Jung points out in his writings how the Unconscious is older than consciousness. We start life, both as an individual, and as a species, in a state of unconsciousness unlimited by the constraints of our individuality and, therefore, more 'in tune' with our surroundings and each other. Like an animal lives in harmony with the rest of it's ecosystem we started our species development united rather than separated from the rest of life.
Our Unconscious is older and also 'wiser' than our intellect, a fact that we acknowledge when we talk of the heart being a wiser organ than the brain.
The reason I stated in an NPIRL post last year that Jung would have loved SL is because he saw the main task of a person to work towards a synthesis of their unconscious and conscious selves. He thought that all psychic activity is directed towards that goal whether we are aware of it or not.
A method to enhance this process which he proposed to a few of his clients was that of Active Imagination. Basically you take a glimpse of your psychic content, like an image from one of your dreams, and paint it in RL, going back to it and repainting the painting. If you continue this process the image starts to develop beyond a glimpse into a more substantial 'story'. This, a co-operative effort between your unconscious and conscious mind, will reveal insights into your path which you didn't necessarily understand from your initial glimpse (dream image).
Bear with me...
SL, and your avatar, in particular, fulfils all these requirements. Your work on your avatar is much more than a game, a waste of time or a retreat from RL, it is pure therapy. It is leading you and me on the path of Individuation as Jung calls it.
"Individuation is the process through which a person becomes his/her 'true self'. Hence it is the process whereby the innate elements of personality; the different experiences of a person's life and the different aspects and components of the immature psyche become integrated over time into a well-functioning whole. Individuation might thus be summarised as the stabilizing of the personality."..[wikipedia]
Now, Nightflower in her wonderful comment in yesterdays discussion on RL/SL 'conflict' gives voice to a feeling which many people share, namely that her avatar is more than just a cartoon figure but something mythological and supernatural. Jung would love that, for, she is.
She, the avatar, shares in the collective unconscious in the same way that Myths, the I Ching, and fairytales do. She is goddess, muse, oracle, inspiration and intuition, and, as I said yesterday she points out to us, like a guide, repressed content which is forgotten but still growing, unrequited, like a lonely ghost in our psyche.
She is also an Immortal.
The steps we take and the digital imprint we leave will endure, for like any pioneers our journeys will be retold by future generations when our fumbling steps will be retraced and used by the wise as illustration for the young.
We are future myth.
Jung really would love SL.
:))
Monday, 30 August 2010
Sunday, 29 August 2010
RL Relationships to SL Addiction
I recently read this post on NWN about Nightflower who has returned to SL after first giving up her avatar in the hope of appeasing her RL partner. The logic, if that is the right word, that was used at the time went something like this... in leaving her second life she would unite the two parts of herself that SL had split.
As I have taken several previous opportunities to denounce the illusory myth of the Integrated Personality, it may be unneccessary to do so here. Suffice it to say that Nightfire's delusion that SL split her personality and therefore leaving SL would make her whole is not an uncommon idea as I heard it several times in the spring of 2009.
The other equally annoying concept of an 'addiction' to SL also drove me to mini rants (e.g. here) where I point out that blaming a medium for your behaviour is like saying " the phone made me act like this"..... nuts.
Now we have all at some time or another experienced, or heard of people who have had their circle of friends criticised by their RL partner. Giving up contact with a group or individual people in order to secure a relationship with another is clearly nonsense ... a slippery slope which only a sickly relationship would demand. If there is not room for a hobby and a circle of friends in your life that is not shared with your partner, then maybe there should be.
For one person to demand that the other give up using, say, the phone as it is destroying their lives is clearly rubbish, why would SL be any different?
One sentence which Nightflower uses needs particular examination.. "I leave to give my husband the secret part of myself that I've been withholding for so long."....The reason this sets off bells ringing in my head is simply because this secret part of ourselves we have been withholding from ourselves all our lives. The repressed content of our psyches becomes manifest through viewing our psyche in the Third Person. Playing out this role is pure therapy, and it is a therapy no-one should ask us to give up, and if they do, we should ask why this is being asked of us, rather than agreeing we have an 'addiction'.
If you find yourself in a dream in bed with a film star or a football team do you wake in the morning full of guilt and vowing never to sleep again?.. Ok... you will say, but I was unconscious and my unconscious is autonomous, therefore I am guiltless.... but an avatar is not fully conscious either (or your RL personna) and for the unconscious to lead you into rubbing pixels with someone points to repressed content which it would be more helpful to examine and question rather than blaming the medium that brought you together. You can't blame a Hotel chain if you exchange bodily fluids in one of their rooms, and you can't blame SL for a much more sanitary interaction online.
Guilt and shame are a part of the process of self discovery ....".. traditionally (in Western esoteric writings at least) fear and shame are the two Guardians. They are known as The Lesser Guardian of the Threshold (shame) and The Greater Guardian of the Threshold (fear) and the Threshold they guard is the one between normal consciousness and "The Spiritual World".... (that is to say in normal language that lack of self respect and anxiety hold us back from achieving our full potential.)
Their job is to allow no-one to enter a higher realm (consciousness for example) until they have been prepared as an acolyte (esoteric student) to such a degree that the revelations that ensue will be understandable/tolerable to the individual. Now this is all allegorical.... but has an archetypal stature which is worth talking about. We all share archetypes, they are the foundation stones of our psyche." (from a post about appearance).
I would like to thank Nightflower for her very personal account, her thinking is not uncommon and it is because of her honest writing that I have used her as an example, not because I think it was incorrect for her to follow her heart as she did. We all do what we think is best at the time.
I wanted simply to expose some very common misunderstandings that exist as virtual world myths.
This is my hobby, these are my friends, and they are a part of me. "Love me, love my dog/avatar".
:))
As I have taken several previous opportunities to denounce the illusory myth of the Integrated Personality, it may be unneccessary to do so here. Suffice it to say that Nightfire's delusion that SL split her personality and therefore leaving SL would make her whole is not an uncommon idea as I heard it several times in the spring of 2009.
The other equally annoying concept of an 'addiction' to SL also drove me to mini rants (e.g. here) where I point out that blaming a medium for your behaviour is like saying " the phone made me act like this"..... nuts.
Now we have all at some time or another experienced, or heard of people who have had their circle of friends criticised by their RL partner. Giving up contact with a group or individual people in order to secure a relationship with another is clearly nonsense ... a slippery slope which only a sickly relationship would demand. If there is not room for a hobby and a circle of friends in your life that is not shared with your partner, then maybe there should be.
For one person to demand that the other give up using, say, the phone as it is destroying their lives is clearly rubbish, why would SL be any different?
One sentence which Nightflower uses needs particular examination.. "I leave to give my husband the secret part of myself that I've been withholding for so long."....The reason this sets off bells ringing in my head is simply because this secret part of ourselves we have been withholding from ourselves all our lives. The repressed content of our psyches becomes manifest through viewing our psyche in the Third Person. Playing out this role is pure therapy, and it is a therapy no-one should ask us to give up, and if they do, we should ask why this is being asked of us, rather than agreeing we have an 'addiction'.
If you find yourself in a dream in bed with a film star or a football team do you wake in the morning full of guilt and vowing never to sleep again?.. Ok... you will say, but I was unconscious and my unconscious is autonomous, therefore I am guiltless.... but an avatar is not fully conscious either (or your RL personna) and for the unconscious to lead you into rubbing pixels with someone points to repressed content which it would be more helpful to examine and question rather than blaming the medium that brought you together. You can't blame a Hotel chain if you exchange bodily fluids in one of their rooms, and you can't blame SL for a much more sanitary interaction online.
Guilt and shame are a part of the process of self discovery ....".. traditionally (in Western esoteric writings at least) fear and shame are the two Guardians. They are known as The Lesser Guardian of the Threshold (shame) and The Greater Guardian of the Threshold (fear) and the Threshold they guard is the one between normal consciousness and "The Spiritual World".... (that is to say in normal language that lack of self respect and anxiety hold us back from achieving our full potential.)
Their job is to allow no-one to enter a higher realm (consciousness for example) until they have been prepared as an acolyte (esoteric student) to such a degree that the revelations that ensue will be understandable/tolerable to the individual. Now this is all allegorical.... but has an archetypal stature which is worth talking about. We all share archetypes, they are the foundation stones of our psyche." (from a post about appearance).
I would like to thank Nightflower for her very personal account, her thinking is not uncommon and it is because of her honest writing that I have used her as an example, not because I think it was incorrect for her to follow her heart as she did. We all do what we think is best at the time.
I wanted simply to expose some very common misunderstandings that exist as virtual world myths.
This is my hobby, these are my friends, and they are a part of me. "Love me, love my dog/avatar".
:))
Saturday, 28 August 2010
Stuff
Well, there's been a number of things I missed this week and no doubt some of you have too. So, instead of tearing my hair out at IBM, I thought I would take a break and do a little Round-Up Of Stuff.
The biggest piece of news this week was the attack on InWorldz by some fool who thinks it's clever to break stuff. Miso has voiced my opinions on the saga here.. saying."... hey botnet feebs: attacking Inworldz is like running over a kitten in a Cadillac; no skillz need apply. You want me to admire yer dastardly ch0pz? Hack mil.net or something really hard. Until then, yer small potatos. Any monkey or toddler can break a thing."
...and, like her, I think it is InWorldz who come out of the crap smelling of roses. I was able to get news of the repair job on Twitter as well as the forum, unlike the Boys who tell you what has happened after it's been fixed. Interestingly enough, or, maybe obviously, people who were inconvenienced were patient and understanding... again....it's about customer support...(last post)...
....which leads me on to the new reduced service that LL (who is not in any financial trouble) has decided would be good for their business. You can read about it here..... and cry...
On the lists of everyones top 200 things "What I Would Most Like the Lab to Do Next" I would bet good money that no-one has thought like the Boys. The Next Offering...is.... a newsletter.... cringe...
Sandbox, it is to be called, and let's hope I am the first, not the last, to mention cat litter in the same sentence.
