MissManaged

I shall pop some fresh popcorn!

I would like to thank all who participated in this thread. I imagine as Baby said, it will not last long due to the spamming. It is certainly apparent that some here have proved my point with great ease. A quick glance at my.secondlife.com and the “Trending” tab verifies what I’ve seen. Wouldn’t it be wonderful if there were a “feed” version of the Corn Field?

Kylie Jaxxon wrote: MissManaged wrote: Many people write under a pen name, I am simply doing the same. Does it matter if I post as MissManaged or another name? I have been nothing but polite and friendly to all who have posted here. I see no need for rude behavior or hot words. If I have offended you as well, I offer my apologies. What do you mean by "how long must the charade continue?" Are you insisting I post another name here? If I may put my two cents in? The problem is that most think they know who you are and your association with a certain "camp." Of course, they are going to be on the defensive right off the bat... Hello Kylie, I see. Well, at least they are entertained.

Caitlin Tobias wrote: MissManaged wrote: Caitlin Tobias wrote: MissManaged wrote: Caitlin Tobias wrote: OK. What a load of.......BS. You are also a charactar in this show, by creating an alt and writing this piece of prose - meant to express your...what exactly? You too, even as socalled bystander and reader only, play your part in the 'show', the moment you hit enter on this post. Sure, you can focus on the drama, but hey....isn't that all depending on the list of ppl you choose to follow? I, for one, enjoy the feed immensly and mostly only see positive posts and pictures and people sharing places and experiences that enhance my overall second life. I do my best to return that cheerful favour and I think I manage. You on the other hand, seem to focus on the drama and darkness. It is a choice you know. Look at your friendlist and people you choose to follow, and then think. It may well be the company YOU keep that makes it your 'walk in the dar'k, as for many others it is certainly not. Hello Caitlin, Perhaps you misunderstood when I said I am not a character. I was referring to the “games” played in the feed. I am not a character in that game, though your point is in fact valid that by posting this, I have become somewhat involved. Apparently you feel I now belong in one camp or the other, as it were. Although it is difficult to determine in typed words, you appear agitated and somewhat hostile in your reply to this post in general. I thought it was implied that this post is simply my opinion. I certainly hope that you did not take serious offense to what I’ve written, as it is not my intention to offend anyone. I did not mean to disturb your sensitive nature. My sincere apologies if I have. I am pleased that you enjoy the feeds. It appears to me that others do as well, and as I stated before, they could be even more enjoyable sans the hostility, harassment, and animosity. So you know, it is not my friends who make the walk dark, they have nothing to do with this. It is those who choose to pounce on new individuals as they attempt to introduce themselves who darken this particular alley. While I value the opinions of all posters, I do not feel that what I’ve written is a “load of ……BS”. This was written to express my thoughts on my.secondlife.com, which again, I thought was clear. ETA: To fix a grammatical error LOL and thank you so much for this reply. I am sure you have no idea why I am thankful, but yeah it puts things in perspective now I know who I am talking to. I hope the reply to me did not cause you too much stress and anger, and....another walk in the dark. I do not play 'games' in the feed, I am sure you (as you are familiar with it) have seen my contributions and even you must see they are pretty clear and straight forward. I will leave the 'playing games' to others, like you, and will read it, then scroll and...smh..... Have a nice day! Goodness, you seem to really take this personally. There no stress or anger in my reply, and I must express apologies once again if you felt there were. I do hope you have a nice day as well. Oh no dearie, not at all. I am smiling and having a wonderful evening reading all this. Keep it up, you are a blast! Oh, and I am looking forward to your pics on the feed soon! Oh brilliant! This is what I would like to see for everyone! I’m well pleased that you are smiling and laughing. I am however, sad to say that I'm terrible at photography in SL, so there will be no photos from me any time soon.

Griffin Ceawlin wrote: MissManaged wrote: Apparently you feel I now belong in one camp or the other, as it were. It's quite obvious that you are in one of the camps. If you weren't, there would have been no need to post quite so... anonymously. How long must the charade continue? Many people write under a pen name, I am simply doing the same. Does it matter if I post as MissManaged or another name? I have been nothing but polite and friendly to all who have posted here. I see no need for rude behavior or hot words. If I have offended you as well, I offer my apologies. What do you mean by "how long must the charade continue?" Are you insisting I post another name here?

