Top SL Blogs

As a service to you, gentle reader, I provide an extensive list of many active Second Life blogs, compliments of virtual pal ArminasX Saiman's Second Effects. Yes, you will note RLTS made the list which, given I had been out of world when this was collected/written and relatively offline for six months prior, I am honoured, not to mention surprised.

Dying to know the top ten? Check 'um out. And be sure to visit Second Effects for the full list.

Second Life Blogs by Technorati Rank

( 1 ) Massively
( 2 ) Official Second Life Blog
( 3 ) iheartsl.com
( 4 ) Virtual Worlds News
( 5 ) New World Notes
( 6 ) Raph's Website
( 7 ) VintFalken.com
( 8 ) Torley Lives
( 9 ) Not Possible IRL
( 10 ) Free*Style

Oooo and one more thing - patience paid off. This walking party provider made the iReport in re: SL6B. Go figure.

Down with Adult Content!!!

Today, Linden Labs released their plans to address the issue of "adult content" in world. Three major steps make up this plan and include moving adult content to one area on the grid, creating a mechanism in search to filter out adult content, and the idea of toying with age verification for adult content access which may or may not include particularly bloody (or particularly violent) games.

Several bloggers have commented on this topic but two SL heavy hitters stand out to me: Nexeus Fatale and Crap Mariner.

Let me make this clear: I object!

I find it frustrating that people "need" someone to censor their behaviors. I have been in SL for a long while (two years in April) and never once have I voluntarily set foot inside a sex palace or any other place of "adult" content. (I must admit however that I was once sim hopping and accidentally landed in a Gorean sim and I also, at one point, stumbled into a rather risque position while shopping by sitting on a shower pose ball.) Despite these occurrences, for nearly two years I have self censored my travels and avoided all things "sex". I also firmly believe that while I may have an opinion about such things, not everyone agrees. Forcing my standards on another is disrespectful of their soul and right to make decisions and in no way inspires "better" behavior (as I see it). In fact, it instills in people resentment which often leads to more anger and more less desirable behaviors. Again, my personal opinion, one I realize in which a lot of people will disagree. They are entitled to their own and I respect their right to have it. (I just hope it is well thought out!)

Nexeus makes two excellent points about this: what exactly is "adult content" and what about privacy? LL has stated that only 2-4% of content on the mainland is classified as "adult". This is the content which we are discussing, not "mature" and not "PG" rated entities. I applaud efforts to reorganize certain content to one grid. And I am delighted that I might be able to soon filter my searches to keep out what I consider to be smut. I am also broken hearted when I think that theoretically, without verification, I would be unable to visit in the future many art galleries, sculpture gardens and other artistic expressions depending on how LL chooses to apply the new regs.

However.

Censoring anything, which the age verification regulation will do, is a slippery slope. Make one change "for the good of all" (or to "protect" all or to "help" all) and the next change towards stricter rules is accomplished with much more ease and much less resistance. History tells us this is how fascism begins - making changes to "protect" us from ourselves and supposedly, others. It is because of this reason that I have VERY mixed feelings about the new verification standard.

Luckily LL is welcoming your two cents. Visit Upcoming Changes for Adult Content to weigh in.

Using your head.

My grandfather is a wise man. For years he would tell me to "use my head". Before major events he'd say, "Use your head." When something went wrong he'd say, "Use your head." And when I DID something wrong, he'd say "Why didn't you use your head?"

Linden Labs used their noggin today. Check out the new OpenSpaces policies established in response to you, the users comments, thoughts, criticisms and complaints. Wait, were there compliments? Hmmm

Enjoy!

Land Conservation

I was in a National Park the other day in RL and was delighted to see that developers were in the process of knocking down the trees to build 1500 residences, all with 3 car garages, a landing strip for the airport, three new schools and a very large shopping area to support the new residents with groceries and gas.

*pointing* This would be my sarcasm face.

Linden Labs (LL) recently released a new policy on the use of Openspace land. This has caused a lot of ruckus lately and upset a lot of people. Let me be clear by stating I am happy and sad about this change.

Much like my scenario above, when Openspace owners rented out their land to people to build their homes etc, the technological strain was significant for LL. The land was never intended to be used for rentals or for that matter, significant traffic constantly calling up a new pair of pants as they put an outfit together. Basically, they abused the land they purchased and now LL is working to correct the technological problem they caused with misuse.

