Second Culture Fall 2009

INAUGURAL ISSUE: WE REVIEW EVERYTHING FROM THE SUPERFICIAL TO THE ECONOMICS OF SECOND LIFE®

Second Culture A Different Perspective on Second Life® Societies

Inside the BBW World For some in Second Life, the 36-24-36 body shape is standard practice. For others, it has become a cookie-cutter design and unrealistic. Second Culture investigates what makes it worthwhile.

Child Avatars From potential bait for pedophiles to their controversial inclusion in Zindra, we examine the reasons for their existence and what their future might hold in Second Life.

Freebies For some merchants, they’re promotional tools used to hook Second Life residents—not only keeping them brand-loyal, but simply keeping them in-world.

For others, they symbolize a replacement for full-priced goods and a loss of revenue.

ALSO IN THIS ISSUE:

Cover-Up at the Nude Beaches Is there an growing sense of prudishness in Second Life?

Club Owners & Ego Are a few club owners in it just to feed their ego and make up for a lack of real-life status?

A New Form of Child Exploitation One American real-life politicians is willing to take advantage of the general public’s ignorance to virtual worlds.

Fall 2009

Second Life’s “Police” Forces: How much power do they have? How much power do they want?

Publication Information Author, Layout Designer, Publisher & Editor-in-Chief: Slick Munro Second Culture is published seasonally by Munro E-Publishing/ RGN Digital Media. Individual copies are made available free of charge online. © 2009 under Slick Munro’s real-life name. All rights reserved.

No part of this publication may be reproduced, copied, or transmitted in any form or by any means or stored in any information storage or retrieval system without the publisher’s written permission. Views expressed in Second Culture are not necessarily those of any advertisers, nor are the views of any advertiser necessarily those of the publisher. Second Culture can accept no responsibility for the veracity of any claims made by its advertisers.

General inquiries and advertisement pricing information is available by e-mail at slick.munro@gmail.com.

Viewpoints

2

From the Editor

3

Philosophy

Second Culture will hopefully offer something new to the growing field of Second Liferelated publications.

Separate but Equal Some residents say that they’ve made a separation between their Second Life persona and real-life persona. But how much difference is there if a real-life person is behind the avatar?

Additional Offerings

16

Politics

17

Avatars

Second Life®, SL™, and inSL™ are trademarks of Linden Research, Inc. This publication is not affiliated with or sponsored by Linden Research, Inc. Any real-life images that are used have been taken from sources that are in the public domain. Copyrighted images are not used unless taken by Slick Munro.

A Different View

Table of Contents

Child Exploitation A politician from Illinois took advantage of his constituents’ ignorance of Second Life and claimed that he would attempt to put a stop to children’s access to the grid. The problem? There was no truth to what he was telling the voters.

Indecent Exposure Several prominent nude beaches in Second Life routinely have visitors who would much rather stay fully-clothed. Are they unaware of the theme or simply too modest to even remove their virtual clothing?

Feature Stories

6 9 14

Avatars

Inside the World of BBW Not all residents have an interest is looking like everyone else.

17

Avatars

Child’s Play The use of avatars which look like children is an ongoing debate.

Economics

Freebies: Promotional Tools or Suicide?

Some merchants are opposed to freebies as they might decrease the chances for full-price purchases. Others argue that they’re key promotional tools.

19

Psychology

Club Owners: Entrepreneurs or Egoists?

Some club owners have shown tendencies of wielding their power by banning visitors for nonsensical “offenses”; others blame their visitors for lag and even claim legal power that they don’t have. Are Second Life clubs becoming an outlet for those with real-life shortcomings?

File → Quit Second Life “Police” Forces

They aren’t recognized by Linden Labs, they have enforcement power only when granted by owners, and in some instances they’ve engaged in extortion.

Are they more a headache than your basic griefer?

From the Editor

A Different View

by Slick Munro

What This E-Magazine Is

What This E-Magazine is Not

It’s no secret that the number of publications

No matter the topic that might be presented in

related to Second Life has been growing over the last few years. Fashion, music, art, personalities:

Second Culture, it will be done so in a way that is as educational and informational as possible. This

they run the gambit. It might seem a bit

publication’s agenda is not one that is to advance

outlandish to throw yet another hat into the ring,

a certain viewpoint unless all views have been

but one thing that I found myself doing

considered.

throughout my time in SL was wondering why

If an article mentions particular data or

people did the things that they did. Moreover,

references a source of information, that source

why did I do the things that I did?

will be attributed whenever possible. If a direct

It was at that time that I decided to begin

quote is mentioned in an article, quotation marks

blogging about my take on different things that I

will be used to avoid any possible confusion or

discovered in Second Life, but I soon realized that if I kept blogging at length that I would soon have

accusations of taking information out of context.

