Second Life: Community Standards
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Welcome to Second Life. We hope you will have a richly rewarding experience, filled with creativity, self expression
and fun. The goals of the Community Standards are simple: treat each other with respect and without harassment,
adhere to local standards as indicated by simulator ratings, and refrain from any hate activity which slurs a real-world
individual or real-world community.
Behavioral Guidelines - The "Big Six"
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Within Second Life, we want to support Residents in shaping their specific experiences and making their own choices.
The Community Standards sets out six behaviors, the "Big Six", that will result in suspension or, with
repeated violations, expulsion from the Second Life Community. All Second Life Community Standards apply to all
areas of Second Life, the Second Life Forums, and the Second Life Website.
Intolerance
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Combating intolerance is a cornerstone of Second Life's Community Standards. Actions that marginalize, belittle,
or defame individuals or groups inhibit the satisfying exchange of ideas and diminish the Second Life community
as whole. The use of derogatory or demeaning language or images in reference to another Resident's race, ethnicity,
gender, religion, or sexual preference is never allowed in Second Life.
Harassment
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Given the myriad capabilities of Second Life, harassment can take many forms. Communicating or behaving in a manner
which is offensively coarse, intimidating or threatening, constitutes unwelcome sexual advances or requests for
sexual favors, or is otherwise likely to cause annoyance or alarm is Harassment.
Assault
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Most areas in Second Life are identified as Safe. Assault in Second Life means: shooting, pushing, or shoving another
Resident in a Safe Area (see Global Standards below); creating or using scripted objects which singularly or persistently
target another Resident in a manner which prevents their enjoyment of Second Life.
Disclosure
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Residents are entitled to a reasonable level of privacy with regard to their Second Lives. Sharing personal information
about a fellow Resident --including gender, religion, age, marital status, race, sexual preference, and real-world
location beyond what is provided by the Resident in the First Life page of their Resident profile is a violation
of that Resident's privacy. Remotely monitoring conversations, posting conversation logs, or sharing conversation
logs without consent are all prohibited in Second Life and on the Second Life Forums.
Indecency
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Second Life is an adult community, but Mature material is not necessarily appropriate in all areas (see Global
Standards below). Content, communication, or behavior which involves intense strong language or expletives, nudity
or sexual content, the depiction of sex or strong violence, or anything else broadly offensive must be contained
within private land in areas rated Mature (M). Names of Residents, objects, places and groups are broadly viewable
in Second Life directories and on the Second Life website, and must adhere to PG guidelines.
Disturbing the Peace
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Every Resident has a right to live their Second Life. Disrupting scheduled events, repeated transmission of undesired
advertising content, the use of repetitive sounds, following or self-spawning items, or other objects that intentionally
slow server performance or inhibit another Resident's ability to enjoy Second Life are examples of Disturbing the
Peace.
Policies and Policing
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Global Standards, Local Ratings
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All areas of Second Life, including the www.secondlife.com website and the Second Life Forums, adhere to the same
Community Standards. Locations within Second Life are noted as Safe or Unsafe and rated Mature (M) or non-Mature
(PG), and behavior must conform to the local ratings. Any unrated area of Second Life or the Second Life website
should be considered non-Mature (PG).
Warning, Suspension, Banishment
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Second Life is a complex society, and it can take some time for new Residents to gain a full understanding of local
customs and mores. Generally, violations of the Community Standards will first result in a Warning, followed by
Suspension and eventual Banishment from Second Life. In-World Representatives, called Liaisons, may occasionally
address disciplinary problems with a temporary removal from Second Life.
Global Attacks
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Objects, scripts, or actions which broadly interfere with or disrupts the Second Life community, the Second Life
servers or other systems related to Second Life will not be tolerated in any form. We will hold you responsible
for any actions you take, or that are taken by objects or scripts that belong to you. Sandboxes are available for
testing objects and scripts that have components that may be unmanageable or whose behavior you may not be able
to predict. If you chose to use a script that substantially disrupts the operation of Second Life, disciplinary
actions will result in a minimum two-week suspension, the possible loss of in-world inventory, and a review of
your account for probable expulsion from Second Life.
Alternate Accounts
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While Residents may choose to play Second Life with more than one account, specifically or consistently using an
alternate account to harass other Residents or violate the Community Standards is not acceptable. Alternate accounts
are generally treated as separate from a Resident's principal account, but misuse of alternate accounts can and
will result in disciplinary action on the principal account.
Buyer Beware
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Linden Lab does not exercise editorial control over the content of Second Life, and will make no specific efforts
to review the textures, objects, sounds or other content created within Second Life. Additionally, Linden Lab does
not certify or endorse the operation of in-world games, vending machines, or retail locations; refunds must be
requested from the owners of these objects.
Reporting Abuse
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Residents should report violations of the Community Standards using the Abuse Reporter tool located under the Help
menu in the in-world tool bar. Every Abuse Report is individually investigated, and the identity of the reporter
is kept strictly confidential. If you need immediate assistance, in-world Liaisons may be available to help. Look
for Residents with the last name Linden.