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?

They ®'ed up my virtual life!

If you're unaware already, the corporation of Second Life® has decided to fuck up things yet again. If you didn't already think the client software was buggy, your "picks" in your profile are limited, or you can't join enough groups; or various other complaints (of which we all have many), then this is just the cherry on the sundae of despair.

LL released this report regarding branding the term Second Life® and all other coined terms mentioned.

See: http://secondlife.com/corporate/brand/trademark/reference.php

As such I had to fuckin' change the domain title of my blog, and add ® to every mentioning of their virtual world in my blog. Can I tell you what a pain that was? I think they've just gone too far now, because it cramps the style and creates an annoyance for every business or blog that had any of the copywritten terms used in their title. I am sorry but LL's virtual world is more than just a corporation, some may say...it's a lifestyle. Now they've completely removed any and all vocabulary of describing that lifestyle UNLESS you put a freakin' ® symbol next to it. Plus they make it so you can't refer to SL® being "your's" and various other grammatical bullshit. I was reading the Brand Center and I felt like I was in english class again.

They said Language Arts stuff like:

"Display Requirements. Always capitalize and spell Linden Lab's brand names exactly as they are shown here, and do not abbreviate them or alter their spelling, spacing, hyphenation, or punctuation."

Or

"Never use the brand name as a generic noun or verb, and never use it in the plural or possessive form."

I have to say this, most Americans and most people of the world...don't know what a possessive noun is. It's called a failed education system...or you're just too old to remember. This is especially true for people who speak English as a second language. While this makes things more complicated for us native born English speakers, you can now get sued for using the wrong possessive form of a verb and conjugating it up yo' ass...etc. Bullshit.

So thanks LL for making my virtual life more like real life, complicated and full of bullshit.