A theory of why LL may really be looking at age verification
Some days I'm forced to admit that SL is simply not for the weak. There aren't enough Lindens to prevent a situation such as the one documented below, not quickly enough. If you are delicate about language, you may want to skip the part of this post that begins with a chat log.
But perhaps this demonstrates, at the very least, the silver lining of age verification done right.
Many of us have suspected that accounts without payment information -- often throwaway accounts with throwaway email addresses -- are used by griefers, hackers, and generally people with non-communitarian intentions, shall we say.
Perhaps the new age verification system will cut down, indirectly, on people who create throw away accounts, much as that's not its heralded reason?
It makes more sense that ID verification would cut down on hackers and griefers than the overt reason that it would eliminate age play -- that never made sense to me. But so often things are instituted for less obvious reasons than are stated in public.
I actually like the idea that the Lindens want people with no payment information included in this world, but do not want people who want to create throw away identities behind which they can hide ugly behavior, incarnation after incarnation.
Pseudonymity is one thing. I am extraordinarily open that Shava Suntzu and Shava Nerad "map" to one another, and I respect people who come to SL to experiment with identity or escape their real life -- so long as they come to be part of this community, and not to tear it down.
The scene is the new Ben & Jerry's sim. E-Sheep has a promo going that invites people to join affinity communities on creating a new avatar. As a result, this sim has a constant stream of new folks, many international with poor English skills, trying to get oriented to the signs that are urging them to load a custom HUD to play a game to pick up "meadow muffins" around the island. It's a PG land.
As I appear, a couple folks, perhaps from Germany or the Netherlands from the grammar, are trying to figure out the signs.
[22:24] Kaia Boa: hey
[22:24] Kaia Boa: did you read?
[22:25] Kaia Boa: can you see it
[22:25] Vitia Vella: yeaaah
[22:25] Kaia Boa: its a pink cloud
<it is a pink ice cream cone that says "Click Me">
[22:25] smoofdaddy Barbosa: slurp
[22:25] Kaia Boa: its here
<smoofdaddy, hereafter SD, spots me as the fox furry in the business suit, Vitia appears to be his accomplice>
[22:25] smoofdaddy Barbosa: damn bitch... you stink!!!! Duche once in a while
<vitia approaches one of the new folks who is light on English>
[22:26] Vitia Vella: fuck off
[22:26] Toroar Allen: yes.. well i must go.. it was a pleasure
<I ignore the bad behavior, and start to explore>
[22:26] Click here to get a Methaniac HUD! owned by Methaniac Sheep gave you 'Ben & Jerry's Methaniac! (Right-click to wear)' ( slurl.com/secondlife/Ben%20and%20Jerrys/97/131/28 ).
[22:26] smoofdaddy Barbosa: taste like rotting tuna
[22:26] Kaia Boa: well see you soon
[22:26] smoofdaddy Barbosa: what the fuck are you
[22:26] Toroar Allen: ok bye}
[22:26] Kaia Boa:
<I become the focus of attention of Vitia, who loses interest in Toroar, and she and SD focus on me>
[22:26] smoofdaddy Barbosa: bich has a tail
[22:27] Toroar Allen: Bye
[22:27] Kaia Boa: Looking good!
[22:27] Vitia Vella: creepy..
[22:27] You: smoof, what is your problem?
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: freaky bitch want some dick?
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: zipppppp
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: plop
[22:27] You: I don't know...do you want to end up reported for harrassment?
<I open up the help screen and start writing him up>
[22:27] Luobubu Hax: i don't kown waht shall i do next
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: whoooo?
[22:27] Luobubu Hax: me
[22:28] smoofdaddy Barbosa: I guess I should call animal control
[22:28] Kaia Boa: hi
[22:28] Vitia Vella: i want to make a good blow.
<SD starts pushing me around. I try to avoid him and he continues>
[22:28] You: less than a day old and already a griefer. Such a shame
[22:28] Luobubu Hax: hi
[22:28] smoofdaddy Barbosa: meowwww
[22:28] muraken Oyen: hi
[22:29] smoofdaddy Barbosa: vita wants it
[22:29] Vitia Vella: yeah,,,
[22:29] smoofdaddy Barbosa: do you like it in the ass?
[22:29] Vitia Vella: luv it
[22:29] smoofdaddy Barbosa: cornhole bitch toss my salad
[22:30] Vitia Vella: can you make me feel good with dirty words?
