Are there actual fads in SL?

[Bree Giffen]

FAD

noun

an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze.

Can anyone give an example of a fad in SL? I can't think of any but I'm sure there have been some. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

AFK sex.

I have absolutely no idea why.

[Mollymews]

one of the bigger fads was Gossip Girl.  Was a collaboration between Linden and the TV show. Ran inworld from about 2007 to 2009 as I remember.  The gossipgirl lastname had/has the most number of lastname subscribers than any other name I think

[FairreLilette]

Breedables maybe and Gacha?  It's not that those two "fads" died out but people seem crazed about them and then tire of them.  The desire for those seems to fade.  

Edited November 4, 2019 by FairreLilette

[Neural Blankes]

"especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities;" 

Being that this part of the definition would indicate that a fad does not necessarily need to be short lived, but usually is, I would say that barring this qualification that Breedable pets would qualify as a fad.   People are pretty heavily invested into cats, horses, etc.  

If that would be considered a fad, I'd also have to say that Tiny Empires and 7 Seas Fishing would be included also.

Defining them as fads though rests solely on whether or not there is a required minimum time length of popularity.

 

[RiffRegan]

Spankers

[Rhonda Huntress]

Stiletto Moody shoes maybe?

Bling.

Clicky-heels

 

[Theresa Tennyson]

1 hour ago, Bree Giffen said:

FAD

noun

an intense and widely shared enthusiasm for something, especially one that is short-lived and without basis in the object's qualities; a craze.

Can anyone give an example of a fad in SL? I can't think of any but I'm sure there have been some. 

 

The "Invisible Pony Rider" look, with associated bitchface.

[Fritigern Gothly]

1 hour ago, Bree Giffen said:

Can anyone give an example of a fad in SL? I can't think of any but I'm sure there have been some. 

Liquid Mesh

Pretty much the precursor of fitted mesh, yet different somehow. De development of that was paid for with donations from the SL community that wanted mesh clothing which would "just fit" (at the time, there was only static and rigged mesh), and coded by the same (former) Linden employee that was responsible for introducing sculpties.

Not long after Liquid Mesh was introduced (and recieved a decent adoption grade), LL came out with fitted mesh.
 

[Fritigern Gothly]

19 minutes ago, Theresa Tennyson said:

The "Invisible Pony Rider" look, with associated bitchface.

I like how you call it the invisible pony. I have been calling it the invisible horse for a long time.

Every now and then I see that look again, which to the best of my recollection started with the PhatAzz.

[Fritigern Gothly]

1 hour ago, Bree Giffen said:

Can anyone give an example of a fad in SL?

Here's another one: Lola's Tango boobs.

The first mesh boobs which were widely adopted. Creators adopted it because it was easy to create an applier for it based on the clothing textures which they were making for their clothing and customers adopted it because so many big-name creators provided appliers, and also because those boobs looked infinitely better than the system boobs.

Once mesh bodies became a thing, Lola's boobs waned in popularity and seeing them in the wild is now a rarity.

[Lindal Kidd]

Shoulder pet dragons from Grendel's Children.  You had to hunt for their eggs.  Then you'd hatch them, and you could wear them on your shoulder.  They had a HUD to control them.

[MrsSeren]

30 minutes ago, Fritigern Gothly said:

Here's another one: Lola's Tango boobs.

The first mesh boobs which were widely adopted. Creators adopted it because it was easy to create an applier for it based on the clothing textures which they were making for their clothing and customers adopted it because so many big-name creators provided appliers, and also because those boobs looked infinitely better than the system boobs.

Once mesh bodies became a thing, Lola's boobs waned in popularity and seeing them in the wild is now a rarity.

I still have mine in my inventory along with my Slink feet but can't get high feet redelivery as my ex brought them and he since long left SL. However happy with Maitreya feet; so speaking of trends I'd say Slink feet as they were popular and still are.

[steeljane42]

1 hour ago, Fritigern Gothly said:

Here's another one: Lola's Tango boobs.

The first mesh boobs which were widely adopted. Creators adopted it because it was easy to create an applier for it based on the clothing textures which they were making for their clothing and customers adopted it because so many big-name creators provided appliers, and also because those boobs looked infinitely better than the system boobs.

