Scary

Some people like to have "utopianism" seem like some warm and fuzzy fantasy, where only the high-minded and like-minded gather! Ah, humanity and its foibles! When will they ever learn!

Some of you may have missed this very scary interchange, buried as it is in the Linden forums that get filled up quickly with new hotline stuff:



It's always scary when *one player* envisions himself as having the high brain-power to "think globally and act locally" -- act locally *on you* LOL. He fantasizes gaining a quick "consensus" among the "bright and with-it and connected" and keeping out any challengers by questioning their mental health LOL.

Under the guise of being able to "perceive" "global tends" and other macro-phenom, they'd like to make themselves "helpful advisors". Just because they were quick to grasp the potential here for making a totalitarian world, they'd like to be able to run it, too

No way. Fortunately, not only chaos and laissez-faire arrangements push back against those overweening types, some people just mount actual conscious battles against them and their aspirations.

I'm so glad Philip is reaffirming the notion "less central control is better, and then minimally implement what seems absolutely necessary."

One obvious problem is that when the federal government implements "less control" on things like bounce scripts, then of course thousands of people are injured and harmed by their use, and their game enjoyment is degraded, because the Lindens can't say "no" to a few dozen griefers and those who fight against griefers by becoming like them.

Still, I think Phil's premise is probably a good one -- by exerting less control, he can ensure that a multiplicity of voices and forces come into play in this world.

The question is...does the consumer *really need* things like little cartels to be formed to stage-manage their large packet sales or buys on the GOM to control the market? Does that already happen? It probably does, to one extent to another. How can we know?

The fact is, three things are going on simultaneously:

1) the chaos and anarchy of the game is a perfect stage-setting for wannabe authoritarian and totalitarian forces, especially economy-fixers, to come in and have a field day
2) those who fight these non-state actors can only get a bad name as player-government enforcers
3) those who want to in fact install their own brand of "enlightened authoritarianism" are standing buy to watch 1) and 2) cancel themselves out and install themselves in the name of "sanity".

You ask if consumer really needs what you say. There are thousands of us that have no self identify as consumers and have no interest in consume issues. We just want to have the game be here when we want to play.

In this thread, Prokofy Neva has, for the umpteenth time, mischaracterized my comments and made a personal attack on my values, motives, and points of view. This thread exists as part of Prokofy Neva's campaign, in the forums and inworld, to selectively harrass certain residents who have brought forward points of view s/he does not agree with.

This thread does not bring up any new ideas, nor any new criticisms or opinions - it exists solely to irritate, create bad feeling, and spew bigotry. This thread should be shut down, and Prokofy Neva should be warned about such behavior.

The SL forums should not be a device whereby some people are allowed to indulge themselves in their own, deeply psychological issues.

I don't think I've mischaracterized this in the slightest. I've called it for what it is -- a bid for power under the guise of sounding like a thoughtful, conceptual, macro-type of thinker. I don't see what else it could be. Idle interest? Curiosity? Standing by while one's betters handle these tools? Hardly!

Asking about tools to administer the economy is asking for control over other people. Therefore people are right to say hey, wait a minute. No thanks!

That's all I've done, and any effort to misconstrue that with the usual forum hysteria only discredits itself.

When Seth talks about "organized player influence" in the manner he has done, in a highly visible exchange with Philip, you can be *damn sure* Prokofy Neva will show up and say "who says he can be the organizer?" and "who says who gets to be the organizer of any player influence???*.



No, I disagree. I've raised three kinds of types of behavior evident in the game, for study:



I'd invite further study and questioning of these theses. Is there anarchy in the game? We haven't even actually established that. Are there wannabee authoritarian forces? Well, I see them, in spades, and that's not due to paranoia, it's just due to having been round the bend a few times on these issues. Are non-state actors overly empowered by the federal government's laxness? Are there those installing, say, gated communities that deal harshly with griefers with no due process or appeal in fact the form this more benign dictatorship might take?

These are all legitimate topics of study and discussion for SL, and it's a shame Seth doesn't want to engage on them, but prefers to harass, slander, and even accuse another person of mental illness merely because he doesn't agree with them and feels overly challenged by them.

I'm not for any one player or group of players, no matter how enlightened, seizing the economic levers of the game to "help Philip."'

I'd like Seth to state explicitly what he is for or against, rather than just stirring the pot.

Don't worry about it , his verbose but beguilingly plausible, but illogical posts this week have exposed his ongoing attempt at manipulation of people's perceptions. His misappropriation and twisting of others' statements and his new tactic of starting to use specific rules, regulations, procedures and law to manipulate, control and punish accusers regardless of relevance, logic, facts or consequences.

Now note , his cold , unemotional , skilled and aggressive style towards anyone who sees him for what they really are or exposes his strategies for gaining attention.

*munches popcorn* *holds up a Prok Rox sign*

Are you having projection issues, Pepplar?

Is Pepplar talking about Seth or Prokofy or both?

He could be talking about you.

I think he's talking about Prokofy from the things he pointed out - "new tactics," etc. I haven't been on the forums much lately.

But then, you were trolling and knew that already, didn't you?

Good question!

At long last, Mr.Neva, have you no sense of decency?

-nim

"Until this moment, Mr. Neva, I think I never really gauged your cruelty or your recklessness....If it were in my power to forgive you for your reckless cruelty, I would do so. I like to think I am a gentleman, but your forgiveness will have to come from Someone other than me."

Two good quotes from Special Counsel for the Army Joseph N. Welch during the Army-McCarthy Hearings, Nim, and both very appropriate.

Thanks!

Nimdog, have you no sense of the danger of people taking on the task of *influencing the entire economy of the game*? Under the guise that they "know better"???