[22:30] smoofdaddy Barbosa: I am now a ice cream cone lick me!
[22:30] smoofdaddy Barbosa: this game blows
[22:31] Vitia Vella: wont u come and fuck me hard?
[22:31] smoofdaddy Barbosa: you have to come to me I am now an ice cream cone
<around me the polite EU folks are trying to have a civil conversation>
[22:33] Luobubu Hax: hi
[22:34] Toroar Allen: hi who are u
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: do you kown what the notes mean?
[22:34] Toroar Allen: or what are u
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: i am luobubu
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: an u?
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: and u ?
[22:34] Toroar Allen: im titiar je
[22:34] You: I just started to figure it out when this idiot harrassed me... Just getting out of reporting him... *sigh*
[22:34] Toroar Allen: sorry toro ar
[22:35] You: Sorry to seem distracted. My name is Shava.
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: my english is not good ,i can't eunderstand what it means
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: and you are new comer?
[22:35] Toroar Allen: whats you r mother language whatis
[22:35] You: Actually, I've been here over a year and a half -- old in SL terms!
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: oh
[22:35] You: I'm afraid I only have English and a little French.
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: what a good thing
[22:36] Toroar Allen: ok i must go bye
[22:36] You: Let me help, perhaps, with the signs?
[22:36] Luobubu Hax: can you tell me what should i do next?
[22:36] You: the first one, where it says "Click Here" -- click with your mouse.
[22:36] Luobubu Hax: but i can't understand the signs
<SD starts pushing me again -- oh, boy, now he's naked. At least he hasn't bought any genitals yet>
[22:37] You: Smoof, you do know what a PG sim is, yes?
[22:37] You: It means no profanity or nudity or sex talk
[22:37] Luobubu Hax: waht is PG?
[22:37] smoofdaddy Barbosa: porn god?
[22:37] Luobubu Hax: i want to go to city
[22:37] Luobubu Hax: how can i do ?
[22:38] You: In English, it's a movie rating "Parental Guidance." It means, suitable for teens, or for younger children with their parents with them
<One of the EU guys, Toroar, tries to intervene as SD pushes me again, away from where I'm trying to help folks with the sign and such>
[22:38] You: and pushing people like that is not ok.
[22:38] You: you are going to be so banned.
[22:39] smoofdaddy Barbosa: this game sucks
[22:39] smoofdaddy Barbosa: party naked
[22:39] Luobubu Hax: why?
[22:39] Toroar Allen: but you sucks more
[22:39] smoofdaddy Barbosa: hey racoon chick get naked
[22:39] Toroar Allen: ?=///@(/&%$$(((//
[22:40] You: smoof, go away, please. Your behavior is awful, and these people are new here. What an awful first impression you're giving them.
[22:40] You: You don't belong here
[22:40] smoofdaddy Barbosa: party naked
[22:41] Toroar Allen: ))((((//&&%%$###
<Toroar tries to push SD into the ocean. I don't want to stop him to tell him it's not ok, he's trying to help>
[22:41] Luobubu Hax: oh ,there is a hero
[22:41] Luobubu Hax: thank u
[22:41] Toroar Allen: youre welcome
<SD returns like a bad penny>
[22:41] smoofdaddy Barbosa: muuuuummmmmmmm
[22:41] You: I will come back and explore this place later, after this buffoon has been banned.
[22:41] smoofdaddy Barbosa: rat tail
[22:42] Toroar Allen: ok bye
[22:42] You: I am sorry everyone. This isn't what SL is like...
...at least, I hope it's not.
But perhaps this demonstrates, at the very least, the silver lining of age verification done right.
Many of us have suspected that accounts without payment information -- often throwaway accounts with throwaway email addresses -- are used by griefers, hackers, and generally people with non-communitarian intentions, shall we say.
Perhaps the new age verification system will cut down, indirectly, on people who create throw away accounts, much as that's not its heralded reason?
It makes more sense that ID verification would cut down on hackers and griefers than the overt reason that it would eliminate age play -- that never made sense to me. But so often things are instituted for less obvious reasons than are stated in public.
I actually like the idea that the Lindens want people with no payment information included in this world, but do not want people who want to create throw away identities behind which they can hide ugly behavior, incarnation after incarnation.
