Floaties, Punishment and The Freak Out

A couple of days ago, Michael Hyatt published a delightful little piece entitled, "Why I Stopped Reading Your Blog". It was then that I realized that I am guilty. Guilty as sin. Horribly guilty and worthy of some form of internet based punishment beyond the fall in rankings, beyond the tsk tsking of Google analytics.

I am sorry dear friends. For life got the best of me. Yet here I sit. Before the keyboard. In a panic. The next few months will be some of the most challenging in my life as I prepare a graduate thesis atop a full course load, applications for new programs, then packing and life making. It is my hope that in time, I will again be able to provide you useless, snarky criticisms of virtual life. Because you know, we all need more elucidation in our world. (See how I used the big word? Aren't you proud?)

In the meantime, I'm off to find some floaties and learn to float in the pool of life. Swimming comes later - let's not get ahead of ourselves here.

I leave you with a favourite clip from a favourite movie that summarizes exactly where I am. Daily. Hourly. By the minute. Enjoy!

Rails Bailey Saved my Second Life

Probably over a year ago, I reached one of those frustration points in a mentor's life that made me want to not just walk away from the program, but throw a lot of shoes at the program managers heads. Heavy shoes. With really pointy heels.

Working with some of my colleagues had become stressful because of a very small set of people who were unable to get along with the wider group culture. This caused Linden Labs to eventually (too late in my case) crack down with the "If you guys cannot play nice then we will take away the swing set privileges" threat. While I still disagree with the resulting rules, I do not offer blame as I am not sure I could have come up with a more viable solution (better yes, but better does not mean viable).

It was then that God brought a guy into my life who, frankly, no words can describe my gratefulness.

You see, Rails Bailey saved my mentoring job.

I love helping new folks out and I love digging around for answers. Am I good at it? Not really. Do I get frustrated navigating the wiki? Yep. Do I rely on my other mentors too much? Probably. But they are good people who put up with me. Rails is the avi who gave me a little perspective and offered me a mentor home with Mental Mentors. Not just a home but a place where I belong. And even better, he gave me time to calm my sorry butt down because I was HOPPING MAD.

One of the things I love about this guy is that he gives his knowledge away. Rails is not a political, power, or money hungry hack. He's the real deal. He loves SL. He loves mentoring and helping people. He is able to see what is really important. And he is wise enough to get the job done. His passion for mentoring is obvious - he receives no compensation for spending most of his time on mentoring projects. He is available to everyone. Period. No questions asked.

All that said, Happy Rez Day my friend. And thank you for saving my Second Life. And thank you for setting the example of the kind of mentor I hope to be.

Silent Sparrow and Bad Apples

I log in. Hey Girlfriend IM chat window immediately opens in mid conversation.

"It's just terrible."

"I can't believe people would do that."

"Can you believe that?!?"

So of course, I ask, "Wait, what'd I miss?"

Silent Sparrow has been so abused by those taking advantage that they are removing their freebies from the store.

"It is with a bit of a heavy heart I write this: I will no longer have the old freebies out for people to pick up. They will be available for newbies though, so you can bring your friends who are just starting out to pick up all of the old sets. (Please make sure they are 30 days or younger). I love spoiling the ~twittery birds~, but the harrasment (nasty IM's and general rudeness) has gotten out of control. From now on starting 6/12, when I release a new group freebie the group will be closed for the week while that set is available."

ACK! NO!

"It happened at Sn@tch too."

"I just don't understand people sometimes"

"Others too... people harassed their models and sent them nasty messges demanding they send them the freebie themselves."

Ribbons Whitfield: I don't understand. Why would people be upset?

I mean honestly - it's a freebie! You should be grateful that the designer was generous enough to put one out!

"Because there's a bunch of people who think that they are supposed to be given everything."

"Some people feel entitled."

"They are entitled to that boot in the butt."

"Yes. And they were brought up to think that by their parents."

Ribbons Whitfield: Don't get me started.
Ribbons Whitfield sighs

"I'm holding off from starting, myself."

"I remember when a freebie t shirt was a big deal!"

