Difference between revisions of "History/Adult content"

Latest revision as of 15:43, 24 June 2011

This article is obsolete, but kept as a historical record. Do not rely on this information in any way. However, it may be used in the future, so please do not delete or modify.

This page compiles Adult Content info at-a-glance so you can easily see the history of what's happened and better understand what's to come.

During 2009, changes to the way adult content is handled in Second Life were made. The main goal of these changes is control over your experience: if you don't want to see adult content, you have that choice. If you do want to see it, provided you're account-verified, you can. The changes include:

Creating a new region maturity rating of Adult, in addition to the existing General and Moderate,
Changing how the search functions work
Requiring "verification" to access the adult regions and search settings, and
Updating policy (Terms of Service, Community Standards, Knowledge Base articles, etc.) to go with these changes.

To make these changes required updates to the server software (version 1.26 and later) which hosts grid Regions, and the Viewer software (version 1.23 and later) which runs on your local computer.

Adult Content FAQ

For Frequently asked questions about this subject, please see the related Adult Content FAQ page.

Timetable

Initial Announcement - 12 Mar 2009
Release of 1.23 client software - 15 Jun 2009
New Adult mainland opens for visits - 15 Jun 2009
Move tickets for Adult Mainland accepted - 29 Jun 2009 10am Pacific Time to 24 July 2009 10am Pacific Time^[1]
Email notifications to landowners - Started 26 Aug 2009
Auction of remaining Adult Mainland regions - Started 8 Sep 2009^[2]
End of policy transition period - 15 September 2009 ^[3]

Region Ratings

Previously there were only two ratings for map regions on the SL Main Grid: PG and Mature, and they were open to anyone to visit. Now there is a new category, Adult, which only "verified" accounts with the right settings activated can visit.

After 15 Sep 2009, publicly promoted Adult Content is supposed to be stored either on Regions on the newly built Zindra mainland "continent" or on private Regions having the Adult Region rating. Estate owners can set their region ratings as they choose, and it is expected they will change or create adult rated regions according to the demand for it.

As of 1 Nov 2009, 1325 private regions were rated Adult, and 348 mainlaind regions (mostly Zindra). Together they represent 5.69% of the 29,409 region total grid area ^[4]

Zindra Move

Kama City

Previously existing mainland regions will not have their maturity rating changed. Therefore mainland landowners with public adult content will need to either move to the new Zindra continent, which is all adult rated regions, or to Private regions which are rated adult.

Existing venues which were significantly impacted by these adult changes were given a chance to move to Zindra via a Support Ticket, submitted from 29 Jun 2009 until 24 July 2009. Approximately 850 move tickets were submitted. The remaining land on Zindra started to be auctioned by Linden Lab starting 8 Sep 2009. For those who need to migrate to Zindra this link may be helpful:

Guide to moving builds from one Region to another

Maps of Zindra as it has developed can be found on the linked page. The most current map can be found on the SLurl Map page. The initial map of Zindra contained 157 regions. Due to high demand, this was significantly increased during 3-10 July 2009. At least 531 regions have been named, so Zindra could grow that large if there is enough demand for it.

Changes to Search

There are three search functions: Internal to the viewer, and two on the website.

Viewer Search - Starting with version 1.23, there are check boxes in most tabs in Search for PG, Mature, and Adult. This determines what kind of regions your results will come from, and what words may be filtered out of your query. You can choose the checkboxes in different combinations (they are not exclusive), and use different settings on each tab. If you are not "verified", the adult checkbox will not be available (greyed out).

If you do not have the adult checkbox active, certain input words to search will be "filtered". That means they are ignored as if you did not type them, and you get a message about it in the results window. There are a few words which are filtered no matter what setting you use. These refer to banned activities such as ageplay and gambling. An additional 60 or so english words are filtered if you do not have the Adult box active, mostly referring to sexual activities.

search.secondlife.com - Input words are always filtered on this search. Results from Adult regions, and parcels on other regions with the "Mature Content" flag set in About Land are excluded.

maps.secondlife.com - Input words are not filtered on this page. Results from Adult regions, and parcels on other regions with the "Mature Content" flag set in About Land are excluded.

