Upcoming Changes for Adult Content: Answers to Questions

There are extremes but then look at most western european countries (exclude the uk as it's got that puritan streak at the moment) most of those countries indulge in some social engineering. Living in a society means you can't have a free for all, there have to be some laws and restriction simply because there are some people who are incapable of playing nice.

I used to visit Holland, but then you started getting silly. I can smoke hash in a cafe (cool) but I can't have a cigarette in the same cafe (boring). You are also adopting the Puritanical attitude to sex that is sweeping the globe (with the exception of New Zealand). I give you guys maybe ten years before you're down in the gutter with the rest of us.

Amsterdam Decriminalizes Public Sex in Famous Park
Dutch police urge whole country to follow example

ANSTERDAM, March 13, 2008 (LifeSiteNews.com) - The government of Amsterdam has decided to decriminalize sexual activity in the Netherlands' most popular and famous park, the Vondelpark.

Frequented by families and tourists, the Vondelpark features ponds, children's playgrounds, an open air theater with free performances, and woodsy areas where authorities say that couples of any sexual combination will be free to copulate beginning in September of this year.

The park has reportedly become a favorite meeting place for homosexuals, who often engage in sexual activities there. Local law has long imposed a fine for those caught in such behavior, but under the new law such fines will no longer apply after dark.

In addition to restricting public sexual activity to nighttime, the law will also allow police to eject couples who make too much noise. Leaving behind condoms or other trash is also prohibited.

"Why prohibit something that hardly bothers other people and that, to the contrary, gives much pleasure to a particular group?" asked Paul van Grieken, an Amsterdam official, according to the Spanish publication El Periodico.

The Dutch police's National Diversity Expertise Center is advising the rest of the nation to follow Amsterdam's example and lift restrictions on public sex in all of the nation's public parks, according to De Telegraaf newspaper.

According to the Center, "cruising" gays in public parks should be tolerated in order to protect homosexuals from "queer bashers", although no explanation was given as to why the policy would afford such protection.

The Vondelpark is the Netherlands' most beloved park, visited by approximately 10 million people each year.

Ironically, the park is named after Joost van den Vondel, a Dutch poet whose conversion to Catholicism in 1641 inspired his most famous work, "Lucifer". The park contains a statue of the poet.

The Dutch homosexual organization "COC" voiced its approval for Amsterdam's change of policy.

"Cruising is something belonging to all time and banning it does not work anyway. They do it surreptitiously and mostly without others being annoyed by it. But homos at cruising spots are often attacked. By now agreeing rules of behaviour on this, safety can be increased," said COC Amsterdam chairman Dennis Boutkan, according to the Netherlands' government news agency, NIS.

The Netherlands has made a name for itself among European nations for its anti-life and anti-family policies. The Netherlands was the first country in Europe to legalize "homosexual marriage", and is now spending millions of dollars to promote homosexuality in schools. Dutch doctors freely euthanize the sick, elderly, and handicapped infants. Government subsidized abortion on demand is available until the 24th week of pregnancy

I went over a couple of days before the ban (hadn't been over for 12 months) and found it really odd to be able to sit inside and smoke. I can understand why the smoking fetish is gaining ground now.

Amsterdam is cracking down on a lot of the more adult pastimes, it's a shame but tbh if it stops all those bucks night/yobbish weekender crowds that have been flooding it down the last decade or so then perhaps it's not such a bad idea. (yeah, yeah, I'm getting old and intolerant). Saturday night in the red light district actually reminds me a bit of a welcome area inworld. OK for 5 minutes and then I really need to leave the zoo sharpish.

As a british Ex-pat here i can tell you i would rather be here in Holland with the relaxed attitudes and laws than in the UK where most people and the government are puritanical and stuck up their own arses. Sometimes it makes me cringe that i am even british.

I agree 100%. It's just a shame to see the dominoes fall one after another.

I just don't get this at all. How can you be on the list when as long as I change my parcel description I'm fine?

This is mindbogglingly ridiculous.

Will you be around inworld over the weekend and would you give me a tour of what he said was wrong (if he did say anything - he wouldn't even tell me what word I needed to remove from my description)?

Has anyone else been inspected? There can't have just been two of us so far.

There are extremes but then look at most western european countries (exclude the uk as it's got that puritan streak at the moment) most of those countries indulge in some social engineering. Living in a society means you can't have a free for all, there have to be some laws and restriction simply because there are some people who are incapable of playing nice.

Whether we like it or not, some people are influenced by what they see or experience and living in the risk adverse culture we do these days the heavy hand of over reaction is quite common. It's easier than teaching people to critically assess things.

as a semi aside, one of the most interesting things about that berkman report was one of the submissions. It seems kids are more concerned about online bullying than sex, yet it really hasn't been addressed by the final recommendations.

That's the one thing that concerns me about the merge. SL is self selecting for sociopaths and other mental health problems and the kids will be exposed to it without the information to be able to deal with it and that makes them vulnerable.

How about "gorean only"... or "anime only" or "furry only" so people looking for Tuxedo Mask outfits or furry tails won't find wedding stores?

Improving search is really important... they're using a google search engine, so why can't they give us google's advanced search... but not really relevant here.

