Second life, no longer more free than the first....

Second Life has been getting a ton of press the past couple years, most of it good, but it only takes a few bad stories (German pedo story) to sour the image of Second Life in the public's eyes. If it were to become associated with behavior that is considered abhorrent by the general populace, then it could seriously jeopardize the future of Second Life regardless of all the good things it contains. The currently expanding audience for this product may shrink or even disappear if Second Life were to become, rightly or wrongly, associated with negative stuff. How many new members would this world attract if it were portrayed as a pedo playground in the press? Considering the sensationalistic tendencies of the world press, this is a real danger. You might not like the new people come in world at that point. It might even attract the attention of legislators and law enforcement around the globe. Lord knows how politicians and lawyers can mess things up for everyone.

I suspect standards will be set by what LL thinks their target audience would find acceptable and would help keep them as free as possible from legal trouble. If certain behaviors threaten the success or life of this product then they will be curtailed.

The employees and families of LL depend on the survival and health of Second Life. Allowing their product to become damaged or die would not be in their best interest.

Some may leave as a result of these rules, but I do not think that establishing these standards is an inherently bad idea for LL regardless of whether or not I agree with them personally.

Ultimately, the market will decide if these rules are acceptable or not. All companies in free societies live and die by their customers. We can voice our opinion, but be aware of the possible reasons for LL's actions. They might just be trying to keep food on the table for their families.

There are beautiful and inspired sims and builds that can be found in SL. Svarga, Midnight Reflections, The Lost Gardens of Apollo. They're magnificent...and some are a crafty blend of both commerce and artistry.

But the RP sims I know of have built a die-hard base of users and players who spend countless hours carefully crafting and building literate interactions with others.

So, sure...money attracts people to SL. Hopeless, shuffling masses of them, all intent on tapping into THE thing that'll make 'em the next Anshe Chung - and beyond recognizing that it just ain't gonna happen for them. Losing those shambling money-hungry zombies would cause me to lose no sleep at all...but if they want to come to the land of opportunity, work hard and innovate...well, then more power to them. I'd fight to insure they were able to do their thing.

But, not every creative type attracted to this open environment was drawn here because they love 3D modeling, scripting or avatar customization. Some, and I would warrant that includes a very respectable number of paid-up SL members, are here to enjoy the almost limitless potential of interacting with others who share common tastes and interests...people they might never have an opportunity to meet in RL.

SL is a platform that allows us to design a place we desire to inhabit, for as long or as short of a time as we choose. Be that a glittering utopia or a shattered dystopia...no one is fit to judge the "correctness" or "appropriateness" of that vision.

Any who do...and trumpet about the lack of grace or artistry to be found in-world...is simply one who denies another's art has any merit. And when that extends to cheering the obliteration of ALL such work...regardless of individual merit...it becomes the height of bigotry.

I don't view the popular places list, and even if I did, OMG, I have the ability to skim past what doesn't interest me. It's amazing... the scroll wheel thingy.

If people are drawn by money, so what? I don't mean to sound self-centred, but I frankly don't care what draws other people. I know I love creating and exploring beautiful lands and builds and meeting those involved. I ignore what doesn't interest me because it's a waste of my time to dwell on it. I seriously doubt I'm alone.

You really are making unfair sweeping generalizations, on top of being contradictory by stating that your sandbox is busy without the draw of money.

And you still haven't answered my question.

It's a shame that I'm so hairy and have a tendency to howl at the moon and bark a lot.
Otherwise I'd ask Lucrezia to marry me.
*grin*

LOL. This neko doesn't discriminate. In fact, my co-land dweller is a werewolf on some days

You seem so personally affronted that so many residents don't share your interests in SL. You seem that being "Creative" (whatever that means) entitles some to an exalted status in the SL social order. Your comment earlier to someone about Not recognizing there name and questioning their contribution to SL was particularly insulting in my opinion. Is someone who has the talent and skills needed to make a building or other object entitled to a better station in SL. If so let me know so I can leave. I too haven't "Contributed" anything by your definition, but by purchasing land and the substantial size of my inventory, I have contributed a lot of money to the very people you seem to think are the entitled residents.Producers need consumers. I'm going to log on and not contribute some more. If I have mis interpreted you, my apologies. Up until recently I agreed with you on some issues, or at least respected your view on those I didn't. Maybe it's me. A second Life composed entirely of artistic creative residents would be an admirable achievement. And incredibly boring.

