The Metaverse Journal - Latest Comments in F.I.R.E. - Second Life’s first native political party?

Re: F.I.R.E. - Second Life’s first native political party?

Lowell Cremorne — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 16:04:48 -0000

Hi Prokofy and Troy,

Thanks for your considered thoughts. My argument that FIRE is 'first' was put with disclaimers around the well established history of lobby groups and the Democratic sims - from my perspective this party is the first broad-based one, though them proving to be a viable, effective entity is a challenge they've yet to face.

As far as their policy stance, well that's the point of a political party isn't it - to cause debate ;)

Re: F.I.R.E. - Second Life’s first native political party?

Prokofy Neva — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 13:46:17 -0000

It's not the first party by any stretch of the imagination, this is ludicrous.

There is a whole raft of social democratic, democratic, conservative parties that are in the Confederation of Democratic Sims in Neufreistadt and Neualtenberg, there are all kinds of parties, some based in RL like socialists and communists with an SL presence also that gets involved in local SL platform issues.

Gambling cannot be restored in Second Life because it is now against U.S. law, which prohibits Internet gambling. The Lindens are a U.S. based company that has to comply with real-life US law or be shut down. Advocating for the restoration of gambling might be construed as advertisement of gambling, which is now also banned under the TOS in SL. Until there are host-your-own servers or some other platform, Europeans who imagine unregulated SL-style gambling is legal in their countries (they may be in for a surprise there!)will have to refrain from gambling or face expulsion.

There isn't any "confusion" about what this latest party is -- it's merely a handful of people with a sectarian agenda who try to put yet another "first" over on what is now a rather savvy and informed public that doesn't fall for these stunts.

VAT is another real-life fact of life that Europeans have to change not by banging on an American company in the United States, but by banging on their own governments. There own EU doesn't give any notification delay or grace period for enforcement, so LL is not in a position to do so. Whatever their poor communications, it's not their problem -- VAT is VAT, and Europeans have to realize their social services cannot be paid for by American game companies, they are paid for properly only by Europeans.

Re: F.I.R.E. - Second Life’s first native political party?

Troy McLuhan — Sun, 04 Nov 2007 10:36:19 -0000

Their statement on gambling shows that they don't understand why Linden Lab shut gambling down: US law. I was surprised that gambling wasn't forbidden by the SL Terms of Service from day 1.

In the USA, online gambling is illegal under the Federal Wire Act of 1961. Outside the USA, it's a different story, but Linden Lab and its servers are in the USA.