Misleading Profiles

[Prokofy Neva]

Whenever I see a profile that says "I'm outgoing, kind, generous, brave, trustworthy" etc. -- like they're in the Boy Scout handbook -- I instantly think "They must be the opposite".

I wonder what kind of self-regard one has to have to write these complicated profiles like "I'm very shy but given the right set of circumstances I can blossom like a flower" or "I'm a shape-shifter" blah blah -- what ARE they thinking? If you put "I'm a shape-shifter" I'm going to assume that you are a retired postal clerk in Columbus, OH lol.

One of my favourite profiles recently from an artist said very simply, "I'm here for me, not you." Boy, was that perfect! Perfect! If I weren't in business, I'd use that one.

I've seen a lot of great ones really, and then so many fake ones...

[Stephanie Misfit]

I saw one that was full of self serving stuff but then at the end had, "Triggered by local chat". Talk about a red flag! I wonder what sorts of incidents occurred to warrant that inclusion?

[Ayeleeon]

24 minutes ago, Prokofy Neva said:

I'm a shape-shifter

I have seen that and I always assume it means they use a variety of different avatars, and it has nothing to do with RL. 

[s2Pandora]

I seldom read profiles unless i'm going to message/notecard someone(i.e store owners), but normally when I see somebody acting like a total c, their profile is "friendly/I don't bite/etc". Otherwise I don't bother trying to talk to most people, so I don't bother reading their profile.

[Kathlen Onyx]

The profiles I like most are the ones that have a partner or significant other on there. 

I know we just met but you are my rock, my soulmate. When I met you I saw fireworks and gold rained down over you. You are my best friend and confidante. I will love you till the end of time. He's mine girls! Hands off or you'll have ME to answer to.  Never change baby, I love you!

2 days later they are unpartnered or have someone else in their profile.

[CoraxCorv]

6 hours ago, Ayeleeon said:

I have seen that and I always assume it means they use a variety of different avatars, and it has nothing to do with RL. 

Exactly. there are people in SL who consistently have a similar look and continue to pursue it, for example when they buy a new head. And that's totally ok because it's their SL and their account. If someone doesn't like it, is it ok - then do it differently yourself.

 

I also see myself as a shape shifter, even if it's not in my profile because my avatars can be very different depending on the mood of the day. From human to anime, furry to feral, I can be anything. And that's ok too, because it's my SL and my account. If someone doesn't like it, is it ok - then do it differently yourself.

 

It's really very simple and I don't understand the problem.

 

As for the profile texts. Yes, I've already read a lot from bizarre to ridiculous. If someone writes 5 times the person hates drama, most of the time the person is causing the drama themselves if it has happened all the time in the past. If someone insists on being very dominant again and again, he is usually not in the RL and if someone describes himself as funny and entertaining, these are often the very bad bores. Then I find the people who are EVERYTHING really bad - "I'm nice and nasty, shy and outgoing, silly and serious, but I'm always blah blah myself". That's the kind of cheap tshirt quotes.

 

Best Thing is actually - Talk to people instead If lurking on profiles .

[So Whimsy]

My profile says that I come in many forms, human, furry, dinkie etc. and that means exactly that. I've just created a new furry avatar that I am in love with while my profile and forum pic still show me as human and no I am not an accountant.

[Karl Herber]

10 hours ago, Prokofy Neva said:

"I'm a shape-shifter" blah blah --

I see this quite a lot especially in the furry community. It generally means that they use a variety of different avatars and don't have one fixed appearance all the time. In the furry community, it often means that they can appear as several different animals rather than having one particular "fursona".  I would class myself as a shapeshifter - although I have only one "fursona", I'm often human, or a blend of the two. 

A were-horse, I guess.

[Ayeleeon]

4 hours ago, CoraxCorv said:

Best Thing is actually - Talk to people instead If lurking on profiles .

I usually read the profile then coment on it when i first try to talk to them, hopefully that tells them that I am interested in getting to kow then enough to have read thier profile,

[Elysienne Nebula]

I usually check people's profiles. I've noticed that many of the declarations about personality or character tend to not pan out in (second) reality. An example, all the people with "no drama" written on their profile tend to bring loads of drama with them. 

Years ago I wrote a list of the most common profile phrases and terms and what we all know they really mean. I should dig it up. 

