An Open Letter to Philip Rosedale and the Entire Linden Lab team

Dear Linden Labs

Please delete this thread, I have Left your world

Isn't it kind of irresponsible to let young children browse the net unsupervised?

The forums do require log in. It depends on the settings on your system as to if your password is saved or not. Apparently yours is saved.

Children are the sole responsibility of their parents. Anyone who is planning on ever having children should keep in mind that raising a child is a full time job, and that TVs, consoles and computers are not an acceptable substitute for a father.
It is trendy in america, but horribly stupid, to always seek someone else to blame and sue.
Anyone who is concerned with letting a child have access to morally reprehensible material should never let their children handle an internet-enabled computer.
There is far worse material on the web than anything you can see in these forums or in SL, and ALL of it is very easily accessible.
Even fairly innocent web pages can have banners and popups containing pornography, so if this is a concern to you, dont let a kid browse the web alone, and always use a content filtering system such as CyberNanny.

And by the way Regnar, i just checked it, and the mature forums are indeed only accessible to logged in users. So next time you have a kid around, remember to log out.

It's not Linden Labs responsibility to monitor your guest's kid's web surfing. It's their parents, and yours. What could they have possibly seen in general discussion anyway? The word "sex"? Shocking! Pretending things don't exist and hiding the real world from kids is more damaging to their long term well being than having honest discussion with them about things they might see. But if people want to keep their kids in an artificial bubble it's no one's responsibility to maintain it but their own. Period.

I checked and the forums do require log in. Over and above that, its not me who allowed the child onto the computer. How did she get to SL anyway? I doubt she knew the URL.

As a parent myself I take responsibility for what my child has access to. My daughter has had her own computer for the last 2 years and she is only 4 years old. It is placed in a community area within the house and she is monitored on it at all times. While it is unfortunate that this occurred, it is not the responsibility of those of us here OR LL that the child gained access.

Oh, Misnomer! Clearly, you have much to learn about parenting. You see, you should just be plopping your kid down in front of the computer and then suing people when she stumbles across goatse! Obviously!

C.O.-

OH! I know! I can bookmark rotten.com for her and then sue Microsoft & Modzilla because the software allowed it on a childs computer! Thanks! I'll be rich AND damage my child in one swoop!

DOH!

It doesn't make me feel anything. It's not my kid.

<<Thanks to some irresponsible posters there is an 8 year old little girl that learned some new words. Now dosen't that make you feel real good?>>

No, Regnar, it's thanks to you

Unless she's been living in a bubble for the past 3 years, she's learned all the words from school already.

If you wish to have unsupervised children at your house, please ensure that your computer is secured so that they can not browse the web unsupervised.

It is your responsibility to do so.

Ok, I checked again and I will admit that there are indeed a few forums that can be read without login. BUT I stand by my comments that it isnt the responsibility of anyone here or at LL.

If I were visiting a friend or relation I would not allow them on that persons computer, especially if the person were male & single. It was poor judgement of the father and of you to allow it. What other URLs do you have bookmarked or otherwise available that she could have stumbled upon? Any saved *ahem* images?

(Edit to replace missing word)

Yup. I dont remember as far back as 8 but around 9 or 10 I definitely knew all the swear words, words that are in THE FRIGGIN DICTIONARY TO BEGIN WITH.
Not that anyone made a big effort to hide it from me. In my country we arent so uptight, as I have mentioned so many times before.

I hope it was one of my posts that corrupted her for life. The odds seem pretty good, actually.

Would you mind linking to the supposed offensive thread so we can see what might have been so traumatic for this kid's parent? I've skimmed the the first two pages of general discussion and the only word in a thread title that might be offensive is "whore." If the kid had never seen the word before they wouldn't know what it meant or that it was offensive in any way. Seems more likely that this is a case of a parent teaching their child to be ashamed of words than of a child mysteriously divining the meaning of a word they hadn't encountered before. What's the father's name? I'd like to write him an open letter ;P

Ass was in the title of a post. But then, that's a donkey.

I understand that this was probably an embarassing and upsetting event, but I find in those situations that taking responsibility is the best way to learn, develop, and grow as a person.

I think it's human nature to want to be blameless, but let's face it, all humans are fallable. None of us is perfect. And it takes courage to own up to one's imperfections.

Even when something is not entirely one's fault, a little introspection goes a long way.

Nicola
(in an attempt to be positive and impersonal)

ok I think I see what's going on here.

You have guests.

You want to spend some "quality time" with them.

Hmmm... Ok so what to do with the kid?

I know she can play on my computer!

No need to give her guidelines and supervise what she has access to. (we dont have time)

opps.. she went to a site that I have made very easily accessable.

Daddy's pissed and he's blaming me.

ok I'l blame Linden Labs for my irresponsibility.

Regnar, there is no one else who is responsible for thier childs well being except the parents (daddy) and anyone they give over the care or partial care to (you).

Face it you screwed up and it's time to face the music and not place blame and realize your very lucky she only "found" SL.

As a parent I realize none of us are perfect but I also realize our children are our responsibility and no one elses, and when mistakes are made they are to learn from not push off on others.

<edit> P.S. There is a very important lesson on proper behavior here that I think you are totally missing. The child needs to be talked to about her unacceptable behavior in "snooping" in another persons bookmarks.

Just curious, but what nasty little post was it? I can't imagine anything so vile as to upset an adult lingering on the 'public' forums that long.

So, which one was it?

Yeah Pahoa that was precisely what I was talking about. This kind of attitude is the ultimate culprit of the stupid world we live in.
People have this selfish attitude, "it's my life, I want to have fun, and to hell with the annoying little brat, put him in front of the TV so he will shut up".
That's a surefire way to screw up a kid's life. Anyone can have kids, but jesus, some people shouldn't be ALLOWED to!

The last time I responded to one of Regnar's threads, the thread was deleted; so, since everyone else here has said what I wanted to say, and I dare not push the button to have this thread removed (though we all know it very well ought to be at this point) I'll just hang around a bit and chew on some popcorn.

-master of run-on sentences

I don't know why you keep trying to get things changed Regnar. As far as SL being 18+ (in world and forums do count as far as I"m concerned), they are not going to change. You are not happy. I hate seeing people not happy. It is so obvious that SL is not the environment for you. Why do you stay? If you only stay to try and change the 18+ status, then you are nothing more than a trouble maker. But I don't think that you believe you are. So why then do you stay?

Can you Say BUSTED...

Regnar you know as well as we do that the only way to have access to Second Life is if you type in the Link

...Hmmm odd my browser doesnt keep history therefore no SL Link there.

OOH!! wait OMG I have it bookmarked. SO anyone can get to it just by opening my favorites.

Uh oh I have company what do I do....awww they will never think to look there.

OMG I cant belive thier child she found Second Life and I know what is on the boards there I hope she didnt read any of it.

CHILD: Daddy Daddy what does (insert what ever word found here) Mean?

OH chit she found the forums Now what to do?


I know lets threaten Phillip Rosendale he is the CEO he is responcibile for my MUCK up.

Got News for you You blew it get over it and if your guest doesnt like it tough.

I mean its your life right you can do what you want.

Summarly your guests, they can let thier child go unsupervised on a SINGLE Friends computer not knowing what the SINGLE Friend has book marked or if there are any child saftey settings set.

Face facts Retract your threat it was your responcibility for the saftey of that child and you dropped the ball. Reality is Harsh but Second life Can be harsher with facts.

Regnar with this aqusation and vieled threat you have just lost many kudos in the world of Second Life. Good Luck in your future endeavors.

Sincerly, Shadow