What happens after Lift Off? How about stage separation? That's a good metaphor. After a slow start, followed by a rapid climb, Linden Lab has done what, in the business world, should be considered unthinkable. It has alienated a majority of its users, causing a vast separation between its remaining supporters and a growing army of detractors. The only reason this isn't a surefire formula for suicide is that Second Life is currently the only player in the lineup of virtual worlds that is even close to being able to offer what it does. Linden Lab has a captive audience, for now, and it knows this.
There are still the Clueless Ones ... people with rose-colored glasses and blinders and brown noses who can't see the truth of the situation. "Age verification? Bring it on! We need to get the kids off the main Grid." That's their current rally cry. Their appalling ignorance would be almost funny, except that it gives Linden Lab hope for the future -- a future which will likely find the Grid as devoid of life as a moonscape. People are abandoning ship right and left as they perceive, rightly it would seem, that Linden Lab has abandoned its original vision -- a vision based upon the Second Life motto, which I regard as a broken Promise ... "Your World, Your Imagination". And the most astonishing thing about this is that Linden Lab seems to be either oblivious to this, or doesn't care. Neither bodes well for the future that many of us were expecting even only a year ago.
So much has happened since I joined Second Life back in the Good Old Days ... November 14, 2006, in fact. Back then the Promise was in full force. Lag was minimal. The morality nazis had yet to establish themselves as a force in Second Life, or even within the ranks of Linden Lab, itself. Things worked better back then. And we didn't have arbitrary policies regarding what we could and could not do crammed down our throats. Even as a global community we didn't have the specter of the globalization of our in-world "laws" being held at our neck, ready to slice our jugular veins and let the life-blood of Second Life spill out over the barren landscape that our world is becoming.
The simple, and very sad, fact is that the New SL World Order, as being orchestrated by people who have no idea of the damage they're doing, is a Bad business model. They think they can placate the foreign governments that want to impose their own restrictions on behavior and content in Second Life, and attract big business to a Disneyesque shell of what Second Life was, and still survive. The writing is already on the wall -- in big, bold letters. They are gutting second life, but they can't, or won't, take notice of what the users are telling them. Businesses are closing down. Land is going up for sale, or simply being abandoned. Premium users are downgrading their accounts. Other users who were going to upgrade have decided not to do so. People who used to be relatively happy with their Second Life experience are leaving ... in droves ... and they won't be back. And still, Linden Lab refuses to open its collective eyes and see the damage it is doing.
They have money right now. They don't need our monthly dues. They think the supply of concierge users (those paying $125 or more in monthly fees for land) won't dry up. Well, when they have all the IBMs and all the Dells, and all the other big businesses interested in setting up housekeeping in Second Life, where will they be? I already know concierge users who have sold off their land and either downgraded their accounts to "free" or even left Second Life, and there will be more. These are individual users -- not huge companies. And these users are the backbone of the economy which must, once the investors have poured enough money into Linden Lab to be asking for a return, supply that return. We won't be there, then, because Linden Lab is not here for us, now. The investors will pull up anchor and set sail for a better climate, and where will that leave Linden Lab? It doesn't take an economist to figure out the answer to that question.
Right now, Linden Lab has few real friends on the Grid. We no longer agree with their vision, whatever monstrosity it has mutated into. We no longer trust their ability to make decisions that affect all of us, because decision after decision has proven to be additional nails in our own coffins. We see a post in the Official Linden Blog introducing yet another policy change. Residents bomb it. One user after another presents arguments as to why that policy is a Bad Thing. Then there's a flurry of posts, that appear to be an attempt to bury the unpopular post so that casual users can't easily find it, and a few days or weeks later there's another post that's clearly an attempt at damage control, re-explaining the policy and attempting to defend it. This is met with an additional barrage from angry users who aren't fooled by sugar coatings. And so it goes on ... and on ... and on. And this is why users are convinced that Linden Lab cares nothing about our opinions, our desires, our needs, Our Imagination ... Our World.
This is my ball, and I don't have to share it with any other kids. OK?
If you post to this blog you are agreeing to Play Nice (please read that -- it's a clickable link). If you don't Play Nice I won't let you play. If you Play Nice you're welcome here any time you want to make a comment.
If you want to know something about me, then check out my Second Life Extended Profile.
Sunday, September 30, 2007
Saturday, September 29, 2007
Second Life Extended Profile
Don't you just hate the limited space you have available for your Second Life profile? Well, I solved that by creating a notecard with an "extended profile" that I give to anyone who asks for it (I mention it in my official profile). Since this blog is about Second Life, and since some of my readers here are going to be asking me the same questions about me that I get asked in-world, here's that extended profile.
Extended Profile, ver. 1.0
This will probably answer most of your questions about me. In fact, all of the questions, below, are questions I've actually been asked, so this is a sort of FAQ about me.
'Who are you?" I'm Amanda Ascot, and that's not my real name. That's all you need to know. Don't ask me for my real name. Don't ask where I live. Everything I want to tell you about my real life is already right here.
"Where do you live?" See above. I'll tell you this. I live in the United States in what is known as the American Heartland -- think rolling hills of corn and grain. I give you this much so you'll know that my Time Zone is exactly two hours ahead of SLT (Second Life Time), which is either PST (Pacific Standard Time) or PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).