I could say a lot more about this, but I am trying, very hard, not to be 'down' on it before it comes out....tho....the idea that the Boys can do blogging better than the extremely good bloggers out there already seems extremely unlikely.... I would prefer if they did Support rather than Spin....
Accentuate the positive, soror!!...ahhh...OK...
Chantal has some great news... Peter Greenaway seems to be getting more and more involved with Machinima and is to be a judge in the upcoming competition. This sort of support from a credible film-maker is a real boost for the art.
..and.. Playlen Fairchild had an interview last night which I unfortunately missed...hasn't been fully blogged yet, unfortunately...and, it struck me that some may not have seen The Funniest Thing to have come out of SL, namely her machinima ...if you've seen it before...it will brighten up your Saturday, if not......
well...have a great weekend...I'll go back to tearing my hair out...
:))
The biggest piece of news this week was the attack on InWorldz by some fool who thinks it's clever to break stuff. Miso has voiced my opinions on the saga here.. saying."... hey botnet feebs: attacking Inworldz is like running over a kitten in a Cadillac; no skillz need apply. You want me to admire yer dastardly ch0pz? Hack mil.net or something really hard. Until then, yer small potatos. Any monkey or toddler can break a thing."
...and, like her, I think it is InWorldz who come out of the crap smelling of roses. I was able to get news of the repair job on Twitter as well as the forum, unlike the Boys who tell you what has happened after it's been fixed. Interestingly enough, or, maybe obviously, people who were inconvenienced were patient and understanding... again....it's about customer support...(last post)...
....which leads me on to the new reduced service that LL (who is not in any financial trouble) has decided would be good for their business. You can read about it here..... and cry...
On the lists of everyones top 200 things "What I Would Most Like the Lab to Do Next" I would bet good money that no-one has thought like the Boys. The Next Offering...is.... a newsletter.... cringe...
Sandbox, it is to be called, and let's hope I am the first, not the last, to mention cat litter in the same sentence.
I could say a lot more about this, but I am trying, very hard, not to be 'down' on it before it comes out....tho....the idea that the Boys can do blogging better than the extremely good bloggers out there already seems extremely unlikely.... I would prefer if they did Support rather than Spin....
Accentuate the positive, soror!!...ahhh...OK...
Chantal has some great news... Peter Greenaway seems to be getting more and more involved with Machinima and is to be a judge in the upcoming competition. This sort of support from a credible film-maker is a real boost for the art.
..and.. Playlen Fairchild had an interview last night which I unfortunately missed...hasn't been fully blogged yet, unfortunately...and, it struck me that some may not have seen The Funniest Thing to have come out of SL, namely her machinima ...if you've seen it before...it will brighten up your Saturday, if not......
well...have a great weekend...I'll go back to tearing my hair out...
:))
Thursday, 26 August 2010
Customer service and JIRA.
Ravin Draconia needs thanking for taking the time to list the frustrating steps it takes to propose a new feature, or, in her case return to the viewer a lost feature, lost when the new 2.0 viewer was intoduced as a far inferior product to the previous one.
She details her steps here.
I am still unable, and will be for eternity I think, to log on to the forums with Safari as very few browsers are compatible.
The list of things wrong with the forum is detailed by Ravin in her JIRA ...here.. she has listed 20 items which should be fixed.
I can recommend that you take a little time to vote for this JIRA, you have to sign on first ...why would they make it simple??
Now, the whole JIRA system stinks in my opinion.
Any reasonable sized business has a support system. This normally involves sending an email to support @xxx.yyy .. In normal companies, there is then a person, an employee who files, defines, analyses the complaint or issue to make sure it arrives on the right desk of the right person.
This is not rocket science, this is good business practice.
Linden Lab, however, have decided that it is you or I who should do all the work, and, it is a lot of work, so that they don't have to employ so many people on customer service.
Running the JIRA gauntlet is, of course, enough to put most people off. It took me two years to get it together.
This is not, by any calculation, a successful outcome for the Boys. They do NOT gain by having fewer complaints, ideas and suggestions.
Feedback is an ASSET, not a pain in the neck, and making it easy to get feedback should be a priority for any company selling a service.
Philip can stand on any platform and smoothly reassure The Naive that this is a new era, where the Lab is really listening, interested in community.....etc ad nauseum...if JIRA is still a nightmare, if posting comments on the Forum is impossible without downloading a few browsers to see which one works, if SnowStorm is a lie.... well...he is a fool.
...and we are fools to believe anything we get told.
The current formula for success is....PR = SPIN = LIES, and that's a formula that will bury Second Life.
Sort it out Boys!!
:))
She details her steps here.
I am still unable, and will be for eternity I think, to log on to the forums with Safari as very few browsers are compatible.
The list of things wrong with the forum is detailed by Ravin in her JIRA ...here.. she has listed 20 items which should be fixed.
I can recommend that you take a little time to vote for this JIRA, you have to sign on first ...why would they make it simple??
Now, the whole JIRA system stinks in my opinion.
Any reasonable sized business has a support system. This normally involves sending an email to support @xxx.yyy .. In normal companies, there is then a person, an employee who files, defines, analyses the complaint or issue to make sure it arrives on the right desk of the right person.
This is not rocket science, this is good business practice.
Linden Lab, however, have decided that it is you or I who should do all the work, and, it is a lot of work, so that they don't have to employ so many people on customer service.
Running the JIRA gauntlet is, of course, enough to put most people off. It took me two years to get it together.
This is not, by any calculation, a successful outcome for the Boys. They do NOT gain by having fewer complaints, ideas and suggestions.
Feedback is an ASSET, not a pain in the neck, and making it easy to get feedback should be a priority for any company selling a service.
Philip can stand on any platform and smoothly reassure The Naive that this is a new era, where the Lab is really listening, interested in community.....etc ad nauseum...if JIRA is still a nightmare, if posting comments on the Forum is impossible without downloading a few browsers to see which one works, if SnowStorm is a lie.... well...he is a fool.
...and we are fools to believe anything we get told.
The current formula for success is....PR = SPIN = LIES, and that's a formula that will bury Second Life.
Sort it out Boys!!
:))
Wednesday, 25 August 2010
Boobs Fall-Out
Well, Emeraldgate has not gone away, the Boys are thinking of welcoming the Viewer back into the fold under certain conditions. In the name of transparency these conditions were secret....then, the Boys changed their minds, and decided Emerald could tell us about the list..... who cares...I've personally passed thro disinterest into comatose...
Of course, if you can't log in.... then this whole thing may be more important... "In the coming days, some of the older versions of Emerald Viewer may be blocked from logging in at our request, this however will not happen until updated versions are made available on our website." ...so keep up, you Emerald users with the latest....
Boobs, however, are a different matter for many. Wizard Gynoid, who's name figures large reporting the whole debacle, was the Tweeter who came up with this bomb shell. Apparently the Boob Dude, the sole boob coder in Emerald, has left before finishing the job, leaving the project for boobs, hanging..... so those who adopted Emerald for the flexi mammaries may feel 'screwed by Boob Dude.'
Emergence, a new viewer has, well,...emerged as having most of the features Emerald has, but Imprudence seems to be gaining respect.... meanwhile, we are all looking forward to adopting Annoyance, the new V.2.987654132. from the Boys.
Finally, I have been given the keys to the sim at IBM ( C) which I will be transforming into something or another for your delectation ...the working title is, currently, Tree of Trees, now that Glyph has left the (IBM) building...
I'm all set to get my hands dirty and my brain fried...
:)))
Of course, if you can't log in.... then this whole thing may be more important... "In the coming days, some of the older versions of Emerald Viewer may be blocked from logging in at our request, this however will not happen until updated versions are made available on our website." ...so keep up, you Emerald users with the latest....
Boobs, however, are a different matter for many. Wizard Gynoid, who's name figures large reporting the whole debacle, was the Tweeter who came up with this bomb shell. Apparently the Boob Dude, the sole boob coder in Emerald, has left before finishing the job, leaving the project for boobs, hanging..... so those who adopted Emerald for the flexi mammaries may feel 'screwed by Boob Dude.'
Emergence, a new viewer has, well,...emerged as having most of the features Emerald has, but Imprudence seems to be gaining respect.... meanwhile, we are all looking forward to adopting Annoyance, the new V.2.987654132. from the Boys.
Finally, I have been given the keys to the sim at IBM ( C) which I will be transforming into something or another for your delectation ...the working title is, currently, Tree of Trees, now that Glyph has left the (IBM) building...
I'm all set to get my hands dirty and my brain fried...
:)))
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
RL stuff ... a bit of my life
This is Little Cat and he/she is not very well, so a client of mine asked if I would house and cat sit for 10 days while they are in Cambodia, visiting Ankor Wat...
The place is a wildlife haven, deer, badgers, fox, moles all helping to keep me busy...
....unfortunately the broadband connection here is totally crap, so if I stand about like a moron for the next few days, it isn't cos my brain is fried, it's because I am totally lagged...
...just 8 more days and I'll be back to normal.
:)))
The place is a wildlife haven, deer, badgers, fox, moles all helping to keep me busy...
....unfortunately the broadband connection here is totally crap, so if I stand about like a moron for the next few days, it isn't cos my brain is fried, it's because I am totally lagged...
...just 8 more days and I'll be back to normal.
:)))
Monday, 23 August 2010
soror Nishi at UWA.
For those of you that missed my opening at UWA (SLURL) on Sunday....a few snaps...
Great fun was had by all, and I really loved the following song which Eifachfilm Vacirca, the DJ, played ...(the whole set was good)...
Nothing more to say....hehehhehe
:)))
Great fun was had by all, and I really loved the following song which Eifachfilm Vacirca, the DJ, played ...(the whole set was good)...
Nothing more to say....hehehhehe
:)))
Sunday, 22 August 2010
Emeraldgate continues
The ongoing saga of the Emerald teams disagreements continue with news that Fractured Crystal (Display Names.. eat your heart out) has resigned and handed the reins to Arabella (who is also resigning) and if it continues it'll be only ex-Lindens left running the show...
As @Toxicmenges tweeted with great foresight yesterday...."Stick another Ex Linden in the microwave, should be defrosted by the time the next Emerald Drama breaks next week."
