Culling My Friends List

Perhaps I was inspired by my recent experience of being removed from a friends list, but I have now done the same thing with my own.

When going through my friends list before starting the culling, I noticed that I had been removed from others friends lists already, most notable was my removal by the now abdicated queen of Swedish SecondLife which quite possibly was due to an altercation concerning whether I - as a "Friendly helper" in her group - should do as she ordered me or follow my own discretion. I am well aware that my kind manners sometimes misleads people into thinking that I am submissive, but frankly I do not take orders well so I left that group, thus relieving myself of any duties or obligations in the group she had created.

I have not culled my friends list for a very long time, except about a year and a half ago when I removed one person by accident and another by design. The thing that happened then was that I intended to remove a certain person but for some reason beyond me - possibly someone logging in or out of SecondLife - ended up removing the queen of a neighboring Scandinavian country in SecondLife by mistake.

When I immediately called her in Instants Message to explain my mistake the queen was naturally enraged by my action. She did not at all  believe my protestations and assurances that her removal was a mistake. I have learned that it is futile to discuss such matters further while someone is still furious so I left it at that, although I had first called her up to add her as a friend again.

So learning from previous mistakes and after due consideration I started on removing people from my list. The criterias for removing that I had made up in my mind were the following:

• I do not know who the person was
• I cannot remember ever communicating with the person.
• I have not had any communications with the person during the last three (3) years.
• The person has blocked me from seeing when they are in-world (2 persons).
• The person is a bastard that I will not wish to communicate with in the future(3 person).

Reasons to keep someone on the list inspite of the above criterias being met:

• The person is one I have a strong sentimental attachment to although he never logs in anymore (1 person)

Following the criterias I - carefully making sure I got the correct person - started removing people. I have now successfully concluded this project and have cut my friends list down from 278 to 149 persons. I find it to be a great relief and much less stressful to see only people I care about on my list.

If you still see me on your list, Congratulations! You're still in the running to be Southern Charms next Royal Consort.

And if you don't see me on your list anymore, Congratulations, you are rid of me! I hope you have a happy and fulfilling SecondLife.

If you wish to appeal the decision please send your written appeal in triplicate to
Supreme Court of the United States
1 First Street, NE
Washington, DC 20543

Laying Down The Rules

I utterly detest spam, both in my e-mail and in SecondLife group chats. More than once I have left groups which I thought were just too disturbing due to the occurrence of spamming.

About two years ago I and three others were made moderators in the "Swedish People in SL" group by PetGirl Bergman, who once created that group.

With the title comes the responsibility to enforce the three simple rules in that group.
1. No questions about anyone's first life in the group chat.
2. No advertising of products in the group chat without prior consent from the owner or one of the moderators.
3. No spamming with notices of ongoing events. Anyone in the group is welcome to announce an event, but it is not allowed to announce the same event more than once every 30 minutes.

Not that difficult to understand for any grown up person of normal intelligence one would think, huh? Well yesterday evening three avatars were taking turns announcing the same event every 10-20 minutes to the point were it go extremely tedious and disrupting to the rest of the group.

To make matters worse one of those involved had been warned by me personally for spamming the group just a few evenings ago. On that occasion she blamed chat lag in the group. to which I answered that she had been in SecondLife for more than four and a half years and should be well aware of that chat lag sometimes occurs and how that should be handled. The natural thing to do in that situation is of course to wait until it eventually pops up in the group chat or til you get the message from the system that the message will not go through. What you should never do is to re-post the same message repeatedly if it does not turn up at once.

With the responsibility of being a group moderator come certain privileges. I can hand out warnings for breeches of the group rules and - if the the conditions of warnings are not adhered to - I can also disallow text chat from the culprit for a specified period of time or eject them from the group.

So I reminded the three avatars taking turns about the consequences of not abiding by the rules. I took special care to spell it out to the female avatar I had talked to a few evenings earlier. When the next announcement came about only 20 minutes later I shut her off from the group.

