Second Life "Jobs"

I was recently speaking with some acquaintances on Second Life; or rather, they were chatting away and I was in the background biting my tongue, in an *attempt* to stop myself from saying something mean.

Needless to say, the discussion had to do with why one person in this conversation didn't work on Second Life. Then the group started talking about their respective Second Life jobs, or desire for money on SL to buy stuff. The entire time I was thinking, "How about... get a real job?"

I do make judgment calls, and sometimes they aren't nice. But one reason why you will never make "real money" in the general "Second Life" employment field is simple. Firstly, you are depending on the value of "Lindens." Secondly, you rely on how much people are willing to pay for "virtual" goods and/or services. Guess what, it's not much.

If you want to make big money in Second Life you create an actual career. Some examples are: land purchasing and selling, big-ass stores and scripting. Or alternatively, you work for Linden Labs. Mainly, you need a college degree and capital. Otherwise don't complain about your job in SL not paying enough or how you need to meet a sugar daddy in SL. How about: get a real fucking job, it pays better than SL (which as a DJ/Host you probably are making less than the people making your clothes in Indonesia) and sometimes even has health benefits!

If you want to "work" in Second Life, that's fine and dandy. In fact, I DJ in Second Life, but I don't expect to make any "real" money...it's for fun. Lower your expectations in the realistic zone and you'll find yourself happier.


***If I've offended you because you're retired/disabled/unemployed/etc, then your real issue is not having RL money, don't blame me for not wanting to listen to your unrealistic Second Life whining. Even if that is the situation, SL will never pay your rent, sorry.

"I may be unemployed at least I have cute prim shoes"

Recently I stopped by a store that I had known since it first started years ago.

Back when it first started, this store was but a small shop that had cute items at very reasonable prices. I remember buying almost one of everything. The quality was amazing and affordable. For the sake of anonymity (or an attempt at it) I will call this store, "Store X."

I went to the current footwear area of Store X. This store has now expanded, owning its own sim and creating a MEGA store. While there I came across some cute heels. I began collecting demos of said shoes:

However, when I looked at the price of the shoes, I was shocked to find out the price. One pair of shoes costs $1175L! Yes, I repeat $1175L. XstreetSL estimates the value of $1175 L to be approximately $4.38. I don't think I've ever spent more than 400L on any pair of shoes on SL. In a situation that I did pay that much, you damn well know I was wearing those shoes constantly---in fact I think they are boots that I still wear on a weekly basis. When the price of a pair of virtual accessories looks to me like the price of a meal or the value of some actual decent stuff in REAL LIFE... the price seems to me to be obscene.

A recession is a time to cut back, go on an austerity budget... not spend almost 5 dollars on a pair of SL shoes you will only wear a lot the first few weeks you bought them and then as time goes on they will just sit in your inventory gathering virtual dust. After 3+ years on SL, I know this happens, it always does. As my dad used to say "80% of having something is WANTING it.." after you buy it...the shiny wears off.

I am still shocked at these prices. Do note: Store X does sell shoes at more of a "value"...only $975 L ($3.60) a pair! I went to one of my friend's about these overpriced shoes and explained to her my shock. Her response was, "(the price) is normal these days." What about paying almost 5 dollars on a pair of virtual shoes is "NORMAL"? I spend lots of money on SL items, but when you pay over $1000 L, you better damn well be buying a house, car, textures, HUD or other big ticket items... not shoes.

And when I thought these prices were obscene, my friend informed me, "Well, Store Z charges 2300L a pair, I won't buy those." (Store Z's name has been changed for anonymity.)

Maybe I'm the last of a dying breed who shop for a value in RL and SL. I spend lots of dollars on erroneous things, but there are limits to that. When the unemployment rate in my area is approaching 13%, other nations are experiencing budget crises and credit card rates are souring, you have to ask yourself: Did we learn anything?

Apparently not in Second Life. Well, I'll take my $4.38 and save it for something better.

Remember when?