"A few bad apples gotta ruin it for the whole bunch."

"So true!"

"And the saddest thing about it, those bad apples probably don't even have a clue..."

"No, they probably don't - in all senses of the phrase."

Need I say more?

SL Armageddon & a Savior

**All names have been changed to protect the innocent... er... guilty... er... well, everyone. Yes this is another venting and is in no way to take away from the great program that is SL Mentoring. Despite this outburst, these are wonderful people who do a GREAT job. You couldn't have a better SL calling. On with the vent.***

SL Mentors IM Chat:

Amy: Is something going on with SL that we don't know about? This is my third relog in about ten minutes...
Steve, Fawn & George: no probs here...I'm fine too.... All fine here, video, music, IM, TP all nominal
Phil: Maybe SL Armageddon is coming, read your SL bible

I couldn't help but to laugh hysterically. In one line, "Phil" reminded us to use our resources rather than open up a window and disrupt hundreds of mentors. Cheers Phil!

Sara, being helpful mentioned that "you can check the grid by yourself". So, standing firm to my principles about chat, I asked Sara if she would "remind us how to check the grid please," for which a link was provided. This helps all new (and rusty) mentors remember how to be proactive.

Of course I was immediately reminded that because I posted that, because I helped people, because I did my job, I'll likely be moved back to apprentice status by Linden Labs for having broken the chat rule. Tell me again how this is worth my time? I'm a professional, educated person who spends her day in crisis intervention. And you want to demote me back to learning level because I was helping people?

Yes, this rule gets under my skin. Why? *grumbling* *grumbling more* *throwing a shoe* I believe in self sufficiency. I believe in respecting others and their time. And I humbly appreciate what it means to have chat windows pop up all the time and be frustrated by that. But I also feel that by signing on as a mentor, you have to have a certain amount of respect for the learning process and, frankly, a responsibility to help other mentors too. Rules that punish people for doing just that realllllly get under my skin, so much so that I have a kink in my shoulder from the experience.

Of course, making this even more frustrating was that as this was going on, I was in the process of three mentor jobs at once, one of them quite serious with RL implications.

So I whined to a crusty old mentor who has heard it before. And get this - he talked ME down. ME! The one who talks everyone else off a cliff. Not only that, he gave me some tools to feel empowered again, provided a network of people who do the more advanced work, helped me learn, and encouraged me. So thank you Sir-to-be-Named-Later-if-he-Lets-me!!! You made my Second Life a whole lot better. And as such, saved yet another mentor from an early retirement!

Words of Advice for SL People

People often ask me if I have any words of advice for young people. Well here are a few simple admonitions for young and old. Never interfere in a boy-and-girl fight.

From William S. Burroughs' "Words of Advice for Young People"

What is amazing to me is the number of people in SL who are struggling. Granted, we are all struggling (that's just life). But the number of people SL draws who seek out it's comforting nothingness as a means to escape, no avoid their RL is astounding to me.

So, some thoughts.

1. You are not as popular as you think. With hundreds of thousands of people in SL, you are one. Callie Cline is an exception. You are not Callie Cline. And by the way, do you have ANY idea how many people have NO IDEA who she is?

2. If you don't know how to make RL relationships work, you probably will not be able to make SL relationships work. SL relationships have their own set of challenges in addition to the RL relationships. To expect that you'll make a go of it without the work and effort is silly. Worse, you bring your standard of how you "do relationships" to SL and apply it there. If it isn't working, either you are doing it wrong, or you are choosing the wrong people.

3. To our ladies, if he dumped you because of a rumor or something someone said, count your blessings. If he truly cared about you and was man enough to be a good mate, he'd have come to you to work out the problem. If your relationship is so flimsy that you two are not working together in complete trust and harmony, then you don't have a relationship. You have a partner in a game.

4. Pride. Pride gets you into all sorts of trouble. Being honest with yourself and admitting that it's okay that you do not know everything will get you further than bragging that you are something you are not. That will get you into trouble every time and likely cause much drama. By the way, if you really THINK you are all that, and others are upsetting you telling you you aren't take a reality check. Maybe you are and you have bad friends. Or maybe you aren't and you're kidding yourself.