I then got an IM from her asking me questions like "Who made you God?", "Why did I shut her off because her message came 20 minutes after the previous message from one of the other two and 20 minutes was almost 30 minutes?" and "A few nights earlier there had been a lot of spamming in another group and no one had done anything about it so why was I being so strict?"


The questions were easily answered and she soon settled down and asked me for how long she would be shut off. I told her I was considering having her shut off until Sunday but that I would let her back in if she talked with the other two and gave me a promise that they would follow the rules. After discussing the matter with the other two she came back to me and told me they were all sorry and would follow the rules in future. I then allowed her back into the group chat and the altercation was finished with the sharing of Easter greetings and mutual hugs.

Otherwise yesterday was a slow and sad day.

During the semi-drama I was told that one of my best friends sister had passed away at an early age. Afterwards I also had a short conversation with a close friend who confessed to me from out of the blue that she was now in a hospice and was certain of her fast approaching death, she was however in no pain and was well taken care of. After we had hugged and I had told her repeatedly that I would always love her and remember her she logged off. Finally I was informed that a very sweet and gentle male avatar, with whom I had a good and friendly relationship without being friends, had just passed away after being seriously ill for a short time.

These proofs of the frailty of our human lives and our sometimes strange priorities about what is important made me so sad and tired that I had to log off. For the longest while I could not fall asleep.

Blog Shut Down By Bullying

Yesterday we were reached by the sad news that PetGirl Bergman, a.k.a Tina Dahl, has decided to shut down her blog "Tinas universum" ("Tina´s Universe").

"Tina´s Universe" has been the largest Swedish SecondLife blog almost since it´s start. It has been a mighty source of information and education on all things to do with SecondLife for all Swedish noobs in-world since it´s start.

As one of the oldest Swedish avatars in SecondLife PetGirl has acted as an ambassador between the Swedish community in SecondLife and Linden Lab. She has been able to help many Swedish avatars through the red-tape at the Lab. Tina has also worked hard on establishing excellent contacts with the Swedish Institute and has  acted as a well known and highly respected ambassador to the Swedish authorities and the real life world.

Tina Dahl has always maintained a high profile in the Swedish community though her blog. through the in-world group "Swedish People in Second Life" (which she created) and through her strong and charismatic personality. Tina was without a doubt the inspiring, organizing and driving force behind many of the large events and activities that have occurred in the in-world Swedish community.

Her unrivaled position as the unofficial leader evoked much envy among smaller souls who would have preferred to have that position themselves.

During the last three years Tina has been under unrelenting pressure by a handful of Scandinavian avatars and their hangarounds who have focused an unrelenting and hateful campaign against her, on their blogs, in comments on other blogs and in-world.

It is - in my mind - not strange at all that Tina finally succumbed to this pressure and lost her inspiration to continue blogging, many of us would not have lasted as long.

I will maintain my hopes that this shut down is only temporary and therefore refuse to take leave of "Tina´s Universe" but instead will hope to wish her welcome back when she has found her strength and inspiration again. 

Don´t Forget Our Date Tomorrow

Tomorrow Sunday December 12th, 2010, at 11 am and 1 pm SLT I hope to see you all at the Swedish Embassy in SecondLife for the Celebration of Saint Lucia.

junivers Stockholm, Medora and The Imaginals with a lightshow by firemasters extraordinaire Jannne Janus and Ambrooshia DeCuir at about 11:30 AM SLT

Bara Jonson sings LIVE at about 12:10 PM SLT

Big party afterwards with amazing DJ Midnattsdotter Fride.

Come and see Bock McMillan in his first leading role as Starboy #3 (...or was it #4?).

We are doing this just for fun and for the fifth consecutive year in SecondLife. No competition with other pageants is intended.

Taxi to Swedish Orientation

Produced by: The Bock McMillan Entertainment Group Inc (part of the BMcM Corporation) Swedish People in SL
Funded by The Swedish Institute.