Other news is concerning InWorldz.... time to buy that sim.
As of 1st September set up fees will be charged for the island set up, 75$ on top of your first months tier....so...get one now... I did, as you know..and it's the best virtual money I ever spent (apart from some great hair...)...
They have made great strides when it comes to stability and I would think their sudden remarkable growth will need a bit of a serious financial backup... all well deserved.... 11300 users, and 427 sims.. .thats up from 10k and 333 sims just 11 days ago..... can't be bothered to get the calculator out...but thats growth LL would kill for.
As to their credibility...I did write an "in-depth" post a while back for those that missed it.
Keep rocking the boat you guys and girls..
:))
As @Toxicmenges tweeted with great foresight yesterday...."Stick another Ex Linden in the microwave, should be defrosted by the time the next Emerald Drama breaks next week."
Other news is concerning InWorldz.... time to buy that sim.
As of 1st September set up fees will be charged for the island set up, 75$ on top of your first months tier....so...get one now... I did, as you know..and it's the best virtual money I ever spent (apart from some great hair...)...
They have made great strides when it comes to stability and I would think their sudden remarkable growth will need a bit of a serious financial backup... all well deserved.... 11300 users, and 427 sims.. .thats up from 10k and 333 sims just 11 days ago..... can't be bothered to get the calculator out...but thats growth LL would kill for.
As to their credibility...I did write an "in-depth" post a while back for those that missed it.
Keep rocking the boat you guys and girls..
:))
Thoth Jantzen .... a visual extravaganza ....and a garden
Thoth Jantzen...well.... it's a must see.
Thoth has basically stretched the SL medium to the limit. Music and visuals, textures all meshed into an experience you couldn't have in RL.
He has this to say about it...
"“Enjoy the experience! When you arrive, click the "play" button in your media controller, and explore - that's it! We do suggest first trying out the seating pads in the entry area (make sure your media's working, then point and click to get on, then hit ESC two times. When you're done, just click 'stand up' to get off) but there's no real path you must follow - just go where you like! We do suggest you take your time and look around - there's a LOT to see and experience - but you can do it at your own pace in whatever order you wish. And, of course, you're always welcome to return! To enter the main build, just point and click on the portal pool in the centre of the entry area. The name of this build derives from what you get when 'complexity' emerges from 'simplicity' -- I hope its obvious!”
The SLURL is here.
Another preview you might enjoy is this one....I have been asked not to post photos and....I didn't install Viewer 2.0 (recommended for the site) before I went...
The press release is huge so I won't post it all here...
"LPDT2 is the Second Life incarnation of Roy Ascott’s groundbreaking new media art work La Plissure du Texte (“The Pleating of the Text”), created in 1983 and shown in Paris at the Musée de l’Art moderne de la Ville de Paris during that same year.
"LPDT2 will be projected into Real Life in Seoul, Korea during the INDAF new media art festival held at Tomorrow City, Songdo, Incheon, throughout September 2010. The project will also be open to visitors in Second Life during this month, starting from September 1st.
Roy Ascott's project has been co-authored in Second Life by Selavy Oh (programming and architecture), MosMax Hax, aka. Max Moswitzer (architecture and terrain) and Alpha Auer, aka. Elif Ayiter (avatar design). Further associates are Frigg Ragu, aka. Heidi Dahlsveen (avatar animations) and i-DAT from the University of Plymouth, UK (Real Life SMS input). Special thanks go to the University of Applied Fine Arts, Vienna, who have made the project come to life through the provision of their Second Life island for the duration of the show."
The SLURL is here...
I popped over to see a garden planted by one of my customers, as I sometimes do..
...and was very pleasantly surprised. Immm Back is the lady with green fingers who obviously possesses a considerable landscaping skill. Her post-nuclear "Wasteland" is well thought out, planted and has a number of dwellings from containers to shacks.
The lovely Siouxsie Seoung explained that the sim was far from private but home to a community called The Puppettes and they welcomed visitors. SLURL is here.
A huge space craft hovered over the sim..
....containing a mall....I was pressed for time so didn't explore....should go back.
and....I ended the day with some friends Wizzy and Juanita. Turquoise, Astra and Miso also popped in...on soror Nishi Island (InWorldz) where I have used a few more prims...
My show today at UWA is worth a visit too, of course, I am showing most of the pieces I entered to the Imagine Competition over the last 11 months set in a sort of bay.... my dragon is there too....SLURL...
See ya there
:)))
Saturday, 21 August 2010
Lots of Stuff... news, mesh etc.
This is an impromptu house warming party that happened on the first night of my island life in InWorldz....
Wizzy, Aliz, Lalo, Zauber, Ed, Juanita, Loopy, Mouser and Scottius (trouble with lists is you get killed if you miss anyone out....) all popped over after I had made my first mega, well, real mega....I stretched my first 256x256 prim thanks to the Imprudence viewer...
...and we chatted for quite a while...
So...The News...
Well, I have spent far too long ranting about SLCC and the lies and deception that was spouted there...normally called Hype or Spin, and a part of any company's marketing strategy nowadays....so...some of the other issues that have come to light this week may have passed some readers by like Tweets in the Night.... so....for Busy People...the news in brief..
Emerald viewer has lost a lot of trust this week. Seems like rogue elements on the development team have been inserting bits of code. Zauber thinks infighting will wreck the work before the end of the year in spite of Qarl joining them...this by NWN as a response from the Emerald team.....Tweeters are unconvinced that playing down what happened really helps Emeralds case.
Kitty Viewer...by Katherine Berry is based on Viewer 2.0....you have been warned...it will change your appearance back in time to the last time you used Viewer 2.0.
SnowStorm is a load of b*****ks and neither open nor transparent... and snowglobe isn't even up for discussion...(most things aren't.)...good post by Dusan here..... and for those of a geeky disposition...sprint details here...
Imprudence seems to be the most favoured viewer at the moment....and I am using it in InWorldz.
Linden Lab has lost 100 milllion dollars in valuation nearly 30%) according to analysts, and people who know people say the Vulture Capitalists (some) are wanting their money back which is why 30% of the work force was laid off...no other reason.. It seems like the Myth Of 200 Million Users is now dead...thank the gods...
Teen Grid to close dec.31st.
Business enterprise thingy is dead too...
Meshes...well.. they will happen apparently and I have a bit to say on this....surprising as that may be...:)))
Firstly, NWN, has an illustrated description of how meshes will reduce lag....and I find this very annoying...why?...because this is exactly the same argument that could be used for megas. Megas would reduce lag in exactly the same way, well, not exactly, but the principle would be the same, fewer vertices to place.
In reality, Grace has a far better illustration....my point being that far more people would use megas than mesh....so the effect on lag would be considerable.
Dusan has, as usual the most intelligent post on mesh...but, unfortunately he doesn't run LL or we would all be smiling. The idea of being able to colour meshes inworld would really be revolutionary, and the idea of exporting is immensely sane....but, I'm not holding my breath.
On the Hypergid news...Wizzy, that intrepid explorer, has teleported from Reaction Grid to OSGrid carrying her inventory and avatar shape and clothes with her....this is big news and will be the undoing of SL (and InWorldz) if they turn their backs on this. The future looks, to me, like stand alone home-based grids joined up to the Hypergrid so anyone can come visit you, or go shopping (probably not in SL) and bring their goodies home.
Sunday is another day, it's tomorrow..
I have an opening of my build at UWA very early in the morning for all americans. ...5am SLT.... for normal people (hehehehe) its a civilized time.... that's because Quadrapop Lane and I are showing next to each other, with some pieces by Glyph Graves too.
The SLURL is here.
Eifachfilm Vacirca will be DJing and, if you don't make it, drop in later... it's a busy day in SL (and RL for me) so make an early start...
I will fill you in on what you might like to see on Sunday, hopefully later today.... if I get busy.... Thoth and Selavy are the two good ones, I think..
...more later.... /me hopes.
:)))
Friday, 20 August 2010
Thursday, 19 August 2010
soror Nishi Island.
I have just bought an island in InWorldz, called soror Nishi Island.
It was fast, easy and fun.
:))
It was fast, easy and fun.
:))
soror Nishi no longer.
Name is the primary marker of Identity.
My name is now to be changed from soror Nishi..... Linden Lab will change it to soror.nishi.
I have no choice in this matter.
I object very strongly to this change.
Linden Lab will not care how many object to this.
This is about data mining and money, nothing else.
I am more than angry.
soror.nishi
:(
My name is now to be changed from soror Nishi..... Linden Lab will change it to soror.nishi.
I have no choice in this matter.
I object very strongly to this change.
Linden Lab will not care how many object to this.
This is about data mining and money, nothing else.
I am more than angry.
soror.nishi
:(
Wednesday, 18 August 2010
Resident.
All new residents are to have Resident as their last name?
So, if I were to sign up today/soon my name will be...sororNishi Resident.
...details of LSL script changes brought about to accommodate the wonderful Display Name tool for truly expressing your creativity are to be found here.
Now, we will have to see, but from what I read here, all new Residents will be called Resident. As you may expect of course I hate being called a resident, sounds like a long term patient at a mental institution. hmmm...makes you think.... still it's hardly an honorary title is it?
So, the idea is that the user name will be unique (?) and so newbies will not have to tax their brains choosing a second name as that will be Resident. Now, some total fool thinks this will increase retention of newbies....which makes you wonder who is the resident and who is running this asylum.
Wonko the Sane springs to mind quite vividly these days.
The 72 hour time lag between someone changing their Display Name and that Display Name being recognised by scripts etc seems like another perfect tool for griefers to have fun with.
....but I would be mental to keep ranting on about this, its been in secret development for ages, so nothing is gonna stop it.
...ah, Wonko....
:))
So, if I were to sign up today/soon my name will be...sororNishi Resident.
...details of LSL script changes brought about to accommodate the wonderful Display Name tool for truly expressing your creativity are to be found here.
Now, we will have to see, but from what I read here, all new Residents will be called Resident. As you may expect of course I hate being called a resident, sounds like a long term patient at a mental institution. hmmm...makes you think.... still it's hardly an honorary title is it?
