Verification freak out

I think a lot of people are getting overly paranoid about this age verification system that LL will be using soon.  Some people are so freaked out over the announcement they have cleared their credit card information on the SL website, and quit.

It seems users are confusing their billing information with this age verification as if they are linked.  They aren’t.  Linden Labs is using a 3rd party company to do the age verification using a multitude of ways to verify who you are, and none of that information is shared with Linden Labs.  Besides Linden labs already has your credit card and home address already, if Linden Labs wanted to “Steal your identity” they already would have done it a long time ago.  Heck I wouldn’t be surprised if they had (not saying they did) sell your mailing address to junk mailers.

What I don’t know is who this 3rd party company is. I had thought the companies name was listed some time ago when they announced it (Integrity Services maybe?) but I can’t find any mention of who this company is that will be performing these age verifications.  Maybe the Lindens will be more forth coming about who this company is, and clear the air about this.

Everyone knows that the Lindens are simply trying to cover their legal asses, yet LL spins it as it’s an enhancement to the user experience, or other P.R. spinned bullshit.  Not unlike how the RIAA talks about freedom of music choices while they sue their customers into oblivion.  Which it might just do that if this means I’ll have to deal with less noobtards bugging me everyday.

The only residents that really have a hair up thier asses about this are those areas like Sumo’s Free Sex. Which it’s entire existence depends on noobs having 24hour orgies (well something to that effect). Sumo’s will have to flag their area as containing adult content, and the noobs will no longer able to casually wonder in with their plastic cocks sticking out, asking “wat 2 fuk?”

Does this mean they are going to shut down the boring Teen Grid, now they are putting in more stricter age verification tools in game?  But on the other hand shouldn’t TEENS also be “age verified” to make sure that they are not dealing with adults who could be child predators?  How easy is it to catch an adult on the teen grid if someone accueses another avatar being over 17?  But then again most of those sick fuckers want younger kids under 13, which is the age minimum for the Teen Grid.  So I’m sure the pedophiles login to the main grid anyway since the pre-teens aren’t “allowed” on the main grid.

All this seems past ridiculous; should be called “ri-cock-ulous.”

Integrity Services

The Lindens posted more information about their age verification. First of all if you choose to use it, it’s a one-time payment, and it’s paid in LINDEN DOLLARS! Not USD, which is great since we are talking PENNIES worth of Lindens. Non-premium users will have to pay more, but so what. As long as it’s not actually $20 USD worth or something outragious.

If you chose to not use it, doesn’t mean you’ll be banned from mature sims, only parcels where the land owners have flaged it as “adult content.” Problem is that if you own land that has adult content, and you do not flag it as such, you can get into trouble.. at least that seemed to be implied.

Everyone is complaining about paying more to be verified, especially premium accounts who are constantly paying $10+ a month for land. It just seems stupid that they won’t waive this fee for residents whom are obviously over 18.

Also none of this actually stops minors from creating accounts on the main grid or for that matter stopping adults making accounts on the teen grid. Flagging an area for “adults only” is a voluntary thing, as well as getting your age verified. Also from the sounds of it, you do this all in-game so this seems really open to fraud. Any punk kid and probably figure out what their parents Social Security number is, birthday, and full name to get full access to the main grid.

But this only limits people away from land marked as “adult” doesn’t stop these un-verified people from chatting with anyone, spamming or just being generally annoying. I don’t think Casinos will be effected by this. Also this dosen’t change how accounts are created in the first place. You can still use bogus e-mail address and other information when you create your account, they never check that.

Honestly, shouldn’t they be doing this FIRST on the Teen Grid to stop child molesters from getting on there chatting with teens? But then are any kids care about the teen grid? I’ll be honest with you. About two years ago I logged into the teen grid using a login a friend gave to me (now no longer valid after that one day when all accounts were invalidated about a year ago). The TG is boring as hell. There’s only a couple dozen sims, all of it is PG. You can undress, there is no 1st life tab in your profile. It’s completely BORING. All the fun and cool stuff (sex) is on the main grid, and that’s where all the kids loging into. Fuck the teen grid, it’s dead and useless.

Gotta pay to be an adult

Lindens are planning to implement an age verification system which honestly is no different from what they already have, but you have to pay to prove you’re over 18 this time. No mention if there’s a similar age verification for the Teen grid; which I assume there isn’t.  So all the pedophiles can continue to run rampant on the teen grid.  So much for “protecting children” when they are the ones actively seeking this content.

LL is using a 3rd party company to do this age verification, and we will be charged somewhere under $10 to get this verification done. This is why they are charging  money since they aren’t doing the verifications them selves.

The problem is that for some of us who already have validated USED payment information, and who own land and entire (multiple) sims, this seems redunant, and pointless.  I do hope they waiver this fee for some of us who are obviously over 18. If you own multiple accounts, you’re able to link a limited number of residents to your age verification.  As to how many this limit is was not mentioned.

While I know this will thwart the retarded noobies from bugging us all the time but this will this will cut into my business rather deep, since a lot of my clients like to use alt accounts for their encounters so they don’t get caught in the act. However if it means an end to endless alt accounts by abusive users who keep harassing everyone at the Shemale Garden and Palace, Hallelujah!