Grattis till 2000 dagar i Second Life

I dag vill jag gratulera PetGirl Bergman till hennes 2000:e dag i Second Life.

Trots att vi inte känner varandra alltför väl har vi ändå haft en hel med varandra att göra i samband med olika evenemang i Second Life, alltsedan du drog med mig i luciatåget 2008.

Dina insatser för den svenska gruppen i Second Life kan inte nog framhållas

Din blogg "Tinas universum" är ett viktigt organ för att sprida kunskap, information och dagsfärska nyheter om vad som händer, särskilt oss som redan finns i Second Life men även de som inte vågat sig in ännu.

Den svenska grupp du skapade långt innan de flesta av oss andra ens visste att Second Life fanns har också blivit den naturliga kanalen för svenskar i Second Life att få kontakt med varandra. Kommunikationsvägarna och nyhetsspridningen hade blivit oerhört mycket mer komplicerade om inte "Swedish people in SL" hade funnits.

Dessutom bidrar du med din initiativkraft, ditt engagemang och dina arbetsinsatser till att gång på gång dra igång evenemang med syfte att förena och samla svenskarna i Second Life.

Tack för de första 2000 dagarna och lycka till med de kommande 2000!

P.S. Ett särskilt tack till Sjofn Stoneshield för påminnelsen om denna händelse på Vanadis blogg idag

Midsommarfirande i Svenska Second Life, fredagen den 25 juni 2010

Vad gör ni till midsommar - nu på fredag - egentligen?

Om ni är i Second Life har ni alla chanser att få en helt underbar kväll med underhållning av live artister och senare även en av de allra mest populära DJs vi sett den senaste tiden.

Det är Annabella Lundquist, Vampi Twine och PetGirl Bergman som bjuder in till en midsommarfest i svenska Second Life i år. Denna gång sker firander på simen ”Sverige”!

Kvällen ser ut så här:

21.00 - Tim Anadyr

Tim är sångare och gitarrist (men spelar även många andra instrument).

22.00 - Shaye Dezno

Shaye är countrysångerska.









23:00 - DJ Lucien Maven, som spelar långt in på småtimmarna om det behövs.

Presentation överflödig, Lucien är ju redan ett stort och etablerat namn bland oss svenskar i Second Life. Karln talar snart utmärkt svenska...




Plats: Sverige

Kom i tid eller skyll er själva! (Det är aldrig arrangörernas fel att ni inte kunde masa er dit i tid för att komma in!)

NJUT OCH HA SKITKUL!

Simen ägs av Remo Legend - som håller den extra öppen för Midsommarfirandet och hälsar att vi skall ha det helt underbart i svenskaste Second Life - och påminner (gratisreklam) om att just nu finns ett fåtal tomter kvar att hyra!

Dansbana, utedass m.m. är byggt av Melly Mint, Annabella Lundquist eller PetGirl Bergman.

Varmt välkomna alltså till den svenska Midsommarfesten nu på fredag med start 11 a.m. SLT (kl. 20.00) på simen: Sverige. 

Hälsar arrangörerna
Annabella Lundquist, PetGirl Bergman och Vampi Twine

MER och fortlöpande info på bloggen Tinas universum och i gruppen Swedish People in SL som vanligt!

Censurskandal i SL!

...och jag som trodde att jag skulle lugna ner mig hos Apmel Goosson, naturligtvis tog jag helt fel.

Apmel har ju en sagolik förmåga att peka på saker som oroar, berör och upprör. Läs mer om Linden Labs övergrepp att stoppa konstverket nedan från en pågående konstutställning i SL på "Min avatar heter Apmel". Där finns dessutom flera ytterligare intressanta länkar.

Det av Linden Labs stoppade konstverket "Kiss" av Rose Borchovski

Motiveringen som Linden Lab lämnade för att stoppa konstverket var: “The images on your build are in violation of our general rating, to be clear: Nudity is not allowed at art events with a general maturity rating.”

