Cyanide Pixie

May 31, 2022

11 hours ago, Codex Alpha said:

Haha, there is no victim here though

I was thinking about everything you posted and reflecting on why the neighbor replicating my entire house bothered me. Trying to find, at the core, the reason it felt as uncomfortable as it did. And as silly as it may sound, I realized the word "plagiarism" continued to pop into my head. A part of my reaction to the discovery is definitely that I felt like my hard work and creativity was blatantly ripped off in front of my face without any regard or acknowledgement. It felt violating. Not because they saw it, but because they felt it was okay to take it. You will probably find that laughable, but I'm being honest even at risk of ridicule here so please bear with me...

I'm curious, would your opinion about this situation be different if it was in regards to some other artform outside of design? What if we were talking about written works? Let's say someone writes a story... heck, scratch that... Let's say it's just a blog post. And someone else copies and pastes the blog post and reposts it to their own blog as their own words. Would that be reason to express discontent? Or even if we go back to a more visual form, what about tracing someone's art and passing it off as their own without credit? In both scenarios, let's say there is no monetary profit (or loss of the original's profit). But the work was still replicated without hesitation.

I suppose you could argue that writing or drawing is different than interior/exterior design. Maybe you feel that it takes more skill or more time (although the existence of entire schools dedicated to the study of design might indicate otherwise). But at what point does replicating someone's creation (regardless of medium) become something that can be frowned upon or dissuaded against? Where is the line? Legitimate question. I'm not claiming to be Picasso or Mozart here and have no such delusions. But it was something that I spent many hours creating and poured a lot of myself into, regardless of whether or not it was good. It felt very personal to me and was very rewarding in the end to see it come alive every step of the process. And I think (I might be wrong) that might be a piece of why some could feel the neighbor crossed a line.

It's obviously just a piece, of course. There is another layer to it I haven't quite been unable to unpeel in regards to the proximity of the recreation. No, it has nothing to do with camming. I want people to see and appreciate what I create in Second Life, from my houses to my avatar. But I'm certain I wouldn't feel the same if it was replicated somewhere else on the grid. Perhaps that's just simply because I wouldn't know? Or maybe because when done like this, others will see both our houses and know for a fact one is a copy but not know who created the original? I'm not sure., But having it right next door hits differently, regardless of the reason why.

Just bouncing around thoughts here, having my own internal debate because I find it interesting... Perhaps you're correct, and I am crazy and paranoid and creepy and should seek a therapist.

May 31, 2022

4 hours ago, Mercedes Avon said:

I don't think the O.P. - or anyone else for that matter - finds the camming into houses to look at decor and get ideas as the controversial behavior. No one here has complained about that part so I am not sure why that keeps being brought up. Cam away!

Thank you. I don't understand why a few people in the thread think camming around and viewing interior/exterior design choices (or even buying pieces you like and using them as well) is the issue. That's not what this post is about. The post is about replicating an entire neighbor's house down to the smallest decor details. I don't see how I could be hypocritical if I'm not also engaging in the particular behavior being discussed.

I agree with you. Cam away! Get inspired! Make those purchases and enjoy them too! But maybe don't do... this. Whatever this is. Not to this level.

May 27, 2022

12 minutes ago, Marianne Little said:

I like to make my own add-ons and edit stuff too. They can't copy that.

Yes, this is definitely the way to go! I dabble in that as well. Add-ons are usually a must-have for me when it comes to Linden homes especially. Even something as simple as a custom built-in. It can really make a space come alive and feel a little less cookie cutter in our cookie cutter neighborhoods. One of the favorite things I ever did in a linden home was a bathroom in a stilt last year. I used a combo of a window seat built-in I purchased and then I created my own custom platforms and panels to go with it. Man, I loved that bathroom... Wasn't too keen on the stilts themselves though so let it go for a chalet. At least I still have the pictures and the memories!