"I'd like to talk to you -- I mean, like voice-to-voice. Could I get your phone number, or can I give you mine?" No and no. I can't give you mine, and I don't want to know yours. Not that it would matter, because I can't speak, anyway, so don't even ask me to by enabling "Voice" in Second Life.
"What do you do for a living?" I work for a veterinarian. My formal training is in the Life Sciences (biology and animal health), and I work at a small veterinary clinic. I have long hours, typically up to twelve a day, and when I'm at work my Internet connection sucks big time. No, I won't tell you where I went to school.
"Can I have your email address?" No. That's not an absolute, but it applies to all but my most trusted friends. Please don't feel badly if you're not on that list. Very few people are.
"You gave me your email address and it looks like it has your real name there!" That's not a question. However, that's not my real name, either.
"Why are you so secretive about your Real Life?" If I told you that I'd have to kill you.
"How about IM/IRC?" I used to do this but I don't any more. They're more of a time sink than Second Life, and, besides, I have stalkers I'm trying to avoid. If you want to chat with me you can do it in Second Life.
"What's your religion?" Does it really matter? I'm a witch. I'm not a fluff-bunny Pagan. My religion really *is* based upon an age-old belief system that has it's roots in Celtic history, rather than the modern religion "Wicca", although I've been there, too. I'm not a Satanist. I don't even believe in Satan, at least not in the way Christians do. I'm not a New Ager, but I've played with that path, as well. I'm not anti-Christian, either. My religion is a private relationship with the God/dess that transcends any organized belief system (and includes elements of many from Christianity and Buddhism to Taoism and totemism), and is based upon the practice of both ritual and "practical" magic for the benefit of all deserving creatures -- not just humans, which frequently are *not* "deserving".
"What are your Real Life interests?" Science and technology (especially biology and computers, but just about anything), science fiction and fantasy, role-playing (table top games like AD&D), bicycling, hiking, camping, riding (horses), psychic phenomena, romantic sunsets, walking in the rain, martial arts, guns, naval vessels, fighter aircraft, gardening, furry porn, hentai, pictures of cute animals (memed or clean), philosophical discussions, chess, walking barefoot in the mud (or barefooting in general, actually), nudism (without the implications you people with your heads in the gutter are probably thinking), music, theme parks (as long as I don't have have to ride the ferris wheel or roller coaster), swimming and diving, and too many more things to even try to sort out right now.
"You didn't mention sex". That's not a question, but yeah ... I didn't mention sex. See the first question, above. I'll let you know this. I probably know more about it that you do, and I probably get more of it than you do, which is one reason I'm not really "into" sexual play here in Second Life. I do not cyber. Period. If I'm "playing" here in Second Life, I'm not also "playing" in Real Life. If that's what you're looking for then please pick another person.
"Are you really a girl?" Why? If all you want is to have someone say the things you need to hear to "get off" then it doesn't matter what the gender of the other person is, now does it? If that's not your agenda, then it shouldn't matter, either. I didn't ask you for your gender, did I? And would it matter if I told you I'm actually a girl, IRL (which I will, if you ask me nicely)? Since I suspect somewhere between 65% and 85% of female avatars that are into sexual role-playing have guys behind them, I suspect you've already been lied to about this, before.
"That was awfully non-committal. You're really a guy, aren't you?" Actually, I'm trying to make a point. You just didn't get it.
"How old are you?" Old enough to be some residents' mother and young enough to still have children.
"What are your favorite foods?" Veggies. Really. I don't eat much meat (mostly chicken, but some pork or turkey, and almost no beef). My favorite vegetables are things most people don't seem to like -- asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts ... but I've never met a vegetable I didn't like. I also love fruits and nuts -- especially strawberries and almonds. Oh, and I'm in love with goat milk -- another food most people find yucky. For desserts I prefer yogurt, Key Lime pie, and anything with chocolate in it. My favorite cooking style is Oriental, followed closely by "southern" (what we call "comfort food" here in the United States), followed closely by Mexican and Italian.
"Do you drink?" Yes. Lots of water. And Dr. Pepper, with Diet Pepsi being a distant second to that soft drink. I prefer freshly prepared fruit juices though. Oh, you meant alcohol? Not very much, actually, since I have little tolerance for the stuff. I actually like a few beers -- Aventinus, Pilsner Urquel, and Boulevard Brewery's Unfiltered Wheat (which you've probably never heard of). I love meade (honey wine), and I make a mixed drink based upon it. It's known as "Ambrosia" and is traditionally made with beer, wine, and brandy. I make it with meade, apricot brandy, apricot nectar (not an alcoholic drink, and used to cut the alcohol and add a little extra flavor to it), and Pilsner Urquel beer.
"Do you smoke?" No. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke -- severely enough that a "hard" exposure to it is life-threatening to me.
"What I meant was, 'Do you do dope'?" Tried it once and didn't like it. I also tried peyote once and the high isn't worth the throwing up afterwards. I don't do drugs -- hard or soft. I'm quite capable of using meditation techniques to alter my state of consciousness just fine, thank you.
"What kind of music do you listen to?" Probably not what you might think, but I'm actually finding quite a few people in the 30-year and under age bracket who don't particularly appreciate the music they grew up with. My first two musical loves were (and remain) classical and old-time rock and roll. Right behind them are rag time, Dixieland jazz, "world" music (especially Celtic and African), and New Age music. I even occasionally get a "hankering" to listen to Country music. I have moods when I can even enjoy the edgier stuff, and one of my favorite groups is Tenacious D. Go figure.
