Red Light Center
Encyclopedia
Red Light Center is a privately owned Massively Multi-User Reality (sm) site that was made available to the public early in 2006 by Utherverse Inc.
. Its tag line is "EXPAND Your Fantasy". Red Light Center is modeled after Amsterdam’s Red Light District
. The online community site offers users virtual nightclubs, hotels, bars, movie theaters and stores. There is a virtual currency called Rays, which members can earn and use for services in the community, Zaby apartments, Gifts for other members, and various other purposes. Rays can also be sold on an open Marketplace for real currency.
The last press release noting RLC membership, in March 2008, estimated the registered userbase at over 1.5 million.
There are other worlds attached to Red Light Center, the largest of which being Virtual Vancouver, modeled on the city of Vancouver, which includes notable landmarks and buildings. Virtual Vancouver hosts Art Gallery shows, streaming concerts, book festivals, and other cultural events.
Red Light Center offers Community Events, such as parties, classes, meeting rooms, live music with dancing and art-gallery openings. Users also have the ability to put on their own events. In many locations, one can smoke hookah
s of ganja and eat magic mushrooms, which can have their effects shaken off at the user's choice.
As an adult playground, RLC features a sex function for VIP members. The users are represented by avatars
, which may be customized personally to suit a user's tastes, and may be used to have virtual sex with another. Certain areas of RLC provide a bed for the users and cater to various popular fantasies. Users have access to underwater caves, locker rooms, a hotel, and bordello rooms, all of which are private spots. There are several themed and equipped rooms available for BDSM play. The avatars are all anatomically correct and the sexual activity is detailed and animated. Users choose a position or action from a menu and then watch it happen with their avatar partner. Since both partners have the same menu to choose from, the result is a visual cybersex
.
, there are several roles and functions which are provided solely by currently active members of the RLC community.
Working Girls/Guys are members that are allowed to sell sexual services for in-game currency.
Guides have the role of helping new members learn their way around, giving tours, answering questions, and helping with minor disputes.
Greeters take over where the guides leave off. The job of greeters is to make new members feel welcome and to ensure that everyone has a good time. Greeters help the members have a good time and party. They introduce new members to other members so they will get to know people sooner. Greeters are a staff position. Ambassadors are the volunteer counterparts.
The next role is Leader, which is a promotion for those guides who have shown themselves to be seriously dedicated to helping the community. They now have the added responsibility of helping the guides, trying to settle disputes, and assisting the protectors in any way they can.
A Protector is the highest role that most members can reach. This is someone who has proven themselves to be very dedicated to the community; they are essentially moderators. Protectors are entrusted with helping the guides, leaders, and all the other members. Protectors step into situations that the leaders or others can't get under control. Protectors try to reason with members, and if after an ample amount of time and warnings, booting a member if needed.
Community Supervisor is in charge of helping, training, and moderating the guides, recommending promotions, as well as assisting the leaders. They are protectors or leaders who have been promoted to this leadership position. They have the same roles as the leaders and guides, but with these added responsibilities. They also work closely with the protectors and Community Moderators.
Community Moderator was created in tandem with the growing amount of members joining the community. In addition to being protectors, community moderators are there to assist everyone. They help guides, leaders, and protectors with any problems or complaints they may have, and act as a main pipeline to the higher staff. They also help with members' complaints and problems. This position has all but been replaced by the Staff Moderators.
Staff Moderators are a special staff position created to ensure a better staff involvement with in-world issues. They oversee and assist the duties of both the Community Moderators and Supervisors, therefore assisting with the oversight of this branch of volunteers. They also provide a conduit between volunteers/members and higher staff as well as handle any in-world issues that need attention.
Utherverse Inc.
Utherverse Inc. is an internet networking company focusing on bringing together Web 2.0 technology, 3D virtual environments, and social situations. It was formed to enable the creation of large multi-player online communities.Founded in 2002, Utherverse is the product of the creative collaboration...
. Its tag line is "EXPAND Your Fantasy". Red Light Center is modeled after Amsterdam’s Red Light District
Red-light district
A red-light district is a part of an urban area where there is a concentration of prostitution and sex-oriented businesses, such as sex shops, strip clubs, adult theaters, etc...
. The online community site offers users virtual nightclubs, hotels, bars, movie theaters and stores. There is a virtual currency called Rays, which members can earn and use for services in the community, Zaby apartments, Gifts for other members, and various other purposes. Rays can also be sold on an open Marketplace for real currency.
The last press release noting RLC membership, in March 2008, estimated the registered userbase at over 1.5 million.