I know a lot of people are angry. Some will have to move their businesses, others their residences. I feel for those who were innocent in this - confused in their purchase/rental. The "laws" of LL can indeed be confusing. But for those who knew better and yet opted to set up shop on Openspace saying "everyone does it" well shame on you. Just because everyone does it does not mean it is right. And shame on you again for complaining when someone came about to correct your stealing because that is essentially what it is. You've stolen server and asset draw space.

Harsh? Not really. Most folks knew exactly what they were doing. Some owners did it to be popular with their friends (giving them low cost space to "help them out"). Some did it to be greedy in another way - to make as much cash as possible. Some probably did it because they didn't have the skill to produce pretty space and left it up to others to fill in the gaps. Reality is, open space is meant for conservation and beautification, not a shopping mall, a sex palace, nor residential tracks.

Am I delighted with LL's crack down? No. I'd have liked them to instead have put their foot down with those sim owners who abused the opportunity. Instead of working it through with them one by one (hey, they could have contracted with me to manage this project!), they opted to raise their rates for all.

While many think they are victims, the real victims (aside from all of us who loose our beautiful space due to rate increases) are the non profits and educational use clients. Because of the greed of some, several non profits will suffer. Yes I know, University of North Carolina can probably afford the increase. But can a small non profit? Perhaps not. Disappointing.

So what does this mean? It means that some entrepreneurial folks are already on top of it, creating new developments for the mass exodus of people who need a new home. Ultimately, the LL economy lives on and the only loss is perhaps the sailing space, forests and gardens we all once enjoyed.

****

• A very nice counterpoint written by MarkTwain White on openspace sailing.
• Protest vote page to stop the rate increase.
• Jack Linden's response
  

No More Nuclear

One of those days when a staple is going away. Nuclear Boutique will be closing its doors on July 31st after two years of fashion contributions. The Ribbons Learns to Swim and I do. teams wish Ari all the best in her future pursuits.

In her words,

"Rather than being unavailable for my customers (as I've been for the past 2 months), I'd rather close the store than lower my standards for customer service...not to mention the lack of new products I am able to create with my current schedule.

"I'm a little sad as this has been a great time...nearly 2 years I've spent building Nuclear Boutique and I will miss it and my friends I've made here. I am hoping to work on other fun projects and spend more time with my friends when I'm in SL and look forward to some free time.

"When/if time permits I might re-open Nuclear Boutique, but for now it's best if we close down.

"Thank you everyone for your support and friendship and for making Nuclear Boutique a great success. I am forever grateful."

Blessings and warm wishes for continued success in all you do!

TE on Sale?!?!

Complements of a contact in a TE group:

Greetings all! This is to let you know that Tiny Empires is on sale for half-price, starting right now and going through this weekend. The Full version is L$249 and the Federation hud is L$149. If you're in the U.S., Happy Independence Day! Sale ends Sunday night July 6th 8pm SLT. Giftbox version is not eligible.

Dig it? ;)

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?

One More...

Missed one!

For our professional computer geeks, educators, programmers, tech journalists, content developers, etc etc, the Virtual Worlds Expo is a go for LA (California, USA) in September.

"Virtual Worlds Expo is dedicated to helping businesses harness the power of virtual worlds to engage with their customers, partners and employees. Conference agenda will include consumer worlds, enterprise worlds, investment and strategy, education uses of virtual worlds, virtual law and visionary/future development" These guys pick up heavy hitter sponsors like Electric Sheep Company, IBM, SL Grid, Virtual MTV, Cisco, etc.

Interestingly, if you sign up now, you same some MAJOR Linden... er... um... dollars. As in US dollars!

Good Stuff to do in (and out of) SL

Two biggies this week. Yeah yeah, I know. I'm a little late getting them out. So sue me. [Shut up my friend(s) you- know- who- you- are- attorneys- who- have- nothing- better- to-do- than- hang- out- in- SL!!!]

The first is that it is prom season. I know, you're dying for the details. Me on the other hand, I'd not even mention it - reliving a prom I never went to in the first place (for very good reasons) doesn't sound like a party to me. So "why bother?" you ask? It's for a really great cause: the American Cancer Society.

Stealing from the promos....

"There will be live music, fabulous DJ'ing, dancing, and more encompassing four islands. Scheduled to perform on Saturday night are Maximillion Kleene and srv4u Conacher. Scheduled for Sunday night are Jano Runo and Dann Numbers. Mixing it all together both nights will be Gwen Carillon. The music will be broadcast across the four regions.

