Harper Held

I plan on applying. I wiped out my flickr so I'll have to upload photos of my past SLB builds onto a new flickr account...that might mean I won't get approved. Still, I'm going to roll the dice.🎲🎲

I'm at a loss for safe words but I will say that I'm happy they have the adult category (even if I won't build for it), and that I'm a mix of pleased and amused by the choice of themes. IMO the choice theme is a clever mix of safe (vital given [redacted]) and interesting (meaning with plenty potential to make builds that fit without being totally incoherent mishmash like some past themes. I approve -and hopefully I'll be approved!

SL21B Applications Now Open For Exhibitors This years' theme: "Elements" though, as always, following the theme is optional. Details in the link above, obvs. I'm making this thread for the sake of discussion since no one else has yet. 😻

Rules for us and not for them. Par for the course, in all honesty; not just in LL.

FYP:

duplicate

I'm doing much the same, myself but less because of anything having to do with LL and more simply needing to tighten my pursestrings and manage my budget. Retrocomputing/emulation's a cheaper hobby and I'm spending more and more of my time on that instead.

If you remember when gorrillas closed the grid to bang on things -you might be an oldbie. ...or versed in obscure SL memes, I'm not sure which. [edit]Oh! What year? Jeez, I originally joined in 2005 and this account is from 2008 ...but I still find myself fumbling about like I just got off of orientation island. There are 5 year old accounts that are much more oldbie than I am...

That may not be an option for everyone, especially those with financial or visa pressures. That said, I'm more worried about any favoritism (to the detriment of residents and resident creators) and/or harrasment (blackmail of residents was mentioned) of the kind that was mentioned in the blog post than I am internal LL workplace problems. But you're right; none of this is new.

Yep; people's inclination to believe whatever is flattering and fits their world view is the 2nd biggest threat to civilisation -right behind AI

Pessimistic, but is it unwarranted?

"We got rid of the material that brought about the bad PR and enacted policies to ensure we would not be embarassed that way again"

It never came up?

Yeah, Scylla! Get your gear together..

Not really, it was the institutional dysfunction which enabled the excesses. Even if heads were to roll (they won't), all that would mean is that it would be someone else taking advantage of their privileges to enact their whims and viewpoints. Getting rid of [redacted] in SL by itself would do nothing to curb the abuse of power -that requires deeper institutional change. The hystrionics give The Lab the opportunity to avoid addressing the deeper issues by giving them something else to talk about.

There are things they could specifically address: how the marketplace is handled Dynamics between Lindens and Residents Resident-facing LL workplace policies and much, much more! ...all without making a single libelous charge or referring to a single allegation. "We are now aware that we can perform better in the following fields and will make the following specific changes to our policies and their enforcement" But that's not what they're doing -is it?

I'm sure the inworld places are gone, or not long for this world. But the institutional workplace dynamics ...? the favoritism...? yeah; as I'm saying -they've been handed the perfect cover to distract from changing any of that, haven't they?

Naw, 'notice' implies noone knew about that dysfunction. People were aware. But the sensational issues will serve as a distraction from any nepotism, intimidation, etc rot in the institution.

Speaking personally, I wasn't able to find it with google ...and I knew what I was looking for!

Yeah, by choosing the most inflammatory material possible the original writer effectively made sure it would be noticed. But at the same time, by chosing that material, they also gave The Lab the perfect cover and handwave to avoid making any kind of institutional changes. Dynamics between Lindens/The Lab and Residents will continue as they have ...unchanged. Because their will be a great show of getting rid of the grossest of of the charges, which will take the heat off of any deeper problems.

I, and everyone else badgering poor Henri in-game are missing the point he's making; It isn't that Henri doesn't know Whiskey Tango Foxtrot what's up; it's that the people who are reading the statement...98% of SL's userbase...will have no idea WTF this statement is in reference to.

The original blog was written to inflict maximum damage, using the most inflammatory means possible. Anything it says that you can't verify for yourself (eg marketplace) probably should be taken with a huge grain of salt. At the end of the day, I'm a lot more concerned with the allegations of favoritism and residents being treated badly (putting it as vague as possible here) than I am anything else in the article. I'll bet a dollar that the toxic behavoir towards residents and general institutional dysfunction will remain untouched -regardless of what they do about child avatars.

Yes, a few people do. Thanks for asking!

virtualverse has the greenest grass of all! 🪴

Yep, my RL sisters both play.