Account Settings

To access Adult Content, you need to "verify" your account. Learn how.

Documentation and Downloads

Numerous changes have been made to Linden documents and software to incorporate the adult content changes. This includes the Community Standards, Knowledge Base, and Wiki.

Community Standards

The Community Standards, which govern behavior in Second Life were updated 25 Jun 2009, although enforcement was delayed until 15 Sep 2009 to allow landowners to move or change their content. In particular item 5: "Adult Regions, Groups, and Listings" was changed.

Knowledge Base

Visit Category:Adult to see Knowledge Base articles on the Wiki about Adult Content.

Viewer Downloads

Official Download Site for Latest version (currently 2.0.1)

Note: Some people have trouble running this version of the official Viewer, you may want to check alternate viewers:

Only alternate versions based on the official 1.23 version or later will have all the adult features.

Discussion

Extensive discussion of these changes occurred since they were first announced:

Blog posts

2009-07-03 - A Zindra Update: More Land on the way!
2009-06-26 - Zindra: An Update
2009-06-15 - Welcome to Zindra
2009-06-10 - Search and Adult Content
- Search and Adult Content Discussion
2009-06-01 - Adult Content Changes in Summary
- Adult Content Changes Discussion
2009-04-21 - Update - Upcoming Changes for Adult Content
2009-03-25 - Follow Up: Adult Content Changes
2009-03-12 - Upcoming Changes for Adult Content

Press releases

2009-04-21 - Linden Lab Ushers in New Era of Second Life with Initiative to Customize The Experience for Each User - Also available in French, German, and Japanese.

Inworld meetings

These are transcripts of "Adult Oriented content controls" meetings.

2009-05-11 - Followup definitions meeting transcript - Download MP3 audio
2009-04-17 - Definitions meeting transcript - Download MP3 audio
2009-04-16 - Landowner meeting transcript - Download MP3 audio
2009-03-27 - Merchant meeting transcript - Download MP3 audio
2009-03-25 - Educator meeting transcript - Download MP3 audio
2009-03-24 - Adult Content Forum Transcript - Download MP3 audio

Forum Threads

RC Questions

Opened 01 May 2009, Closed 01 Jun 2009, 2,864 posts

Upcoming Changes for Adult Content: Answers to Questions

Opened 31 Mar 2009, Closed 01 May 2009, 7,408 posts

Main Forum Thread

Opened 17 Mar 2009, Closed 31 Mar 2009, 4,676 posts

Motivations and Goals

Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 890 posts

Definitions

Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 488 posts

Account Verification for Accessing Adult Content

Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 365 posts

Filtering Adult Content in Search and Classifieds

Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 96 posts

Geographical Separation of Adult Content

Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 1,044 posts

Forum posts by Blondin Linden: [Note: the official status of these answers is not known]

Issue Tracker

Meta Issue for Adult content filtering problems - "To track any content that has been incorrectly marked as Adult by the search filters"

Commentary

Kira Welty's Summary

Satiated Desires Blog Summary

Footnotes

↑ A Zindra Update 3 July 2009
↑ Jack Linden Official Blog 03 Sep 2009
↑ Email received 25Aug 2009
↑ New SL Sims in the past week Tyche Sheperd, 27 Sept 2009.

