Teen Second Life

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Thank you for your interest in Teen Second Life (TSL). In early January 2011, Teen Second Life will be closed. Please refer to Teen Second Life Transition FAQ for more detail.

In the meantime, we hope the following set of questions and answers helps you discover the most powerful 3D virtual world platform available for teens on the internet.

What's allowed in the Teen Second Life?

The Teen Second Life was created to provide a safe place for education projects for those 13-17 years old. Unlike main Second Life, in the Teen Second Life, Linden Lab significantly restricts entry, purchase of land, and activities to those that support the education projects in Teen Second Life.

Linden Lab only allows adults (anyone 18 and older) in the Teen Second Life who have had a background check completed, and who are either educators responsible for an education project in the Teen Second Life, developers assisting in the development of projects in the Teen Second Life, or the person responsible for managing activities on business islands in the Teen Second Life.

Adults and businesses in Teen Second Life do not have any access to the Teen Second Life Mainland (Teen Second Life); that area is reserved exclusively for Teens.

How many Teens are there in the Teen Second Life?

The Teen Second Life has about 1.5% of the registrations for Second Life. Since most teens enter the Teen Second Life from a relationship with an educational program, the participation rate may be higher than in the main Second Life grid.

I have a Teen audience. Can I bring them into Second Life?

Teens are not allowed in Second Life, but they are welcome in Teen Second Life. You can use the Registration API, create your island in Teen Second Life, and bring teens onto this island through your own website. You can form groups that include teens and IM and exchange objects with teens who come in through your RegAPI. However, in this case, the Teens will NOT be able to leave your island and visit other spaces, including the Teen Second Life "mainland" (Teen Second Life). In this "closed island" model, you can form groups, IM your teens, and exchange objects with them; but all these activities are limited to your island. If teens want to participate in Teen Second Life, they'll have to create a separate account (teen.secondlife.com).

As a business, what can I do in the Teen Second Life?

At this time, we do allow businesses to purchase islands in Teen Second Life and create educational content with which the Teen Second Life members can interact. We do restrict the ability of Teens to communicate with Adults, and we do not allow any selling or other commercial activity.

You cannot sell in the Teen Second Life, and you can't exchange L$ with teens. If your island is not a "closed island" you cannot exchange items with Teens.

What's a "Closed" island?

A closed island is where you bring Teens in from your website to a specific island, and they cannot leave that island. This is described in the questions "I have a Teen audience. Can I bring them into Second Life?" Since you, not Linden Lab, has the relationship with the teens, you can exchange objects and communications with them.

What's an "Open" island?

As estate owner, you can set your estate to open or closed. Open islands have certain strict requirements. With the "open" island model, teens register through Linden Lab for Teen Second Life, and can access your island as part of the Teen Second Life.

• Advise Linden Lab in advance that you intend to have an open island.
• Set up single point of entry
• Set up notecard spammer to announce presence of Approved Adults
• All adults must be members of Approved Adult group and wear tag at all times

o A Linden invites all staff on open estates in Approved Adult group before estate is set to "open."

• In the open island model, you cannot exchange items, IM, or form groups with teens on your island or in Teen Second Life. You will be able to use chat.

How do I communicate with Teens?

Teens will find you if you build in the Teen Second Life. It's small, and they're curious. You can use external publications to communicate with them. However, due to US laws and Linden Lab policy, you can't advertise to, publish in the Teen Second Life blogs, or communicate with Teens directly in any way in the Teen Second Life. You cannot form Groups in Teen Second Life or IM teens (unless you have a "closed island -see #4).

How do I promote my TG project?

Teen area is small and any newly arrived land gets checked out quickly. Teens will promote it - if they find it appealing and valuable. You can work with Teen interns or volunteers associated with your project to have them promote your site or events though the Teen Second Life forums and via their friends and groups. You can also use external publications and channels to communicate with teens.

Unlike the Main Grid, there's no event list to publicize your events.

Can I leave my island?

No. Due to our access policies, adults are limited to the land they own or are building on in the Teen Second Life.

How do I track traffic to my Teen Second Life project?

Firstly, you must factor the relatively small size of the Teen Second Life and that many of the teens are involved because of a specific project, so you should expect results in the hundreds to thousands, not the hundreds of thousands in the main Second Life.

Your developer can help you develop tools to track the measures you want - hours spent on your land, number of visitors, amount of interaction with items, etc.

