Say it ain't so....

Slow farking week in bloglines, I say. Okay pop quiz peeps... Any one else sick of the same outfits re-textured, re-released & deemed *NEWNESS*? Yah, I am too. With the whole new fad of "no transfer" and rights of moddage, I could tint outfits iffin I really wanted to & call them newness without spending one more bought hard earned Linden. Oh yesh, yesh I could. So in RL my favorite store in the entire world is Old Navy! Thrifty stylishness for the jeans & tee girl on the go. Why not more casualness that's edgy AND comfortable? Such a thing? I believe there is. If I could design as well as I could run my mouth, I'd be all over it like flies on shit. Here's your challenge you talented peeps... Bring it!

The bemused ramblings of a disgruntled bunny.

Like most of us I view each SL update with a certain amount of trepidation, although I was quite pleased overall with this one (although I reckons the Lag Meter is rigged to tell you that your network or pooter is the cack one while the servers do their work diligently in a shiny gleaming clever sort of way). Until my minimap went weird that is.

Ok so it's not weird, but now it shows anyone in my vicinity who is on my friends list as yellow. Now I'm sure a lot of you were quite pleased at this, no more "Which one of the 300 green blobs in ETD are you?" "I'm the one that's walking around the side" "Which side?" "The right side" Your right or my right?" and you get the picture. But NO! It's not good, it is a catastrophe of epic proportions (ok so I'm not that shallow, but it is irksome enough for blogging).

Imagine the scene, you're happily scampering around the shops when you espy a yellow dot. "OOooo" you think, and camera over to take a look. Only to be greeted by the vision of ZACHLeroy359 Oh. and then you think, well who the fuck is that? Why are they on my friends list? Oh dear god has some deranged blingtard stolen my account and has been slutting it up with her equally retarded boyfriend?




You will think like this for several minutes, rifle your inventory for all traces of the word bling, and satisfied your tiny mind that your av has not been hijacked. Which then leads to the horrific truth that at some point in your life, you added this person YOURSELF!

Terrible no?

Well maybe not, but how about if that person is someone who was bugging the hell out of you with constant IM's, sending you completely random pictures of themselves sitting on a penguin and generally making it so you have to hide your online status from them. Well that's fine, you can do a quick runner can't you? But what if they've already seen you? What if they realise you've been blanking them? Then you have two options.

The Bitch Route: "What are you talking about I swear I cancelled my card with you?

The Nice route: Damn SL is rubbish, quick IM me and I bet I pop up

One makes you look bad the other means you have to be nice to this clingy needy freak.

So yes, minimap bad. Change it back please.

Danke.

It's.....

We've all seen one, that person who you catch a glimpse of on your mysti tool and gone "ZOMG it's like HER!!!" to yourself. Well stop with the sycophancy and get your arse certifiably famous.

First of all fame needs a name, and in SL it's easy. Things to remember.

DON'T put stupid numbers in your name. Anyone remember Rebecca1976 Bergman? No.

DON'T, for the love of god, call yourself after anyone already famous. That's just silly.

DO make it memorable, being a household name is easier if people can remember it.



Place's to be seen and not to be seen.

Do hang around in pricey classy shops. Better yet, if the owner of the shop is there, strike up a conversation, tell them briefly (make sure no one is around) that you adore their stuff. Then witter on about badgers and the price of cheese for as long as possible. Anyone else arriving at the shop will be awestruck to see you on such pally terms with their designing god/goddess. Also after the event you can say to folks "Oh well yes, I was talking to earlier, she's releasing a new set of shoes which she gave to me but OBVIOUSLY I can't show you because it's a secret."

DON'T hang around the welcome area. Newbies will not care who you are.

DO go to the opening of an envelope. Wear something fabulous and say something witty. Try to appear like you're a friend of the other famous people there.


Dealing with the Press.

I generally find that the press are a funny bunch, but there is no such thing as BAD PRESS! Got caught on your hands and knees in Hard Alley? Simply release a heartfelt statement of regret, or you can declare that you're having a nervous breakdown. Old porn film surfaced on some bitching blog, laugh it off, you were young, precocious, got in with the wrong crowd/partner. It's all good baby.
Of course there are members of the press fraternity who's sole aim in life is to make you look bad. Laugh it off, smile and say you thought their post was hilarious. Keep telling yourself "They only say it because they want to be me".


