Tari Landar

I don't take issue with the fee increase amounts, regardless as to whether or not anyone else does, and I don't judge people who do take issue with the fee increases because odds are good they have reason to. I take issue with them doing anything at all with the MP other than fix the most important, and quite disastrous for all issue that plagues us the most right now. I also take issue with any new fees being associated with MP until this issue is not only addressed, and I mean ACTUALLY addressed, but also fixed. I would 100% support a fee increase (to 10%, no higher, ever, and I do mean ever) if LL could prove that actually give two *****s about this issue. It may sound blunt, but really, that's what it's going to boil down to for a lot of merchants and whether or not they support new fees. I suspect MOST probably would...if LL again, showed some thought process behind any of this. I don't suspect most people would have any issue at all, even if maybe they didn't like the fee increase at first. It's LL's blatant disregard for a problem they created(and merchants are absolutely powerless to avoid, or fix) that chaps my hide. I think a lot of people are a bit too sheepish to rock the boat, because their sales are their sl livelihood, so I get it. They're not nearly as likely s call a spade a spade, or in this case, call LL on their *****. I'll call LL on it, because it's a massive, steaming pile of manure. LL's piss poor financial decisions regarding sansar aren't the MP merchants' problem to solve. But....the above quoted is a disallowed listing practice and can get listings flagged. If you charge more on MP, you can get your item flagged under inflated listing. I don't know how often it happens,or rather how often LL actually does anything at all about it. But I know that LL themselves have recommended people flag items with inflated prices compared to inworld right here in these forums actually, even Dakota has told people to flag them.

Oh dear lord, you actually described the major problem in your own post. I give up on trying to help you. But..for anyone else that doesn't understand the problem, while I HIGHLY recommend reading the merchant's forum...I'll summarize-but it's gonna be long. I use no no list/words because, well, that's all we really know them as, and all we've known them as for years, and I don't know what the hell else to call them lol. On the MP there are arbitrary lists of no no words. These words can cause things like items not being able to be listed as G or M, and require adult. These lists can also cause things to be removed after listing them (note that they do not prevent the listing from being created in 99% of cases, this is an after effect down the road, often times years after the item has been listed, but not always). We all understand no no words are important, necessary and can play an important role. They can be used to maintain regulatory compliance, TOS compliance, and maturity compliance. None of that is part of the problem. The problem...is the lists, how they are created, how they are employed and how LL ...well, does anything with them. LL likes to randomly add words to the lists, sometimes because they need to be there, sometimes because they seem to follow existing copyright and trademark laws, and sometimes...who the hell knows. Since MP's inception, these lists have been a problem, which has only grown, never gotten better, and has actually grown exponentially over the last year. One could surmise only recent (in the last year) changes made have had the greatest impact, merely by reading the forums, but it's actually a many years' long problem. One of the issues with this problem is how (or rather NOT) LL informs merchants of item removal, which used to be an indicator on the merchant homepage-and still sometimes is-but mostly, doesn't actually work. That notification problem is actually part of another long existing problem, although way less problematic than the item/section/store removal. The information offered to merchants, when any is offered at all, is vague and doesn't actually represent much of anything at all. Merchants have no idea what no no words they used in 95% of the cases (minus blatant infringements), so they go through trial and error to fix. Not a MASSIVE issue, but annoying as all get out. Items have been removed for using all sorts of words, names, numbers, innocuous things that mean nothing bad in any language, are not trademarked, are not copyright, are not....anything illegal, bad or against TOS. In fact, most of the words we DO know of, follow that pattern. The problem grows increasingly annoying when the lists get changed, and they do, with great frequency (it seems), or at least they are "enforced"(and I use that term very loosely)whenever it tickles LL's pickle, versus a constant. Recently-again in the last year although ongoing since day one-these removals have gotten dramatic. Not only are items being removed, but whole sections of stores, whole damn stores, are being removed...all because someone is playing with the lists (we know this is why, because we were told this is why, hence the "oops my bad" comment) and arbitrarily adding ***** to it that doesn't belong there. The claim, from LL, is typically "the item was removed to be compliant with trademark and copyright laws"-which is the biggest load of bullspit in this whole thing, when some of the words they claimed are NOT copyrighted or trademarked, at all, by any company, anywhere in the world. It was a blatant lie, not even a misunderstanding, or misstep, or miss...anything, just a flat effing lie. This issue goes much deeper, this isn't even the tip (and yes, I brought protection), but I'm pretty sure I'm going to piss people off if I talk about it any more, and I really don't want to do that. It's not me just pissing in LL's face, being a *****, whining, complaining about minor issues, or anything like that. I have given LL so many props for all kinds of things over the years-because they are well deserved. But this problem is getting very, very, very bad. So to throw "oh by the by, we're increasing fees and giving you a couple of the things you've been asking for, for years, which require a copy paste of existing code and no other work on our part" in regards to the MP is a huge slap in the face after recent discussions over there. It is NOT the fee amount, that does not bother me (it might others) I've been expecting fees to change for years. The listing enhancement fees going down will affect damn near no one, because most people don't use them. But for those who do...wonderful for them that fees are going down-I'm not knocking it. I am and will knock the blatant disrespect for an entire chunk of LL's income, regardless of how big or small some people might believe it is....because it's asinine not to want better. If you want to read more...go to the merchant forums, look at recent threads about the delisting of items, do a search on the countless threads about no no words lists and other "not allowed words" threads (really, there are tons over the years). It might at least shed some light on why it's pissing people off here, but even more so, inworld. It's a very big issue, it needs addressed before any other changes to MP take place. I'm not knocking all of the MP changes...I just want the biggest issues which affect not just merchants but also LL addressed AND fixed..I don't think that's asking too much. ETA: To put this in perspective...one of the recent issues which caused items, sections, and entire stores to be removed.....an employee added the word leg to the list(s). Yes, the word leg.

