Upcoming viewer changes for Second Life adult content

Thanks to a piping-hot, fresh build of the Second Life viewer, we've been able to get a better look at the upcoming content controls that are due in the next major release of the Second Life viewer.

As expected, there are now three content ratings available (though it is uncertain as to what their final names will actually be. Using "PG" as a content rating, for example, has legal issues): PG content, Mature content and Adult content.

While it hasn't yet been determined exactly what content will fit into each category (actually, we barely have any idea about the existing content categorizations half the time), the actual usage and integration looks pretty straightforward.

All the basic search interfaces (except for People) now sport three checkboxes: PG/Mature/Adult, as shown below.

Events are also flagged according to the three-way system. The usual pink star for PG. The blue star with an "M" for mature, and the same blue star with an "A" for adult events. In your viewer preferences you can set a limit to what sort of content you prefer. If you select PG, you'll be confined only to PG areas, for example. You can see that pictured at the top.

If you haven't successfully undergone the (presently not-finalized) age-verification system with your own credentials or someone else's, you will not at any time be able to select Adult from any of the available options at any time, nor will you be able to access the adult content of Ursula (Linden staffers have told users in-world that it is the new Adult content continent and the first infohub there is now live).

While the tools seem to be well done, straightforward and simple to operate, we're more concerned about the age-verification system itself which has proven to be unreliable and easy to cheat.

Official support for these features in the viewer is expected to be in June.

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