Tuesday, March 22, 2011

Secret Forest Musings on Second Life

I had some time to reflect on things when I went to see the dark rp store (Rune Magic) situated on a sim called the Secret Forest. This is a really cool place to do what I like to do which is play with windlight and shadows and see what happens when you move sliders around. I don't like the composition of most of these photos but, again, my objective was to play with buttons not create classic works of art. :)

I recommend you go visit this build and see what happens when you mess around with all those wonderful settings.

My musings seemed to center around the need we all appear to have which is to impose our own personal views on everybody else. Have you ever noticed how often people pronounce what amount to rules for Second Life? "Avatar shapes must have this size butt." "Male av's shouldn't look muscle bound." "Shadows should only be used to subtly highlight."

Really? We have a brave new world and we're aiming for homogenized milk?

I guess I'm a little cranky but all of these types of pronouncements (which often involve rants and group taunting against perceived offenders) seem like an awful lot of weight is being attached to superficial nonsense. It reminds me of the old "don't wear white between labour day and easter" which was mostly a way for an "elite" group of southern belles to distinguish between themselves and the common folk. After all you had to both know the rule and follow it if you were going to prove your place in the upper echelons of society.

I'm not claiming to be innocent in all this. I have my own personal biases. For example, as much as I hate to disagree with all the really smart people - I may be a customer of Linden Lab, but I am still a resident of Second Life. There is a difference.

Maybe I should write a rule.


1 comment:

Dingo said...

Totally agreed with your post, all those rules and obsession for things to look "natural" seem a bit out of place specially here in SL.
There is nothing wrong with ultrarrealism in pics, avats or whatever, nothing wrong with the opposite aswell.