"Do you have a website?" No. My Second Life identity does, though.
The Rules:
1) If you don't know me don't ask to "friend" me.
2) If you don't know me don't offer me a teleport.
3) If you *do* know me don't offer me a teleport without first IMing me and explaining why.
4) Do not hit on me ... period. I'm not here in Second Life for the sex. Find an escort.
"Do you have any alts?" Maybe. Maybe not. Since this is "me", Amanda Ascot, that's irrelevant.
"Are you always 'in character'?" Yes ... and no. Amanda Ascot is not a "character" in the sense that she's someone with a different set of interests, abilities, needs, and desires, or personality, than the "real me". She differs from me only in the ways that Second Life make her different from me. I can't fly, materialize objects out of thin air, "respawn" when I get killed in a combat sim, teleport, communicate telepathically, and shapechange IRL, but I can certainly do those things in here. This doesn't mean that my personality has to change to do those things, and what you see is what you get. I'm not "playing" when I interact with you unless we're very specifically in a role-playing situation and I've deliberately taken on a different "persona", which I'm actually very good at. In casual chat I'm "me". I might complain about Real Life issues. I might comment on the state of the Grid. I might talk about what I'm fixing for dinner. In a role-play I might be a completely different person and I *will* be entirely "in character", then.
"Where do you have your 'Home' set?" It varies, so I'm not going to tell you, here. In fact, there's a good chance that if you don't already know I won't tell you, anyway.
"I'm on your Friends list but I can't see when you're online". Why? I have very very close friends who can see me online and where I am. I have very close friends who can see me online. Most of my friends have to settle for the default setting. I used to have everyone set to be able to see when I come online ... and I spent the next two hours after a log-in buried in IMs.
"What do you do in Second Life?" I have a number of in-world jobs that take up a great deal of my time, here. CARP (CApture Role Play) -- Security, Greeter, Role-Play Mentor; MMM (Maxx and Messalina's Multiverse) -- Greeter; SFH (Support For Healing) -- Island Helper. AAMP (Amanda Ascot & Marcus Pfohl) -- Owner. AAMP, by the way, is a business group. At the moment we're building a residential sim, but there will be other projects. I spend a *lot* of time talking to newbies, giving them a proper introduction to Second Life and showing them how to survive here, and even put in time at the public Orientation and Help islands, although I'm not officially connected with Linden Lab as a volunteer. It also seems like I get drawn into a lot of drama between my friends, and I spend a quite a bit of time helping to resolve conflicts (something for which I actually have some formal training) and just being a shoulder to cry on a bag to punch, if that's what they need.
"That sounds like a lot of work. What do you do for fun?" Fun? What's that? Seriously, I don't have a lot of time to play, and when I do it's usually just with my closest friends. When the lag isn't too bad I might run at CARP. I love to just explore, sometimes by random island hopping, or even just picking a Linden road and walking along it, taking in the sights. I build and I'm learning to script. Yes, I consider that "fun" even though it's part of the work I do. I like to attend meetings where people talk about interesting things -- or just talk to random people about interesting things.
"Who's Marcus Pfohl?" He's another Second Life resident, and the only person in Second Life who knows who I really am. He should. I live with him. If you want to know more about him, ask him, yourself, although I doubt he'll tell you any more than I just did.
"Can I borrow some lindens?" Probably not. At this point I figure other people owe me somewhere in the vicinity of L$40,000. That's about $150 US, and I'll likely never see it. I'm not a bank, and am frequently scraping for lindens, myself.
"What happened to Dead Girl Walking?" I haven't changed my mind about IDV (the tag Linden Lab has given to what they used to call "age verification" and which they are now admitting is really "identity verification"). I'm still opposed to it. I'll still continue to oppose it until/if it becomes so integral to Second Life that it can't be dislodged. If you want copies of my newsletter just ask. I'll put you on the DGW mailing list, but understand that it deals with any and all social/political issues unique to Second Life, and not just IDV.
"Didn't you used to be a ferret/skunk/bunny/digimon/cat/wolf/fox?" Yes, and more. You probably haven't seen me as a pink elephant, yet, but I have that one, too. Yes, I'm a furry. If you find that disturbing you can do one of three things. You can find someone else to befriend, or you can talk to me and I'll disabuse you of all your incorrect fantasies of what it is to be a furry, or you can just keep it to yourself. I prefer the second approach.
"Didn't you used to be a guy?" No. OK, I have a male avatar that you *might* have seen me wearing, but that's because I need it on occasion to try out/make clothes and adjust pose-balls and furniture. I actually have quite a few avatars for specialized purposes like that. Don't ask me if I have a clothing store for men, though. I'm not that good ... yet.
"Wanna f***?" No.
"Let me rephrase that. How about you and me going someplace 'interesting' and make use of some poseballs and type sweet nothings to each other?" Do I know you? If not, see immediately above. If so, then it depends upon my time, my mood, and how I feel.
