Downtime

Service will be temporarily unavailable due to the bloggers preoccupation with and anxiety concerning the ongoing American presidential election.

Normal service will be resumed as soon as possible.

The Impact of A Blogger

Joe Jervis, the super-blogger who has the Joe.My.God. or J.M.G. (url) blog, shared this story with his readers yesterday. The story came to him in an email from one of his readers, Cindy.

"Hi, Joe, I had an interesting call at the phone banks last night. I have been volunteering calling voters 3 or 4 nights a week to fight the (Minnesota) marriage amendment, and last night I was given a list of voters who previously said they'd be voting yes (to limit marriage to one man/one woman) to try and persuade them to vote no.

One gentleman I spoke with had been firmly in the Yes camp until he saw the ads they began running here on TV. He was so angry with the LGBT community after hearing the things Kalley Yanta said that he went online to find proof of how awful gays really were- and instead managed to Google the real stories behind the newest attack ad, realized they were lying about us and changed his vote to no- along with his entire family.

But it gets even better- after telling me that he found many articles about the specific issues which were in the attack ad, I asked him which sites he'd found most helpful. "Oh!", he said," Have you ever read a website called Joe Dot My Dot God Dot?" I managed not to laugh until after I got off the phone, but told him that I'd look into that website, especially if he found it useful. He told me that as far as he was concerned, (Minnesotans) United For All Families should just tell the Yes voters to go read that guy Joe's website, he had learned a lot from it especially because as far as he knows he doesn't have any gay friends. So, you won one for us - thank you, Joe!"

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It is quite understandable that Joe did a cabbage patch-dance at his desk when he had read that email.

To receive such tangible proof that you have had an impact on someones heart and mind is the greatest praise a blogger can get. Joe has worked hard and long to get it and is well worth all the praise, accolades and blog awards he can get!

I read his blog daily and everyone else should do it too, for the always interesting posts but also for the hilarious, knowledgeable and bitchy comments by his readers.

Blog Stats for September 2012

The total number of pageviews for Bock in SecondLife in September 2012 was 7,638, which is the lowest since December 2009. The all time high for the blog was set in April 2012, with 18,261 pageviews. March 2012 held the previous record of 16,569 pageviews.

Sweden still leads as my all time largest reader country with a total of 74,602 pageviews, followed by the United States with 73, 992 pageviews and the United Kingdom with 10,830 pageviews.

The three largest language groups among my readers in September 2012 were English (69.0 %), Swedish (12.0 %) and Dutch (8.0 %).

When the blog falls under 120 pageviews a month (as always not counting my own visits) I will start considering to keep this diary of my lives off the Internet.

The Accidental Drama Queen (Updated)

"Wherein this avatar´s fates, adventures and experiences in, his thoughts and feelings about and his reactions to his first and second life are depicted with written messages, images and other visual tools."

That blog description has been at the top of Bock in SecondLife from the beginning, at first in Swedish and later translated to English. In spite of that, I have on more than one occasion been accused of being a "drama queen", i.e. (according to the Urban Dictionary) "an overly dramatic person" or "someone who turns something unimportant into a major deal. Someone who blows things way out of proportion when ever the chance is given", for doing exactly what I promise to do namely express my reactions, feelings and thoughts on things that happen to me or move me in some way.

Giving me that epithet is of course an easy and accessible resort for anyone who wishes to disparage or belittle me or what I have to say.

My intentions with blogging have from the start been to give a truthful account of what happens to me, in SecondLife and first life. I am always aware of the fact that another witness to the same events can have a completely different view on the matter, but it is not my responsibility to take an objective approach and I have never claimed to be an objective onlooker. 

What you get on this blog is my personal and unique take, if it upsets you it is your problem and not mine. However, that being said, I have always been prepared to accept that not everyone shares my perspective and have been ready to listen to their version of "the truth or what actually happened".

I don´t take shit from anyone and it is not in my nature to look away or walk away from matters that upset me. I will offer my thoughts and advice freely and lavishly, it is up to the receiver if they wish to accept it.

I realize that you may wonder what brought on this diatribe and I have decided to share it with you. Yesterday I received two e-mails from "the other person" that I mention in my post Misplaced Loyalty. In the first e-mail he/she claimed utter incomprehension to my reaction for "that trifling action" she/he had taken (which only showed that he/she had not read or understood what I had tried to tell him/her because I had been careful to clearly outline my views on the matter).

In the second e-mail he/she had willfully misinterpreted and taken out of context a part of a sentence from my first e-mail to him/her in the matter. I had told him/her that I did not know what I was going to do about our relationship in the future but would decide when I had cooled down. Now he/she had clipped out "I do not know what I will do" and asked me if this was a cry for help, i.e. suggesting that I had threatened committing suicide. 