My only issue there is finding that balance of using my prim allowance on the custom renovations vs. the actual decor side of things. I feel like we have all become master object linkers at this point to streeeeeetch our budget as best we can 😂

May 27, 2022

1 hour ago, yestothis said:

This happened to a friend on Bellisseria, the neighbor copied the inside and out, even down to selecting the same color options. Some people exist to be annoying, and the best thing to do is act like you don’t even see them. I would recommend never approaching them. Just keep your decor until you’re bored with it, then redecorate.

See, this is a big reason why I made this post. Before it happened to me, I never contemplated this could be something folks would even want to do. Perhaps it's because the majority of us who frequent this section of the forums are seeking a place to express ourselves through our living spaces. So individuality is important. We all share our finds and creations into the pool of inspiration for our fellow Bellisserians, we borrow from that inspiration pool, but that spirit of self expression still runs strong. Learning that my current situation is something others have experienced is really fascinating.

Sorry your friend dealt with this kind of thing too,. Hopefully it didn't get under their skin too much and didn't continue each time they redecorated. That's going to be the question mark hanging over my head now. If I change things, will they change things to match once again? I'm not ready to test that yet, I really do love what I did there and it still brings me joy regardless.

May 27, 2022

2 hours ago, sunnyskyz said:

However, If the issue is the person was looking in your home at your things and you feel violated in a way because they were looking in your private space....How would you know that they used the same decor unless you were doing the same thing?

This is a fair question to ask but I think you might be missing a piece of this puzzle.

I have elaborated a few times in this thread, but I need to stress again that the copying is both outside as well as inside. I first noticed they were using the same items outside where there are no walls blocking my line of sight. My first thought was, "Oh, cool, they must have liked what I did there!" Then I saw it wasn't just the one thing. It was multiple. These were not pieces from a set, they are by different creators, and they were placed exactly how I had placed them in the areas I had placed them. I don't know how to express it without a visual, but there is no way that, by random chance, they happened to choose the exact same pieces for their front and back yards and place them in the exact same way I had placed mine. It was at this point that I became curious and cammed in a little to be greeted by a familiar sight in the first room. Again, not a set. Different creators. Even each piece of art I had used was placed in the exact same spot on their walls. I then cammed from room to room, honestly kind of gobsmacked to see exactly how much had been replicated. It is not 100%, but even in situations where they used different furniture it is similar in style to the furniture I used, laid out in the same way, and combined with the exact same pieces I used,.

I don't know how to paint a clearer picture for those who think it was just a piece of inspiration here and there. I realize this might be hard to visualize. But every corner of my property has been replicated to some extent on the neighbors property. This is what makes it so unusual and like nothing I have encountered before in all my years on SL.

May 26, 2022

4 hours ago, Nika Talaj said:

ETA: Forgive this paranoid oldbie, but I have a question about your neighbor's build .... Have you checked any of their items, particularly the art works and plants, to see if the creator is the same person as on your original pieces?

Just checking in to say I inspected multiple pieces throughout the house and they do appear to be legit. So if the neighbor didn't already have all the pieces (I doubt it, they are so varied), the creators who make them at least got some lindens off this whole scenario! ❤️

May 26, 2022

51 minutes ago, Nika Talaj said:

I ETA: Forgive this paranoid oldbie, but I have a question about your neighbor's build .... Have you checked any of their items, particularly the art works and plants, to see if the creator is the same person as on your original pieces?

Ooh, smart. You're thinking possible copybot? I didn't check that but I can have a looksie when I'm off work.

May 26, 2022

13 minutes ago, Fleur Aurelia said:

Has anyone considered that the person doing the copying could be reading this forum?

I did consider that possibility, however I decided to keep details vague and not post any pictures or anything of that nature to identify the individual.

10 minutes ago, Sylvia Tamalyn said:

I second the idea to contact the person if it's bothering you, and nicely ask about it. Maybe offer to help them come up with a new design for their home? Some people on SL are really very awkward socially, or they come from a culture different from one's own, and we just don't know this person's situation. If they are doing it for nefarious reasons, you'd figure it out quickly enough during the conversation, I would think.