Caitlin Tobias wrote: MissManaged wrote: Caitlin Tobias wrote: OK. What a load of.......BS. You are also a charactar in this show, by creating an alt and writing this piece of prose - meant to express your...what exactly? You too, even as socalled bystander and reader only, play your part in the 'show', the moment you hit enter on this post. Sure, you can focus on the drama, but hey....isn't that all depending on the list of ppl you choose to follow? I, for one, enjoy the feed immensly and mostly only see positive posts and pictures and people sharing places and experiences that enhance my overall second life. I do my best to return that cheerful favour and I think I manage. You on the other hand, seem to focus on the drama and darkness. It is a choice you know. Look at your friendlist and people you choose to follow, and then think. It may well be the company YOU keep that makes it your 'walk in the dar'k, as for many others it is certainly not. Hello Caitlin, Perhaps you misunderstood when I said I am not a character. I was referring to the “games” played in the feed. I am not a character in that game, though your point is in fact valid that by posting this, I have become somewhat involved. Apparently you feel I now belong in one camp or the other, as it were. Although it is difficult to determine in typed words, you appear agitated and somewhat hostile in your reply to this post in general. I thought it was implied that this post is simply my opinion. I certainly hope that you did not take serious offense to what I’ve written, as it is not my intention to offend anyone. I did not mean to disturb your sensitive nature. My sincere apologies if I have. I am pleased that you enjoy the feeds. It appears to me that others do as well, and as I stated before, they could be even more enjoyable sans the hostility, harassment, and animosity. So you know, it is not my friends who make the walk dark, they have nothing to do with this. It is those who choose to pounce on new individuals as they attempt to introduce themselves who darken this particular alley. While I value the opinions of all posters, I do not feel that what I’ve written is a “load of ……BS”. This was written to express my thoughts on my.secondlife.com, which again, I thought was clear. ETA: To fix a grammatical error LOL and thank you so much for this reply. I am sure you have no idea why I am thankful, but yeah it puts things in perspective now I know who I am talking to. I hope the reply to me did not cause you too much stress and anger, and....another walk in the dark. I do not play 'games' in the feed, I am sure you (as you are familiar with it) have seen my contributions and even you must see they are pretty clear and straight forward. I will leave the 'playing games' to others, like you, and will read it, then scroll and...smh..... Have a nice day! Goodness, you seem to really take this personally. There no stress or anger in my reply, and I must express apologies once again if you felt there were. I do hope you have a nice day as well.

baby Kranfel wrote: The pools filling up it seems. I really don't understand why this post can cause so much uneasiness among some. I like the topic and the direction, for those that use the tool it is not odd that they would like to enjoy it without interference, just because. Don't you think? Hello Baby, This is an interesting point, and one that had not occurred to me until now. My post did not mention names, nor did it point fingers at one group over another. Yet some seem to have gotten rather defensive. I was simply indicating there is a problem with the website, stating my opinion. I’m quite sure I am not the only non-participant who has felt this way.

Caitlin Tobias wrote: OK. What a load of.......BS. You are also a charactar in this show, by creating an alt and writing this piece of prose - meant to express your...what exactly? You too, even as socalled bystander and reader only, play your part in the 'show', the moment you hit enter on this post. Sure, you can focus on the drama, but hey....isn't that all depending on the list of ppl you choose to follow? I, for one, enjoy the feed immensly and mostly only see positive posts and pictures and people sharing places and experiences that enhance my overall second life. I do my best to return that cheerful favour and I think I manage. You on the other hand, seem to focus on the drama and darkness. It is a choice you know. Look at your friendlist and people you choose to follow, and then think. It may well be the company YOU keep that makes it your 'walk in the dar'k, as for many others it is certainly not. Hello Caitlin, Perhaps you misunderstood when I said I am not a character. I was referring to the “games” played in the feed. I am not a character in that game, though your point is in fact valid that by posting this, I have become somewhat involved. Apparently you feel I now belong in one camp or the other, as it were. Although it is difficult to determine in typed words, you appear agitated and somewhat hostile in your reply to this post in general. I thought it was implied that this post is simply my opinion. I certainly hope that you did not take serious offense to what I’ve written, as it is not my intention to offend anyone. I did not mean to disturb your sensitive nature. My sincere apologies if I have. I am pleased that you enjoy the feeds. It appears to me that others do as well, and as I stated before, they could be even more enjoyable sans the hostility, harassment, and animosity. So you know, it is not my friends who make the walk dark, they have nothing to do with this. It is those who choose to pounce on new individuals as they attempt to introduce themselves who darken this particular alley. While I value the opinions of all posters, I do not feel that what I’ve written is a “load of ……BS”. This was written to express my thoughts on my.secondlife.com, which again, I thought was clear. ETA: To fix a grammatical error

