It’s not very often I get steamed up enough to write about things like this, but perhaps it’s because I’m feeling so utterly pigging dreadful at the moment, resulting in my being in a perpetual bad mood, which has triggered off the annoyance receptors in my brain.I’m NEVER in a bad mood, in RL or SL, but I’m going to have a rant so please indulge me, OK? Let me get one thing out of the way before we start. I blog about fashion but I also blog about a lot of things, and will continue to do so. However, fashion has become more important to me over the past few months, and although it was never my intention that Kittywitchin develop into a purely fashion orientated blog, it certainly seems to have grown into one. I make no apologies for that, it’s a natural development- I love SL clothes and fashion, like a lot of other writers out there. There are hundreds of fabulous SL fashion blogs out there competing for readers and I didn’t think there was room for another one, but seemingly there is and I do love writing about it, so thank you dear reader for allowing me to indulge my passion for writing about beautiful virtual clothing and producing this half-arsed attempt at a blog. I’m not obligated to any sponsors so I can witter away to my hearts content, in the same way that you can decide whether to read my bletherings or switch off and do something less boring instead. (Yes, I did watch ‘Why Don’t You’ as a kid!) But I want to point something out; blogging about fashion does not automatically mean that you get freebies, get invited to all the most wonderful fashion shows and know everything there is to know that’s going on in SL. Alas, I fund my fashion blitzes myself, which is why I’m perpetually skint! And yes, although I am a reporter it doesn’t mean I’m earning an income from it that will keep me in the way to which I have unfortunately become accustomed. However, I have been lucky enough to receive freebies from some wonderful stores and designers for review, but I can count the instances of that on one hand. Incidentally, I am not moaning about that at all, because if you’re talented enough to be able to create something beautiful in SL then you deserve to make some Lindens for your efforts. In fact, the freebies I have had have always led me on to buying more from the designers concerned. (In general whenever I get a freebie I always try and buy something from the donor anyway-it’s only fair if you ask me. Even if it’s only a relatively cheap item, someone still worked hard to create it and deserves something back for their efforts.) So, just because I write about this subject it doesn’t make me an expert, nor does it mean I have my head permanently in a SL fashion cloud. I find stuff out for myself by using my sources, reading blogs or by just seeing stuff that I liked in world. I’ve never been one for drama, and I’ve never indulged in ‘He said, she said’ stuff, because I just find that kind of thing utterly draining and I have enough to do in RL without getting into SL slanging matches. It ain’t my style. Right with that in mind, here’s a rant. Last night in the pub I was having an IM chat with a regular, who pointed out that I was wearing Abyss hair. I was – it’s a look I really like and it suits me perfectly. However, they inferred that they were surprised that I would wear it due to the current issues over SL content theft, and the ongoing debate about Naughty Clothing’s lack of morality when dealing with their customers. As an Avastar Reporter I am aware that there have been issues with them recently, indeed my original skin was a Naughty design, but I’ve recently changed to an RAC skin because not only did it look better, but also because I was concerned that I wouldn’t be able to obtain new make ups etc for the Paris skin I was wearing because of the issues surrounding Naughty at the moment. However what I wasn’t aware of was how bad the problem actually is, and I’m grateful that I was pointed to the following posts about it at Shopping Cart Disco and the SLexchange forums I was a bit put out by the suggestion that I was doing something immoral by wearing a hairstyle that I didn’t know was *allegedly* produced by the same people. I was even more annoyed by the assumption that because I write this blog I’m going to know all these ins and outs. I’m not saying I go around with my head up my arse all the time in RL and SL BUT I’m one of those people who tries to steer clear of drama, rather than attract it, and I genuinely had no idea that Naughty and The Abyss are thought of by a lot of people as being the same company. I discussed this with the person concerned, told them I wasn’t happy with their implication as that wasn’t true, and left with no hard feelings. (It got me thinking though on the assumptions that people make just because of what I write..but anyway, on to the matter at hand.)My opinion, for what it is worth, is this. When you create a product and someone purchases it off you, it is at the very least polite to make some semblance of customer service available to that customer, should they so require it. If nothing else treating your customer with respect will ensure that not only are you considered to be a company worthy of their future business, it also means that they will tell people how great you are, thus attracting more trade. (Incidentally, that’s how I ended up with my Paris skin, purely through a word-of-mouth referral)