An End to Division

Too long, my friends, my brothers and sisters, my compatriots of the grid, have we been divided along lines that need never have existed. Today I stand and say that it is time we heal the wounds of this divisiveness. It is time to acknowledge our solidarity as participants of one of the most amazing projects ever imagined.

Second Life has attracted a rich diversity of interests and people, from IT professionals who live and bleed computer code to artisans who create miracles of beauty from relatively simple tools. All have brought amazing things to our new world and without the collaborations and exchanges between all residents, Second Life would be a dry place indeed.

There need be no conflict between rational individuals. Those who understand that all have things to contribute and that all have a right to share in the wealth of the Grid's opportunities need not ever find foes in other residents. All may exist and all may do so with their own interests as their sole guide in their objectives, so long as those objectives do nothing to hinder others.

I urge you to look upon your fellows within Second Life from a new perspective today. I urge you to ask yourself if it is really necessary to view those with talents that differ from your own with anything but curiosity and respect.

I urge you to discard the labels of our unpleasant past. To forget the artificially-rendered separations that sought to prevent the unions of new players from old, to cause fear of the technically-minded from those with artistic ideas, to cause hatred of those who like people more than they like widgets.

Your interests are not your shame. Those with skills different from your own are not your enemies. Your success is not your dishonor.

We are all people. We are all worthy of being a part of this grand experiment. There will always be those will seek control and admiration by creating fear and derision. Those tactics befit the sort of evil empire long since vanquished from this planet.

We're better than the hate that has consumed us. Let us now heal.

Screw that, let us go shopping!


OK, in all seriousness, I appreciate that thread and agree that it could be high time to bury any issues with our fellow SLers.

I'm not feeling any hate, nor have I ever when it comes to SL and it's residence.

However...I have noticed that I am always right...and everyone that disagrees with me is always wrong. Just something I'm gonna have to learn to live with...

Screw that, I'm hittin' the sex balls!

There's no place for your free-love here, you hippie.

Bah, never a hippie!

I'm being serious, though. I've seen these discussions plagued by conflicts that were, as far as I could tell, artificially created. It's not worth it. As a community, we must be healed and not allow the petty objectives of small individuals divide us again in the future.

Multiplication all the way! Yeah!

I agree with you completely, Enabran. I don't know how many times I just gave up on an otherwise interesting discussion because people were so obviously being herded, and seemed very eager to go right along with it. Maybe now we can get back to those discussions, and genuine fighting born of passion rather than design.

Im feeling the love! but for females only.

I do all of the above anyway

Join Me My Brothers, You Have Nothing To Lose But Your Chains!!! Alley Alley Oxen Free! Back To Mother Russia We Gooooooooo!

*raises her glass and toasts*

WOOHOO!! Lets have a love fest Orgy!!

err, hehe

In regards to my past transgressions and snippy retorts to people seeming to be starting fires for the sake of watching them burn... moo! I will henceforth seek to chew my tongue instead.

And so the gloating begins.

Watch it, and learn, those of you who don't know what to make of all this.

And no, I will not join your group.

coco

There is but one group, and there has only ever been one group. You joined it when your trial account transitioned to a paid account. So did we all. This is what has been forgotten.

Forgotten by who?

"We like to praise birds for flying. But how much of it is actually flying, and how much of it is just sort of coasting from the previous flap?"
-- Jack Handey [Deep Thoughts],

"Beyond a critical point within a finite space, freedom diminishes as numbers increase … The human question is not how many can possibly survive within the system, but what kind of existence is possible for those who do survive."
-- Frank Herbert,


Coco I'm with ya girl.

Cat

Well...I will not be posting in the forums any longer. The ones that have abused me in the forums are now acting like saints???? I hope Lindens can see this. Coco, Prok, Cat, hope to see you guys in world and I truly do hope the instigators will be punished and not the honest good people.

It's abundantly clear that your not alone in what you see. I hope you reconsider not posting as the Lindens have made changes. Time will tell if they are for the greater good. I will continue to post as I have, I am going to continue to encourage good ppl to post their feelings. There will be no real change unless the ppl who want it, make it so. With that said, I fully understand your choice and the reasons for it are truely a damn same for the forums and for SL. IMO.

See you in world when I finaly get there

Cat

Kelley, please don't give up now. Your voice has every right in the world (second or otherwise) to be heard. Now more than ever, folks can see exactly what is what. You're not alone.

-Claire

Kelley, I just looked up all of your 15 posts. Every single one is a swipe at someone else. Not a single one is an actual contribution to the discussions going in the threads you posted in. Does that qualify you as one of the good honest people? I have to assume that you were abused under a different account? You don't seem especially well qualified to complain about this.

*confused*

Well, Kelley, one possibility is that the people who were insulting you are acting like saints for the simple reason they have no desire to see their user account banned.

Come on Chip lets not go there, if we start looking at old posts and bringing those up we will then open one hell of a can of worms. It's how she feels right now.

Cat

Yeah, but it sure doesn't make me like her any better.

Enabran,

Excellent post. This is about rexamining our own actions, and the actions of others in a new light, and just learning to let it all go and go back to enjoying this incredible opportunity we all have. Those who are coming into this thread and posting negatively should look inward instead of lashing outward - no one is blameless in this, not me - not any of you. We all need to move on, or it just will remain this ugly vicious circle that serves no one.

There will be disagreements, and not everyone has to like each other, but we can at least try to coexist without beating each other up. The best response often is just to say nothing at all, no matter how much we might want to. It is hard when you feel something is a personal affront to you - but that is precisely the time to do so. In the end, it will help us all individually. Everyone believes they are right and just in their own minds - that is human nature. In the end on 99% of the stuff we talk about, it doesn't even really matter who is right or wrong - we generally are not going to convince anyone anyway.

It becomes a fool's errand and downward spiral to try to win an argument in the forums, especially with people who refuse to listen to you or acknowledge their own mistakes. I certainly have made them, and reevaluate myself all the time. I would much rather get back to enjoying SL and not spending so much time being concerned what fresh hell is going to be levelled in the forums. I hope it can return to some level of civility and normalcy, and that even damaged relationships can be repaired. It's not worth all of this negativity.

You are right Chip. But I wouldn't touch it right now.