5. The irrational. If you see someone who one minute claims they are desperate, then the next is bragging in the same conversation, I would advise that you question their stability. Which means you question why they are in SL. Which means you ask if this is a person with whom you should be working/involved.

6. In SL, people claim they are a lot of things. If you stumble into someone who claims that they are a CEO or a famous person, it isn't likely that they are who they say they are (official events aside of course, although, frankly, even then you never know as expert SL handlers may be running their avatar on their behalf). I have been blessed to know a few RL celebrities (business and entertainment alike) and most opt to run around SL incognito. That noobie might just be Bill Gates.

7. Given people are not always what or who they claim to be, have you considered how simple it is to create a relationship of trust? In most cases who end up on my proverbial couch, it usually takes not more than two minutes to get someone to open up. I know their story, their fears, their kids names, their home town, what they drive and sometimes even where they work. I might know where they hang out, if they go to church, where, the college from which they graduated and the fact that they go to the movies on 2nd and Wood every Tuesday night at 7pm. If I were someone of bad intentions, I would have all I need to track you down. "Oh that will never happen to me" is something I have heard all too many times, and sometimes, never heard as I have held the hand of the survivor because "me" didn't make it. Protect yourself and protect your kids.

8. You are only as good as the choices you make. If you choose to be with people who treat you poorly, do not blame them. Blame yourself for choosing to be with people who treat you that way. This, I think, is the source of a LOT of SL drama. I've been fortunate. My friends in SL work together to be friends. My acquaintances, while all kind, nice people, may or may not (we'll see!). But I make sure that the people whom I give some trust are people who guard against being eaten by drama.

9. "But she's my friend and I want to help her!!!" (If you had any idea how much this one is a red flag....) If you are going to help anyone, the first rule is that you cannot become a part of the problem issue. You MUST be able to draw a line and stay objective. If you are unable to do that, then you can be supportive but you probably will NOT be able to help anything. You may bring comfort. You may remind someone that they will not walk alone. But help? No. Call a wise friend. Call a therapist. Call a clergy person. Call a psychiatrist. Call a social worker. Or call the police to help bring someone to a place where they can get their mental health back.

10. Second Life is not a life. To get a life, you need to meet REAL people in REAL life. While SL is not just a game, it does not count as a life. A life is when you get up from your keyboard, get your shower, step outside into daylight (remember that?) and go meet real people in a real place... Like maybe a cafe. Or a bookstore. Or church. Or a park. Then you, get this, talk to them. THAT is where you start having a life.

Burroughs finishes off his advice with the following- it just seemed so appropriate to SL business I couldn't help but to share it.

An old junk pusher told me -
Watch whose money you pick up

Show Me Some Skin

I'm hanging out with pals yesterday and a girlfriend rushes in all aflutter. She'd been helping another friend with two upsetting matters. One, a rl boyfriend and two, a much more upsetting issue, a stolen skin.

Shopping Cart Disco recently posted a note received from a rather upset RL graphic artist who claims that her work was stolen by Minnu Skins. She provides a series of photos (such as pictured) that demonstrate the accused rip off. Frankly, they appear convincing.

While a copyright violation is possible, perhaps even likely, I would urge everyone to take pause. Simply because someone claims their work has been compromised does not necessarily mean that it has indeed been stolen.

When I was first approached on this matter of content theft several months ago, I encouraged a self governing board to gather, made of skilled artists who can help review these matters and bring some fairness to the system. Otherwise, liars can take graphics that do not belong to them and make a skin (or other item), and liars can claim that their work has been taken and ruin reputations. Unfortunately, no such board exists (to my knowledge) and we continue to have little recourse in the interest of truth. Mediation seems to me to be a viable SL Content Theft option for resolution.

I do not know the Minnu Skins creator, nor am I of the acquaintance of Danae Kotsi. But I do feel it necessary to make the call towards temperance and perhaps, encourage a sense of justice - that one is innocent until proven guilty and everyone has a right to defend themselves.