So, the idea is that the user name will be unique (?) and so newbies will not have to tax their brains choosing a second name as that will be Resident. Now, some total fool thinks this will increase retention of newbies....which makes you wonder who is the resident and who is running this asylum.
Wonko the Sane springs to mind quite vividly these days.
The 72 hour time lag between someone changing their Display Name and that Display Name being recognised by scripts etc seems like another perfect tool for griefers to have fun with.
....but I would be mental to keep ranting on about this, its been in secret development for ages, so nothing is gonna stop it.
...ah, Wonko....
:))
Tuesday, 17 August 2010
Display Names... another daft idea??
We used to have hovertext, now we are promised Display Names, instead of the ability to chose your avatar name which is what people have apparently asked for.
" I'm excited to tell you more about a new feature that's on the horizon for Second Life. Known as Display Names, it's a project that will not only give Residents the tools to better express themselves, it will also help us grow the population of SL further, making it a richer and more robust social environment for all." Amanda Linden.
Now, a couple of Hype Alerts here...
1) ..tools to better express myself... why is this better than hovertext? and isn't it 'tool' not 'tools'?
2) .. will help us grow the population of SL further.... I don't believe that for one minute... let's ask Chris Pirillo.."oh, display names?.. well I'm definitely coming back to SL..that makes it a great game rather than a lame time waste..."
More misguided drivel....."combining the ability to adopt virtually any name you like in Second Life with the stability of having a persistent underlying identity that lets everyone be sure at all times which avatar they're communicating and transacting with." (lie)
Now, sorry....but if someone calls themselves Soror Nishi, how is a noob to know they aren't talking to Soror Nishi??? Explain...
...and when a griefer called soror Nishi lands in a group of 6 noobs and detonates an atomic freenis....who is gonna get their account frozen "pending investigations"??
This question was asked on the blog...and that nice Amanda Linden suggested we go look at the FAQS...(an empty page)....
...and the last piece of Spin (lies) is that all this has been done "because lots of residents have asked for it"...and the link in this case works back to 28 requests.
Hundreds of people have signed the JIRA for scalable megas..... not 28...
...but it is almost impossible now to post a PJIRA, unless you know how to make a wiki page (LL has made it far more difficult to "have your say", as if it wasn't almost impossible before...)
No...the truth is that this is a silly piece of easily delivered nonsense like Voice Morphing... and, it may be great fun, I have always been impressed by Wizzy's use of floating text, but..... I have this reservation...
I normally turn off all names....I see none of them because the world looks better to me without strange things floating over peoples heads. Radar tells me who I am in the room/sim with and I can always move my cursor over an av to find out who is who.
If Display Names are permanently ON then SL will suddenly look like a dodgy StoopidVille Game. My screen will look ugly with idiot writing all over it. Will they show up on photos?? Who knows.
..and what about lag? Can someone honestly say that 20 avs wearing Display Names is gonna cause less lag? I doubt it.
So, this may be "just Soror moaning again' or...it may be another daft idea of no real import that is an ill-concieved and badly thought-out step nearer to the dumbing down of this world we love so much.
Time will tell.
:))
" I'm excited to tell you more about a new feature that's on the horizon for Second Life. Known as Display Names, it's a project that will not only give Residents the tools to better express themselves, it will also help us grow the population of SL further, making it a richer and more robust social environment for all." Amanda Linden.
Now, a couple of Hype Alerts here...
1) ..tools to better express myself... why is this better than hovertext? and isn't it 'tool' not 'tools'?
2) .. will help us grow the population of SL further.... I don't believe that for one minute... let's ask Chris Pirillo.."oh, display names?.. well I'm definitely coming back to SL..that makes it a great game rather than a lame time waste..."
More misguided drivel....."combining the ability to adopt virtually any name you like in Second Life with the stability of having a persistent underlying identity that lets everyone be sure at all times which avatar they're communicating and transacting with." (lie)
Now, sorry....but if someone calls themselves Soror Nishi, how is a noob to know they aren't talking to Soror Nishi??? Explain...
...and when a griefer called soror Nishi lands in a group of 6 noobs and detonates an atomic freenis....who is gonna get their account frozen "pending investigations"??
This question was asked on the blog...and that nice Amanda Linden suggested we go look at the FAQS...(an empty page)....
...and the last piece of Spin (lies) is that all this has been done "because lots of residents have asked for it"...and the link in this case works back to 28 requests.
Hundreds of people have signed the JIRA for scalable megas..... not 28...
...but it is almost impossible now to post a PJIRA, unless you know how to make a wiki page (LL has made it far more difficult to "have your say", as if it wasn't almost impossible before...)
No...the truth is that this is a silly piece of easily delivered nonsense like Voice Morphing... and, it may be great fun, I have always been impressed by Wizzy's use of floating text, but..... I have this reservation...
I normally turn off all names....I see none of them because the world looks better to me without strange things floating over peoples heads. Radar tells me who I am in the room/sim with and I can always move my cursor over an av to find out who is who.
If Display Names are permanently ON then SL will suddenly look like a dodgy StoopidVille Game. My screen will look ugly with idiot writing all over it. Will they show up on photos?? Who knows.
..and what about lag? Can someone honestly say that 20 avs wearing Display Names is gonna cause less lag? I doubt it.
So, this may be "just Soror moaning again' or...it may be another daft idea of no real import that is an ill-concieved and badly thought-out step nearer to the dumbing down of this world we love so much.
Time will tell.
:))
It's our JIRA, so you lose...
Well, the Snow Storm started today.... and it was quite stormy....
The thing is, some people went there thinking it was a call to arms for talented Big Brain People to build a Better World.
Well, now a lot of them had some great ideas about what could be fixed and how...but... they needed to be put in their place...
"it's our JIRA, so you lose " is reportedly how Oz Linden brought these immature creative types to heel, after all, you don't want them to forget that, tho the Boys broke the viewer, these guys and gals have to fix it exactly how the Boys want it fixed.
Snowglobe is dead... that is decided
. the ONLY viewer in town is the V2....now the V2 is not..."Over 3,000 V-2s were launched as military rockets by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets during the war, mostly London and later Antwerp, resulting in the death of an estimated 7,250 military personnel and civilians. The weapon was presented by the Nazi propaganda as a retaliation for the bombers that succeeded in attacking ever more German cities from 1942 until the end of the war."....the V2 is a totally different beast....it hasn't killed anyone.....yet.
So...the Most Hated Viewer in the History of SL (fact) is the one that some developers, (if they remember who is boss, and who decides what is gonna be fixed and what isn't) are gonna be allowed to help the modest and retiring Oz to work on for free, (not Oz, he's not free...just the others).
It's apparently a Scrum..not.."a scrum is formed by the players who are designated forwards binding together in three rows. The scrum then 'engages' with the opposition team so that the player's heads are interlocked with those of the other side's front row. The scrum-half from the team that did not infringe then throws the ball into the tunnel created in the space between the two sets of front rowers' legs. Both teams may then try to compete for the ball by trying to hook the ball backwards with their feet."..........this is a more civilised sort of thing, with no loose balls flying around and no kicking allowed. I think normal people would call it a meeting.
So, anyway, there were Very Brainy People there and some Lindens..... we'll have to see how it all progresses.. (and don't forget that advertising space on the UI....do I have to tell you every time?)..
Now, try as I might I have been unable to access the Second Life blog on an awful lot of occasions recently....strange that, maybe it's just me... no point putting in a JIRA I guess...
...thing is I saw this advert....for Display Names... where....(I lie not) there is a video.." This video shows you in 5 fun minutes."...well, I can't remember when I had so much fun. Next classic quote.."Important: Display Names isn't out for public testing, so while you can't actually try it for yourself yet, Linden Lab has made this information available to prepare you. Stay tuned."
Well, good to be prepared, I'm just so pleased we didn't have to get scalable prims or something too useful.... Voice Morphing and hanging more names over my head is exactly what I have wished for, for ages. That will have new residents queueing to sign up.
Well, I watched the video, and now I am prepared.... can't wait...well...I have to wait, but... wow...
:))
The thing is, some people went there thinking it was a call to arms for talented Big Brain People to build a Better World.
Well, now a lot of them had some great ideas about what could be fixed and how...but... they needed to be put in their place...
"it's our JIRA, so you lose " is reportedly how Oz Linden brought these immature creative types to heel, after all, you don't want them to forget that, tho the Boys broke the viewer, these guys and gals have to fix it exactly how the Boys want it fixed.
Snowglobe is dead... that is decided
. the ONLY viewer in town is the V2....now the V2 is not..."Over 3,000 V-2s were launched as military rockets by the German Wehrmacht against Allied targets during the war, mostly London and later Antwerp, resulting in the death of an estimated 7,250 military personnel and civilians. The weapon was presented by the Nazi propaganda as a retaliation for the bombers that succeeded in attacking ever more German cities from 1942 until the end of the war."....the V2 is a totally different beast....it hasn't killed anyone.....yet.
So...the Most Hated Viewer in the History of SL (fact) is the one that some developers, (if they remember who is boss, and who decides what is gonna be fixed and what isn't) are gonna be allowed to help the modest and retiring Oz to work on for free, (not Oz, he's not free...just the others).
It's apparently a Scrum..not.."a scrum is formed by the players who are designated forwards binding together in three rows. The scrum then 'engages' with the opposition team so that the player's heads are interlocked with those of the other side's front row. The scrum-half from the team that did not infringe then throws the ball into the tunnel created in the space between the two sets of front rowers' legs. Both teams may then try to compete for the ball by trying to hook the ball backwards with their feet."..........this is a more civilised sort of thing, with no loose balls flying around and no kicking allowed. I think normal people would call it a meeting.
So, anyway, there were Very Brainy People there and some Lindens..... we'll have to see how it all progresses.. (and don't forget that advertising space on the UI....do I have to tell you every time?)..
Now, try as I might I have been unable to access the Second Life blog on an awful lot of occasions recently....strange that, maybe it's just me... no point putting in a JIRA I guess...