"Each night there will also be a very special, one-of-a-kind auction for the Prom King & Queen crowns and the Prom Crashers Party King & Queen crowns! The crowns will go to the highest bidder, and all bids will be paid directly to Relay for Life.

"It wouldn't be a Prom without the pictures! Photos will be taken for a small donation, and yearbooks will be made available after the Prom.

"If you have any questions, feel free to contact Tigerlily Koi, Haedon Quine, or any other member of the Designers in Seclusion Relay for Life Team!"

Who: American Cancer Society's Relay for Life
What: Prom 2008
Where: Skin City (99, 105, 586)
When: Saturday, June 14th from 3pm to 7pm SLT and Sunday, June 15th from 5pm to 9pm SLT.
Why: To raise money to help support efforts to find the cure for cancer.



In other news... grab your wallet, your swimwear and your non prim business cards and head on down to Tampa, Florida (USA) for a little real life partying in September. You think I'm nuts? The folks at the Second Life Community Convention (SLCC) opened their registration for the hootenanny last week. "Who goes to these things?" you ask? SLers. Builders. Somebodies. Business people. Socialites. Fashionistas. Scripters. DJs. Nobodies. Musicians. Educators. Basically, everybody.

"Huh?" you say? In 2005 a bunch of SLers enacted a "real life invasion of Linden Lab" as they put it, arriving in San Francisco. It ballooned from there into an international gathering of people from all over SL meeting in RL. This is what I officially call Worlds Colliding.

Ticket prices are $220 USD (or $58,220 Linden). Register Here.

Interested in becoming a SLCC sponsor? Contact Nexeus Fatale. Questions? Contact Nexeus Fatale. Complaints? Contact Nexeus Fatale. Questions about housing? Contact Nexeus... wait... no... Call the Marriot.

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.

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)

Stuff, the SL Plague, and more Stuff

I always think I am going to run out of things to blog about here... I mean, you can only babble on with nothing of substance to say for so long before you become ordinary. But today, I had so many things to mention that I didn't know where to start. None of them are worthy particularly of their own posting (okay, maybe the kudos section), so I figured I would stick them all in one spot and call it a day.

First of all, the SL Plague is going around.... again.

This poor soul logged on to find that her entire body had been eaten by the plague... leaving nothing but a black hole. After reverting to the test female shape and having no success, she called out for help, and 6-7 mentors later, discovered that the plague targets people who run two monitors.

Of course, this little case came about just after perhaps the worst griefer attack I have seen in SL. A newer resident of our world had just took up roots with her husband in a cute cottage. She was upstairs changing and all of a sudden, a stranger was in her home, asking her if she would like a TP downstairs.

From that point forward, it was pure heck for the gal. Luckily, she had the Hey Girlfriends gal pals to step up. And once she had them, she had a host of mentors available at her fingertips. Unfortunately, our typical tools didn't work. The gal hovered over us like something out of a bad 70's horror movie. And after three launches, two of them dropping me six feet under, I called in the big wigs.

It's always neat to see "them" work. They sneak in underground... are on rooftops... cam in from three SIMs over... kind of like how the US Navy SEALS take a beach. You never know they are there until it's too late. Eventually they contained the gal griefer. But in the process, a Girlfriend gal pal's boy was banned. Why? BECAUSE THE GRIEFER SCRIPTED EVERYTHING TO TAKE ON THE NAME OF THE ATTACKER'S TARGET. I'd call her a witch but honestly, I was too impressed with her creativity. These details are still being worked out and we keep our fingers crossed for a fair and reasonable Linden review of the situation and swift return of our friend to SL.

Sadly, it left a sour taste in the mouth of the renter as she had had a stalker there not a week before. (Yes, I know I know - you are all wondering about security - the landlord hadn't provided any nor the ability to ban. Slum SL Landlord. lol) Since, she seems to have bounced back but with caution.

Speaking of Hey Girlfriends, Catty Loon finally threw in the towel and is kicking off a new Hey Girlfriend blog coming soon. In it we all get to speak on important topics that require no words and giggle at each other when we walk out of the SL bathroom with tp on our shoes. What are girlfriends for, huh? ;)

On other horizons... Someone I met in a completely different medium did a google on me and pointed out that I should google myself. Much to my delight I discovered I had a mention on CNN.com. They were so kind as to suggest that you swing by the H&R Block party for some free tax advice and that while there, talk to Hope or to (are you sitting down?) me.