Detta är ett upprörande övergrepp på yttrandefriheten och den konstnärliga friheten! "Den djävligt gapiga minoriteten" (som ibland kallar sig "The silent majority") synes ha fått genomslag hos det räddhågsna Linden Lab!

...och jag är minst lika upprörd att jag inte fick reda på att protesten mot Lindens övergrepp skulle äga rum, jag hade velat vara där!

P.S. Att jag inte fick reda på protesten visade sig nu bero på att jag inte var inne i SL, Apmel berättar nämligen att han spammade svenskchatten (Swedish People in SL) så mycket han vågade - och han brukar våga mycket!

P.P.S. Jag beslutade mig också för att lägga in regissören Peter Greenaways protestskrivelse till Linden Labs här!

"Dear Courtney Linden,

As a reaction to the rejection of Rose Borchovski ‘s art installation : The Kiss at the Celebration Sim, I would like you to read this.

It seems to me incredible that you are enforcing censorship concerning nudity in public forums on Second Life.

Traditions of nudity in Western Art have for centuries been legitimate, honourable and creditable.

The cyperspaces of Second Life - and Second Life has so far proved itself to be among the very best of such events - are among todays' cutting edge of visual languages - continuing an enviable tradition of new technologies in the visual arts now that the orthodox cinematic arts are proving themselves moribund and archaic, and enforcing new efforts to avoid artistic elitism and the encouragement of egalitarianism in artistic expression Any artist worth his or her salt, always must engage in contemporary technologies - it has been the very reputable tradition of the most worthwhile artists that has benefitted us all. Visual artists have always taught us to look. The man-made world owes them everything.

Just because you have eyes does not mean you can see. And the political and social emancipation of the naked and the nude by artists has been essential for humanist civilisation - it has given you and me great liberalities of thinking and self-respect.

Whatever else you think you may be doing with Second Life, you have created a very sophisticated tool that combines traditions of painting with cinema and the graphic arts in present tense terms that permits visual expression of language like never before. Do not underestimate what you have created - but to remain creditable you simply cannot enforce reactionary hypocritical standards that have been so discredited over the last five hundred years.

Like any self-respecting artist of course I am against gratuitous exploitation that demeans and insults intelligence and sensibilities but by your blanket censorship you are now doing both those things - insulting artistic intelligence and demeaning sensibility.

I suspect you are responding to pressure, to some form of mind-police, certainly to some form of political correctness that is related to money and the slow swing to the political right that is happening all over the world related to civilisation's fear of financial insecurity. Don't go that way. You are endangering a tool that is greater than you.

When the cultural histories of the early 21st century are written from hindsight, you will undoubtedly find the possibilities and successes of Second Life being eminently lauded and praised. Too many art forms in the 20th century have been stunted and deformed and deflected into ineffectuality and banality by small mindedness. If you really insist in so-called protection of innocence (and I really wonder what that really is - is it a synonym in fact for ignorance and intolerance?) then do so on a careful case by case basis with intelligence and foresight. This will be troublesome for you to do, if you want to do it well. But it will be very well worth your while,

Yours, hoping you will see sense, and not be influenced by short-term gain.
Peter Greenaway, film-maker."

Censorship always sucks, Linden Lab, but this was totally outrageous!

Ohhhhhhhhhhhh en sån kväll, en sån underbar kväll...

...som de kallar "splendida serata" och då är det naturligtvis Nationaldagsfirandet på den svenska Ambassaden i SL jag talar om!

Festligt, folkligt och absolut fullsatt!!! Liksom på alla de bättre fester jag har varit på i SL kraschade simen, men det gjorde absolut inte saken sämre.

Frostland var underbar som alltid, Bara var enastående som alltid, junivers och hans dansare var fantastiska som alltid, dronningen (PetGirl) var lysande som alltid, PJ var härlig som alltid, Chickendales var ljuvliga som alltid och alla andra som var där var på ett satans gott humör och soliga.

KVÄLLEN VAR KORT SAGT ÖVERHÄRLIG!!!