So I just recently downloaded this new "GreenLife Emerald Viewer" to see all the wonders of SL in a brand new light... or at least to see jiggling boobs. That got me thinking about remembering the days when boobs were stiff, there were no flexi boobs...and a friend of mine made talking prim boobs for me to wear in a costume contest (I was Pam Anderson...go figure).

Things have changed since I joined SL 3 years ago... flexi prims were new back then, and sculpties weren't even a twinkle in Philip Linden's eye...

Ah yes Philip Linden was still the CEO. The Big Cheese... extra cheese. To me he sorta always looks like a tool, especially b/c he wore that damned SL logo on a necklace. Now, I have no idea who is the CEO, and whoever they are they can't be nearly as fun to make fun of as good ol' Phil.

Nowadays we have flexi boobs, flexi butts and apparently prim vaginas? One thing SL has not changed in...it's ability to make the most fucked up stuff and sell it... and people pay for it. Sex and SL don't change, still crazy, still weird, and still lots of people coming on sl to "get off." Whether it's via furry humping, bondage seks, or prim vaginas?

There are some things I really do miss, Last Call. The brain child of Ginny Talamasca, RIP. To this date she singlehandly made some of the best quality and most beautiful clothes in the history of SL. It's a shame all the "newer" people who have joined in recent years won't get to experience her clothes. I think it's because she did fashion in RL as well as SL. All I know is I whip on a Last Call dress and the compliments just keep rolling in. It makes me mourn the loss of such creativity. I have yet to see someone to rival her talents... and I'll still keep waiting.

So, remember when... sculpties were a dream, we Beta tested SL Voice, opensource viewers weren't as pretty, you "saw gray people," "missing image" was the worst skin, and prim penises were enough.

To Death do Us...meh, we probably won't make it that long

"Someone stole my heart...and left me for dead"

So, I've been meaning to post this for awhile and really what finally provoked me was not only a very cool picture of me in a wedding dressed covered in blood...but also learning that a decent DJ with a sexy voice was partnered on SL recently. Mostly my shock over this discovery was because his partner was a crazy FANGIRL wearing multiple tags/titlers that said "XX's Babygirl" and various other ownership titles. Also, she was dressed trashy...but that's besides the point.

The fact is on Secondlife I have this theory that applies 9 out of 10 times...as soon as you partner the person you're "romantically involved with" on SL, you've doomed the relationship. I can cite numerous couples that proved this theory to be true. Now, it's completely different if the relationship is not exclusive to SL. I'm mostly talking about the "wow his avie is so cute and we have fun, let's partner."

Commitments are hard enough in RL, how can you work through that in a virtual world? Especially when people are busy with RL...sometimes busy with another person in RL. Making a commitment in any relationship requires saying that person is who you like above all others. I question how that statement can be made when, as a general policy, RL comes before SL.

So my advice is, don't partner...unless it's something you want to pursue in an RL fashion, because a partnership in either reality demands lots of time, effort, and energy.

I PRoTesT PEaCe!

Ok, I don't exactly protest "peace"...but I do protest this "Peace on Earth" hunt. I will admit, the idea of 400 stores of FREE stuff had me excited. I mean, I enjoy getting stuff for FREE as much as the next person, but when you start to realize that to go to every one of these stores and find the globe could take weeks... it doesn't seem as enjoyable. Even with "slurl" cheats, I still was taking hours to get through 30 or so globes.... and then there's the mess of going through all these globes. Now, I'll easily admit to having an overstuffed inventory inventory approaching 40K, so I have to be careful with what I decide to keep around. I went through all the globes I picked up (the 200 or so I managed to bother grabbing)...and I'll easily tell you...THE HUNT IS NOT WORTH IT. Most of it really is Free SHIT...yes...Free CRAP...Free JUNK! I am not saying these people who build things don't mean well.... and perhaps I'm snobbish...but if I am going to spend time looking for globes that are hidden, there should be good stuff in there...esp not Grid-wide freebies (do I need another penis gun? I think not).

I totally endorse hunts, I think they are fun and a great way to meet people *yay for meeting Tristan*... but do you really need 400+ globes? I mean, it sorta defeats the purpose of the hunt, which is to get people to the vendor's store.... but when you're in a rush to find 400 globes and you're on number 100... eff checking out stores!