I considered this briefly as well, but I couldn't think of any possible way to message the person without coming off as confrontational or intrusive. I'm rather socially awkward myself and I fear engaging in any conversation could be a bad time for both of us. Even if I try to phrase things as politely as possible I'm still calling them out and saying, "I see what you did." It just seems incredibly uncomfortable and it might make them feel bad if their intentions were good, or complicate the situation somehow if they are a jerk. But I still wanted to find someone to talk to about how I was feeling and see if others have been dealing with the same issue. Perhaps that was selfish of me, and I apologize,. I just really wanted to get it off my chest. My intention was not to point to anyone specifically and put them on blast.

May 26, 2022

EDIT: I'm an idiot and responded to something directed to another person. Oof.

May 26, 2022

Thank you all so much for your replies. It was nice to wake up and see the discussion this situation sparked!

5 hours ago, Matthieu Quander said:

There's a fine line between taking inspiration from someone's home and blatantly stealing all of their ideas. Flattering though it may be, no one likes having their individuality stolen, and that's what this is.

Yes, I think it is important for me to reiterate that I'm not speaking of someone taking a few inspirations here and there, but instead they are copying exact room layouts and even duplicating small details like the specific art on the walls (not from sets... pieces sourced from various creators over the years). And this is happening in the front and back yard as well as inside the house.

2 hours ago, Sylvia Tamalyn said:

The person might be a noob just trying to learn.

Sadly, this is not the case in my situation. Of course one could argue that this could be the first house they are decorating, but the amount of years they've been on SL and the content of their profile would indicate otherwise.

2 hours ago, Bela Tolsen said:

I have a recurrent serial copycat since my first LH, a victorian. It was a surprise to find out that someone copied as you said, every small detail.

Holy moly, that sounds like a nightmare! I am so sorry you've been dealing with that. That almost DOES feel like targeted harassment at that point if they are following you around.

2 hours ago, Nika Talaj said:

Pro tip to someone who wants to clone someone's decor: I would do so in a remote location, and just landmark the home I intended to copy.

THIS! So much this. My big takeaway from all the responses here is that no one minds people taking inspiration off their designs (heck, sometimes we even encourage it!). But virtually copying and pasting your neighbors home is perhaps not the best move.

May 26, 2022

Just now, Marianne Little said:

Perhaps it is touchy because it is next door, and it would not matter if it was another place, far away.

I have looked at images and bought stuff, but not done a 90 or 100% copy. It is isolated pieces of furniture. I have bought some stuff from inspecting in homes and gardens too. I can not remember if I did it next door, I know I did it while exploring.

Oh, absolutely! I think we all do that. No issues there at all, I think that is completely normal to get little bits of inspiration here and there, or see someone utilize something in a really creative way and use it yourself as a jumping off point.

May 26, 2022

5 minutes ago, Chloe Bunny said:

I am a solitary decor and photos weirdo too and although no one situated close has done this I often fly about and happen on stuff that looks just like what I've shared publicly but as to who did it originally? I can't tell, I just move on because I know my inspiration ideas are usually from rare external sources. Taking it as a compliment is the only real way to be at ease with it in your case, I come across many people who have absolutely no clue what they actually like and it is easier for them to duplicate something good!

Yeah, I suppose it might be something that happens a lot. I've just never noticed it before in my 16 years on SL. Not like this at least. But yeah... it's probably the close proximity that made it really stick out and get to me. Glad to know I'm not alone though and others have experienced the "Single White Female" home or two before, hehe

May 26, 2022

4 minutes ago, Evangeline Arcadia said:

Just because something doesn't seem logical, doesn't mean it doesn't affect us in an emotional 'irational' way. I think that's quite natural, and normal, (we aren't as humans on the whole logical rational robots).

