I haven’t been on the Sandbox islands since December or January. I explored the islands until I saw how cluttered it was on the Sandbox islands. The sandbox islands are cluttered not with tons of prims and freebies for sale, but with warning signs about no shooting or no selling. The sandbox rules are getting enforced so much that even the floors have words that say “No Shooting” or “No Selling.” This was kind of shocking that the Lindens have gone this far to try to stop this. The most that would be expected is a Linden telling a person not to break the sandbox rules. This is great that they are enforcing this rule and they seem serious about this.
Even though they’re enforcing this, people are still breaking the rules. I’ve seen some freebie cars being sold off for $30. I was also shot by someone with a popgun That isn’t as bad as getting shot with an RPG. While people are selling freebies and trapping other fellow TSL residents, the sandboxes are bombarded with these things:
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I was able to talk to one of Teen Second Life’s residents, Owl Patel. Here’s the interview:

TSA: How do you feel about this recent change to the sandbox?
Owl Patel: Well, its certainly laggier. Can’t do much about that. As more people join SL, the sandboxes are naturally going to swell.
TSA: Do you think it was right for the Lindens to do this?
Owl Patel: Yeah, I do. The Lindens have had problems regulating this in the past. Whatever works, you know?
TSA: Do you think this change was due to the rise of people who aren’t aware of the rules or what to do?
Owl Patel: Well, yes and no. You’ve got new people who don’t know what to do, but you’ve also got long term griefers.. the people who log in to SL, and immediately whip out a gun to make people miserable. The bigger problem is going to be newer people, but if they use SL like that, they usually filter out on their own.
TSA: Do you think the Tutorial Islands affect how people work or use the sandbox?
Owl Patel: Yeah, I do. The tutorial island deffinately needs updating.. it basically says: “Build wherever you want, do whatever you want! Your world, your imagination!” And this easily reflects on the sandbox, as I can see it being one of the first places to go.
TSA: Do you think a Linden should monitor the sandbox to make sure no one is breaking the rules?
Owl Patel: Well, this would have a very parental feel to it, and I don’t think that’s what TSL residents want. What the Lindens need to do is overdo it on pushing using the report feature, and of course, plastering the rules on the ground helps.
TSA: Alright thanks for accepting this interview.
Owl Patel: You’re quite welcome.

I stayed on the sandbox for about 30 minutes until I left. Overall, the amount of people selling and shooting have decreased since around November. Last year, I had to deal with people coming up to me every 10 minutes and asking me if I wanted to buy something. The only problem with the sandbox now is that it’s very laggy and there is a ton of bad builds. Then again, the people on the sandbox are just trying to learn how to build better.

By: Trent Davis