No press at all? Make your own. An alt is an excellent way to start rumours about yourself. The more contraversial, the better.


What to wear and more importantly what not to wear.

DON'T wear bling. Ever.

DO wear the latest things. Scour the forums (forget the blogs, if someone has already blogged it, it's not new).

DON'T answer questions about where you got an item you were wearing in IM's. You have to show the world that people adore your style.

DO be different. Turn up to a product launch in casual clothes/nakie/clothes made by another designer. You know your a sycophant, but no one else needs to.



Other points to note.

DO change your partner frequently, a blanketing silence over the end of a relationship is a sure fire way to get tongues wagging. This will also help covering up more embarrassing rumours about your person, blame it on the ex.

Less is more only with clothes darling, you need to be seen everywhere!

With that in mind DO start a blog, or better still. Join someone elses already well established blog.

DO things for charidee, not only do you get a warm snuggly feeling but you will instantly appear generous in the eyes of your public (WARNING: Do not give to charity after a scandal. It will make you appear fickle)

DO keep your old friends, you never know what secrets they may divulge, however dropping them can be useful for creating press if neccessary.

Stick to these guidelines and within weeks you shall find yourself laughing it up with the A-list and being bitched about on the forums.

Congratulations!

SL Racism

"I don't care if you're black, white, purple or green!" I'm sure everyone has heard this in some shape or form in their lives (or SLives) -- but how true is it?

IRL you can't be purple or green, but in SL you can ... but so few are. As a colored avatar with a taste for wacky fashion - I've found that racism in SL is very cut and dry. I won't even bring a RL spin on it because that's a whole post in itself (ie the lack of realistic black skins beyond just being what I would consider a dark 'California' tan) and instead I'll only address what I'm familiar with.

So many folks have said that they dress their avatars in ways they wouldn't dress themselves IRL. I totally understand. Lots of folks say they choose not to be their 'RL' self because that would be boring to them, and I can kinda see that too. But seriously, does dressing your avatar like Audrey Hepburn in Breakfast At Tiffany's really give you that aire of individuality and excitement you're seeking? Is that really how you wish you could look?

I understand that if you run a business there are certain social stigmas (for lack of a better word) that go along with that responsibility. Somehow it isn't viewed as 'acceptable' to dress yourself as a seven foot tall Moogle who farts colorful stars (if someone makes that av I gotta have one!) if you plan to have any respect when it comes to customer interaction. The fact of the matter is: in SL you are judged on how you look - down to what color your skin is.

People say "I love my friends for who they are!" but nine times out of ten their friends just look like clones of the person who said that. Its completely understandable that you get in where you fit in (haha!) and people will choose who they want to talk to based up on appearance because hey - if they look like you they probably like the same stuff you do, right?

When will things move beyond appearances? When will it not matter if you have the hottest new skin/hair and matter more on the content of potential conversation? In a social MMO platform such as Second Life - I would think that people would be more socially minded and not so .. well .. small minded.

My avatar is purple. Purple hair, dorky t shirts, knee high socks, tennis shoes, and purple skin. I like how she looks. She's interesting, and in my opinion engaging. But there's a problem: no one else does. Okay so it isn't really a problem because I'm really not into the social scene much these days - but I was once upon a time! Even now I find myself roaming about just to see if there's any good conversation to be had. There really is more to SL than shopping and looped dances.

Over the past year I've done a bit of what I'd call an experiment. I found a couple 'normal' skins that I like to accompany the purple skins that I feel are really 'me'. When I wanted to make a 'quick' friend, I'd wear a normal skin and try to make my outfit match before I visited somewhere. People came up to me to talk, even though the conversation was 'petty'. You know "Wow I love your shoes where'd you get em?" or "Oooh that's a really cool shirt, who made it?" That kind of thing. But I always get the opposite reaction when I'm purple.

I can visit the same sim in 'my' kind of dress and not a soul will talk to me. When this happens I take innitiative. I start out with a simple 'Hi' usually ... which generates little to no response. Oooh back away I'm purple! It might be *gulp* contagious!

As I said earlier, I understand the 'business' end of having to look 'normal'. I've been operating a video business in SL for almost three years now (with the help of my husband Keith/Bebop Vox) and though its always seemed to be okay for HIM to look like a cyborg - I get shoddy treatment from clients when I'm in my purple skin. But once I slap on a CS or ND skin - all is right as rain! Its funny, but at the same time very very sad.

