Unfortunately they're not able to be private parts, because of the nature of Second Life. Warren Ellis - resident now, and writing for Reuters - is examining the large portion of SL that is x-rated in nature. He's also been buying up some portions of land on which some truly despicable (and illegal) things are being 'performed', then destroying them. This is one of the lesser examples:
I also bought and broke down the — and it remains hard to believe I’m typing these words — erotic underground toilet that later sprang up to the west of my land, where I found two peculiar Italians whispering to each other that they could “probe things here.” To be fair, the female of the pair didn’t look so thrilled at the dubious things the built-in animations were going to make her do.
Things of fascination here:
- couples having sex who are stumbled-upon seem to feel no shame or embarrassment,
- if something is virtual and simulated, should it have the same legal repercussions as in real life (and if so, how different - for example - is 3D erotica from text-based, for there's nothing in Second Life that doesn't already exist on the internet in text, I'm sure)?
- an ordinary joe (although W is by no means ordinary) can essentially act as a mini-deity or enforcement service, and destroy land, buildings and contents with ease.
We haven't really seen the beginnings of the legal ramifications of virtual life, except for murmurings from the IRS about taxing virtual life income. But oh boy, is it coming.
On my hour long trip into Second Life, I stumbled across a shop that sold toilets...
Toilets with a space to put someone's head while another did what comes naturally over it. Along side that were rape animations for sale.
I then uninstalled Second Life. It may be a "game", a glorified chat room perhaps. It may only be a collection of polygons and textures, but there's intention behind them and I really didn't want to be a part of that.
I do wonder if I'm being overly prudish about such things. But I do see these things and think "there's someone out there who wants to do this for real".
Posted by: Tom | March 05, 2007 at 18:16
It's not a game. It's a (*a*) 3D internet.
There's no game in it at all, but even if it were, the point of SL is that it's user-created. Like the web. It's just that being in 3D makes everything more.. graphic!
Posted by: Alice | March 05, 2007 at 18:26
Doesn't necessarily make it better though does it?
(Not suggesting that's what you were saying by the way)
Posted by: Tom | March 05, 2007 at 21:37