Sometimes I can't tell if you're being serious, or not. I suppose that's one of my many flaws. I'm going to pretend you're being funny (if you're not, I don't apologize, lmao) Some of the changes they are proposing (I would never say promising..I know better, lmao) are things people, not just forumites, have been asking for, for years. I respect that LL may want to implement some of them, especially ones that are relatively easy(since the coding already exists and is in use and would require very few changes at all, literally a couple words changed and copy/pastes, super simple). I just think it's stupid as hell for them to do anything at all with the MP until they address the current major problem. It's not even putting the cart before the horse...the horse hasn't been born yet and the cart's still a tree in the forest. I'll still use MP, still support countless creators and merchants on MP and still help others struggling with problems, especially this one, because it really is 100% out of merchant hands (unlike some others which are a mixed bag or merchant created problems). But I'll still remain vocal about the asshatery, because it's important. What's that saying.. "don't piss on me and tell me it's raining"...? Yeah, that's what most changes to the MP (as it stands right now) are, except way more nonsensical. This particular issue is going to be made worse by the changes, not better. I really don't think some people understand just how many merchants, especially outside of these forums, have been bent over on this one without so much as a hello.

Not everyone who finds flaws in certain aspects feels like LL s completely awful, or anything of the sort. I give LL props all the damn time, because they most definitely deserve it on many fronts. They have done a lot of truly amazing things, have helped to provide a world that I personally find to be pretty damn magnificent, and continue to improve in many areas where they once weren't all so great. They have always had my greatest thanks for so very many things. On the MP front, that's a horse of a different color....LL has flubbed up since before they even opened it, and continues to prove, on a daily basis, that they have no damn inkling what they're doing. I really do have no qualms telling them when things are going amazing, it should come as no surprise to anyone that I also won't have any qualms telling them when they're screwing up. Any company that can't accept that, shouldn't be in business, period. Frankly, LL has no damn clue wtf it's doing with the MP, at all, and hasn't, ever. They're making things worse and it's pissing off the very same people they're now trying to get to pay higher fees. I'm not willing to sit by and say that's ok. It's not the amount of the fee that bothers me, because I'm adult enough to recognize these are important parts of business. It is the fact that ANY fee is being proposed at all and that LL thinks lowering LE fees (which, again, few merchants even use, far fewer than ever, lol) is going to appease people given the fact that the longest lasting issue which has grown exponentially recently, is only getting worse (and LL's response is akin to "oops my bad"-when they are 100% the cause for it, not merchants. This issue has literally plagued the MP since before it went live and is not only causing items to be removed but whole sections of stores and even entire stores That is NOT okay, and LL expecting more from the people they're screwing over left and right, is also, not okay. People can be grateful for the good things, and not kiss their ass when the bad rears its head. If LL can't handle that.....eh....(though I am certain they an handle it just fine, lol). Well, some of us can, lol.

I have no problem with fee increases, they are a necessary part of life and business. I get this and I respect this, 100%. Even if I don't like fee increases, they're necessary, so I wouldn't harp on that. I do not respect LL for making this move before fixing the most recent(and longest lasting) issue on the MP that has to do with things being removed, how the no no words lists are being handled, and whoever the hell is at that helm. In fact, I'm downright pissed off that they'd even consider making ANY changes to the MP at all before A-really addressing the issue truthfully, and B-taking steps to rectify it. Many others may never understand why it's a problem, especially people who aren't merchants or haven't seen this discussed the countless damn times we've discussed it. I don't really give a rat's left nut about any of the other stuff. I'm pissed about this issue which has caused things to get removed needlessly, whole sections of stores, whole damn stores...all because LL doesn't know wtf it's doing with this area, isn't willing to even admit maybe they don't know, and is hiding behind the guise of "it's to follow copyright and trademark laws", when it is 100% not. It has always been an issue, but is growing exponentially, rather than getting better. No other changes to the MP-literally NONE, in any capacity, are going to make a damn difference when more and more merchants start feeling the squeeze of this...I don't even know what the hell to call it anymore to be honest. I've discussed it ad nauseum and I doubt anyone wants to continue treading it. But I can tell you I will continue to help other merchants who fall victim to this horse*****ery figure out what they did "wrong" in LL's eyes so that they can continue to sell on the MP, I will continue to stand side by side with merchants, no matter their size or contribution to the grid, and I will continue to hold LL at the level I believe they should be in regards to fixing a very prominent and problematic issue...even if LL does as I suspect they will, and never actually fixes it. (they've kind of already given up on it at this point, as is evidenced by its exponential growth recently). I don't normally harp on LL for most issues..but this one, I will fight to the death on, because it is 100% on LL, not merchants, and it's 100% preventable too. The fact that it's grown so quickly is evidence that something is being done wrong, which once wasn't, and they're headed in the wrong direction, too. LL need to back off any further changes on the MP until this is properly addressed, even if they can't fix it immediately...at least give us proof you're trying. LL doesn't seem to care about merchants, at all. We may be just a tiny part of their financial pie, but we're still int here for crepe's sake..give us more credit. LL DOES make a lot of money off the mp, despite what some people (and perhaps LL) actually say. I suspect this increased fee is probably to account for all the income they're not going to get because they've done flubbed up and pissed off most of the people willing to pay the fee increase. They're accounting for lost revenue before it even happens, which tells me this problem I'm talking about is going to get much worse in 2020. I hope they have their big people panties on.

