You gotta be kiddin me!

so who wants to go ballroom dancing?

look at this dude!

If you don't post some crap that's at least remotely interesting I'm afraid it's time to mute you

YOU don't think that's interesting...is that YOU in the pic? Zaphod missin a arm aint he?

Not terribly

.

cause you dress like that...or want to bad! and I find THAT immensly interesting!

I find it interesting - well, sort of - that you seem to care so much about what other MEN are wearing. Always assuming we can actually classify you as a 'man,' which I doubt.

And not like you're exactly the height of fashion there yourself, boyo.

Sorry, I don't roll that way, didn't mean to get your hopes up.

Not exactly the epitome of wit, either, is he?

.

I'm laoughin at YOU, you the enterttinment fool!

You the one find that clown sexy...why ya fending him! i din't know hookers liked the circus! Keep trickin, trick!

Oh, thanks!!! That is a great compliment coming from someone as funny as you!*

I believe hookers like anyone who can pay, but since I've never been one, I suppose I can't be sure of that. And I never voiced an actual opinion on his outfit, I just find it peculiar that YOU seem to care so much.

I frequent this gallery more than any other part of these forums, and as painful as it is to see this obnoxious thread always at the top of the list, I think there are some interesting points to be made here. And, while I doubt the maturity and age validity of a few of the above posters, I will venture to inject some substance into this wreck...

Has the game of Second Life become such a pervasive element in some of our lives that we are beginning to experience an uncanny dip in self esteem regarding our own digital selves - our pile of pixels and polygons that we crafted to be the near perfect representation of our inner selves? Mr. Lane (whom we can thank for this nonsense) is absurdly mocking a computer game character. What followed was a childish argument over whether computer game characters are homosexuals.

And we thought that those hypersexual furry creatures needed counseling...

Some of us are nearly obsessed with "sexy" female avatars. We post process screenshots to touch up digital blemishes (like the occasional misaligned texture). There is a distinct belief that the more money you spend on your avatar, the better he or she will appear. There are Second Life pornographic artists (like Mr. Lane apparently). We have sculpted more perfect 3D nipples and genitals for our characters. I've seen male avatars with such muscular chests that they appear to have gone in for breast augmentation. Our "newbie" status is relinquished once we begin to customize our avatars' appearance beyond the default settings.

I know a friend who purposefully altered her digital appearance to become a pale overweight female with freckles, a plaid shirt, short shorts, and a nearly bald head (with some bits of neon blue fuzz). I wish I could recall how many people approached her to offer advice on appearance settings and where to find some nice fashionable stores.

Isn't this all bizarre for a game that promises us a new life free of the troubles of our real lives? Yet it must just be human nature to infuse the concept of self worth even into a computer game. Which life is invading which? There's a question for you.

When we sit in front of our monitors drooling, snacking, and god know what else, at least we're spending our time wisely by making our avatars truly glamorous, right? Maybe we're trying to take our real life problems and thrust them into a medium that appears to be welcoming and benign.

As research has shown, we of the digital age may suck at face-to-face communication, but at least we shine when conversing over the internet! Hmmm...then why do topics like these get brought up? Why does Mr. Lane believe that his actual shortcomings may be ideally masked by masquerading as a Second Life pimp?

Maybe this post does belong in the Gallery section. Isn't SL a game which relies on community? Why can't a gallery showcase character studies? Why can't it address the stories which make us "human?"

I am very frightened for the Second Life community. It is actively writing new chapters in the American Psychiatric Association's mental illness handbook.

I wholly agree with you on that one, Indigo.

I myself go for the "not-so-pretty" avatars. Dont care if folks think its wrong or not.

I think someone is taking SL waaaayyyy too seriously. My av looks the way she does because that's the way *I* want her to look...I'm not trying to impress anyone except me. I assume the same is true for most everyone, whether they choose to be 'human hot,' furry, lumpen, robotic, cube-shaped, whatever. Suggesting people may have mental issues just because they want to be 'pretty' by their own standards is presumptuous, to say the least...

...which is NOT to say that Jumpboy may not be compensating for his own inadequacies by attempting to make others the focus of derision.

Careful with your sweeping generalizations there, Mr. Shrink.

Ann, I take offense to your suggestion that I am being too serious about SL. My post is an examination of human habits. It interests me to study Second Life users and their perspectives. I guess that's what a college education does to a person.

My comment is not specific to Second Life. It pertains to the growing interest in virtual worlds that we are currently experiencing. I just happen to be playing around with Second Life at the moment.

I think it's great that you have the confidence to stand up for yourself and your Second Life appearance, but the very need for a person to do that further proves my point. We used to only care about 'being true to ourselves and loving ourselves' in real life. But now this philosophy must transfer into cyberspace.

The thing is...
In real life we are born and stuck with a physical appearance. So we must grow to love it. However, in a virtual world with no need for physical representation, why do we emphasize avatars if not to impress others?

It is some sort of existential riddle.

And I'm not trying to make inappropriate sweeping generalizations (though I can understand why it may seem that way). I am not trying to accuse people of these things. I would call myself an average user. I'm just commenting on my experiences with the more visible subcultures of this game. I'm actually not a shrink of any sort. I'm a filmmaker and game designer so I have a great respect for the art and artists that post in this forum. It's you guys that are keeping SL an interesting place.

This topic may become a major subject in research papers over the next few years. Indeed, Second Life and its users are being shoved under a microscope in university classrooms across the country. Isn't it interesting to see how a community reacts when the implications of research break through its walls of fantasy?

And you might be surprised at some of the disorders listed in the APA's handbook...
A wink ( ) back at you!

In any case, thanks for reading the original post and thanks for an invigorating discussion! I know it's long and probably dreadfully boring for any average user.

you edited that sh*t too! robby robby get ya self together! I bet u walking around lookin like a raccon!

Luda told me i know..youse a ho! HO! Youse a ho! HO! Youse a ho! i know that you a hoooooooo!!!

D@m! I say, d@m!. I say! GOT! D@M! I aint readin all this sh*t! write a novel in ya own thread!

You lyin you didn't read all that...i mean it's THE GALLeRY..he could have added a pic or to! but tell me did i come out shinig and sparkling and glowin in booky the bookworms estimation? If so he RAWKS...if not he is toe-jam on the curled up left big toe of a one-footed crack-head! Bet that...square biz!

man i feel like we all slippin and slidin away from the issue annie-ho! just cause booky the bookworm called ya avie busted up and ugly (i'm assumin he did...ya mean i gotta READ all his post )don't mean ya gotta get all snitty! I fighure he called ya crazy too...seems likely but maybe you aint too far gone...maybe they can fix ya...maybe...but a good start would be to begin to realize that zaphod in the pic went to great trouble and effort to make his avi look like a got d@m dancin monkey...THAT MAN IS A GOT D@M RODEO CLOWN! he dodgin bulls and lookin funny all at the same time

SHE CRAZY! SHE CRAZY ! jUST LIKE BOOKY SAID! and guess what...you crazy too!

whatr is goin on! WHY IS THIS FOOL POStIN ALL THIS CRAP IN MY THREAD! GUESS WE GOTTA READ IT IT! hell no! boolky you need to find somthing to do! like tiddly winks! i hope ya got some mispellins! i hope u didnt waste time editing this crap!

LOL! You make me laugh!

And yes- I did read it all.

one day when i aint got NOTHING AT ALL TO DO i'm gonna SKIM booky's novels in my thread! ya think they come with cliff notes...nah ...maybe i'll just wait for the movie...AND the sequal!