Storm Clarence wrote: MissManaged wrote: Thank you Porky for your thoughts and suggestions, While I, personally, am not a character in this show, I have seen some who do walk away, yet they still seem to be listed in the credits. This is *your* show. This is *your* OP. Again, you can't have it both ways. If it is my "show" then I would imagine I could have it any way I pleased. However, I took Porky's reference of "show" to mean the feed, in which I do not participate, therefore, I am not a character.

Porky Gorky wrote: MissManaged wrote: Hello Porky, While I do agree that the drama is fabricated for entertainment purposes, I feel that it is unfair (I know, I know, what in this world is fair?) that just because one chooses to utilize this application they must be prepared to endure the harassment. You are hardly enduring it now are you? You are embracing it, You have a flair for the dramatic as evidenced by the prose of your OP, your character in this soap opera is the victim, but you are still choosing to play the role, rather than just walking away. You are embracing your character and your part in the drama by launching this spin off show on the forums in which you engage in "banter" with some of your tormentors whilst most onlookers don't really care or are too busy playing "guess the Alt". If you truly are a victim in this scenario then here is some advice, walk away from the feeds and never look back, disassociate yourself from your tormentors rather than just openly inviting them onto your spinoff show here. It's not fair, it's not just, but life rarely is. You have the power to extradite yourself from your current situation in an instance. Yet the show must go on, right? Porky, I revisited your post here, and while I do not totally agree, I do think you have something here. It involves the perception of power. Those who are the “victims” give too much power to the ones tormenting them. Perhaps the answer is a compromise. Not necessarily leaving the feed behind and never looking back, but what about simply carrying on without giving credence to them by refusing to acknowledge them or their slights? It seems to me that this would leave them “twisting in the wind” so to speak.

Porky Gorky wrote: MissManaged wrote: Hello Porky, While I do agree that the drama is fabricated for entertainment purposes, I feel that it is unfair (I know, I know, what in this world is fair?) that just because one chooses to utilize this application they must be prepared to endure the harassment. You are hardly enduring it now are you? You are embracing it, You have a flair for the dramatic as evidenced by the prose of your OP, your character in this soap opera is the victim, but you are still choosing to play the role, rather than just walking away. You are embracing your character and your part in the drama by launching this spin off show on the forums in which you engage in "banter" with some of your tormentors whilst most onlookers don't really care or are too busy playing "guess the Alt". If you truly are a victim in this scenario then here is some advice, walk away from the feeds and never look back, disassociate yourself from your tormentors rather than just openly inviting them onto your spinoff show here. It's not fair, it's not just, but life rarely is. You have the power to extradite yourself from your current situation in an instance. Yet the show must go on, right? Thank you Porky for your thoughts and suggestions, I am simply an observer, there are others like me out there, I have just made the choice to express my thoughts here. While I, personally, am not a character in this show, I have seen some who do walk away, yet they still seem to be listed in the credits.

ThoughtPOLICE wrote: idk why I'm weighing in, but . . . it always seemed to me that the point of my2L was to draw bandwidth away from inworld bandwidth. So people could continue their drama without logging in, for a start, and also save all the greifing that happens by throwing prims about when they can't control their rage. But I'm only guessing, it was just an impression I got and still have. I could be wrong but even so, I hope it has managed to go some way towards achieving that anyway. {^?^} do you think? yours, Thought POLICE Hello Thought POLICE, That is one possibility.

Griffin Ceawlin wrote: baby Kranfel wrote: Everything has checks and balances, the above mentality would not last in RL (liable is legal action), it would not last her in SLF because the mods would apply the ToS to correct it and the poster, but it does happen in the feeds because no rules apply. I'll assume you mean libel. You mean like... someone, completely unfounded, alleging that someone is a pedophile? Yeah. Utterly disgusting. Precisely why the feeds need to be cleaned up, would you not agree? I’ve seen some equally disgusting things stated. Some of those participants can get down and dirty with some pretty nasty comments made, often on topics that should be off limits.

