First the Germans... now the French are having a go

I'm simply telling you like it is in Germany, how you read into my words is your interpretation. There is nothing about your intellectual capacity intimated in anything I've said. That is your intepretation and yours alone.

I should probably bow out, I am incapable of mollycoddling people's emotional states when I word things directly. I say things directly, it is a topic I feel strongly about, and I'm not changing my style because it might offend someone's sensibilities unintentionally. Trust me, if I had something to really say about you, you'd know it and 100 percent of everyone else beyond any doubt. I don't have anything to say about you, and I'd appreciate it if you would realise that.

The groups who are trying to eradicate this content are actually wanting it gone completely and totally. They'd like to get rid of the real world stuff too, but the protections for that are completely entrenched. They will sue and sue and sue until its gone or so difficult to access that most won't bother. That is the reality.

The Lab is actually pretty insulated from this lawsuit, the ISPs in France are the ones who aren't.

That's the part that bothers me. I have friends in France in SL. My girlfriend has friends from France in SL. There's TONS of people who play SL in France, and they are seeking to do what... Potentially shut down those ISP's and block SL from the country? :|

I suppose it will be interesting... I don't know how open the networks in France are, probably someone from France would know more. I know it wasn't very open in the 90s but I assume things have changed some since then.

It will be interesting, and I am guessing the ISPs may either have common carrier laws like they do in Germany now, or this is going to be a case worth watching.

It's not impossible. In my rare optimistic moments I think the pendulum is starting to swing the other way. I remember growing up and when a kid did something wrong they'd get a spanking, grounded or sent to the pricipal's office (when that actually meant something). I remember that when you f*&^ed up in school a letter got sent home to your parents and YOU got in trouble, not the teacher that was "singling out" a child. Sometimes I actually HOPE that the parents who decided to be friends to their kids and not their parents have finally woken up and seen the results of that foolish notion and that maybe... just maybe, comments like his and mine would be taken seriously by someone. Just because actually parenting children is politically incorrect and unpopular doesn't mean we can't point it out.

hehe, actually I sympathize with you even after my rant. I was hell to raise. Time outs did nothing, I'd be perfectly happy standing in a corner for hours tracing patterns on the wall, and I wasn't all that social so grounding just meant I had to do something like read, which I would have done anyway. Even if you took away my books I was perfectly happy to day dream while doing whatever chore my parents came up with.

My parents actually did let me have a computer in my room (they're smart people, teachers both of them, but for some reason they let it happen), and of course I looked at porn. My dad did actually take my keyboard a couple of times. I had extras stashed .

It's not easy, and every child needs different kinds of action taken. All the worry about being turned in for child abuse or the like doesn't help either. The answer for my parents was just being very very watchful. My parents only very rarely missed something I did completely. For the most part they kept me on the straight and narrow. It's certainly easier to punish after the fact and hope that they learn so you don't have to watch as much, because watching does take a lot of time and energy. Some of us just don't accept punishment as anything more than a challenge though. I don't think you can be brought up on charges for keeping a close eye yet, and I don't think depriving them of a computer is quite up there with denying food and water.

I don't have children for the record. This immediately invalidates anything I have to say as idealistic and naive drivel . Nothing to see here.

What you remote commentators don't know is, the French have topless billboard adverts; and their sleazy areas (Pigalle, Rue St Denis etc) are toe-curlingly disgusting. Give me German sleaze, every damn day of the week.

So like the American Lawyer, Jack Thompson, instead of an "army of one" they're an "army of many". And basically not a threat to anyone with intelligence.

Aye. Look up "Jack Thompson" on Google & you'll see he's just as F'd Up as the FdF.

Any guesses on when the main grid and teen grid merge?

(I wish I was joking, but i really think that's where we are headed.)

But I imagine I will still be here despite it becoming SLisneyland.

So let's make the best of it, shall we?

SPOKEN:
I remember when I was a very little girl, our house caught on fire.
I'll never forget the look on my father's face as he gathered me up
in his arms and raced through the burning building out to the pavement.
I stood there shivering in my pajamas and watched the whole world go up in flames.
And when it was all over I said to myself, "Is that all there is to a fire"

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

SPOKEN:
And when I was 12 years old, my father took me to a circus, the greatest show on earth.
There were clowns and elephants and dancing bears.
And a beautiful lady in pink tights flew high above our heads.
And so I sat there watching the marvelous spectacle.
I had the feeling that something was missing.
I don't know what, but when it was over,
I said to myself, "is that all there is to a circus?

