The New Regime - SL's Censorship

Below is a copy of a notecard I received In-World relating to Linden Labs new policy. I personally have not decided where I stand on this issue. I feel i need to research it myself. I just felt i would post this here to make other residents as well as our magazine readers aware of what may be coming. Below is the note written by Ysandir Dharnen

Hello friends, strangers and friends of friends!I'm sending this note around to inform everyone of the news. If youve already heard, then woo! And I hope you'll add your voice to whichever side youre on. If not, then this is merely a note to give you information, it makes no claims over your opinion, if you choose a side or don't it's up to you. But please take the time to read this, as it intimately involves your Second Life, and your time in this game. Please pass this along to everyone, they have a right to stand up for themselves and take charge of their experiences here on SL.
☠ ☠ ☠


Linden Labs has finally done it. There have been rumours, there have been debates, but they have FINALLY bit the big one and done it. After pressuring from what are being called the "Puritan" minority here on SL, with backing from the media, LL has been backed into a corner and has finally decided to shove all of the non PG friendly stuff into one place.
Let me just back up a minute here and clarify. There is a faction (A minority one I might add) of very, very vocal residents on SL who have been lobbying for ages to "clean up" SL. You know them. They are the people who walk into your BDSM clubs and complain about the pictures on the walls and the chains on your girls. They are the "irate mothers/fathers/elderly" who come to dance in your rock clubs and protest at the profanity in your music. They are the ones who screamed at you when you walked into their club in a !PG! sim in a child avatar, calling you out for Age Play you never committed. And now they are at our throats with the Media and politicians who, having a slow news run, have decided to shine the light on SL once more, this time "exposing" its dirty laundry. Namely everything that makes this place fun for the majority of people here.
What does this mean? It means that Linden Labs has decided to pascify the "Puritans". How? By shoving everything we enjoy into a corner and making nearly impossible for 90% of the residents who play on here to actually go enjoy themselves. Let's face it, SL is great at first, but there is precious few things to really keep us entertained after the shiney newness fades. Our hang outs, dance clubs and roleplay groupes, among many other things, are what keep us here. And they want to take it away. All those gun toting RolePlays you like? Gore and Blood is going to go, considered ADULT CONTENT and either shut down or force moved to the new Continent. All of those clubs you like to go to, with the skimpily clad dancers and good music? ADULT CONTENT, and yes, you guessed it, moved to the new continent. All the Gorean stuff? HELLS YEAH! All the BDSM and Bondage and Vampire stuff? HELLS YEAH!
"So what? So we just go there?" Not so fast skippy! You have to have age verification...and it has to be THEIR verification....through a 3rd party site/program that takes your information. So everyone with no credit cards, no SIN, in places where its illegal? No luck, you wont get in.
Furthermore, everything with nudity or anything suggestive or revealing gets flagged as ADULT CONTENT as well. Which means designers who make anything related to BDSM or Gorean factions, All the creators of skins, will either have to CHANGE their content, or it will be force moved to this sim non but a few will be able to get to. Which means lower business. Which means some people wont be able to make a living, and YES there are people on here surviving on their earnings from their stores, as odd as you may find that.
"They've been saying that for years! Theyve never done it, it wont happen"Yes, they have, the difference now is that its not only happening, its HAPPENED. The continent's name is Ursula, it's been made already, you can find it in search, though it's closed and you cant get in. It's currently being BETA tested. Infact, the decision has been made from as early as January, months before they ever opened the topic to discussion on the forums.
"If its already decided, then whats the point, what can we do NOW?" We may not be able to stop it ENTIRELY, but we can make our voices heard, we can stem the tide and help define the rules of what will constitute ADULT content, and maybe even save our favourite stores and clubs! We need to use our voices and SPEAK UP, don't just let LL walk all over you, go to the forums, give your two cents either way and DICTATE how you want YOUR game to go. Whether you pay or not THIS IS YOUR game, you have every right to stand up for your rights here! So do it!
Even if you don't take my word for it, take a look at the below link, the official Linden Labs post, the replies and the related official topics. This affects you and your experience here on SL, and you have a right to your voice. Speak up.(Copy and paste the URL, and grab the note cards for more info)

https://blogs.secondlife.com/community/community/blog/2009/03/12/upcoming-changes-for-adult-content

About - *I* Am Adult Content

New Rules for SL

We can't stop the inevitable takeover, but we can do something to atleast keep it from getting out of hand.

This is REAL people, this is not a rumour, this is already a FACT, a reality. But hey, don't take my word for it, wait and see for yourselves.