Till råga på allt vann jag Svenska Institutets specialpris för "sexigaste och mest kreativa avatar i blå gult", tror jag det var (men minnet är lite lite dimmigt just där). Bild kommer så fort jag hittar någonstans jag kan stjäla den på någons blogg eller om någon vänlig själ skickar den till mig.

Stöldgods från "Mer eller mindre KRANFEL", tack Vesper!

Stöldgods från "Blanche´s arena", tack Blanche!

(Taget på Måndagsbörsen dvs. dagen efter Nationaldagen, men jag hade inte orkat klä om...)

Jag har sett att några har klagat på lag, men vad väntar man sig egentligen när man beger sig till ett evenemang som lockar fler än 80 avatarer i nästan två timmar? Jo visst, blir det en del följdproblem av lag som gör livet besvärligt men vad fan gör det. Stå stilla - om du kan - och ha kul säger jag!!!

Redan som noob i SL kläckte jag 2007 den devis som sedan alltid följt mig i dylika sammanhang "Lag is a state of mind, don´t blame the Lindens!". Med detta menar jag ungefär det samma som "Klaga inte över mörkret, tänd ett ljus istället" med tillägget "...och skapa inte problem och otrivsel omkring er genom att gnälla över något som ingen kan göra något åt, i vart fall inte just då".

Jag har också förstått att några klagade på att de inte kom in på simen, men herredjävlar vilket naturreservat kommer de ifrån? Är det fullt så är det fullt, skyll dig själv och kom i tid nästa gång!!!

Tack Eventgruppen, Svenska Instiutet och Swedish People in SL!!!

Ett särskilt tack även till min gossar i Chickendales, love you guys! Ni bevisade att ni kunde klara även en besvärlig situation!

Nationaldagsfirande idag!

11 am SLT (kl. 20.00) börjar vårt firande av Sveriges nationaldag i SL. Festen kommer att vara på den svenska Ambassadens i SL tak. Limousin direkt till festen finns här.

Under kvällen kommer vi att LIVE - få se Bara Jonson och junivers Stockholm med vänner på scenen.

Även de nu så efterfrågade Chickendales kommer att göra ett unikt framträdande...kanske för sista gången...

Tal kommer att hållas. DJ Frostland och DJ PJ kommer att underhålla oss med musik fram till kvällens stora avslutning - ett fyrverkeri utan dess like!

PRISTÄVLING blir det också! TRE: Bäst klädda och roligast - KLÄDD I BLÅGULT! 2 500 LD delas ut till vinnarna!

Hjärtligt välkomna till detta samarrangemang mellan
Eventgruppen, Swedish People in SL och Svenska Institutet

OBS! Det blir även filminspelning och därmed gäller detta: PLEASE BE AWARE THAT THIS EVENT IS BEING FILMED FOR AN HBO SPECIAL CALLED "MEETING ONLINE". THE FILMED FOOTAGE COULD BE PART OF A DOCUMENTARY FILM. UPON ENTERING, YOU GIVE YOUR CONSENT TO BE FILMED. (Ripoff från "Min avatar heter Apmel")

Grattis på femårsdagen PetGirl Bergman!

I dag gratulerar vi

den underbara, fantastiska, ljuvliga, exotiska, spännande

PetGirl Bergman

Dronningen av svenska Second Life

Ambassadvaktmästare

Grundare av gruppen "Swedish People in SL"

Enväldig redaktör och utgivare av den mest inflytelserika, den mest informativa, den mest produktiva och säkerligen även den nästäldsta bloggen om svenska SL "Tinas universum"

Verksamhetsledare, innehavare och enda designern i företaget "EXAKT"

käresta, matte till Olle, älskad vän, granskande journalist, sträng morsa, skosamlare, handväsksamlare, fashionista & eventmakerska extraordinnaire

med mera, med mera ad infinitum

FAKTA: Äldsta bloggen i svenska SL är enligt den faktakollande grand old ladyn (se kommentar nedan) "Min Avatar heter Apmel"