...thing is I saw this advert....for Display Names... where....(I lie not) there is a video.." This video shows you in 5 fun minutes."...well, I can't remember when I had so much fun. Next classic quote.."Important: Display Names isn't out for public testing, so while you can't actually try it for yourself yet, Linden Lab has made this information available to prepare you. Stay tuned."
Well, good to be prepared, I'm just so pleased we didn't have to get scalable prims or something too useful.... Voice Morphing and hanging more names over my head is exactly what I have wished for, for ages. That will have new residents queueing to sign up.
Well, I watched the video, and now I am prepared.... can't wait...well...I have to wait, but... wow...
:))
Monday, 16 August 2010
Snowblind.
Well, a new type of SnowStorm is being planned...one with 100% visibility...It goes like this...
1) LL sacks all its developers after spending 500 hours on a viewer that most people despise.
2) Admitting that it's too hard for the few remaining to figure out LL give the problem free, gratis, opensource to guys and gals who want to help them build a brave new world.
3) Everyone can be involved... publicly, meetings are open and etc....generally hunky-dory..new idea being...LL will actually let people test the viewer before it is released.
4) When the task is completed and you have sorted out everything including meshes and search, LL promise not to implement "Third Party Viewer Policy v 2.0"... (Make Sure We Still Have That Advertising Space On The UI Policy)
Oh, sorry, item 4 was not specifically mentioned, but I'm sure they wouldn't do that to you all again, would they...
5) Anyone giving their time to this product will get a reduced tier ...sorry...me bad...that was just pure fantasy...
Now, excuse my cynicism, but it is born of experience, a sort of sensible cynicism, ..... I wonder if it is actually too late in the day to ask people to help them build a brave new world. Isn't there a credibility gap?
Most producers know that if you release a real dog of a product onto the market no amount of advertising hype and forced enthusiasm will resurrect the dead. Bury it, start again.
But, the Mantra of the Dead Viewer goes like this.... "Viewer 2 has great new features".. and lots of people are joining in, it has a sort of mystical optimism about it.. try it.. hmm... nah, its pure crap...
Web on a prim..big deal.
With Qarl now joining Emerald I know who my money would be on if I were a gambler.
In other big news we will soon, "very soon" be able to have more names floating over our heads. Excited?... wow... that will be in the same class as voice morphing I would guess... did manage to sleep last night...
I know this does all sound negative, and I would like to be upbeat, but no mention of scalable prims, builders tools, linking sets, nothing concrete, nothing real, just hype....
So you're gonna fix the viewer...well you busted it in the first place....
...more snake oil, anyone?
:(((
1) LL sacks all its developers after spending 500 hours on a viewer that most people despise.
2) Admitting that it's too hard for the few remaining to figure out LL give the problem free, gratis, opensource to guys and gals who want to help them build a brave new world.
3) Everyone can be involved... publicly, meetings are open and etc....generally hunky-dory..new idea being...LL will actually let people test the viewer before it is released.
4) When the task is completed and you have sorted out everything including meshes and search, LL promise not to implement "Third Party Viewer Policy v 2.0"... (Make Sure We Still Have That Advertising Space On The UI Policy)
Oh, sorry, item 4 was not specifically mentioned, but I'm sure they wouldn't do that to you all again, would they...
5) Anyone giving their time to this product will get a reduced tier ...sorry...me bad...that was just pure fantasy...
Now, excuse my cynicism, but it is born of experience, a sort of sensible cynicism, ..... I wonder if it is actually too late in the day to ask people to help them build a brave new world. Isn't there a credibility gap?
Most producers know that if you release a real dog of a product onto the market no amount of advertising hype and forced enthusiasm will resurrect the dead. Bury it, start again.
But, the Mantra of the Dead Viewer goes like this.... "Viewer 2 has great new features".. and lots of people are joining in, it has a sort of mystical optimism about it.. try it.. hmm... nah, its pure crap...
Web on a prim..big deal.
With Qarl now joining Emerald I know who my money would be on if I were a gambler.
In other big news we will soon, "very soon" be able to have more names floating over our heads. Excited?... wow... that will be in the same class as voice morphing I would guess... did manage to sleep last night...
I know this does all sound negative, and I would like to be upbeat, but no mention of scalable prims, builders tools, linking sets, nothing concrete, nothing real, just hype....
So you're gonna fix the viewer...well you busted it in the first place....
...more snake oil, anyone?
:(((
Sunday, 15 August 2010
Riches to Rags?
One of the points arising from the Roadmap yesterday was the (long awaited by some) announcement that the intention is for landowners to get more control over avatars and scripts running on their property to reduce lag.
The problem is that some resizing scripts, and the heavy avatar rendering cost of some outfits causes lag when more than a few avis are collected together on a sim.
Now, no-one is going to object to poor scripts (whatever that means) being overhauled or disabled for the General Good in the ongoing Lag Wars. Avatar rendering costs is a touchier subject...
I had probably been in SL for two years before I had any idea of what ARC (lazy typist) are/is... and, luckily I have always liked simple clothes with the exception of a few outrageous hairstyles and a couple of belts. So, I don't imagine I will be getting thrown off too many sims in the future for overdressing...however...
Some people don't build, don't own land, and their principle creative outlet is their avatar. These people are a real boon for SL, making the most mundane build into a theatrical event, stepping centre-stage and, like glorious peacocks, strutting their stuff, AO's working full out to impress. I love em.
Now, dressing down is not something that will be welcomed by these people, nor will it be easily understood by newbies. It will be difficult enough steering a path through PG, Adult, Mature sims, without then subdividing these again into Low, Medium and High ARC sims. Presumably each landowner having his or her own idea of what is 'reasonable use' of prims.
One persons Prim Hog is another's Fashionista.
I foresee chaos... and baldness.
In almost every walk of digital and RL life I am being encouraged to consume more. More RAM in my computer, more storage on Flickr, more calls on my mobile...etc... but LL will be going against this trend, advocating less prims per person in some cases....
Can't I get MORE server space for my buck over time??
LL will, of course, survive this future flurry of furious fashionistas as it will the justifiable anger of heart-broken teens who will be separated from their friends through an arbitrary age divide when they close the Teen Grid.... but...
...the list of Pissed Off Minorities grows.
It is in the nature of mass provision that the fringe groups get neglected as the Mass becomes a sort of dictator. The fringes are sacrificed so the Mass can grow. That doesn't however make it all right. The end never justifies the means, because it is morally indefensible to treat one person badly, let alone a whole batch of under 16's (for example).
It's a well known saying "be careful who you tread on, on the way up..."
I don't have an immediate solution to a number of these issues that I throw back at the Boys, and it may be that I should stop moaning, but, as there is a lack of any real platform to discuss these Edicts, this is the only way I can try and get these things discussed... to voice a counter thought, to question the accepted 'view'.
It just seems to me that a more 'inclusive' philosophy would be more beneficial in the long run, rather than a growing list of "Thou shalt not..."
"Your World, Your Imagination" is becoming "Our World, Our Rules"...and that is not an encouraging path to walk down....
:))
The problem is that some resizing scripts, and the heavy avatar rendering cost of some outfits causes lag when more than a few avis are collected together on a sim.
Now, no-one is going to object to poor scripts (whatever that means) being overhauled or disabled for the General Good in the ongoing Lag Wars. Avatar rendering costs is a touchier subject...
I had probably been in SL for two years before I had any idea of what ARC (lazy typist) are/is... and, luckily I have always liked simple clothes with the exception of a few outrageous hairstyles and a couple of belts. So, I don't imagine I will be getting thrown off too many sims in the future for overdressing...however...
Some people don't build, don't own land, and their principle creative outlet is their avatar. These people are a real boon for SL, making the most mundane build into a theatrical event, stepping centre-stage and, like glorious peacocks, strutting their stuff, AO's working full out to impress. I love em.
Now, dressing down is not something that will be welcomed by these people, nor will it be easily understood by newbies. It will be difficult enough steering a path through PG, Adult, Mature sims, without then subdividing these again into Low, Medium and High ARC sims. Presumably each landowner having his or her own idea of what is 'reasonable use' of prims.
One persons Prim Hog is another's Fashionista.
I foresee chaos... and baldness.
In almost every walk of digital and RL life I am being encouraged to consume more. More RAM in my computer, more storage on Flickr, more calls on my mobile...etc... but LL will be going against this trend, advocating less prims per person in some cases....
Can't I get MORE server space for my buck over time??
LL will, of course, survive this future flurry of furious fashionistas as it will the justifiable anger of heart-broken teens who will be separated from their friends through an arbitrary age divide when they close the Teen Grid.... but...
...the list of Pissed Off Minorities grows.
It is in the nature of mass provision that the fringe groups get neglected as the Mass becomes a sort of dictator. The fringes are sacrificed so the Mass can grow. That doesn't however make it all right. The end never justifies the means, because it is morally indefensible to treat one person badly, let alone a whole batch of under 16's (for example).
It's a well known saying "be careful who you tread on, on the way up..."
I don't have an immediate solution to a number of these issues that I throw back at the Boys, and it may be that I should stop moaning, but, as there is a lack of any real platform to discuss these Edicts, this is the only way I can try and get these things discussed... to voice a counter thought, to question the accepted 'view'.
It just seems to me that a more 'inclusive' philosophy would be more beneficial in the long run, rather than a growing list of "Thou shalt not..."
"Your World, Your Imagination" is becoming "Our World, Our Rules"...and that is not an encouraging path to walk down....
:))
A good CEO
Now, I said, just the other day, yesterday in fact, that the jury was still out regarding Philip and whether "I would buy a used car from this man,"...and so as not to be completely negative I thought I would include an example of how easy it is, with a few words to set the score straight.
This is an email I received this morning......from the CEO of Posterous..
"Hi
As you’re no doubt aware, Posterous has had a rocky six days.
On Wednesday and Friday, our servers were hit by massive Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. We responded quickly and got back online within an hour, but it didn’t matter; the site went down and our users couldn’t post.
On Friday night, our team worked around the clock to move to new data centers, better capable of handling the onslaught. It wasn’t easy. Throughout the weekend we were fixing issues, optimizing the site, some things going smoothly, others less so.