That segues into the next aspect of what

enough material to easily write an e-magazine. It

Second Culture is not: It will not be a gossip rag

was then that I figured that I had the ability to

and it will not focus on drama that is so prominent

make the e-magazine and add it to the

in-world. (And yes, I’m quite aware that some

burgeoning field of SL publications.

people will call everything “drama” and simply

The premise of this e-magazine is to analyze

wish that no one talks about any topic

what happens in SL no matter the topic. By

whatsoever. For those people I would say, “Please

viewing the grid’s happenings from a sociological

lock yourself away in your home and never read,

perspective, I’m hoping to offer a refreshing take

watch, or listen to the outside world again. You’re

on many of the things that we see in-world or read about on SL-related blogs, Websites, and

too fragile.”)

My goal for this publication is to offer

comment forums.

something that will make you think, whether you

In fact, many of these outlets are wonderful

agree with it or not. If I accomplish that, my job

sources of information for analysis because they

is done.

are the outlets which have—and will no doubt continue to—provided an immense amount of

All the best,

personal anecdotes on the topics discussed. From

Slick

avatars to real-life politics that affect Second Life, they’ve most likely been discussed at some point online.

2

Philosophy

Fantasy

or

Reality?

...or both?

The argument can be made that Second Life is an extension of real-life simply because humans are behind the avatars.

Having been an SL user since 2007, one

As such, can it not be argued that SL must

thing that I have yet to come to a conclusion on is whether

be an extension of real-life, if only because a “real-life”

or not SL is or isn’t a fantasy

person has undertaken the

world. Allow me to explain.

action in the first place? For

The virtual world of

example, the grid itself was

Second Life is one that is not

invented by human beings.

tangible. The images are

Thus, their real-life led to its

pixels on a screen and

creation. My avatar’s skin was

information kept in

created by a person, thus

computers. When we view particular images

making it an extension of that person’s real life.

while in-world, we’re viewing that information.

We’re viewing the pixels of the information that

I clicked “wear” to wear the skin, and thus my action caused the avatar to don the skin. Had I

has been created by someone, somewhere. If

not done so, the avatar would not have donned

we see a house, for instance,

the skin on its own.

the house’s walls cannot be

When a human being logs in

touched, they can’t be set

to SL, their avatar becomes

ablaze, they can’t be

“alive” or “awakes” from its

vandalized, they can’t be torn

state of non-existence.

down.

Indeed, it’s not even

They can, however, have

“slumber” because the

our avatars “touch” them or lean against them; they can

avatar doesn’t exist anywhere on the grid until

have animated flames set

activated. Had no human

upon them; they can have

being logged in, the avatar

pixelated spray paint applied to them; they can

would not have “lived” on its own. It wouldn’t

be removed by having the owner “take” them

walk around on its own, nor would it build or

and put them back into their inventory.

shop for merchandise on its own.

The act of doing such things must be done

Therefore, the argument can be made that

by human beings—the same human beings

SL’s very existence comes from real-life, and

behind the avatars. (This is not including robot

more specifically, the people on the other side

avatars which have substantially invaded the grid over the last few months.)

of the computer screen.

3

On the other hand, one of the most popular

This ruling can obviously be debated as well

philosophies that I’ve encountered while in SL is the idea that real-life is real-life (behind the

as a debate over what is “pornography,” “virtual pornography,” and “virtual child

computer screen), and Second Life is Second

pornography,” but that is not the primary

Life. The concept is that

purpose of this article. The

they are mutually exclusive

purpose of this article is to

and they have nothing to

point out that an argument

do with each other.

has been established that

This argument does

forces us to view the

have weight because the

situation both ways: the

concept of “fantasy” comes

United States views virtual

into play regularly on the grid. If I’m lounging naked

worlds as a fantasy land; Germany looks at the

at a nude beach (which is

virtual world in terms of

a post for itself, because

what is represented on the

I’m usually the only one

screen and in the private

naked at the nude beaches

messages.

which I’ve visited), am I

Keeping with that,

“really” at a nude beach?

however, how do we

Am I not simply projecting an avatar on a

interpret furries, child avatars, zombie avatars,

computer screen? Is it not simply a collection

silly avatars, space sims, war sims, sex sims,

of pixels which look like humans and sand and water, instead of

and everything else in between? If a human avatar has virtual sex

actually being people, sand, and

with a furry avatar, can or should it

water?

be punishable for having

Thus, it becomes a fantasy

committed bestiality? Is it just a

world.

fantasy land, or is it an extension

This view has actually been

and representation of real-life? If a

upheld legally by the United States

child avatar is spotted on a mature

Supreme Court. In 2002, the

sim (which has been happening

Supreme Court ruled on the case

too often from what I’ve been

of Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition and said that broad laws

reading and hearing), should the use of child avatars there be

against “virtual child pornography”

banned? Should the use of child

were unconstitutional. In essence,

avatars anywhere on the grid be

they said that a pixelated image of

banned, given that all users

a child isn’t actually a tangible

supposed to be 18 years-of-age or

victimized child. Germany views it

older? Or do we simply go back to

differently, however, and has established jail

the “it’s just fantasy” argument and support

time for up to three to five years if convicted of

the idea that anything permissible by Linden

having “virtual” child porn.

Lab is what can occur?