Let it be known that I am not an accountant. In fact, I know so little about taxes that I have a CPA and a tax attorney help me each year. When it comes to such things I am a total and complete dingbat. The only tax advice I give is 1) make sure you do them, 2) get professional help and 3) don't forget to mail them cause bad things happen when you don't like weird guys in cheap black suits showing up at your door in black cars with black windows. By the way, to make your accountant like you at least a little, hand them spreadsheets. They seem to make them smile which during tax season is a very very very good thing.

I also discovered via the googling that this little blog endeavour of mine was query worthy at technorati.com. Technorati currently tracks "112.8 million blogs and over 250 million pieces of tagged social media". Does that mean I made it to the big time? If so, who in their right mind would waste the time? lol

Honestly, I was flattered. Three hits, two of them from the Ribbons Learns to Swim friend Wrath Paine vs. Second Life (all one has to do for Wrath is write him a poll - he's addicted) and one of Misty is Foreverlost (misplaced the map again!). A big THANK YOU to Misty for the blog roll spot under "Misc Crap". One of these days I look forward to meeting her.

This discovery of course led DJ Tarsis to google his baby the alternativeclassix.com. Tarsis reports to me that out of 40,000 podcasts on Podcast Alley, we're ranked 3,000. That's actually not bad given the competition. Of course, when one sorts by genre, we're happy to report that darnit, people like us! Search for 80s, alterantive, 90s and we're probably number one. Yeay us!

I'm calling it a night. Many thanks, kudos, and candies to those who are helping make this gig a success. I cannot thank you enough for your encouragement, notes of ideas, and the occassional thrown shoe.

I sunk your battleship!

One of things that's interesting about doing what I do in SL is the fascinating things that pop up. You now, like when someone pops out of a cake and you throw your glass of champaign in the air and scream.

Much to my delight, I was invited to take a tour of the not yet open Titanic.

No, not THE Titanic. The new Titanic. Like, a modern version with a kick butt pool, ballroom and the conservatory - to drool for. The kitchen produces scrumptious foods, the dining areas are available for custom, and the exercise room is complete with athletic poseballs. I didn't want to be rude to my hostess by taking snapshots right and left but I did click this one off - the bow of the ship created especially for weddings and other ceremonies, right off the ballroom. You have nearly guaranteed privacy when at sea, and among the finest of interiors I have seen in SL. AND just to make it really nifty- a fabulous teleport system on board to make it easy to move from area to area freely. (Just for kicks, check out the master bedroom below!)

The Titanic will be available for private conferences, meetings, weddings, and other special events. Arrangements may be made for individual leasing. For more information, please contact me privately.

Oh, and no icebergs this time around.

Taxing Taxes Parties

There is very little in this world so reliable as taxes (except perhaps death). It's so reliable in fact, that it adds stress to the average household, months of worry, and a lot of white out. Shoe boxes of receipts, file folders stuffed with notes, planners covered in post-its... your friendly neighborhood CPA shakes her head, starts a new pot of coffee and prepares for another all nighter.

Those who are married to CPAs know what this is like. Sometime after March, you discover that you are not sleeping with a smelly, ugly, moldy monster but that there is a spouse under there somewhere, usually found after a series of bio-hazerd showers and several weeks of therapy.

Perhaps this is why I am so pleased to be the bringer of help. Well, not really. I just bring the news of help.

H&R Block hosts Tuesday night don't-blow-your-brains-out-over-taxes parties in the H&R Block Island sim. They've hired one of SL's top DJs to spin (trust me he's good). While you dance your tooshy off, you can ask nice questions about deductions, schedules, forms and when it is absolutely necessary to give your cat a bath.

I popped over there Tuesday and found "Hope". Great name I think because this woman is a little like me, but an accountant. She sits up at night and instead of having a life, reads IRS manuals (I read philosophy and theology literature). She's a walking library of all things tax. She's a delight, direct, clear, and doesn't speak to you like you are a 5 year old but still keeps it simple enough that you can figure out what the heck she is talking about.

If you are from Boston, by the way, don't forget to offer her some tea. No real reason - just that she might like it.