Lmao, no, not even close. That's NOT a pressing issue, it's an issue, but it's not pressing, at all, just obnoxious (and I doubt it's actually going to be fixed, at all, LL has stated numerous times, it won't be, because they don't consider it a problem, it's being used as they expect). The bit you quoted doesn't actually address the issue mayn people have with gachas and where they're categorized anyway, lol. I am speaking of the issue regarding why things get removed, unlisted, (no no words lists) etc..and how LL is handling this whole debacle-which is getting worse and worse. You'd have to read the forum to probably understand why it's such a pressing issue, or be/know someone affected by it, especially in the recent bouts. There's one relatively newer thread about it, but there are countless others that have all addressed this very annoying problem over the years. It's something causing merchants to leave MP, slow (or stop) putting things on MP, be hesitant to make changes to their stores at all, and all kinds of other problems. It really is the most pressing problem with MP, without a doubt, as it is 100% negative for all, even people that think they're not affected. How this gets handled, fixed, prevented, is going to ste the pace for the future of the MP if it keeps going at the rate it currently is (which has grown exponentially).

I'm trying to find the positives in the MP changes....I'm failing. I pretended as long as I could......which wasn't very long, lmao I'm actually getting angrier about the more pressing issue with the MP and things that are being royally screwed up by LL, in many cases at an extreme level as of late.

Holy hell.....sigh. Some good news, yes, or at least good for those looking forward to them-so YAY on that front (even if some of this is information we've had for ages now, lol). I hope these new fees (admittedly, a small amount, I'm not complaining about the amount, at all, fees are a necessary evil, and I respect that) for mp sellers go to fix the elephant in the room that is the subject on the merchant forum which shall not be named (or, apparently, actually addressed by LL). It is THE most pressing issue, right this very second, and not an "feature request" but a necessity. If this problem isn't addressed, no other changes made to the MP, from a merchant point of view, is really going to matter to most sellers. They'll matter more to shoppers than merchants, which is great for shoppers, merchants will be sitting over on the bench until we're needed, I guess. I don't think anyone gives a rat's left nut about listing enhancement fee changes, most merchants don't use them, at all, and we've expressed this for years, lmao. Seeing them addressed when they're neither desired nor needed, and there are much more pressing issues is...weird. Those who do use them will be pleased I'm sure, so, that's something.

While Frank's perhaps didn't need to use bots, I can say with 100% confidence, they used them, a lot, all the time actually, and most were alts , usually a couple each on dance balls, of staff members just plunked down. I can say this with 100% confidence because I know two staff members (that didn't want to rock the boat) who were asked to do this . I'm not knocking them for it ( I could..but I'm not, lol), loads and loads of places do this, both before when traffic truly mattered a lot more- and was configured a different way, and even now, after LL changed things. I imagine the two I know of were not the only ones doing it. You get a cookie I have absolutely no doubt, whatsoever that this is entirely what it was and there was never any true intention to close them all (just the venues not doing as hot, perhaps, I'll give them that). The money grab aspect as a "gift to the public" was the nail in that coffin, imo. I doubt, after this, the place will ever be as popular as it once was, because the general public (the portion that has any opinion one way or another, which, admittedly, is probably small) will be more likely to lean towards a negative opinion when they realize it was a quick cash grab It was actually $5,000 for a very short time, then got changed to $1k and stayed there fore a very long time before it was moved to $500. At any rate I doubt they're going to get many new members at $1k now.