Let us all hope this is a mistake, one that can be properly explained. Otherwise, the SL Drama will have an impact in lives beyond the pixel. I can only imagine the stress, frustration and perhaps anger of Ms. Kotsi. The feelings of Minnu remain a curiosity, but I have no doubt are not pleasant.

Kiss Kiss Kiss

So we're hanging at the high for the Thursday Night Dance Party and I am hostessing for Nexeus Fatale. While sitting on the bar, in an IM with Hellman, I engage in a conversation about the value of sticking out one's tongue. You know, like this :P . The conversation ended up somewhere along the lines of don't stick it out if you don't intend to mean it. Next thing I know is the following... IN MAIN CHAT:

*Hellman stands up, looks Ribbons deep in the eyes, raises her chin lightly with his fingers, kisses her full on the mouth and licks the tip of her nose lightly, "Yes, I was ready to use it."
*You: Yikes!
*You: Er um...
*Hellman sits back down and smiles
*Ribbons Whitfield turns red and falls backwards over the bar
*You: Some guy. Does that and leaves me on the floor...
*Hellman picks her up and sets her back on the bar

Word to the wise - if you are going to randomly go around kissing strangers, make sure they are not bloggers, twitterers, Live Journalists, or MySpacers (etc.).

Nexeus chooses this moment to play a new song (appropriately titled) and after, assumes responsibility... you know, in his own way...

*Bashir: kiss kiss kiss
*Ribbons Whitfield sighs
*Nexeus Fatale: who what?
*Nexeus Fatale: :-p Ribblet don't be blaming things on me!

All I could think was "Oh no. Here we go again with the :P"

Mentors Mentors Everywhere!

I had a little time yesterday and decided to give it to a volunteer program close to my virtual heart. So, being suddenly responsible, I joined several of my fellow mentors for a mentors meeting. I know, I know. You're shocked at my sudden sudden sense of Linden patriotism.

Honestly, I would be delighted to go to more of these if the players were all a little more professional. Don't get me wrong - the Lindens are almost always lovely. And most of my mentor colleagues in attendance are a hoot. But I really do struggle with one issue that gets under my skin. It's the problem of the group IM chat window.

Cranky mentors don't play well together. If someone needed assistance, they asked for it in a chat window. And generally, people responded. This worked well for me for a few reasons.

First, I had a handle on what was going on with the grid. For instance, the problem of the skirt. My skirts would appear for 1 second, then poof, leaving a small panel across my tooshy and a transparent cylinder around my ankles with what looks like a webpage reflected in light hues. This ended up being a glitch that is being addressed. But in the meantime, here I am, walking around without a skirt, bewildered as to why my bathing suit wrap looks more like some weird restraint device. Open problem solving chat would have put me on to that answer WAY sooner than it took me to navigate the Wiki (which I find a bear as I have no knack for getting around that thing yet).

Secondly, open chat helps me learn. You all know that I stumbled into the plague a few months ago which was solved with mentors from another mentor group (God bless those guys!). It's a semi rare thing, but common enough that lots of people know how to resolve it. And yes, it is on the elusive Wiki (which I searched for over an hour and never found). Had a newbie mentor stumbled into it, and had they posted to chat, and had people responded, we would have witnessed the process by which they corrected the problem and when I stumbled upon it, I would have had the knowledge to walk her through it rather than disturb what ended up being 7 or 8 mentors (all patient, humorous, knowledgeable and a joy with whom to work).

Frankly, I hate spam. Most of us do. But there is a distinct difference between a decent conversation and a bunch of silly flirting or rambling. Instead of learning to work together, the IM chat has been limited to "Chinese speaking mentor needed at THIS PLACE." and "Resident in need of assistance regarding missing inventory. Please IM me." That "please IM me" part is now a REQUIRED thing to have lest you risk be kicked out as a mentor.

