Linden Lab Official:Second Life Blogger Network Content Guidelines
2024 Update
The Blogger Network is suspended until further notice.
Introduction
Thanks for considering participation in the Second Life Blogger Network (SLBN). Before you submit your blog for consideration in this program, we ask that you review the following content guidelines to better understand if your posts are eligible for promotion in the Second Life community.
Content Guidelines
To be eligible for inclusion, please consider the following content guidelines:
- The blog post highlights a positive implementation of the Second Life experience, with well-written text and high-quality imagery.
- The editorial content and tone is appealing and contains information that is of use to the overall Second Life community, including new Residents.
- Editorial content is exceptional or unique and does not duplicate previously selected blog topics or themes.
- The blog content is timely and focuses on current Second Life news or trends such as a forthcoming event, new destination or fashion trend.
The following will make a blog post ineligible for our SLBN:
- The blog post theme or editorial content duplicates previously promoted post topics.
- The blog author has been warned for failure to comply with some aspect of the Terms of Service.
- The blog post is plagiarized, not original, or the screenshot appears to contain unlicensed, copyrighted or trademarked content that may not be authorized by the rights holder.
- The editorial content is primarily promotional in nature and reads like a press release or ad for a particular merchant, creator, destination or event.
- The editorial content includes offensive, adult, inflammatory or controversial content (such as hate speech), or content that violates the Second Life terms of service. Blog posts with nudity or strong sexual content in either the post content or advertising will not be promoted.
- The primary blog post screenshot contains promotional or advertising text over the main image.
- The text of the blog post includes excessive lists of keywords and/or incoherent or inaccurate text.
Additional Content Guidelines
We embrace diversity and expression in all blogs. However, we reserve the right to decline content from blogs with ineligible content. Blog posts or links to other content that violate the following guidelines are not eligible for inclusion in our Second Life Blogger Network and may be removed at Linden Lab’s sole discretion:
Illegal Content
Content involving illegality, such as piracy, criminal activity, terrorism, obscenity, child pornography, gambling, or illegal drug use is prohibited. Any content or activity featuring, encouraging, offering, or soliciting illegal activity is prohibited.
Unauthorized Content
Do not create or submit copyright-infringing or unauthorized content, such as content that you did not create or do not have permission to use, as further described in more detail below.
Nudity, Pornography or Other Sexual Content
Content or posts featuring sexually explicit content and activities, such as pornography, sexual acts, nudity, or sexual services, including solicitation or offers for such content, are prohibited. Content or activities that threaten or promote sexual violence or exploitation are strictly prohibited and may be reported to law enforcement authorities. Child exploitation will be reported to the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children. While we understand that some nudity might be intended for educational, scientific or artistic purposes, we may restrict this content so that our content appeals to the widest audience possible while also adhering to industry-standard content guidelines (such as those published by Google and Microsoft). At our sole discretion, we may make exceptions to these policies in limited educational or scientific contexts.
Hateful Content
Any content, suggestions, or blog posts associated with hateful content or activity will not be posted and/or will be removed. This includes cruel or hateful content that could harm or harass, promote, encourage, facilitate or condone: Discrimination, denigration, objectification, violence against, or that is intended to incite hatred of individuals or groups based on race, ethnic origin, religion, nationality, disability, gender, age, veteran status, physical characteristics, medical conditions, sexual orientation, gender or gender identity is prohibited.
Any content or activity that could harm or harass, or promote, encourage, facilitate or condone violence against animals is prohibited.
Any content or activity that attempts to intimidate, degrade, abuse, or bully others, or creates a hostile environment for others is considered harassment, and is prohibited.
Violent Content
Intensely violent or graphic content that we deem to be shocking, sensational, or disrespectful is prohibited.
Private Information
Do not submit or share content that may reveal private personal information (such as real name or location) about individuals without permission. Do not submit or share content that violates any obligation of confidentiality or violates the privacy, publicity, moral or any other right of any third party.
Impersonation
Content or activity meant to impersonate an individual or organization is prohibited.
At our sole discretion, we may restrict content or blog posts that violate these Guidelines.
Content that involves copies or derivative creation of others’ copyrighted or trademarked content may violate intellectual property or other rights of third parties. Do not use a third party’s intellectual property, such as a copyrighted works, trademarked logos or brand names unless you have obtained all of the rights necessary to use such content. If you quote or excerpt someone's content, it is your responsibility to provide proper attribution to the original author. For proper attribution and fair use, please see The Electronic Frontier Foundation's Legal Guide for Bloggers.
If you create content that is inspired by real-world objects, celebrities, characters from movies or books, or public figures, secure all necessary rights before submitting the content to us. Unless you have permission from the copyright or trademark owner/holder or their authorized agent, we do not permit the use of such content.
Unauthorized Content Sharing
Uploading, posting or sharing any content that you do not own, do not have the rights to, or are not authorized to use, display or broadcast violates our Terms of Service and Terms and Conditions. The owners of the content may issue a DMCA takedown request. You must have all of the necessary rights to duplicate, display or create derivative works of any original content owned by someone else before submitting it to us.
Digital Millennium Copyright Act (“DMCA”)
We respond to copyright notifications submitted under the DMCA. Our intellectual property infringement policy can be found here: Intellectual Property Infringement Policy.
If a legally sufficient DMCA notice is submitted, we will remove the identified materials as required.
You are responsible for ensuring that your listings and associated content comply with applicable intellectual property laws. Please be aware that your compliance with these Guidelines does not guarantee your compliance with all intellectual property laws. If you need advice on intellectual property law, we suggest you contact an attorney.
The Second Life Blogger Network Badge
While not required, we strongly encourage participating bloggers to include the Second Life Blogger Network badge on their site in the persistent header, footer or sidebar.
To get the badge, please right click and save the following image file:
In addition, please hyperlink the badge to https://community.secondlife.com/blogs/blog/9-community-news/.
Most blog platforms support the ability for bloggers to add an image file or badge into the template or theme. For example, Wordpress users can use the Image Widget to upload the Second Life Blogger Network badge as an image file with an associated web link. Any use of the Second Life Blogger Network badge must be accompanied by the following disclaimer: "[Blogger’s] use of the SLBN logo does not constitute approval by or a representation or endorsement from Linden Lab."