 

 

[Orwar]

   Profiles are a great way to invite people to approach you. And a great way to display just what a pitiful excuse of a human being you are, so that others will know to stay well clear of you as to not waste their time. Yes, people may try to deceive you and make themselves appear more palatable, but in reality it's usually pretty transparent. 

[Ayeleeon]

38 minutes ago, Elysienne Nebula said:

An example, all the people with "no drama" written on their profile tend to bring loads of drama with them

They do not want your drama because it distracts from their own.

[Rowan Amore]

Drama...an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.

Personally, that's why I log in to SL.  What I can do without is the asshattery, deceit, meanness, jealousy, etc.  Life IS drama.

[Istelathis]

I don't socialize very often in SL, so I haven't had a chance to match people's profiles to their behavior.  I have noticed the "no drama" ones a lot though, I see shape shifter and I assume they are referring to roleplaying. I sometimes see ones that are outright rude, and wonder why they want to spread their own form of hate to others.  My own profile is pretty bland, it just lists what I like to do in SL and that I am not very social - just for the sake of others who may try to engage in conversation with me.

15 hours ago, Stephanie Misfit said:

"Triggered by local chat". Talk about a red flag! I wonder what sorts of incidents occurred to warrant that inclusion?

They probably have severe anxiety, and chat makes them feel uncomfortable.  I can relate to that, people can be kind of scary sometimes 😜  It is hard to describe the origin of such anxiety, probably just being different and not fitting in with others.  For me,  it is weird that they would say local chat specifically though, I feel more uncomfortable posting in private messages and would prefer to use local when I do chat.  Perhaps they are afraid of others listening in and judging them, who knows?  We anxiety driven people are a strange breed, I tell ya 🙃

Edited September 17, 2021 by Istelathis

[Mr Amore]

Profiles are like politicians, they're full of 💩!

But surprisingly it works, we live in an era where outspoken hardmen are elected as presidents (I love the movie Idiocracy for predicting this back in 2006).

 

The profile trends I liked from roleplaying sims:

• 'RP Limits : NO GAY SEX' - This was often in capitals to convey the author was really, really struggling to stay in the closet.
• 'I'm a dominant man...' - Transparent as it appears, these corny lines actually work.
• 'I'm an evil bastard...' - Without fail, you will find these characters always cuddling the cutest, pink anime looking avatars on the sim.

[AnnabelleApocalypse]

I dont put tooooo much judgement into profiles, but my "probably avoid" list includes -

"No drama" - A timeless classic.

" I'm a b*tch but lovely when you get to know me."

Any mention of "princess" or "diva".

"I'm a loyal person but if you f*ck with me, I will destroy you." type-thing.

"I'm always in character as a dog/cat/raven" (I don't mind these people, but communication becomes exhausting pretty fast).

And any profile that uses some stupid font that makes it super-hard to read. 

 

[Janet Voxel]

For the most part, profiles work as intended: you get a feel for what the person is in SL for and they sometimes make for interesting reading.

Some things I look out for:

4chan memes instead of a profile picture

A real life picture instead of a secondlife picture. This is a recent thing I’ve noticed and for some reason…it bothers me.

People that put part of a chat with someone else in their about section. If they do it to someone else, they’ll do it to you.

People that put that disclaimer: You cannot share IMs with someone else without my permission. Usually those people say and do things you want to share with other people. That’s how insane it is.

Inspirational quotes 

pictures of a landscape painting as a pick…nothing else, just a landscape.

People that have “Don’t ask me about RL, RL and SL are separate!!!” Who start off asking you about real life.

”Just coming back to SL….”

”I don’t pay attention to local”

“I AFK a lot…” usually these are the people that fly off the handle if you don’t immediately respond to them.

I have a lot of red flags…

[Prokofy Neva]

18 hours ago, Stephanie Misfit said:

I saw one that was full of self serving stuff but then at the end had, "Triggered by local chat". Talk about a red flag! I wonder what sorts of incidents occurred to warrant that inclusion?

What is this bit about how "I never read local chat". Huh? You want everyone to whisper in your ear? You can't respond when spoken to in public? I see that all too often. You can't be bothered to look at the people you're in a place with and see what they're saying?!

[Prokofy Neva]

30 minutes ago, Janet Voxel said:

For the most part, profiles work as intended: you get a feel for what the person is in SL for and they sometimes make for interesting reading.

Some things I look out for:

4chan memes instead of a profile picture

A real life picture instead of a secondlife picture. This is a recent thing I’ve noticed and for some reason…it bothers me.

