New World Notes

No, Virtual World Ageplay By Consenting Adults Is Not Legal (In Many Places)

There's been lots of heated reader discussion about last week's update on the lawsuit against Linden Lab, which alleges the company has not adequately prevented money laundering, sex abuse, and virtual world ageplay in Second Life. Some of these comments, unfortunately, contain a profound misunderstanding of of age play in particular that should be addressed -- for instance, this:

Is it pedophilia when two 45-year-old people using the SL system have pixel sex, and one has a mesh female adult body and the other a mesh child-like body? Is this pedophilia?

Is it pedophilia when two 45-year-old females using the SL system have pixel sex, and one has a mesh male adult body and the other a mesh female child-like body?

Legally speaking, the answer to both questions is yes -- in many countries around the world that are essential to Second Life's survival as a virtual world. To quote this analysis by lawyer Benjamin Duranske from 2007, when the age play controversy as reported by a German TV news story, utterly tarnished Second Life's brand forever:

Hollywood Producer Sells Motion-Captured Routines of Celebrity Dancers Like Alexander Chung to Second Life Avatars

Video courtesy Paragon Dance Animations

Alexander Chung is a renowned dancer and choreographer with a huge following on Instagram and YouTube, and now thanks to an indie producer in Hollywood, you can buy his real moves for your Second Life avatar.

While there are many Second Life brands that sell motion-captured dance moves, Paragon Dance Animations is the first I'm aware of -- at least in recent years, long after Second Life's boom days -- to create and sell dances taken directly from real world, renowned dance stars. Chung's moves are first to be offered in the SL marketplace, but Paragon has also motion-captured Liz Lira, Latin choreographer for Dancing with the Stars, and plans to sell her branded dances as well.

Paragon Owner/Producer Jon Nakagawa pitched Chung the prospect of dancing for avatars after a studio class.

UK Second Life Users Already Planning Virtual World Brexit Parties

With the UK's Parliament rejecting a final deal, the country is careening toward a final Brexit from the European Union in 17 days. The streets of London will probably not be full of celebration, but the virtual streets of London City in Second Life plan to be kicking:

We're having a Brexit Party. Top Tunes with a leading Brexiteer DJ. Hurry on over cos 'Britain is open for business'

"I would think many people will to the party out of curiosity," London City owner and Brexit party host Torric Rodas tells me. While he's personally supportive of Brexit (like the DJ), he tells me most members of his UK-based Second Life community are ambivalent: "I do not believe that most members of London City are Leavers," as he puts it. "I believe it is still as deeply divided as the original referendum was." At least in the virtual world, any fisticuffs and general rioting won't lead to actual bruises.

Hat tip: Ysabelle Stewart

This Sunday in Chicago & on Twitch: "Improvised Second Life", Real Actors Doing Avatar-Based Improv Comedy Before Live Theater Audience

This looks fun: Starting this Sunday at 8pm SLT (10pm Chicago time) is a show called "Improvised Second Life". As the name suggests, it's improv comedy performed by avatars in Second Life, broadcast in front of a live audience at the Crowd Theater in Chicago, the world capital of improv comedy, and streamed on Twitch at the same time. (Video channel below.)

"This video is streamed live at the theater on our projector," show producer Dillon Cassidy tells me. "The players are at home and can hear the audience, and due to Second Life's native voice chat, the audience can hear the performers. Its a lot like a layered puppet show." They've done several shows already, he says. "It's been pretty well received. The whole production lies sort of in the uncanny valley and adds this really absurd quality to the improvisation."

If you're in the Chicago area, here's more details. Otherwise, join me below the break to watch and participate on Twitch:

Leader of Pro-Trump Troll Group Reportedly Banned from Second Life, Leaving Behind Nazi Insignia at SL HQ

Anonymous online trolls for Donald Trump continue to run rampant on Twitter and across much of the social media landscape, but there seems to be at least one Internet forum being closed off to them: Second Life, where a cohort of Trump trolls besieged a headquarters of Bernie Sanders' SL supporters with flying demons and swastikas last April, then gathered in their own headquarters in May, a fever dream auditorium replete with unabated furry porn, racial slurs, and a pot-smoking Trump-head choo-choo train. Now, however, according to a new report by roving furry reporter Bixyl Shuftan -- who's pretty much the Seymour Hersh of furries on this beat -- the ringleader and some of his crones have been banned in Second Life by Linden Lab. The private SL island where the Trump HQ was hosted -- appropriately entitled The Wall -- has been locked up, and had its content wiped.

Trump trolls being Trump trolls, this (above right) is what the The Wall looked like up until the end of last month, as seen from Second Life's satellite map view: with a reconfigured version of the Nazi Party's eagle-headed Parteiadler insignia. Which probably in itself could have got the group leaders banned, seeing as racist symbols violate SL's official Community Standards. (Something I pointed out back in May.) As of today, however, the neo-Parteiadler insignia, and for that matter, the entire Wall, has been wiped clean. 