"OK, so assuming I can get into your pants, what are you interested in?" The only valid assumption is that your assumptions are probably invalid. Remember that. As far as what I'll do with the people I'll do *something* with, I have more kinks than a Brillo pad. If you can think of it, I've probably done it, whether consensually or not, in Real Life. Of those things I enjoy IRL, I'll do them, here, too, but note my comment, above, about cybering. "Adult" role-playing here in Second Life is precisely that for me -- role-playing. My hands are on the keyboard, and I try my best to construct a literary work, meaning complete sentences, in paragraph style, and with no "netspeak". My keyboard doesn't get sticky. Neither (usually) does my chair. My mind is almost completely focused upon creating a quality experience for my partner(s) and arousal is not part of the equation for me. I'm "into" BDSM, probably to more extreme limits than you are, non-consensual role-playing, and groups. I love tentacles and monsters. I make no species, gender, or age distinctions (I'm a "pansexual"), but I'm not going to play a little girl to fuel your age-play fantasies, because that's illegal in Second Life. If you want more information then ask me for my limits card.
"You ignored my IM why, exactly?" Maybe I was busy. Maybe I was away from the keyboard. I never set busy mode, so you can't tell. The reason is that with busy mode set you can't accept object or notecard drops. If you have something really important to say to me, and I'm not online or don't respond to an IM, then put it on a notecard (and name the danged thing something other than "notecard") and send it to me.
"Do you have a website?" Sort of, if you consider a blog a "website". You can find me blogging away at http://amandaascot.blogspot.com . And you can reply to my posts, too.
Extended Profile, ver. 1.0
This will probably answer most of your questions about me. In fact, all of the questions, below, are questions I've actually been asked, so this is a sort of FAQ about me.
Real Life
'Who are you?" I'm Amanda Ascot, and that's not my real name. That's all you need to know. Don't ask me for my real name. Don't ask where I live. Everything I want to tell you about my real life is already right here.
"Where do you live?" See above. I'll tell you this. I live in the United States in what is known as the American Heartland -- think rolling hills of corn and grain. I give you this much so you'll know that my Time Zone is exactly two hours ahead of SLT (Second Life Time), which is either PST (Pacific Standard Time) or PDT (Pacific Daylight Time).
"I'd like to talk to you -- I mean, like voice-to-voice. Could I get your phone number, or can I give you mine?" No and no. I can't give you mine, and I don't want to know yours. Not that it would matter, because I can't speak, anyway, so don't even ask me to by enabling "Voice" in Second Life.
"What do you do for a living?" I work for a veterinarian. My formal training is in the Life Sciences (biology and animal health), and I work at a small veterinary clinic. I have long hours, typically up to twelve a day, and when I'm at work my Internet connection sucks big time. No, I won't tell you where I went to school.
"Can I have your email address?" No. That's not an absolute, but it applies to all but my most trusted friends. Please don't feel badly if you're not on that list. Very few people are.
"You gave me your email address and it looks like it has your real name there!" That's not a question. However, that's not my real name, either.
"Why are you so secretive about your Real Life?" If I told you that I'd have to kill you.
"How about IM/IRC?" I used to do this but I don't any more. They're more of a time sink than Second Life, and, besides, I have stalkers I'm trying to avoid. If you want to chat with me you can do it in Second Life.
"What's your religion?" Does it really matter? I'm a witch. I'm not a fluff-bunny Pagan. My religion really *is* based upon an age-old belief system that has it's roots in Celtic history, rather than the modern religion "Wicca", although I've been there, too. I'm not a Satanist. I don't even believe in Satan, at least not in the way Christians do. I'm not a New Ager, but I've played with that path, as well. I'm not anti-Christian, either. My religion is a private relationship with the God/dess that transcends any organized belief system (and includes elements of many from Christianity and Buddhism to Taoism and totemism), and is based upon the practice of both ritual and "practical" magic for the benefit of all deserving creatures -- not just humans, which frequently are *not* "deserving".
"What are your Real Life interests?" Science and technology (especially biology and computers, but just about anything), science fiction and fantasy, role-playing (table top games like AD&D), bicycling, hiking, camping, riding (horses), psychic phenomena, romantic sunsets, walking in the rain, martial arts, guns, naval vessels, fighter aircraft, gardening, furry porn, hentai, pictures of cute animals (memed or clean), philosophical discussions, chess, walking barefoot in the mud (or barefooting in general, actually), nudism (without the implications you people with your heads in the gutter are probably thinking), music, theme parks (as long as I don't have have to ride the ferris wheel or roller coaster), swimming and diving, and too many more things to even try to sort out right now.
"You didn't mention sex". That's not a question, but yeah ... I didn't mention sex. See the first question, above. I'll let you know this. I probably know more about it that you do, and I probably get more of it than you do, which is one reason I'm not really "into" sexual play here in Second Life. I do not cyber. Period. If I'm "playing" here in Second Life, I'm not also "playing" in Real Life. If that's what you're looking for then please pick another person.
"Are you really a girl?" Why? If all you want is to have someone say the things you need to hear to "get off" then it doesn't matter what the gender of the other person is, now does it? If that's not your agenda, then it shouldn't matter, either. I didn't ask you for your gender, did I? And would it matter if I told you I'm actually a girl, IRL (which I will, if you ask me nicely)? Since I suspect somewhere between 65% and 85% of female avatars that are into sexual role-playing have guys behind them, I suspect you've already been lied to about this, before.
"That was awfully non-committal. You're really a guy, aren't you?" Actually, I'm trying to make a point. You just didn't get it.
"How old are you?" Old enough to be some residents' mother and young enough to still have children.