@@ Line 1: / Line 1: @@
-{{Help|Glossary=*}} {{RightToc}}
+{{Archive}} {{RightToc}}
+'''This page compiles Adult Content info at-a-glance so you can easily see the history of what's happened and better understand what's to come.'''
-During the second quarter of 2009, changes to the way adult content is handled were announced. The basic thrust of these changes is to separate "adult" material from casual SL users who did not intend to see it. The changes include (1) creating a new land rating of "Adult", in addition to the existing "PG" and "Mature", (2) changing how the search function works (3) requiring "verification" to access the adult land and search settings, and (4) updating the rules of SL (terms of service, community standards, knowledge base, etc.) to go with these changes.
+During 2009, changes to the way adult content is handled in Second Life were made. The main goal of these changes is control over your experience: if you don't want to see adult content, you have that choice. If you do want to see it, provided you're account-verified, you can. The changes include:
-To make these changes required updates to the server software (version 1.26 and later) which hosts grid regions, and the client software (version 1.23 and later) which runs on your home computer.
+# Creating a new region maturity rating of {{mra}}, in addition to the existing {{mrg}} and {{mrm}},
+# Changing how the search functions work
+# Requiring "verification" to access the adult regions and search settings, and
+# Updating policy (Terms of Service, Community Standards, Knowledge Base articles, etc.) to go with these changes.
-This page compiles Adult Content info at-a-glance so you can easily see the history of what's happened and better understand what's to come.
+To make these changes required updates to the server software (version 1.26 and later) which hosts grid Regions, and the Viewer software ([[Release_Notes/Second_Life_Release/1.23|version 1.23]] and later) which runs on your local computer.
+==Adult Content FAQ==
+For Frequently asked questions about this subject, please see the related [[Adult Content FAQ]] page.
 == Timetable ==
@@ Line 13: / Line 21: @@
 # Release of 1.23 client software - 15 Jun 2009
 # New Adult mainland opens for visits - 15 Jun 2009
-# Move tickets for Adult Mainland accepted - 29 Jun 2009 10am Pacific Time to 20 July 2009 10am Pacific Time<ref> [https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2009/06/26/zindra-an-update Zindra an Update] 26 Jun 2009, Item 6</ref>
+# Move tickets for Adult Mainland accepted - 29 Jun 2009 10am Pacific Time to 24 July 2009 10am Pacific Time<ref> [https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2009/07/03/a-zindra-update-more-land-on-the-way A Zindra Update] 3 July 2009</ref>
-# Full enforcement of new rules - approx 60 days after Move tickets accepted<ref>[https://blogs.secondlife.com/message/5649#5649 Blog comment 5649, by Blondin Linden, 22 Jun 2009]</ref>
+# Email notifications to landowners - Started 26 Aug 2009
+# Auction of remaining Adult Mainland regions - Started 8 Sep 2009<ref> [https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2009/09/03/land-auctions-beginning-on-zindra Jack Linden Official Blog 03 Sep 2009] </ref>
+# End of policy transition period - 15 September 2009 <ref> Email received 25Aug 2009 </ref>
+== Region Ratings ==
-== Changes to Region Ratings ==
+Previously there were only two ratings for map regions on the SL Main Grid: PG and Mature, and they were open to anyone to visit.  Now there is a new category, Adult, which only "verified" accounts with the right settings activated can visit.
-Previously there were only two ratings for regions on the SL Main Grid: PG and Mature, and they were open to anyone to visit.  Now there is a new category, Adult, which only "verified" accounts with the right settings activated can visit.
+After 15 Sep 2009, publicly promoted '''Adult Content''' is supposed to be stored either on [[Region]]s on the newly built [[Zindra]] mainland "continent" or on private Regions having the ''Adult'' [[Region rating]]. Estate owners can set their region ratings as they choose, and it is expected they will change or create adult rated regions according to the demand for it.
-Once fully implemented, '''Adult Content''' is supposed to be stored either on [[Region]]s on the newly built Zindra mainland "continent" or on private Regions having the ''Adult'' [[Region rating]]. Existing mainland regions will keep their PG or Mature ratings.  Estate owners can set their region ratings as they choose, and it is expected they will change or create adult rated regions according to the demand for it.