So that, evidently, is that, leaving us with yet another example of life echoing Second Life -- and in this particular case, also giving us an avatar-based glimpse of the online subculture which is now directly influencing a major US Presidential campaign:

Bernie Sanders’ Second Life Headquarters Besieged by Trump-Supporting Swastikas, Demons and 120 Ft. Fireworks-Spewing Donald Trump Statue

Photo of pro-Trump demons besieging Bernie's HQ via Washington Liberals

As Donald Trump continues to ride roughshod over much of the United States, there’s multiple reports that Trumps’ virtual fans are riding roughshod on Bernie Sanders’ unofficial headquarters in Second Life as well. Sanders' spot is in the sim of Caspoli, located here, with a Bernie 2016 banner that can be seen from satellite -- a Roman-themed hangout space in a peaceful meadow, where Bernie supporters often gather to share news of their favorite candidate. But lately, the place has been besieged by pro-Trump griefers. I first read a report of anti-Bernie griefing from roving furry reporter Bixyl Shuftan (yes, that's a thing) and found out it wasn't an isolated incident:

“There is a picture I managed to capture of one of the flags spewing from a particle dispenser at HQ,” Sanders support group member Macaria Wind tells me, handing over an image file of a Trump swastika. “Left there by one of Trump's supporters when no one was around.”

But that was only the start. During a Bernie rally in SL, Mr. Wind goes on, Trump-supporting demons flew around Bernie’s rally, endlessly typing ”TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!" into text chat.

“Pages and pages of TRUMP! LOL,” Wind tells me. “[O]ne has to laugh at the childishness displayed by some of his supporters. In my opinion, they mimic their candidate. I must add though, what is not a laughing matter are the racial slurs and bigotry witnessed by one group member who visited Trump HQ when there were actually people there.” (Read more about that incident here.)

To be sure, virtual landowners in Second Life can bar anyone from their property. But that effort was, well, trumped, by a Trump supporter’s next move:

Virtual Donald Trump Trolling Second Life Still Somehow Less Juvenile than Real Life Donald Trump

Now that Trump's virtual mansion in Second Life has become big news, the inevitable has happened:

Like I said last year, trolling videos in Second Life is quite literally a cottage industry on YouTube, so it was inevitable this would happen. And while I generally don't blog trolling videos, this one is actually on the relative low end of offensiveness. (I'm more offended this dude's Trump avatar doesn't look anything like actual Trump.) Even more notable:

Kotaku Goes Crazy for Donald Trump's Second Life HQ

Since we noted Second Life's anime-flavored fanclub for Donald Trump (first spotted by a Scottish socialist feminist, then interviewed by a roving furry reporter), top gamer news site Kotaku has been covering it like crazy, with not one but three posts:

• Donald Trump's Second Life Mansion Is Owned By An Anime School Girl
• And Then I Got Banned From Donald Trump's Second Life Mansion
• Anti-Trump Rallies Are Much More Entertaining In Second Life

The last two posts are by Michael Fahey, which is great, because Fahey is one of the few game journalists who actually "gets" Second Life (he's been writing sporadically about SL since roughly 2009). Fittingly, he actually explores the Trump mansion first-hand (with a giant raccoon tail, no less), and even crazier, the massive, surreal counter-protest against Trump across the street:

Donald Trump Mansion & Campaign Headquarters in Second Life Owned by Literal Anime Character

I told you about the Second Life recreation of Donald Trump's Florida mansion with a virtual wall last month, and now roving metaverse furry reporter (yes that's an actual thing) Bixyl Shuftan has more to that story: The mansion is owned by SL user JP Laszlo, who as you can see, is an anime character come to virtual life. She also runs a pro-Trump, anime-themed Facebook page, and she's expanding her promotion for Trump in SL:

Slate Remembers Incredibly Lame Example of RL Politics in Second Life -- Here's 3 That Are Way More Interesting

Above, Slate confusing everyday griefing for a noteworthy RL/virtual world event

Ho hum, Slate just published this throwback election season reminiscing of griefers attacking an unofficial John Edwards headquarters in Second Life leading up to the 2008 election. This is exactly akin to someone setting up a Tumblr page devoted to Bernie Sanders, accidentally posting the password, then getting it defaced by wingnuts overnight -- douchey behavior, but not exactly worthy of a Slate post. FORTUNATELY, there's far more interesting examples of real life political headquarters and persons in Second Life that deserve more attention. Such as:

That time then-Presidential hopeful Mark Warner (Governor of Virginia back then) made an official whistle stop-style appearance in Second Life in 2006.

That time Newt Gingrich gave a speech in Second Life which was protested by green fairies and other oddball avatars, but who was protected by a team of stylish avatar bodyguards.

And finally, that time Front National, the powerful far right French political party founded by Donald Trump fan Jean-Marie Le Pen, opened up an official headquarters in Second Life (in 2007). Which led a few weeks later to this: