Recent Comments:
Halloween freebies and cheapies
Second Life Insider
Nov 1st 2007 8:37AM Free full permission Robot and The Shadow avatars at: Lippert/162/121/172
Just Askin': EU residents - are you going lodge a complaint?
Second Life Insider
Oct 10th 2007 3:39AM No, VAT is applicable. I shall consider the time without paying for it to have been a bonus. (c:
Besides, the exchange rate is still rather favourable.
Taxes aren't evil, they're a necessity.
Our world, our rules.
Second Life Insider
Jun 3rd 2007 2:27PM *speculatively eyes the OpenSim project pages, for progress reports.*
Linden Lab expands on age-verification
Second Life Insider
May 8th 2007 3:34AM There are so many reasons why this will be no obstacle to underage residents (ease of access to parents info, camera panning into areas) that I can only conclude the reason behind it is not to genuinely stop underage residents, but instead to be able to tell people who don't know how SL works (non-residents) that Something Has Been Done.
Especially as the only places we'd be blocked out of if we don't verify are places that choose to opt in to this system. The secret wink from LL appears to be in these posts "No no, guys! Guys! Don't set your land to 'Adult' and it'll all be fine!".
There's already a dazzling array of ban criteria on parcels that hardly anyone uses...
American significance on the wane?
Second Life Insider
May 6th 2007 7:58AM That's very interesting. If we go to having European servers, then it also means EU law (including data privacy) will apply in those sims, if I understand correctly*.
*It's likely I don't, of course.
Just Askin': Do you approve of the planned age-verification?
Second Life Insider
May 6th 2007 7:30AM While verifying adulthood is a good idea (and we can be sure that although many adults have credit cards, many non-adults do have access to them too) there is an issue of privacy, and data security. And trust.
Will the company taking our details be keeping them on file, or providing a thumbs up to LL and then deleting them? European data security legislation is different to that of the US.
I'm lucky in that I do have a passport, as I don't have a driver's license. Many people in the UK don't drive, and a drivers license is not used as the ubiquitous piece of ID it is in the states. But do I want to give details of my primary identifier to a third party to keep on file in the USA?
Will LL be able to trust us if we provide these? Why don't they trust us already? If junior is going to Mom's credit card, why can't they also jot down their driving license number at the same time?
It will not make SL any less prey to underage residents.
It will shut out people without 'acceptable' ID.
It will shut out people who don't want their data compromised.
Me, I guess I'll wait and read the legal and privacy statements on their website when the contractor's information is finally released... if it doesn't meet EU regulations then I will not be able to trust them with my data.
Just Askin': Do you care about the ratings?
Second Life Insider
Apr 15th 2007 4:08AM I think it's fair enough they're going, but feel sorry for people who're still rating each other. It's wasted money, and as the main people who rate me seem to be new to SL, presumably they have less money!
As soon as they decided they were going to remove them, they should have been frozen to prevent this.
Prokofy Neva banned from the Linden Blog
Second Life Insider
Dec 8th 2006 6:18AM This is like a journalist being banned from a press conference for asking questions that aren't on message. Not that that'd ever happen, eh?
Sad to see it happening on the Linden Blog.
What Keeps You Coming Back?
Second Life Insider
Nov 16th 2006 8:24AM Well, I'm a newbie - I've only been on a month. So to me the crashing seems like the norm. When it stops, I'll be over the moon!
I've previously explored in Ultima/Oblivion/City of Villains, built in The Sims and chatted on talkers and irc. Here I can do all three, almost at the same time!
The magic hasn't worn off yet. I don't know when it will.
Just Askin': Why Go From Free to Pay?
Second Life Insider
Nov 11th 2006 6:22AM I'm from a background of other massive games (going back to Ultima Online, because I'm a fossil) and getting something for nothing feels wrong. Having a paid account means I'm supporting and the stipend stops me buying currency - I can think of it as pocket-money and not go over the budget.
