This Blogging Thing....

Blogging - it's a very bit catch-all term to cover what is really a variety of types of writing, ranging from the personal diarist who finds the internet a convenient place to base it, through those who love to write, to those that are very newsy and information based.
There are of course others, the self-publicist, the campaigner, those that just need to get something off their chest or shape some thoughts. The ones I read are a mixture and I seek out different ones according to my mood.
I was reading someone's the other day and it made me think about what motivates us to write. I've never been a diarist (beyond the coded shorthand of a teenage life) and until about 5 years back would have clearly said that I don't like writing - it was about that time that I found I had a poem or two in me and my approach to writing started to change (funnily enough, filling the gap left by earlier creative forms of expression that I had allowed to lapse).
I started this (well in it's other form) 16 months ago. I like taking pictures on second life and there were some I wanted to share. A friend mentioned Bletaverse to me and I began what was mainly a photoblog. I've noticed though that the words are taking over - it's interesting to stand and observe changes in yourself.
So why do I write?.....and therefore, who do I write for?
I think I need to approach that the other way round.
I write for me. if I'm not in the mood, I don't do it and if I'm feeling a bit late-night-reflective, then maybe I do - that's it.
I know some writers cast their words to the winds with not a thought or care who reads it, whereas although I write for me, I do it in the knowledge that others may well read it, but not on the assumption that anyone will. This, and my character, influence what I might say, just in the same way that I will speak my mind in one way 1-1 to a close friend, but decency and good manners dictate that if I were on a crowded bus with the same friend, I'd do it differently.
Publish and be damned may be fine if you are the Duke of Wellington but for me, I prefer to keep some things private.
The internet is the crowded bus - you never know who is on it. Probably a handful of anonymous strangers, some of whom may be reasonable people, maybe with a sprinkling of people you casually know - who knows!
Once it's out there......

Excited!!!

 

I've been curious about S/L clothes-making for some time, each time I looked at it, layers in Gimp or Photoshop seemed an insurmountable hurdle - I just couldn't get the concept.
At the weekend I had a chance chat with Cissy (ie we started talking about something else!) who said "It's simple, you just...." - well, suddenly the way she explained it, it made sense and the clouds parted.
Apart from a genuine curiosity I wanted to make something for Bramble that I knew I'd be unable to buy.
His football team is NOT one of the ones you see things for all over the place and I wanted to make him a shirt and wanted him to have it in good time for their very big match this coming Sunday.
Definitely woman-on-a-mission!
New projects take you new places and although Cissy's advice really helped me get the hang of the texture stages, I'd failed to realise I'd need a prim collar. Doh! I hadn't a clue where to get one or even what to put in a search! Thanks Shauna for chatting through that one.
The finished product was presented last night, I know it's far from perfect but it got a great reception and that, and the sense of personal achievement, gave me a huge buzz.

Facebook Deleting Avatar Profiles........

Being in a different timezone to most of S/L I’m used to finding out news that has already happened.

Today I woke and like many, checked facebook.

I have 3 accounts, real me, work/client me, and Lacewing. I have one S/L friend that is on two accounts and it was reading her feed that alerted me.

I don’t use Lacewing much as most of my S/L friends don’t have avatar accounts on Facebook. I logged in as Lacewing and read more....

It was starting to appear on blog feeds by then.

Now, this tale does have an incongruous core. For some time there has been a message on the S/L log-in loading bar encouraging us to set up a Facebook profile for our avatars, there have also been mumblings  in various places about growing closeness of Linden and Facebook – I’m left wondering what’s going on?

There have been loads of Facebook scare stories, usually about threats of charging – they come round regularly like cloudy days. They also play pretty fast and loose with account set-up (one minute stuff is private, next minute you need to re-set things that weren’t there before) – it is a deeply flawed entity but millions of us make the necessary compromises and use it.

I don’t think it’s a scare – reason? Someone I trust says she has seen profiles go – so I believe her.

So what next? Check out your profile. If it’s there, download a copy of anything you consider valuable (pictures etc)....and watch and wait.

What choice is there?

Oh My Goodness....

A friend gave me a LM to check out, didn't say much.
I TP'd there last night and I'm still exploring.
It's a fascinating building, just when you think you've done it, there's a bit more, then you go through a doorway and there's an elephant with an empty howdah.
I'm still not sure what the place is - beyond fascinating - but I want to explore it all over again.

Made Me Smile.....

.......I can't quite pin down why though

(from a group notice, details removed)

Around and About....

Exploring Penny Lane on a scooter.
Proving I'm just as unsafe on 2 virtual wheels as 2 real ones.
Sadly rediscovering gaming motion sickness not felt since Doom ll.
Fun though!!