I set my driveway on fire....a lot....as a child. I've broken almost every single bone in my body, many of them multiple times. I almost got arrested by feds for letting my rockets hit the top of a school building and committing what would be considered "t-word" acts by today's standards (they weren't, it was all mother nature and her incessant need to meddle in my business). They were not even twenty feet away from me, but for whatever reason, couldn't find me when they came looking- I wasn't hiding. They also later went to the wrong house and informed the wrong parents, and every single person went along with it, lmao. I once colored the entire sidewalk of my hometown's park (center of town, really, it's a block in size, the sidewalk goes around the perimeter and then crosses diagonally from corner to corner ) to look like a watermelon. Then it rained, and everyone got scared about the red dye all over the park. They still don't know how it got there, though they probably also don't care. I should add, it was perfectly safe, just looked like the entire town had been slaughtered.

I'm getting better with the white spaces, sometimes, but other times, eh..don't much care lmao. I try to care, really, but some days my give a damn is focused on more important things, like toothpick towers and the squirrel that literally just chased the amazon prime dude out of my driveway (yes...a squirrel, poor lil fella...the squirrel, that is) I honestly stopped caring about the complains of WOT years ago. It's clearly not something I intend to change, no matter what intentions I may think I have (or anyone else might encourage). So, I roll with it. Eventually I'm going to get to a point where I can no longer type at all. The world may rejoice when that day comes, and I'm cool with that, but until that point, I'm going to be as nonsensically verbose as I damn well please

You should always wear a helmet around me, that way I can't be blamed when folks get noggin damage. Not that I'd claim responsibility for it anyway I told you people I earned that trophy years ago.

You can bill my insurance..which is nonexistent, so...umm....good luck?