Pseudonymity is one thing. I am extraordinarily open that Shava Suntzu and Shava Nerad "map" to one another, and I respect people who come to SL to experiment with identity or escape their real life -- so long as they come to be part of this community, and not to tear it down.
The scene is the new Ben & Jerry's sim. E-Sheep has a promo going that invites people to join affinity communities on creating a new avatar. As a result, this sim has a constant stream of new folks, many international with poor English skills, trying to get oriented to the signs that are urging them to load a custom HUD to play a game to pick up "meadow muffins" around the island. It's a PG land.
As I appear, a couple folks, perhaps from Germany or the Netherlands from the grammar, are trying to figure out the signs.
[22:24] Kaia Boa: hey
[22:24] Kaia Boa: did you read?
[22:25] Kaia Boa: can you see it
[22:25] Vitia Vella: yeaaah
[22:25] Kaia Boa: its a pink cloud
<it is a pink ice cream cone that says "Click Me">
[22:25] smoofdaddy Barbosa: slurp
[22:25] Kaia Boa: its here
<smoofdaddy, hereafter SD, spots me as the fox furry in the business suit, Vitia appears to be his accomplice>
[22:25] smoofdaddy Barbosa: damn bitch... you stink!!!! Duche once in a while
<vitia approaches one of the new folks who is light on English>
[22:26] Vitia Vella: fuck off
[22:26] Toroar Allen: yes.. well i must go.. it was a pleasure
<I ignore the bad behavior, and start to explore>
[22:26] Click here to get a Methaniac HUD! owned by Methaniac Sheep gave you 'Ben & Jerry's Methaniac! (Right-click to wear)' ( slurl.com/secondlife/Ben%20and%20Jerrys/97/131/28 ).
[22:26] smoofdaddy Barbosa: taste like rotting tuna
[22:26] Kaia Boa: well see you soon
[22:26] smoofdaddy Barbosa: what the fuck are you
[22:26] Toroar Allen: ok bye}
[22:26] Kaia Boa:
<I become the focus of attention of Vitia, who loses interest in Toroar, and she and SD focus on me>
[22:26] smoofdaddy Barbosa: bich has a tail
[22:27] Toroar Allen: Bye
[22:27] Kaia Boa: Looking good!
[22:27] Vitia Vella: creepy..
[22:27] You: smoof, what is your problem?
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: freaky bitch want some dick?
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: zipppppp
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: plop
[22:27] You: I don't know...do you want to end up reported for harrassment?
<I open up the help screen and start writing him up>
[22:27] Luobubu Hax: i don't kown waht shall i do next
[22:27] smoofdaddy Barbosa: whoooo?
[22:27] Luobubu Hax: me
[22:28] smoofdaddy Barbosa: I guess I should call animal control
[22:28] Kaia Boa: hi
[22:28] Vitia Vella: i want to make a good blow.
<SD starts pushing me around. I try to avoid him and he continues>
[22:28] You: less than a day old and already a griefer. Such a shame
[22:28] Luobubu Hax: hi
[22:28] smoofdaddy Barbosa: meowwww
[22:28] muraken Oyen: hi
[22:29] smoofdaddy Barbosa: vita wants it
[22:29] Vitia Vella: yeah,,,
[22:29] smoofdaddy Barbosa: do you like it in the ass?
[22:29] Vitia Vella: luv it
[22:29] smoofdaddy Barbosa: cornhole bitch toss my salad
[22:30] Vitia Vella: can you make me feel good with dirty words?
[22:30] smoofdaddy Barbosa: I am now a ice cream cone lick me!
[22:30] smoofdaddy Barbosa: this game blows
[22:31] Vitia Vella: wont u come and fuck me hard?
[22:31] smoofdaddy Barbosa: you have to come to me I am now an ice cream cone
<around me the polite EU folks are trying to have a civil conversation>
[22:33] Luobubu Hax: hi
[22:34] Toroar Allen: hi who are u
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: do you kown what the notes mean?
[22:34] Toroar Allen: or what are u
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: i am luobubu
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: an u?
[22:34] Luobubu Hax: and u ?
[22:34] Toroar Allen: im titiar je
[22:34] You: I just started to figure it out when this idiot harrassed me... Just getting out of reporting him... *sigh*
[22:34] Toroar Allen: sorry toro ar
[22:35] You: Sorry to seem distracted. My name is Shava.
