Scylla Rhiadra

OMG! Is this your secret, coded way of telling us that Paul really is dead? Excuse me while I play this picture backwards to search for hidden messages . . . !

I know this isn't humorous, and I shouldn't laugh, and really really I am sorry this happened to you. But there is something irresistibly funny about this . . . I'm glad you figured it out, though. 🙂

Great pic, and a good use of infamous (and much maligned) "Dutch angle"!

Well, no. But there is science, on one hand, and . . . well, utter nonsense woven from god knows what, on the other. You are right to say that there are many unknowns here. Science isn't a magic wand that you wave over something to learn "The Truth" -- it's a laborious and painstaking process not merely of testing and experimenting, but of re-testing, and recreating experiments. And whatever results scientist might produced are then tested again, in the crucible of peer reviewed publication. This pandemic is not yet a year and a half old: that science has learned as much about the virus as it has, yet alone produced effective vaccines for it, is nothing short of a miracle. This kind of investigation is usually measured in decades, not months. Those who've criticized health professionals, scientists, and epidemiologists for "changing their minds" about things seem not to understand that that is precisely how knowledge, and particularly scientific knowledge, is produced. You produce a hypothesis, and you test it, and then you test it again, and then someone else tests it . . . and eventually you achieve a stable, provable answer. Changing your mind as you learn new things is actually part of the process. But that there is still much about which we cannot be sure -- and there certainly is -- is not license to simply ignore what we have learned, or to produce wild speculation that owes nothing to proper scientific investigation. The things we do not yet know, or cannot yet be certain exist within the context of things that we do know. Those things, our current certainties, are the foundations for further investigation and research. And if speculation outruns experimentation and testing, and is contrary to what we do know, then . . . yes, you are wrong.

I want to believe that she's just lazy. But posting something from someone who has made a name for himself as an anti-vaxxer advocate (and general all-round nutter) without providing some context -- as though he was merely another medical practitioner with an opinion rather than an activist working hard to sell his view -- is starting to seem disingenuous if not downright dishonest.

Arielle, do you do any investigation of your sources? Or do you just throw in search terms for results you want to see, and then gaily post the first thing that comes up here? Describing this charlatan as "this doctor" is like introducing Bernie Madoff as "this financier." Do you not understand that your continual propensity to dump the most egregiously fatuous stuff here indiscriminately has totally shot your credibility? For god's sake, do a bit of research before posting.

Don't think I haven't noticed, Mandy. PS. When Maddy comes to a club, it's most often because I've TPed her there, so I can attest that she does, in fact, do exactly as she says here. It can be amusing to watch the responses of those she greets thusly. A few know her well enough to get the joke, but the majority, I think, are a bit bewildered. But I'd bet there are a few, too, who are a bit flattered to be thus singled out for attention. And, joke or not, that's actually kind of nice.

What a really lovely pic!

Not being someone who loves "collecting" things, this hadn't occurred to me. Interesting! Of course, commerce in one of a kind, or even just very rare objects needn't rely upon gacha as the mechanism for vending, as your example of the auctions suggests. And I know at least one major clothing maker who makes "special" variants on items in their line available for a limited time only. I still have some problems, ethically and otherwise, with gachas. But I now have a better understanding of the appeal for some, at least.

Well, Sid . . . I think my relative state of dress or undress in-world is really none of your business . . . Yes, you are indeed quite right: most of my clothing is copy but not mod. I stand corrected. Thank your for underlining the ginormeous hole in my wardrobe argument . . . 😏

The workaround for this, surely, would be to deed the objects to a dedicated group to which both lender and borrower belong, and extend mod perms to members of that group. I think this is a great idea in principle? And I am all for finding ways to assist people who may not have cash reserves to draw upon. But I think some of the unintended consequences noted above are an issue. I can't see this ever becoming such a widespread practice that it threatens livelihoods, but certainly the impact upon SL artisans and creators should be given consideration. As for people adjusting perms in response -- well, in the vast majority of cases, I don't buy things now that aren't both mod/copy. I sympathize with the reasoning, but my policy wouldn't change even if more creators went this route.