Cackers, Onion Rings and The Law

Tarasia Ashbourne. Remember that name. *getting out a notepad and paper cause she'll forget it soon if she doesn't*

Tarasia Ashbourne is a go getter. When she sees something, she goes for it. I just hope she stays away from my onion rings, cause you know, no one touches my onion rings. Ever.

You're dying to know aren't you? Well, I think it's the combination of beer batter flavored with onion and the salt and the crispiness with the softer center. It's like, the hot crispy on my tongue followed quickly with the salt which brings the burst of flavor, then the soft center squirting all that tasty flavor onto my tongue... my mouth is literally drooling as I type this... Add to that the cool soothing texture from dipping it in cold ranch... Oh. My. Gosh.

Oh. You didn't mean the onion rings...

Tarasia is hopping mad about property rights in SL. She seems to figure that if you put all that work into an item, well, darnit, you should earn the income from that item. You know, instead of some snot nosed 20 year old cracker who can hack code for his own financial benefit.

So she started to hit just about everyone up saying something like, "Hey you! Over there! Come here. Now. We're fixing this. Go." And I've noticed, she won't let you "go" until you spill your ideas. (Okay okay, she's actually a very nice, bright, well thought out and determined person. I just like my image of her better. LOL)

Anyway, she's on the warpath. This girl is serious. She's toying with an organization that will work together as a public service to help resolve disputes in SL when it comes to design infringement. Wanna know why? Cause Linden Labs ain't gonna do it.

The FashCon Café sent out a press release regarding their new blog. It seems Marni created the blog as a means to comment on those designers and shops who are on the up and up (i.e., only sells creations by the owner which are clearly original and not copied in some form). Near the end, she asks that those who want to participate send her a notecard. My guess is that she's trying to keep it positive - celebrating those who play nice rather than trashing those who don't. It's free and it's a tasty way to promote yourself and play fair.

By the way, I understand that when she released this blog in group, those in the chat went ballistic. Why? I have no idea. Fear perhaps that in a libertarian society, policing would become the norm. That's up to the participants in my mind. Your vote counts so be careful with whom you associate.

Tarasia did put me on to a few organizations in SL that piqued my interest. They are Union of Designers Against Theft, Sellers’ Guild, Merchant Theft Protection Group, and Copyright Hunters. She had a chance to speak with the Merchant Theft Protection Group and digs their program finding them successful at their intended purpose, having resolved several cases of theft over the last year or two (or maybe three). There are others in world too.

I'm off to go find a snack.

A Nekkid Protester and a Rip Off

I received a note from a lovely woman in my SL Profiles account, sharing her feelings about the skin rip off from a couple of days ago. Bless her heart - she opted to protest.

At Linden Village.

In the nude!

For those of you playing catch up, it was discovered that someone chose to copy and sell knock off skins from some of the best designers in SL. This caused a lot of hoopla and generally made everyone very unhappy.

The discussion popped up among some fashionistas the other day - okay, an expression of outrage popped up - everyone wants the Lindens TO DO SOMETHING.

One good friend pointed out that the reality is there is nothing they can really do. The Lindens are not the security force for business in SL. There IS NO security force in SL. I'm highly tempted to suggest we create a government, complete with elections etc. But somehow, as fascinating and engaging as it would be, I think it would ruin SL. (Thank you Duckyfresh Wantanabe for your nomination as VP many many months ago.)

Okay so here's what the legal heads tell me. Designers in SL come from all over the world. Each designer is ultimately responsible to his or her own Real Life government. Those government's laws are all different and as such, expecting the Lindens to enforce them all is, well, a silly expectation. (However, if they chose to embrace such a thing, they can hire me to coordinate the attorneys - Ill lock them all in a SIM with a camera and watch the feeding frenzy with glee.)

One may argue that they are subject to the laws of the US given that Linden Labs is based in California and they technically do their business there.

Or one may argue that they are responsible to the laws where the server sits that hosts their shop which, physically is where they do their business.

Or, some suggest that SL is it's own universe and has absolutely no regulation. (Thank you Libertarians and cyber-geeks.)

Regardless of your choice, the Linden's hands seem tied with the exception of the possibility of them perhaps saying, "Hey, we frown on this behavior and feel it is not part of our intended purpose for SL. These folks are not team players and are not SLers in our mind. Shame on you for ruining the experience for everyone."

