Contrary to popular belief, there is no direct relationship between Australian and American laws. Australians are not afforded all the protections that the American people have access to by law, although in some circumstances Australian society works as though those protections existed. Americans are protected from governmental censorship by the First Amendment to their … [Read more...] about Will Internet censorship soon include Virtual World censorship?
ageplay
Sex and Google’s Lively – the darker side
I wince sometimes at some of the stuff the Second Life Herald publishes - it's an individual taste thing - but their expose on the darker side of Google's Lively is well worth the read. The Herald's Pixeleen Mistral posed as a 13-year old avatar and was subjected to some unwanted attention. Any 3D chat experience is going to attract deviants - the challenge for Google is how … [Read more...] about Sex and Google’s Lively – the darker side
What has Second Life achieved in five years?
With the upcoming five year anniversary of Second Life's public existence, there'll be plenty of editorialising and we're not about to miss out. Below are the key achievements and challenges arising from Second Life's first five years. The achievements: 1. Changing the landscape There's no doubt that Second Life broke some serious new ground over the past five years. It was … [Read more...] about What has Second Life achieved in five years?
Second Life age verification – beta is live
After many months of development, Linden Lab have announced the beta version of their age verification system. Tateru Nino has a great summary of what it does and doesn't do. Suffice it to say, it's not compulsory unless you want to be able to access restricted areas in Second Life. To test the system I contacted two SL residents I know who are casual users and asked them … [Read more...] about Second Life age verification – beta is live
Linden Lab further clarify ageplay policy
Linden Lab have further clarified their policy on ageplay. The real clarity is around child-like avatars and what is acceptable behaviour - essentially anything sexual is out, including promotion of sex-related products by child-like avatars. The ongoing grey area revolves around defining what is child-like and what isn't, something Linden Lab acknowledges in their … [Read more...] about Linden Lab further clarify ageplay policy