The Beauty of Adult Content

For some reason The Lab felt it was important to feature how attractive the infrastructure of the new Adult Content Continent (AKA, Pornsylvania) in yesterday's announcement (Web) of further developments of the bifurcation of the World. Admittedly, it is very attractive and doesn't take a lot of imagination to see the architectural innuendo, but the information was surprisingly informative and vague at the same time. Once again we are directed to the forums for discussions but an actual time frame was given:

When Viewer 1.23 is final and ready to become the main Viewer (again, estimated to be by the end of June), the full implementation process will begin - all regions will need to be maturity-rated, search will be filtered for everyone, Adult content on the mainland will need to move to the new continent, and access to Adult regions and search results will be limited to Residents with verified accounts.

Having once had an adult content business -- I operated an adult motel in Nangrim and sold porn next to someone else's strip club and a Brazilian casino -- my interest in this issue is a bit more than passing. The idea of having to move from land that I owned and on which I paid tier to a completely new location where competition is a quick walk away is disconcerting. If I have time I'll pop by the forum (Web) and try to wade through the chaff but if anyone knows of a good summary, please post a comment. If The Lab has taken as much care with this move as they seem to have with the pictured infrastructure then this could be an example of come beautiful logistics and a far cry from the Age Verification process (Web) to date.

SLWorld & DowntownSL

In the long-standing tradition of the Disney Resorts, it seems that Linden Labs® is separating the Wonder Magic and the Wink-Wink-Nudge-Nudge Magic because "it has become clear that some Residents are interested in pursuing certain 'Adult' activities in Second Life that others would rather not casually encounter" (Web). At Disney World you can enjoy entertainment that seldom touches mature themes (unless you know the back stories, look very carefully at details, or just have "that" kinda mind) but you need to go to a geographically segregated Downtown Disney (Web) area for the mature fare. Of course, this is Disney, so don't expect Las Vegas or Amsterdam. Just more drunks and lower necklines (no, the buxom Princesses in the main parks are wholesome virgins).

Just when did the Lab notice this? My first day in-world was tame compared to many residents I've talked to, but I turned down sex several times. When I used a male avie to avoid all the sex offers, a gay man offered to bed me (well, more like ... well, it wasn't a bed). At no time were any of the parties involved naked, showing various bits despite clothing, or even using adult language.

So if the adult content is moved to a segregated region where you need to be age-verified to enter, how is this going to stop public nudity in Welcome Areas, trashy talk in malls, and folks with "sex wallet" attachments from getting it on anywhere they want? And what about purveyors of body parts?

"Then there's relocation costs for those who have content that needs to be moved, the status of skins (a skin is essentially a nude image -- will the highest-quality and most-detailed skins be available to the unverified?), ..." (Tateru Nino, Web).

The Isle of Lesbos Mall (SLurl) is a privately owned region so it's vendors are protected, but looking at some who I know have locations on the mainland, I wonder how their content will be judged. One is a swimwear maker and the sheer suit line she has leaves some things to the imagination, but not by much. Will they be mature under the new system? I see the same thing every year in the local Real Life shopping malls when beachwear hits the racks (pun intended).

Can't say I have much of an opinion, though. As I've said before, SL is Their World, Their Content. The Lab can do much as they wish. And the best adult content isn't on the mainland anyway. What I do find interesting is that this initiative is typical of policy changes: presentation and implementation comes in fits and starts with very little clear communication. How long ago was Age Verification started? It seems like something that has fallen so far off the radar even NASA couldn't track it. But it looks like we are finally on our way to having SLWorld & DowntownSL.

Recommended Reads:

• You Need a Real ID to Look at Fake Tits (Web)
• Amsterdammed: Linden Lab to Segregate "Adult" Content in Second Life to Red Light Continent (Real Life ID Required (Web)
• Linden Lab changes course for Second Life's mature content (Web)
• Second Life Bloggers React To Lindens' New "Amsterdam" Policy Announcement: Who Do You Agree With? (Web)