Gameplay
A player can own their own Zaby apartment within the 3D World. It is possible to install televisions with streaming video, or a jukebox with music. One can color the walls, and place furniture. The Zaby apartments vary in size from a small one-bedroom apartment to a large country house.There are other worlds attached to Red Light Center, the largest of which being Virtual Vancouver, modeled on the city of Vancouver, which includes notable landmarks and buildings. Virtual Vancouver hosts Art Gallery shows, streaming concerts, book festivals, and other cultural events.
Red Light Center offers Community Events, such as parties, classes, meeting rooms, live music with dancing and art-gallery openings. Users also have the ability to put on their own events. In many locations, one can smoke hookah
Hookah
A hookah A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) A hookah(Gujarati હૂકાહ) (Hindustani: हुक़्क़ा (Devanagari, (Nastaleeq) huqqah) also known as a waterpipe or narghile, is a single or multi-stemmed (often glass-based) instrument for smoking in which the smoke is cooled by water. The tobacco smoked is referred to...
s of ganja and eat magic mushrooms, which can have their effects shaken off at the user's choice.
As an adult playground, RLC features a sex function for VIP members. The users are represented by avatars
Avatar (computing)
In computing, an avatar is the graphical representation of the user or the user's alter ego or character. It may take either a three-dimensional form, as in games or virtual worlds, or a two-dimensional form as an icon in Internet forums and other online communities. It can also refer to a text...
, which may be customized personally to suit a user's tastes, and may be used to have virtual sex with another. Certain areas of RLC provide a bed for the users and cater to various popular fantasies. Users have access to underwater caves, locker rooms, a hotel, and bordello rooms, all of which are private spots. There are several themed and equipped rooms available for BDSM play. The avatars are all anatomically correct and the sexual activity is detailed and animated. Users choose a position or action from a menu and then watch it happen with their avatar partner. Since both partners have the same menu to choose from, the result is a visual cybersex
Cybersex
Cybersex, also called computer sex, Internet sex, netsex, mudsex, TinySex and, colloquially, cybering, is a virtual sex encounter in which two or more persons connected remotely via computer network send each other sexually explicit messages describing a sexual experience...
.
Roles
Within the RLC metaverseMetaverse
The Metaverse is our collective online shared space, created by the convergence of virtually enhanced physical reality and physically persistent virtual space, including the sum of all virtual worlds, augmented reality, and the internet...
, there are several roles and functions which are provided solely by currently active members of the RLC community.
Working Girls/Guys are members that are allowed to sell sexual services for in-game currency.
Guides have the role of helping new members learn their way around, giving tours, answering questions, and helping with minor disputes.
Greeters take over where the guides leave off. The job of greeters is to make new members feel welcome and to ensure that everyone has a good time. Greeters help the members have a good time and party. They introduce new members to other members so they will get to know people sooner. Greeters are a staff position. Ambassadors are the volunteer counterparts.
The next role is Leader, which is a promotion for those guides who have shown themselves to be seriously dedicated to helping the community. They now have the added responsibility of helping the guides, trying to settle disputes, and assisting the protectors in any way they can.
A Protector is the highest role that most members can reach. This is someone who has proven themselves to be very dedicated to the community; they are essentially moderators. Protectors are entrusted with helping the guides, leaders, and all the other members. Protectors step into situations that the leaders or others can't get under control. Protectors try to reason with members, and if after an ample amount of time and warnings, booting a member if needed.
Community Supervisor is in charge of helping, training, and moderating the guides, recommending promotions, as well as assisting the leaders. They are protectors or leaders who have been promoted to this leadership position. They have the same roles as the leaders and guides, but with these added responsibilities. They also work closely with the protectors and Community Moderators.
Community Moderator was created in tandem with the growing amount of members joining the community. In addition to being protectors, community moderators are there to assist everyone. They help guides, leaders, and protectors with any problems or complaints they may have, and act as a main pipeline to the higher staff. They also help with members' complaints and problems. This position has all but been replaced by the Staff Moderators.
Staff Moderators are a special staff position created to ensure a better staff involvement with in-world issues. They oversee and assist the duties of both the Community Moderators and Supervisors, therefore assisting with the oversight of this branch of volunteers. They also provide a conduit between volunteers/members and higher staff as well as handle any in-world issues that need attention.
Press
- The New Amsterdam: An Interview with Utherverse CEO, Brian Shuster
- RLC in the LA Times
- RLC Gay Marriage On Eyebeam
- Free Pot? High Times Story on RLC
- The Irresistible Rise Of Cybersex on NewScientistTech.com
- Wired Red Light Center Exposed
- Wired.com article
- PCMag article
External links
- Red Light Center
- Utherverse
- Uthernews user Magazine
- Red Light Social Center Forum – Official forum