What a wonderful topic I'll start with rl first. My sperm donor...I didn't like him,I didn't really know him, and he didn't like me. But, without his contribution, I would not have come to be. So, for that and that alone...I can recognize he had some level of importance in this world. (way to make it about myself, eh?) My grandpa who was the first male figure in my life and my absolute best friend in the world until the day he passed away. I've talked about him here before, I don't think anyone wants to read it. But, the day he passed away, we were playing the way we always did. He was carrying me on his back when his heart actually completely exploded (this might be a bit gruesome, I apologize in advance). Despite what most research, and even folks in the medical field, will tell you...this doesn't actually cause the human body to just drop on the spot. I remember this day vividly, not just because of how sad it was, but because as an adult I can recognize that he had the wits about him to get me down, off his back and safely on the ground, plus get himself away from me so I didn't see what was about to happen...all the while he was as close to dead as one can get. I can't honestly look back on that day just for the sadness, which it very much had, but because he loved me so very much he protected me up until his very last breath, his very last second on this earth...and that brings me an odd amount of solace. He was also super into shenanigans and he's the reason I'm a hellion (or so my mom says) My father, he was actually my stepfather, but we forgot to bring the step. He and my mother raised me, but he had a far greater role in my upbringing than I think most people (including him)realize. He taught me to question everything, believe in myself even when others do not, and to push every limit and every button I possibly can. He never accepted I can't, he had no qualms with handing me a hammer, rusty can of nails, some hunks of wood, and telling me to go to town, starting at the age of barely five. He taught me how to hunt, shoot, and generally take in all of the earth that I could. One could presume he knew what the future would hold, now that I think back on all of the "enjoy it all while you can" sort of moments-even if unspoken at the time. He was an amazing grandfather, father, friend, role model....and generally amazing. My second stepfather, I met him after my parents had gone as far as they could with their relationship and had split. I didn't get to know him nearly as long as I would've liked, around 14 years. He was an amazing man in every way possible. With him, too, there was no step...just family. He took us in as if he'd known us all our lives. He got to be the grandpa (papa) to my kids that my own father's passing caused him to miss. He picked pieces up when they fell down, he offered a shoulder, a hand, whatever necessary, whenever it was needed. He helped my mom in ways I can't even begin to explain, all the while also trying to help her work on some other family issues that aren't relevant here. He took on the male role model figure in my nieces' lives as well. He and my mom took them in, to raise them, give them a good home, give them everything we all wanted them to have...and he did a fabulous job. He had every intention of being their papa forever, and if life weren't as evil as it so often is..he would still be here to do just that. We like to joke that he's always around the house (here and my mom's) because we have issues with lights turning on and off, things being moved, doors, cupboards, weird noises...all the things that if you say them most people say you're crazy (I am, so, thank you)...we always say "it's just papa saying hi". An ironic, but related bit...We have had a very large box of his clothes sitting in my living room since, about a month and a half after he passed, in 2017. My son who has a very strong attachment to papa has had every intention of wearing those clothes, eventually (some didn't fit, in other cases...he just wasn't ready). A few weeks ago my son took one of the pairs of jeans out, and it fits perfectly, almost as if it's tailored to fit. Inside the pocket was a casing, a casing that went to a gun papa taught my son to shoot with, a gun that now resides somewhere safe, a gun that my son hasn't had the heart to even look at since. He smiled, tucked it back into the pocket, and now it hangs off a chain from his lamp in his room. "It's just papa" Hubby...sigh...this could go on for days. We started off as friends, having met elsewhere in another game. We quickly grew to close friends, and we remained that way for a very long time-neither one wanting to rock the boat. I'll shorten that one to...obviously, now we're more than friends He is my absolute rock in every single way possible. He is my safe space, my home, my better 3/4, my frackel (you're not supposed to get that), everything good thing I have ever wanted but never imagined could possibly exist. Through him, his love, his support, I can do anything at all that I want to do. He calls me on my ***** when I need it, and lets me get away with it when I need that too. He loves me in ways I never knew possible, and for reasons I never knew existed too.There is nothing I could ever do, or say that would make him turn away from me. We've been through some rough times, as anyone that has ever tried the whole "onine to rl" or "long distance" thing can tell you it's definitely not for the weak, but we've had so many amazing moments. He got me to go up into the Sears(it is NOT willis you fools!) tower, facing my absolute fear of that building and that height...he even made me go in the glass box (he knew I needed that). I'm still terrified, don't get me wrong...but I did it digging my nails into his arm, tip-toeing my way around so as to not crack the glass, or have to look down at all, lmao. He has seen me at my best, my worst and everything in between, yet his love remains unconditional. He truly gets me...even when he doesn't understand me...he gets me. No one on this planet has ever truly gotten me 100% (some come damn close...and loads try). We honestly rarely ever argue and it's always about stupid crap, never about US (as in, someone did something, or pissed the other off), it's really weird, and foreign to me...given the past before I met him. I know a lot of people say "we never fight", but may just be exaggerating a little bit..I can honestly say, we never have. We have had arguments but, we're lucky if they last fifteen minutes, lmao. I can't tell you why that is-both because I don't understand it all, and because the bits I do understand are NSFW. He's taught me to be a better me, while also giving me the room to screw up along the way..and also letting me teach him to be a better him and allowing for that same room to screw up. He helps me see, when I can't, in more ways than anyone wants to read about. He pushes me to do things that the world, and my health, suggest would be unwise (except play in traffic, he doesn't let me do that... being mostly blind and all that jazz, I appreciate that). He's a huge part of why I have so many degrees that will really not even serve me all that well, since I won't be able to put them to good use pretty much anywhere, lol. He helps me see things that don't even exist, let alone can be seen by the naked eye. He presents me with a world unlike any other, a world where I am free in all ways, but also safely nestled in his warmth at the very same time. Even though I make his chi chis sweat (I'm a human heater) he's my cuddle bear at night and he doesn't mind when I need that security. He's the one who scrubs my back because not only can I not see it, I have t-rex arms and can't reach it 😛 Sigh..I should shush. I loves me some him, I could literally write a novel (and I have one half started too) My son...my only boy, my mama's boy. This boy (his nickname is actually boy, lmao, but he's not a little kid anymore) has brought me such great joy. He gave my girls a life lesson that not everyone gets very early on in life...that sometimes other people need help, but they might not know how to ask . You see, they spent his first three years of life, talking for him. It wasn't out of pure necessity, he just didn't have anything at all to say to anyone but me, no one else understood that. The girls always knew what he wanted though, and would gladly speak up for him, always. He has the heart of both a lion and a meek little mouse..which heart you'll see, depends on the situation. He's the first one to ask if someone needs help, no matter who that person is or what the help entails. In fact, one of the idiot hoodlums that lives not far from here (and has always been a total douchecanoe to everyone) had his car break down up the road. Despite the fact that this "kid" is an asshat of epic proportions, and nearly tried to kill him just last week with that same damn car, my son went over and helped him get the car running again. He recently redid a huge portion of flooring that was bad at my mom's, and replaced a toilet, and fixed some other lines and plumbing too...all without even being asked (or having any inkling what he was doing, lmao, good thing we learn on the fly) He has always inspired me to seek out knowledge in as many ways as one can. He is ALWAYS learning, and teaching me something new (lately a lot about cars, and tanks, and battleships, lol), always trying new things, always pressing for more...of everything. He's really just a superb human being, and I am grateful that I got to have a front row seat and watch him turn from a clump of incomplete cells...to this superb human being. In sl I have had many friends that were/are males, some I would consider as close as family, at one point or another anyway. Some I have since parted ways with, but I will never forget. Some I still talk to, although very infrequently, some have sadly passed on in rl. Each and every one of them has had an impact on me, mostly in positive ways. There is one whose name I will not mention, but he is truly an amazing person, has gone through so much hell (rl and sl) and keeps pressing forward damn whatever gets thrown his direction. He is an absolute hero-and I tell him that all the time. He does actually read these forums, and participates (used to post), so I know he'll see this. He's going through some stuff, a lot of stuff, and has had to let sl take a back seat for a bit, but he still reads the forums (and enjoys it, we talk about them all the time, lol). He knows I'm just a flashlight away I even think quite fondly of many of the male members of this forum (avs and people behind them), even if most of them will never know. I know for a fact that at least a couple of them dislike me greatly-so they don't get to know how great of people I think they are 😜 Others, I'm not certain the notion of me thinking fondly (not fondle people, not fondle) of them would go over all that well...and I'm cool with that. Others might want to know, but it's a bit tricky to explain without being creepy, or making this even longer. Just know...I appreciate you all, even if you hate me, don't know me, just dislike me, roll your eyes when you see my name, couldn't possibly care one way or the other...whatever have you. If you participate in these forums, you've had an impact on someone (me), and most likely a positive one, though even the negative ones can provide fruit for thought, processing and growth, right?

