Public Apology

Yes it has become insane.

_/_/_/

Ok, folks.
There are so many people taking this as if it happened to them personally. That's fine and that's your choice, however, it isn't you. You can rubber neck the situation all you want, that's cool; *oh look! An old timer got himself in trouble! Let's eat him alive!* I hope it's fun for you, it's like reading a tabloid.

I apologized. It was sincere, if you don't believe that then that's your issue. For all of you who seem to think you are clairvoyant, and now are placing words in my mouth and thoughts in my head, maybe you should be selling that service. A much more constructive use of said talent. Prokofy has allowed name, occupation and gender to be circulated over the net, yet somehow people view the disclosure of such info in the forums as being SO different. (Remeber, these forums are not open to the general public). Again, due to the CS, it is different, however, this is also why I really feel that some folks simply want to see me punished, (which I do think I deserve in some form), and will now scream favortism. Which is why I directly contacted Robin yesterday and asked to be suspended, again, because; A) because I broke the ToS, anb B) Because I knew people would not be happy with the punishment TO THIS POINT. Let's not forget that this may not be over yet, unless some of you can read the Linden's minds too.

The claims that I was blackmailing Prokofy are absolutely false and simply cooked up to garner sympathy. In my PM to Prokofy, I NEVER said anything that would indicate that I would divulge any info. It was only after Prokofy took it to the public eye in the forums, blew the whole thing out of proportion and flat out embellished what had actually taken place that I, in a moment of sheer stupidity and impatience, posted a portion of the PM, in hopes that it would show that Prokofy's claims were indeed blown out of proportion, just as are many of Prokofy's OTHER claims on these forums that Prokofy is continually harassed by other players. All one needs do is look at the land and economy forums on any given day. Prokofy has harassed many other players over what they deign to build on their own land, among other things, including how much they charge for goods and services, and then drags that into the froums on nearly a daily basis. Prokofy was suspended from the forums for intolerance and returned with at least two alts and simply ignored the punishment, where was everyone who are screaming bloody murder and rejecting my apology to the public then? I can guarantee you that if more punitive action is taken against me I will abide it, NOT play the alt game and rub LL's face in it by simply flipping them off and continuing to post diatribe after diatribe.

As far as being "creepy" and the like, or "spending hours" researching, those claims are patently false. The links containing the quotes from Prokofy were given to me by another player. Up to that point, all I knew was about the SLH stuff and some small tidbits from TSO fan sites. You may ask why I was interested. I was interested because Prokofy told me that Prokofy had "gone after" people in TSO, and I saw some obvious parallels with how Prokofy conducts business in SL. None of this cost me any money or a significant amount of time. Again, why is it that people want to seperate so much here? Prokofy's info is already on the net for anyone who cares to look.

I am not excusing my posting a portion of that PM, I am simply supplying context. I WAS WRONG. I have apologized to the community as a whole, my friends - who are rightly disappointed with me, and Prokofy. I cannot apologize to Prokofy face to face, as I am muted. I am sure I will get, "well you deserve to be muted", which is fine and appropriate, but please quit admonishing me for not being able to do so due to Prokofy's choice in the matter. I highly doubt that Prokofy would accept it anyway, as has been shown already in this thread.

In closing, Prokofy is now on mute, and I am going back to living my Second life as a relative hermit, like I have done 99% of the time.

You can all continue to pick at the bones of the carcass, bear in mind I won't be reading it, and this is my last, and I do meant last, post on this issue.

What happened to 'keeping your ass out of the forums'?

Alexa

This press conference is now over!!! No futher questions!

There's no way to independently verify "he said/she said" disputes. Without direct evidence, our opinions are all equally without value. I took the apology at face value, but it may have been sheerest cynicism. Only the one offering it could say for certain.

This illustrates the utter futility of taking personal disputes to a game forum and expecting anything constructive to come of it.