Just at the moments we thought the worst was behind us, we’d run up against another challenge. It tested not only our technical abilities, but our stamina, patience, and we lost more than a few hairs in the process.
I’m happy to report Posterous is at 100% and better than ever. Switching to a new data center will help us avoid the type of attacks we saw last week, and the new, bigger, beefier servers will speed up the site and increase capacity. We were hit pretty hard, but we’ve come out stronger in the end.
While we were certainly frustrated, we know that no one was more frustrated than you. Your website was down, and I humbly apologize for that. Know that throughout these six days, restoring your site and your trust has been our number one priority.
At the same time, I have never been prouder of the Posterous team. Garry led the team in the server migration, Vince worked like a mad man until he passed out on his desk, and Jackson helped the community understand the impacts of some pretty technical issues. This week has been all hands on deck, and we had some pretty great hands.
We have great plans for the future of Posterous. Our team is stronger than ever, and we are laser focused on developing better ways for you to share your content online. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for trusting us, and thank you for sticking with us through the past six days.
--Sachin Agarwal
Cofounder and CEO, Posterous"
That's how easy it is to regain the confidence of your customers...
.... just a little time and some feedback..
...easy.
:))
This is an email I received this morning......from the CEO of Posterous..
"Hi
As you’re no doubt aware, Posterous has had a rocky six days.
On Wednesday and Friday, our servers were hit by massive Denial of Service (DoS) attacks. We responded quickly and got back online within an hour, but it didn’t matter; the site went down and our users couldn’t post.
On Friday night, our team worked around the clock to move to new data centers, better capable of handling the onslaught. It wasn’t easy. Throughout the weekend we were fixing issues, optimizing the site, some things going smoothly, others less so.
Just at the moments we thought the worst was behind us, we’d run up against another challenge. It tested not only our technical abilities, but our stamina, patience, and we lost more than a few hairs in the process.
I’m happy to report Posterous is at 100% and better than ever. Switching to a new data center will help us avoid the type of attacks we saw last week, and the new, bigger, beefier servers will speed up the site and increase capacity. We were hit pretty hard, but we’ve come out stronger in the end.
While we were certainly frustrated, we know that no one was more frustrated than you. Your website was down, and I humbly apologize for that. Know that throughout these six days, restoring your site and your trust has been our number one priority.
At the same time, I have never been prouder of the Posterous team. Garry led the team in the server migration, Vince worked like a mad man until he passed out on his desk, and Jackson helped the community understand the impacts of some pretty technical issues. This week has been all hands on deck, and we had some pretty great hands.
We have great plans for the future of Posterous. Our team is stronger than ever, and we are laser focused on developing better ways for you to share your content online. Thank you for believing in us, thank you for trusting us, and thank you for sticking with us through the past six days.
--Sachin Agarwal
Cofounder and CEO, Posterous"
That's how easy it is to regain the confidence of your customers...
.... just a little time and some feedback..
...easy.
:))
Saturday, 14 August 2010
Escapee.... copybot strikes...
I said before, it's impossible to protect your IPR (intellectual property rights) and I stand by that, even if we would like to change it.
Well, someone stole a tree from me (and a set of lillies)..... It's not anything I'm likely to get upset about...I see it more like an escapee. Shame I'm not as good at copying my own stuff.....
Plastichansa Bade and Arielsong Allen are the miscreants with good taste, tho I doubt they use those names in SL.
Still theft of my art works has happened before (RL) and it will no doubt happen again..... and it is a form of flattery they say.......hehehehe..
No one can steal my skill tho...thank the gods.
Sod em.
:))
Snake oil, anyone?
Well, just caught some of Philip's casual coffee in hand chat at SLCC....
For those of you that missed it... Philip is gonna get.. (well...I probably missed some stuff)...
Group chat fixed,
region crossings better,
fast startup, low crash rate,
automatic viewer updates,
'more' avatars per region,
more names floating over your head (yeh, that's a vital help...lol...)
meshes are gonna come (esp. for hair, it seems),
teens are gonna join us as they close the teen grid (saves using Mom's credit card said SecondLie)
..and Search is a complete mystery to all concerned (so...no promises there).
No mention of scalable prims or builder's tools...
"We do a very good job" of PR, he claims...and, he does...when he's there. It all sounds great.
I am still unsure tho...would I buy a used car from this man?
Has Yosemite Sam turned Snake Oil salesman...??
:))
For those of you that missed it... Philip is gonna get.. (well...I probably missed some stuff)...
Group chat fixed,
region crossings better,
fast startup, low crash rate,
automatic viewer updates,
'more' avatars per region,
more names floating over your head (yeh, that's a vital help...lol...)
meshes are gonna come (esp. for hair, it seems),
teens are gonna join us as they close the teen grid (saves using Mom's credit card said SecondLie)
..and Search is a complete mystery to all concerned (so...no promises there).
No mention of scalable prims or builder's tools...
"We do a very good job" of PR, he claims...and, he does...when he's there. It all sounds great.
I am still unsure tho...would I buy a used car from this man?
Has Yosemite Sam turned Snake Oil salesman...??
:))
Why not us.....??
Well, it's a rhetorical question, "why not us?"....as this is NOT a video taken from SL where anything from BL (ex) to music events would benefit greatly from being able to have 1000 avatars on a sim. No, SL once again is being left behind, this from ScienceSim...full report and links here.
Then the development of the Hypergrid is gonna be the next big thing, with the possibility to tp from grid to grid being possible already, having a bank account that works in 14 grids already (OMC its called) will turn tourism on it's head. LL could have used the L$ to gain this sort of market reach if they hadn't lost their minds chasing the fictional millions of Microsoft-baseball-capped geeks who think SL is crap...
....and not even a mesh in sight....but hey....big announcements coming up at SLCC where, I predict, LL will throw projects they haven't managed to develop themselves to the Free Workers of Open Source to do the work for them, and meshes might be one...we will see.....certainly Search seems too difficult for Sea Linden and her tiny team..(does she have one, or is she It?)....maybe The Free Workers could tackle that too while they are at it.???
Viewer 2.whatever will be thrown hooklineandsinker to the Freeworkers, but that's not new news. The aim is obviously to remove the stench of rotten code by calling it Kirstens S20...as an example...but rubbish is rubbish however it is named (to paraphrase Shakespere)..and Kirstens S20 is crap.... e.g. you can't have camera controls and movement controls in use at the same time....either look or walk??
Anyway the continued push to make a viewer that supports their future plans for selling advertising space and that we don't totally reject will certainly continue apace... I wonder if anything of any importance will be announced...??
Oh, yes, am I the only person who remembers talk of flexible sculpties...or is that meshes...I mentioned them 13 months ago on these pages ..........
"So...thats the Trouble With Linden Labs.... :))) Scientific Survey Statisics steeped in stupidity are called "listening to the community"... DUH! read a few blogs and comments instead!!
Give us scalable mega prims, give us shadows, give us flexible sculpties ....advertise SL in RL ... lower tier.... stop fannying around.... any one of those would be cool......with the amount of (my) money they have ...all of them are possible."
I am not holding my breath.
":))
Thursday, 12 August 2010
The borked dork and Yosemite Sam
Make no mistake I dislike Microsoft baseball caps not the lifeforms who live in them.
Someone just got far too much attention and his performance was kinda embarrassing. I found myself wondering about his life too much...is dork a purely Brit word?
I personally think LL missed a trick when they clamped down on gambling (apart from the fact that I had shares in Las Vegas which became worthless overnight) because my TV is full of adverts for online gambling which is, a year on from the big clamp down, seen as fairly innocuous and mainstream.
...when it comes to sex, well, the porn guys, if they had been given their head (sorry, would have been criminal not to use that) may have fuelled the engine that drives change to a better graphic experience. Personally I believe in making love not war... that might make me a liberal hippy, but rather that than a repressed bigot.
Now the baseball cap has nothing to say on V 2.0 that hasn't already been said by someone far less annoying. I have it on good authority though that the 1.23 is out!
End of September and we'll all be on Emerald or will have packed our bags and fled along with the other refugees to a saner world, yes, InWorldz.
There was, apparently, a conversation with Jack Linden during his Office Hours (wish I worked such short hours)... during which it became obvious to my reporting colleague that by the end of September, Viewer 1.23 would no longer be supported. There are apparently workarounds for those who know how to refile it as 'old viewer'...far beyond me, and ....... why bother. Most of the builders I know use Emerald and Imprudence has been well spoken of too.
Another shot in the arm for IWz? as if they need one...
...Oh, and while I'm here...re.Yosemite Sam.... well, Dusan feels like he should apologise to Philip because he took so much flak for not attending SLCC in person, then it turns out that The Shining Knight is in fact off to play Yosemite Sam with his family.
so... I thought about this... now I've never been a CEO (except once in a two person Company), so I guess a job is just a job and free time is important etc etc....being self-employed myself, I always make sure my free time doesn't interrupt business.....or I'd starve.
But, as usual with these things, my interest is immediately drawn to a basic question...namely...Why oh why, when he has had several opportunities, didn't he mention this before? It goes like this...more or less...on the blog which is now called a wiki..."Philip will be presenting at SLCC via Virtual Media.."BECAUSE HE WILL BE ON HOLIDAY AT THE TIME"..... So...9 words which, altho pressed for time, someone could have typed...none of them being hard words to spell.
...and why...stood on the platform at his not-very-public-meeting did he not say..."hey, guys (in his easy confident inspiring manner) it's a bummer I can't be at SLCC, I'll be with my family on those days"...
In case you think I am making too much of this, ask a psychiatrist about omissions. They are important.
So, I have to have a view on this, yes? Yes.
Community is us, the Boys like to tell us at every step that we are a community, even tho communities can't be built like a good bit of code. Now, if Philip was part of that community he would have mentioned something about holidays and no-one would have done anything but say .." great, bud, have a good one, shoots some of them pesky ground squirrels for me."
But, they are the Corporation. They "sell" ideas to us, they dictate changes and they are the bosses. They don't need to tell us about their holidays, why would they? They don't need to tell people why they get the sack. They don't tell us why they can't get search to work. They don't need anything from us except the money to pay wages and The Vultures.
