MJJtheENIGMA,
IMUV is *not* for " adults " only. IMVU is for ages 13 years of age and older; this includes Adults. However, there is nothing on IMVU that is rated NC17 in content - unless its there illegally and hasn't been flagged/removed. Moreover there's little enough content on IMVU to actually appeal to anyone interested in adult activities. In fact, it offers far less than Cinemax on a good night.
As for IMVU not being a website/service, like Myspace and Facebook where anyone can get an account, you're wrong. Its exactly that type of service/website where anyone can sign up. IMVU takes no active steps in order to keep anyone under 12 years of age or younger from the service. They instead choose to hide behind their Terms of Service.
In regards to IMVU not " luring " in children? It certainly is. In fact, if you pay attention to its promotional efforts they are aimed directly at teenagers and any gullible adults it can find to sign up.
I'd suggest before making a lot of statements full of unfounded claims that you do some massive homework on the subject. You are entirely uniformed and unprepared to address the topic.

This is far more than an IMVU problem, it is a "what's happening today" problem. If IMVU disappeared tomorrow, a dozen more just like it or worse would pop up to replace it.

The only way to effectively fight the proliferation of this junk is technology that never sleeps like the web safety program that I recommend for my clients.

It pays for parents to realize that they may not know as much about the risks their children live with every day as they think. After being emotionally devastated is a bad time to realize that there was more to it than met the eye.

That's why I wrote the "Parent's Guide to the CyberWorld of Children" available for free at: www.LessStress4parents.com

I hope that you find it helpful.

Me and my partner play secondlife and we heard about people playing IMVU. We did some investigating ourselves and were disgusted. I sympathize to the woman who found her son playing on there and shockingly discovered the real deal with IMVU as it is peddled to children. The great thing about secondlife is that they have an area where teens can sign up and then are not able to go in adult areas. Many lands are also set to age verification so you can not interact with the adults as long as you are underage. I applaud secondlife for their efforts in keeping children safe from predators.

The problems that exist with IMVU have little to do with its users... though there exists a few notable exceptions to this. The problems with IMVU instead lie with its company and how they choose to do business. There's another thread that covers the basics of that and more so I won't go into it. Regardless, the users on IMVU hold among some of the best people I've known in a decade on the Internet and that's saying a lot.

In terms of the " adult " content and the Access Pass...IMVU is to this day inappropriately marketing it. What IMVU calls " adult " is actually NC-17 content. Its great that they're keeping that kind of content out of the hands of 13-16 year olds, but its certainly not " adult " content by any means. IMVU needs to stop trying to convince adults that their system encourages adult behavior so that they can siphon money from adults to pay for their system.

I'm in full agreement with you on the predator issue, but I would add that parents should worry more about protecting their children by educating them and themselves about predators, sexual conduct, and behavior. You'll never rid the world of predators, but you can fill the world with educated children.


" But the site is mostly clean and all of the AP content you cannot even find if you do not own one. They tell teens to ask permission from a parent if your under eighteen. And you cannot even join if your under thirteen. ( again there are teens and children that join anyway. But sites really can only do so much to stop this..) "

I'm going to have to disagree with this entire statement. IMVU is far from clean. As I posted on the other thread there's plenty of UFI content on IMVU that you don't even need the Access Pass to access. It could be a lot cleaner if IMVU would actively moderate the catalog and stop leaving it to users to do. They have a long argument regarding this but ultimately its their service, their catalog, their servers. They're responsible for the content on it, as are the Developers. They need to monitor the content and the developers appropriately and stop allowing biased users to address content.

As for stopping minors from joining when they're underage? There's a lot that IMVU could do to address this issue... and they've been told. They've chosen not to listen because the solution isn't cost effective, nor would it allow them to continue to pull the wool over everyone's eyes about the true nature of their business model.

" Really this site is mostly about having fun. They call it a dress up game.. you can be anything from a fairy to a princess.. a mermaid or a pirate.. A ghost, ghoul, or even just yourself.. ( In fact they even hold a contest on your best outfits that fit that days theme.. you receive stickers or even credits depending on your place.) "

You can also plaster Marijuana stickers on your page.

Ultimately, as an adult I won't actively use this site anymore. I won't refer adults to the service and I won't encourage the parents I know to allow their children on IMVU. As a parent you are much better off sending your children - including teenagers to Disney services. As an adult, you should take your money, and attention elsewhere.

IMVU and Virtual Sex? That would require adult content.

I know this post is a little on the old side, but, as previously stated by another individual, IMVU is what you make of it. Sure, nowadays, it seems like all people do on there is flame one another, but hey, that happens in the real world, too. Some people are just jerks who love throwing insults around. And the virtual sex thing, basically impossible. Even with the Access Pass, one can only do so much. For one, you're unable to "legally" have "erect genitals." The products that have questionable content that some how make it out of Peer Review very rarely stay in the catalog for more than a few days. And since the catalog is where you buy all the virtual clothes, rooms, etc., said action makes "virtual sex" practically impossible....well, with the way the person who made this is making it sound. Sure, individuals can be in chats with no clothes on, but 1. You have to have an access pass to see it. 2. In some cases, public rooms do not allow nudity, and will kick said offender of this rule out of the room. So basically, I guess you chose bad places to see what IMVU is about. Before flaming a site as a whole, perhaps you should further investigate the site. Sounds to me like you just poked around here and there, and unfortunately, they weren't the best places to be at. Also, just to add on to what I said earlier, if you see a product that you find questionable after seeing what is and isn't allowed, you can report the product. Anyway, time to quit ranting. Enjoy reading!

In the interest of providing more information to everyone who's curious, interested, or desperately wants to know - there's another ConnectSafely thread on IMVU as well.

http://www.blogsafety.com/topic/Gaming-Virtual-Worlds/Thoughts-About-Imvu/1100000166

There's about 29 pages of responses and discussion from various years but its worth the read to gather more information regard IMVU and its various issues.

LordSoulFire

To the ConnectSafely Staff:
Is there anyway to merge the topics, or perhaps a gleaning of them both? Maybe a new thread with pertinent and factual information regarding IMVU right off the bat in order to keep everyone informed?

They are very unfair and ban you for no reason! They lie about things you do just to get you banned! They claim you have other accounts which are different people just to have a "case" even it is wrong! They allow CHILD PREDATORS AND PEDOFILES TO BE ON THERE like [deleted] and ban you for reporting him in a chat with a 13 and 15 years old when this man is 57! The government needs to do something against IMVU! They aso need to stop allowing them to ban accounts as we pay money for them and not little either! Alone the AP is $20!!!!

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Edited by Maureen at 03/06/2010 9:05 AM PST

You say: "...please don't go around pointing fingers and punishing the rest of us for your lack in parenting..." But, isnt this parent doing exactly that, good parenting her child? Not only iis this parent taking care of her child, she is also WARNING other parents. I also noticed that you did not mention your own children. If you have children, or come to have some...you did not say you would let your children have access to IMVU.