"What are your favorite foods?" Veggies. Really. I don't eat much meat (mostly chicken, but some pork or turkey, and almost no beef). My favorite vegetables are things most people don't seem to like -- asparagus, broccoli, cauliflower, cabbage, brussel sprouts ... but I've never met a vegetable I didn't like. I also love fruits and nuts -- especially strawberries and almonds. Oh, and I'm in love with goat milk -- another food most people find yucky. For desserts I prefer yogurt, Key Lime pie, and anything with chocolate in it. My favorite cooking style is Oriental, followed closely by "southern" (what we call "comfort food" here in the United States), followed closely by Mexican and Italian.
"Do you drink?" Yes. Lots of water. And Dr. Pepper, with Diet Pepsi being a distant second to that soft drink. I prefer freshly prepared fruit juices though. Oh, you meant alcohol? Not very much, actually, since I have little tolerance for the stuff. I actually like a few beers -- Aventinus, Pilsner Urquel, and Boulevard Brewery's Unfiltered Wheat (which you've probably never heard of). I love meade (honey wine), and I make a mixed drink based upon it. It's known as "Ambrosia" and is traditionally made with beer, wine, and brandy. I make it with meade, apricot brandy, apricot nectar (not an alcoholic drink, and used to cut the alcohol and add a little extra flavor to it), and Pilsner Urquel beer.
"Do you smoke?" No. I'm allergic to cigarette smoke -- severely enough that a "hard" exposure to it is life-threatening to me.
"What I meant was, 'Do you do dope'?" Tried it once and didn't like it. I also tried peyote once and the high isn't worth the throwing up afterwards. I don't do drugs -- hard or soft. I'm quite capable of using meditation techniques to alter my state of consciousness just fine, thank you.
"What kind of music do you listen to?" Probably not what you might think, but I'm actually finding quite a few people in the 30-year and under age bracket who don't particularly appreciate the music they grew up with. My first two musical loves were (and remain) classical and old-time rock and roll. Right behind them are rag time, Dixieland jazz, "world" music (especially Celtic and African), and New Age music. I even occasionally get a "hankering" to listen to Country music. I have moods when I can even enjoy the edgier stuff, and one of my favorite groups is Tenacious D. Go figure.
"Do you have a website?" No. My Second Life identity does, though.
Second Life
The Rules:
1) If you don't know me don't ask to "friend" me.
2) If you don't know me don't offer me a teleport.
3) If you *do* know me don't offer me a teleport without first IMing me and explaining why.
4) Do not hit on me ... period. I'm not here in Second Life for the sex. Find an escort.
"Do you have any alts?" Maybe. Maybe not. Since this is "me", Amanda Ascot, that's irrelevant.
"Are you always 'in character'?" Yes ... and no. Amanda Ascot is not a "character" in the sense that she's someone with a different set of interests, abilities, needs, and desires, or personality, than the "real me". She differs from me only in the ways that Second Life make her different from me. I can't fly, materialize objects out of thin air, "respawn" when I get killed in a combat sim, teleport, communicate telepathically, and shapechange IRL, but I can certainly do those things in here. This doesn't mean that my personality has to change to do those things, and what you see is what you get. I'm not "playing" when I interact with you unless we're very specifically in a role-playing situation and I've deliberately taken on a different "persona", which I'm actually very good at. In casual chat I'm "me". I might complain about Real Life issues. I might comment on the state of the Grid. I might talk about what I'm fixing for dinner. In a role-play I might be a completely different person and I *will* be entirely "in character", then.
"Where do you have your 'Home' set?" It varies, so I'm not going to tell you, here. In fact, there's a good chance that if you don't already know I won't tell you, anyway.
"I'm on your Friends list but I can't see when you're online". Why? I have very very close friends who can see me online and where I am. I have very close friends who can see me online. Most of my friends have to settle for the default setting. I used to have everyone set to be able to see when I come online ... and I spent the next two hours after a log-in buried in IMs.
"What do you do in Second Life?" I have a number of in-world jobs that take up a great deal of my time, here. CARP (CApture Role Play) -- Security, Greeter, Role-Play Mentor; MMM (Maxx and Messalina's Multiverse) -- Greeter; SFH (Support For Healing) -- Island Helper. AAMP (Amanda Ascot & Marcus Pfohl) -- Owner. AAMP, by the way, is a business group. At the moment we're building a residential sim, but there will be other projects. I spend a *lot* of time talking to newbies, giving them a proper introduction to Second Life and showing them how to survive here, and even put in time at the public Orientation and Help islands, although I'm not officially connected with Linden Lab as a volunteer. It also seems like I get drawn into a lot of drama between my friends, and I spend a quite a bit of time helping to resolve conflicts (something for which I actually have some formal training) and just being a shoulder to cry on a bag to punch, if that's what they need.
"That sounds like a lot of work. What do you do for fun?" Fun? What's that? Seriously, I don't have a lot of time to play, and when I do it's usually just with my closest friends. When the lag isn't too bad I might run at CARP. I love to just explore, sometimes by random island hopping, or even just picking a Linden road and walking along it, taking in the sights. I build and I'm learning to script. Yes, I consider that "fun" even though it's part of the work I do. I like to attend meetings where people talk about interesting things -- or just talk to random people about interesting things.
"Who's Marcus Pfohl?" He's another Second Life resident, and the only person in Second Life who knows who I really am. He should. I live with him. If you want to know more about him, ask him, yourself, although I doubt he'll tell you any more than I just did.