People that put part of a chat with someone else in their about section. If they do it to someone else, they’ll do it to you.

People that put that disclaimer: You cannot share IMs with someone else without my permission. Usually those people say and do things you want to share with other people. That’s how insane it is.

Inspirational quotes 

pictures of a landscape painting as a pick…nothing else, just a landscape.

People that have “Don’t ask me about RL, RL and SL are separate!!!” Who start off asking you about real life.

”Just coming back to SL….”

”I don’t pay attention to local”

“I AFK a lot…” usually these are the people that fly off the handle if you don’t immediately respond to them.

I have a lot of red flags…

Yes, it's true, a lot of those are red flags!

I often wonder when people put this odd constructed meme of a dog made out of quotation marks and say "put this on your profile to show you're against cruelty to aninmals" what that's REALLY all about? It seems creepy.

I mean, everyone should be against cruelty to animals. That's a given. That shouldn't be a special thing you put in your profile. It should be simply a basic rule for life -- and generally is.

[Sid Nagy]

People who are really good at socializing most of the time don't need SL to do so.

Edited September 17, 2021 by Sid Nagy

[Prokofy Neva]

17 hours ago, Ayeleeon said:

I have seen that and I always assume it means they use a variety of different avatars, and it has nothing to do with RL. 

Oh, I realize it's about SL, and may not even mean "I have a lot of alts". But it's this faux perception of themselves as this carefree, happy-go-lucky spirit, flexible and able to change -- and you begin to suspect they are likely the most rigid and unforgiving of others...

[Prokofy Neva]

11 hours ago, CoraxCorv said:

Exactly. there are people in SL who consistently have a similar look and continue to pursue it, for example when they buy a new head. And that's totally ok because it's their SL and their account. If someone doesn't like it, is it ok - then do it differently yourself.

 

I also see myself as a shape shifter, even if it's not in my profile because my avatars can be very different depending on the mood of the day. From human to anime, furry to feral, I can be anything. And that's ok too, because it's my SL and my account. If someone doesn't like it, is it ok - then do it differently yourself.

 

It's really very simple and I don't understand the problem.

 

As for the profile texts. Yes, I've already read a lot from bizarre to ridiculous. If someone writes 5 times the person hates drama, most of the time the person is causing the drama themselves if it has happened all the time in the past. If someone insists on being very dominant again and again, he is usually not in the RL and if someone describes himself as funny and entertaining, these are often the very bad bores. Then I find the people who are EVERYTHING really bad - "I'm nice and nasty, shy and outgoing, silly and serious, but I'm always blah blah myself". That's the kind of cheap tshirt quotes.

 

Best Thing is actually - Talk to people instead If lurking on profiles .

It's not that there's something wrong with "shape-shifting". It's a virtual world and you should do what you want!

It's that you feel the need to pretentiously advertise it instead of just doing it. I mean, everyone in SL is a shape-shifter, really, for having logged in, in the first place.

[CoraxCorv]

3 hours ago, Rowan Amore said:

Drama...an exciting, emotional, or unexpected series of events or set of circumstances.

Personally, that's why I log in to SL.  What I can do without is the asshattery, deceit, meanness, jealousy, etc.  Life IS drama.

Well, to be honest - Sometimes its fun to watch a good Drama with Popcorn 🤣 but some people have the talent to create drama or be deeply involved in Drama in any new group they join.

[Ayeleeon]

4 minutes ago, Prokofy Neva said:

It's that you feel the need to pretentiously advertise it instead of just doing it. I mean, everyone in SL is a shape-shifter, really

I think it might be nice to let people know that the next time they see you, you might look totally different. I remember an Avi I met once, absolutely gorgeous woman. A few days later I saw her online and sent an IM and offered a TP. What showed up was male, covered head to toe in tats and piercings and surrounded by a cloud of cigarette smoke. It was a shock, and a heads up might have been nice.

[Orwar]

19 minutes ago, Janet Voxel said:

Inspirational quotes

   "Hope is the first step on the road to disappointment." 

   "The first step towards failing is trying."

   "Everything happens for a reason. Often, it's because you're stupid and make bad decisions."

   "The best things in life actually usually are rather expensive."

   "If life doesn't break you today, don't worry - it will try again tomorrow."

   "Tattoos aren't permanent, they just last the rest of your life plus about three weeks."

   "The world doesn't have too few kind people in it, it just has too many ****holes in it."