I'm going to try this multi-quote thing..'cuz hubby says I have to do my homework , eat dinner and stop being a hyperventilating hyena....sigh, he so gets me ❤️ Yes, read back in the thread, you missed it, and it's actually said quite frequently "in my experience when a guy starts a conversation with hi", and other such variations of the phrase. Some people are seriously under the impression/belief that any guy who says "hi" is looking for sex. That's not my interpretation...those are words people put out here (in this thread and many others, and inworld). Apparently the people that do the above. But I see it inworld as well, all the time. Yeah I do think it has something to do with it. We DO have the numbers behind us, so, it might be a more comfortable position for some females to "have more fight"(I'm sorry I don't know how to better word that right now, lol) in them about things they might not have in rl. Some people, regardless of gender, can be more confrontational when there is a level of anonymity available too, and I KNOW that contributes to some of it. I'm not particularly fond of it though, really. Even if I realize that in rl we have so very far to still go as a species, and individual genders. I hate to see online venues/versions go the exact opposite direction. I don't think it helps either world to be so, almost polar opposite really. It's...odd. Sl leaning more towards denigrating men(on a social front) doesn't stop rl being more denigrating to women (on a social front), it just conflates existing issues. Okay, okay, I need to eat dinner lmao. I shall return. Keep it classy my forumites, and leave me lots to read later

You said it better than I did, lol. I get being..cautious, with conversations with people, and curious as to the intention. I really do get that. It's just..those automatic assumptions right out the gate..so harmful.

Just a jumping off point (and I do actually agree with you) Why aren't women fighting for these same "rights" for men in sl? Why are we okay with some suggesting that all men who say hello want a ride on the magic carpet? Why are we okay with men being denigrated at all? You can literally turn everything you've said around on females, and it's actually the norm many males experience, but we;'re cool with that, right? All because some men think with their sausages and that's not ok..but women thinking with their burgers is perfectly fine? There is a HUGE double standard in sl...huge. I do agree that women shouldn't be denigrated, but I also agree that men shouldn't. Men, by far and large are treated FAR worse in sl than women are, by all genders, really, lol. Women are most definitely not treated as poorly in sl as they often are in rl. All people in sl deserve to be treated with respect until or unless they, specifically, have given you reason not to. If your approach in life is that all must first earn your respect, then I suggest treating all disrespectfully until they give you reason to respect them. Either way, it's an even slate to start with, right? (or, it should be)

I'm quite confident in my own self..at least in that arena (I fail in many others, rofl). But it's preposterous to even THINK that any male who says "hi" wants in your pants. That's not confidence, that's flat out ridiculousness. It seriously makes me laugh, a LOT, every time I see it. I just gets funnier when commenting on it gets turned around like it's the worst insult ever. I mean..come on... lmao That *****'s funny right there. I know some people say things like that jokingly, and it's super easy to tell when they're not being serious. But...some people seem to really believe that, and I just can't....just can't. Every single one of you ought to be glad that none of you can hear me when I read these forums (or in group chats, or..anywhere for that matter). I laugh like a chipmunk and that kind of stuff makes me bust up laughing.(and cursing like I've stepped on a floor made of lego...and I also type like my life depends on making every key scream, but that's besides the point)

LMAO I'm glad you said it first, lol. (it's bound to yank some cranks and knot some knickers, I'm sure)

Yeah, that's part of the double standard I see here, especially from some people who seem absolutely certain that all, or most, of the men that dare ever utter a word to them MUST be looking for sex. Which leads me to my usual thought process when I see people say these things... "Honey...none of us are that good, I can assure you. No matter how confident you are in yourself...there isn't a single person anywhere on this planet that is going to appeal to all of the opposite gender on such a grand scale. NO ONE is that good" I never say it to anyone, because I know it won't be received well, and I know I'll get raked over the coals for daring to say such a horrible thing to anyone. But, I damn well know I'm not the only one thinking it, lol. There is really a huge double standard in sl, it actually does bother me that most men get a bad rap...even if there are a few bad apples. Because there are way more bad female apples out there...and we certainly don't all get a bad rap because of them. It's quite unfair, imo. Then again...I really, really don't like double standards, and I really, really, really dislike when they come from people who also claim to hate them lol.