Once mesh bodies became a thing, Lola's boobs waned in popularity and seeing them in the wild is now a rarity.

As much as I dislike them, I wouldn't call it a fad, more like a natural evolution of mesh body parts/bodies. People desperately wanted to improve their angular classic avatars and because full mesh options didn't exist at that time, they had to resort to mesh (or even prim) boobs, butts, teeth and whatever else was available. When better and more complete options were released it made all incomplete solutions obsolete.

---

As for the recent fads... probably the crossed eyes look, with a troll-like nose that became popular out of nowhere. Plenty of stores even started to use it in their ads, SL related flickr/blogs were full of those, as well as popular events had up to half of female avis with exact same look (at the same time). Thankfully it (mostly) died relatively fast, 7-8 months or so.

[Wulfie Reanimator]

Other definitions include:

• "A trivial fancy adopted and pursued for a time with irrational zeal; a matter of no importance, or an important matter imperfectly understood, taken up, and urged with more zeal than sense; a whim; a crotchet; a temporary hobby."
• "A temporary fashion, notion, manner of conduct, etc., especially one followed enthusiastically by a group."
• "A style or activity that suddenly becomes popular but which usually does not stay popular for very long."

So:

• Money trees, camping, etc.
  • LL disincentivized them for non-legacy traffic results.
• New avatar releases during events, like those at Gacha Guild.
  • The front of the vendor is full of them all day through the event, but finding one in "the wild" a couple months later is even relatively rare.
• The gacha system in general.
• I would also want to say "no-modify products in general" but I don't think that's been very temporary...

Edited November 4, 2019 by Wulfie Reanimator

[roseelvira]

Edited November 4, 2019 by roseelvira

[DonnaDK]

Neko boots that left behind rainbow pawprints, and tails that made rude 'sexy' comments when clicked, were HUGE at one point.

Sports - there were loads of NFL teams on SL (with accompanying cheerleader squads). Also, motor racing teams and heats - I haven't seen any of those advertised for years now. 

When I joined, the big thing was Lady Gaga wigs/ make-up/shades. Seemed to be every second item that came up on 'X-Street'. Looked lovely with a face light. 

Brief 4chan influence for a while, too - singing bananaphones, nyan cats, anon avatars, etc etc. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Seicher Rae]

I'm hoping this is a fad that has gone: Talking "pregnant" tummies.

[Amina Sopwith]

4 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

I'm hoping this is a fad that has gone: Talking "pregnant" tummies.

Oh God, those things. It's lucky I'd never been pregnant when they were around because now, as a mother, if I come across one of those again, I'm defenestrating my laptop. Nothing wrong with acting out a pregnancy for whatever reason but I'd rather go through three months of morning sickness again than come across one of those again. Someone invented a talking tampon when those stupid things went beyond a joke. I had it, it was brilliant.

I remember the fads for body oil, bling, glow (short lived, that one), the Open Collar AO and it seems that even relationships go through fashion cycles...I hear babygirls (urgh) and sugar babies are a big thing now.

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

LINDO boards. Wish those go away. Some live performers won't play at clubs with those since the HUDs that pairs with those things lag out the land.

 

[Claireschen Hesten]

Ozimal breedables i think at their height they were the first brand to have official LL e-mail promotion 

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

55 minutes ago, Seicher Rae said:

I'm hoping this is a fad that has gone: Talking "pregnant" tummies.

I hated those things. I used to PM those in the early days when I had my first club to silence them since it was annoying seeing their spew in the chat.

[Bree Giffen]

I've heard of a few of these, like bling of course, but some are totally unknown to me. I agree that the Lola Tangos were just part of the evolution of mesh like slink hands. 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

55 minutes ago, Amina Sopwith said:

Someone invented a talking tampon when those stupid things went beyond a joke. I had it, it was brilliant.

OMG

/me runs to the MP

[RaeLeeH]

Bloodlines.

Though that may be less a fad and more a "cult classic" among its most die-hard supporters. Never understood it personally, but doesn't seem as in-vogue these days.