Facebook killed my mojo

Once upon a time, chryblnd Scribe had a Facebook profile, different and separate to her human counterpart's profile. I opened it because my Second Life is so absorbing, and so time-consuming, that people I knew from real life were finding their news feeds over-run with news fom a game they had no interest in. I had a view to a future in which my children might have a facebook presence. And I wanted a way to network and interact with other avatars on a less formal basis.

They were heady times :-) Second Life avatars have a strong presence on Facebook, and within weeks I had a contact list of almost 2000 avatars and people who are interested in Second Life. I stopped looking for profiiles to add, and let those who were interested add me. I was easily able to access the interesting things that were happening in and around SL, such as events, news stories, new content creation. I learned much more about the metaverse we all operate in, and I met and got to know amazing people.

The advantage Facebook has is that you can post so many different types of content. The music you like, the people you admire, random thoughts, what games you play, photographs, links. And your friends can access that information at their own pace. You learn more about each other in a lovely slow game of tag.

But Facebook doesn't want avatar profiles. It is, in fact, in direct contravention of their ToS. We all knew this, and we all knew it could happen to us. In May, it happened to me. Chryblnd Scribe's facebook profile disappeared, and with it went thousands of memories, little interactions and moments in time.

When your profile is suspended, there is, apparently, an appeal process whereby you submit identification that matches your profile's name, and can have it restored. As I contemplated the options, and the vast loss I felt at comments and content that had once warmed my heart, and would never be seen again, I decided that I did not want to lose another account. Many people simply set up with a new email address, but I decided I wanted the option of appeal, should Facebook swoop in and remove my profile again.

So I returned to my RL Facebook profile. I removed all the photos of my children and myself that had been there for family and old friends to enjoy. I warned the current friends list that things were about to change, and get busier. I added, or tried to add, those profiles I had enjoyed as chryblnd Scribe.

I also set up a page for Chryblnd Scribe as a fictional character, though the only fictional aspect of chryblnd Scribe is her avatar's appearance.

It's been spectacularly disappointing, and a lesson in humility. For whatever reason, friend requests I sent were ignored or turned down. I have stopped sending them, unless I know the person inworld and well enough to let them know the request is coming. And the fictional character is limited in her interactions. She can't tag people in photos or respond to them unless they "like" her, and it turns out not many people do *facepalm*.

I believe chryblnd Scribe was an interesting and innovative Facebook user. I see many avatars now using Facebook to promote and inform of events as I did, and was the first to do. But perhaps she was just an annoyance. In any case, my Facebook flow has been stemmed. Those who are close to me are there, and I love that they are, because of course, they were who I interacted with most. But I exist in a vacuum now, and I loathe it.

but I don't think I can!

Write every day, they say. Write something.

I suck at self-discipline. I am a Flash In The Pan kinda gal. I find a thing, love it to death and move blithely on. Sounds like fun, but in reality, it means I don't get much done. It is why I use the word dilettante in all my profiles.

Working on a dance act last year, my good friend and technical advisor, Diawa Bellic, noted that one of the people we'd approached to participate had "an awesome ability to want to fail". I don't want to be that person. But every time I am confronted with an ability I have, I start to limit myself. I give myself any number of passes ... as many as it takes to let myself off the hook from actually doing something.

Even now, with this tiny little attempt to start, I am thinking of can'ts. Maybe that's what tomorrow's post will be - a great big list of why I can't. Because, you know, things can roam around in your head seeming perfectly logical, but you put 'em out there, outside your head, and you suddenly realise they don't make much sense at all.

Pretty Knickers

So I'm back in the burly game, and we all know what that means - more pretty knickers! Luckily, my friend Kay Ganache makes pretty knickers, really pretty knickers. I have known Kay for many many years, and she is one of those "maker" people, even in RL. Always sewing, baking, some domestic goddessy thing - and still has time for a second life and a little WoW. Curse her.

Nice knickers though :-)

Style notes:
Hair - Truth "Zoe" - Latte
Skin - League "Amber" - Greenglade
Eyes - !dM deviousEyes "AngelDust" **SUMMER**
Lingerie - !~Kay Ganache ~ Dita
Boots - [Gos] GTFO Boots in Black

Travelling Light 2.0

Ugh. I had this great big sleep-inducing post about "what I'm looking for", but really, it's this simple:

I have love and affection. I have amazing conversation, intellectual stimulation,humour and sympathy if I should feel in need of it. I have someone to dance with. I just wanna get laid, properly, without feeling like I'm part of a passing parade. Is that too much to ask?

twelvetoeleven

twelvetoeleven
Originally uploaded by idlerogue

You are the music, while the music lasts ...

One of the great joys of my Second Life has been the discovery of "virtual" band, Deep Sky Traveler, and it is no secret that I am devoted to their cause. I try never to miss an event, I buy their albums, and where possible, I try to promote their efforts.

My association with them began when I heard FacelessAPe Mefusula perform his live show. For a time I had him booked to play regular shows at Idle Rogue, and I became aware that he was part of a band performing concerst in Second Life.The emphasis is applied becaue it was always my desire to showcase the "band" experience at Idle Rogue. I am still guilty of it lol. I will sign bands to perform without hearing them, so much do I desire to be a "live band" venue.

For many months, Deep Sky Traveler played a regular monthly gig at Idle Rogue. And, of course, as soon as I heard Bowie Bravin was doing solo shows, I booked him, because to me, Bowie Bravin is simply the finest vocalist working today. I am now managing his bookings inworld, and consider him to be a great friend, so that point is probably moot.

I feel the need to address the "track singer/not live" issue, because the bias is so entrenched in the live scene in Second Life. It is not, at least at this point, possible for complex music to be played live into SL. Music of the calibre of Deep Sky Traveler's would be difficult enough to stage live in a real venue, let alone to stream from three different locations into SL. The cost would be prohibitive, and the fact that the economy in Second Life is akin to that of a third-world country means the effort would not be worth the return. When you are ready to pay $100-200 in real money for tickets to a gig, you will see changes.

Until then, our musical choices are limited by time, distance and resources. At the moment you can listen to a range that goes from your grandad banging away on his guitar to a few of his friends, to the multi-layered tracks and loops used by some very fine musicians to augment their more or less live input to music they create.

Music is fundamental to my personal needs. I must have it. I go to hear djs, including those who mix "live" and those who simply have great playlists. I go to hear live musicians, whose quality varies wildly, and whose material may be original or covers. To me, Second Life blesses us with the many musical options we have, and I am delighted that I can hear fresh, well-made original music, no matter how it is presented.

I tell you all this because I plan to write an entry about their two recently-realeased albums, Into The Blackwater and The Sacred Science Of Souls, and wish to establish my obvious bias from the outset. I read enough sycophantic gushing from the fashion feeds to know it's perfectly acceptable to review a product when you are clearly going to be biased in its' favour, but let me clear: I ❤ Deep Sky Traveler. I would like to tell you about their recordings, and I feel privileged that we are able to communicate with the musicians who choose to engage with us using Second Life.

Teardrop featuring the Guerrilla Burlesque Dancers

My girls rock. Practicing for a Guerilla strike on Bowie Bravin's show (for my rezzday), we were captured by the eagle eye of Ormand Lionheart. This is his machinima.