PS: Holland isn't just Amsterdam we let our hair down outside the city to

You can still smoke inside in Spain. Bless their little hearts

I know, my friends live on the other side of Schipol. It's gone from a little village to a complete with windmills to a commuter town, but is still as laid back as ever.

The centre of Amsterdam doesn't even bear much relationship to the rest of the city either. that 10 minute walk to Jordaan proves that.

I think the Dutch are seriously cool. They range from the deeply religious to the extremely liberal and everyone manages to rub along together because they understand tolerance.
I've always wanted to work there and hopefully one day I will.

You can still smoke inside in Spain. Bless their little hearts

I actually visited your store for comparison to mine since Blondin had said yours was OK.. As an aside let me say first that your design there definitely falls under the heading of "elegantly simple" - one could only wish the RL "toyshop" I've been known to visit was as tastefully done.

Mine is a little more on the raw side.. industrial themed with most of the demo models having kinda blatant sculpts visible and most of the poseballs resulting in them being visibly used. I WAS certain this was an "adult" build but with the waffling from LL I have resolved to make a few changes. Since I was running short on prims as I released new products anyway, I actually expanded the plot by purchasing adjacent parcels so I can add the third floor that exists in my mostly-identical main off-mainland location. That third floor with the warning note by the elevator that says "If you didnt read the warning downstairs, read this one.. on this floor there are no demo models with safety features for the solo shopper, these are all live production versions. Step through this curtain you are in a play area. RLV users on their own that 'try out' the stuff up here might end up as public property for a while until somebody is kind enough to let them out...." should be enough to make sure, and I DO want to make sure because even if some Linden says "oh, you're ok..." I know I'd still be an AR magnet on non-adult land. Therefore I either get my relocate or I tier down to basic and only sell on adult flagged private sims. Non-adult mainland just wont be a safe place for me to do business.

I'm going to come for a nosey through your place. Those signs sound like they are worth the tp over in themselves

There are extremes but then look at most western european countries (exclude the uk as it's got that puritan streak at the moment)

You cannot smoke in most EU countries now in public areas such as cafes etc. and as a smoker i agree with that rule...

This whole idea needs to be stopped. No direction, no definition, no forethought, no clue.

Really, it's an epic fail yet again, it was an epic fail in 2007, it's an epic fail now. Go back to the drawing board.

Now that is interesting. So, Joe takes his life savings and builds a cafe. He chooses a menu (burgers) and begins hiring staff. During the interviews, he asks, "Do you mind working in a place that sells meat and allows the customers to smoke?" One applicant says, "Gee, I'm a vegetarian, I didn't know you were going to sell burgers. Maybe this isn't the place for me." Another applicant says, "Hmmm, naw, I don't want to work in a cafe that allows smoking." So, Joe continues down the list until he has a complete staff that are happy about selling burgers and letting customers smoke.

With everything ready, Joe opens the doors to his cafe. After a month, he has acquired a clientele who like his place. Joe is happy; the staff is happy; the customers are happy. Vegetarians go to their favorite places (Bob's, Rita's, not Joe's), non smokers go to their favorite places (Pearl's, Mike's, not Joe's) and everyone is happy.

Then you come along with some police officers and say. "I'm sorry, Joe, we all voted and the majority decided that cafe owners should no longer have a free choice on thier smoking policy. Everyone has to do it our way now." Joe scratches his head and wonders when the Vegetarians will show up.

I guess it all boils down to this: you either see society as a collection of individuals or as an individual collective. Both perspectives have consequences. Personally, I believe the former is healthier, safer and more 'human'. The latter has a tendency to convert society into a clean, efficient termite colony.

Linden Lab has chosen Disneyfication. Those who speak out against Disneyfication (including myself) need to be honest and consistent if our arguments are to be taken seriously. For example, I am in favor of permitting consenting adults to engage in sexual age-play. This presumes, of course, that LL seeks to restrict SL to adults. I personally don't have an interest in age-play, but neither do I have an interest in roleplay in general. You either allow people in a virtual world to do what they want or you form a committee to regulate all behavior according to an arbitrary and subjective formula. In the case of Second Life, the 'committee' is the Board and senior management of Linden Lab. My core argument is that by choosing Disneyfication, Linden Lab will convert Second Life into a very different society than the one it first encouraged and exists today. My concern is that Second Life is on the road to becoming a virtual termite colony.

I don't underestimate the efforts some will go to to 'protect' us from what they do not understand.

Then you come along with some police officers and say. "I'm sorry, Joe, we all voted and the majority decided that cafe owners should no longer have a free choice on thier smoking policy. Everyone has to do it our way now." Joe scratches his head and wonders when the Vegetarians will show up.

How many kids are allowed out to roam these days? When I was little during school holidays I'd go out after breakfast and spend the whole day roaming around with my friends, only popping home for lunch.

Now how many people allow their kids to do that?

Slapping laws on is easier than teaching people to be risk aware and in every facet of our lives we're seeing the impact of this.

Sadly to say that this is only a phenomenon in the American society.

People don't raise kids up like that in any other parts of the world.

As a smoker i prefer and always have preferred to sit in an area where i don't have to inhale smoke as i eat. I also hate it when people light up cigarettes halfway through a meal like in between courses. What about people that do not smoke should they be exposed to secondhand smoke with all its dangers?