I get what you mean. You've put part of yourself into your home through the decorating of it, so then to see it copied probably feels a bit like someone is stealing a part of you. But I think you are right to try and see it as flattery. They've obviously admired what you have done enough to want to live in the same environment - that's great I think. Think of it as through through your design you have brough them some joy - that's a good thing.

But also, not everyone has a flair for decorating, putting pieces together that work harmoniously to create a space that feels beautiful and comfortable. So I think sometimes it's also a case of perhaps the person doesn't have that knack and maybe is not happy with their own efforts or doesn't know where to start, so they refer to someone else for inspiration, but it might end up as copying because they don't have that talent to mix in their own style.

Either way, I don't think it's such a terrible thing, but I do nonetheless understand why someone might feel emotionally peeved about it.

Thank you for the reassurance that being irrational here can still be understandable. I know I should be just be flattered. I honestly was initially when I first started looking, but the feeling of unease just grew and grew as my camera moved from room to room.

May 26, 2022

3 minutes ago, Ziggy Starsmith said:

Take it as a compliment.

Yeah, I know I should. I am aware these feelings are illogical and I hate that I have them. I should just be flattered. I think if they weren't my direct neighbor it wouldn't feel so weird. And also if they didn't do it both inside and outside, and in every room. I'm sure anyone touring the neighborhood has noticed, as it's as though they copy and pasted my lot onto their own and just changed some things here and there based on furniture I used that they didn't have/didn't want to purchase.

May 26, 2022

This is admittedly a weird post to make, but I'm not a particularly social person (I'm the solitary decorating/dress up/photos kind of SL weirdo) and I need to get this out of my brain in a space where others might relate.

Whooo boy., here goes...

Has anyone ever encountered a Bellisserian neighbor who copies your decorating? I'm not talking about slightly, I mean placing the exact same items you're using in the exact same places to a point that it is immediately obvious. And in the situations where different furniture pieces are used, they are clearly inspired by the original (in style and placement) and mixed in with those aforementioned identical pieces. I ask because that's what I've got going on in the house behind me and I'm conflicted about it. On one hand, I'm flattered they liked what I did on my property. But on the other hand, it honestly makes me feel a little... uncomfy, I guess you could say? Does that makes any sense? I don't know quite how to put it.

Any feelings other than flattery are probably completely illogical. I am not an artist having my work stolen and sold. I don't have copyright on a design layout. I am not being harmed or harassed. But making my home feel like my home was something I put a lot of hours and love into, and it felt like a piece of me. It was something I was proud of and it felt very personal. So it's weird to see my neighbor recreate it. Perhaps if they weren't directly behind me it would feel different.

My apologies, I realize I sound like a crazy person. I just needed to type this out and get this off my chest because there is nothing else I can really do about it other than have it silently bother me.

January 21, 2022

On 1/19/2022 at 2:31 AM, Marianne Little said:

What about Premium Plus regions? Regions with a fixed number of empty plots by LL that can not be divided or sold. They can only be abandoned. It would be like Premium homes, without houses. LL is using heaps of Li on landscaping around Premium homes today, so it is only 351 Li for every 1024m .

I know moles want their trees and other elements to be visible over a region if someone increase their draw distance to max That is why they have high Li. But I have seen some mole trees with lower Li, so they can make it.

So imagine these Premium Plus regions. Let us say 9 parcels on each.The plots could be 4000 m square, each can use 2000Li and have freedom to pick any house, but limits in height. The rest is public land around the plots. LL could use more raised land and rocks, to create privacy, without the super ugly privacy walls (that must be banned). Same rules for skyboxes as in Bellisseria. Today we have regions that hold as much as 30 000 Li. Moles would have plenty Li to use on their landscaping, roads et cetera.

Resident landscaping should be allowed, but only down so they can create ponds and sink pools in the ground. This way no one can make thin, ugly spikes up around their parcel.

Is it possible to auto terraform land back to flat when abandoned? Can the mailbox do terraforming if the new land owner selected "Revert land to default"?