+As of 1 Nov 2009, 1325 private regions were rated Adult, and 348 mainlaind regions (mostly Zindra).  Together they represent 5.69% of the 29,409 region total grid area <ref> [http://www.sluniverse.com/php/vb/virtual-business/8523-new-second-life-sims-past-19.html New SL Sims in the past week] Tyche Sheperd, 27 Sept 2009. </ref>
 === Zindra Move ===
-[[Image:ZindraCity.png|thumb|Mosh - City of Zindra]]
+[[Image:ZindraCity.png|thumb|Kama City]]
-Previously existing mainland regions will not have their maturity rating changed.  Therefore parcels with adult content will need to either move to the new [http://tr.im/ZindraCity Zindra] continent, which is all adult rated regions, or to Private regions which are rated adult. The initial map of Zindra contains about 160 regions, although at least 507 regions have been mapped:
+Previously existing mainland regions will not have their maturity rating changed.  Therefore mainland landowners with public adult content will need to either move to the new [[Zindra]] continent, which is all adult rated regions, or to Private regions which are rated adult.
-[[Image:LDPW_Map_Zindra_Medium.jpg|512px]]
+Existing venues which were significantly impacted by these adult changes were given a chance to move to Zindra via a [[Linden_Lab_Official:Details for landowners on migrating to Zindra|Support Ticket]], submitted from 29 Jun 2009 until 24 July 2009. Approximately 850 move tickets were submitted.  The remaining land on Zindra started to be auctioned by Linden Lab starting 8 Sep 2009.  For those who need to migrate to Zindra this link may be helpful:
-[[Image:Zindra_on_ SLurl.jpg|800px]]
+* '''[[Move_build|Guide to moving builds from one Region to another]]'''
-As of 25 Jun 2009, 130 private regions were rated Adult.
+Maps of [[Zindra]] as it has developed can be found on the linked page.  The most current map can be found on the [http://slurl.com/secondlife/Cloudville//// SLurl Map page]. The initial map of Zindra contained 157 regions.  Due to high demand, this was significantly increased during 3-10 July 2009.  At least 531 regions have been named, so Zindra could grow that large if there is enough demand for it.
-Existing venues which are significantly impacted by these adult changes may request a move to Zindra via a support ticket, starting 29 Jun 2009 at 10am.
+== Changes to Search ==
-For those who need to migrate to Zindra this link may be helpful:
+There are three search functions: Internal to the viewer, and two on the website.
-* '''[[Move_build|Guide to moving builds from one Region to another]]'''
+'''Viewer Search''' - Starting with version 1.23, there are check boxes in most tabs in Search for PG, Mature, and Adult.  This determines what kind of regions your results will come from, and what words may be filtered out of your query.  You can choose the checkboxes in different combinations (they are not exclusive), and use different settings on each tab.  If you are not "verified", the adult checkbox will not be available (greyed out).
-== Changes to Search ==
-Starting with version 1.23, there are check boxes in most tabs in search for PG, Mature, and Adult.  This determines what kind of regions your results will come from, and what words may be filtered out of your query.  You can choose the checkboxes in different combinations (they are not exclusive), and use different settings on each tab.  If you are not "verified", the adult checkbox will not be available (greyed out).
 If you do not have the adult checkbox active, certain input words to search will be "filtered".  That means they are ignored as if you did not type them, and you get a message about it in the results window.  There are a few words which are filtered no matter what setting you use.  These refer to banned activities such as ageplay and gambling.  An additional 60 or so english words are filtered if you do not have the Adult box active, mostly referring to sexual activities.
-== Verification and Preferences ==
+'''[http://search.secondlife.com/web/ search.secondlife.com]''' - Input words are always filtered on this search. Results from Adult regions, and parcels on other regions with the "Mature Content" flag set in '''About Land''' are excluded.