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

SPOKEN:
Then I fell in love, head over heels in love, with the most wonderful boy in the world.
We would take long walks by the river or just sit for hours gazing into each other's eyes.
We were so very much in love.
Then one day he went away and I thought I'd die, but I didn't,
and when I didn't I said to myself, "is that all there is to love?"

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing

SPOKEN:
I know what you must be saying to yourselves,
if that's the way she feels about it why doesn't she just end it all?
Oh, no, not me. I'm in no hurry for that final disappointment,
for I know just as well as I'm standing here talking to you,
when that final moment comes and I'm breathing my lst breath, I'll be saying to myself

SUNG:
Is that all there is, is that all there is
If that's all there is my friends, then let's keep dancing
Let's break out the booze and have a ball
If that's all there is

Well then all THOSE people should band together and fight this. There has to come a time when LL has to take some sort of stand and say "These are the legal guidelines we have to follow. If they aren't strong enough, too bad. And stick to it. If this group is going to lobby ISP's to block access, then the SL users can also band together and lobby the ISP's. Whenever I hear of these wacko fringe groups going off about something or another and getting Air Time, I never see the silent majority standing up to them. If you love Second Life and it's being threatened, speak up. The Lindens don't have to fight alone.

Freedom isn't free.

But what makes a 'wacko fring group'? Is it just something "you" disagree with?

Would you call the ACLU a 'wacko fringe group'? Lots of people would.

Broccoli

Yes. To both questions. How's that?

The "you" was in quotes as it was a generic anyone, not pointed specifically at you, but thank you for answering.

Broccoli

I know exactly what you meant.

Organized Intollerance is never "not a threat".

They dont need to convince the Intelligent - The votes of the ignorant count just as much.

That the majority of moralist complaints that have taken the shape of legal challenges are coming from Europe?
I just find it interesting...especially when I read so many comments from European users that complain about the heavy-handed laws of the United States.
So much for the heritage of the enlightenment, I guess. *grin*

I totally agree Brenda. This is getting ridiculous. LL has already said that it follows US law and that individual residents need to follow their own nation's laws. LL does NOT need to submit to every nation's law. If a tiny French splinter group has problems with the internet, then the FRENCH PEOPLE need to deal with this group, not LL!

I'm no expert, but I know a little about the Amish. They are not against technology per se, they are against using anything that will make them dependent on the outside (non-Amish) world, and therefore at its mercy. (The Mennonites, who are town people, are more flexible.) So, they avoid electricity supplied to them on the grid of an outside utility company. Not up to date with the Amish country lately, but if they find a way to power generators to run their power tools (maybe ethanol from their own cornfields?) they would have no problem with that electricity. Or with the power tools.

And much of the rest of the stuff in the song relates to their rejection of the shallow vanities of the material world in the belief that they interfere with appreciation of the spiritual matters they believe are much more important - much like what is applauded in people (New Age types, for example) with more Politically Correct spiritual pretensions.

It is an important rite of passage among most Amish that the young men go out from their community on reaching the age of majority to spend time (if memory serves, up to a year) in the non-Amish world, living the non-Amish life, and decide for themseves which is better. Most of them come back, and are more wholeheartedly Amish for it.

All of which makes them worthy subjects for condescension and self-superior ridicule exactly how?

That's great, it starts with an earthquake, birds and snakes, an aeroplane and Lenny Bruce is not afraid.
Eye of a hurricane, listen to yourself churn - world serves its own needs, dummy serve your own needs.
Feed it off an aux speak, grunt, no, strength, Ladder start to clatter with fear fight down height.
Wire in a fire, representing seven games, a government for hire and a combat site.
Left of west and coming in a hurry with the furies breathing down your neck.
Team by team reporters baffled, trumped, tethered cropped.
Look at that low playing! Fine, then.
Uh oh, overflow, population, common food, but it'll do.
Save yourself, serve yourself.
World serves its own needs, listen to your heart bleed dummy with the rapture and the revered and the right, right.
You vitriolic, patriotic, slam, fight, bright light, feeling pretty psyched.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

Six o'clock - TV hour. Don't get caught in foreign towers.
Slash and burn, return, listen to yourself churn.
Locking in, uniforming, book burning, blood letting.
Every motive escalate. Automotive incinerate.
Light a candle, light a votive. Step down, step down.
Watch your heel crush, crushed, uh-oh, this means no fear cavalier.
Renegade steer clear!
A tournament, tournament, a tournament of lies.
Offer me solutions, offer me alternatives and I decline.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it and I feel fine.