"Can I borrow some lindens?" Probably not. At this point I figure other people owe me somewhere in the vicinity of L$40,000. That's about $150 US, and I'll likely never see it. I'm not a bank, and am frequently scraping for lindens, myself.
"What happened to Dead Girl Walking?" I haven't changed my mind about IDV (the tag Linden Lab has given to what they used to call "age verification" and which they are now admitting is really "identity verification"). I'm still opposed to it. I'll still continue to oppose it until/if it becomes so integral to Second Life that it can't be dislodged. If you want copies of my newsletter just ask. I'll put you on the DGW mailing list, but understand that it deals with any and all social/political issues unique to Second Life, and not just IDV.
"Didn't you used to be a ferret/skunk/bunny/digimon/cat/wolf/fox?" Yes, and more. You probably haven't seen me as a pink elephant, yet, but I have that one, too. Yes, I'm a furry. If you find that disturbing you can do one of three things. You can find someone else to befriend, or you can talk to me and I'll disabuse you of all your incorrect fantasies of what it is to be a furry, or you can just keep it to yourself. I prefer the second approach.
"Didn't you used to be a guy?" No. OK, I have a male avatar that you *might* have seen me wearing, but that's because I need it on occasion to try out/make clothes and adjust pose-balls and furniture. I actually have quite a few avatars for specialized purposes like that. Don't ask me if I have a clothing store for men, though. I'm not that good ... yet.
"Wanna f***?" No.
"Let me rephrase that. How about you and me going someplace 'interesting' and make use of some poseballs and type sweet nothings to each other?" Do I know you? If not, see immediately above. If so, then it depends upon my time, my mood, and how I feel.
"OK, so assuming I can get into your pants, what are you interested in?" The only valid assumption is that your assumptions are probably invalid. Remember that. As far as what I'll do with the people I'll do *something* with, I have more kinks than a Brillo pad. If you can think of it, I've probably done it, whether consensually or not, in Real Life. Of those things I enjoy IRL, I'll do them, here, too, but note my comment, above, about cybering. "Adult" role-playing here in Second Life is precisely that for me -- role-playing. My hands are on the keyboard, and I try my best to construct a literary work, meaning complete sentences, in paragraph style, and with no "netspeak". My keyboard doesn't get sticky. Neither (usually) does my chair. My mind is almost completely focused upon creating a quality experience for my partner(s) and arousal is not part of the equation for me. I'm "into" BDSM, probably to more extreme limits than you are, non-consensual role-playing, and groups. I love tentacles and monsters. I make no species, gender, or age distinctions (I'm a "pansexual"), but I'm not going to play a little girl to fuel your age-play fantasies, because that's illegal in Second Life. If you want more information then ask me for my limits card.
"You ignored my IM why, exactly?" Maybe I was busy. Maybe I was away from the keyboard. I never set busy mode, so you can't tell. The reason is that with busy mode set you can't accept object or notecard drops. If you have something really important to say to me, and I'm not online or don't respond to an IM, then put it on a notecard (and name the danged thing something other than "notecard") and send it to me.
"Do you have a website?" Sort of, if you consider a blog a "website". You can find me blogging away at http://amandaascot.blogspot.com . And you can reply to my posts, too.
Play Nice
"We value free expression. However, stuff that's off-topic, abusive, or otherwise busts the rules will be removed without comment."
Yes, it's the same notice you see on the Official Linden Blog. The difference between there and here is that I mean it. So nobody can have any misconceptions, here are definitions for the operative terms:
Off-Topic: If you can't figure out the topic of a particular blog post it's because you can't read. If you can't read you have no business attempting to post to this blog. "On-topic" means it deals with subject matter that is the obvious primary point of my original post in the thread. If it's not "on-topic" then it's "off-topic".
Abusive: I will not be tricked into accepting "abuse" as "criticism" (those are clickable links to standard definitions). You will see criticism of Linden Lab and Second Life in this blog. Criticism directed toward a specific poster in this blog will be interpreted as abuse. Just don't.
The Rules: Actually, I have only one, and all the others are corollaries of it. The Cardinal Rule is "Express yourself responsibly and with reasonable literacy". Keep on-topic, remain civil, post your opinions/praise/criticisms of Linden Lab and Second Life, and even my own opinions and ideas. Do not troll, flame, or otherwise attempt to belittle or anger any poster to this blog. Keep netspeak to an absolute minimum. I'm not impressed by it. Or by leetspeak. Especially leetspeak. Smileys are allowed, but that's because its terribly difficult to discern the "tone" of a comment just by reading the words. Use them, but don't overuse them. Have fun. Share. Learn. But do not cause trouble for me or anyone else posting to this blog. That makes me angry. You wouldn't want to see me angry. :)
Removed: Kaput, gone, obliterated, terminated with extreme prejudice. If I remove a post it will not be re-instated. If you re-post it you will no longer be welcome here.
Without Comment: Exactly what it says. If you can't, or won't, follow The Rules you have no right to an explanation of why you were moderated out of my blog.