-To use the adult settings, you will need to "verify" your account.  This is done in one of three ways: (1) Use the age verification page on the SL website, (2) Provide payment information on the SL website, or (3) Provide payment information on the XStreetSL site (which is owned by Linden Lab).
+'''[http://maps.secondlife.com/ maps.secondlife.com]''' - Input words are '''''not''''' filtered on this page. Results from Adult regions, and parcels on other regions with the "Mature Content" flag set in '''About Land''' are excluded.
-'''Verification links:'''
+== Account Settings ==
+To access Adult Content, you need to "verify" your account. [[Linden_Lab_Official:How_to_become_verified_as_an_adult|Learn how.]]
-* [http://secondlife.com/account/verification.php Age Verification Page]
+== Documentation and Downloads ==
-* [http://secondlife.com/account/billing.php Update Payment Info SL Page]
-* [TBD XStreetSL Info Page]
-Once you have account verified by one of these methods, you are supposed to get access to the adult settings.  You will need to go into Edit menu > Preferences > General Tab > Rating and choose "PG, Mature, and Adult" from the dropdown list.  If you have a lower setting, then search and region entry or teleport will be restricted to PG only, or PG and Mature only.
-== Documentation and Software Downloads ==
 Numerous changes have been made to Linden documents and software to incorporate the adult content changes.  This includes the Community Standards, Knowledge Base, and Wiki.
-=== [http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php Second Life Community Standards] ===
+=== [http://secondlife.com/corporate/cs.php Community Standards] ===
-In particular item 5: Adult Regions, Groups, and Listings (updated 25 Jun 2009)
+The Community Standards, which govern behavior in Second Life were updated 25 Jun 2009, although enforcement was delayed until 15 Sep 2009 to allow landowners to move or change their content.  In particular item 5: "Adult Regions, Groups, and Listings" was changed.
-=== [[Knowledge Base|Second Life Knowledge Base]] ===
+=== [[Knowledge Base]] ===
-Dozens of articles are being created and revised for the Adult Content changes. Here are some of the key ones:
+'''[[:Category:Adult|Visit Category:Adult]] to see Knowledge Base articles on the Wiki about Adult Content.'''
-* '''{{slkb|6032|Adult-oriented content controls FAQ}}'''
+=== Viewer Downloads ===
-* '''{{slkb|6010|Maturity ratings: an overview}}''' - Restored with new content on 2009-04-21)
-* '''{{slkb|4568|Age Verification FAQ}}'''
-* '''{{slkb|4799|Age Verification Parcel and Estate Management Features}}'''
-* '''{{slkb|3954|What is the difference between PG and Mature land?}}'''
-* '''{{slkb|6285|Adult Oriented content controls: merchant meeting transcript}}'''
-* '''{{slkb|6345|Details for landowners on migrating to Zindra}}'''
-* '''{{slkb|6362|How to become verified as an adult}}'''
-=== Second Life Client Software Downloads ===
+* [http://secondlife.com/support/downloads.php Official Download Site for Latest version (currently 2.0.1)]
-* [http://secondlife.com/support/downloads.php Official Download Site for Latest version (currently 1.23)]
+''Note: Some people have trouble running this version of the official Viewer, you may want to check [[alternate viewers]]:''
-''Note: some people have trouble running this version of the software, you might want to check alternate clients:''
+* [[Old_versions|Older official versions]]
+* [[Snowglobe|Snowglobe 1.0: Beta viewer that uses HTTP communication]]
+* [[Downloads#Third-party_Viewers|Third Party Viewers]]
+* [http://nicholaz-beresford.blogspot.com/ More links to third party viewers]
-* [[Old_versions|Older official versions]]
+Only alternate versions based on the official 1.23 version or later will have all the adult features.
-* [[Snowglobe|Snowglobe 1.0: Beta client that uses HTTP communication]]
-* [[Downloads#Third-party_Viewers|Alternate Viewers]]
-* [http://nicholaz-beresford.blogspot.com/ Links to third party viewers]
-== Announcements and Discussion of these Changes ==
+== Discussion ==
-Extensive discussion of these changes has occurred since they were first announced:
+Extensive discussion of these changes occurred since they were first announced:
 === Blog posts ===
+* 2009-07-03 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2009/07/03/a-zindra-update-more-land-on-the-way A Zindra Update: More Land on the way!]'''
 * 2009-06-26 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2009/06/26/zindra-an-update Zindra: An Update]'''