What would I pay for Premium plus with this tier included? I say 300 US/yearly.

The reason to buy Premium Plus is to have more land included for less than it would cost me to pay rent or tier for a year. That is the main thing for me. Do not bother with premium gifts. Who will buy Premium so they can get those gifts? Pffft.

And holy moly, this is a cool idea too! I would adore the freedom of mainland (or close to it) but with the roadways and landscaping of Belli. Some of us who are part of large private sim communities can kind of get this vibe (and my Bay City parcel is a particularly good one too), but having a new continent for premium plus members to build on would be fabulous. And I'd be fine with a strict covenant to keep things looking good. In fact, I'd encourage it.

January 21, 2022

On 1/13/2022 at 9:46 AM, Lucia Nightfire said:

So, the Web team yesterday reaffirmed the Lab's desire to offer Premium Plus this year.

As this thread's title says, "What are your 'Must Have' features and what are you willing to pay for it?"

Please answer both and please keep the thread on topic.

Thanks.

I'm going to echo a lot of people here when I say my first priority would be land ownership perks. Whether that be discounted tiers, increased free tier, double prims (although I'm not sure if that could be implemented because of deeding to groups and all that)... just SOMETHING along those lines.

Behind land, my next wish would be for increased group slots. Even after the increase from a little while back, it's still a constant shuffle. The group limitations are a daily frustration.

EDIT: And also, I really hope those of us grandfathered in to the high stipend won't lose it if we want to go plus. As it is, I've still been paying monthly for all these years because I'm terrified switching to a quarterly or yearly plan will knock me to the lower stipend.

January 21, 2022

I'm going to be blunt here. I saw the original post and squinted at it for quite some time trying to decide if it was trolling or not.

If not, I'm afraid to say it isn't a healthy mindset for a multitude of reasons.

I've been on Second Life for nearly 16 years and I have rarely, RARELY, ever been chatted up in a store. The closest thing I can recall is some dude at Collabor88 a couple years ago. And that was half flattering, half amusing. If I get any messages while shopping it's usually other women asking me what skin I'm wearing, where I got that cool coat, if I know whether or not a sale price is shown or discounted after purchase, etc. That sort of stuff.

Based on personal experience, I'm thinking being hit on while shopping has to be fairly uncommon. So perhaps you should examine why you are so worried about it? If that's how you met your partner and that is their MO, it's a huge red flag. And if it isn't their MO, have you reflected on why you would expect it to be? Is it because of a painful past history with others who've done it or is it because it's the sort of thing you'd do yourself? I'd think taking some time to heal and work on issues while single could be a good idea either way.

January 21, 2022

7 hours ago, Nika Talaj said:

I agree! But then, I also think it's high time they complete the northern coast of LogLand, put a rez zone in Well Springs, and make an overlay with continent names for the world map. So we know LL doesn't listen to ME, lol.

Do we have any idea what they are planning to do with that northern coast anyway? Just seems like a weird spot to be unfinished. I was wondering if they aren't even sure themselves and are holding off based on popularity and availability of styles. More logs, spreading out the stilts further into that area, maybe doing some campers or even houseboats... it wouldn't be big enough for a whole new style.

6 hours ago, yestothis said:

Prove to me linden lab doesn’t like GOH people. They love them, judging by their slow trickle release.

I mean, they can't hate us that much considering how many alts we made premium or created with the sole purpose of going premium for more GOH rolls. Money talks. And the slow trickle just gives us little hits to satisfy and keeps us coming back for our next fix. 😂

January 18, 2022

4 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

@Cyanide Pixie, you bought the outer wall shell from Paradise Homes too? I saw you left a good review on the interior shell.

I am not a Fantasy fan, but you made me think twice . Perhaps I will try a house like that one day. The house look so much better with those textures. And I also like the stones from the road to the entrance. Would you mind telling where they come from?

