The Mad Oracle of Second Life

So Sparky........you want to be the prophetic Deity of Second Life? The one whose blog is a shrine to your insights and pronouncements (not to mention your paranoid periphrastic phrases)? The one whose voice makes the ground tremble and residents run in fear? The one whose acolytes adore and venerate? The one whose enemies cower and whimper? Well let me give you some advice.

First you need to keep a few things in mind:

• Acolytes are very important. Without your fawning supporters spreading your message to other forums and blogs you can't increase your following and, therefore, cement your hold on the minds and hearts of the masses. Acolytes however must be able to anticipate your feelings on topics of the day. They can't always wait for you to find time in your busy Deity schedule to dictate their actions.
• You must remember that your Acolytes are simple children. You can't expect them to apply reason or logic in their thinking. Once you have pointed them in a direction they will continue to follow it - even if you attempt to modify their course after the fact.

It is vitally important that you remain consistent in your raving and ranting. If on one date the fluctuation in the Lindex Exchange has you wondering what's going on, what are the Lindens doing or not doing, what terrible fate will befall us:

About a week ago, I went to pay tier. Usually, I try to get to this chore about two-three days before the due date, so I can allow time for the packet to sit there for some time to sell at the optimal rate for that long a wait, which has been 259/$1.00 for ages........

But I saw the last few weeks that 259 was just no longer an option. I'd have to park the packets at 260. And even there they didn't move, and for the first time in a good long while, I had to sell at 261. I'm now parking some more parkets for 48 hours so I'll let you know what I see -- I'm putting them at 259, but skeptical.......

So I suspect this is yet another way Linden Homes is harming our economy and costing us business -- in this case, loss of our cashout value.

Then do not post on a subsequent date that fluctuations are not part of some grand plot and the whiners should just relax:

I'm always amazed at how ignorant or uncurious people are about how currency exchanges work and what their fluctuations are like. Some people who own entire islands still don't realize that if the amount of Lindens per dollar goes *up*, it is devaluing, or if their customary sale of a day doesn't sell, they can easily wait. And they act surprised when they put their packets at 259 or 260 and it doesn't sell -- some of the people lording it over the forums with their fancy-ass high-content businesses in particular ought to know better. Look, the market fluctuates due to seasonal and political issues (summer, World Cup watching, Linden RIF nervousness, BP jitters) and it also sometimes doesn't value your labour. That's hard to take. So...give yourself a salary cut this week of...five US dollars...and mark down your packet a few notches so that it will sell. What can you do, it's how our artificial economy works.

A lack of consistency is a bad thing Sparky. You will start to look less than omniscient and you will begin to lose your power. Your ability to frighten targets with your dull but relentless knife will be weakened. More importantly your Acolytes will become confused and will drift away. You might wind up both powerless and alone.

just saying .............