Age Verification: An Interview with Sarah Nerd.

As Tateru Nino wrote about in Age/Identity verification and adult content flagging issues and information roundup, there are many issues related to age verification. I had the opportunity to talk to Sarah Nerd about her thoughts on it, as she has a role play high school. It's tough to tell where the line will be drawn - but cheerleaders as a fantasy don't seem to be anything new to me. And who better to talk to than the latest shining star on the SecondLife specific World Stock Exchange?

Here is what Sarah had to say:

NF: What do you think of age verification plans by Linden Lab?

SN:Well with all adult content within second life I see a need for age verification. I am however concerned about how the types of verification methods used will violate privacy issues.

NF: You have a role play simulator -do you think age verification will help with assuring that participants in that simulator are adults?

SN:Well second life is a game for players 18 years of age and older. I depend on Linden Lab to do proper age verification. I have no way of verify that all participants are of legal age, and no way to control or monitor all activities taking place on all of my second life properties, but if I were to find out that my small role play area were being misused I would close it down.

NF: Where do you think the line is drawn on roleplay in SecondLife?

SN: Hunter High [Ed: A sim that Sarah Nerd owns] provides an area for consenting adults to live out the common teacher/student fantasy many adults role play on a regular basis. I abide by any rules and regulations second life has, and if the rules were to change stating this type of consenting adult fantasy play was no longer acceptable, I would change the area to fit the rules or close the area altogether.

NF: Thanks for your time, Sarah. Anything else you'd like to say?

SN: I just hope Linden Labs get this situation under control in a timely manner that does not hurt second life and it's residents as a whole.

So there it is. While age verification is flawed because of the systems surrounding it, many people depend on Linden Lab to enforce what is supposed to be a mature metaverse - where underage kids are supposed to be on the teen grid. Under fire for child pornography, it is difficult to say that Linden Lab can assure with 100% certainty that anyone on the grid is an adult - even with their further clarifications.

What does it mean? It means that in a Court of Law, they can at least show that they are trying. But on a mature grid, what is allowed? There are no guidelines to follow, and understandably a role play high school is a fuzzy area... but if you're an adult who has ever fantasized about cheerleaders (being or being with), does that make one a pediophile? And if everyone is consenting, as they would in their own private room, isn't that sort of like some 30 somethings pretending to be back in high school to fulfill a fantasy (as bad as the visual may be)?

Hard to say. We'll see what happens... but it obviously is not as clear cut as some would make it out to be. Sure, we may not appreciate people getting their freak on in this way, but is it illegal to pretend that you are a young person again? And where is the line drawn between pediophilia and a fantasy of cheerleaders and football players?

Never a dull moment in SecondLife.