There was an interesting community tools user group meeting tonight, where the adult forum concept was put to bed, for reasons that still make absolutely no sense. Linden Lab seem to be absolutely scared to death of teens seeing anything remotely adult, to such an extent that they come across as being scared of their own shadow. There’s nowhere on the forum to discuss adult products in a mature fashion for general users, and by this I don’t mean xxx porn pictures and lurid discussions of graphic sexual exploits, I mean sensible discussion of adult themes.
This is perfectly feasible, Linden Lab have private forums to keep prying eyes away but there appears to be absolutely no will from Linden Lab to allow these discussions. There are private forums for merchants, bizarrely adult land owners and merchants, the Atlas landowners group, soon to be LGBT but not for adult consumers.
There are of course third party forums and blogs where issues can be discussed, but when you consider that adult content is allowed in Second Life, there are adult merchants who have done very well from Second Life and there are very many adult themes within Second Life, it’s absolutlely absurd that when they have a forum system that can keep these discussions behind closed doors, they choose not to.
It’s perfectly feasible to discuss adult issues without being lurid or graphic, but it certainly wouldn’t be suitable for thirteen year olds, so having a lock on the discussions is the right solution, but instead LL decide to make forums that don’t need to be private, private and don’t use those tools for forums that should be private.
Adult merchandise and activities have a role here in Second Life, they are a driving force behind sales of other items and land rentals, not all of course, plenty of people have absolutely no interest whatsoever in the adult side of Second Life and they shouldn’t have it shoved in their face, for want of a better phrase.
However there is nothing wrong with some healthy adult discussion about adult issues in Second Life, and as I said earlier, Linden Lab have a forum system now that can cope happily with this, why they won’t allow it is a mystery, especially as they have a private adult discussion forum for land owners and merchants. I have to say I find Linden Lab’s attitude here extremely disappointing.
As for the LGBT forum that was discussed at the meeting, Linden Lab are making a rod for their own backs here, this really needs to be handled with care and I worry that people are going to read things the wrong way and cause a fuss when Linden Lab’s intetions are good, I don’t actually agree with the way they are going about this, but they mean well.
“but they mean well.” will be carved onto their tombstone…..
Haha I think Inara has nailed it in her comment: “The Road To Hell Is Paved With Good Intentions”
I agree with Soror.
As the old truism goes: The road to hell is paved with good intentions.
Refusal to live in the real world with regards to adult and minors alike is going to result in LL alienating more people.
Damn you! That’s a wonderful quote, I wish I’d thought of that ….thinks about ninja editing his post!
LL need to sort out their fear of the teens, as I tried to explain to people regarding the LGBT forum, it’s fear of the teens that is the common denominator in a lot of these maturity rating decisions, LL need to come into the 21st century.