RC Questions

What if people living on PG land, don't want to swith it to Mature? Will they have to move?

You know, it's bad enough that people that want to sell and advertise pornography will have to move, but making people that don't sell or advertise pornogrpahy move, to accomodate those that do ... is just illogical.

I think that it's going to take the uncovering of some major new show-stopper to get LL to rethink this. The currently

presented ones aren't moving them.

Executive Summary

* Second Life has been an open place where Residents can explore a wide variety of creative pursuits
* we (LL) must ensure that all Residents can enjoy the virtual world
* some Residents are interested in pursuing certain “Adult” activities in SL that others would rather not casually encounter
* give all Residents more control over their Second Life experiences

** The system we (LL) build will have three main features:
** 1) it will provide a way to geographically separate Adult content and activities
** (Estate owners with Adult content on their land will be required to flag their content; they will not be required to move)
** 2) it will filter search results
** 3) it will require that those who access or see “Adult” content (whether on land or in search) have had their accounts

verified

We (LL) have four key guiding principles to work from, and we’d like you to consider them and share your thoughts:

a) We will create clear and consistent definitions of what constitutes adult content, in line with our Community Standards,

b) We will enable easy, reliable, and consistent ways to be able to access content by type - the goal being to ensure that

Residents can choose what they want to see, purchase and experience.

c) We will implement effective Resident services and dialog to ensure that those who provide Adult goods or services can

continue their activities without long-term disruption or loss of business.

d) We will implement account verification systems that provide an additional level of assurance for providers of Adult

content that only adults are able to access their content. Such a system might be tied, for instance, to a verified payment

method like a credit card, a validation by our age verification provider, or another credible method of validation.

https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/community/blog/2009/03/12/upcoming-changes-for-adult-content

Upcoming Changes for Adult Content
Posted by Cyn Linden on Mar 12, 2009 7:00:02 AM

From its beginning, Second Life has been an open place where Residents can explore a wide variety of creative pursuits.

This has resulted in a vast amount of amazing content inworld, and has helped make Second Life the exceptional place it is.

It is very important to Linden Lab that we support and preserve this creativity and openness as our community continues to

grow, and as the range of uses for Second Life widens.

At the same time, we must ensure that all Residents can enjoy the virtual world. In particular, it has become clear that some

Residents are interested in pursuing certain “Adult” activities in Second Life that others would rather not casually encounter.

To address this, over the next few months, we will need to implement some changes around Adult content to ultimately give

all Residents more control over their Second Life experiences. We believe we can implement a better system than we

have now for managing this content -- one that is respectful of everyone’s personal preferences, yet does not detract from

the creativity and passion that define Second Life.

The system we build will have three main features, which we will describe in great detail over the next few months. First, it

will provide a way to geographically separate Adult content and activities to a part of the “mainland” designed to

accommodate these activities (Estate owners with Adult content on their land will be required to flag their content; they will

not be required to move). Second, it will filter search results, so that those who do not wish to see “Adult” results will not.

Third, it will require that those who access or see “Adult” content (whether on land or in search) have had their accounts

verified – such as by a payment or age verification method.

The core goals of this initiative are to improve Second Life for everyone – by giving Residents more control over what they

see, and by providing the best available method to make Adult content accessible only to those who ought to (and who

desire to) access it.

We understand this may sound like a major change for some Residents, landowners and merchants. However, we are

committed to ensuring that all three of these features are implemented easily and efficiently, so merchants and other

landowners will not be disadvantaged, and Residents’ freedom and creativity ultimately will not be impeded.

We also understand that this effort will hinge on manageable guidelines and definitions. Simply defining “Adult” content is

not easy -- its definition can vary across different geographic and personal boundaries.

During the next six weeks, we will seek input from many segments of the Second Life community. We will introduce

guidelines and define what “Adult” means, we will explain how to designate and “flag” this content, we will introduce the

“Adult Continent,” and we will implement technical changes to make this process as efficient as we can.

The remainder of this post will address some of the questions regarding the anticipated changes and outline how you can

participate in defining the new policy. Once we’ve gotten your feedback, we’ll announce the new guidelines and next steps.

In the meantime, we’ll set up specific subject categories in the forums to allow you to submit your comments and ideas.

So now what?

We have four key guiding principles to work from, and we’d like you to consider them and share your thoughts:
1) We will create clear and consistent definitions of what constitutes adult content, in line with our Community Standards,
2) We will enable easy, reliable, and consistent ways to be able to access content by type - the goal being to ensure that

Residents can choose what they want to see, purchase and experience.
3) We will implement effective Resident services and dialog to ensure that those who provide Adult goods or services can

continue their activities without long-term disruption or loss of business.
4) We will implement account verification systems that provide an additional level of assurance for providers of Adult

content that only adults are able to access their content. Such a system might be tied, for instance, to a verified payment

method like a credit card, a validation by our age verification provider, or another credible method of validation.

How can you participate?
Long term we now have some decisions to make about the experience that is Second Life. We know we haven't thought of

everything, given the vast amount of individuality and expression that exists inworld. So we're turning to you to help us see

what we have missed, and to help us shape this change. Receiving feedback from you is vital in regards to minimizing

economic disruption and meeting as many of the diverse needs of our community as we can. So let's discuss!

We’ll meet in the forums, and we'll reach out directly to several constituents as well as to the thought leaders who will

undoubtedly emerge here. What comes from this process will not be perfect, but it will be better for our coming together to

make the plan happen.

