What is the acceptable level of provocativeness for General and Moderate areas?

[Anya Viegel]

I'm a little new to SL. I'm aware this is probably subjective, but what is acceptable in a general or moderate area in terms of skin shown, proportions, etc?

Also, when your avatar has a naturally exaggerated or sexualized shape, for instance wide hips, busty, etc, should we expect to tone that down for a general or moderate area, or is covering up all that's required? and beyond required, what's the norm? 

 

Thanks

[Rowan Amore]

Along with the guidelines in the Knowledge base, each region or parcel may have it's own set of rules.  There is one music club, while on Moderate land, has a strict dress code.  Aside from no nudity at all on General, rules will vary.

 

[Rolig Loon]

The official answer is in this Knowledge Base article:

In a nutshell, you must have any "naughty bits" covered in public in any General area.  The body shape or type is immaterial but, paraphrasing the article, consider what you would be comfortable looking like in front of your grandmother or a grade school class. That's pretty much the norm as well as the letter of the law. In a Moderate area, you can be a good deal looser. In practice, most people treat moderate areas as they might treat public places in RL, but that covers a wide range of what's "normal" and it's up to the local norm on each region. On my own M-rated region, for example, you can run around as naked as you wish. Some regions (or parcels) don't allow it at all. In most places, though, it's not generally a good idea to have those "naughty bits" exposed. When in doubt, be conservative. And don't engage in sexual activity in public.  In an adult area, all bets are off.

[animats]

2 hours ago, Anya Viegel said:

I'm a little new to SL. I'm aware this is probably subjective, but what is acceptable in a general or moderate area in terms of skin shown, proportions, etc?

Also, when your avatar has a naturally exaggerated or sexualized shape, for instance wide hips, busty, etc, should we expect to tone that down for a general or moderate area, or is covering up all that's required? and beyond required, what's the norm?

Thanks

Linden Lab itself won't do much for anything less than nudity in a G area or public sex in an M area. However, landowners often have stricter rules and can enforce them.

People can laugh at you behind your back, of course. Over-sexualizing your avatar to get attention doesn't really work in Second Life, especially when coupled with bad aesthetics. It says "loser". The male version of this is running around with a giant ***** that would be oversized on a horse. The female version of this is running around with enormous jiggling breasts and buttocks. (Those two types don't seem to hook up with each other.)

What's the norm? Roughly the proportions you get in the starter avatars. Avatars are improved by getting better heads, bodies, and clothing, not bigger ones.

Over time, avatars have become more realistic in size. There was a time when most female avatars were 7 feet tall, and male avatars were 8 feet tall. Doors on SL buildings tend to be oversized for that reason. Early SL buildings are far oversized. Visit Linden Estate Services, which has an office building, for a classic example of that. They must have been giants in those days.

Today, most avatars are in the normal human size range. Much more than 2 meters tall and you can't get through some doors.

[Katherine Heartsong]

On 11/23/2024 at 8:55 PM, Rowan Amore said:

Along with the guidelines in the Knowledge base, each region or parcel may have it's own set of rules.  There is one music club, while on Moderate land, has a strict dress code.  Aside from no nudity at all on General, rules will vary.

 

This is a key thing. It's up to the parcel owner to set their own rules, and you to be a good citizen of SL to accept and graciously accommodate those rules. The sim owner is the law, and can set more strict rules than the land ratings suggest.

@Rowan Amore is right, you'll find several music clubs, on Moderate-rated land, that are very intolerant of anything that smacks of sexually provocative dress or too much skin showing, for women or men. If your skirt, for example, is short enough to flash your knickers, you will be asked by the host to change or leave. Guys need to be wearing shirts at the same place, going bare chested will get you talked to. And yes, in this place they've booted human avatars that were about 10 feet tall and bulked up like serious body-building monsters who were "packing/bulging" something about 3 feet long in their pants (I've seen a few of these recently, gosh i hope it's not a trend).

Other Moderate dance places, you can dress and flirt in local chat a bit more playfully. Ask a host for the rules/note card and be good about it.

Please don't be the person who gives the hosts grief, btw, there are real people behind the host's avatars and the crap and push back some of them get is just unbelievable.

Follow the rules, or leave. There are lots of places to go.

[Alwin Alcott]

On 11/24/2024 at 2:25 AM, Anya Viegel said:

what's the norm? 

except the guidelines ... none

Every landowner and region owner can set stricter rules as the guidelines for their land rating is. Some general rated places allow more, than strictly ruled adult ones, the general one of course within the guidelines for general rated land)
For example, i have a adult rated homestead, you'll get banned for even being shirtless as guy, or just a bra wearing woman.
 

Edited November 29 by Alwin Alcott