Just a quick humble-brag on my part, but I had to share that this is post number 1602 on the blog. I’ve never consistently kept a diary, something I’ve always wanted to do, yet I’ve managed to keep this blog going since 2007. YIKES!
There have been a few breaks along the way, but I’ve always come back, because I love it.
I adore my Second Life, and I really hope that this blog reflects that. This week I’ve been honoured to be accepted as part of the amazing SL BLOGGER SUPPORT crew, and if you’d like to read my first post for them you’ll find it here. I thank everyone who has ever dropped by my blog and read any of my 1602 posts that I’ve written over the years. How time flies huh?
Here’s to the next 1602!
Author: Lisa Millar
To Orb Or Not To Orb, That Is The Question…
And it’s a question that I’ve never had to ask myself, until now.
In all my years of being a Second Life resident (almost 8 years now, eeep!), I’ve never been especially harassed by trespassers at my various abodes. Sure, a few times I’ve rezzed into my home-space and found someone enjoying my furniture and epic decorating skills (obviously!), but it’s never troubled me enough to want to inflict ban lines (urgh) on my neighbours, or invest in a security device. The prompt for this change of opinion occurred two nights ago. I logged in at my new residence, a beautiful Brownstone that I recently took ownership of in the delightful Sunshine Mist community. I had coveted these residences from afar, because I particularly love Harlow Heslop’s epic landscaping skills, so when one became available I jumped at the opportunity to rent. I wanted to feel a sense of community, especially as we enter the Holiday season, and the idea of having neighbours again appealled to me. As I write I’m still busily moving my stuff (read: cats) into the property, and it’s fabulous fun.
I’m incredibly fussy when it comes to virtual home-making, it has to be *just* right (I’m a Virgo, ’nuff said) so I’m having a grand-old time making the space feel like home. All the pleasure, with none of the pain (Although fitting virtual curtains is a challenge and a half, let me tell you! )I find decorating virtual houses exceptionally relaxing after a long, hard day in teh real world, and I take great pleasure from it, as I’m sure regular readers can tell. One of my favourite toys as a child was my doll’s house, and I think my love for that has somehow relocated into the virtual world. It’s incredibly relaxing decorating from behind a keyboard, and there are some absolutely amazing items in Second Life that you can decorate with ( I relish my daily read of LTD!). and, for me, it’s chill out time. Behind the screen in real life I’m enjoying a brew and listening to music,on-screen I’m moving a wardrobe or changing the colour of the cushions at the touch of a button. It’s bliss, it really is, and it makes me so happy.
So I was a little rattled when my home was, for want of a better phrase, intruded upon. I logged in, and as soon as I did I realised someone was in the house. At this point I wasn’t concerned, and soon identified that my visitor was sat on my kitchen sofa, drinking a cup of tea. I wandered down the steps and into the kitchen-space, and as I did so the rather well-dressed intruder jumped to her feet. Now, at this point I wasn’t angry, nor was I considering making a fuss. I was (if anything), curious, and had things progressed a different way I’d have sat next to her on said sofa and poured her another cup. She was no newbie, not by the way she was dressed, that’s for sure. She was sporting a quality skin, and a retro look; in other words, the kind of look that would take time to perfect. Yet, according to her account, she was three days old?!
I actually saved the chat-log, but I’m not going to name names, because I think I was dealing with an alt.Not only that, but an alt who either didn’t have English as a first language, or who was actually taking the piss, and not in a funny way. (All spelling appears as it did in-world. Comments afterwards are obviously mine:)
[10:42] Kitty Otoole: Hello:)
[10:42] XXXXX: Hi do you live here?
[10:42] XXXXX: Cause I move hear alredy (Really? So that’s why the house was empty when I moved in..)
[10:43] Kitty Otoole: Hi, yes, moved in yesterday
[10:43] XXXXX: so can you go please not saying in a bad way (I’m glad she wasn’t saying it in a bad way because, you know, I might have taken offence…)
[10:43] Kitty Otoole: Oh! Did Harlow Know? ( At this point, gullible Kitty that I am, I thought there had been a genuine mistake. That thought lasted a nanosecond..)
[10:43] XXXXX: yes (Fib! Fibby fib-fib!)
[10:43] Kitty Otoole: Oh ( I’m realising this is definitely a fib)
[10:43] XXXXX: So please.. (Detecting odd sense of desperation..)