Yes, I bought both! I recommend the Paradise Homes shells (for at least the fantasy style) because they are very complete in what you can retexture. Well, you saw my review... I totally wasted my money on a shell by another creator that was missing sections of the interior walls. Plus, being able to put wood floorboards up on the ceiling really gives it more of a historical building vibe versus the modern white plaster the homes come with standard.

The entrance path is an oldie but a goodie from Stormwood: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Stormwood-Cobblestone-Floors-Fatpack/6408864 - I used Floor A from the pack and I sunk it somewhat under the terrain to expose the grass between stones.

And yeah, you sound like me... I really was shocked the fantasy style inspired me so much. Really, it was the most inspired I've been since snagging a houseboat over a year ago (which I still have). Maybe because it is so new to me and got me out a rut of modern furnishings? Plus, the atmosphere is just so lovely... especially that night time glow. Definitely give a fantasy parcel a shot next time you're playing game of homes to see if inspiration strikes you too

January 17, 2022

6 minutes ago, Cinnamon Mistwood said:

That is just lovely! I love the different textures on the house and the wild untamed look of the yard. I really like that you took the photos during the magical night. I look forward to seeing the interior. ♥️

Aw, thank you! I was trying to figure out how to fill up the space on a prim budget while keeping the vibe, and the wild grasses and atmospheric effects at 1LI each with a little sparsely placed decor seemed like a good choice for the theme. I would have had more to play with if I wasn't so dead set on using the stone feature the table and chairs are on (it's a whopping 30LI), but I really love it in the corner overlooking the water on both sides. It was one of the first things I set down when doing the garden and I kept coming back to it.

January 17, 2022

It was a surprise, but I have been vibing with my fantasy home so much. Normally I'm all about modern homes and I'm not really a RPer, but man... I'm living my best elven life now!

I might take some photos of the interior soon (full fantasy/medieval themed), but for now I wanted to show off my front and back gardens. I didn't have a whole lot of LI to play with as I needed plenty for the interior, but I still wanted to feel as though the landscaping was complete and felt cohesively part of the world the moles created for us. I'm pretty proud of how it turned out!

The front:

The back:

The photos were all taken using the default EEP for the region and are unedited (aside from compression to be able to upload here). Some of the atmospheric effects are kind of lost in translation versus walking around in world, but hopefully I captured some of the magical vibes I get lounging in the garden, watching things twinkle and glow subtly to the sound of the river flowing around me.

EDIT: A couple of daylight shots as well, since the others are so dark with the natural night time environment. Yes, it's super simple but hopefully still feels as one with the surrounding mole landscaping:

January 17, 2021

34 minutes ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Yes, but if you copy an image and paste it here, size will matter because it will be an uploaded image, as if you had dragged a computer saved image here. Depending on how many pictures and their sizes, you might still hit the limit of what you can paste into a post. Whereas with pictures embedded from links, there are no limits at all.

Nice, good to know! I wasn't aware the copy and paste method acts like uploading.

EDIT: But as soon as I typed that I realized "DUH", of course it does. You're copying and pasting the image itself and not the link, get it together Cyanide Pixie! 😆

January 17, 2021

3 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

Two options:
- Save as jpg as Cyanide mentions
- Upload larger pics to a picture hosting site (Flickr, imgur, Gyazo) and then paste the link into the forum post. Hard to explain, but some methods of pasting the link will not actually "embed" the picture but instead simply show the link. There are ways to get the "embed" to happen, but they can be different depending on the hosting site. In any case, picture size doesn't matter for embedded pictures.

Using Google Chrome on Windows 10 (and probably many other combos) you can right click an image on the internet and "copy image" and then just paste here on the forums like you would a line of text! It works great for Gyazo and many other image hosting sites!

January 17, 2021

4 minutes ago, AstraHunt said:

I seem to have forgotten how to upload a lot of photos in one post without making them too small to be visible.

Tortuga's Open Plan Room

Deck Area. My most favorite spot in the house.