Unless done in a organised way though there Is going to be a mad rush of speculators dreaming of land flipping so I think that if I was Ursula Estate Manager I would cap the maximum sale price for a phase-in period of 12 months and add as many new sims as is demanded during that period for that price, and not allow parcels to be cut for sale during the phase-in.

As for who gets the allocations in what order, I would ask people to register by sending every landowner on a Mature sim a personal email inviting them to do so containing a link to the registration page. And then section the registrants by the type of land they currently hold and allocate land in Ursula by ballot within those sections. People can choose to take the land they have won in the ballot or not. If they choose not to, then their name stays in the ballot for the next round.

Edit: And while their name remains registered for the ballot I would allow them to continue to use their existing land as they are now. If they take their name off the ballot then I would expect them to conform to the new regulations. In 12 months I would fully expect that everyone wanting to move to Ursula by ballot transfer would have been accommodated.

Extreme pornography" is a term introduced by the UK Government in Part 5, Section 63 of the Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008,[1] which made possession of such images a criminal offence from 26 January 2009[2][3]. It refers to pornography (defined as an image which "of such a nature that it must reasonably be assumed to have been produced solely or principally for the purpose of sexual arousal" which is "grossly offensive, disgusting or otherwise of an obscene character", and portrays any of the following:

* (a) an act which threatens a person’s life,
* (b) an act which results, or is likely to result, in serious injury to a person’s anus, breasts or genitals,
* (c) an act which involves or appears to involve sexual interference with a human corpse,
* (d) a person performing or appearing to perform an act of intercourse or oral sex with an animal (whether dead or alive),

and a reasonable person looking at the image would think that any such person or animal was real.

To be honest i can't really see a problem with this.
i'm all for free expression but why anyone should enjoy this sort of thing is beyond me.

I can understand now why people who visit these places that are from the UK would not want verify. if they do and their Avatar was seen doing one of the above acts or even watching it happen, could end up in legal trouble or labeled a sexual offender.

The above i agree with but its the general context of this ruling and the laws that will affect a lot of people, who are going about their pleasures without harming others. Bit like here really

I suggest to go read the following website for more detailed and in layman's language as to how this will affect the UK if you are interested

http://www.caan.org.uk/

I could not under these rules run our BDSM profile website from the UK. I am so glad i left the UK

As i stated earlier cartoons are not included in said law and SL is cartoonland

I am curious about how the reactions of the in general open minded scandinavians, playful asians, hot blooded south americans and the relaxed and through nothing shockable 27 EU state members will be - and all the people of the USA itself, wich are easy going and as well open minded, if we think on traditions like Spring Break, Mardi Gras and some famous San Francisko events, incl.Burning Man and people from metropolitan areas like New York.

Also people from many countries from the former east-block incl.Russia and 5 ex-Yugoslavia states are much more open minded than LL knows. They have no clue about these people.

Canada is easy too und Australia is ultra-relaxed and super-easy too.

UK has new laws in rl, but is in general curious and traditional spleeny and open minded, in adult things. Not in open, but in private. No Taboos.

This means: The Lindens has the whole world against them. Then. Much more than now.

Sooner or later the new rules will come to the eyes and ears to all customers,players, residents, no matter wich status they have, free accounts and all known levels of Payments and verifications.

Latest when LL makes it offical to all and starts to act.

This will be fun!

An organized revolte will not happen. I see no closed ranks, even not in the protest group.

But LL will wish then we would have made an organized revolte. Would be easier for LL.

Because it will come more hard, harder, hardest, even while LL tries to use the summer months when much ppl are in holidays and the heat makes the rest of the ppl lazy, but no chance:

Uncontrolled chaos on all levels and in all meanings.

The climax in late autumn, a traditional grey season with much revolution potential if we look at history.

Not to handle for the Lab.

Ingame relationships will crash, groups will explode, biz will go down, the market will see an earthquake - all made by the triple level PG M, A and the verification thing - wich will cause that a cannot meet b and c cannot meet a and so on - the grid will become a complete labyrinth of zones and permissions, AR's and fear and feeling deeply uncomfortable per individual, unsecure about what is allowed and what not.

Peoplewill feel in general and constantly being suddenly in a unsafe uncovered grey zone with all their individual style and behavior and their items.

No chance to handle that smooth for theLab. I bet.

SL will become St. Anger.

More and more people will realize what is going on then and after the first shock: anarchy, panic, sadness, depression, anger, all this and much more. All possible, between sabotage and self-sabotage and leaving, resistance and creative workarounds, refugee behavior and protests of all sorts.

I think not that LL will find much passive Lemmings or collaborateurs. A few, the typical ones, but not in the masses around the globe.

The crowd will go mad on different levels and in different ways.

The actual and relative small forum is giving a little small taste and forecast on the upcoming *big bang* in game and on the grid.

