Integrating the teen grid would be a positive step. It should be done.

Arguments that separating the grids are necessary to protect teens are hollow. Only a service who's primary purpose is cyber sex would need to. Facebook doesn't do it, Twitter doesn't. Flickr doesn't. AIM and YIM don't. WOW doesn't. Halo doesn't. HMMM. Do we really want to argue that SL needs to separate the two with that in mind? Instead of separation, LL must tackle the 800 pound gorilla of smut it has allowed in SL.

LL Desperately needs to clean up the adult grid . . and this would be the prefect catalyst for it. Some of the clean up steps have already been taken. Banning xxx rated adds on the main land was a very good thing. It was a tentative start to doing the rest of the work that needs to be done.

Does SL NEED to condone slavery, prostitution, escort services, rape role play and strip clubs to survive? Do we need to be subjected to private parts swinging in the breeze, and to basically undressed avatars on public streets?

If SL does NEED this, then it is not worth saving.

Look at SL from the point of view of a business doing business with other businesses in an international network of laws. Subjecting a employee to some of the "normal" sexually oriented activities in SL could constitute harassment and be legally actionable in many places.

No legitimate business want's to be connected with a place awash with smut. No school or learning institution can tolerate even a whiff of smut. SL DOES need these, and it becomes a better place for all as a result.

For serious educational use, for serious international business PUBLIC areas of SL must do what the cultures of every single civilized area in the "real world" have done. Enforce basic decency in public.

What people do in PRIVATE is their own business. I don't want to know and don't care what someone is doing on their own private island. They can set their access to group only, and if the are doing something that could get them arrested if they have teens involved, they can rethink what it is they are doing, or develop their own screening procedures. That same process is enforced for every bar serving liquor now. You can bet if they DON'T, they WILL be investigated and face legal action.

It is about time the whole of SL grow up. Letting teens in would be a big step in helping SL mature.