What surprises you most in-world?

What surprises me most is the general lack of true originality pervading SL. . . .

This phenomena amazes me as well. Not to forget how many of them also have short arms and tiny hands. Then I can't help imagine what it would look like if someone shaped like that had to pee. What a mess.

Pictures of the human body fill our TV screens, magazines, billboards, almost our every waking moment. Through the ages artists have been obsessed with the human form. The range of bodies they have created is breathtaking, but yet they share one thing in common... none of these images resembles a real human being.

So why is our modern world dominated by images of the body that are unrealistic?

Neuroscientists theorize this has something to do with the workings of the human brain, and point to a neurological principle known as the peak shift. In essence our brain is hard-wired to focus upon parts of objects with pleasing associations. So if you were an artist, the tendency would be to reproduce human figures with parts that mattered the most to you.

Prehistoric artists were clearly caught up in peak shift tendencies, creating exaggerated statues like the famed Venus of Willendorf. For their part, the Egyptians perfected a more stylized, order-obsessed human figure, only to have the Greeks break out and create fantastically heroic — but totally unrealistic — images like the Riace Bronzes.

So why then are we moderns constantly inundated by unrealistic images of the body?

In reality, we humans don't really like reality - we prefer exaggerated, more human than human, images of the body. This is a shared biological instinct that appears to link us inexorably with our ancient ancestors...

What just knocked my socks off was that the Lindens seem to be really serious about their new adfarm policy. There was some ad spam next to my home that I have reported time and again. Now, I figured, what the heck, send another AR. Barely 45 minutes later (!!!) the offending things are gone. I am... buffaloed.

The number of skyboxes which defy gravity without means of support....

someone complained about everything being built to 'terran' rules.. but I just dislike skyboxes which dont have anything - rockets, projector beams, harnessed seagulls - holding them up.

I've had to put temporary rocket boosters on my sky-station until new the anti-grav projectors and the reactor to power 'em I'm working on are fitted, because I just couldnt see it floating in thin air without so much as a flying elephant to support it.

What surprises me...

How people will spend amazing amounts of time, energy, or stress, to earn a few lindens or complain - really complain - that they "can't afford" something in SL that turns out to be the equivalent of 2 US dollars. I'm not talking about people on limited incomes in RL or people who can't use credit cards... just normal people who get so immersed, that 500L feels more like 500 real dollars.

I can understand not wanting to spend RL money on something that still feels like a "game" but that's not exactly the attitude I'm addressing. To broaden this a bit, how quickly SL becomes like RL, with the same attitudes, sense of "obligation," work ethic, biases, etc.

I'm guilty of it too.

For example, lately I haven't been exploring too many places because it's too much "energy" to change clothes (to go ballroom dancing, for example) or even TP. I mean... this is not RL where I have to find parking for the car or get the dress from the cleaners. For cryin' out loud it takes 10 seconds to change clothes and 20 seconds (barring SL problems) to TP. Yet, I find myself slipping into that "RL" attitude "oh, it's too much trouble, I'll just stay home...."

Did Lindens shift 'em or did they move the ads of their own accord ?

I'm pretty sure the Lindens did it, although I was not there to watch. The things have been there for months now, and it's not just the one gone that I ar'ed but also the neighboring one that belonged to a different owner.

The point I was wanting to make is that while you got a pleasing result you dont know if it was down to Lindens action or merely the advertiser pulling out thats because the AR system doesnt keep anyone informed of whats happening.

The failings of the AR system is one of those VERY suprising SL things....

What surprises me? The fact that almost everywhere I go is labeled mature, and more often then not I teleport somewhere sexually explicit when I click on the map!

I'm also surprised by the number of people who get intensely jealous or posessive. But I shouldn't be, that's just us dragging our emotions along with us, and without that what fun would it be anyway?

Sorry for dragging the conversation into the gutter, but gutters can be fun.

What surprises me is that while everyone talks about it, I find discovering that stuff is nearly impossible for me... Anyone gotta guide book? (o.o)

I admit I'm surprised by the number of women who are bisexual.

Not to mention how kinky so many are ... but of course, kinks are easy to enjoy in SL where there are no practical issues to interfere.

I frequently look alien intentionally, but I think these are not intentional. Maybe it's an anime style thing I wouldn't understand. It's their world, their imagination, and they often do seem to be surrounded by ladies, some of whom are proportioned very nicely indeed.

Shrugs.

The thing that still surprises me most is how upset people get by nudity. I am not talking about sex, or some newbie waving their attachment in your face, just simple naked pixels.

Give me a "normally" well proportioned man any day.