As for the designers... As much as this stings to say, copy-cats are the best form of flattery. I suppose in a way you know you've made it when your designs show up as knock offs on the street. No, the stitching isn't the same. No the patterns do not line up just right. But the less economically gifted will say, "Who cares? I look like I am wearing an XYZ." Reality is, they aren't. And most never will.

Yes, I realize that there is a difference in SL as computer technology being what it is, one can simply break a code thingee and poof! An EXACT duplicate.

That said, here is the best advice I have seen regarding such matters.

Threaten them.

Professionally.

If you have a legitimate claim to your work, send a cease and desist order. Let them know you are on to them and inform them that they must stop. This has been effective in the past - in fact, just this past year. Most people run with their tail between their legs when you sound serious and professional. (We did this with one person in the summer of 2007.)

Next, if you haven't already done so, file an abuse report with SL. Notify the land owner of the impersonator's shop POLITELY that he or she "may have a problem" (even if you know it IS a problem). Enlist him or her as your ally to work for a "positive resolution" - think of it as a courtesy - he or she probably considers the rental his or hers business and doesn't want to be blind sided.

Then, notify the fashion community, starting with the owner of Fashion Consolidated (and the other major fashion groups), then the owners of the Fashion agencies. The key to this is being professional, not getting upset, and having a clear resolution in mind.

Eventually, ashes ashes, "we all fall down". The thing dies and your brand is not only protected, but your professionalism through the whole episode increased your positive reputation. By the way, there are agencies out there than can help you manage these things. For more information, let me know. It's great to be a freelancer these days!

As for the folks who ripped off the designer skins - you suck.

Bling, BANG, and a Side of Meat

Some colleagues have been wrestling with a lot of issues relating to groups - things like how many should we have, how often should one post, how does one deal with abuse etc. It's an ongoing problem in SL for the business person, regardless of their field, be it entertainment, retail, PR, etc. Over the last few months, I've struggled with many of these issues too. We all want to embrace the best practice for the most effective means of delivering our interests.

But I have a confession.

JCNY is one of the best jewelry designers in SL. If you don't believe me, check out the bling in the pic. Their staff, although my contact with them has been limited, are very good businesspeople and very nice folks. Having said that, their group was getting out of control thanks to spammers.

This probably is not their fault. No one can be online and monitor a group 24-7, nor should there be that expectation. However, every time I was online it seemed that I was being attacked by large cans of spam. Not in their notices mind you - in their group IM.

Not a problem I say, when it is one person making an error or making a statement once. Just close the window. What got me was the five or six or twelve people who had to chime in after him or her, stating how he or she should not spam. That meant several more close clicks, all on top of a laggy SL day, intermingled with a variety of other tabs open.

Perhaps my frustration was complicated by the fact that I had a person in IM who was highly at risk and I was working with the avatar to find some resolution in SL and RL to protect one's safety. Perhaps I was just really tired of people saying "shut up!"

So this is how it went down. Someone spammed. One or two people told the person to stop. Then a conversation ensued ending with someone (we'll call her W) saying something about how it had to stop or they would loose members in the group.

I snapped. That comment set me off. Someone spamming even more, with a spam about consequences regarding spam!

So I committed the cardinal sin and spammed myself. My response was something like, "Yeap. Like me. Have fun folks! I'm leaving." and I left the group.

Not a minute later, BANG I got an IM from W criticizing me for being THE problem.

Now at the time, I figured it wise to let it go. Getting into an in depth conversation about her bacon, spam, and other issues with virtual meat was going to take me away from the problem at hand. But don't think for an instant I was so mature as to let it go for long.

Okay, I was mature enough to bite my tongue and protect her well meaning, although poorly executed, name. But I must say that her action was not the best solution.

Allow me to propose this course of action. When you are spammed in a group IM, first stop and consider if it was an oops or a legitimate spam.

Secondly, IM the person directly rather than spamming even more.

Thirdly, try and keep your sense of humor. If you do choose to spam the group back, a gentle coaxing and a laugh will make it better for everyone and might even inspire the original spammer to think twice.

Fourth, don't leave the group - instead, make sure you drop a line to the group owner in the event it gets really bad. He or she wants to keep members, not loose them. Be polite, share your concern. They may not even know that they have a problem.

Luckily, my sister sends me all the juicy news anyway so I'm still plugged in. None the less, I owe JCNY's owner a note.

Let's all be better meat buyers in the future.

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.