4

While I’ve attempted to present both

make Second Life exist in its current form.

possibilities for what Second Life is—or rather, can be—if I were pressed to choose one of the

We’re all part of the Second Life economy as well as the grid as a whole. Without each one

two possibilities, I would argue that Second Life

of us, the grid collapses.

is actually an extension of real-life with

Each one of us, however, is real. We’ve

exceptions that must be made.

helped to create a

This is similar to the always popular

seemingly fantasy

argument of economics: capitalism

world by bringing

versus socialism or communism. The

with us first-life

debate then becomes that of what kind

views, creativity,

of economic system the United States

individuality,

has: free-market capitalism or socialism? Ultimately, we’ve blended

industriousness, and values (moral

the two. In addition, facets of our

or immoral).

economy must interact with each other

These variables

to comprise the economy as a whole.

make Second Life

For example,

and Second Life

throughout the

thus becomes an

debates over

extension of the

which sector of

first-life that we live

the economy needed a financial “bailout” more than the other, those Americans

Without a human being in control of the avatar, the avatar could not exist.

They don’t act on their own; they’re not “alive.”

with some kind of stake in their respective facet were quick to suggest that their role in the economy was more important than another. Those in banking viewed their role as being more important than those in a company such as General Motors; many GM employees felt that their role in the economy was greater than that of the banks. In truth, both play an interactive role: without loans from a bank, a General Motors vehicle might not be purchased by a consumer.

Similarly, Second Life would not exist were it not for a real-life human being being behind it in some way: from those who started Linden Labs to those, like me, who currently help to

24 hours a day, seven days a week.

We don’t turn our first-life off simply by logging in.

Second Life simply becomes part of our first-life and we, in turn, influence it.

✖

Avatars

When Cookie-Cutter Avatars Become a Bore:

Inside the World of

BBW In 2007, at the suggestion of a friend, I

skin modifications were limited. I could make it

signed up for Second Life. I had heard about it from word-of-mouth and had not investigated it

lighter or darker, but it lacked hair and I couldn’t remove my mustache and goatee.

at length, but eventually was talked into creating

Over those first few weeks—if not months—I

an account. The first thing that I needed was a

noticed that most of the avatars looked the

name, so I admittedly wanted to have a

same: the men had the bodybuilder

little fun with it. I could have gone

shape; the women had the look of

with my real-life first name, but I wanted to inject a little humor and thus adopted a name that was akin to one of a porn star.

After initially rezzing, my next step was to get rid of my newbie

Pamela Anderson or Angelina Jolie.

“This shape is me; this is who I am.”

avatar. The friend who talked me into

But then one afternoon I was exploring and came across a female avatar which was obviously different; it looked real. Her waist didn’t appear to be 24 inches; her breasts weren’t unnaturally large.

signing up for Second Life was generous

Overall, she didn’t look like yet one more

enough to buy my first shape and skin for me.

porn star avatar.

To be frank, it was your typical Second Life male

I would eventually discover that more people

avatar: shoulders that were unnaturally broad; a

than just her had one of these avatars and my

waist that was unnaturally small; legs that had a

inquiries and investigations led me to the BBW

cartoonish hourglass shape. Fortunately the

Beach Club, where it was odd to not see one of

shape could be modified, but unfortunately my

these shapes.

6

Intrigued, I wanted to know why these women were so willing to break from the cookie-cutter shape and essentially be themselves.

Resident Mimi Kayor explained that her first

changed my avatar to a small BBW shape, and after a bit, I altered her to look like my real-life self.”

It’s easy to see that, aside from bot avatars, human beings are behind each avatar.

Second Life shape was the usual 36-24-36

Indeed, they often bring with them their real-

kind, and that she picked it because it

life views and prejudices. Kayor said, “People

appeared to be the thing to do, especially if

treat you differently in both real-life and SL

you wanted to interact with others.

when you don’t look like the norm. I’m a true

She explained, “In the beginning of my SL

believer that SL is just an extension of real-life

life, I really thought that I wanted to be that

and this view was reaffirmed when I switched

‘perfect’ woman. I’m a BBW in real-life and I wanted to try something different. I wanted to

to a BBW avatar. The reactions of other avatars ran the gamut from truly positive

see how the ‘other side’ lived. I was out

comments to downright mean interactions in

shopping one day and saw a BBW avatar—the

public chat. Some people think I am crazy for

first one I had ever seen in SL. Second Life is

being ‘imperfect’ in a world where perfection is

full of individuality and creativity—nekos,

possible.”

furries, vampires, even inanimate objects—but

Kayor elaborated on the public chat

not true real-life women shapes. All I could

comments by saying that other residents asked

think was that this woman was so brave for

questions such as, “Why would you make an

being different from everybody else.”

avatar fat?” and “Why would you want to be so

Kayor stated that her move to change shapes was a social experiment of sorts. “I

ugly with all the beautiful people in SL?” Those questions made her have passing thoughts of

wanted to see if people treated me differently

returning to the cookie-cutter shaped avatar,

than when I was the skinny avatar. I originally

but she ultimately decided to stay with the minority. “This shape is me,” she concluded. “This is who I am. I want to enjoy SL as myself. I don’t need or want to spend time here examining how to act as a Barbie doll. I’m going to be myself, both on the inside and the outside, and savor what SL

C M T

has to offer.”

