Search > Places is back. Well, sort of back. Mostly back. Reasonably back. Okay, so there's still an issue.

At 2:55PM SLT (Second Life Time) on Friday, Search > Places was finally restored to service, after essentially a full week of downtime. By 18:00 SLT, it had become apparent that there was still one or more problems, and by 18:22 SLT, it was apparent that the problem was 'estates'. Basically, you can't seem to find things that are in another estate.

Most Second Lifers don't really know what a Second Life 'Estate' actually is, beyond the common-coin term in the English language (whichever dialect of it you choose to speak or mangle, or stoically persevere with as a second or third language), so a little background on estates is probably in order.

Obviously, I'll never get to go to the Teen Grid, unless I were to make a special request of LL, and even then it would probably be under the auspice of some educational institution. But I'm damned curious about what goes on there. If, for example, we assume that a great number of griefers are teenagers (and I don't automatically assume that, but let's do it just for the grand funk railroad of it), can we also assume that the TG is 24/7 Grief City?

I couldn't be; they'd delete the TG before too long. So, is it just like the Main Grid, only younger? Are they grooming the next wave of talented builders/scripters over there? Do they yearn for the perceived succulent fruit of the MG? Are new, untold, unpronounceable acronyms being created? It makes me kinda sad to think that the poor teen residents there are making friends 4 life (yo), only to have to abandon them once they reach 18. Seriously, that's sad.

So, if anyone has any stories of life on the Teen Grid, please contact me; maybe we can set up an interview. Or, if you were on the TG yourself, send me your story; let's talk!

In his usual colourful style, Siggy Romulus has posted an M-rated question about some of his content having migrated to the teen grid. As there is supposed to be no exchange of material between the main grid and the teen grid, on pain of banning, he asks how it is possible that his items are there.

In reality there are a number of possible explanations. Some teens confessed that they were on the main grid during an amnesty, and were transferred with all their PG inventory to the teen grid. It seems possible that some of those people were able to order goods on the SL exchange or SL boutique, because their accounts were verified when they were on the adult grid and they were transferred with all details intact. Some of these have reportedly been order material from the external sales sites and then reselling in the teen grid at a profit.