Machines say to me "your call is important to us" ...(not important enough to employ enough people to answer the phones).. and the Boys say..."we are listening",....duh!!... so are the FBI...that doesn't make it a community. Conversation is a two way process...tell us stuff, explain, blog....anything....we want feed back. That's why so many go to IWz and they show a 30% growth in 6 weeks... WE LIKE TO BELONG, not as possessions, minions and serfs, but as a part of something exciting.
That is why I will not be apologising to Philip for giving him flak.
Tough love...
:)))
Someone just got far too much attention and his performance was kinda embarrassing. I found myself wondering about his life too much...is dork a purely Brit word?
I personally think LL missed a trick when they clamped down on gambling (apart from the fact that I had shares in Las Vegas which became worthless overnight) because my TV is full of adverts for online gambling which is, a year on from the big clamp down, seen as fairly innocuous and mainstream.
...when it comes to sex, well, the porn guys, if they had been given their head (sorry, would have been criminal not to use that) may have fuelled the engine that drives change to a better graphic experience. Personally I believe in making love not war... that might make me a liberal hippy, but rather that than a repressed bigot.
Now the baseball cap has nothing to say on V 2.0 that hasn't already been said by someone far less annoying. I have it on good authority though that the 1.23 is out!
End of September and we'll all be on Emerald or will have packed our bags and fled along with the other refugees to a saner world, yes, InWorldz.
There was, apparently, a conversation with Jack Linden during his Office Hours (wish I worked such short hours)... during which it became obvious to my reporting colleague that by the end of September, Viewer 1.23 would no longer be supported. There are apparently workarounds for those who know how to refile it as 'old viewer'...far beyond me, and ....... why bother. Most of the builders I know use Emerald and Imprudence has been well spoken of too.
Another shot in the arm for IWz? as if they need one...
...Oh, and while I'm here...re.Yosemite Sam.... well, Dusan feels like he should apologise to Philip because he took so much flak for not attending SLCC in person, then it turns out that The Shining Knight is in fact off to play Yosemite Sam with his family.
so... I thought about this... now I've never been a CEO (except once in a two person Company), so I guess a job is just a job and free time is important etc etc....being self-employed myself, I always make sure my free time doesn't interrupt business.....or I'd starve.
But, as usual with these things, my interest is immediately drawn to a basic question...namely...Why oh why, when he has had several opportunities, didn't he mention this before? It goes like this...more or less...on the blog which is now called a wiki..."Philip will be presenting at SLCC via Virtual Media.."BECAUSE HE WILL BE ON HOLIDAY AT THE TIME"..... So...9 words which, altho pressed for time, someone could have typed...none of them being hard words to spell.
...and why...stood on the platform at his not-very-public-meeting did he not say..."hey, guys (in his easy confident inspiring manner) it's a bummer I can't be at SLCC, I'll be with my family on those days"...
In case you think I am making too much of this, ask a psychiatrist about omissions. They are important.
So, I have to have a view on this, yes? Yes.
Community is us, the Boys like to tell us at every step that we are a community, even tho communities can't be built like a good bit of code. Now, if Philip was part of that community he would have mentioned something about holidays and no-one would have done anything but say .." great, bud, have a good one, shoots some of them pesky ground squirrels for me."
But, they are the Corporation. They "sell" ideas to us, they dictate changes and they are the bosses. They don't need to tell us about their holidays, why would they? They don't need to tell people why they get the sack. They don't tell us why they can't get search to work. They don't need anything from us except the money to pay wages and The Vultures.
Machines say to me "your call is important to us" ...(not important enough to employ enough people to answer the phones).. and the Boys say..."we are listening",....duh!!... so are the FBI...that doesn't make it a community. Conversation is a two way process...tell us stuff, explain, blog....anything....we want feed back. That's why so many go to IWz and they show a 30% growth in 6 weeks... WE LIKE TO BELONG, not as possessions, minions and serfs, but as a part of something exciting.
That is why I will not be apologising to Philip for giving him flak.
Tough love...
:)))
Wednesday, 11 August 2010
10,000 while I slept...
Congratulations to all the Founders and residents of InWorldz, that's quite a milestone....
:))))
Tuesday, 10 August 2010
There be dragons.....
My first three dragons, Dotty, Doris and Darren are for sale (900L each), flying high over Nishi Disposals platform....here..
They are static, currently, tho Mouser wants to make them into avis for InWorldz....we will see...
.:)))
Acquarella by Alizarin Goldflake
There are many of you who are familiar with Aliz's work I'm sure.
Aliz is an artist in both worlds and has that dedication that lifts her out of the Casual Doodler category into that of a professional as can be seen on her website if you haven't caught her shows in SL yet.
So, after an initial machinima which she took herself of her build "Acquarella", she determined to make an offering for the World Trade Fair in Shanghai.
I was involved as one of the nymphs along with BridgetMarlene McDonnell and Yman Juran , all credited on the machinima below. Chantal Harvey filmed it and cut and edited it to a suitable length for showing in China.
We rehearsed, Aliz rewrote, we rehearsed, Aliz tweaked, etc.... until we knew what we were doing, and Aliz was happy...see the result below.
Colour, No Colour was one of the themes which organiser Aino Baar from OPEN THIS END wanted for the show, and so this little fable fits well within that category.
Direction was by Corcosman Voom and the smooth voice and narration by Alfred Ajami ....all in all a huge amount of work, well done to all involved.
:))
Aliz is an artist in both worlds and has that dedication that lifts her out of the Casual Doodler category into that of a professional as can be seen on her website if you haven't caught her shows in SL yet.
So, after an initial machinima which she took herself of her build "Acquarella", she determined to make an offering for the World Trade Fair in Shanghai.
I was involved as one of the nymphs along with BridgetMarlene McDonnell and Yman Juran , all credited on the machinima below. Chantal Harvey filmed it and cut and edited it to a suitable length for showing in China.
We rehearsed, Aliz rewrote, we rehearsed, Aliz tweaked, etc.... until we knew what we were doing, and Aliz was happy...see the result below.
Colour, No Colour was one of the themes which organiser Aino Baar from OPEN THIS END wanted for the show, and so this little fable fits well within that category.
Direction was by Corcosman Voom and the smooth voice and narration by Alfred Ajami ....all in all a huge amount of work, well done to all involved.
:))
Monday, 9 August 2010
Two in a row... more trivia...
Like buses come two at a time when you have been waiting for them, then this rambling comes along two days running in like form...
I just had more stuff...
Me with new makeup at Wizzy's new workshop in InWorldz...well...with free uploads I can change makeup everyday..... not enough to warrant blogging, I'll admit....
I don't know anything about this, except that Wizzy sat on it. Whatever it is it is probably against ToS..... as everything is, actually.
The scruffy git who looks like he just stepped out of a bad edition of a 70's comic has gotta be a real laugh to wear that stuff. What a great outfit... THAT shows imagination and inspiration, I must say.
Victoriana has just taken 9 sims in Inworldz... get your glad rags out... and feed the horse.
Bumped into Artfox Daviau in Inworldz, this is one of his 11 sims in SL. A landscaper too. Nuff said.
So, an amusing few hours spent....
...also...Brinda has been bewitched by Born Again Pagans...and why not... the girl has great taste...(heheheheh)...
...and Lalo has had 5000 hits on his blog...Yay!!
so...all good
:)))
I just had more stuff...
Me with new makeup at Wizzy's new workshop in InWorldz...well...with free uploads I can change makeup everyday..... not enough to warrant blogging, I'll admit....
I don't know anything about this, except that Wizzy sat on it. Whatever it is it is probably against ToS..... as everything is, actually.
The scruffy git who looks like he just stepped out of a bad edition of a 70's comic has gotta be a real laugh to wear that stuff. What a great outfit... THAT shows imagination and inspiration, I must say.
Victoriana has just taken 9 sims in Inworldz... get your glad rags out... and feed the horse.
Bumped into Artfox Daviau in Inworldz, this is one of his 11 sims in SL. A landscaper too. Nuff said.
So, an amusing few hours spent....
...also...Brinda has been bewitched by Born Again Pagans...and why not... the girl has great taste...(heheheheh)...
...and Lalo has had 5000 hits on his blog...Yay!!
so...all good
:)))
Sunday, 8 August 2010
omnibus of trivia
Sometimes there are bits and pieces of things you might find interesting that just don't fit in anywhere else, so, as is my habit now, I mash em all up in a sunday stew....
Imagine Magazine has a small article on me, heralding a more comprehensive piece next month. For those that like to kick back with a mag, I can send you a copy should you want one....
Wizzy, Miso and I were at the 6th rezz day party of Doctor Gascoigne last night. "It's been a strange sort of journey" he said... or words to that effect...and I thought...hmmm...that HAS to be the understatement of the week....:)) well done.
...and I popped over to see what Frigg Ragu had done with the skybox for bunnies I made....she has made a really nice place of the shell I provided....IM her if you are a bunny-nut....It's worth a look...
Last week saw me listening to some classic rock, old-school I would call it.. streaming from the wires of Anek Fuchs. It was Great.
...and then today I was at the UWA awards....full details here.....shortly, the boys and girls have to get some sleep first...
...suffice to say, Nish Mip and Bryn Oh were the joint winners of the Imagine (art) Challenge....and UWA CULTURAL PRECINCT GALLERY AND LABS by DB Bailey and Patch Thibaud won the Flagship (architectural) Challenge.
Pixi won an award on her first ever competition entry and was completely flummoxed...:)) cool
Loads of other awards were won, and I was kinda sad that August will be the last month of this event. Check out the UWinSL website (link above) because the UWA has made some amazing contributions to SL both in credibility as a teaching platform and as sponsors of this, the best art event in SL.
...and if anyone wonders why I get so irritated with the Boys over their attitude to the arts, it's simply because in ONE YEAR only, UWA has sponsored, financially, 200 plus artists with cash as well as with enthusiasm.... without any long list of rules, but with a smile and light touch that has made it a pleasure to take part.
