Child Speak and Customer Service

It can all be summed up in one wise old saying:

"There's nowt so queer as folk."

--
Aes

I have done that. Maybe that is my horror at people "playing" this.

Thank you to those who offered up some suggestions on the customer service issue.

I don't mind a little roleplay. I rarely get the chance to do so with a child av, and I did learn some new words. Ultimately, it had nothing to do with understanding a child av....but with understanding that some people have a need to use our precious time in seeking attention. I don't mind that every now and then, as long as it isn't abusive....and it was.

Perfect solution for next time:

"Otay....to work this out...have your Mommy call my Daddy.....

IM Phil Deakins."

This is only goes so far Immy.

Just because someone calls it a 'kink' does not mean it should be acceptable or beyond criticism. People think lots of things are gross or totally wrong - poop, puke, pedophilia, blood, vore, dolcett, etc...those are also peoples 'kinks' and some are legal in a few countries.

So when it comes to some things, saying "my kink is fine, but, yours crosses the line" is exactly right.

I sure as heck have a list of "mine is fine yours crosses the lines" - that is just the nature of things.

I am not saying harass people who are different or anything. I am just saying that there is always going to be people who believe "My kink is fine, but, yours crosses the line". I think continuously voicing ones opinion of what is fine but yours crosses the line, is bothersome however.

Vore? Never heard of it before. I just googled it.

Again, to each is own.

Dinner for 2.

Yes and that part of it was why I tried to help - kidspeak or "ikkle speak" as Marianne calls it, does not bother me - so long as I can understand what is being said. I also can usually understand people who for one reason or another (ADD, or disability in their hands) do not type well at all, to the point there may be only one or two correct letters per word. It's much quicker to just try to get to what's being said, and go from there.

Roleplay - if someone wants to call themself "this girl" or "this boy" why should I care. It doesn't matter to me what type of av anyone has, either. It's when anyone tries to veer it from the context expected into some other world, without asking first (such as suddenly inventing a storyline I'm part of - godmodding, I think it's called) that it goes a bit far.

In the OP you mentioned someone throwing a tantrum when their demands were not met. And then saying they would "tell their mommy" - at that point you've become involved in a storyline instead of being treated with equal respect for YOUR SL reality, and that's when it became a bit OTT.

Melita....after I thought about that....it infuriated me that someone would use a child av as an excuse to get away with that behavior. That has nothing to do with child avs....but with the Adult pushing the buttons. In my opinion it's a slight to child avs, as that is most likely NOT the intent that most have when playing a child av, and I'm sorry to see someone using it for that purpose.

Yes that is well said and sums up the impression I got from your OP also. You felt manipulated quite likely, and for good reason.

The person was using 'childish' antics, as a grownup, and it's annoying when anyone does it but distasteful for a grown person to throw a 'tantrum' in a calculated attempt to get money off you.

This pretty much epitomises the contradictory dichotomy that exists with kid avatars that encourages me to avoid them inworld.

Pep (Even though it is intensely irritating when they post here where their self-contradictory posturings are more difficult to ignore.)

I see your point, Pep.

I've seen some like that Pep but have also seen some decent roleplayers, who pretty much act as real kids, YMMV. And of course, it depends if one feels kids real or not have a place in SL, too, I suppose. And there are some residents who don't especially wanna be around kids in RL or SL either.

But I think the kid avs can be very wittily roleplayed and fun to be around...sometimes a breath of fresh air, if you will. Just as the rare avs playing someone 70 or over can be. A well roleplayed kid av means no drama, no b.s. Just the opposite of the adult brat Mickey ran into.

Marianne and Julianne from teh forums for instance are both very easygoing and pleasant to be around. The 'kid thing' is just their particular approach in SL, the way someone else is a cat, dog, ferret, or Pep.

Except I'm not faking it.

Pep (Why would I? )

PS And I'm consistent.

Anyone can pull that crap. It doesn't take a short avatar to "get away" with it. The same could be said for people with empty profiles and library avatars. (^_^)y

And "some" are tolerating that. Perhaps you could return the favor.

Never meant to imply you were - sorry.

My point was that it isn't the approach/schtick that matters (which in a way includes 'being oneself' i.e. not roleplaying), but the behavior.

You're the one that fakes it Mickey.

Pep (Tolerant of truth.)

In your case.....yes, many days, I do have to fake it.

Can you tell the dancer from the dance?

Pep (Is that question answerable in sl?)

Is it answerable in RL either?

If you look deep enough into their eyes . . .

Pep (Better stop this now )

actualy it is a very good question, I have met a lot of roleplayers, not just child avs but all avs, that take a part of their personalety and act it out, the background and relations are faked but the reactions and feelings are real, now is it roleplay or is it being (part of) themselfs?

Hmm.. good question. My answer is, "Sometimes the character takes a life of it's own." And every actor has to worry about going too far into character. The difference between a healthy personality and an unstable one is that the healthy one knows where to draw the line between themselves and the character.

I'm fortunate that most RPers that I run into are of the more Victorian type and tend to use that form of speech. Very easy to understand. But, if it came to one that I couldn't... I'd just politely ask them to take this OOC and go from there. Same for RL, when I meet someone who insists on speaking nothing but Klingon to me, though I'm not a Klingon or anything Trek.

When you see Immy in any form, you see me. It’s a compartmentalized facet of me relatively fitting to her current appearance. But, it’s still all me. Usually more “me” than I can be in RL due to the size and appearance I’ve grown in to. (^_^)y

Abigail - only the most dedicated 'roleplayers' even try to obscure *all* aspects of their personality.

One could argue that in varying degrees all of SL is roleplay.

I don't roleplay. I will tell my (approximate) RL age to people who ask politely. I don't pretend to be a teenager any more than I pretend to be blonde -- which I am not in RL.

As a rule, I don't talk about RL adult things, such as my job, my children, taxes, etc., but I don't pretend to be ignorant of such things if someone else brings them up. People tend not to bring them up, though...

What DOES happen to make me feel like a teen is the way that other people treat me and react to me. Little-kid avatars are generally more relaxed around me. Adult avatars are sometimes nervous or suspicious, as if they're thinking, "What does she want? When will she leave? Is she going to make trouble?" -- just as they do with real teenagers.

I don't particularly want that, and when I sense that someone's uneasy with me, I usually leave.

The point is, it isn't something I do or make. It's how I'm seen.

(Thanks for the compliment, Melita! You're nice to be with, too!)