Why is it funny? Its funny to me because I know that the individuals who judge in such a way are in no position to do so. Even if you're a multi millionaire - you have no right to judge another person. Another thing that makes it funny is that big DUH factor of it just being an avatar. But it makes me wonder .. if these people have such a small tolerance for a deviation from the 'norm' here in SL .. what are they like IRL? And suddenly that's when it isn't funny anymore. They really are just being racist because I'm not whatever color they are (which ranges from redhead pale to Tom Jones Tan).

Many people have said "Oh don't be silly! There's no racism in SL!" Then I ask "Why are there so few skin makers that cater to anyone of color (ANY COLOR besides white, tan, and Christmas Turkey Skin). Why am I treated differently when I wear a skin made by Starley or Ambyance than when I wear my beloved Wysteria skin by Munchflower if there is no racism? Since there is no racism then every skin maker should have a rainbow of skin colors - or even have an actual black skin.

I've just come to the conclusion that content creation isn't about creativity at all - its about money. Content creators don't make things that make them happy .. they make things that the droning masses will buy. Sally Skinmaker doesn't care what color you WANT to be, she cares about what color you'll buy when you have a limited choice.

SLunchtime Poll Results - Last Week (Work)

Quadgate o7'

Hai Guise!! Okay, so this whole quad thing has really been a bit of a whirlwind for me personally. I have to admit that I had a few reservations going into the post, which caused me to delay posting it for several days even though it was something that I felt needed to be addressed. I had been discussing it with many of my close friends, and everyone had split decisions on whether we should take on the issue or not. The biggest fear being that we would somehow bring more hurt or pain to someone who could potentially be hurting from something serious that went wrong in RL. I won't speculate as to what the issue could be, but the thinking is that it must be something serious to illicit such a strong response as to shut down four major retailers. In the end, I felt that the post I wrote in no way belittled anyone or put any added pressure to disclose anything personal or private. It was meant to only address a topic that was widely being discussed, which is how bizarre it is to have the Quad closing doors in unison with little or no explanation. I focused on the business aspects of it. For sure, they have every right to do whatever they feel is in their best interests, but I do think that we of the blogging community have a right to comment on the actions we observe in others as long as we are honest and not intentionally causing harm.

To make a long story short, this is how I came to publish the post which I had begun writing almost a week prior. I was immediately contacted to remove the post due to the serious, personal, and private nature of the subject matter. I will admit that given the reservations that I had going in, this caused me a moment of panic, and I removed the post to conform to their wishes.

In hindsight, and after reviewing my post, I do not feel that anything I said was hurtful or causes any additional damage to any of the affected parties. I am still totally in the dark as to what the issue is, as much as most of the rest of you. Everything, I addressed was/is open knowledge and being openly discussed amongst everyone who regularly shops the quad already, and I was just giving a public voice to the comments. In the absence of information, rumors and hearsay are bound to run rampant, and I am not adding to that mix by offering speculation.

I hope I have not overly disappointed any of the MG readers, with my sudden case of nerves about writing a post that some of my favorite people do not want to see published. I removed it in a moment of reaction, but I am now reposting it in it's entirety as I feel that I did cave into pressure that I should not have conceded to. One change I am making out of respect to the Quad is to disallow any anonymous posts, to keep random people from trying to fuel the controversy by making unsolicited speculation that is not backed up by facts or the name of the individual making the comment.

I am sure that some will disagree with my decision to repost, much as some disagreed with my decision to post it in the first place. In the end, I have to do what I think is right, and in my heart, mind, and soul after reflecting on it for a day, I truly believe that I owe it to our MG readers to continue to cover issues we believe are of interest to each and every one of you.

-Original Post-
Hai, meet me, I procrastinate. So what? Tenshi posed the question, why haven't more of you? We've been questioning it for days. So the fab four of the Quad (Last Call, Celestial Studios, ETD, & Canimal) have decided for "RL reasons" to close their sims for an undetermined amount of time and because their personal posts all said the same, ending with "Please respect our decision" no one has touched it, really.

Though I do respect their decision & hope all is well, something must be said about the way it was handled. I would hate to make anything worse for them but at the same time feel there must be an explanation to making a decision that would affect SL as well as their own RL financial situations.