By what law or by what authorization or by what democratic consensus do they do that???

These are normal, legitimate questions.

Normal, legitimate questions, near-criminalized in the manner of their presentation by a troubled buffoon.

Funny you should mention McCarthy, when your aspirations are not unlike his if you hope to *influence the economy" Seth. It was you who wrote:

"I think a far more important question has to do with organized player influence over the "global economy"."

How do you plan to organize that influence, Seth? Do you imagine yourself at the advance guard? Or just a quiet "consultant" off to the side? How will that work?

These are legitimate questions to put to any one player that comes along and says that there must be "orgnaized player influence over the 'global economy'.

Because no one has consented to such a thing, have they?

Prokofy, I spend less than two hours a week in Second Life, and maybe an hour a week in these forums. Why? Because I have lots of other things to do in my real life.

What makes you think that I have the desire to "take over the world?" What makes you think that I have the time to waste? What makes you think that Second Life, for me, is anything other than a chance to exercise a little creativity in my building, a chance to think about new things and discuss them with interesting people, and a chance to see what happens to an interesting virtual experiment?

"Projection issues," you accused Pepplar Sklar of. And yet there you are, trying to take over the forums with your bitter monographs, and trying to take over the world with your frantic networking.

The sad thing about you is that every lie or provocation you fling someone else's way is far too revealing about yourself - and you don't even realize it. You project more than anyone I've ever seen. People on these forums know too much about you and what's festering inside of you. You are a great, flashing, neon-purple billboard, screaming "Here's what's wrong with me! Come look, come look!"

You're sad and embarrassing. Someone in your life, someone who really cares, needs to do an intervention.

LL, close this thread down.

The best thing to do is just not to take the bait. This whole thread was created to pull you into another one of his unproductive sadomasochistic forum dramas. Just don't reply.

~Ulrika~

It's also a TOS violation and you should report it.

Put him on ignore - it's worked WONDERS for me

Yeah, me, too Seth. Are you trying to say you're a better person than me? That you have "more real life" than me? Is this some kind of "real life" contest? Can't you just accept the discussion on its own terms without trying to deploy the currency of "RL" on a person?



Because you talked very enthusiastically about organized player interventions on a macro level of the economy? That would be one very good reason.


Because you went to none other than the Hotline to the Lindens to pitch the ideas of organized player influence of the global economy? I think that deserves a query? And I"m here to ask the right questions about it.

Once again, we're getting rhetorical questions from you, Seth, rather than positive statements about what you are for so we can tell your political beliefs and political grandparents to better assess what your intentions are. One minute you're speaking in glowing terms about violent anarchists. The next you're suggesting that macro influence be made on the game. Some people connect the dots.



Nope, no need to take over the world, merely question those I see trying to take it over LOL.



No, I don't have things wrong with me, I'm just like a lot of people in the game, Seth, I don't want some small group of players, however enlightened, putting over a player government on us all, with its restrictions and power-mongering and lording it over other human beings. I'm especially for them not doing that under the guise of serving as macroeconomic "advisors" to Philip Linden, telling him how to control exchange rates (and GOM, a third-party site as well LOL) or where to "seed capital" etc etc.

You're never really explained why you mounted such a terribly ambitious venture as conceiving of a player organized influence of the global economy.

And you're still not doing that.



Um, you don't distract from your failure to answer the question about your notion of player-organized influence over the global economy by mounting the usual personal attack involving questioning my mental health and saying I need help.

I know full well we'll all need help if something called "player-organized influence of the global economy" under whatever benign and englightened guise is allowed to gain any traction in this game.



If it is closed, it should be closed for personal attacks, and because the person who started it started it with a clear implication that they needed to flee the "insanity" of me questioning their premises in a political debate.

Holy crow, I do believe Prokofy is decribing himself!

And our little resident megalomaniac is accusing others of projecting. Hah!

Um, I haven't advocated player-based organized influence of the economy.

Perhaps you're projecting?

Perhaps you know a thing or two about dredging up another player's RL information and deploying it in an attempt to influence their behaviour -- the kind of power-mongering that illustrates exactly the dangers of this game, where a few individuals with ill intent can make people's lives miserable and exercise unauthorized control over them?

I think it's extraordinary important for members of SL to keep a weather eye on all attempts to influence others in governments, groups, campaigns, etc. and to push back when it seems any one person is trying to "take over". I think it's a worthwhile pursuit.

This pursuit doesn't mean I'm interested in ruling the world. I'm not. I'm for ensuring that we keep the lose 'federal government" already established by the Lindens, fixing the group tools for only the most minimal of player governance, and calling it a day, without ceding power or annointing any one player or group of players to have power over others.

The irony is not lost on me. You are trying to influence nearly all aspects of SL. You have since you started. Its quite obvious. I know you consider yourself crafty and clever, but it is THAT obvious. You're trying to make up for some sort of penis envy at not having "got here first". Hence your "New continent pioneer" line.

And hey, at least I stopped what I was doing. I was asked by a mod to stop, and I complied. You, on the other hand, simply start new threads after you've been asked to stop, or interject the same BS you were asked to stop into other threads.

In other words, I once got carried away, it was not to try to silence you, that would be as foolhardy as trying to stop a rushing herd of elephants bare-handed. I had an acute loss of impulse control, you, on the other hand, have a chronic case of lack of self control born of your need to be "right" at all costs. Your sole purpose in SL is to bend it to your whims.

Good luck, you'll need it, I predict LL won't put up with your poison much longer. Remember, they don't need a legal reason to 86 you. All they have to do is get fed up with your hate-mongering, and then poosh zee beeg red button! Ciao, hun.

Scary? This is what the Google image search thought was scary: