Over at Clickable Culture, Tony Walsh has been discussing the new age and identity verification system for Second Life, which may actually be a big deal, given the amount of adult content strewn all over the virtual world.

Walsh notes: "According to an official blog posting, users who do not pay a fee to verify their age will be restricted from accessing Mature-rated areas of the virtual world. These areas will be identified by virtual land owners, who Linden Lab says "are morally and legally responsible for the content displayed and the behavior taking place on their land."

Walsh's analysis is on the money: "This is a major move for Linden Lab, with major ramifications for Second Life residents, who up until this point have been enjoying a combination of Wild West meets Roman Orgy meets Sesame Street since 2003... Later this month, a cold, dry Second Life experience will replace the old, sloppy, Burning Man-style Second Life experience... And while adult content in "safe" areas will never go away, at least Linden Lab has washed its hands of the entire, sordid mess."