After several weeks of these discussions, we’ll announce our detailed plan, including the timeline and process for

separating Adult content geographically and in search results, and for account verification.

There’s obviously a lot to discuss, and so rather than having one long comment thread here, we’re opening discussions in

the forums (see below). Please join us there after reviewing the Adult-Oriented Content Controls FAQ for additional

insights; anticipated impact, and other details not covered in this post.

There is no plan that will make everyone happy, not even "leave things the way they are". What I am looking for is an option that they might accept, and does the least harm to people.

You know, it's bad enough that people that want to sell and advertise pornography will have to move, but making people that don't sell or advertise pornogrpahy move, to accomodate those that do ... is just illogical.

I'm hoping that remark is just you trolling rather than a display of ignorance. You're not one of those discovery hunt prudes in disguise are you? they have a skewed idea of what pornography vs adult is too.

How can that be a better plan? It's only better because it makes someone else change/move ... someone that isn't even involved in the adult industry.

Whatever ... everything that someone doesn't agree with is trolling. Telling someone you don't agree with, that they are trolling wasn't very fresh the first five hundred time it was used. All messages are opinions, and probably about half will be ones you will not agree with.

** A message board without messages, is just bored. **

This was in response to the notion that a better plan would be to have PG people change their land to mature, and mature to adult. There has also been the suggestion that the Lindens should have PG people move to a PG continent.

How can that be a better plan? It's only better because it makes someone else change/move ... someone that isn't even involved in the adult industry.

How about this:

Add a checkbox in the About Land panel to say "this parcel contains Adult Content".

The 1.23 viewer would block users who haven't checked the I want to experience Adult Content" box from entering those parcels.

Enforce parcel ratings in search. Users who are leaving Mature and Adult boxes unchecked so their Adult Content shows up in search get their parcels removed from search for a period of time on repeat offenses.

Allow private islands to reclassify as Adult.

This gives the businesses who have been clammering for better access controls what they want.

This lets users who wish to avoid Mature and/or Adult content avoid most of it.

NO ONE has to move ANYTHING involuntarily.

As for the OMFG I SAW SOMETHING SALACIOUS IN THE OUTHOUSE!!! people, prohibit Adult content within 64 meters of a PG region. In this case, open Ursula to Adult businesses and residential property located within 64 meters of a PG region, and for voluntary land swaps.

Most of what is needed to help people avoid unwanted naughtyness is either already in place, or will be with the 1.23 viewer.

I think the theory is that it is a better plan because it makes those who are presumed to be asking for this change to be the ones to move, irrespective of the fact that it may mean those who were not asking for this would also have to move too (since there would presumably still be verification of some kind put in place).

I never asked for any of this. I found out about this at the same time everyone else did.

I'm on the side of Argent point from many moons ago. If the existing rules we already have on the books had been strictly enforced, we wouldn't have a need for this plan at all.

I think the theory is that it is a better plan because it makes those who are presumed to be asking for this change to be the ones to move

LL do not make zoned continents... until now. This is a special case, they can change the rules, it doesn't even need to be permanent. It's only a suggestion for a solution though. It seems unlikely that LL would ever offer free land swaps for all, no questions asked. However, I'm sure that there would be general agreement that it should be easy for residents to get themselves into the correct rating. Discussions should work to solving that problem.

I did not say you asked for this, nor did I mean to imply in any way that you did. My apologies for any misunderstanding in that regards.

a great alternative to mashing a flea with a sledgehammer ...

Congrats, LL. You've taken somebody who was a very strong & vocal supporter of SL/LL and alienated me.

You're missing the point I was making, which is that they made minimal changes *in the client* for the Adult Content stuff.


The lost preferences and many other problems in the client are due to unrelated changes, that they seem to be forcing out early so they can meet this implementation deadline.

Who is asking for the change?

I mean, really, who is asking for it?

Meta Linden's millions of pantom imaginary non-customers? In that case, a PG continent should be just the ticket. Hell, if there are millions of them, why waste your time with a 250 region Adult continent? Millions of users would fill hundreds of PG continents.

The current Adult businesses who want better tools to prevent underage users from accessing their services? Yeah, you mean the ones who haven't bothered to use the tools they already have? Which happen to be exactly the same ones LL is giving them.

Maybe it's the 3,000+ residents who have signed the JIRA saying they think the AC plan is a great idea. Oops, wrong JIRA. No one has signed that JIRA.

I'd like to hear what people think about this alternate plan:

* Upgrade ALL mainland regions one rating level (PG to Mature, Mature to Adult)

* Create Ursula as a PG only continent

* Second Life has been an open place where Residents can explore a wide variety of creative pursuits

* we (LL) must ensure that all Residents can enjoy the virtual world

* some Residents are interested in pursuing certain “Adult” activities in SL that others would rather not casually encounter

* give all Residents more control over their Second Life experiences

What if people living on PG land, don't want to swith it to Mature? Will they have to move?

You know, it's bad enough that people that want to sell and advertise pornography will have to move, but making people that don't sell or advertise pornogrpahy move, to accomodate those that do ... is just illogical.

They typed it with their noses lol and yes I agree with you here as LL will of course close ranks when one of theirs steps over the line and blame the neighbors as we can never prove otherwise, just like some LL staff take advantage of their jobs with land deals etc.

LL say they will act transparently but still they are as transparent as a sheet of lead

That's just hypocritical. Why is it worse to make PG people move because of folks who make adult content than it is to force adult content people to move because PG people don't like it?

If I wasn't getting the swap, I would just modify my search the way all sin tax businesses do offline, every day.