I don't call 2000 traffic particularly busy when the top places have 100,000+ every day.



Sorry I had to scroll back and look, you edited whist I was typing a reply.



Everyone thinks they either have to have a mall, casino, club or something sex related in order to make money, because making money is all SL is about?

Broccoli

Not if were inspired by Salvador Dali, M.C. Escher and a certain French Marquis.

*cackles and rustles in the bushes for a bit before going home to the double-wide*

I consider that statement to be broadly offensive *grins*
..as well as Lag
Missing Image textures
8 foot buffed out men
Barbie Doll women with size FF boobs
the "Head Shot" gesture
The Kool-Aid avatar
Casinos
Guns
Bad Clothing
and the Second Opinion Kiosk on Help Island Public

I would agree with you on that. Sometimes I will just go and play Tringo because I don't feel like doing anything else, but if all I ever did was play Tringo I'd soon get very bored doing that.

Variety is the spice of life, as the old saying goes... and I'm not trying to stop anyone making their life as spicy as they want, as long as it's the right spices in the right place - by the guidelines Linden Lab set.

I don't mean to take things personally because, as it stands, restrictions on sexual activity in SL don't affect me - but I guess it's just the human in me coming out by being a bit overdefensive when I feel backed into a corner by lots of people telling me I have no right to have the opinion I do.

Broccoli

I consider your signature to be broadly amusing.

Broccoli

Throw in Warhol, and Mapplethorpe and we get interesting.

And you have the right to your opinion, but maybe subconsciously you are expressing it in a way that appears to demand your rights and deny others theirs at the same time. Even your statement that the restrictions don't bother you because you don't agree engage in the behavior is troubling. Are you saying you would not speak out against an injustice as long as it didn't affect you? (Hypothetically). That is not an attitude consistent with a "Creative , artistic type". They are usually the first to fight for others rights, whether they are directly affected or not. The signals you are sending out speak of Elitism and smugness to me.

Okay...one more post before I call it quits.

The snide, intimated insistence that someone prove their "worth" by detailing their "contributions" to SL puts one squarely atop a VERY high, haughty horse.

Someone who buys a parcel of land, teaches themselves the rudiments of building, and creates something they find to be evocative to themselves and others they admire may not be the mighty splash in the virtual ocean some people demand.

But in the realm of human interaction... which is what SL is REALLY all about, in case you haven't noticed. such a small offering is worth its weight in gold. And those who can't see that, simply because their own nose gets in the way, deserve to feel "overdefensive". Especially when a bunch of little people suddenly turn a very cold, dim eye toward that high, white charger, and clutch their roughly-hewn agricultural implements in their gnarled hands.

Expressing one's opinions, and cheering on the death of another's dream are two very, very different things.

Something any dedicated RP-er knows by heart.

if this were true there would be no prisons or law systems or police in real world. Everyone somehow thinks that all "players" are going to leave all emotional bagage at the door. It will never ever happen therefore there will always be an element of reality in SL or any other situation you can think of.

If the rule to not annoy peple was enough then no one would have traded child porn and there would have been no news and Linden Labs would not be taking these steps. Granted some of it was due to media hype , but do you really really believe everyone playing this game is an upstanding citizen?

If you want Linden Labs to survive to run servers next year or several years from now you have to accept that they are reacting to something.


They run american servers in an american based company that by nature has to adhere to certain basic outside laws.