What happens when a teen turns 18?

For more information on transferring from teen to the main grid see Linden Lab Official:What happens to my Teen Second Life account when I turn 18?.

How do I buy land in the Teen Second Life?

Land costs the same as the Main Grid; there is an education/non-profit discount. For current pricing, see "Pricing". To purchase land in the Teen Second Life, use our special order form for Educational, non-profit, and Teen Second Life Orders.

When ordering a Teen Grid estate, you should create an alt account and place order with that account. This account will be the estate owner and will be transformed when background check is in.

The estate must be purchased by the final owner of the estate, not by a developer - because of permissions and other issues, an estate cannot be transferred in the Teen Second Life. In addition, if you are building for an educational or non-profit organization, if a developer buys it, they'll be billed the full rate rather than the education rate.

How do I create a project in the Teen Second Life?

Linden Lab does not do content creation. We recommend you use a developer listed in the Teen Second Life Directory who has prior experience creating projects in the Teen Second Life.

What does it cost to have a project developed in the Teen Second Life?

Costs vary depending on the scope of the project.

How is a developer approved for the TG?

The developer must be brought in by an education project who contacts Linden Lab to request approval for the developer. The developer then must have a background check for every employee who is working in the Teen Second Life. The Estate owner is responsible for managing this, so there is a single point of contact with Linden Lab.

How do I get a background check?

You can request one online at ascertainsi.com. Or, contact : Ascertain Screening and Investigations, LLC 110 North High Street, Suite 201 Gahanna, Ohio 43230 614.858.0100 Dee Igo -- [Digo@Ascertainsi.com] There is a fee, which must be paid by the developer. It's about $40 in the US and $70 outside the US (fees subject to change).

How do I get instructors approved for the Teen Second Life?

If your instructors are members of bona-fide educational institutions, they've already been background checked by the institution, and we can substitute verification from the institution for background checks by our agency. Otherwise, each instructor needs a background check.

Once I'm approved, how do I access the Teen Second Life?

Linden Lab will create a Teen Second Life account for you and notify you of access. To have your alt account moved into Teen Second Life, file a Support Ticket, providing the alt account name and the Teen Estate/region name. We'll move your account there and provide you with appropriate access. You also must join the Teen Second Life developer's mailing list; you'll be provided with that information when your Teen Second Life account is created.

In addition, you and the developer will be provided with the Social Contract for adult presence and behavior in the Teen Second Life. The Estate owner will mange arrangements with Linden Lab to bring the Alt account you've created for this project into the Teen Second Life (If you're the Estate owner, do this by filing a Support Ticket).

If my account is moved to the Teen Second Life, can I still operate in the Main Grid?

You will keep an account for Main Grid access and will create an alternate account for Teen Second Life access. Accounts do not travel back and forth.

How do I get listed in the Teen Second Life Directory?

Linden Lab automatically will list any Developer who is already in the Directory; if you are not already in the Directory, you need to submit a Directory entry. Teens may submit a Teen Second Life Directory listing at any time.

Is building different in Teen Second Life?

If you attempt to bring over any objects built on the Main Grid that are scripted to give objects, these will need to be recreated on the Teen Second Life. Building tools operate the same as on Main Grid.

Can I transfer inventory or objects from the Main Grid?

No; the Teen Second Life is completely separate, and Linden Lab cannot transfer inventory, objects or other content. For items like scripts, you can copy them out of Second Life, and paste them into objects or notecards created in the Teen Second Life. You have one chance to bring inventory into Teen Second Life when you create your alt account before it is moved to Teen Second Life, by transferring inventory from your regular Second Life account.

Can I bring TG objects to the Main Grid?

When your account transfers to the Main Grid on your 18th birthday, all your inventory will be transfered with you. Otherwise: No.

How else is the TG different?

Search is limited to your specific Estate in the Teen Second Life; you can only search for items, people, groups and events that are on your Estate.

Can I bring Teens or instructors into the TG with a special name?

Yes, you can use the Registration API to create accounts from your website for Teens to enter your island in the Teen Second Life. You can also request a Custom Last name and use the RegAPI to create accounts with that custom last name. Or you can use the RegAPI on a private website to register your instructors or other approved adults with a special last name.

Another resource you should reference is the "Working with Teens" Simteach wiki's page.

We look forward to seeing you inworld.