God forbid someone actually respond in chat!!! They'll spend the next 5 minutes being rudely attacked, listening to other mentors scream about the rules and how (s)he is a spammer. This has happened to me. Before I was aware of the irritation of others, I responded in chat with some satirical quip (which received chuckles and lols) and before I knew I had three or four people screaming at the top of their non existent virtual lungs about spam and how unprofessional I was. Apparently their OCD doesn't allow for the tiniest bit of patience to leave a chat tab open until things settle down so that they can safely close it, comforted in the knowledge that the discussion is over.


Of course, in our mentors meeting, all was going decently well (okay I tolerated it) until near the end when our Linden buddies make a statement about honoring the chat rules and threatening that if they are not followed, they will shut it down. The language used was beyond stern. It was flat out tyrannical.

I took several deep breaths and tried to be patient and limit my boiling irritation. I wanted to firmly make the comment that people who lose their patience over something so silly should have their mentoring tags removed and be booted from the program. Why? Because if they loose their patience and are rude over conversation that might be helping someone, imagine what they do with residents who are not their perfect little mentoree subjects.

My other mentors group, Open Chat for Volunteer Mentors, rocks. Made of mostly crusty SLers, you post a problem. There is this odd lull. (I imaging the crusty brains processing the problem, their mentoring box in their head scrolling through mentor notecards until they pull just the right one and scream, "Ah ha! By Jove, he's got it!") Then suddenly, someone clearly posts either a pointed question or a solution. If it's a question, I answer it. And during the lull as they roll their Rolodex of answers again, I thank them for taking time to help. I do mean it sincerely, but the timing of doing it is really because I feel bad for asking and disturbing their day. They may not feel disturbed but after the drama in the other chat, I feel compelled. Eventually they work out a solution, we get the resident on their way, and we exchange sarcasm and tea and crumpets.

I think my hesitation and mousy approach to asking developed from drama abuse. Why do I say that? Because that kind of behavior is seen in women who were abused by husbands, children who were abused by parents, and weak men when they approach someone in need of something for themselves. It's a behavior that takes years of therapy and behavior modification to overcome. The result of all of this?

I'm a victim of SL Mentor Drama Abuse.

The Tree Guy, Walking the Plank and Twerps

Content Theft.

Arg.

You guys may remember I got giddy er... I mean, expressed my concern over this when I mentioned ThereseTammas' naked protest in the middle of Linden Village (A Nekkid Protester and a Rip Off).

And you probably suffered through my rant with Crackers, Onion Rings and the Law.

Well, my sister got a notecard from a well known shoe designer transcripting a conversation with someone who ripped her off. The crackers attitude? "It's just a gaaaaaame." The designer's attitude? "It's my livelihood you little twerp."

While doing my what is everybody up to? search, poor Wrath Paine had it out with a tree designer who had suffered content loss and thought Wrath was the bad guy. It was clearly a mistake that was worked out later and Wrath expects his trees delivered soon to help him continue to contribute his part in the beautification of SL.

And while lost in a shop I had no idea how I got there, I overheard a DJ whine to a gal that someone stream-ripped his set and used it as their own. I can hear the RIAA having a heart attack, gasping for breath, and falling over from their chairs with a THUMP to the floor as they peek with one eye at the door to see if anyone is watching, then immediately acting dead when they hear a stirring.

You may have also heard that the Skin Fair faced a protest that could have, had it been pressed, prevented the open of fair doors. One of the designers discovered that her line had been pirated and the pirate had a booth. The proverbial Everyone put their foot down (which I doubt was necessary - I imagine had they simply asked, it would have been taken care of but you know SL Drama), the pirate was given the plank, and all designers gleefully opened their skiffs for business.

Meanwhile, skin designers have started an ad campaign depicting nude, well, designers. It is an effort to educate people and to ask that they check the creator when buying. Which reminds me. Someone recently told me that if I have skins in my inventory that look like someone else's, and they aren't marked as such, they are ripped off. I found some skins marked CS. Nice skins actually, although a little too bubble gum for me. And I need to track the creator because guess what? I may have stolen virtual property in my own inventory. How is THAT for news? (whoopie.)