Another resident, Jenny Lynn Twine, also started with a smaller shape but ultimately changed it to make it look more realistic. While she didn’t have any negative responses with her new, bigger figure, she did say that if she went to any of her old haunts that she would revert to

using the old shape. Twine did not have any negative experiences with the bigger shape, however. “For some of the few people I kept on my friends list that I visited with my new body, there was no negative response,” she explained.

Indeed, in a world where avatar shapes are diverse, subsets of human avatars exist: short, tall, thin, heavy, old, middle-aged, and even young. The creativity level and willingness to be different is the only thing standing in the way of each resident.

In the case of those within the BBW community, they have opted to stand apart from the other human avatars and create a visual being that is most often akin to their real-life self.

Hence, the only limiting factor is that of their own mind, whether it’s influenced by their own desire to be different or conformist. As we can see, we are the ones who choose to make it what it is.

✖

Linden Labs made an effort to create a new “adult” area to remove highly sexual content from Second Life’s general population. They’ve also created a firestorm by allowing child avatars to roam the area while simultaneously preaching against sexualized age-play with those childlike avatars.

Editor’s note: This article is an attempt to objectively focus

identified as the “victim” of the act; the avatars

on the ongoing debate pertaining to the appearance and allowance of childlike avatars in the new adult region of

are pixels and are not flesh and blood.

In 2002, the United States Supreme Court

Zindra. All sides are (hopefully) presented in an objective way and no conclusion is intended to be advanced.

ruled in Ashcroft v. Free Speech Coalition that

Crime & Punishment

child pornography—the Child Pornography

the law which would have prohibited virtual

In 2007, German television network ARD

Prevention Act of 1996 (CPPA)—included

notified Linden Labs that age-play—

prohibitions that were “overbroad

which is sexually-themed interactions between a child avatar and an adult

and unconstitutional.” The CPPA,

avatar—was occurring on the grid. It

“prohibits speech that records no

the court wrote in its opinion,

was discovered that the human beings in control of the avatars were

crime and creates no victims by its production.” They also stated that

a 54-year-old man and a 27-year-old

“virtual child pornography is not

woman, who were both subsequently

‘intrinsically related’ to the sexual

banned from Second Life.

abuse of children.” The Court

German law categorizes virtual

explained that “while the

pornography with real-life

Government asserts that the images

pornography, and as such they view virtual child pornography as real-life

can lead to instances of child abuse, the causal link is contingent and

pornography. As such, it is punishable in

indirect. The harm does not necessarily follow

Germany by up to five years in prison.

from the speech, but depends upon some unquantified potential for subsequent criminal

In the United States, virtual pornography is not categorized with real-life child pornography

acts.” In essence, the Supreme Court made

because no real-life human child can be

9

two points: (1.) there is a major difference

of such avatars to be present in a region that

between avatars and real-life children, and (2.) we can’t treat virtual child

was set aside for X-rated content.⁴ On one side we can see

abuse as real-life child

the argument for allowing

abuse because the real-life

them in Zindra or

child abuse has not

anywhere else on the grid:

actually occurred, nor has

a Supreme Court ruling

it been said that the virtual

like that of the Ashcroft

child pornography has

case as well as the fact

caused the real-life

that Linden Labs has

abuse.¹

made it known that they

This is important to note because the issue of

forbid sexual age-play.

One can say that if an

child avatars as well as

avatar takes on any

virtual child pornography

shape, no matter what it

has become a heated

is, that the person behind

debate over the last few weeks, mainly due to

the avatar has agreed to Linden Labs’ terms-of-

Linden Labs permitting child avatars on the

service agreement, which forbids anyone under

newly-opened adult area of Zindra.²

the age of 18 years to sign up for an account to

Zindra was created to host adult-level

use the adult grid. Add that to the

content such as higher-end sexual

aforementioned Ashcroft ruling,

content that might be akin to movies with an MA-17 or X rating if

which affirms that legally an avatar is not a real child, and we see that

we were to view it in terms of

the view of an-avatar-is-an-avatar

movies. Many business owners

could quickly be defended.

had to relocate to Zindra through a

On the other hand, we also see the

lottery ticket process that had

obvious: by allowing a child avatar

some controversy in itself. Some

into a highly-sexualized region, we

merchants alleged that Linden Labs

increased the odds for sexual age-

bypassed their adult-level

play simple due to the

businesses for relocation in an

percentages. If you allow a child

effort to play favorites to friends.

Others claimed that some

avatar to visit adult avatars in an X-rated area, you’ll increase the

relocations tickets—which were

chances of age-play occurring

said to be on a first-come-first-

simply because it’s allowed. If a

serve basis—were passed over for

ban on child avatars were

tickets handed in at a later date due to

implemented, the chance would be zero.

favoritism.³

Does Size Matter?