Let me tell you all, I am in a stable emotional and mental frame of mind. I have never had any suicidal tendencies, although I do understand that some people at times can find themselves in a desperate situation where they do not see any another option. If I should ever get close to that point it will not be over something trivial.

Of course I could always write a blog along these lines:
"Day1. I woke up after a good nights sleep. Coffee and ham sandwiches for breakfast. Went to work. Came home from work and logged in to SecondLife. Logged out and went to bed.
Day 2. Woke up after a good nights sleep. Coffee and cheese sandwiches for breakfast. Went to work. Came home from work and logged in to SecondLife. Logged out and went to bed. Etc., etc., etc." 

But that is nothing I like reading and would not enjoy writing either.

In conclusion, I would like to say that I do not try to create drama or thrive on it (rather it makes me uncomfortable), but when drama seeks me out I will not back away from it. In my mind, life is interesting and life is drama but I am no drama queen as such, even if I  may admit to sometimes being an "accidental drama queen".

Update
I have received complaints via e-mail from "the other person" that he/she doesn't completely agree with my depiction of what happened and wishes me to correct it. 

My response to him/her was that I have given a complete and accurate account of what has happened but that he/she is welcome to leave his/her version in the comments (even anonymously if he/she wished) and that I have no interest or intention whatsoever of discussing my blogposts with him/her via e-mail.

Focus, Bloggers!

Quoted from TopherChris

Before going for my habitual nap today I read three great posts that bloggers on my blogroll had posted.

When I tried to go back to read them again after my nap they had vanished completely - although I still see them in my blogroll. Hey I am the first to understand that one can sometimes hit the wrong button, but three bloggers doing that on the same day. WTF!

Come on, blog-friends, lets focus on what we are doing so we do not upset me!

Reentry

Art work by Randi Strand

Mustering up to come back to my second life and blogging again after this strange week,

I started with a nap after work (which was supposed to last an hour but went on for five) and reading up on the other blogs.

As usual I started with the last updated blog on my blogroll and went down the list until I came to a blog post by my bosom buddy Apmel Goosson (Min avatar heter Apmel: Chatlog from the baddest LEA party ever!) which consisted of a complete log from local chat at some art event and consisted of 21 967 words.

After reading the ten first lines I decided that all was still well in the world and stopped reading. Even if my buddy had posted it for the purpose of future scientific research into the SecondLife art scene in 2012, it was asking a bit too much of me. I was again reminded why I have always detested reading chat logs.

Ziggy cruising a sexy toad,
the tongue, the tongue

Another buddy of mine, Ziggy Starsmith, has turned into a very cute and sexy pixie with the cloven hoofs of a bull. You can´t turn your back for a day until they shape shift on you.

More pictures of him can be found here; Ziggy On The Edge Of Second Life: Petite Mesh Avatars...I Am Hooked.

On some of the blogs I have also read that there has been an "unscheduled maintenance" of our wonderful world which has caused some disruption

Well, I just wanted to let you all know I am doing fine and on my way back again. See you tomorrow!

Damn You, Google!

This weekend Google has decided to screw with bloggers outside the United States again it seems. They have now decided to chang the addresses to all the Blogger (a part of Google) blogs in your blogrolls.

I didn't understand that something was wrong or what was going on until I read this post on J.M.G. Joe Jervis´s readers are usually an extremely chatty crowd and the fact that I couldn't see a single comment in his last ten posts made me suspicious.

What you have to do to get your browser directing to
http://[blogname].blogspot.com/ instead of the http://[blogname].blogspot.[your country code].is to change to the correct address in your browser by changing the address to http://[blogname].blogspot.com/ncr. Then click enter and the ncr will disappear while the .com will remain.

Once you have done this the original versions of the blog will remain in your browser. You do not need to change your blogroll (my wrong sorry). The change survives a restart, but I guess you have to do this every time you visit a new Blogger blog or change browsers or computers or anything else...

Please note:
1. Thankfully Google is only messing with its own Blogger blogs, the other blogging services remain unchanged.
2. Bloggers in the United States are not effected.

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This is plain stupid, whatever lofty and high sounding reasons they may give for the change!

UPDATE Sunday March 18: If my own personal experience is true for everyone it seems we must perform the change to .com/ncr everyday.

A Blogs Demise

It was not without some pleasure and great satisfaction that I late last night noticed that the Swedish virtual worlds blog Netlott, previously named Prim Team, declared that it was closing down after only 20 days (February 21 - March 11, 2012).

I have informed you about this blog earlier in my posts "Ich Bin Ein Prim Teamer" and Bukowski & Witches.