Our friend Tarasia Ashbourne has been a busy little bee as she has worked to organize everyone into one big happy family of victims and potential victims. This was a smart move (and I really do mean that). Now there is a base working against content theft, one that is broader than just the handful that was carrying the torch before, protecting everyone from the big ugly when no one else was looking (unless of course, they themselves were hit). These folks by the way, advocate checking your object creator. Tricky when it comes to stealing textures, but at least you'll sleep at night knowing your brand new prim skirt actually came from the person who sold it to you.

I'm curious however, as to how fullproof this whole effort really is in deterring theft. I came up against a griefer a few weeks ago who scripted something clever. The attack tool she used took on the ownership of the target, but without the target's control. In other words, it masked, making the perp look like the vic. So how hard would it be for clever little scripters to do the same with clothing or shoes or in the case of Wrath's tree guy, a bunch of grass?

There was a copier floating around SL for a bit. The thing was for sale for several thousand bucks before Lindens pulled it. All you had to do was wear it, and basically click. The thing did the rest. Copy a skirt? NP. Copy shoes? NP. Copy a tree? NP. Copy a weapon? NP. Copy artwork? NP. You get the idea.

Somehow, the hackers creed no longer seems to apply. Content theft is real and it plays with real people's lives. Fun to steal a pair of boots and resell them as your own until you find out that that pair of boots was putting shoes on five real life kids. Funny thing to me is that the same people who often declare freedom in content the most passionately, are often the same ones that want poor kids to have shoes. Nice to know they can virtually rip them right off their cold little feet. It may be a fun little game for you, but it's life for others. So what does that say about your character?

By the way, where are the folks from CSI-NY when you need them?

What? Like I can't add to the drama?

*** Update! Kitty Box Fashion Show, 4pm, March 11th. To support the fight against content theft. The ad was kinda purrrdy. Black and white n all that jazz you hip cat. Renneville Square, Klapheck (168, 50, 29)

Happy UnBirthday to ME!

Today is February 29th. That means that I am officially eight in RL! Yeay! Happy birthday to me! *doing a happy birthday dance*

Okay... not really. I always hated my birthday. It was a pain in the tooshy to deal with inviting a bunch of kids who didn't always show. I never dug the slumber parties really, not unless my friends were there. Given they were boys back then, and that I was in elementary school, the likelihood of boys being at a girls slumber party was about as good as finding Earnest Borgnine modeling a swimsuit on the cover of Sports Illustrated.

So I simply decided that if I had to have a birthday, it would be on February 29th. I'd reap the benefits of youth as I aged. I'd enjoy the novelty of birthday attention since it only came around once every four years. And I would only have to put up (once every four years) with people making me wear the funny hat at the restaurant while the wait staff and every other person who couldn't sing to save the life of their firstborn sang Las Mañanitas or the birthday song in Chinese (you gotta stick with it to hear it done right).

Pull my earlobes, stick that yogurt on my head, and hook me up with that birthday pie, baby!

So... now... let's discuss my prezzies.

SL Rants

This is just wrong.

Like a Natural Woman

I'm sorry, but breasts that bounce like that in a dress or top (or should I say those without the proper foundations) are not natural looking in any shape, way, or form. Perhaps if you opted to go without such garments... On that point, I object for those who do so in public.

And by the way, since I am ranting, do you have any idea how un-lady-like it is to walk while swinging your arms? Finding a decent AO that doesn't do so seems nearly impossible. Just because I am an avatar for the moment does not mean I wish to throw all appropriate behavior out the window!

Which brings me to my last rant slash worthy-of-a-mention. It took me nearly five months to find decent shoes in SL that were not stripper platforms. I have to ask the question why?. You would think that entering into SL you would find all the nifty places first rather than the trashy ones. Yet it never seems that way. In fact, I found a self proclaimed "master" preying on newbie girls/women at a newbie spot last week. While people should know better, most don't. As such, the behavior of some reflects quite poorly on SL and the rest of us overall.

Monumental Occasion

Almost a year in SL and it finally happened.