[10:44] Kitty Otoole: Well I’d better have a word with her, so I can get my money back ( I put this out there because obviously I had paid rent upfront, and my mysterious visitor had not..)
[10:44] XXXXX: well ok (Ooh! Seems almost legit!)
[10:44] XXXXX: bye (RUDE)
[10:44] Kitty Otoole: You’d better return all my stuff as well (Bear in mind here peeps, she’s sat enjoying a rather lovely BAZAR kitchen, along with all my accessories, some epic NYLON PINKNEY artwork and a few cats. As well as a cup of tea.)
[10:44] XXXXX: no plaese (Eh?)
[10:44] XXXXX: i dont know were to live (No, but you know where to shop judging by that outfit/hairstyle/skin..)
[10:45] XXXXX: so can we live together tham (Hmm, how do I put this? NOPE.)
[10:45] XXXXX: please (A minute ago you were telling me to go, now you’re asking if you can stay?!)
At this point, I lost the plot. I don’t normally, I’m usually very easy-going and wouldn’t hurt a fly. However, I was feeling played here, and a tad pissed off. Had I not been tired and grumpy I might NOT have done this, and I’m NOT proud of it….
[10:45] Kitty Otoole: Go and find your own place like everyone else does.
[10:45] Second Life: Avatar ejected.
And that was the end of that. Two minutes of banter before I ban-hammered.
And you know what? I felt SO GUILTY. Did I over react? I mean this is a virtual world after all, so does it really matter that much?
Well, actually, yes it does. I’ve paid rent, bought furniture and invested in the Second Life economy. Had my intruder been a genuine newb I would have perhaps offered some advice about the best way to interact in Second Life (As I poured another cup of tea and offered them a biscuit of course. I’m nothing if not a cordial host!) But my visitor was, quite obviously, not being genuine with me.
Perhaps I’m just too trusting, and perhaps I assume incorrectly that everyone thinks the same as I do, that it IS possible to cultivate respect for fellow virtual citizens, just like your real life peers. But you know, this has started me questioning my own judgement, and now, for the first time in my virtual life, I’m considering installing a security device. And I really don’t like that thought at all. I’m having a virtual-existential crisis here guys!
Thing is, I LOVE seeing how people have decorated their virtual abodes, and I enjoy nothing more than wandering a sim and drooling over the interior ideas I spy around every corner but I set myself hard and fast rules. I always check if someone is in their home before I cam-in, and I NEVER go into a property uninvited. (Probably the only trait I share with a vampire!) But perhaps even that is too much, and I’m no better than my uninvited house-guest?
I get that Second Life can be daunting to a new member, and it can be expensive and alienating as well as welcoming and exciting, but just because this is a world of pixels and polygons it doesn’t mean we have to leave our manners at the log-in screen.
So the question remains, leave my house as is knowing that people will be able to enjoy it when I’m not around (something I’ve never had a problem with before), or do I hit the marketplace, and buy a security orb?
Readers, how do you feel about your virtual home? What do you think, am I over-reacting, or is this actually an issue that deserves more consideration?
WITCHY WEDNESDAY: ALL ABOUT THE ALCHEMY
This week’s ‘Witchy Wednesday’ is a bit special, because we’re not just featuring one item that has a Witchy theme, but an actual event. Not just any event either, but a quality affair with fans all over the grid that eagerly clamour into the sim and crash it every month upon opening day!
Of course I’m talking about Collabor88, which this month has ‘Modern Alchemy’ as a theme. If you’re an Alchemical Witch then you really won’t want to miss it, but even if you aren’t I am sure you’ll be pleased as punch to see this unusual concept celebrated at such a popular event.
Alchemy is associated with Witchcraft because it’s an Occult tradition, spanning at least 2500 years, with all the great civilisations counting Alchemists amongst their ranks. These were important, educated people often with influence upon society, and Alchemy itself was considered serious science, whereas now it tends to be thought of as whimsy or the stuff of fiction. But there are still ardent followers amongst Pagan folk.