Indeed. I'm not convinced this would have become a public issue had not Prokofy made it one. It makes situations much harder to resolve when a few hundred people are watching and turning it into a big piggy bank with everyone's two cents flying everywhere.

It's certainly an interesting point. Before the post by Prokofy, I had no idea of the issue between the two.

Fucking Fantastic!

Hey, this goes by so fast I can't keep up with it. Where did Prok say he was quitting the game?

(And now back to reading the rest of the posts in this thread.)

coco

Let's say I were Prokofy. Someone has access to my personal information. My first and only step?

I'm going to be on the phone with Linden Lab explaining my situation, working toward resolution and swearing to keep f'ing quiet so it's easier to get this fixed.

Prokofy, on the other hand, decided to take what was a bad personal situation and exacerbated it with his trademark public screeching. Did he not expect that he might provoke some kind of response? Was he not aware of the distinct possibility that in his thoughtless hostility, he could create a tremendous hulk of trouble from a tiny kernel of misbehavior?

Of course he expected this. This is Prokofy's MO. He thrives on attention and trouble-making. Nothing here is surprising. I have never once observed Prokofy attempting to contribute constructive conversation. Every last post, even when it starts innocently and helpfully enough, concludes with a parting snipe at someone else.

Well, having looked this thread over again, I'm going to assume that was just another bit of sarcasm about Prok leaving - the same sort of sarcasm that so often gets lost on people who aren't already in some sort of in-group in the game. I hate that.

Don't panic me like that! I like Prok! I like him enormously. I don't want him to leave. Moreover, he makes us think, and analyze. He's a genius, hands down, no question - albeit one who sometimes lacks diplomacy. (She says diplomatically, lol.) I consider him a wonderful friend, a helpful friend, and one who enriches my life in many ways.

Now, for my two cents which will also murk the waters even more, lol.

I believe it is the better part of valor to take a person's apology as sincere, and accept it in the good faith spirit at which it was presumably extended. And I believed Nolan's apology to be sincere, and I still do. And I still respect and appreciate it. I want that on record.

Walter Spaight may be right in his logic, but wrong in its application to an individual. For Nolan - indeed, for many if not most of us - the apology is pretty good. Understanding comes when one person extends a little, and then the other does, etc. If and when Nolan extends - as I believe he has - I want to be the first to be one of the first out there extending a bit myself.

I don't believe in piling on a person after he has made a good faith attempt to recitify his errors. I may still disagree with that person and/or his actions in large part, and I may not be convinced that he understands yet the gravity of the situation - in my opinion - of posting any rl information. And more harrassment may have gone on than he publicly admits to. I don't care. I still want to say I sincerely accept his apology, and I respect and admire it.

I see nothing wrong whatever with Prok's original posting of the problem, bringing it to light. He didn't name the individual; the individual outed himself. The issue itself was an important one, worthy of discussion, and I don't blame Prok in the slightest for getting exercised over it. I certainly would, if someone appeared to me in game and told ME my real life name, location, and occupation! You damn well better believe I would! Knowing me, I probably would have taken a different route and actually managed to get that person banned from the game! AND notified the police!

And it is admirable of Prok not to name that individual, and that is all that was really required of him. Prok no more brought on himself the discussion/debate/thiswholemess that followed than he brought on himself the fact that the harrassment/postingofinfo/whatever in the first place. You can never get me to believe that no matter how Prok presents himself, or whatever he says to other people, in any way, shape or form deserves the breaking of the TOS and the intrusion of the privacy or the threat represented by the presentation to him of knowledge that no one should have had.

That's one thing. Now here's the other.

Speaking not to the individual conflict between Prok and Nolan or any of the particulars thereof, I want to simply stress that when a person humbles himself, and admits his wrong, it is hugely bad form for us to not accept that apology in return. In the case of some of the more flippant remarks I've read on here against Nolan, it actually borders on the inhumane.