Sigh...most men I have run into, not just those I know, aren't out looking for the next hole (and I actually run into a lot of men, apparently more than those who hang out at places where there are men...which I find odd..but I digress...). I don't think men, in general, actually are, and anecdotal evidence will never change my mind on that matter. Hell just reading the forums through all of their incarnations over the years has given me ample evidence to suggest men don't really like being painted with a broad brush either. Men are most definitely not the trophy holders on "just here for the sexors"...women, by far and large hold that trophy...by far and large. Part of that is the sheer number of women (again women avs, not necessarily women behind them) compared to men. There are HOW many threads in the relationship forum, made by females, looking for males, or made by females, dominated by females, etc... all discussing sex, stripping, sugar daddies, how many men want them, how awesome of people they are, how great their services are, how.........? (I'm not judging, or knocking, I say you do you...I just don't sugarcoat this truth). Women, absolutely dominate this field, men haven't got a chance, lol. Yeah, let's not pretend there aren't women (female avs, again) in sl that are out looking to hit on every male av they can find-especially when those male avs are visually appealing to them. Or looking to take someone home, or dancing, escorting, etc.. for money (again, not a knock, I really don't judge, honestly...I really do take a you do you approach,I've done the stripping thing in sl myself, lol). Women start just as many idiotic conversations with "hi", "hru", "hot av"... and the intentions of at some point getting that dude to whip out his dangly for them...even if it's just in an employment capacity. Call a damn spade a spade for crying out loud. Men, all men, get a very bad rap in sl, because some of them behave like cavemen. But when women behave in the same manner...we don't all get a bad rap, in fact, even they don't get a bad rap most of the time (unlike rl where women judge other women far more harshly). If it's okay for females to be as open with their sexuality as they want, to seek out sexual (or not) gratification in whatever way(s) they want...the same needs to be true for men, no qualifiers. Oh, some females don't want to be looked down upon for it, they don't want to be judged as ...insert whatever word you want here... but they're perfectly fine labeling all men as stalkers, as people just looking to score, as every single conversation they've ever had with any male as him simply wanting to get in her pants...and any number of other things females say. That's such a friggen double standard. OP is right, sl isn't as welcoming to males as it is females, because females stick together. Someone calls a female a hoe for seeking out her own sexual (or not) gratification in whatever ways she deems it...females jump on that poor bastard, they protect all females in that bubble. A few males make the wrong impression, and we label them all as impolite, uneducated man whores. Wtf kind of logic is this? That's not feminism sticking up for the chicas shaking their maracas for every mariachi in the village, while condemning those mariachis for assuming those maracas aren't all they want to shake, btw....it's a double standard My experiences, others experiences, they're all pretty anecdotal when it comes to making assumptions about what one gender is "really here for". They're not anecdotal when you look at how one gender is treated versus another though (which is what I was referring to way back earlier in the thread). Men really aren't catered to in sl as much as women, and men are most certainly treated far worse than most women. Part of that, again, is sheer numbers, and part of it is the whole double standard we don't want in rl, but seem perfectly fine having here in sl. Not all men who dance with you, have a conversation, go to clubs, dare to say "hI" want a look at your (or any female's) goods- regardless of your personal experiences. Not all women who dance for money, go to clubs, enjoy a conversation with you, dare to say "hi" want to ride your flight stick, regardless of your personal experiences. But all PEOPLE, regardless of gender, should be catered to, and treated, the same. That's just not quite the sl we have today. We're getting better, but, we're definitely by far and large a female av dominated virtual world.

I have a question...and it's a really stupid one, but..I'm asking anyway. Is that il squiggly line thingy under the name, the spellcheck/autocorrect squiggly thingy? (I honestly cant see it at most font sizes, and I can't tell if that's actually a squiggly line or a decorative under-border, or..not even there at all and my eye is doing one of those "screw you self" things to me again). If it IS that line, and intended to be decorative..I'd swap it out for something thicker, more bold, and doesn't remind everyone of mistakes, or something to that effect (that part's not meant to be mean, I've seen others use similar borders for things in logos and it always looks really weird to me, so I never know if it's just me or if they're really that off. I have an odd fascination with logos and graphic design in general, though, lol). I'm still having a very hard time figuring out what's meant to be "sold" here. The fashion show thing is already a bomb that's misfired, and hit some folks trying to help, from other related threads. So I don't think it's really that, or that it'll ever come to fruition. There is no actual business here, like...no services, no products, no anything but miscommunication (which I really do believe stems from a language barrier at this point. I'm trying very hard to help with that, but getting nowhere, maybe someone else can step in to try and help on that front). I hate to see folks come into sl with all the intentions of having a great business model-no matter how ill-informed they are-and then seeing them leave because things didn't work out so well. As for the slipnfalls thing, I too thought of slip n slide., except our....more unconventional but way more fun version. We use tarps, plastic sheeting...and lots of earth friendly suds (don't wanna damage the grass or ground beneath of course) Great fun for all ages, that often becomes even more fun, for participants and spectators, when the "hold my beer" moments begin. Sigh...summer, we'll see you in about seven-ish months lmao.