If you can't understand this then I'm sorry but its the cold hard truth of the matter and not all decisions are going to sit right with you or half the community but the fact of the matter is that they have to be made for the health of the company and the longevity of it and that means community health and longevity as well.

Its a very simplistic thing to think that one rule would work but it has not worked and for many many years it has not worked.

Second Life has actually become successful from what I understand despite the yearly predictions it would never last past whatever year the prediction was made in (yes every year their demise is predicted) and every year the survive as a result of *something* they must be doing right.

If they can't stay alive as a company because the government is banging at their door to arrest them then the issues of lag mean nothing because they eventually would not exist.

Have you read any of the stories lately where some police forces from Canada have actualy set up office in SL? It wont be long before American police forces follow suit. Please also realize that the american government is already in SL on (capital hill or whatever its called) SL is not what it once was its grown therefor some rules are being put into place.

I would rather that then some of the other scenerios which possibly could happen including the closure of SL which is a long shot but it IS possible.

To many illegal activities are occuring and they are trying to fix it. Its their business to protect their investment and you can't fault a company any company for doing that.

It depended on the issue. Personally, I have no interest in sex in SL, and my life wouldn't be changed in the slightest if it was banned totally tomorrow. Therefore I can't get enthusiastic about something that I don't see relevant in my Second Life.

However, let's say the bus service in my town is utterly crap. I have a car, so right now I don't need to ever use the bus - but if the car broke down, or I sold it, I'd have to use the bus instead. So I'd support any campaign to get a better bus service in the town as there is a chance that some time I might need to use it - and others I know might too.

Going back to SL sex, I only have a couple of friends that are into the sex/fetish scene in SL, and whilst they know my feelings on the issue, we are able to continue a friendship without getting caught up over one particular issue. In fact, two of my friends are probably the most unlikely people that you'd think would ever want to know me. But we get by perfectly well; and even my rl partner and I don't agree on every issue but we have a deeper connection that can get past that.

Broccoli

I make things all the time! When you like them enough to buy them, you're contributing.
When you're kind enough to take the time to sit an converse with me (or anyone else) you're contributing. When you voice your opinions as a paying member of our community, you're contributing. Brenda Connonlly is a huge contributor in my point of view. Sorry Borccoli, but I found the "don't know your name" comment offensive too and the "Creative" attitude a bit smug. I'm here to open my mind and to gain some enlightenment. It's what motivates me in RL too. Creativity is a big draw, yes, but I have a creative job with a top designer in New York and make more at that than I've yet to hear about anyone doing in SL. That said, SL is a game to me or a place to hang out and make things. ANYTHING I want. Also a place to create things much more outlandish than I'd ever do in RL. A place to unwind an be free. If you're offended by my CREATIVITY, well, I hear you can make some pretty neat bubbles out of the new sculptie prims!

Um, no, I wasn't. But any way... here:

"Please someone tell me what is preventing people from being creative?

Help me understand how "the darker side"* of SL is limiting creativity and education."

What force is preventing those who wish to be uber elitist, create, build, educate, etc.?

Any more rhetoric from you will be met with silence

I haven't done anything particularly earth-shattering or life-changing in Second Life, so I'm not sure how you've come to think I am somehow considering myself better than others.

Broccoli

Because she's decided to run away with me!

*barks in wild euphoric abandon, then coughs up a rabbit*

Often it's simply a matter of lack of time or money.

Broccoli

A good thought from a fellow New Yorker. (And whose last name brings back memories from one of my favorite , and underrated bands from years back)

And how exactly does that relate to the banes you list such as casinos, brothels, and other money making ventures?

Freedom of speech is a misnomer. Stand up in a cinema and shout "Fire" and see how far your freedom of speech gets you. Walk up to a Policeman and insult him, and see how far your freedom of speech gets you.

The concept of freedom of speech and the reality are very different and we're on the world wide web here, different countries, different laws.

The Crack Den, been there over a year