The Community Standards say: "Content, communication, or behavior which involves intense language or expletives, nudity or sexual content, the depiction of sex or violence, or anything else broadly offensive must be contained within private land in areas rated Mature (M)." (My emphasis)
Robin Linden, on what is appropriate to be flagged as adult content which was still to be permitted in Second Life: "adult content is that which is overtly, graphically, or explicitly sexual in nature or intensely violent." (May 10)
Daniel Linden, on what is forbidden content: "Real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depiction of sexual or lewd acts involving or appearing to involve children or minors; real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of sexual violence including rape, real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of extreme or graphic violence, and other broadly offensive content are never allowed or tolerated within Second Life." (May 31)
In an email interview with Hamlet Au, Daniel Linden says: "There is no new policy in yesterday's blog posting-- our Community Standards have always prohibited broadly offensive behavior." (June 1)
Except that's not what they say, Daniel. What they do expressly prohibit is intolerance.
Tell me, gentle readers. Do you feel that Linden Lab has changed stance? Or do you agree with Daniel Linden that Linden Lab's position remains unchanged. If the latter, do you think Linden Lab's position was never adequately communicated in the first place?
Linden Lab is pressured from all sides. They are being sued (along with ten Internet Service Providers) by French parent-teacher group Familles de France. Their Terms of Service have been found to be legally unenforceable by Judge Eduardo Robreno. German TV News Magazine Report Mainz has raised a scandal about Second Life and child pornography.