Those criticisms aside, the debate of

What makes this ban-versus-not-ban issues

allowing child avatars in a highly-sexual area is

a sticky situation is the make-up of the avatars

one that has made for heated arguments and

themselves. If we traverse the grid, we quickly

some residents have made legitimate arguments both for and against the allowance

see a plethora of avatar types: humans, furries, nekos, zombies, movie characters, animals, and

10

even inanimate objects. Because of this, we

the profile shown on this page shows that the

must realize that diversity—as well as creativity —is present in the virtual world of Second Life.

person behind the avatar has made her a fiveyear-old who is “looking for a family.”

Included in that diverse populace can be

In this case the desired age is very easy to

short people.

identify. Because of this, we could then wonder

The argument has been made by residents

if a ban on certain height would be required. If

that a “childlike” avatar can, in fact, actually be

this is the case, it would open a huge can of

a short human avatar: midget, dwarf, or even a

worms given the different types of avatars seen

“realistic” human

in Second Life,

avatar, given the

from cheetahs to

gargantuan stature

stuffed rabbits to

of most avatars.

As such, the

coffee tables.

The argument

question which has

could be made that

been posed is that

there are so many

of: What’s a child

avatars as it is,

avatar and what’s a short adult avatar?

This question might be challenging at times, but other times it becomes much easier to see. For example,

that picking one particular type of avatar would be impossible because it would negative consequences on other avatars in some way— even if those avatars weren’t explicitly intending to violate any provision.

Moreover, if we ban child avatars as well as age-play, will we have to go a step further and make regulations pertaining to furries or animals, too?

11

As an example, if

the cloud of legality hanging overhead. Child

a human avatar and an animal avatar are

pornography is a serious issue across the globe and does not go the way of the dodo no matter

spotted engaging in

how much some people might want it to.

sexual activity, can

Are we, however, prepared for whatever

we—or should we—

outcome it might bring to the grid? Will the

ban both users

fevered pitch of the back-and-forth banter bring

because in many

unwanted and unneeded negative attention

countries bestiality

from the general public? Will Second Life as a

is deemed a criminal

whole be noticed yet again

offense, punishable

by the mainstream media

by law? After all, we’ve established

for nothing more than its sex-related problems, the

that a particular type of activity—namely age-

way that it has in the

play—is one that is viewed as reprehensible

past?

throughout many societies the globe over. Or,

We will have to wait and

for novelty’s sake, can or should we ban users

see. Given that Second

who might use zombie avatars for sexual

Life is a private

purposes, since necrophilia is a broadly frowned

enterprise, it will be up to

upon act?

those at Linden Labs to decide how they want to deal with the issue. Their decision will dictated by two things: (1.) the law in each country that has access to Second Life, and (2.) business. In fact, their business decisions can be related to the legal issues because they will worry about potential lawsuits and negative press, which has a direct impact on their finances.

At the same time, residents should not fear taking a stance on the issue given the important

Conclusion—sort of

nature of it, and given the controversy surrounding land migration to appease those

To be sure, this debate is not going to go away as long as child avatars are allowed to be both on the grid and especially in the adult-

who either don’t like knowing that sexual content even exists in Second Life or those who

content region. Comment threads on

fear that children might get onto the grid—which

XStreetSL.com are added to on a daily basis

not only violates the terms-of-service

regarding the issue—even though some

agreement but also proves that their parents

residents have voiced their opposition to the

have little control over them—and see

entire debate and hoped that by closing the

something that someone underage isn’t

thread the issue would somehow go away.⁵

supposed to see.

Issues of this magnitude do not simply

The unfortunate “solution” was to treat adults like children with a confusing result for

disappear, though—especially when they have

12

many residents when they discovered that

References for this Article

childlike avatars were allowed in the adult area regardless.

1.http://www.law.cornell.edu/supct/html/00-795.ZS.html 2.https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php? name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=113895&postdays=0&po

Any ongoing discussion is one that will help

storder=asc&start=0

to bring some conclusion to the issue one way

3.https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?

or another.

name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=117037&start=0

While there have been voices that suggest

4.https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?

that we should keep quiet on the matter and

name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=116034&postdays=0&po

hope that it goes away, not talking about it

storder=asc&start=0 5.https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php?

won’t make it go away—it will just push the

name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=116034&postdays=0&po

matter underground, letting it build and fester into something bigger than it already is.

storder=asc&start=240

✖

13

Freebies: A boost or bane Economics

$$$$$$ ✘ ✘ to merchants?

When I was a child I would accompany my

Second Life resident to purchase other items at

parents to the local grocery store every week.

