Digital Colonialism

[sophrosyne_sl]

Once again, I've been simmering a stew of other people's ideas for a couple days. It's not quite ready to be served up, but since I'm about to go silent for a long weekend, I'm going to go ahead and dish it now.

First into the pot was Al Kronos's post from last weekend, Dutch banks depart Second Life...some thoughts. Al says,

What has prompted me to

Comments

[gira]

My SL lover said to me the other day, "It took a long time for me to realize that SL is about having friends."

While I realize that isn't its sole purpose for everyone, it has been for me. Of course, I do enjoy the shopping and the having all of the things I can't afford irl TOO, but it's not my primary focus.

Reply from Hiro

[anonymous]

Hey Soph,

Since Linden Lab privately owns Second Life, in a way I suppose it's like a colony, like what one would think about the commercial ventures into "The New World". On the other hand, both the "colony" and "Separate space" views indicate SL as something separate from real life, when in fact, it's more like ... a new city that has been founded within the borders of an existing nation, with its own special rules and regulations.

Re: Reply from Hiro

[sophrosyne_sl]

Hiro, is it?

Is SL Cleveland or Cairo with furries? And if it is, *should* it be? Is "more of the same" the extent of our dreams and ambitions?

If so, gods, why bother?

Hmm...

[galatea_gynoid]

"To be sure, foreign capital enables growth, development, advancement

Re: Hmm...

[sophrosyne_sl]

I couldn't agree more!

I was trying to be *kaff* fair & balanced, and acknowledge the case on the other side - but I so agree that the value of this world comes from *us,* and that the focus on the actions of companies that are big in the atomic world misses the value, in every sense, in our world.

Thanks, love!

[circuit_four]

I just wanted to drop in to say thanks for the cake. :D

[sophrosyne_sl]

My pleasure! It's the least I can do for all the pleasure I get from reading you!

BTW, a question came up last night, and I immediately thought of you as the go-to expert: has anyone ever done mermaid/seahorse ponygirls?

We've been thinking for a while about building an undersea nightclub, and somehow went right to ball-gagged were-seahorses... :D

[circuit_four]

Darling, furries have done everything. :) I can't think of any artists who have made that a speciality, but I know I've seen it before. That doesn't mean, of course, we couldn't use many more of them, especially the ball-gagged kind. :D

And since my poor laptop Tiger Trap seems to have a mild chronic rather than acute motherboard problem (prelim diagnosis: bitchy prima donna; grumpy if booted in a cold room) having a peek at SL is really just a matter of finding time now... Can't wait to meet you all face to face!

[sophrosyne_sl]

*laughs and laughs*

I can't wait to meet you!

If it works out for you, we're throwing a party Sunday, noon-4pm Pacific time, for galatea_gynoid's first anniversary in world...