The blog started by declaring that the bloggers were a group of people with technical interests and that they together had amassed more than 25 years of experience in virtual worlds. They also declared that they were going to remain anonymous but gave no specific reason for this decision.

I am sure the blog would have been welcomed in the Swedish SecondLife community despite the fact that the bloggers wished to remain anonymous if the blog had settled for their proclaimed field of expertise, the technical aspects of virtual worlds. Such a blog written by people with keen insight and knowledge on the workings of the viewers and a willingness to share and educate the rest of us is sorely needed and would fill a vacuum.

However, the Prim Team and Netlott blog (Netlott is by the way a word play on the English word "net" and the Swedish word "nitlott" which means "drawing a blank"), instead chose to start delving in social issues and unearthing dirty linen and rusty battle axes from the close or distant past. This caused the Swedish community in SecondLife to erupt and the tentative armed peace that had been established over the past two-three months evaporated. Ghouls from the past that had relished in the previous unrest reappeared and the favorite object of hate was yet again reviled.

Once the blog started declaring who was not a member of the blogging team I declared myself to be one of them to see how they would handle that. This was never commented upon.

I am now completely certain that one of the team members is in fact "The avatar formerly known as Sven Idyll". I have come to this conclusion from the language used in some of the posts, some of the topics raised on the blog, a question directed at me by one of the anonymous bloggers which was exactly the same as one Sven Idyll previously had posed to me and now - finally - the way in which the blog was closed.

The blog was shutdown in exactly the same way as Sven Idyll´s previous three (3) blogs. with some choice words of recrimination, "no one understands me", "you have all misinterpreted me" and "you bore me" etc., and letting the blog stay online for a while after removing all the previous comments and assorted posts and not allowing any new comments.

I would be the first to welcome a new Swedish blog that focused on the technical aspects, but we do not need more trolls. We have enough of those already, thank you very much!

UPDATE (04:58 AM SLT): And now "The avatar formerly known as Sven Idyll" has read this post and has posted a not so subtle comeback at me. Hilarious! (No link to that waste of time will be supplied here, I am sure that others will be happy to help you.)

PROBABLY RELATED: My buddy NE0 Timeless over at Free Your Mind has found an interesting article from March 7, 2012, on a Swedish website that could have some connection to this matter. An IT-consultant of sorts is bashing SecondLife as a waste of time and claiming we now have drugs inworld, something called "Seclimine". 

Apparently it is something that messes with the shared inworld experience I gather, as he mentions something about a hazy viewer and sound distortions. I never heard about it though, but I am a sanctimonious prick so...

Rhino Writers

"Now forming, Rhino Writers is a gay bloggers group in Second Life, believing there is power in numbers. Formed by Avacar Bluestar & Eddi Haskell, we want to raise up the art form of blogging to a new level.

Description of Rhino Symbol:

Purple Rhinoceros

The purple rhino made its first appearance in December 1974. It was created by two Boston gay rights activists: one source names Bernie Toal and Tom Morganti, another says it was Bernie Toal and Daniel Thaxton. The entire campaign was intended to bring gay issues further into public view. The rhino started being displayed in subways in Boston, but since the creators didn’t qualify for a public service advertising rate, the campaign soon became too expensive for the activists to handle. The ads disappeared, and the rhino never caught on anywhere else.

As Toal put it, “The rhino is a much maligned and misunderstood animal and, in actuality, a gentle creature.” But when a rhinoceros is angered, it fights ferociously. At the time, this seemed a fitting symbol for the gay rights movement. Lavender was used because it was a widely recognized gay pride color and the heart was added to represent love and the “common humanity of all people.” The purple rhinoceros was never copyrighted and is public domain.

Requirements:
Must have posted more than 3 articles in the past six months. And be at least 90% gay :)


IM any member for your group invite, subject to Rhino Checkpoint’s approval (Official membership chairperson TBA).


Our first item on agenda is to create clicker boards (one each) for each of our members’ blogs for placement in the Rhino Writer’s booth at Second Pride 2012. Dimension detail to follow shortly in group notice.


Avacar & Eddi"
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Well, I fit the requirements so of course I joined when I was invited. There is a shortcut on my blog to the page that is being set up at GWNews.

SL Bloggers Group

My buddy Eddi Haskell has some interesting information for SecondLife-bloggers in his post "SL Bloggers Group Back in Business..."

I have sent in my application and hopefully will be allowed to join.

UPDATE: My application was accepted - WooHoo!!!

Trash-talk

In the blogging world you can always complain that other bloggers
...are faking their statistics.
...are writing about the wrong subjects.
...are whining.
...are too self obsessed.
...are not serious journalists like yourself.
...are not able to give the readers what they want, expect or need.
etc. etc.