But what is Alchemy? I found a great definition HERE: ” Alchemy refers to any process that might add value or usefulness to unrefined materials, although it is often thought of as a medieval philosophy and an early form of chemistry, and it usually conjures up images of a medieval “scholar” in his laboratory, surrounded by piles of rare books and manuscripts, test-tubes, retorts, alembics and other paraphernalia generally associated with chemical experiments. Over time, it has come to be used in popular language to refer to any magical power or process of transmuting a common substance, usually of little value, into a substance of great value…”
Transformation is the key word here, and that’s how it translates to the fashion, furniture and dwellings that you’ll find at this month’s showcase. I’m particularly impressed by how so many creators have approached the theme seriously and clearly done their research into the subject. Prime examples of this are LARK, with Sienia Trevellion demonstrating a total understanding of the brief with her ‘Elemental Bookcase‘, and the absolutely sensational ‘Digital Alchemy’ Necklaces from SCHADENFREUDE, that feature all the symbols and sigils that an Alchemist would use. Finally, any aspiring High Priestess worth her salt (tenuous alchemy link there!) must check out the ‘Bellatrix Dress’ from NOODLES.
Every Collabor88 round this year has proved to be an absolute phenomenon, and this one is no exception. Bring your elements into balance by clicking HERE to visit.
Kitty Wears:
Skin: NAR MATTARU – Zoe Skin (Tone 03), Zoe lipstick (Butcher Baby-Dark)
Hairbase: PAPERBAG ‘Twigs’
Hair: TRUTH ‘Sian’ (Gingers)
Eyes: Eye Make Up: MONS Black Eyeliner series (#8)
Eyes: IKON ‘Hope Eyes’ in Crimson
Lashes: GLOW STUDIO ‘Italia’ (Romantic) (TDR FUSION)
Ears: AITUI Gen 4 Heart Plugs
Jacket- EMERY ‘Hollywood denim Jacket-Dark’
Dress: NOODLES ‘Bellatrix’ Dress Nox (C88)
Jewellery: SCHADENFREUNDE ‘Digital Alchemy’ Moon Stacked Necklaces (C88)
ZAARA: Banjara Kada braclets (Reg) (C88)
XYZ ‘Tattoo Choker’
REIGN Chamber Rings – ‘Meow’
Witchy Wednesdays: A Kitty Rant…
For today’s Witchy Wednesday I was going to feature a couple of nice items that I’d spotted at quite a well-known Wiccan store, but instead I’m going to talk about IP infringement and copyright theft, because it is pretty rampant amongst the in-world Pagan community, and no one seems to be addressing it.
Seek out a Pagan/Witchy store in Second Life and you will probably find some textures there being used on posters, pictures and even rugs that shouldn’t be. Some of the most recognisable names in esoteric art are being ripped off, probably unbeknownst to them, and I’m sick of it.
Last night I received a notecard from a store to announce some new items for sale, and off I trotted to take a look. Within seconds I’d found texture rips of images by artists like Anne Stokes and Lisa Parker. There were other images too by artists I am not familiar with, but you can bet your bottom dollar that none of these people had given permission for their work to be used in this way. They may not even be aware that it can be.
As long as I’ve been in Second Life I’ve seen textures used upon items for sale that aren’t legitimately sourced. It’s nothing new sadly, and is a difficult issue to fight, as I am sure we all know by now. But visit areas of interest particular to those of us of a Pagan/Wiccan persuasion and the volume seems to increase tenfold. It seems that the stores aimed at our demographic just can’t exist without ripping off someone else’s work.
It seems strange to me that the in-world Pagan community hasn’t been more strident in insisting that people take a stand against this, and yet many of the well-known markets and meeting places are drowning in stolen imagery. It’s incredibly depressing. There are content creators in-world who are Pagan and create original content for sale, for example Robin Sojourner, so if she can do it, why can’t everybody else?
And therein lies the rub; despite the spiritual beliefs that we as a community hold so dear, there is always someone trying to make a fast buck. Or in this case a fast Linden. And for that we should be ashamed.
Please, don’t buy from such places. As tempting as it may be, it’s not right that someone can profit from someone elses artistic creations. Even if it is just a few Lindens, it doesn’t matter. Making money from someone else’s hard work is unethical, plain and simple. I’m also mindful of the Wiccan Rede applying to this situation too.
I don’t want to name and shame, that’s not really my style, but I do think we should take action. Therefore I’m asking that as a reader of this blog, if you spot textures and artwork being abused in this way challenge it. Often people don’t think that they’re doing any harm by reproducing works without permission, and feel embarrassed when you point it out to them. But there are some people that just don’t care, and it’s only by standing together and making a point about these actions that we can make a difference. It’s my firm belief that our sacred in-world communities will not suffer through this, but become stronger.
Think of all the original mesh creations and textures that should be used instead, and how they can enrich the virtual world that we call home. A tantalising prospect indeed…let’s make it happen.
Kittywitchin' 