I can't help but think of the concept of saving face here. Just as I took great issue with Nolan's original action, and just as I accept and respect his public apology, I reject and disrespect any dismisssal of what I believe was a sincere and difficult attempt to admit that what he did was wrong.

I understand what Prok and Walter and others are saying, I do. I understand the logic behind these arguments t as well as the possible fears behind them, of things continuing, including harrassmen or whatever. Prok's business practices, for example, are totally above board as far as I have ever, in my knowledge of him, been able to determine, various misunderstandings on his part (as in the case of Eboni, apparently), not withstanding. Prok doesn't "deserve" harrassment. No one does. Besides, I consider him a friend of mine.

I am saying, though, that the weight of things - morally, ethically, AND logically - comes down on the side of accepting Nolan's apology with the good grace with which it was offered. I admire him for that, and totally believe him to be sincere. As for his future actions, I will wait and see, but I believe there will be no more trouble.

For now, I would say, do not bludgeon the man when he is down; it's very bad form. It's cruel. Have some faith. Expect the best. When you expect the best from people, you often get it. Nolan, I thank you from the bottom of my heart for your apology, because indeed, your actions did upset me quite a bit, and I really don't need to defend to anyone about why the idea of posting private info unsettles me so much. So, I believe you and I thank you.

I go on too much, I know. It's a complicated deal, and causes too much words from me. But I definitely want to "go on record about it," as Prok would say, lol.

As for Prok, he knows I disagree with him on lots of stuff, and he knows I'll say so to others. He always shrugs it off and just tells me to "do your thing." And I love him for that. Not to mention respect and admire him for it.

coco

Enabran, and Ulrika, you *wish*. It may seem like I'm "leaving the game" because I never participated in *your* game but I absolutely no intention of leaving.

Enabran, you must not be reading my posts. On the night before Nolan posted all his "revelations," I did contact LL, I wrote abuse-manager, contacted Pathfinder and filed an AR report. When it's night-time you can't expect people to be answering the phone. So your notion that I didn't try to act within the standard protocol instead of "taking it to the forums" is misinformed.

I can't believe how nasty CIenna got over nothing. Huh? I made a point about the larger issue, that revealing someone's private life in SL can work the other way, to reveal SL to someone's private life -- a generic point! Then I hastened to add that wouldn't get me fired, since so many harpies would leap on a thing like that.

Now why am I not surprised that Nolan didn't last an hour with his fake apology, as soon as anybody challenged it, especially me LOL.



This is an entirely falst and misleading statement. If someone's RL name and occupation and location happens to be on the Internet from their job that is NOT the same thing as "Prokofy allows name, occupation and gender to be circulated". Prokofy is an avatar in SL, not a RL person. And the LINK between Prokofy and Prokofy's typist is NOT displayed on the Internet, even if Prokofy's typist has other pages or information or publications on the Internet.

It's that LINK we are talking about that is the offense here. I did NOT place that link on my profile. I did NOT place that LINK between SL and RL in my SL blog linked on my profile.

Nolan did. And he did that because he snooped around and talked to PEOPLE. PEOPLE make links, not the Internet. He got a story here, a lead there, a gossip in the other place and worked it like an intelligence agent. He put it together.

You cannot find that link between Prokofy and my RL self on the Internet because the link is in the minds of people who make that connection -- it is not a clickable URL. The Lindens can go through all this and they will not find some clickable link that puts Prokofy and my RL self together because it does not exist. That link can only be made by going through a series of steps, clues, leads, gossips, etc. to make the connection your self.




This is really posturing to think up your punishment and then strut around asking the Lindens to apply it to you.



This is a false statement. First, Nolan wrote me a few days ago asking me to stop debating him on the forums, and just to "talk it out" in the game or "let bygones be bygones". I didn't respond because I had long ago figured out that you can't engage people like Nolan, it only encourages them.