Griffin Ceawlin wrote: Ah, the feeds. Where everything is black or white. Where who or what you "love" can get you shunned... or brand you a criminal. Where "loyalty" demands that one condemn those that they themselves have no issue with. Where reading a single post on someone's feed can equal "watching" or "stalking". Where mutes and unfollows are threatened and announced, and rescinded, daily. Where perceived association with someone labels you their "cheerleader" or their "attack dog". Where, if you don't like the way a discussion is going, you can just delete all of your comments. Where one's political affiliation can be used as a club in a discussion that has naught to do with politics. Where people who have their own feeds closed complain about other people having their feeds closed. Where you can blame your own bad behavior on alcohol or opioids or having a bad day or... Where cliques are bad. Unless it's your clique, of course. Where people whose friends just can't seem to "scroll on by" advise other people to... "scroll on by". Hello Griffin, That is an interesting list you’ve compiled. I see some of the behaviors you’ve mentioned here displayed by almost all who participate on the feed. Let me try to tackle this one line at a time. Everything is black or white~ Not necessarily. I think that there are levels of involvement; some are deeply entrenched and quite deliberate in their attempts at hounding and harassing, while others are causal observers who somehow get caught up accidently. Nothing is strictly black and white in this alley. Who or what you “love” can get you shunned ~ Context is everything. From my observations, I’ve learned that I would certainly be very cautious what I would or would not love for fear of offending someone I care about. We should keep in mind, however “You can please some of the people all of the time, you can please all of the people some of the time, but you can’t please all of the people all of the time”. John Lydgate via Abraham Lincoln “Loyalty” demands that one condemn those that they themselves have no issue with. ~ I believe there is a difference between condemning a person and condemning an action. I may like you, but I don’t have to love everything you say, nor agree with everything you do. I may, in fact, really thoroughly dislike something you say and do, and therefore feel a need to condemn your words or actions. Reading a single post on someone’s feed equal “watching” or “stalking”~ This one made me chuckle a bit. I suppose I myself could be deemed a “watcher”. I think you may cross the line into stalking when it becomes necessary to log in as an alt simply to view the feed of someone you dislike and then criticise them on your own feed for what they have said. This seems a bit like stalking to me, in a childish sort of way. I must say though, I have also seen someone be accused of stalking for simply being on the same sim as someone, when the accuser was not even online. As Storm said earlier, “perspective is everything”. Mutes and unfollows are threatened and announced, and rescinded, daily ~ Ah, yes. Some people seem to use friendship as if it were a leveraging device, while others who would be better off muting someone refuse to censor. This is a case of, “damned if you do, damned if you don’t”. While I believe those tools are useful, the announcement of using them is simply ploy for attention, as is the public announcement that you have been muted, unfollowed. Dynamics change, people move on, people become disillusioned with the actions of another, such is life. Perceived association with someone labels you their “cheerleader” or their “attack dog” ~ Again, I’ve seen both “sides” throw this one out. I would only say “Actions speak louder than words”. If you don’t like the way a discussion is going, you can just delete all of your comments. ~ I have seen this one. It seems that this can be a way to get at the OP as well as a means of self preservation. Given the nature of the feed in association with the muting practices, it seems one could easily mute someone and then carry on spamming their inbox in a thread they are now locked out of. In addition to this, some people simply tire of endless back and forth followed by back patting and withdraw their comments to avoid further notifications. I can see the plus side to this one. One’s political affiliation can be used as a club in a discussion that has naught to do with politics. ~ I think this goes for more than simply politics. I’ve seen the club wielded for many subject that have nothing to do with the OP. It happens here on the forum and elsewhere in life. “Your opinion doesn’t count because you’re wearing a red shirt!” People who have their feed closed complain about other people having their feeds closed. ~ This is a bit like a never ending circle is it not? You can blame your own bad behavior on alcohol or opioids or having a bad day or…~ the weather, or traffic, or your boss, or the dog, bad take out food… Cliques are bad. Unless it’s your clique, of course ~ this sounds a bit like a gang. Crips and Bloods? People whose friends just can’t seem to “scroll on by” advise other people to…”scroll on by”. ~ Interestingly enough, I saw this one yesterday in my daily perusing of the feed. Again, it works both ways. I would suggest to those who do that “practice what you preach”. Thank you Griffin for some interesting perspective.