While there, and usually when we would near

their full retail cost. The theory is that if residents have a regular supply of free goods,

the deli section, I would see an employee

there becomes little reason to buy anything

attending a small table upon which they offered

with Linden dollars.

free samples of food. The samples were usually

But what are the pros and cons of freebies?

cheese or some kind of meat—sausage or

On one hand, free merchandise can do

salami—and each small piece was pierced with

several positive things, which will ostensibly

a toothpick for easy grasping by the customer.

benefit not only individual merchants but the

At the time, I was unaware of why the store

Second Life economy as a whole.

my do something such as giving away free

Some merchants use freebies as a tool to

food. Were they getting rid of it? Were they just being nice? As such, I asked my parents.

get their store landmarks to as many residents as possible, as quickly as possible. Some use

The idea, they explained, was to offer

them to establish brand loyalty. Some use

samples of the food in the hopes that people

them in the hopes that they give an idea of

might buy some of it. My parents told me that

overall quality from a particular designer/

it was something called a “promotion.”

builder. Some offer freebies in the hopes that

That was roughly 25 years ago and now that

new residents continue to use Second Life as

it’s 2009, and now that we have a thing called

opposed to growing frustrated with limited

Second Life, I’m again faced with the use of

funds and low-quality clothing.

free items as promotional tools.

On the other side of the coin, some

They’re routinely referred to as “freebies” and they’re given out by merchants who want

merchants have suggested that freebies are the bane of full-price merchandise and will

to get the attention of customers and hopefully

ultimately hurt all merchants in the long run

keep their stores’ names in the minds of those

because they allow for residents to have high-

customers.

quality items which will never wear out, given

For others, however, freebies have become a

that they’re just pixels.

scourge that threatens the potential of a

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newbie. Discovering freebies along my travels helped to not only keep my interest, but gave me an idea of which stores offered quality items and which didn’t.

The argument against freebies can be valid if they’re not used properly. If too many free high-quality items hit the market, the chance exists that overall sales will drop. It’s true that SL clothing doesn’t wear out.

One thing to remember, however, is that there will always be people who grow tired of having clothes that hundreds of others have. Those people will quickly look for new items—free or not.

A balanced use of free items is key.

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Reference for this Article • https://www.xstreetsl.com/modules.php? name=Forums&file=viewtopic&t=117764&post days=0&postorder=asc&start=0

With the exception of my glasses and the watch— which I made myself—this outfit is comprised of freebies. As you can see, the quality really is something to write home about.

Similar to the other ensemble, my canvas shoes, cuffed jeans, layered shirt, and leather messenger bag were all available for free—either found on hunts or discovered on the rack outright.

What’s more is that some merchants have called for a L$5 “storage space” fee for freebies since they still require space on a server.

Depending upon how the freebies are used and how widespread they are, both scenarios might be possible.

Freebies can be used as an effective tool for promotional purposes. If a resident obtains a free product that is of high-quality, the chance exists that the resident will return to that merchant for more merchandise when he/she has money to spend—money which will go towards a full-priced item. That resident might even recommend that store to other residents, thus increasing sales of full-priced items.

Freebies can also help keep new residents interested in coming back to Second Life on a regular basis, whereby they’ll possibly spend more and more. Such was the case for me when I began using Second Life, since I had no money but wanted to look like something other than a

15

Additional Offerings Observations with a touch of editorial.

Politics

been the one to violate the terms-of-service

A New Kind of Child Exploitation

agreement.

Users aged 13 to 17 must use the “teen grid”;

Politicians often take advantage of their constituents’ ignorance to situations, especially some laws, and Illinois

adults must use the adult grid.

Republican Mark Kirk is

campaign of misinformation, he has adopted—

no different. In fact, he

and essentially pandered to those who agree with

based a huge aspect of

—the idea that neither children nor their parents

his platform on the

are responsible for what those children do online.

hopes that his voters

For Kirk and his ilk, family values have become

wouldn’t have a clue as

another catch-phrase that is based on

to what Second Life was.

corporations and the government looking to save us from ourselves.

What’s upsetting is that throughout Kirk’s

He was also hoping that they would be willing to support his dislike of it.

While Kirk’s videos were apparently recorded in 2008, given some of the references and given

Under the guise of

that his bill to “save” children from Second Life is

“protecting children,” Kirk made one of his

no longer listed as an active bill, the fact that

platform items a hardline stance against Second

these videos were

Life, insisting that Second Life was and is a

recently uploaded to

Website designed to allow children to interact

YouTube suggest

with pedophiles without any restrictions.

that he still stands

In recently uploaded YouTube videos, Kirk told

firmly behind his view that Second

his constituents that Linden Labs “won’t protect children from obviously inappropriate content” and that “[the government] should.” He went on

Life is an evil that

to say that in Second Life, “children can commit

dealt with by

must be harshly

suicide, go to rape rooms, sex clubs, participate

politicians such as himself—in the name of

in Satanic worship, hold other avatars captive,

safety.

visit bondage stores, purchase assault weapons,

If you’d like to see Kirk’s lies firsthand, go to

and simulate human sacrifice.” He also said that

the links listed below. Just be aware that he has

Linden Labs doesn’t “properly screen for

the comments disabled as to disallow anyone

children.”

from informing viewers of the misinformation.