HIM: Ribbs I am gonna IM you. Let's go out, ok?
Ribbons Whitfield: I'm sorry, did you just ask me out?
HIM: Just say yes
Ribbons Whitfield: Wow.
/HIM is a socially stigmatized concept freed by virtual worlds
Ribbons Whitfield: Almost a year in SL and I have never been asked out.
Ribbons Whitfield sits, stunned
Ribbons Whitfield: Let's discuss that later... give me some time to digest that.
HIM: It a long story and I gtg
HIM: ...but yes i did

Just goes to show that even I can get a date in SL... even if it took eight months.

These are the Days of our Second Lives

Alright, the drama hit the fan yesterday with the Linden ruling that the banks are to close. This set off a flurry of conversations about how to save your money, how to protect your money and how to not trust strangers with your Lindens since, technically, those Lindens are money. One such conversation went something like this:

Buddy: Here's what worries me... those people who have money currently in those accounts... will they get it back? Or do these service shut down and run?
Buddy: This might end up being uglier than Linden Labs anticipates
Me: I was just wondering that -- ~~friends~~ invested a decent amount
Buddy: in RL dollars
Me: Yup. I mean look... "Please read this if you operate, or have transferred L$ to, an in-world “bank” or financial company." Financial company to me means exchange. That's going to mess a lot of things up.
Buddy: It's tempting when you get a 90% plus interest return, but hello people, there is no such thing as a FDIC in Second Life -- no protection...bank can run with your money and you're screwed
Me: Exactly why I never invested in it.
Buddy: And as I suspected....word is now filtering through that SL banks have started to lock out accounts so people don't withdraw their money all at once, creating a one day collapse of the entire system
Me: Fascinating really.
Buddy: Truth is, Linden Lab is in no position to function as a Securities Exchange Commission, either from a functional standpoint or a legal one
Buddy: Wow....the value of $L has dropped 5 Lindens today...

Don't panic if this is the first you've heard of this - you have until the 22nd to get your money out of your reputable bank. For those of you who invested in one that isn't so nice, I'd get really comfortable with the idea that your "bank account" is now probably set at zero.

What's always interesting to me is all of the other things that come out when major dramas hit. For instance - you're visiting your sister in the hospital with her husband, kids and your parents as she is very ill. All of a sudden you discover her secret life with a lesbian lover of 18 years (which means that all those slumber parties as kids take on a whole new meaning).

Crisis situations bring out the best and worst of us. And this banking crisis revealed to me a lot of interesting currents that never were really there before. It's like when the Loch Ness monster makes an appearance - all of a sudden you have a monster on your hands.

So these noted currents happened to involve the following: corporate scandal, romance, break ups, allegiances, poaching, lies, photographs, and one very lonely sculptie high heel. The players include one beautiful model, a smart and chic business owner, a very cute consultant, a clever writer, a businessman turned media, a cut-throat venture capitalist (and her ex), a banker turned reporter, me, and a few lawyers... maybe a lot of lawyers (remember when I mentioned monsters earlier?).

To sum it up, one player uses a lot of people to get what they wanted, and also pulls some pretty unethical stunts. Some folks saw through it. Others didn't. Lines in the sand were drawn. And the sculptie heel remained lonely.

What we didn't know was 1. Why, 2. How, and 3, What really happened.

What we now know about the above is 1. To win, 2. wait... Like I'm giving up the details. Pft

What we feel about the above is 1. "How sad," 2. "Who would waste so much time being destructive when they could be creative and constructive" and 3. "...clever, but not THAT clever."

Meanwhile, what I feel about all of this is 1. betrayed, 2. Just desserts for those who lied, 3. Why can't we all just get along? and 4. I'm sadly missing one shoe...

What everyone can learn from this vague story:
1. SL isn't RL - your reasons to trust people are even fewer here than in RL.
2. Check your sources. If someone tells you something they heard someone else say, go to the source and confirm it. When determining truth in it, first consider motivations (and be honest about it), and next, watch actions, not words - they tell you a lot more what people are up to.
3. If you are going to pick on the skinny kid, make sure he doesn't have a black belt in karate.