First, to follow on my last post regarding the RedZone issue, here is an excellent blog entry put together by Inara Pey. http://modemworld.wordpress.com/2011/02/12/redzone-security-scam-or-scraping/
I encourage everyone to read her blog entry, and formulate their own opinion on this issue. Privacy is no laughing matter, for any of us. Either we all stand to protect the privacy of everyone, or don’t expect anyone to stand when its your privacy at stake.
Now onto another issue. I lost a friend today in Second Life and I’m saddened, not so much as to the loss, as to the why. In fact, its become a disturbing trend with a lot of my newer friends/relationships.
This person recently became my friend, and we played together several times. It quickly evolved to the point that every time I logged in, she would greet me. Not unusual, especially when you take into account that she, by her own admission and efforts, keeps a contact list of no more than 25 people. That’s all well and good, and I commend her for her efforts to keep her commitments at a minimum.
I myself recently spent several weeks trimming back my friends list and am proud to say I am down to 307.
Nonetheless, tonight, this person informed me she would be away from Second Life for about a week and wanted to spend some time with me before she left. I advised her that I was already engaged with someone and had a few other requests for my time but would try to ensure that we spent some time together.
A few hours later, she sent me an IM, in the form of an emote, advising that she was checking my reservation book to see where her name was currently residing. A cute effort, if not somewhat tinged with rudeness and presumption. I emoted back that she may want to consider leaving a more substantial tip to coerce the headwaiter into moving her name up, likewise being cute.
I was then treated to a lengthy guilt ridden diatribe, mind you that I am engaged in an active roleplay scene with someone else at this time, accusing me of not treating her like a priority and instead making her an option.
What I find even more disturbing was that at the same time I received this guilt laced IM, yet another girl asked me what I was currently doing. I replied, “I’m engaged in a scene at the moment, is there something you need or can this wait?” Her reply? “I guess I’ll wander off and be lonely the rest of the night, as usual. Glad someone gets to have fun.”
At that time, I received notice that the first person I was messaging *dissolved our relationship*.
Seriously? Two guilt ridden messages back to back? I don’t want to get off on a tangent, but when did I become Julie from the Love Boat?
Before anyone says anything about the way of unowned submissives, the first person in this blog is a Domme, a self stated *pure* Domme at that. The second girl is a switch that leans toward submissiveness. Their lifestyle choices really are not relevant, I merely point it out because when it comes to play in Second Life, I myself am a Domme switch. But you best be assured of this; When it comes to me choosing who I play with, and when, I’m a pure Domme, through and through. I have to fight to get my friends list down around 300, so I’m going to guess this way of life for me is more or less acceptable to the vast majority of those I do interact with.
Of course, its no surprise that both messages served to totally destroy the mood I was in for the scene I was engaged in. Not that big a deal to me, but totally unfair to my play mate at the time. Shame on both of you.
I think that in going forward, when I am engaged in play, I’ll ignore incoming IMs altogether. Don’t be offended if you message me and get no reply for some time, or maybe not at all. I’m going to start taking back my Second Life.
The Devil May Care 