Quad and Jayjay deserve an award too.
In other news.. InWorldz has topped 300 sims and 9500 residents......a 25 to 30% increase in 6 weeks...(old post)...and the shopping just gets better.
...and, tho the number of residents can mislead, those paying tier are real enough numbers, money in the bank......so, soon approaching a quarter of a million dollars in tier (per annum) has gotta help pay the electricity bill.... now...if they can just hold off the Vulture Capitalists...
:)))
Imagine Magazine has a small article on me, heralding a more comprehensive piece next month. For those that like to kick back with a mag, I can send you a copy should you want one....
Wizzy, Miso and I were at the 6th rezz day party of Doctor Gascoigne last night. "It's been a strange sort of journey" he said... or words to that effect...and I thought...hmmm...that HAS to be the understatement of the week....:)) well done.
...and I popped over to see what Frigg Ragu had done with the skybox for bunnies I made....she has made a really nice place of the shell I provided....IM her if you are a bunny-nut....It's worth a look...
Last week saw me listening to some classic rock, old-school I would call it.. streaming from the wires of Anek Fuchs. It was Great.
...and then today I was at the UWA awards....full details here.....shortly, the boys and girls have to get some sleep first...
...suffice to say, Nish Mip and Bryn Oh were the joint winners of the Imagine (art) Challenge....and UWA CULTURAL PRECINCT GALLERY AND LABS by DB Bailey and Patch Thibaud won the Flagship (architectural) Challenge.
Pixi won an award on her first ever competition entry and was completely flummoxed...:)) cool
Loads of other awards were won, and I was kinda sad that August will be the last month of this event. Check out the UWinSL website (link above) because the UWA has made some amazing contributions to SL both in credibility as a teaching platform and as sponsors of this, the best art event in SL.
...and if anyone wonders why I get so irritated with the Boys over their attitude to the arts, it's simply because in ONE YEAR only, UWA has sponsored, financially, 200 plus artists with cash as well as with enthusiasm.... without any long list of rules, but with a smile and light touch that has made it a pleasure to take part.
Quad and Jayjay deserve an award too.
In other news.. InWorldz has topped 300 sims and 9500 residents......a 25 to 30% increase in 6 weeks...(old post)...and the shopping just gets better.
...and, tho the number of residents can mislead, those paying tier are real enough numbers, money in the bank......so, soon approaching a quarter of a million dollars in tier (per annum) has gotta help pay the electricity bill.... now...if they can just hold off the Vulture Capitalists...
:)))
Friday, 6 August 2010
Gender and Identity.
Now, not being an expert on child development I can only say that one of the earliest steps we make on our path to self knowledge happens around the age of 2 (ish), namely, a recognition of our gender. I am not suggesting that we know what gender is, but, shortly after we learn our Name we learn that we are a Boy or a Girl..... our first step (or second, after Name) towards an Identity....and probably well before we are conscious of our Race.
As one two year old said to me...”I know who is a Boy and who is a Girl”.....”oh” I replied “how do you know then?”....”it’s very easy, girls have hair slides and boys don’t.”
Now, as a child we realise these are two exclusive clubs you belong to, one or the other, it’s easy. There are those in later life who would like this easy state of affairs to continue as was seen recently with the attempt to outlaw same sex marriages. Some religions and cultures are very keen to segregate these two clubs, one or the other...it’s easy.
Cross-overs are rarely welcomed, some are tolerated. Of all the cross-overs, a ‘tom-boy’ is probably the most internationally tolerated gender subversive. Boys that play with dolls or dress in girls clothing are possibly the least welcomed in a community or household.
Now, coming into Second Life where ‘anything is possible’ there are those who decide to do a bit of experimenting with their identities, fair enough. No one gets very excited about a dragon in SL if they find out that he/she is not in fact a dragon in RL. This is not the case with gender experimentation.
I have two avatars, one male, one female, so, in one incarnation I am role playing a gender specific ‘game’. Unlike the dragon, I have heard gender role-play referred to as ‘deceitful’, ‘dishonest’ and other generally negative connotations. This interests me, as does anything that excites a rather illogical response.
Why does this disturb people more than the dragon?
Now, being an amateur Jungian, I always refer to the good doctor for words of wisdom as he has helped me often sort out my ideas. Jung is of the belief that the gender we are not, the opposite gender, is repressed and hides in our personal unconscious. That means.... if I am a girl, all the male parts of my psyche are forced ‘underground’ where they coalesce into an archetype he called the Animus.....and for a boy, his unconscious female psyche, Jung called an Anima.
These unconscious elements, because they are beyond conscious control (by definition as they are unconscious) are autonomous. They appear in dreams and fantasies (though we often call them by names of people we know in waking life) and take on various helpful or demonic qualities depending on the circumstances.
That means, in easy speak, Girls have boy psyches and Boys have girl psyches.
That means, in easy speak, we are both sexes.... one is conscious (biological) and one virtual (psychic).
Is this what disturbs us when people gender role-play? It shakes our (2 year old) belief that its easy to tell the difference?
For, in reality there are, one assumes, exactly the same proportion of deceitful dragons, foxes, lesbians and robots. The playing of a role does not make one more deceitful than someone who is glued to their personna.
I have a friend who has 30 alts. For me she is a sort of hero because I firmly believe that the psyche is that diverse and fragmented that choosing to represent the whole of our psyche with just one or two avatars is a poor show, the psyche is richer than that.
I would have more alts (I have 3 currently) but I forgot where I put that invitation to that Memory Enhancement Seminar as I would forget all my passwords...... that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
I can tell you from my experience of 3 years of being female and male, sometimes at the same time, that it is quite possible under periods of extreme ‘immersion’ to experience oneself as male and as female. This may sound illogical or impossible, but I assure you this is my honest experience.
So, lighten up people... it’s a game, and a research laboratory for the psyche if you so choose.
...get more alts....... you’ll like em...
:))
As one two year old said to me...”I know who is a Boy and who is a Girl”.....”oh” I replied “how do you know then?”....”it’s very easy, girls have hair slides and boys don’t.”
Now, as a child we realise these are two exclusive clubs you belong to, one or the other, it’s easy. There are those in later life who would like this easy state of affairs to continue as was seen recently with the attempt to outlaw same sex marriages. Some religions and cultures are very keen to segregate these two clubs, one or the other...it’s easy.
Cross-overs are rarely welcomed, some are tolerated. Of all the cross-overs, a ‘tom-boy’ is probably the most internationally tolerated gender subversive. Boys that play with dolls or dress in girls clothing are possibly the least welcomed in a community or household.
Now, coming into Second Life where ‘anything is possible’ there are those who decide to do a bit of experimenting with their identities, fair enough. No one gets very excited about a dragon in SL if they find out that he/she is not in fact a dragon in RL. This is not the case with gender experimentation.
I have two avatars, one male, one female, so, in one incarnation I am role playing a gender specific ‘game’. Unlike the dragon, I have heard gender role-play referred to as ‘deceitful’, ‘dishonest’ and other generally negative connotations. This interests me, as does anything that excites a rather illogical response.
Why does this disturb people more than the dragon?
Now, being an amateur Jungian, I always refer to the good doctor for words of wisdom as he has helped me often sort out my ideas. Jung is of the belief that the gender we are not, the opposite gender, is repressed and hides in our personal unconscious. That means.... if I am a girl, all the male parts of my psyche are forced ‘underground’ where they coalesce into an archetype he called the Animus.....and for a boy, his unconscious female psyche, Jung called an Anima.
These unconscious elements, because they are beyond conscious control (by definition as they are unconscious) are autonomous. They appear in dreams and fantasies (though we often call them by names of people we know in waking life) and take on various helpful or demonic qualities depending on the circumstances.
That means, in easy speak, Girls have boy psyches and Boys have girl psyches.
That means, in easy speak, we are both sexes.... one is conscious (biological) and one virtual (psychic).
Is this what disturbs us when people gender role-play? It shakes our (2 year old) belief that its easy to tell the difference?
For, in reality there are, one assumes, exactly the same proportion of deceitful dragons, foxes, lesbians and robots. The playing of a role does not make one more deceitful than someone who is glued to their personna.
I have a friend who has 30 alts. For me she is a sort of hero because I firmly believe that the psyche is that diverse and fragmented that choosing to represent the whole of our psyche with just one or two avatars is a poor show, the psyche is richer than that.
I would have more alts (I have 3 currently) but I forgot where I put that invitation to that Memory Enhancement Seminar as I would forget all my passwords...... that’s my excuse and I’m sticking to it.
I can tell you from my experience of 3 years of being female and male, sometimes at the same time, that it is quite possible under periods of extreme ‘immersion’ to experience oneself as male and as female. This may sound illogical or impossible, but I assure you this is my honest experience.
So, lighten up people... it’s a game, and a research laboratory for the psyche if you so choose.
...get more alts....... you’ll like em...
:))
Thursday, 5 August 2010
Qarl
Now, I have no real idea of the sort of person Qarl Linden was, I say 'was' because he's been sacked, but from the disbelief and shock that has spread thro the blogsphere I can assume he was both talented and pleasant.
Qarl brought us sculpties, shortly after I joined SL and has therefore changed all our worlds, our clothes, our landscapes etc. and is a lover of SL.
This is the third really bad move that I have blogged about this last few days.
I want to impress that I do not have a negative "Hate Linden" attitude, but, following the messianic resurrection of Philip we are all looking for more than just nice words...
1) The decision by Philip not to attend SLCC is not a good move.
2) Making BUM 2.0 pay tier is not a good move
3) Sacking skilled staff that your customers like is not a good move.
...and as far as getting rid of the Welcome Centres...well, I am suspicious about that move too.I have no idea now how to go about mentoring noobs (an occasional hobby of mine, and many others) as I have no idea about Viewer 2.Crap..... dump them on our doorsteps if you think that will save money, Boys, but will it increase retention...?
Few people now to slog away at the attempt to bring us F.E.F..... we are all watching, The straw that broke the camels back comes in many shapes and sizes. Qarl going has been that straw for some people.
byee, and thanks.
:((
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