The other night I dreamt of knives, continental drift divide.
Mountains sit in a line, Leonard Bernstein. Leonid Brezhnev, Lenny Bruce and Lester Bangs.
Birthday party, cheesecake, jelly bean, boom!
You symbiotic, patriotic, slam book neck, right? Right.

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it. can't I have some time alone?
It's the end of the world as we know it can't I have some time alone? and I feel fine...fine...

It's the end of the world as we know it.
It's the end of the world as we know it. can't I have some time alone?
It's the end of the world as we know it can't I have some time alone? and I feel fine...fine...


"click"

The Germans are having a go again: http://www.heise.de/english/newsticker/news/90646

notice the "error" in the closign sentence?

instead of some the just said "users". smh and waits for the USA whack jobs to hop on the band wagon

"She was a fast machine, she kept her motor clean, she was the best damn woman I ever seen" AC/DC

HAR!!

It was WEIRD AL.

Please ..

hes not serious. He makes fun of himself more than anyone else.


WOW ..

turn the paranoia dial down sometimes.


I wasnt making fun of the Ammish either. If they want ot use Electricity or not, Thats okay.

I was just posting Ammish Paradise (sung to the tune of Ganster's Paradise)

Otherwise just Censor me for being Broadly Offensive.


--------------------------------------
Weird Al Yankovic - Germs Lyrics


Sometimes I really want to be alone
But that's one state I'm never in
Because I know that I've got millions upon millions
Of tiny one-celled organisms living on my skin

(Germs) I rub and scrub until my flesh is raw and bleeding
(Germs) But they just come right back again
(Germs) I can't even see 'em
But I know they're up to something
Hey-don't touch that-you don't know where it's been!

They're all over me
They're inside of me
Can't get 'em off of me
I'm covered with...(microscopic bacteria)
What do they want from me
What'll they do to me?
There's no escape for me
I'm crawling with...(microscopic bacteria)

Now if I ever dare to go to sleep
That's when they start they're sneak attack
In the morning I wake up in utter horror
To find my teeth are covered with bacterial plaque

(Germs) Can't get those parasitic creatures off my face
(Germs) And there's more coming every day
(Germs) I never said that they could camp out on my body
I wish they'd pack their tiny little bags and move away

They're all over me
They're inside of me
Can't get 'em off of me
I'm covered with...(microscopic bacteria)
What do they want from me
What'll they do to me?
There's no escape for me
I'm crawling with...(microscopic bacteria)

They're creepin' around my shorts
They're under the bathroom sink
They're ridin' inside my car
They're swimmin' in every drink
They're hidin' between my toes
They're lurkin' in every kiss
I got 'em way up my nose
In every orifice
I'm gonna show them who's boss
I'm gonna get even yet
Just gimme some Lysol spray
Just hand me a moist towelette
Don't tell me I'm paranoid
I know that they're after me
Look under the microscope
See?

They're all over me
They're inside of me
Can't get 'em off of me
I'm covered with...(microscopic bacteria)
What do they want from me
What'll they do to me?
There's no escape for me
I'm crawling with...(microscopic bacteria)

They're all over me
I can feel 'em all over me
Over every part of me
(Microscopic bacteria)
I know they're watching me
They're always watching me
They're coming after me
(Microscopic bacteria)
Won't somebody help me
Please somebody help me
You've got to believe me
They're out to get me
They wanna control me
They wanna destroy me
They're tryin' to kill me
It kind of upsets me

I have filed an AR report on this "Weird Al" avatar.

We all danced in fire,
Trapped in this machine.
Don't know how long we've waited,
As the Eggman's watching.
We all danced in fire,
Looking through the screen.
Don't know how long we've waited,
As the Eggman watches.

Team Dark Theme
Jun Senoue & Amir Derakh. Lyrics: Ryan Shuck