Thus, I have given up on this hunt, and spending time on Secondlife *not* filling up my inventory with crap...even if it is free.

Clubbin' ain't all it's cracked up to be

The past week or so I've been extremely bored on SL...or bored with SL? It's not about my friends or things to do... because I know I could go build stuff or maybe have a party? But I just want to go around the grid and meet more friends and I find myself out of luck. The thing about SL events is that most people are there for money, and those that post in SL>>>Events>>Nightlife... only post events that are giving out money.. 500L for best in jeans! Free Camping! Sploders up the Ass!

So when you go to these events, that's the calibur of people you will meet. You will be in a laggy sim, where the bling on the people is almost as painful as the scripts running themselves and the particle effects. All together, your computer is lagging out, no one is talking in chat except saying gestures like "AIR HORNNN" or random ASCII pics of a Wolf, a Heart, a Crown, the Sistine Chapel Mural...whatever. (though snaps to whoever comes up with the Sistine Chapel Mural in a gesture form..I'll pay double for that) Anyway, so in those situations you just have to dance and hope someone maybe ims you? Or you can try the friendly approach at a Club.

Option 1) Talk in Main Chat: The problem with this is if there are people who know each other, and they are complete dicks (very common)...they won't let you get a word edgewise in the conversation. For example, I was at a not so busy club dancing, someone mentioned they were from my city, I started talking... and they just carried on their conversation with the other person, like I wasn't there. If you want to talk to one person, keep it in IMs, don't be a dick.

Option 2) IM random people: This requires some skill, because you have to be able to hunt down someone worth your time. This can be hard as newbies (who can be cool people) make crappy profiles... and some people make abrasive profiles such as "I am unaffectionate and if you're looking at this you're a stalker, peace"... While profiles are meant to be looked at, hence them being public... some people don't sound particuarly friendly after reading them. So usually you can be stuck in ims to Mr. Lame Ass Pretty Newbie or Lady Blings a Lot... and then you wish you were just in silence. Or you get people who don't answer back. Either way, it's rough.

Option 3) Wait for them to come to you? The chances are if you are a female, it will be some dude checking out your avatar's ass or your 1st life pic...and finding either/or both sexy.

From this I've deduced CLUBS SUCK if you want to meet people... or at least Clubs actually listed in Events. The best places are out of the way bars, like Dark Raven, Bushy Beard or Club 24. You get to know a few people, people are nice and the music is pretty good.

I am a sociable person, but sometimes meeting people on your own on secondlife can be difficult, especially when you are trying to filter out the duds.

The trials of friendship even in a virtual world

A lot of people escape reality and enter virtual worlds to free themselves from the burdens of their real life existence. Entering the grid can be an attempt to leave behind: loans, spousal drama, upcoming exams, the fact you need to really clean your apartment.... but what I've found in my journey is that virtual reality has the same amount of emotional wear and tear (and happiness) as REALITY.

I've heard stories of dealing with SL™ partners and their habits, or the business that goes on at Welcome Area crowds. For example, one Welcome Area known as "Violet" has special days where they dress alike and act like they're in a poorly done rendition of Mean Girls. Or I got questioned (like the Spanish Inquisition) by an acquaintance wondering if I was the person who sent out wicked emails about him. Firstly, WTF. Secondly, I have better things to do than bother with the drama. Finally, WTF.

Recently for me the stuff that happens in world that has made going online a different experience has been between myself and my best mate and partner in crime...Hazel Kyrgyz. Needless to say we are inworld and out of world mates, and it makes things dramatic for us both, especially when we both act stupid or like lame.... anyway. The week where I wasn't talking to her, seemed to drain on forever. I kept on stalkering her through others, and finding out how she was.... and she did the same it seems. In the end, we worked it out and I think our friendship is stronger for it. But really I think no matter how much you TRY to avoid drama/emotions/etc in SL™, you can't; especially if you put your heart and soul out there and really MAKE friends and START relationships.

No matter how we try to escape reality, maybe we're just getting closer to it?