Portraits of SL Assholes, Special MGG2SL Edition

Apparently I'm inspired to get off my ass and write since my induction to MGG2SL. And I must say, It brings me great pleasure to introduce you to one of my favorite-to-produce blogging features, Portraits of SL Assholes. Today's topic? Asshole Ghettopreneurs Who Spam Designer Groups in order to Promote Their Very Low Quality Garbage. It's a mouthful, I know. But here's the deal.

I recently got hooked on freebie surfing, and joined a number of my favorite designers' groups so I could score some holiday cheer. And wow what a haul this season - especially in the skins category. I know you're following the free skin frenzy, I won't blog it here. But it never fails, does it? Some asshole must capitalize on the attention of the good guys who are giving away quality stuff. So, today SL Asshole of the Moment spams a designer group with the following:

[13:28] Asshole: beautifull skin + 4 make-up + 1 shape to 499 L here http://slurl.com/secondlife/Asshole Island/..... and skins from 50 L (only creation not fullperm !)

Now, given the quality of the text alone you knew it was a scam. I can smell an SL asshole from 10 sims away, so of course I opportunistically TP'd to the scene immediately and found bedlam.

All kindsa pissed off folks standing around, not rezzing, hair up the ass, every manner of catastrophe known to vanity. That and the fact, of course, that the store is filled with tacky garbage that even the newest noobs should steer clear of.

The group IMs continued in a flurry (all chat transcripts edited for conciseness and humor, read at your own risk:)
[13:31] Random Av: Is that [designer's name here] skin?????
[13:35] Designer Group Rep: No it is not and that person has now been ejected.
[13:37] Another Random Av: what is it ?
[13:38] And Another Random Av: I think its a spam
[13:39] Random French-speaking Av: mdr les skins sont horribles
[13:40] Random Av: ow ok:)
[13:41] Random French-speaking Av: beurkkkkkk

I couldn't agree more. Meanwhile, at the shop in question, the following ensues:

[13:35] Myg: this store sickens me
[13:35] Different Random Av: what is this?
[13:35] Myg: it's shit, that's what
[13:35] Another Different Random Av: this shop is crqp
[13:35] Another Different Random Av:: crap
[13:36] Myg: way to abuse another designers group to promote your own low quality shit
[13:37] Myg: say cheese
[13:37] Designer Group Rep: Well you have been ejected from the group, you don't go around spamming your products on other peoples groups. It's unethical.
[13:39] Myg: can everybody pose here close to [SL Asshole in question's name] like we're about to group stone her please?
[13:39] Totally Different Av: lol
[13:42] Totally Different Av: place is a train wreck
[13:42] Totally Different Av: ;/
[13:42] Myg: sheesh old enough to know better - your in SL almost a year and pulling that kinda bullshit?
[13:42] Myg: for shame

Mind you, the asshole in question didn't respond, not a word, gesture, tp out, nothing at all, not to any of us. She was doing stuff, but ignoring the whole scene. Smarter than I would normally give credit for, I am sure. But that doesn't make her (him, most likely - see AWNM, type 3 would be my guess) any less an Asshole for trolling the designer's group in such a way.

Myg out.

Wanna Come to My Shop lol!11!

These days its getting more and more rare that I go out shopping for things that I don't already plan on buying. With the influx of more fashion blogs than you can shake a prim at, I don't even have to log in to know if I want to buy anything. Today though was a rare exception.

For months now I've been wearing the same skin. I can't help it, its the best colored skin I've seen in SL and until Naughty Designs puts out a purple skin that I simply must have, I refuse to take it off! Anyway - so I got a wild hair and thought I'd go skin browsing. I had a few extra Lindens so why not? I was loading up with demos when a guy walks up and strikes up a conversation. I'm not a total bitch so I say hi back.

Meet Random Guy:



Random Guy: Hello there. I see you like boots and clothes.

Me: Hi. And yes, I do for the most part.

Random Guy: I have a shop you would like. And there are lots of purple items

(see now he's toying with me. I normally don't pay attention to advertisements while I'm already shopping somewhere I like .. but he said "purple")

Me: Is that so?

Random Guy: Yes. I will give you a landmark, ok?

Me: Alright. I'll drop in and check it out when I'm finished here.

Random Guy: Sounds good! Do you wear jewelry at all?

Me: The tiny bit of jewelry I wear is either made by a friend of mine - or a few cute accessories here and there like the baby seal ring I have on.

Random Guy: Ok. There is jewelry there too - but I think you would be most interested in the boots.

Random Guy: Bling on.

(see right here I should have turned and ran - but I didn't. Why?! Why didn't I just go about my shopping?!)

Me: Tell me there aren't bling scripts in the boots.

Random Guy: No, they don't bling.

So I go to the shop, only to find out that he's promoting his partner's things. Not a huge shocker, but I really should have paid more attention to his profile. For one he's only about 4 months into SL. At any rate against my better judgement I teleported to the landmark he gave me. I didn't even have to wait for everything to rez to know that this was not my kind of shop. Who's kind of shop is it? Well its the kind of shop that most of us opened up when we first learned how to do anything and all our friends were like "omg that's so awesome" when it probably really wasn't (god I was such a victim of that).

I have titled this picture "Go to Jail - Go Directly to Jail - Do NOT Pass Go!" Anyway - that was one of the outfits there - but the rest looked a lot like it. Once I saw that outfit I said to myself 'Ahh they're just starting out with designing' but then he made a fatal mistake:

Random Guy: So what do you think?

Me: You want an honest answer - cuz if you ask me that .. that's what you're going to get.

Random Guy: Of course I want honesty!

Me: Well for one if you are going to advertise your store to people who are already shopping in a kick ass store - be sure the stuff you are taking their attention from is better than what they are looking at.

Random Guy: I see. Anything else?

Me: I mean, its not a bad start - I think everyone started out the same way if they didn't know anything so just keep practicing :D I'm sure there are plenty of people who would buy these things because they are cheap - but they are definitely not my cup of tea.

Random Guy: and for boots?

Random Guy: didn't you like the effect?

Me: Well the texture rotation script is really unnecessary. Even if you have an 'off' option the script is still running while the boot is attached. I see boots with that same type of style all the time and that's not really my bag either. I just think they are over the top. I mean twisty turny lightening bolts? Why not spend the time it took to drop in a texture and a script in photoshop and make a good detailed, shaded texture to put ON the boots so folks will buy them for more than just to laugh at while at some color event?

Random Guy: ok thanks

Random Guy: bye bye

Random Guy: i hope you don't want burn my shop

Random Guy: lololol

Random Guy: thanks for coming

Random Guy: lolol

Me: You did ask for my honest opinion. I would seriously not advertise a store inside a store that has awesome stuff unless you really think your stuff is better. I mean .. c'mon.

Random Guy: I understand. Good thing my stuff is better.

Me: Are you serious?! Your stuff is better than the stuff at Naughty Designs ... oookay.



-- He didn't answer.

This experience only lead to the support of my original policy "When shopping in a store you like - don't talk to strangers." And especially strangers who's first few words are "Bling On."