Last Call put out the awesome Halloween costume release, and even collaborated with Celestial Studios on the limited Halloween release. Yet neither were open for Halloween. Why close the entire quad instead of just announcing that there would be no customer service at this time? This has caused a lot of speculation, rumors, and goss to be whispered among the masses, but with no real definite reasonings other than "RL".

What is the most surprising to me is the way in which the wishes of the Quad have been carried out without comment from the hosts of bloggers out there both fashion oriented and others looking to scoop a big story. I mean think for a minute if something of this magnitude happened in the "RL" as those nonbelievers like to call it. "Attention, shoppers we will be closing down Neiman Marcus, Macy's, JC Penney's, and Hot Topic for a few days. Please respect our wishes."

I mean OMG, there would be reporters and news stories and tons and tons of speculations, and it would make huge shockwaves through the retail and domestic economy. I am not sure that volume wise the Quad compares in proportion, but oh gosh, they are huge. I mean I spend a high proportion of my L's there. It seems like it would have been a lot cleaner to just keep the stores open, and not offer any customer service because this would not create any huge ripples, but only minor inconveniences. It is equally parts amazing that they shut down and that all of SL is keeping totally mum about it.

Again, I hope nothing majorly wrong has happened with anyone's RL situation to cause this catastrophe. I am not poking fun or taking issue with the fact they closed down to deal with their "mysterious" situation. I am however, flabbergasted at the lack of coverage it has received and also surprised at the choice to shut down stores without explanation, rather than to limit services or else offer an explanation on the need of everybody to band together.

The rape of the stepford.

**disclaimer** This post will have little or no structure, probably will make sense to no one (not even me) but sadly my ADHD means that if I try to make it make sense, the post won't get made.

Todays thoughts were started by an article I read recently from the SL Herald. For those of you too lazy to click it's basically the tale of one woman getting 'assaulted' and 'killed' by a random griefer in front of her kids. Sounds terrible, no?

Oh how she must of suffered, the outrageous trauma of being stunned into such fear that she was unable even to click the little X. Hmm...

Anyways, you don't need me to go over thoughts on how utterly retarded this is, you can read the comments in the article. However I was rather intrigued so I set off to the sim in which this 'atrocity' occured in, and oh to my surprise it was the brainwashing camp of the stepford.

I've had a long and interesting relationship with stepfords. They lurk in droves outside the school at 9am. Hair all shiny and perfectly in place. Make up that perfect tone of 'I've spent three hours putting two tonnes of slap on to make me look like a natural beauty'. Their children also have shiny hair and have probably had some delicious breakfast with extra vitamins and been wrapped up snugly in fresh cleanly ironed clothes in order to be able to brave the harsh interior of their bicyclist and environment killing range rover. *takes deep breath*

Then there's me, hair looking like I lick plug sockets for a living, if there is any make up it's a residue of the previous nights activities (thus revealing raging hangover). Obscure stains on clothing, slobbing around and growling at everyone. Children have been fed toast, perhaps with jam. Which is still on their chins.

You can see how we don't get on.

Now I've often worried that I may come across a bit stepford in SL, I mean my hairs nice, unless I'm doing the gritty thing my clothes look clean and I generally look, together. Until I found this place. It's one of those freakish communities where people go dancing, and pop into each others houses. When they know who'll be online and so forth. I bet they even have village hall meetings, and a village hall to meet in. Of course now the herald article all makes sense. I very much doubt any of these people actually leave their sim. They loiter around in there poofy dresses (pink and white with apples on, natch) and their suits and talk about kittens and cystitis. They all wear underwear and think riding crops are for horses.

Maybe they're all stepfords in RL, maybe they came into SL, took one look at all the free sex, nudity, dog fucking, goreans and headed for the hills. If this is the right answer, then they should turn off public access and continue in their lil' bubble.

Or maybe they're all like me? Sat at their pooters scratching the dirt off their monitors and eating noodle sandwiches. Pretending that they're all together and wonderful and upstanding pillars of the community.

I didn't stay that long, so who knows, they might shag each other senseless with jagged prims the minute I left but I doubt it.

My final thought is this. Maybe they're all weird and deranged but they are obviously the best roleplayers in the whole of the metaverse. To take such interaction of a pretty standard scene in rp circles and make it create such an impact is a skill I can't even contemplate pulling off.

Therapy anyone?