I will always, like the French philosopher Voltaire, maintain "Think for yourselves and let others enjoy the privilege to do so too."

Every blogger has the freedom and the right and the bloody obligation to write whatever suits them as long as it is not discriminatory, defamatory, against the law of the land or against the guidelines of the blog provider. If you do not like the content of a blog, you should not waste your valuable time by reading it. Just move along and find something better to occupy yourself with.

I have stated this before, in both Swedish and English, this blog is mainly written for my own benefit. I am grateful and happy if others like to read it also, but that is by no means my main objective. This blog is not a public service or a news blog, I don´t charge you anything to read it, nor do I receive any of your tax dollars for writing it. I make no pretenses of being a journalist or catering to the needs of others.

As my buddy and enfante terrible the Swedish universal genius, philosopher, rebel, blogger, author, artist, cartoonist etc., etc. and the honored recipient of the lifetime achievement award from the Bock McMillan Art Foundation (a part of the BMcM Corporation) Apmel Goosson once wrote (well, only a few hours ago), "The day I start suspecting that what I write is governed more by what I think the readers want to read than what I myself think, I promise to shut down my blog and permanently stop writing anything at all"

*Bock stretches out his arm with the hand held in a vertical position and says, "Talk to the hand ´cause the face ain´t listening!"*

Why Do I Blog?

This is essentially a reposting of an old post I did once to explain to myself - and others - my intentions with my blogging. The original post "Varför bloggar jag?" was in Swedish so I have rewritten the relevant parts of it in English here and removed some references to a conflict that was going on at that time.

My blogging is not at all professional or journalistic; it is rather impressionistic or possibly expressionistic.

I blog about things about myself, what moves me, what concerns me, what bothers me and what upsets me mostly in SecondLife but also in real life. I react to my own personal experiences, impressions and adventures, but this I have clearly stated already in the header of this blog.

I do not claim to tell the complete truth. However, I try to tell my truth as honestly and well as I can and only of the things I know of and have witnessed myself. I am not an investigative journalist; I have not done extensive research and gone through all the blogs that may be involved. Nevertheless I always allow others to give their versions of the truth and listen with respect to what they have to say.

Overall, I would define myself as a rather kind soul. I am rarely seeking battle, but rather dialogue, for that sake I do not avoid conflict when I believe it is necessary. My purpose is never to get at, hurt or harm any of my fellow human beings or fellow avatars. However, I sometimes think there are benefits to airing dirty laundry in a conflict.

I will continue to blog about what moves, concerns, disturbs and upsets me. Not so much for the sake of others as for my own benefit. Of course it is gratifying to know that others also read what I write and react to it, but honestly, this is essentially a form of safety valve, self-therapy or masturbation to which I have become dependent. I hope no blood, saliva or other bodily fluids ever splash onto you.

Have a nice day!

Extreme Makeover

As a blogger I feel I must - at least sometimes - allow myself to be influenced by complaints from my readers.

Although I will always maintain that this is my blog and I bloody hell right what I want to as long as stay well within the scope of the blog providers rules, the Swedish law and normal human decency.

Today I received a complaint from another blogger that my blog header was way too blurry and she kindly offered me a sharper image. I rejected the proposal and decided to try a new look without reverting to black, so I landed on this transparent-grey-white beehive look.

As a blog header I chose a picture that SecondLife photographer Kent Hutchinson took. I am still in my "dead eyes" in the picture, but you will have to live with that. Hope you like it because I am sticking with it until December!

Clarity

Photo by Gary Hamburgh

The last week has been rough for me in real life and I haven´t really had much energy to spare for my SecondLife. What energy I had has been wasted on the Swedish SecondLife blogs. In spite of my earlier promises to myself I once again allowed myself to be dragged into their murky world.

I will no longer let embittered and hateful people pull me down into their bog of innuendos, insinuations and half-truths or outright lies. My life is too short and my mental and emotional sanity and my peace of mind are worth too much.

From now on I will strive for the light and clarity that one sees in all of Gary Hamburgh´s photography.

Day Off

I found this ad on "copyranter" (see blogroll)

I am alive and well but need to get an early night and a day off from blogging.

To give you all something to think about privately or talk amongst yourselves about I give you the ad above. Feel free to share your thoughts and conversations in the comments.

Please come back tomorrow!
XOXOXO

Waiting for Philip

Wizanna Hax gave me a scare in a comment on my previous post. So this is what I will look like while blogging in the future...

Boxers may be good enough for Borat Sagdijev (the fictional character created by Sacha Baron Cohen) but definitely not for Philip Linden, my favorite interim CEO of Linden Lab.

Welcome anytime Philip, I am now prepared for you, please don´t forget to leave a comment!

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