An open letter to Ebbe Altberg

[Astryl Bing]

I have a request, but I ask you to please allow me to give you some background information first.

I am a seven year premium member. In real life I am handicapped, so Second Life is my only means of social interaction. I am unable to live alone in real life, so I have built a house and home on Second Life, this has given me much pleasure and I take pride in my virtual home.
For the past two years I have supported myself with a job within SL, since I can not afford to bring money into the game, I just barely can pay the premium every month. Because of the new gaming region rules, on August 1st I will lose my livelihood, my home and 99%of my social interaction.
My job is hosting GNG, and I live in South Carolina. please keep reading.

I write to you because I am not the only one this is happening to, I am one of many.

It seems to me there should be some allowance for those who are already employed in these establishments. I personally don't care if I play, I just want to support myself, and any job I could get that would pay as well as GNG is in the sex field which is not an option for me.

I don't know how it is in the other affected states, but in South Carolina I can get on a boat at the shore that turns into a casino one mile out.
The internet should be treated like offshore waters or at the very least be governed by the laws of the state in which the site is headquartered.

If you must do this shouldn't there be some sort of grandfather clause that allows for employees affected to accsee the regions only to work?

Please help us out, me and people in my situation have so much to lose.

[Hoshi Kenin]

I really feel for you, Astryl.

However, LL  seem to have run their course vis a vis so called 'skill' games that were out and out chance or gambling games.   They have milked this pot dry, and I suspect something has forced them to bring out this new TOS, which is purely to cover themselves.  Perhaps a RL legal challenge? Who knows?

Ebbe may feel for you, too.  However, he does not decide LL actions, but rather LL's accountants and lawyers call the shots. And they do not give a damm about you, or any of us.

 

[Astryl Bing]

Thank you for your reply. I'd be interested to know if there are others this affects, for whatever reason.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

I really sympathize with you but the law is the law and LL must follow it.  They don't have the authority to allow exceptions.  What you can do is work to change the law in South Carolina. (BTW you can get on a boat and gamble because the boat takes you to international waters or a place where SC laws do not apply and you can legally gamble.)

In the meantime there are plenty of host jobs in SL where you can legally go.  With your experience you probably wouldn't have a problem getting one in a place where you can make good tips.  You could also look for a job with a real estate company as a customer service rep or even a social director.  Many times these jobs come with free land or homes.

[Astryl Bing]

Thank you Amethyst, True, the law must be obeyed, but Second life is not in SC. I can go to any gambling site on the Internet and play because the Internet is generally treated as offshore waters are. Besides, laws for gambling are murky at best. Where I live there are many Bingo parlors and they do a big business. 

I don't want them to do anything illeagal, I only want to work, not play. I am hoping they can appreciate the difference. Thanks for the advice.

[Canoro Philipp]

you can enjoy SL without investing any money in it, many things it has to offer are free, like communicating with friends and visiting places or get many types of jobs, your social interaction will continue to exist even if you dont invest any money in SL, Instant Messaging and public messages are free.

it is very pleasant to have a house in SL, but it is possible to enjoy SL without one, if architecture is what you enjoy, you can find in the destination guide many places that have great art.

as i understand, people that have "payment info on file" have access to Skill Gaming places, since you have paid for a premium account you should have "payment info on file" and therefore access to the place you work and continue earning lindens.

my recommendation would be that you enjoy SL in a free way while you find answers to your concerns.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

From the official skill gaming policy:

 

Prohibited States & Countries

Residents of the following states and countries may not participate in Skill Gaming in Second Life:

• Arizona
• Arkansas
• Delaware
• Florida
• Kentucky
• Louisiana
• Maryland
• South Carolina
• South Dakota
• Tennessee

[Tari Landar]

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Astryl Bing wrote:

Thank you Amethyst, True, the law must be obeyed, but Second life is not in SC. I can go to any gambling site on the Internet and play because the Internet is generally treated as offshore waters are. Besides, laws for gambling are murky at best. Where I live there are many Bingo parlors and they do a big business. 

I don't want them to do anything illeagal, I only want to work, not play. I am hoping they can appreciate the difference. Thanks for the advice.

---

Unfortunately, as much as I sympathize with you on this, there is no difference between "work" and "play" in this scenario. At least, not to the extent that you, and I am quite sure others, would like there to be. By this I mean, LL cannot make exceptions for people who want to "work" and not for people who want to "play", because laws don't make that exception either. Sl may not be located in SC, however LL is still, likely, obligated to follow whatever laws exist on those books. We may not like it, but, those are the rules. I say likely, because I have no inkling of the laws on the books in SC, at least not enough knowledge to give a better answer than that.

That said, as others have pointed out, there are lots of other jobs out there, especially those outside of the sex market, so to speak. Hosting at clubs has the potential to pay well, depending on the club and your work skills. Having hosted GnG, you likely have plenty of skills perfect for any type of hosting job.  I would check out the employment section of the forums. It is very likely you'll find a position that suits you well. If one hosting job does not fit your needs, you could always work more than one.  Unlike rl jobs, often times sl jobs, do not take nearly as much of our time, or even work for that matter(I am not putting down sl jobs in the least, I've had several over the years). So you could host at one, two, or even more clubs, work roughly the same hours you do now(or increase if you'd like) and still make the same, or more, money as you currently do.  It's merely a matter of getting out there and doing it.

There are likely going to be several people that these new rules will upset as they live in an area now restricted.  Unfortunately, if laws dictate what LL has to tell us, laws will dictate what we can participate in too. I agree, it sucks, but until someone changes those laws, I would honestly rather see LL follow tham, than not. I know folks who will now not be able to enjoy their favorite passtime because of the restrictions and new rules. I do feel bad for them, and I wish things were different, but they're not. A couple of them understand, laws are laws, and a few of them are just angry. I can understand both stances on the matter. If I were afected personally, I'd probably be a mix of both as well. I just can't fault LL for doing what needs to be done, because they were told to do so, which is exactly what I think is happening(but that's just my opinion, of course).