As it is now both Canary and I researching search engines find that the information available to those looking for Second Life or the broader term virtual world is in general sexless. It can be stumbled upon. But, one does have to be researching deeply. I find more information covering a broader range of interesting topics about SL than I do sex.

Beside the Dock – Bernard Broono @ Flickr

Summary

Hamlet’s point is valid. One does need to be careful  and concerned with their reputation. But, I think he has lost perspective. He obviously thinks this is a greater problem than I do. We both agree a bad reputation is a problem. It is the particular problem’s nature, size, reach, and importance we disagree about.

No matter what scale the problem is the only pertinent point in the discussion is what would you do about it? If nothing can be done, the whole issue is moot. But, I think Drax has the answer. Put more good information out there to counter the information one considers negative. But, with this solution we are presupposing having a reputation as a place for virtual sex and kink is a bad thing…

If you were trying to change  SL’s rep, would you try to eliminate sex from SL or Sansar? If you are basing your answer on what it may do to reputation, you are basing the decision on opinion because no substantial data is available. That Hamlet and I disagree on the scope of the problem shows how hard it is to come up with quantifiable facts.

The Internet porn industry in 2001 (the year I could find data for) was making about a billion US dollars a year (reference) in 2001. Adult video: $0.8 to $1.8 billion, Pay-per-View porn: $128 million, magazines: $2.6 to 3.9 billion for an approximate max of $7.8 billion per year. Forbes tears into those numbers and believes the number is substantially less.

Where does virtual world porn fit in? We are likely never going to know. Forbes did the reporting, but decided there simply is no way to get accurate numbers. Real information is hard to come by… (that sounds like a double entendre, not intended)

It might be possible for the Lab to analyze sales in SL and determine how much is sex related. Everything that happens in a virtual world is logged. The NSA can only dream of having such information. The question then becomes how do we decide if the quantifiable income from sex justifies the unquantifiable reputation…  Without objective quantifiable information for a decision we have to rely on someone’s opinion.

As Canary points out, everyone is into sex. I’ll point out that it is just a matter of HOW MUCH into sex and whether we can be mature and balanced about it.

The Under Laying Issue

The amazing part is so few people consider the issues of personal freedom. In virtual worlds the owners of the systems are literally dictators. The ToS is the Constitution and code of laws, which they can change at will.

We have just seen the US Supreme Court find a new right in how they define marriage. No public debate or citizen vote. There are times when people are violating the Constitution and that is the proper path. In virtual online worlds that is the norm, no debate, or little, and no vote… ever.
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