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Title: Crime in the virtual world [is an avatar that looks like a child, a child?]
Source:
ABC
URL Source: http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2007/s1920981.htm
Published: May 12, 2007
Author: Nicola Fell
Post Date: 2007-05-12 20:28:37 by a vast rightwing conspirator
Keywords: None
Views: 272
Comments: 7
Crime in the virtual world PRINT FRIENDLY EMAIL STORY PM - Friday, 11 May , 2007 18:44:32 Reporter: Nicola Fell MARK COLVIN: Is a crime committed online in a virtual world also a crime in the real world? That's the question central to a child abuse case in Germany involving activities on the online computer game Second Life. Nicola Fell reports. (excerpt from German news program Report Mainz) NICOLA FELL: This German news program Report Mainz has disclosed that on the website Second Life, virtual adults, or avatars - as they're known, are having sex with virtual children. The reporter on the program, who's also a Second Life member, found that for around $3 he was being invited to attend virtual child pornography meetings. The police in the German city of Halle are currently investigating. Brett Hutchins, New Media Lecturer at Monash University, says he's not surprised by the case. BRETT HUTCHINS: The people who run Second Life, Linden Lab, have effectively created an online playground where people can create their own features. So their own real estate night, their own islands, and their own nightclubs. It's resulted in an enormously unpredictable and quite creative world. You can actually simulate your avatars having sex. That has been one of the faster growing areas. Partly that's been based on the relative freedom and the lack of inhibition that people can express when it's not their faces or names, it's their avatar, it's a digital projection of themselves. NICOLA FELL: Brett Hutchins says when you put five million people on a single site, it's no surprise that deviant or offensive behaviour happens. The question is when does it become illegal? While it seems that virtual depictions of child pornography in the United States are not illegal, Conor O'Brien from the Victoria Law Society believes that here in Australia it would be. CONOR O'BRIEN: Section 67 of the Victorian Crimes Act defines child pornography as a film, photograph, publication or computer game that describes or depicts a person who is or appears to be a minor engaging in sexual activity. So from that it's a very, very specifically drafted definition, and anybody who falls foul of that can be charged. In the situation where we have virtual sex, if it's an adult who's pretending to be a child, then there's an arguable case that a person could be found guilty of producing child pornography. NICOLA FELL: So will we see more police investigations into virtual crime in the future? CONOR O'BRIEN: If one looks at other crimes that might be committed by avatars or virtual characters, and the general run of the mill crime might be a theft or an assault or something like that, if one avatar steals from another avatar, then obviously commonsense would prevail and say, well, there was nothing actually stolen. And likewise, if there are two consenting adults or consenting avatars, if you like, who decide that they're going to have some sort of duel and someone gets killed, then obviously one can't go around charging one avatar, or the person who produces that avatar, with some sort of murder. So it seems to me that this isn't the tip of the iceberg. NICOLA FELL: While lawyer Conor O'Brien doesn't expect to see a rise in virtual crime, Brett Hutchins says we are already living with it. BRETT HUTCHINS: I mean, virtual crime is simply an extension of existing crime. I mean, identity theft increasingly costs the Australian economy more money each year, cyber bullying, cyber harassment, these type of things. So what the difference is in some ways is that it's taking place within a different media environment to which most people are familiar, and it takes some time for both regulators, legal bodies and indeed citizens to actually adjust to this new circumstance and come up with effective responses. NICOLA FELL: Which is exactly what the owners of Second Life, Linden, are struggling to do. In reaction to this German case, the company has said it will activate a system that verifies the age and resident country of its users. Second Life members will be required to provide evidence of their age, such as their passport or driving licence if they wish to enter areas flagged as "adult". So it may be that from now on the virtual playground of the internet will be governed more and more by the laws of the real world. SECOND LIFE ADVERTISEMENT (excerpt): Life beyond reality, where imagination knows no bounds and the world is anything but ordinary. MARK COLVIN: That report from Nicola Fell.
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#1. To: a vast rightwing conspirator (#0)
My girlfriend does not like my avatar for http://EntropiaUniverse.com which is female and quite beautiful. The avatar creation process allows you to design avatars in minute detail and I am an artist that paints and draws the human form very well which is reflected in how she looks. Not to mention that many conservative, homophobic players give female awies (slang for avatars) crap accusing them of being owned by homosexuals knowing that demographically 80 percent of the players are male though the gender split in game is about 50/50. She is not off base being jealous because I really love my character whose name I'll keep to myself to protect my enjoyment of the game online. But she need not worry, she is fictional. I just simply do not like watching a male butt of a virtual me as I run on the continents of Endoria and Amethera, mining for minerals and killing beasts in hunts. Also the armor and clothing is half the cost as for male awies. I also think of her as a character I created and do ot really think of her as me as many in the game view their awies. It also appeals to the 'sneaky pete' mischevious aspect of my personality, something that made me very suitible to be in Special Forces when I was in the Army. And there is no difference between the skill levels and ability of any avatar in game, and a small awie does better in the arenas for doing player vs player combat as a smaller target. My favorite game is from Mind Ark in Sweden and has a real cash economy with 10 PED to the U.S. dollar. You can make money buying and selling things, or from fees and rents from virtual real estate you can buy. For example, the guy who bought the largest island ob Amethera, Treasure Island bought the island years ago at auction in game for about 16 thousand U.S. dollars. He now withdraws much more then that monthly with revenue coming from rentals and taxes on loot from mining, hunting and other activities. Many thousands of people have accounts and the virtual world is always well populated with people like me online in it. I have met wonderful friends from all over the world and the game has been a real joy for me. As far as sex goes, awies can undress to jockey shorts or bra and panties and no farther. There is no sexual simulation, and foul language and abuse will get you locked out of game. I know this is off topic in regards to the game mentioned in this thread, but I wanted to give an idea what the largest game of this sort is in the world. Entropia Universe has made Mind Ark one of the ten largest companies of Sweden. It is not for everyone, but I am in it and have achieved high reputation and skill levels in it. I am also the leader of a good sized society in it too.
Thesis: Official 9/11 story is an unproven conspiracy theory. http://911truth.org http://Justicefor911.org http://summeroftruth.org Probable-cause standards have been met for an unlimited investigation of unsolved crimes relating to the events of Sept. 11, including allegations of criminal negligence, cover-up, complicity or commission of the attacks by US officials and assets of intel services.
I make my RL living now in Second Life. I own several islands that I lease properties on, and also design and build houses that I sell to other players. As of now I'm consistently making over $1400 a month in SL, last month I made over $2000. I've sold nearly 400 houses so far, at an average price of about $12 US, and my sales are growing at a nice rate. I pride myself on providing excellent customer service, and have made many good friends there along the way. Furthermore, I'm looking into multiple other business opportunities and possibilities in SL that will hopefully pay off as well. IMHO, 3-D virtual environments like SL are going to be what is known as "the Internet" in the future.
sick shit bump
#2. To: lodwick (#1)
http://entropiaforum.com/
#3. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
 | Gold and silver are real money, paper is but a promise. |
#4. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
It appears that there is a fee for such creative pursuits>>??
Law Enforcement Against Prohibition
#5. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
can you show us? or do you want to keep *her* secret?
#6. To: Ferret Mike (#2)
Huh. I don't care about other members here online proclivities. It's really none of my business, or interest. However, whenever you find a cheap-enough island for sale, please ring it with that information. Cheers out there.
#7. To: Elliott Jackalope (#3)
One of my coworkers is making $$ in Second Life too, although not that much every month.
"Guard against the impostures of pretended patriotism." ~George Washington
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