Kirk conveniently lied to his voters on two fronts: (1.) Linden Labs does require user agreements by which account holders have

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_Kzwp9nWsFs • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sPvqWUsb-Sg

verified that they’re 18 years-of-age or older, and

• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWf0_8iy5n8

(2.) if a child is on the adult grid, the child has

16

Billy-Clubbed?

The Nude Beach Cover-Up

A few weeks after I joined Second Life, I

I occasionally visit some of Second Life’s nude beaches, and what thing that I’m noticing at many of them is that the vast majority of visitors

attempted to visit a club with a female friend.

Upon entering the club, I quickly found myself

are not daring to go bare. In fact, in many

showing up on another part of the region. I

cases, they’re wearing clothing from head to toe

had never experienced anything like it before

and rarely don anything swim-related.

that, so I instantly thought that it was a computer glitch. When I returned to the club area, however, I received a message saying that I had been banned.

Shocked, I sent an IM to my female companion to see if she, too, had experienced the same thing; she had not. When I sent my camera into the club, I instantly noticed that the club owner was the only male avatar present—the others were all female.

My female companion didn’t stay, but this

Only a few visitors to these nude beaches were wearing swimwear. Even fewer were nude. Can this be attributed to residents viewing each place as nothing more than a hangout spot, or is it an extension of their real-life modesty?

had been my first taste of club owner powertrips. Sadly, it wasn’t the last.

Throughout my time in Second Life, I’ve come across similar stories—not only from personal experiences but from stories relayed to me from others. Some stories detail accounts of club owners banning people for wearing clothing that the owner didn’t like; others have stories of being banned for appearing naked due to slow rez time in highlag areas.

Keeping with the lag issue, some club owners have taken it upon themselves to blame their visitors for any and all lag that

The possibility of modesty might very well

might occur at the club.

be the case. From personal experience, during one visit to a nude beach—and while I was

Unfortunately, these same club owners seem to be unaware that most of their lag

naked—I had another resident act shocked

comes not only their end, but also from

when I was, indeed, naked.

having visitors at their club in the first place.

Does this lend itself to the argument that

They blame visitors for having prim hair

Second Life is simply an extension of our real

and added attachments and causing lag, but

lives? It very well may.

Second Life lag comes not from prim

As long as the residents are happy and the

attachments but from draw distance, user-side

beach owners are happy, the bottom line is

video capabilities, the overall number of

that everything is working the way that it

visitors to an area—especially an area where

should be.

avatars are in the same area for long

17

durations of time, like clubs.

Perhaps this particular club owner can file

One of the more amusing owners hands out a notecard

a lawsuit in-world in a Second Life virtual court and see where

upon arriving at

it gets him.

his club, which

All humor aside, this

informs visitors

illustrates that there

that he doesn’t

are club owners who

“give

have seemingly

permission” to

taken to running a

use chat

Second Life

histories of his

establishment in an

escorts, nor does he “give

effort to either extend a level of

permission” for

power and control

critiques of his escorts.

He also claims that he forbids snapshots of his club unless the snapshots are for personal use, and that if you disobey him, he’ll file a lawsuit against you.

that they might have in real-

Some club owners have attempted to invent laws in an effort to control others. The actions of some club owners can cast a negative pall over other, decent owners.

This is quite amusing,

life, or as a way to compensate for a lack of that real-life power.

At the same time, many club owners are not this way. Many are decent people who are in Second Life to meet new people, have a good time, and maybe

given that legally he has

earn a few extra dollars by doing

absolutely no ownership over

so.

any of these things. We don’t “own”

Hopefully they’re the ones who will see

our conversations, nor can we “own” an

continued success with their business

employee to the point where we can disallow

endeavors.

discussion of them. Even if he somehow copyrighted the chat histories, their use for reference purposes would easily fall under the fair-use clause of the United States copyright law.

As for snapshots, no law currently exists governing the use of virtual photos within these parameters (i.e., otherwise legal activity being carried out at an establishment open to the public). Even if this were a real-life club, it would be open to the public and as such real-life photographs would be permissible under current laws pertaining to such images.

18

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File → Quit

This Issue: “Police” in Second Life

Final Thoughts on Second Life Topics Before I even get to the meat of this section, I’ll

This might be symptomatic of the inherent

get something out of the way immediately: There is no official law-enforcement agency in Second Life

problem with this role: the desire for power and control above all else.

other than Linden Labs themselves, and no matter what kind of uniform someone might wear or what

After this occurred, I did some research on the topic on the Internet and discovered similar

that person might say, they’re no more a “police

complaints. On a YouTube video showing “police”

officer” than I am.

With that out of the way, my topic for this issue

dealing with griefers, one person described an incident in which he banned a Second Life “police

deals with so-called police officers and so-called police departments that have popped up throughout

officer” from his land and in turn was “ordered” by the “cop” to un-ban him, otherwise the “cop” would

the grid, most likely in an effort to wield as much

ban the land owner from his own land.¹

power as possible under the guise of helping the residents of Second Life.