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: my english is not good ,i can't eunderstand what it means
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: and you are new comer?
[22:35] Toroar Allen: whats you r mother language whatis
[22:35] You: Actually, I've been here over a year and a half -- old in SL terms!
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: oh
[22:35] You: I'm afraid I only have English and a little French.
[22:35] Luobubu Hax: what a good thing
[22:36] Toroar Allen: ok i must go bye
[22:36] You: Let me help, perhaps, with the signs?
[22:36] Luobubu Hax: can you tell me what should i do next?
[22:36] You: the first one, where it says "Click Here" -- click with your mouse.
[22:36] Luobubu Hax: but i can't understand the signs
<SD starts pushing me again -- oh, boy, now he's naked. At least he hasn't bought any genitals yet>
[22:37] You: Smoof, you do know what a PG sim is, yes?
[22:37] You: It means no profanity or nudity or sex talk
[22:37] Luobubu Hax: waht is PG?
[22:37] smoofdaddy Barbosa: porn god?
[22:37] Luobubu Hax: i want to go to city
[22:37] Luobubu Hax: how can i do ?
[22:38] You: In English, it's a movie rating "Parental Guidance." It means, suitable for teens, or for younger children with their parents with them
<One of the EU guys, Toroar, tries to intervene as SD pushes me again, away from where I'm trying to help folks with the sign and such>
[22:38] You: and pushing people like that is not ok.
[22:38] You: you are going to be so banned.
[22:39] smoofdaddy Barbosa: this game sucks
[22:39] smoofdaddy Barbosa: party naked
[22:39] Luobubu Hax: why?
[22:39] Toroar Allen: but you sucks more
[22:39] smoofdaddy Barbosa: hey racoon chick get naked
[22:39] Toroar Allen: ?=///@(/&%$$(((//
[22:40] You: smoof, go away, please. Your behavior is awful, and these people are new here. What an awful first impression you're giving them.
[22:40] You: You don't belong here
[22:40] smoofdaddy Barbosa: party naked
[22:41] Toroar Allen: ))((((//&&%%$###
<Toroar tries to push SD into the ocean. I don't want to stop him to tell him it's not ok, he's trying to help>
[22:41] Luobubu Hax: oh ,there is a hero
[22:41] Luobubu Hax: thank u
[22:41] Toroar Allen: youre welcome
<SD returns like a bad penny>
[22:41] smoofdaddy Barbosa: muuuuummmmmmmm
[22:41] You: I will come back and explore this place later, after this buffoon has been banned.
[22:41] smoofdaddy Barbosa: rat tail
[22:42] Toroar Allen: ok bye
[22:42] You: I am sorry everyone. This isn't what SL is like...
...at least, I hope it's not.
Some rights reserved..
Hi Shava
I registered just three days ago, and have experienced some annoying behavior on Orientation Island while I've been editing appearance. Males have been quite openly ogling me and pushing me about.
I quickly learnt that the safest place to edit appearance is way up in the sky, but occasionally novice flyers can crash you out of the picture.
Originally I thought it was a fun challenge to create a realistic avatar of my real self. On one hand it does mean my avatar is fairly unique, but the downside is that she's nowhere near as young and pretty as just about everyone else. And clearly she needs to have some breast reduction to avoid the unwanted attention!
I've also been quite frustrated by grid crashes and not being able to teleport to Help Island.
When I tried to teleport I was shunted into a different land, along with an inevitable collection of newcomers, all trying to get their bearings. I actually found it quite intimidating with all the silly banter and yelling going on, and young men flying about haphazardly.
As a first life designer and writer, I'm fascinated and excited by the possibilities of Second Life, but my first impressions have been disappointing.
I do hope I don't encounter anything like your experience but thank you for the reassurance that it doesn't have to be like that! ;o)
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No, that's not it at all. Wrong again. Some of the worse griefing in SL is done by verified accounts with payment on file.
Age verification is only about one thing for LL: limiting liability for litigation.
If they can force adult venues to verify, they swift the problem of child porn or obscenity outside the law on to those who verify. The purpose isn't to keep out kids or stop throways -- though that may be a side benefit. The purpose is about verifying those who wish to maintain adult venues so that they bear the heat from RL prosecutors, not LL. End of story.
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