baby Kranfel wrote: Does not good dancing result from both people dancing to the same music? If that's not the case then the result is only mayhem, I would think. Are we discussing the act of the dance or the environment? Hello Baby, Your comment here made me think of an interesting experiment that I must try at some point. I wonder how silly it would be to give two individuals an MP3 player with two different genres of music playing and ask them to dance together. I was discussing the environment.

Storm Clarence wrote: MissManaged wrote: Hello again Storm, ... I would much prefer a dance partner who steps on my toes over one who dances me through the sewer. Wouldn't you agree? Hi again MissManaged No, I do not agree. Who else would you expect to find in the darkest, dirtiest of back alleys (and sewers) that you analogized in your OP? Prince Charming? Do you expect a matron in the washroom, too? Don't go to the sewer and then you won't be dancing in a sewer. Like I wrote, perception is everything. ETA a hi. Good day Storm, I once found a beautiful vintage bicycle in the alley behind my home; it was leaning against some rubbish bins behind the neighbor’s house. I inquired as to the status of said bicycle, and was informed I could take it. A new chain, and a little grease, and I had a lovely vintage bicycle that I’ve enjoyed quite extensively. I do not always expect to find sewage in the alley. When it comes to dancing, well, I only danced in the alley once, it was raining, and I was alone. It was a Pennies from Heaven moment, and well, you kind of just had to be there. That aside, I did not introduce the dancing metaphor, that was yours. Had I chose that particular subject to voice my thoughts, I probably would have picked a setting other than an alley. I do see a lot of people attempt to justify their actions by diverting the readers attention from the original topic. It is a tactic I have become familiar with in my observations.

Porky Gorky wrote: I don't use my feeds, but I do follow allot of the more "colourful" feeds and I must admit I find it very entertaining. It's like watching a bad soap opera where the majority of the "main characters" are played by adults with the mentality of children. You see the cliques and groups form and they bully each other or individuals, then they return to the comfort of their groups to pat themselves on the back and to mock their victims, all the while it is them who are being mocked by the rest of us viewers who are watching the show. I guess I should feel sorry for the people who are harassed and victimised, but at the end of the day I don't know these people personally and they are not being forced to use their feeds. They are choosing to expose themselves to an un-moderated environment inhabited by losers who have nothing better to do than create drama to enhance their otherwise dull existences. I for one hope LL allows it to continue as it's good entertainment and helps pass a slow work day. Hello Porky, You do make an excellent point when you indicated that this can be perceived as good entertainment. It would make sense then not to feed the beast, so to speak. I imagine my heart does go out to those who are truly harassed and victimized even though I do not know them. While I do agree that the drama is fabricated for entertainment purposes, I feel that it is unfair (I know, I know, what in this world is fair?) that just because one chooses to utilize this application they must be prepared to endure the harassment. I believe that there are some cases here, where word jousting is entertaining and I do find myself eagerly awaiting the next blow, however in many cases, the smile of anticipation diminishes when the blow is hit below the belt, and that invisible line in the sand is crossed. The real people behind the keyboards have a responsibility to both know when to stop typing, and know when to stop reading, but that does not make it an acceptable situation. I think that the feeds could be a better place minus the drama. There could be enough self perpetuated drama from the ones who keep stirring the pot to make it interesting, but why not leave out the ones who don’t want to play?