My blog is open for comments because I really do value freedom of expression. I want your comments, criticism, and feedback, but I want to maintain a reasonably-friendly atmosphere here, at least among the people who post to the blog, even if the issues they're dealing with dearly need a boot to the head. Feel free to boot away. Express yourself strongly if you like, but I won't tolerate vulgarity, tantrums, name-calling, and other such childish, inane,behaviors. If you don't like what I'm doing, here, tell me (but be nice about it). If you like what I'm doing here, tell me. If you have something to add to something I've posted by all means feel free to chime in, even if it doesn't agree with what I've written. Remember, though, that there's a difference between "facts" and "opinions". Don't argue with facts. Opinions, on the other hand, are both a dime a dozen, and fertile ground for discussion. Spend lots of dimes.
If you have something new and unique to add, then please do, but I won't allow my own blog to become the same bitch-fest that most blog posts in the Official Linden Blog turn into. Don't lament on lag, missing inventory, lack of support, broken PayPal links, and all the other things that the whiners cry about all the time. We all hate these things. I'll talk about them. Discuss them, yourself, but don't come across as just another disgruntled Second Life citizen who needs to blow off steam and can't find a proper place to do it. This isn't that place.
Yes, it's the same notice you see on the Official Linden Blog. The difference between there and here is that I mean it. So nobody can have any misconceptions, here are definitions for the operative terms:
Off-Topic: If you can't figure out the topic of a particular blog post it's because you can't read. If you can't read you have no business attempting to post to this blog. "On-topic" means it deals with subject matter that is the obvious primary point of my original post in the thread. If it's not "on-topic" then it's "off-topic".
Abusive: I will not be tricked into accepting "abuse" as "criticism" (those are clickable links to standard definitions). You will see criticism of Linden Lab and Second Life in this blog. Criticism directed toward a specific poster in this blog will be interpreted as abuse. Just don't.
The Rules: Actually, I have only one, and all the others are corollaries of it. The Cardinal Rule is "Express yourself responsibly and with reasonable literacy". Keep on-topic, remain civil, post your opinions/praise/criticisms of Linden Lab and Second Life, and even my own opinions and ideas. Do not troll, flame, or otherwise attempt to belittle or anger any poster to this blog. Keep netspeak to an absolute minimum. I'm not impressed by it. Or by leetspeak. Especially leetspeak. Smileys are allowed, but that's because its terribly difficult to discern the "tone" of a comment just by reading the words. Use them, but don't overuse them. Have fun. Share. Learn. But do not cause trouble for me or anyone else posting to this blog. That makes me angry. You wouldn't want to see me angry. :)
Removed: Kaput, gone, obliterated, terminated with extreme prejudice. If I remove a post it will not be re-instated. If you re-post it you will no longer be welcome here.
Without Comment: Exactly what it says. If you can't, or won't, follow The Rules you have no right to an explanation of why you were moderated out of my blog.
My blog is open for comments because I really do value freedom of expression. I want your comments, criticism, and feedback, but I want to maintain a reasonably-friendly atmosphere here, at least among the people who post to the blog, even if the issues they're dealing with dearly need a boot to the head. Feel free to boot away. Express yourself strongly if you like, but I won't tolerate vulgarity, tantrums, name-calling, and other such childish, inane,behaviors. If you don't like what I'm doing, here, tell me (but be nice about it). If you like what I'm doing here, tell me. If you have something to add to something I've posted by all means feel free to chime in, even if it doesn't agree with what I've written. Remember, though, that there's a difference between "facts" and "opinions". Don't argue with facts. Opinions, on the other hand, are both a dime a dozen, and fertile ground for discussion. Spend lots of dimes.
If you have something new and unique to add, then please do, but I won't allow my own blog to become the same bitch-fest that most blog posts in the Official Linden Blog turn into. Don't lament on lag, missing inventory, lack of support, broken PayPal links, and all the other things that the whiners cry about all the time. We all hate these things. I'll talk about them. Discuss them, yourself, but don't come across as just another disgruntled Second Life citizen who needs to blow off steam and can't find a proper place to do it. This isn't that place.
We have lift-off!
I have my very own blog! Be afraid. Be very afraid.
This isn't about general stuff. It's about Linden Lab in general, and, more specifically, it's about Second Life. It's not about Real Life, sometimes referred to by Second Lifers as "First Life", unless that happens to impinge in some way or another upon Second Life.
What is Second Life? It's a very unique and wonderful (and sometimes agonizingly frustrating) virtual world. Some people call it a "game", but I don't see it that way. There are no competitors striving against each other for a goal that determines a "winner". Some people consider it a glorified "chat", and it does have much in common with things like IRC, or the various instant messaging services, and the concept of "chat" and "IM" (instant message) is built into Second Life as the primary means in which users communicate with each other. It's much more than this, though, since you are presented with a (sometimes) almost lifelike representation of the real word in three dimensions. Your manifestation in the world is in the form of an avatar. As in many other virtual worlds and online games you can move around Second Life and interact with objects and other people's avatars. Where Second Life differs from these is the wealth of tools available for actually modifying the world, ranging from building structures as tiny as intricately crafted miniatures and jewelry to massive buildings hundreds of meters across, and for making them interactive with the environment through the use of LSL (Linden Scripting Language). Second Life presents you with more options than any other such online service for customizing your avatar and the things you build, even to allowing you to import custom textures, sounds, and even animations. There is even a "voice chat" option available if you want to use it that allows you to speak with other people who have it enabled. If you're not satisfied with just exploring the world and/or renting a place to call "home", you can have your own little piece of it by buying virtual land, either through auction of "mainland" property or by purchasing "private islands", all directly from Linden Lab.