Next, he wrote me 3 messages with all my RL information in it. He said "of course I won't reveal it." That's the kind of ominous thing a blackmailer does. He tries not to leave an actual footprint, but he says "I know where you live" or "I could reveal this, but I don't." That *is* a threat and a blackmail, implying that "now that I know your information, I will bruit it around unless you shut up on the forums". The message was more than clear.



Picture yourself opening up your PMs. It contains your RL name, your gender, your sexual preference by implication, your occupaton and job and indication that publications were seen, etc. That's a serious matter. I sent it to Pathfinder and the abuse-manager right -away. It's a clear-cut TOS violation. You're damn right I took it to the forums. That's the only way you can deter a blackmailer, being loud and public and making sure that they know they cannot get away with sneaking around, implying they hold power over you, and trying to pressure you to shut up.



I don't "harass" people for what they deign to build unless it 1) lags the sim way down 2) blocks physical access to a land parcel 3) constitutes a hugely aggressive visual statement on the horizon for the whole sim. These are legitimate debates and not harassment. It's not "telling people what to do". It's trying to find some bare minimum of agreement about what constitutes unacceptable building.



I was never suspended for my writings on the forums. I was never accused of any intolerance, or notified of anything in regarding to intolerance. This is all a fabricatrion.





So you see how it works everybody? You don't just click on my profile, then click on my blog, then find my RL information . You get information from another player who has already done research and put bit together, you don't click.



I know what is involved in making the steps through various tips, tibits and leads to go to SLH and other links to put this together. It is by no means an instant click.



This is crazy. I didn't say I "went after" people. I did have a kind of guild war in TSO where the Lightsavers Partisan Liberation Movement fought the Sim Shadow Government within the game. That's not "going after people" in TSO but challenging griefers who intimidated and harassed other players.



It's not. You have to follow through steps and links people help you to make, not mouselinks. And in any event why split these hairs, since the TOS involves information not posted on their profile -- full stop!

I

I'm not going to take a mute off of somebody who has been stalking me, no.



Grandstanding.

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It's also instructive to see that in every single post, Nolan's signature had 3 quotes which he wants to apply to me. The first quote is supposed to be a slam on my long posts. The second refers to the FIC, the term I coined, and the third is taken from another thread where Siggy actually referred to me.

Adding Cocoanut Koala to list of Prokofy alts ...

~Ulrika~

I think they might be joking. I know humor is hedonistic and all, but I think it would add greatly to your SL experience!

WTF?

I just had to scroll down for five minutes to get to the best post on this page.

God SL SUCKS!!!



(I am of course joking)

File a bug report and move on, troll!

I had a facelift and you DIDN'T EVEN NOTICE

*cries uncontrollably*

Thanks a freaking LOT Standaprong...

Who's Walter Spaight?

*starts scripting a public apology thread*

DRAMA! gime gime!! this is too much lol

Unable to encompass the sheer hipocracy, pompous bleating, outright fabrication and blame-avoidance of Prokofy's posts, I've forced myself to come to the conclusion that he is a comic genius the likes of which we have never seen before on these forums. Bravo Prok! Bravo!

While many would think you and your alts waste precious forum space, have nothing of real merit to say, whine constantly and irritatingly, seek to blame everyone for everything, are self-delusional and have taken blame-avoidance to a whole new level, I think you are actually an artist, using your keyboard to hammer out examples of many of the worst traits in human beings, as well as to show us where we too may end up if we don't own up to our short-comingts, face reality square on, and develop a sense of humor, that avoids being cruel, but brings much needed stress relief.

Again I say Bravo!

That's what I thought too until I read the chat transcripts. It's like a completely different person. If only Nolan were around to repost those.

~Ulrika~

I wonder if they'll show up on another, non-LL, forum?

Ulrika, can you forward me what you've got to [email]junk001@johndriscoll.co.uk[/email]? I'm dying to be put out of my misery and know what the big *thing* is that everyone here is sidestepping.

See now, if this thread wasn't here I wouldn't even know there was a *thing*.