Storm Clarence wrote: MissManaged wrote: Hello Storm, I'm pleased you are enjoying the thread. You are correct that the feeds are a wonderful way to communicate opinion. The problem is when opinion is transformed into harassment and belligerence. Most people who like to perpetuate drama would prefer willing partners to participate. Who really wants to dance with someone unwilling? HI MissManaged Thank you for such a warm greeting, it was unexpected; however, welcomed. Opinions are funny thing, and so is perception. You see, what my problem is, and for my entire life, I was the 'whom' with all the girls (and some men) wanted to dance. So they always asked. Maybe it's my look; perhaps my disposition; certainly NOT for my dancing abilities. However, each and every time, I walked my partner across the room--to the middle of the dance floor so they could scored their 'trophy' dance. So I danced. And I dance, and I dance. I don't complain when my partner steps on my toes; she (and some men) should not complain when I keep dancing because she (and some men) don't know how to do the SL Two Step. So I dance. And I dance. The feeds are fun, somewhat boring at times, but fun nonetheless. Hello again Storm, Congratulations on your status as the dancing man, perhaps your dancing skills improved with each dance, in which case it was worth the effort and sore toes. Yet even in your own scenario, all partners wanted to dance. Many here seem happier to stand on the side line, or possibly dance to another band, why try to force them into a dance? Though pondering this statement above, it appears it is a game of sort, as I stated before, a way to fill in the boring spots of time. I would much prefer a dance partner who steps on my toes over one who dances me through the sewer. Wouldn't you agree?

Storm Clarence wrote: What a fun thread. And what a great audience. I think the feeds are great; a wonderful way to communicate opinion, in-world pics, factoids, humor, sl adventure, drama, satire to name a few. All of this comes with a scrollbar, too. Enjoy. Hello Storm, I'm pleased you are enjoying the thread. You are correct that the feeds are a wonderful way to communicate opinion. The problem is when opinion is transformed into harassment and belligerence. Most people who like to perpetuate drama would prefer willing partners to participate. Who really wants to dance with someone unwilling?

TDD123 wrote: Maybe these inhabitants of the feeds are not quite up your alley, but what else to expect while on that short road into Arkham Asylum with more than one Joker ? Hello TDD123 Indeed, and the Jokers seem aplenty!

Keriwena wrote: I have yet to wander into that dark alley, but I shall heed your admonitions. Mostly, I just wanted to say that post is a marvelous piece of prose. Hello Keriwena, Thank you for your compliments. It was my hope to draw attention to a problem within the community. I certainly would not want anyone to feel that they must avoid the my.secondlife.com website because of a few problem individuals. There is much to be share, and a lot of very creative people have done so. It would simply be a much nicer place if more people planted flowers and less spread fertilizer.

Laetizia Coronet wrote: The my.sl feed is an anarchy. Anything goes, even the things Linden Lab used to jump at when AR'ed in-world. I've had my private info revealed, and repeatedly so; I've been slandered in the worst possible ways, I've been threatened. And nothing will be done about it - in fact the trolls post with confidence that they "rule the feeds" and that is a literal quote from one of them. My.secondlife could be a fantastic tool, connecting people who are in different timezones and allowing them to share their adventures, and for the most part it is. Until you walk into the wrong alley and you find yourself hounded, sometimes for years, by some idiot who uses everything you say against you and on top of that blames you for talking about it. And it has no functional blocking tool, so not only is there no moderation, there is also no possiblity for you to liberate yourself from the trolls. Hello Laetizia, Thank you for sharing your story. Indeed you are one who I’ve seen take a hard hit from the “rulers”. I think the word troll gives them too much credit. While trolls are portrayed as stupid, they have power in their strength, and I do not see that in this case. I’ve seen you in the past as a prolific sharer of information, tips, photos, etc. I hope that Linden Lab will at some point feel the need to step up and clean up their mess and ensure that people such as you can continue to enjoy sharing their creative and productive side with others.

Dillon Levenque wrote: Took me a bit to see where you're going but I believe I understand. You're talking about The Feed. While I share your wish that a Community Standards oversight existed there, I don't think it's as critical a situation as you do, for the simple reason that avoiding it avoids all the drama that goes with it. My friends in SL who don't use the Feed (that is to say probably more than half) care nothing for what happens there and really there's no reason why they should. I usually visit (USUALLY, not always) only my own home feed and since my feed is Friends Only I can skip most of the BS if I so desire. Thus I don't really think it will drive current residents away. That being said, I cannot imagine that it does not drive prospective residents away. A couple of days spent browsing through the posts on offer would be enough to convince a new visitor that this is a group of whackos he'd want nothing to do with. And really that's a shame. That is why I said there should be Community Standards oversight. Don't know how it would work but there has to be something better than this. Even Yahoo Sports has someone who can make the 'post deleted: inflammatory content' or some such message pop up. Hello Dillon, As you saw in my post, I referred to the Feed as the back alley. It is not the prime factor of Second Life, but it is an element that should not be ignored. I feel it could be a wonderful tool; however it is flawed in the lack of maintenance. I appreciate the idea of not having someone lurking over your shoulder with their finger on the big red button at all times, but it seems that some are taking advantage of the fact that no one is looking. Certainly, you could avoid it, and thus not have to subject yourself to the drama, but it’s a bit like allowing the convicts to run the prison, as my grandmother used to say.