I'm wondering if he's referring to the "Featured Items" at the top of the list. I do see a fair number of sex toys, poses, etc. appearing there. If that's the case, then turning off "Adult" would indeed fix the problem. These two statements are incompatible. I too would prefer to see less of the sex/bondage stuff on MP. But it's unnecessary to cast value judgements about these products or their users for merely that reason.

There is of course an environmental cost associated with anything we do in SL -- including posting to this forum. But NFTs (and cryptocurrencies) are special cases, and particularly destructive, because of the way that they are produced and "authenticated." Because NFTs are mostly traded using cryptocurrencies, they are implicated also in the costs of producing those.

I've seen this said of NFTs as well.

I'll let you know when it happens.

There are not enough "bones" on the avatar face; that's the biggest problem, I think. The characteristic look of the smile produced by FaceApp always widens and raises the cheeks, among other things. Although there are a couple of sliders for cheeks on the SL avatar skeleton, it's not capable of producing that effect. (I know: I've tried.) It also reshapes the eyes subtly. ETA: And in slightly older versions, it can "whiten" the skin. That particular feature has been removed, for reasons that I'm sure are obvious.

There is a fair amount of statistical evidence to suggest that this Is, in fact, exactly the case. Part of the problem too is that the pandemic has made it much more difficult to get help, find safe shelter, and so on. Many women are essentially trapped in abusive relationships because the old routes to escape have been closed down or are already overburdened.

I don't much "need" the map, in the sense that I don't use it to TP places, find popular spots, and that sort of thing. On the other hand, I've always liked the spatial / geographical element that contiguous continents lend to SL -- and I generally prefer mainland over estates for that reason alone. So, when I go somewhere, especially somewhere "new," I like to know where I am, relative to other places I know, and the maps assist in that obviously. And I use them a lot for scootering around the mainland. So I'm pretty happy this has been fixed. A "thank you" costs nothing. Nor do I merely take for granted that things should be done - - I value the labour and effort and care that people who make things, including code and maps, put into their work. So, honestly, while I'm not much inclined to thank LL the Corporate Entity for fixing something that they broke and that is really a part of their basic service, I do want to extend my thanks and appreciation to the very real humans that did this. Corporations don't need and gain much (other than public relations) from warm thank yous. I prefer to think in terms of people. So to those Lindens who put the work into fixing something that definitely does enhance my enjoyment of this platform -- thank you! (/me checks to see how this post increases her post count and reputation. Damn. Nothing?)

About 2 or 3 cms. of snow on the ground this morning. And it ain't melting yet. It's not that weird here. We've occasionally had snow in May. But that doesn't mean I have to like it.

No. I can't believe that seasoned LL staff would. I just worry that their experience is not being consulted.

Except that this is surely why the old executive is still in place? To provide the continuity and experience that would prevent this kind of stupidity? (I don't know why I'm responding to you here, as we're currently talking about this in-world. Bone-headed of me?)

Take a number. We're going to be waist deep in them when more people see this. I just don't understand the thinking here. It's not just that this is "misleading." The vast gulf between what they seem to be promising and what the average new user is likely to see in their first, oh I don't know . . . forever? . . . is going to generate a backlash. You can't lie this egregiously and not piss people off. Where are their heads at?

You're clearly out of practice. Maybe you need to get back in shape . . . stick around a bit, do some forum calisthenics? That sort of thing?

It was only a couple of days ago we were complaining about the awful pics used for the Premium page. LL seems to have responded with a "Oh yeah? Hold my beer . . .," and gone entirely in the other direction. There is, obviously, no way you could ever achieve a look like that natively in SL. And triply so as a noob. I foresee some very annoyed new users.

*shudders* Okay. So, let's just say we not smile, right?