 * 2009-06-15 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/land/blog/2009/06/15/welcome-to-zindra Welcome to Zindra]'''
 * 2009-06-10 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/technology/blog/2009/06/10/search-and-adult-content Search and Adult Content]'''
-:[http://blogs.secondlife.com/thread/1401 Search and Adult Content Discussion]
+** [http://blogs.secondlife.com/thread/1401 Search and Adult Content Discussion]
 * 2009-06-01 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2009/06/01/adult-content-changes-in-summary Adult Content Changes in Summary]'''
-:[http://blogs.secondlife.com/thread/1315 Adult Content Changes Discussion]
+** [http://blogs.secondlife.com/thread/1315 Adult Content Changes Discussion]
 * 2009-04-21 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/community/blog/2009/04/21/update--upcoming-changes-for-adult-content Update - Upcoming Changes for Adult Content]'''
 * 2009-03-25 - '''[http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/community/blog/2009/03/25/follow-up-adult-content-changes Follow Up: Adult Content Changes]'''
@@ Line 106: / Line 103: @@
 * 2009-04-21 - '''[http://lindenlab.com/pressroom/releases/21_04_09 Linden Lab Ushers in New Era of Second Life with Initiative to Customize The Experience for Each User]''' - Also available in French, German, and Japanese.
-=== Brown Bag/inworld meetings ===
+=== Inworld meetings ===
 These are transcripts of "Adult Oriented content controls" meetings.
@@ Line 118: / Line 115: @@
 === Forum Threads ===
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?p=2413766#post2413766 RC Questions]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/1d/318980/1.html RC Questions]'''
 :Opened 01 May 2009, Closed 01 Jun 2009, 2,864 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=314444 Upcoming Changes for Adult Content: Answers to Questions]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/11/314444/1.html Upcoming Changes for Adult Content: Answers to Questions]'''
 :Opened 31 Mar 2009, Closed 01 May 2009, 7,408 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=312352 Main Forum Thread]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/01/312352/1.html Main Forum Thread]'''
 :Opened 17 Mar 2009, Closed 31 Mar 2009, 4,676 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=311514 Motivations and Goals]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/b6/311514/1.html Motivations and Goals]'''
 :Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 890 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=311513 Definitions]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/de/311513/1.html Definitions]'''
 :Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 488 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=311512 Account Verification for Accessing Adult Content]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/4a/311512/1.html Account Verification for Accessing Adult Content]'''
 :Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 365 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=311511 Filtering Adult Content in Search and Classifieds]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/d9/311511/1.html Filtering Adult Content in Search and Classifieds]'''
 :Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 96 posts
-* '''[http://forums.secondlife.com/showthread.php?t=311510 Geographical Separation of Adult Content]'''
+* '''[http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/352/38/311510/1.html Geographical Separation of Adult Content]'''
 :Opened 12 Mar 2009, Closed 17 Mar 2009, 1,044 posts
@@ Line 157: / Line 158: @@
 * {{Jira|SVC-4149|Meta Issue for Adult content filtering problems}} - "To track any content that has been incorrectly marked as Adult by the search filters"
-== Other Summaries and Commentary ==
+== Commentary ==
-* [http://www.slapt.me/wiki/index.php/Main_Page slapt.me Independant Wiki]
+* [http://forums.secondlife.com/showpost.php?p=2395717&postcount=3208 Kira Welty's Summary]
-* [http://forums.secondlife.com/showpost.php?p=2395717&postcount=3208 Kira Welty's Summary]
 * [http://satiateddesires.wordpress.com/2009/04/29/second-life-adult-content-changes-how-theyll-affect-you/ Satiated Desires Blog Summary]
-==[[Adult Content FAQ]]==
-For Frequently asked questions about this subject, please see the related FAQ page.
 == Footnotes ==
@@ Line 173: / Line 169: @@
 == See also ==
-* [[:Category:Adult]]
+* '''[[:Category:Adult]]'''
 [[Category:Adult]]