I walk with purpose through the community in which I reside, striding the mostly well maintained walkways, paying little attention to neither the perfectly manicured lawns to my right or to the sprawling beachfront to my left. I round a corner and meet the pitch blackness head on. I slowly work my way along the outside edge of the community and find myself inching my way though the inky blackness of the poorly lit alley, creeping along the backs of pristine houses, some with tall hedges or fences to block an outsider’s view. I become more alert now, aware of the jumble of voices that echo through the alley. Here there are no street lamps and the alley is poorly maintained. I must be cautious as I step over great fractures in the pavement and attempt to sidestep unruly weeds overgrowth that has overtaken most of the alley. Every now and again, I see one of the local city workers slip silently in and out of the darkness, but he never sees me. He just carries on with his own agenda unaware of my mission, or that of the residents who gather in their backyards near the alley in the unpromising darkness. I dodge clothes lines of dirty laundry waving gently in the breeze, before noticing the overturned dumpster. I gaze at it in eager expectation wondering what treasures of information I can glean from it. I begin sifting through the old junk mail and coffee grinds, the empty fast food containers, and discarded milk cartons to get to the nitty-gritty. I have entered the dumpster of Linden Lab, the unkempt alley, the no man’s land. It is a place known to its residents as my.secondlife.com. I’m sure that Linden Lab thought it was a spectacular idea in the beginning. Many of their residents agreed. It was a platform created to continue the social aspect of the online experience of Second Life without being tied down to a downloaded program. People who could not normally or would not normally communicate with someone outside of the online grid could not continue the party without logging in. I’ve silently observed for some time, and what I’ve witnessed is the stuff of high drama. Action, adventure, romance, laughter, tears, this place has it all! I must warn you however, it is not for the faint of heart! Oh no, don’t enter this dark alley unless you are armed and have your wits about you, for this place is truly a no man’s land, a last frontier only without the promising aspect of an incoming sheriff. There is no law in these parts young man! The staff of Linden Lab seems to tread rather lightly, side stepping the colorful displays of dimwitted humor that delivers as insults, harassment, and just plain bad behavior. People are virtually attacked and then respond. Others weigh in with almost sportscaster like commentary, while some prefer to judge and others just stir up the stew of animosity that keeps this alley unwelcoming to many. What I have observed is a faction of individuals who feel they have the upper hand in the intelligence department. They are portrayed as evil villains who sulk in the darkest corners of the alley rubbing their hands together ominously, riding high on their portentousness, and feeling invincible. You can almost hear the maniacal laughter, but it isn’t really a funny type of thing. Many I know are hesitant to enter the alley, some are turned off by the stereotypical social media feel of it, and others are put off by the villains who lurk, despite knowing they are really mostly harmless and boring old men most likely with nagging wives and too much time on their hands. I have seen though, that their hesitation is well founded. I find myself pondering the Terms of Service for Second Life, and wondering about the selective enforcement of them. Sure, Linden Lab has stated they will not involve themselves with resident disputes, but I have to wonder, at what point exactly, does it evolve from a resident dispute and become harassment and then according to the Terms of Service, an actionable offense? Is it the point when seemingly mild mannered residents spout off in foul rages in retaliation to some highly offensive comment or persistant dogging of that individual? When the self appointed kings of the “feed” chase other residents around forcing them to close their page to all but friends? Maybe when they begin to show visible animosity against gender, race, sexual orientation, religion, creed, or nationality? Perhaps it is when those have been dogged to the point of closing their premium accounts? Or maybe it is when they board up their pristine houses and move out for good. When I purchased my home many years back in the physical world, I paid especially close attention to the condition of the alley behind it. Linden Lab would do well to take a closer look at their alley and the ever growing sewage spill that may well end up lowering the property value. I hope that Linden Lab decides to clean up the alley, it's beginning to stink.