SL as we knowed it, in general self organized and kind of self synchronized, sucessful through written and unwritten rules and specific grown up behavior by the residents/customers, will explode somehow like a super-nova.

I expect much dissident and desperate behavior on all levels, because all will be fed up. All. Literal. And hahaha, not about cheap sex things, pose balls and orgy rooms - they will be fed up because LL's attack on their human integrity and freedom. LL has not checked that it goes not about sex and whatever. To try to dictate people touches them in a much more deeper sense and sensibility. This will cause the trouble much more than the "adult" theme on the surface.

I bet. I am sure. Even this forum shows that, along its different phases. We are now at principies. We talk not longer about dungeons, we talk now about dignity, I have noticed along the last few days.

I can sit on an error, but it is my actual impression, that we are now on more serious aspects of the whole thing.

This will happen to the other players too then after the whole thing is official. Waves and phases and at the end: the human principies.

This is the big mistake of LL. They thought not on this but they touched it agressive and at the same time they ignore it.

Wich is a big mistake. Maybe not the end of the game, but a damage like never before.

You don't need to go anywhere near porn to get into big trouble in the UK.

Julia Summerville nearly went to prison for taking photos of her kids. Fortunately, she was rescued by her employer, a large media firm that publicized her case.



The Cleveland Case is equally infamous, whereby innocent families were broken up based on false accusations.



The UK's solution for everything is more government, more laws, more bans. There is an almost hysterical atmosphere here about 'terrorists' and 'pedophiles'. People are lining up for national identity cards, casting aside civil liberties in a mad rush for the lifeboats. Perhaps it is the British putting pressure of Linden Lab. I don't know, but it's jaw-dropping scary.

i think the inportant part is "and a reasonable person looking at the image would think that any such person or animal was real."

which doesnt apply to SL, as doesn't British law, so i think edge play donkey molester fantasists will be ok in the uk.

I don't know where people are getting this idea that the UK is a place where explicit sexual content was allowed freely. We've always been behind most of the rest of Europe on our level of legal smut.

The obscene publications act was introduced in the 1800's, they tried to stop the publication of Lady Chatterly's lover under this act, although the publisher was found not guilty.

However there are similarities between the extreme porn act and Linden Lab's extreme porn act. Both are not being well presented, both try to say it's ok to do consentual stuff in your own home, both are so vague on definititions that people feel they will infringe freedom of expression and both are ran by organisations who simply will not listen to alternatives.

EVERY view Linden Labs has on how residents /overall/ moral is, is based on their personal perception.

Which is why i propose a main-grid wide survey posing the question about adult preference and if people are AGAINST it or FOR it, like the following:

[a] i dislike adult content and do not want to come into contact with it
i do not mind adult content, even occasionally preform acts of adulthood myself, but do not want to constantly encounter it.
[c] i like adult content and prefer to involve myself in such activities, buying items rated adult / role play adult scenes
[d] My second life is all about adult content, its creation and uses.

OR you could create a new adult filtering mode, not ENFORCED on the majority of its residents, but a seperate layer.

in which people OWNING a sim, can volunteerly set their parcel flagged to this layer, in which adult content would be filtered out.

Also, messages for crossing regions stating "You are about to enter an adult region, continue? [yes] [no] [ ] (don't show message again)"

Basically what im trying to say here is that there should be researched for more friendly alternatives, rather than pushing the majority of SL into a corner.

I think second life itself IS a country, the people there decide how their lives should go. this should not be bound to RL rules and constraints, of course you can copy the real life rule model as a reference but there's no such thing in second life such as unwillingness, because "if you do not WANT something to happen, you can simply NOT let it happen PERIOD", this makes things such as rape VOID because it simply CANNOT exist, just start listening to the residents, and not the pushy people that try to bring great things down just to make a name for themselves in their pitiful lives.

and if people role play even the most DISGUSTING scenes, it DOESN'T matter, you CANNOT control or punish how someone likes to THINK, the way i see it, be GLAD they only do things this way and do not act it out in real life.

Misinterpretation from the resident which is offended should adjust their interpretation. not the other way around.

LL dont care what you think, its not about you its about revenue but with the notable absence of one blondin linden and his sock puppets the thread is going off track once more.
this is the realiity of LL,
SL is their world not yours.

You do begin to wonder if the revenue they are after isn't actually from us, the existing customers, but is rather from some third party whom they want to sell the Second Life world to (as opposed to the Second Life technology), whilst Linden Lab go off developing their behind the firewall solutions and wooing corporate clients.

Good points and good idea to bring a civilisized thing, called democracy/voting back on stage, because it seems the Lindens have forgotten what democracy is. We are the people, we pay, we drove that game through all bad and good times, dictatorship is not acceptable.

Considering this latest move of LL to "clean up" SL, if there is a "third party" buyer, I wonder if it is Disney.