This might be an absurd example, in which the desire for power is mixed with stupidity, but other

I was recently exploring different areas of the grid and came across a Second Life “police” station, which, while I was actually impressed with the creativity behind it, made me wonder how far some Second Life residents might go in an effort to enforce powers that they don’t actually have.

While at that “police”

incidents are quite serious. On iReport.com, one resident

One resident reported that on one occasion, an SLPF “officer” tried to “arrest” participants in a role-play combat situation by caging them. On another occasion, an SLPF “officer” demanded that he be given eject/ban privileges to a members-only sim. He became verbally abusive when his demands were ignored.

station I encountered a

reported that several members of the “SLPF” caused her more grief than anyone else.

She said that on one occasion, an SLPF “officer” attempted to “arrest” participants in a role-playing combat simulation by using cagers on them. In another incident, an SLPF “officer”

“police officer” who was cordial enough, but I didn’t

demanded that he be given access to and eject/ban

have time to chat because I wanted to check out the other “police departments,” too.

privileges to a members-only Harry Potter simulation. His reason for such a demand? Simply

Upon teleporting to the second “station” on my

because he was an SLPF “officer.” When his demand

search list, I was greeted quite rudely by an “officer” who informed me that his “station” was private

was not met, explained the resident, the “officer” became “verbally abusive and attempted to orbit

property and that I must leave immediately.

I thought that this was odd, because if this

[her].”

She also reported that another so-called police

“police officer” was here to help others, why would

force “acted like mafia” and “threatened to grief

he greet me by telling me to get lost instead of asking if I had a problem?

[her] islands continually unless [she] paid them Lindens monthly for them to ‘protect’ it.” They were subsequently banned and the resident submitted the proper abuse report.²

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Second Life residents aren’t the only ones who

Or is that where the next issue is found? Could

want in on the world of law-enforcement, though.

In 2007, the real-life Vancouver Police Department

situations like this be the first step for governments to get involved in virtual worlds and seemingly take

attempted to use Second Life for a recruiting drive, whereby they had hoped to find SL residents who

them over, regulating them for the “betterment” of those virtual societies?

might be real-life job candidates.³ While that might

Obviously that’s an extreme situation, but a

be a legitimate move, a comment made by Inspector Kevin McQuiggin makes one wonder how far he’s

more realistic concern is that of the concept of “law enforcement” in a virtual world, since—as I’ve

willing to push the limits of real-life police jurisdiction in a privately-owned virtual world.

discussed in other articles in this issue—human beings, who are in the real-world, are behind the

McQuiggin said: “It’s going to be interesting

avatars in Second Life. As such, any real-life crime

when we start to receive crime reports—you know, harassment cases or things like that—in the virtual

(e.g., hacking, identity theft, etc.) that might be perpetrated in-world would immediately fall under

world. How are we going to deal with them?”

When asked about jurisdictional issues—given

the jurisdiction of real-life law-enforcement agencies. There would be no need to further extend

that Second Life is a self-enclosed, privately-run

jurisdiction into a virtual world. That jurisdiction is

virtual world with users from around the globe that would then be overtaken by a Canadian police

already being controlled by those in charge of the existence of the virtual world in question—this

force—McQuiggin remarked, “There are jurisdictional issues. Where does the crime occur? Where is the suspect?

Where is the victim? We want accountability but if it’s spread all over the world like that, it makes it very difficult for us.”

If I were in McQuiggin’s position, I’d think that a bigger difficulty is the fact that Linden Labs already has

one being Second Life. Linden Labs are the police, regardless of whether or not

Even real-life police want to patrol SL—but Linden Labs is already its own law-enforcement agency for inworld issues.

guidelines in place for basic in-world harassment and none of these require an outside

you like their ability to act as such.

The second immediate issue that we’re faced with is that of some SL “police” forces that have resorted to threats of extortion, as was illustrated in the iReport.com incident, and other various forms of intimidation simply because they have a uniform and

badge.

Ironically, they become griefers themselves who

real-life police force to get involved. If anything,

are ultimately reported for abuse.

having another agency getting involved would only add yet more bureaucracy to the process because as

It should be mentioned that not all “police” have negatives attached to them. In fact, it was reported

of now, the process is this: residents send an abuse report to Linden Labs and Linden Labs will (in

that one “police” force helped to raise almost L $300,000 for the Make-A-Wish Foundation.⁴ That is

theory) take care of the matter. If we add a third

quite commendable, to say the least.

party to the process, we then have residents notifying the outside police force, who would

With that said, the cliché of “one bad apple spoils the bunch” might come into play. There have been

(hopefully) notify Linden Labs of the harassment, who would then (hopefully) do something about it.

several cases of abuse and harassment, and those cases have been rather severe.

Now, if we have residents—both griefers and

References for this Article

victims—from different countries, how many more police departments would get involved? And what

1. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=H4LxPMkxJWU 2. http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-19803 3. http://www2.canada.com/vancouversun/news/story.html?

would the purpose be since Linden Labs are the final arbiters of the problem anyway?

id=0c37d98d-c54f-44d3-9e72-0c19cf828565 4. http://pixelscoop.net/tag/police-roleplay/

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