Scylla Rhiadra

I'm sorry, you're right: you probably weren't arguing for enforced censorship of sexual expression, but rather noting that one can live well and happily without it. Which I'm sure for some is totally true. So I've misrepresented you somewhat, and for that I apologize. But . . . /me looks around quickly to make sure no one is watching, and pokes you again

This is very true. I don't know that there is a necessary connection between the expression of sexuality and the expression of a non-binary or trans identity -- I actually don't think there is -- but the suppression of the one does seem to go hand in hand with the oppression of the other. And more generally, an "anti-sex" view tends to constrain pretty much all forms of self-expression regarding gender -- skirts can't be too short, bustlines can't be too low, etc. And the same could be said about many other things: works that are intellectually challenging or viewed as "subversive," for instance. One of the reasons given for banning the holocaust-themed graphic novel Maus is that it features . . . nude mice.

We're going to have to agree to disagree on this one, Silent. Nobody who knows me is ever going to call me over-sexed, but my sexuality is really integral to everything about me. And I think a glance around our culture, ranging from crappy tacky ads, all the way up to the very greatest art and literature, seems to me to prove that I'm right. I have absolutely no issues with your own views on this -- in fact, I'm delighted that you've found a personal balance with which you are comfortable. But enforcing a culture with the sexuality excised from it isn't actually going to teach anyone about finding life balance: it's merely going to deprive them of a really important outlet for personal expression.

Sex can consume everything else, for sure. A world where sex completely dominated the culture would be incredibly dull, unappealing, and sterile to anyone who isn't just into sex. There are people here who are only interested in that -- who hop from one animated sex bed or one webcam date to another. And, surprise surprise, they tend to be rather dull, unappealing, and sterile themselves. But there's a difference between a culture that has found a good balance between the expression of sexuality, and all the other good stuff, and one where chastity is enforced. Facebook's version of the metaverse sounds very much like the latter, and as a result I predict that it's going to be a veritable banquet of middle brow dullness. Get rid of sex, and you almost certainly lose also a great deal of artistic and creative freedom. Second Life has, I think, achieved a pretty good balance. There is probably a bit more of the sex than I prefer -- god, I get so booooored of its impact on SL fashion -- but, as I've said many times before, it really intrudes upon my experience very very little. But I can go to art galleries here and see beautiful nudes. I can go to clubs where everyone's language and conversation isn't being censored and filtered to keep it "safe" for the easily shocked or offended. And I can flirt -- just a little dangerously, because, although I'll never follow through, there is always just the chance that I could. It's a cliche that the two great themes of human literature are sex and death. I think the same could be said about a lot of our culture generally. Sexuality, even if it's hovering unseen and unheard in the background, is an enormously important part of who we are.

Oddly, I agree with you about the lack of appeal of a world without sex -- not because I engage at all in it, but for the reason that @Coffee Pancake suggested -- a virtual world without sex is almost certainly one that has been stripped of a lot of other freedoms and outlets for creativity as well. You don't need to be "doing" sex in SL to be enjoying the benefits that come with a freer and more progressive attitude towards the culture in general.

So . . . you don't participate in the social element. You don't acknowledge the work of the DJ or manager or club owner, even if you're using their facilities and listening to their music . . . not because you can't afford it, but because the whole thing "bores" you? But you'll "camp" there, despite doing nothing to contribute in any way to any of it . . . because . . . ? What fun you must be to go clubbing with.

Thank you. But I suck at opening jars.

I think that this is a very wise approach.

This is unfortunately true. As well, I have a ton of items that are not easily or simply categorized. Hair with hats, hats without hair, sets of separate bangs and ponytails . . . I have a pretty complicated system of folders that categorize my hair (of which I must by now have well over 150 styles) by length AND style, and sometimes colour, whether they are windblown, "edgy," "historical," etc. Most of them DO actually have ad textures, which obviously helps -- but a single category like "hair" just ain't gonna cut it. I like the idea, sort of. I'm just not sure how helpful it would actually be.

/me sighs

This doesn't work for me. There is no category for "boots."

This is really excellent point, and why I get annoyed when some contemptuously dismiss the concerns and/or real anxiety someone might feel over being stalked, or harassed, or abused publicly. "Just TP home and block" will work for many of us, but everyone is different -- introverted, extroverted, with or without social anxieties -- and, of course, previous experience plays a part too. Someone who has been stalked or harassed or verbally abused in RL is far more likely to be triggered by the apparently "harmless" actions of an asshat here in SL. I'm very glad to hear that you are sensitive to those kinds of differences.

I don't believe you. They're a myth. A story to be told to frighten children. Like the Loch Ness Monster or Bigfoot. Show me the plaster cast of a Linden footprint, or video footage shot using an infrared camera and I'll believe you. Maybe.

It's nice!! I'm hoping, though, that the grotto is at least "M" rated -- or, from the look of it, I'm off to the cornfield.

Back. Did I miss anything? 😏

Well, in a similar vein, for photographs I use a pose stand when I can. Which, of course, I sometimes cannot. You casting a bit of shade, Rolig? Huh? Ya wanna take it outside??

Hi all. I just wanted to let you know, with heavy heart and many regrets, that I will be leaving the forum. RL has continued to make insistent and unreasonable demands upon me, and I can no longer resist. I should be back in about . . . an hour and a half? Keep my seat warm, please.

THIS THIS THIS!!!! O Hear Our Supplications, Linden Gods! I offer as sacrifice any forum poster you please! (But would like to float a few suggestions in that regard.)

This all makes sense. But surely, as an admittedly extreme solution, one could sort of turn one's avatar into an editable object, and position it with the kind of precision that we are able to move prims and mesh around? Avatars are not "normal" objects, of course, so maybe that would require vasts amounts of coding.

Here's a (sort of) silly improvement or addition that I'd find useful. Some way to more precisely position your avatar in-world. Using the standard controls (and if there are others that I'm missing, please tell me!) to rotate, turn, or move your avi left, right, forward or back, are all remarkably imprecise. It's like trying to move someone onto a small "X" on the floor by giving them a running shove. Precise movement controls would make it much easier to line up for animations (such as couples dance HUDs and "hug" animations), and sooo much simpler to set up photographs. And I can't tell you how often I've tried to stand at the edge of something like a wall, and found myself faaaaaaaaalling . . . It's just so frustrating now.

There's this guy who belongs to some weird right wing cyber-libertarian group (it's all very 4Chan and dark and mysterious and uber-kool) who has been griefing, or trying to grief the sim I manage for about a half year now. He can't get into the sim now, so his strategy seems to be to find vulnerable bits of adjacent abandoned land to put up flags and sinister radio towers and stuff -- most recently a couple of weeks ago. I AR them and they get removed. Next time he does it, I'll AR whatever he puts down . . . and sit and wait and watch . . . until a Linden comes. And then I'll jump out from my hiding spot and run towards them screaming "BEAAAAAAR!!!" I wonder if it will work?

Or cues you to run away, if you've been bad.

I think it would demonstrate a rather skewed sense of priorities, tbh, to focus attention on an elaborate system for making the shopping experience slicker and more streamlined, instead of dealing with the mess that is "system" for avatar customization. Fixing the latter would address the former, at least in some measure.

Totally. The BEST mums are the ones who take fiendish delight in making you squirm like you were still a teen, even while you are teetering on the verge of menopause. Which is why I can actually imagine a conversation like this with my mum. (Cue a story from Maddy . . . Coming in 3, 2, 1 . . . 😄 )

lol thanks! In fairness to my mum, she's actually a fair bit cooler than I'm making her sound. (My dad, on the other hand . . .)