What Does Blog Message Imply?

Okay, what does that 7.01 PM message ALSO imply? Does it mean that by a simple right click an avitar will be able to check on actual identity of another avitar? I am still puzzling over what it means - I don't gamble so that does not bother me, but I am not a US citizen and am a little concerned that anonymity of SLers is starting to be compromised. Many people who are members of SL REALLY appreciate the anonymous aspects of this world - just as they strive for privacy in the real world. Ideas on this please coz' I may have read this completely wrong.

No it wont give other people your name, credit card number, email address, phone number and house address. Yes it will allow someone to see that you are in whatever country or your age etc., if you choose to allow them to see it.

From the sound of it, it seems it will be voluntary. We don't have any details of what they're doing, but Robin did seem to strongly suggest that it would be voluntary, so no I don't think there's anything to fear about it.

I hope they make it so you can either hide your actual age and/or give an age range instead, for example I'm 18-24, Phillip I think on the other hand would probably be 30-40 range.

Thanks all of you - yes, that makes sense.

I think the age information would be as worthless as anything you want to put in your profile. There's no realistic way they can verify ages in every country. It's hard enough verifying that someone is over 18 (now that 14 y/os can have credit cards).

All that would be necessary is a simple flag value for "13 to 17"/"18 to 20"/"21 and older". Under 18, banned to Teen Grid or a G-rated "Disney grid". 18 to 21, can access SL, but in some jurisdictions can't access adult content. Over 21, they are on their own. They could possibly even make it simpler, such as a yes/no check for "Adult", which for Yes translates to "Has proven they are of legal age in their home country."

The geographic jurisdiction gets more tricky. If they indicate country of residence, that is all well and good. But what about jurisdiction changes within that country?

US Citizen + American Indian = Can they gamble, or not???

I wouldn't care if they just banned casinos and in-world gambling entirely.

What I can't understand is why, if they think they can implement an age and country validation that is the least bit valid, they would fail to make that ID mandatory to access an adults-only game.

American Indian gambling is a stereotype - Its a reservation based thing. Its becuase Reservations have some control over their own juristiction rather than the state they are supposedly located in.

Gambling on reservations is still regulated by gaming boards.

Indian reservations are sovereign territory, so the laws are up to that Native nation, more or less.

Sort Of

Thats the theory anyhow.

It doesnt stop the US Government from doing what it wants when it wants. For example -

Latest large land theft

Indian Reservations arent really any more soverign than occupied, conquered territories.

I think what LL is really getting at here is that they feel that the free-for-all era is coming to an end, and that to cover their own behinds, SL is going to be a PG, families-and-happy-sunshine-by-default kind of place. What voluntary disclosure of identity etc does is allows you to flag yourself as pro-seedy (or gambling legal or whatever) and allow access to the naughty bits of SL, whether it's casino gambling, or pixelly porn etc.

LL doesn't really want anything to do with deciding if a particular business is legal or not. By providing some sort of verification mechanism (even if its strictly voluntary), it allows them to offload some aspects of censorship onto landowners. So when the feds do come-a-knocking, LL can just say: we give out enough tools to let landowners exclude those who are not allowed to swear/gamble/fornicate. don't bug is, go arrest so-and-so instead: here's his info.

Because maybe they will then use this system themselves to keep the under-age off the grid?

Or maybe because they want as many sign-ups as they can get, regardless of the person's age?

coco

Thats called throwing out false hope - to distract people from jumping out of the window when they get their credit card bill for 1700$ USD for the casino sim they just bought but now cant advertize.

Politicians do it all the time. Remeber when Clinton put 2 Cruise Missles into the Aspirin Factory in the Sudan, to divert us from Monica Gate? The tail wags the dog.......

This is very true.

I wonder if LL has in mind giving us the option to verify our identities with social security numberes, drivers licenses, or other government-issued identification.

Anyway, is there any more information on this upcoming optional identity- and age-verification system? A timetable?