So we can never, for legal reasons, use the words converse, dawn, dove, splash, or any other common word that shares a name with some product. I want to preface this by saying I'm just using your post as a jumping off point, Pamela, because it best describes what I'm about to type This crap (above bolded), which has been stated numerous times by LL, in various different forms, pisses me off to absolutely no end. That is such a cover your own ass, but also not legal, thing to do (it's not necessarily illegal, it's just not legally represented by anything at all). The word converse is not a copyright or a trademark, in any language, in any country. Converse, in fact, has a trademark based on a product configuration NOT their company name, because the word existed long before the company did and they can't trademark it without the product configuration existing within (qualifying) the trademark (and copyrights where applicable) as well! This proves to me that this whole damn list of no no words, is completely and utterly made up and not even REMOTELY used against or with any existing databases for copyright and trademarks. These words are arbitrarily added to a damn list by someone that perhaps THINKS they are trademarked or copyrighted, but they actually aren't. I don't know if LL is using a list created by someone else, or a list they are making up as they go along (I suspect where legalities are concerned, they may be using someone else's list and where generals and generics are concerned, such as maturity level flagging..their own). Trademarks and copyrights are actually pretty damn specific and individually applicable. So the word Converse as a product name, might not fly, while the word converse as a descriptive or action word, will nearly always fly. Trademarks are a bit more complicated in that they require far more specifics, and proof before they can be granted, whereas copyrights do not always require as much (or even any at all, in some cases, depending on how the laws are being upheld, and the situation at hand) Converse is not now, nor has it ever been, a trademark or copyrighted word. Converse, the company, is actually very much gung ho when it comes to protecting their products (I respect that, some companies NEED to be very proactive) But it is over product DESIGN not the word converse. Feel free to look it up, the company is very litigious and has been since its inception. Not once has it been over the word converse, because they hold no trademark or copyright over the word (because, legally, they cannot). Dove, for example, is two different company names, and both make vastly different products. Neither company holds a copyright or trademark over the word dove. This shouldn't bother me as much as it does, since it rarely actually affects me, but it really pisses me off when the CYA explanations start flying, and they're flat out wrong. LL does what it can to follow US(global) law when it comes to trademarks and copyrights, as well they should. But it needs to stop being used as a crutch for every crappy move (like these arbitrary no no words lists...a piss poor move since its inception). "We did this because it's a law".... except they forget it's really NOT a law. Save those protections for trademarks and copyrights that actually exist..because there are millions of them, and those need to be carefully monitored. Not arbitrary words that are neither copyrighted nor trademarked. I don't know where the hell anyone got the idea that they are.

We make lots of different cookies for Christmas, but we don't really go for other desserts, except these.. They go by many names, even though they're not really all the same. What they're called usually depends on which language you're using, though, lol. balish, kolacky, kolaches, kiffles, kifli Most people in the US seem to call them balish, and I'm guessing it's because they don't know the real name, lol. Even grocery stores that sell them tend to have them labelled as balish (or some spelling of the word, most of which aren't right, there aren't that many variations of the spelling). I don't like most of the fruit ones, especially apricot (I don't like apricots, but many fruit ones are made with jellies and spreads that are gross once cooked). My favorite are the ones with walnuts and other nut mixtures, they're delicious. As for drinks... we don't have any lol. I can't stand eggnog and we've never really been a fancy drink sort of family.

That's my best sage advice above there...for anyone that might need it. I was going to quote and reply directly to someone I feel needs it the most but that seemed....removable, so I shan't do that. It's probably best I behave like an adult for a minute on that front. It's as nice as I get on this topic, it's a difficult one for me to discuss with people that, well.....don't want to discuss it. Everyone else was doing such a fantastic job, even when we didn't all see eye to eye or share the same opinions, we did so well. I'm proud of us for that, and also want to thank the folks who could've made this go in a much different direction, but are much better people than I, so they didn't. I'm not a wizard or a witch, I don't even play one on tv, or in sl....but I can spot a serious problem from a mile away...most of the time, and I'm mostly blind, how's that for magic? What we have here...is a failure to communicate......oh, sorry, channeling again. Umm, forgot where I was going. Oh, yeah, back on topic. Thank you all for contributing and trying to help de-stigmatize something that is, quite often stigmatized, even by those who might possess it. Denial is a form of stigmatizing it too, but in order to talk about that side of it, I'd have to get all clinical and, yeah I'm not up for that right now. MY heart hangs heavy some days at the way others treat people with mental disorders, diseases, problems...my heart hangs heavy quite often the way people treat others with other problems as well. I have a very, very difficult time conveying that heaviness without being nasty. So I want to thank the folks that conveyed it for me (us?, maybe?) so that I didn't have this sinking urge to come in and do it myself. I posted memes because...I did't want the thread to go back to where it was, because we were doing so good, and helping people, and...sunshine and rainbows people, sunshine and rainbows. I think some people need to really reconsider how, when and where they post-especially when they are literally on the opposite side of absolutely everything almost always..I don't think it's everyone else on the forums that is the problem. Even people who have behaved more like sworn enemies over the years on these forums have come together on this topic...that should be telling to ANYONE reading. I am really hoping that I'm conveying these words in the kindest way possible and that the people who I really want to receive the thanks and the people I really want to receive the big bag of zip it, understand which one they are...in my eyes. (clear as mud? ok, good) If you need it, it's there. If you don't, it's still there.