So what's this blog for, anyway? It's for me to talk about Second Life and my experiences on it, and for you to respond to the topics I post. I'll deal with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and will do so with an even hand. I consider myself an equal opportunity curmudgeon where it concerns bad people and ideas. I hold no favorites, and I give no quarter. If you're doing something I don't like, I'll tell you about it. I don't care if you're my best friend, the Vice President of Linden Lab, the President of the United States, or God Almighty, if you're off-base, and it has something to do with Second Life I'm going to let the whole world know about it. On the other hand I can be the most loyal supporter you can imagine, and if you deserve a pat on the back I'll gladly heap mounds of praise on you. And you might get your ideas criticized in one blog thread and praised in another. I'm not (usually) a one-issue voter. There are very few "deal breakers" for me. I don't judge a person on the basis of his/her ideas that happen to differ from mine. I like to believe that there's good and bad in almost everyone and everything -- what's good for me might be bad for you, and vice versa.
Please, though, read my Play Nice post regarding acceptable behavior, here. If you post to this blog you will be expected to abide by it. If you don't abide by it, you will be prevented from posting.
So many things ... so little time. I have a gazillion topics I'd like to talk about, but it's not easy for me to compose readable, error-free text like you're reading. At least I hope it's error-free. I have a language disorder that scrambles my thoughts before they reach my fingers. Without proofreading, three or four times just to be on the safe side, things very much resemble, at least to other people, but not to me at the time, those cipher codes you see in the newspaper. So, if you happen to see any glaring errors please bring them to my attention. I don't mind, and I'll happily correct them.
This is my ball, and I don't have to share it with any other kids. OK?
If you post to this blog you are agreeing to Play Nice (please read that -- it's a clickable link). If you don't Play Nice I won't let you play. If you Play Nice you're welcome here any time you want to make a comment.
If you want to know something about me, then check out my Second Life Extended Profile.
This isn't about general stuff. It's about Linden Lab in general, and, more specifically, it's about Second Life. It's not about Real Life, sometimes referred to by Second Lifers as "First Life", unless that happens to impinge in some way or another upon Second Life.
What is Second Life? It's a very unique and wonderful (and sometimes agonizingly frustrating) virtual world. Some people call it a "game", but I don't see it that way. There are no competitors striving against each other for a goal that determines a "winner". Some people consider it a glorified "chat", and it does have much in common with things like IRC, or the various instant messaging services, and the concept of "chat" and "IM" (instant message) is built into Second Life as the primary means in which users communicate with each other. It's much more than this, though, since you are presented with a (sometimes) almost lifelike representation of the real word in three dimensions. Your manifestation in the world is in the form of an avatar. As in many other virtual worlds and online games you can move around Second Life and interact with objects and other people's avatars. Where Second Life differs from these is the wealth of tools available for actually modifying the world, ranging from building structures as tiny as intricately crafted miniatures and jewelry to massive buildings hundreds of meters across, and for making them interactive with the environment through the use of LSL (Linden Scripting Language). Second Life presents you with more options than any other such online service for customizing your avatar and the things you build, even to allowing you to import custom textures, sounds, and even animations. There is even a "voice chat" option available if you want to use it that allows you to speak with other people who have it enabled. If you're not satisfied with just exploring the world and/or renting a place to call "home", you can have your own little piece of it by buying virtual land, either through auction of "mainland" property or by purchasing "private islands", all directly from Linden Lab.
So what's this blog for, anyway? It's for me to talk about Second Life and my experiences on it, and for you to respond to the topics I post. I'll deal with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and will do so with an even hand. I consider myself an equal opportunity curmudgeon where it concerns bad people and ideas. I hold no favorites, and I give no quarter. If you're doing something I don't like, I'll tell you about it. I don't care if you're my best friend, the Vice President of Linden Lab, the President of the United States, or God Almighty, if you're off-base, and it has something to do with Second Life I'm going to let the whole world know about it. On the other hand I can be the most loyal supporter you can imagine, and if you deserve a pat on the back I'll gladly heap mounds of praise on you. And you might get your ideas criticized in one blog thread and praised in another. I'm not (usually) a one-issue voter. There are very few "deal breakers" for me. I don't judge a person on the basis of his/her ideas that happen to differ from mine. I like to believe that there's good and bad in almost everyone and everything -- what's good for me might be bad for you, and vice versa.
Please, though, read my Play Nice post regarding acceptable behavior, here. If you post to this blog you will be expected to abide by it. If you don't abide by it, you will be prevented from posting.
So many things ... so little time. I have a gazillion topics I'd like to talk about, but it's not easy for me to compose readable, error-free text like you're reading. At least I hope it's error-free. I have a language disorder that scrambles my thoughts before they reach my fingers. Without proofreading, three or four times just to be on the safe side, things very much resemble, at least to other people, but not to me at the time, those cipher codes you see in the newspaper. So, if you happen to see any glaring errors please bring them to my attention. I don't mind, and I'll happily correct them.
This is my ball, and I don't have to share it with any other kids. OK?
If you post to this blog you are agreeing to Play Nice (please read that -- it's a clickable link). If you don't Play Nice I won't let you play. If you Play Nice you're welcome here any time you want to make a comment.
If you want to know something about me, then check out my Second Life Extended Profile.
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