Madelaine McMasters

April '08 (2nd day in SL. Hadn't yet learned how to un/dress.) Today (5141th day, same hair, still can't dress properly.)

Prithee, Sarah, dear William is nought but a corse. His glistering prose doth suffer the slings and arrows of the marvellous and puissant passage of time. I beseech thee, gentle woman, perchance to forswear such protestations... because progress. https://books.google.com/ngrams/graph?content=glitter%2Cglister&year_start=1800&year_end=2019&corpus=27&smoothing=3&case_insensitive=true&direct_url=t4%3B%2Cglitter%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bglitter%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BGlitter%3B%2Cc0%3B.t4%3B%2Cglister%3B%2Cc0%3B%2Cs0%3B%3Bglister%3B%2Cc0%3B%3BGlister%3B%2Cc0 https://abagond.wordpress.com/2016/05/07/words-shakespeare-used-that-are-no-longer-common/

Me?! Do I look like I'd do that sort of thing?

Better than being im-molated, I guess (looks nervously in @Madelaine McMastersdirection). Hey!!! Immolation is the sincerest form of flattery.

I think it's pretty neat that, 15 years later, LL still see's SL as a place where we can piggy back ride on each other.

...gets right to work.

Most of us have probably seen a newbie stumble in here and get mauled. I sometimes jump in to ameliorate. I've experienced the reverse of the situation you described. Within a year of my arrival here, some old timers were convinced I was serving Kool-Aid to the forum and pulling strings within LL to have my way. As the only person here in a position to know that's not true, I could only wonder how the perception came to be. Being nefarious, I did approximately nothing to discourage it. I've got dog owning neighbors who pay for home security services and always lock their doors when leaving for short errands. I'll only lock the doors if I'm going to be away all day or longer. I hate carrying keys. Same world, different perceptions.

I'm equally reluctant to entertain the ideas of cabals, clans, or other orchestrated movements. I see the forum as a collection of individuals who might, now and then, appear to move in coordination, but instead hold beliefs and expectations that are in alignment in some area. Correlation is usually just that. Correlation can be powerful, but addressing it as conspiracy seems like a mistake.

Therein lies the rub --- who gets to decide what is "too far"? I suppose we don't know until they make their decision felt.

I bet they are, indeed! Hey! I might be one!

Prejudice means preconceived judgment or opinion, so yes you did. The data supports your prejudice, but what if more men are convicted of rape and receive much harsher punishments because of that prejudice? I've noticed a lot of prejudiced statements made against men in the forum, which is why I noted that post by MalibuBratz. Here's some one that is more straightforward: dude, I just try to be honest. thats is trrue men is the main problem in sl. most girefer > man catfishing > man MalibuBratz offered an opinion based on past experience, from which you intimated pre-judice. I offered an opinion backed up by a significant body of historical evidence and you outright call me prejudiced. Note that I said "most rapes are committed by men" while the US government report cited in the underlying link says that nearly 99% of perpetrators of rape and sexual assault are male. My use of "most" was intentional, and encapsulates my understanding that there is historical bias in the creation of such statistics. Here's an example trying to unwind that... https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/sexual-victimization-by-women-is-more-common-than-previously-known/ Still, that does not cast doubt on my claim that most rapes are committed by men, but does hint at why I said most and not 99%. My personal experience with, and opinion of, men in SL and RL has been overwhelmingly positive, and I've been saying that here for years... https://community.secondlife.com/search/?&q=fellas&quick=1&author=madelaine mcmasters&search_and_or=or&sortby=relevancy You state that you've "noticed a lot of prejudiced statements made against men in the forum", and quote Kalegthepsionicist as an example. Kalegthepsionicist is not MalibuBratz, and neither of them are me. Curiously, @Kalegthepsionicistthanked you for citing him as an example of prejudiced thinking, so I won't deny it exists in this thread. Once again, prejudice is a "preconceived opinion that is not based on reason or actual experience". MalibuBratz recounted his own experience, and I expressed an opinion based on reason, informed by evidence. You are more than welcome to refute my claim. I look forward to seeing evidence that most rapes are not committed by men.

No one? There are people in this forum with whom I sometimes butt heads, but who also post things I "like". My opinions of those people rise and fall, and rise again, on the merits of their posts. If I block them at the ebb of those opinions, that's probably where my opinion will stay. Can you think of anyone you thought of blocking at some point, but are now glad you didn't? If there's even one, is that an acceptable argument for not blocking? ETA: Blocking also eliminates my opportunity to "like" posts from people I often disagree with, possibly feeding a perception that I've made up my mind about them.

I grew up in a family that loved rapid, seemingly pr*ckly banter. Once, after watching (hearing, really, his cussing was glorious) Dad really screw something up during construction of one of his many prototype gizmos, I said "Do clients really pay you to do dumb stuff like that?" His immediate and enthusiastic response was "Oh yes!' Only your mother gets it for free." And there's that time Mom went to McDonalds...

Using Krill to buy Lindens

So you're prejudiced? One might wonder if the "dudes" MalibuBratz referred to were only those in his rear view mirror. Still, given the context, any potential extrapolation seems limited. I can be a woman and have the opinion that most rapes are committed by men. You seem to understand what prejudice means, what leads you to believe MalibuBratz expressed it? Did I?

That rolled off your fingertips so naturally you’re scaring me.

I think Twain deserves a seat in the Pantheon of the Apocryphal. I think he'd approve. The version of this idea I've seen attributed to him is “Never argue with stupid people. They will drag you down to their level and beat you with experience.” https://marktwainstudies.com/the-apocryphal-twain-never-argue-with-stupid-people-they-will-drag-you-down-to-their-level-and-beat-you-with-experience/ From that page (emphasis mine): There is perhaps no greater testament to Twain’s lasting reputation than the habitual misattribution of miscellaneous wit and wisdom to his name. The circulation of such apocryphal aphorisms was common enough in the 20th century. It has only increased with the popularization of digital media. With each passing year, there are fewer wonderful quotes I feel confident I can attribute to him, or anyone.

That's the fun part though As one who loves both absurdity and learning, I quite agree.

It is fascinating. I've known I was different for as long as I can remember. I was slow to suss it out, if I've sussed it out. I might still be absurdly naïve.

https://despair.com/ My favorite is...

i see what you did there I believe you!

Yes, indeed. I might have learned as a child that, by the time you can declare something absolutely true, it's not terribly important to many people. To have certainty that 1+1=2, we must agree on the definitions of integers, addition, equality, the depictions of those ideas by certain symbols, dimensions... the list goes on and we must limit our claim to the realm of those agreements. It's been nearly 52 years since Apollo 11 landed on the moon. I won't go looking for surveys evidencing the belief by some that lots of people believe the landing was a hoax, but you probably believe I could find one. I think there are such hoax believers because they've visited our summer star parties. Of course I can only believe they believe what they say. I've no way to know. If certainty is proportional to the number of people who agree with you, the Internet has moved the decimal place over a few places. When I was the McMasters family village idiot, it was pretty hard to argue my case in the face of what seemed like perpetual 2:1 odds. As my circle of friends and influence eventually grew, it became less hard. Now, it's easy. And there you go. Still, we get up every morning and place our bets.

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/Curio-Obscura-Rococo-Fantastico-Hairstyle/615020

This kind of conflict seems increasingly hard to resolve, doesn't it?

You're so adorable when you're embarrassed, Persephone!