Hi, Aussie99 :). Linden Labs has safeguards in place re: teens' use of SL.

A parent can request info. about his/her child's account activity:

Account Activity Request

Too, SL offers safety info. for parents and teens; I didn't check out the info. for teens, since I'm not one, yet is available :).

While it is possible for teens to work-around the safeguards that are in effect, it's also entirely possible for a parent to find out by, e.g., requesting info. about activity on their credit card in SL.

SL requires a credit card to sign up "for verification only":

http://secondlife.com/whatis/plans.php

It takes more than a birth date to create an account in SL.

A teen can say he or she is 14, yet he or she still would not be able to go beyond the teen grid.


This is not true:

"What the HECK?? How can people be banned for talking about politics and illnesses on the old Braintalk forum,but kids can talk dirty and partake in group sex,orgies,and so forth on Second Life?"

I don't know how you arrived at that, Aussie99, but, again, it's your opinion.

Dearest Bobbi,
 

I only wish I could get my point across...:rolleyes:

Mel & I joined for free, there was no verification or proof of age process. One merely just types in their DOB,and agrees that they are over 18, for the very basic account. This is not my idea of a safeguard.

I am also not very computer savvy, and didn't see any of this high security you speak of.

I am 34 right now, but when I was 14,15,16 and so on.. my parents were to busy to be minding me every moment of everyday. I don't think that every parent is switched on enough to examine the computer usage of their kids.
My friend has a 16 year old son,and she said that he is in his room all weekend on the computer. "Doing what I say?"

"I just told you, on the computer, she said"!:cool:

You may be right,and if so I recant that JL created a virtual orgy world. But somebody has created a Virutal world, with a sub-world that just so happens to also have orgies. Be it Linden Labs, be it JL, be it whomever..

The fact remains that what I experienced last night, was exactly what I wrote about.

But I also do not wish to beat a dead horse anymore.I feel I have expressed not merely an opinion,but my experience on Second Life. I feel to continue on any longer about a sight I have no desire to ever visit again is pointless. I apologise to you Bobbi,and that is all I can say...

I don't doubt what your experience was, Aussie99 :).

Please click on the links in my post and that's where you'll see the safeguards about which I wrote :cool:.

For as long as I've been a member, people have had to give a credit card number to join - even the basic/free membership.

Melody also mentioned having to give a credit card:

http://neurotalk.psychcentral.com/sh...5&postcount=47

I genuinely apologize if my posting has upset you or anyone. I only wanted to relay a perspective that hasn't been shared in this thread - from another member of SL and one of Brigadoon.

I'll butt out now and let people think as they wish.

I read your links Bobbi..
 

I am sure that an active parent is able to monitor the usage of a kids account. I promise I joined completely for free, without giving any credit card details.

Why would you provide credit card details for a free membership?

Beleive it or not, I have never purchased anything,joined anything, or sent away for anything that has required me to supply my credit card details. basically my husband told me not to ever do it,and I have respected that. So I wouldn't have supplied second Life with any details at all. I beleive I used my maiden name as well when I joined, instead of my married name too.

But once again, we need to just let this be.. I respect you Bobbi,and I am glad that there are places like Second Life,Braintalk and so forth for people to get together,communicate and so on. And when we care about something very much it hurts to have someone say that they experieneced it differently. I think that's what may have happened here,and that is why I would like not to speak of it anylonger. Second Life is not worth enough to me, to upset you over it,or whomever else. I would much rather keep my opinions to myself, especially since I do not plan on visisting there anymore. With a full time job,kid,PN,anxiety,herniated discs,HBP,and insomnia..Second Life is the least of my worries!!:D

((( Aussie99 ))) if you may change your mind about visiting SL some time, let me know, and the invite I made to Melody stands for you, as well :D. (You can look me up by my SL name: Rainmaiden Fairplay.) We can do some activities that are far more mundane than what you and she have seen in SL, I promise.

It's not a bad place to visit (some areas), but I wouldn't want to "live" there :cool:.

Then the parent is NOT doing things SMART.

1) TAKE the computer OUT of the bedroom and put it in the family room where it can be seen.

2) Position the computer so that the monitor can be seen if you JUST walk by it. And do so OFTEN.

3) Learn kidspeak:
A parent's primer to computer slang
Leet
SafeKids.com
Internet Safety

4) Learn how to use the history feature of your browser. Firefox has a feature that allows you to see EVERY SINGLE page visited for the last few days. The new Microsoft Vista will even have parental controls built in.

But to not know what their kid is doing...no way. My now 21 year old daughter had to LET me read whatever she had on the computer WHENEVER I felt like it til she turned 18. Liz

Liza Jane, I think that a lot more peope are being aware of this forum now, just noticed over 1,000 views on this thread alone.
Brian :)

I did the sign up part to see about it for myself.
I didn't download the program.

I found that-

You only need to give credit card info if you want to get any Linden $$ at the start. I gave NO credit card info.

A kid could easily "fib" about a name and age to register there.

any valid email addy

that's all I saw - in the process of registering.

Thank you, Aussie99 and also Jo55 for pointing out that you were able to sign up without a credit card. The purpose in requiring one was for age verification, and, if someone later chose to bump an account to own land, which also increases a stipend.

To me, it is really important that you pointed this out (since, from the time I joined, as I mentioned, I've only seen that a card is required). I don't know if this is a turn in the sign up to entice new members or what it is, but ... I think it's something, too, that L. Labs should reverse and set back in motion the card requirement.

I work my beeeeehind off in RL to better ensure protection for children from online predators, and, as I've even mentioned to some in SL, there is a region I choose not to visit since it uses a name that is one I also know (too well) perps use for a bogus "church" to promote their agenda. The name of the region itself just conjures too much, and I don't want to make associations that don't "fit."

Believe me: I will be asking L. Labs about the hole in age verification.

I also appreciate Southernlady's posting :). We're on the same page, so-to-speak :D.

I actually believe we all are, only our experiences in SL differ.

How it was for me: After I went through the orientation (in SL and just learning how to navigate about), I teleported straight to Brigadoon and stayed there for a while.

Once my comfort zone was in-check, I ventured a little, yet it was to the areas that offer "free" stuff, like furniture. And, from the day I created my avatar, I've only changed it once; I used a "skin" someone gave me, only it didn't feel right. Since that time, I've retained the "look" I chose.

Tomorrow, I'll do a hands-on approach, as well, to registering a new account to see what is required. The concept of no age verification is just foreign to me.

Whatever takes place in regions outside of Brigadoon, Shockproof and Live2Give... just has no bearing on the 3 islands where I've spent time.

I am, at the end of the day, receptive of learning from others and also being honest about my SL experience :).


Editing to add: The region to which I alluded that I won't visit due to how I've seen the same name used outside of SL is that... in SL, I'm not there to "work," but just have some fun and be able to "see" people whom are friends in RL, too :). Maybe I am naive for entrusting that L. Labs will make sure that no one is preying on teens - and I will speak up if something is not right in the verification process :).

Parents aren't handed a manual or required to attain a "license" before giving birth, and folks can offer Net safety ideas until blue in the face, yet... too, I also didn't sign up or permit minor-age person to do so for using SL. But: responsibility still starts at the premise. If someone is offering teen access, then, it needs to be assured that no one violates.

For tonight, I have to let this go, or I will stay awake all night checking everything out :(.

Thanks Bobbi for that post- I am glad you will look into that further.

I don't know how they will really be able to verify or prevent minors from accessing those certain areas - evan a credit card can be "borrowed" for a short time - unless it is followed up with a letter to the card holder??
So then a parent or adult?? would at least know it was used to access SL or any other site??