ThorinII

To be honest, if I had a say, all bots would be marked as bots through a titler, identified as scripted agents on their dashboard, and given another color on the map and minimap, and get a notice in their profile identifying them as bots. That way, those who are against bots for whatever reasons could easily ignore and avoid them.

Uhm... >.> <.< >.< Obviously I got it all wrong for the most part of my life -- and kept myself in good condition, considering that I turn 50 next April... -.-'

Sooo... I'm slowly getting used to my new look and name...

Skell is right. I changed that today, because I no longer wear a male avatar. I was persuaded by my wife, and my RP-crew to stay female (at least for a while)

*sigh* What have I done. My wife Bea Trix (sweetgem Clemenceau), and most of my crew want me to be female now... Well, for this morning, I can do them this favor.

Yes, for an hour or so I looked like that: ... but then I changed to my normal self again: (To the left is eighthdwarf Checchinato, wearing a CC Drone Suit.)

My crew and I just had a little "discussion" with my father...

Thank you all for your thoughts. Your arguments against this idea of mine did make me reconsider it. And I have to admit that obviously it wasn't such a good idea to start with. It rather seems that this time, Gibbs' Rule #51 applies to me: "Sometimes - you're wrong".

As far as I know, playing a woman in SL simply makes you experience how women in SL are treated. However, how you feel in a particular situation might be similar to how a real woman might feel in the same situation. However, you can't compare SL and RL in that regard. Most males are much more blunt here, as I have to admit shamefully. A girl of mine once told me what she had to endure when she was newbie helper at a Community Gateway. How she was treated (and her other female colleagues as well) by male newbies and oldbies alike, compared to the male helpers. It wasn't a pleasant tale, believe me. Unfortunately, there are many places in SL where a woman is seen as inferior to a man - and moreso if she wears a collar.

Took me a moment to get the SLUniverse reference :D. But well - why not?

Is that Karl Marx, or Groucho Marx?

I wonder why there is no "Disagree" choice among the given reactions to a post. Right now there's only the possibility to either "laugh" at a post , or to be "confused" about it - which, in my opinion, isn't enough. Sometimes you just don't have the time to write a post simply stating that you disagree to the opinion or argument of somebody else, or you are so objecting that you can't write down what you think without getting admonished (at best). In such a case, a simple "disagree" button would come in handy... So, forum lords, is it possible to introduce a "Disagree" button soon-ish?

You know what, Prokofy, I grew up in a country *you* would call a "communist" one. And despite having seen the shortfalls and quirks of such a regime, I would happily turn back the times any day, if I could and had to choose between "Free Market" and "Communism". I think the market has to be heavily regulated - and some branches have to be taken entirely off the market (=be nationalized), for example the healthcare system, all education, water, mail, telephone and internet, and a few others (and be it by nationalizing through confiscation) - simply because of the insane greed of for-profit companies.

Bullsh*t. it's about voting for the Federal Government to make sure that all web services are treated equally in regards of bandwidth. No matter if it's some big newspaper's web platform, or a no-name blog, Startpage.com or Google.com, youtube or vimeo, AT&T or some local provider. That said, however: If *I* had a say in the States (or here in Germany, where I live), there would be no *private* ownership of ISP's at all anymore. Internet and telephone would all be nationalized and tax-paid - ergo available to everyone, and free of extra charge. Though while at it, I would also nationalize the entire healthcare system (so that neither healthcare insurance nor hospitals were owned by greedy for-profit companies anymore, and that everyone would automatically be covered, no questions asked). AND public transport. AND electricity.AND water supply. Plus a few other branches.

I know right? Currently, I spend around 40 Euros for SL - to pay the rent for my 1/4 homestead, and to buy stuff. At least, I try to do that regularly. Sometimes, I just can't though - and that's where I don't see any incentive to go Premium anymore (I had one with my former account). Here's just a few points: A Linden Home? Too bad you're not allowed to deed it to a group. Well, you can, theoretically, but iirc you're not allowed to do so. 512 sqm Mainland instead? Well that isn't much for a group either. And as a roleplayer, I want my group to be able to set their home on the land that we're using together. A month low on money, because there are some unexpected RL bills that you have to pay? Well as a Free User, worst thing that did happen to me is that I lost my land and had to rent a new parcel when I had the money again. What about Premium? When you're on a monthly or quarterly subscription, your account will be on hold until you're able to pay your subscription fee again. The Premium gifts? Oh well, most of them are of little use for me. The Premium sandboxes? Hm... Do I need one with own land anyways? The stipend? Well... yes it did help a bit, but still there was that regular fee that I had to cough up whether I had the money or not. So, what is a Premium worth to me? Nothing *I* am ready to pay anymore.

Currently waiting for some potential RP partner to arrive at our place: (left to right: Bernd Teardrop, TinaTester, Alexandra Actor, myself, and eighthdwarf Checchinato)

Should there be disincentives for free accounts? I think no. On the other hand, I think there should be better incentives to go Premium, so that it would be worth it for everyone.

Maybe I'm too old already, but I go by the principle: What two (or more) adults are doing in mutual consent, and how they're dressed while doing so, is none of my business. I may not like their kink, but that doesn't matter: it's none of my business. Either I go out of the way by leaving the scene, or I simply ignore them. So do I tolerate childpr0n™? No, I don't. And I would AR (or in RL, press charges against) anyone who even has such stuff. However I do only consider RL photos and films to be "real" CP™. Not hentai, not other drawings, not pixel stuff, not child avis either (even though I find them mostly annoying). So yes, much of what legally counts as CP™ wouldn't count so from where I stand. That said, back when I was on my first account, and the Teen Grid still existed (and I find it the biggest mistake of LL that they closed that down), I did AR quite a few RL kids under the category "Minor on the Main Grid" - after having them admit in the nearby chat a few times that indeed they were under 18 in RL. One of them, who admitted to be 13 in RL, even claimed that she had been an escort for most of her year in SL! Sorry but that goes against my principle (see above). You can't consent when you're underage.

Starting roleplay with my crew. And yes, the flipchart in the background shows a real to-do-list, for the RP background and for IC goals

Doing some homework for my role play starting soon™

Waiting for my RP partners... And yes, I know that this outfit is not a Star Fleet uniform, and the label on my upper arm is not showing a Star Trek symbol either. The label on both my upper arm sleeves is this one, created by @eighthdwarf Checchinato :

The other day I woke up in the middle of the night, couldn't find sleep again, so I went shopping on Marketplace and inworld. Anyhow, I couldn't find anything interesting for *me*, so I bought something for my female alter-ego -- at NGW, at KDC, and at Marine Kelley's shop. And this was the result:

Sorry that was a typo. I corrected that.

My favorite saved outfit is a tad boring: Just the Jeans and Shirt from Slink

Well, I did learn a lesson from this last bet: Never again underestimate the costs necessary to create a decent looking female avatar! I rarely accept bet challenges - but when I do, the stakes are usually pretty high.