Where pn-ers are posting
 

I signed onto OBT yesterday, as was stunned to find how many of the old pn forum were posting there. I became concerned that to follow what's going on with my old friends, and help new ones, I'd have to check both places daily, and actually belong to OBT, which I'm loathe to do.

I'm stunned at how many folk post there. John took $10,000 from us and used it to fund a retreat for Second Lifers, who were acting as moderators. He used this money to "buy land" in the virtual world, and to pay rent. He leveraged us so he could sell himself as an expert at maintaining online communities, when, in fact, he had no interest in our community once he'd gotten his goal---a good-paying gig at Second Life. He refuses to make the financials of his non-profit available, which he is ethically bound to do. And he brags all over the web at how braintalk has helped fund his island at Second Life and shown him as a leader in online community.

Here we are with DocJohn being transparent, real, warm and honest. Why are people going back to a forum which has already failed us, run by someone who has been dishonest, callus, and dictatorial? I do not get it.

I dont get it either.........I felt at times that we are held in contempt with some of the moderators and administrators....I just saw a YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED from a moderator. Not one question posed about safeguarding any future data, or decentralizing the operation has been addressed. I see the administrator praised over and over there, and come to the conclusion that many people need to believe in a powerful benevolent someone in charge no matter how much evidence to the contrary mounts.

I guess I misunderstood..
 

I guess I missed seeing the agreement to post on this one instead of the old one. I've been kinda bouncing back and forth and really not choosing one or the other. I wish we could get all of us back to this one. And I wish we could get some understanding of how secure or how long lasting this one is. Or did I miss this? I have to skip some posts since I can't sit much.

Billye

I too, find that it is in my best interest to check both.
Probably because others are doing so, to be part of the 'community' that has
served us (albiet questionably) for so long.
As long as the 'regulars' (the knowledgeable ones) keep coming back to post,
we can rely on them for support.
It is difficult for some to change horses, midstream or not.
It is comforting to once again, find our 'family'.
The people we communicate with, on a regular basis.
Until the 'movers and shakers' (not the administrators or moderators) of the on-line posts decide to make a permanent move elsewhere - I'll have to keep check here and OBT, as well.
There's a big difference in pollitics vs daily advice & comfort. Its a shame that all this has come to be, but things are ........as things are.
I have no interest in creating (or participating in) movements, rallies or campaigns.
When I was first stricken with PN, BT (sponsored by the Hospital) was an island in a sea of almost no knowledge- an oasis that I stumbled upon (I still cannot remember exactly how I found it) when I was frantic with pain. My doctors were clueless as to how to treat or Rx properly. All I had was a "PN" clue from one of my medical records, and a PCP that thought I should be treated by a psyc because of my 'complaining'.
Only thru the experiences and empathy of the BT community, did I find answers and avenues to pursue. It became a habit, a daily 'fix' for my psyche. Switching would have been difficult at that time. I'm sure others are at that same juncture and would be 'abandoned' if the experienced & knowledgable 'regulars' (like yourself) - just left. Many were in a state of near panic when BT went off-line for the first time, and similarly affected with the recent problems. Back on-line was a blessing for them. The politics and reasons for the problems, as well as the administrative tactics of the moderators, really only affected a small percentile.
The rest were just glad they once more, had a place to go, and a place to get answers to the questions tha concerned them most.

So I guess Doc John's generosity offering an alternate for us, must be an alternative for those of us who realize that its the community that counts. Hopefully, this site will develop a community that is a kinder gentler place to be- and will gradually attract its own populace. Create its own nest in the niche that needs so much help & understanding.
I am pleased that it is here and hope that it will stay..... as another place to be, not a replacement or 'the alternative'- but just a place that needs to be here.......for those of us that need & want it.

I don't see why should be chosen over the other...
 

YET!
In relation to LizaJane's post about money mushing elsewhere....Well, if it does happen and there's tangible proof of it..the IRS will find out somehow I''m sure.

As for comments on change, well, it will or it won't..it's up to the administrations to fine tune things to satisfy [or try to] the majority of users.

What concerns me the most, and what I've found disconcerting about other boards is that in the past on these two boards, site or condition specific organizations or boards are not allowed to be referenced. Mores the pity as these boards are springboards of learning from others and other sites. ON the restrictive boards how creative does one have to get to get folks in need to the places they need to go? At times it's like walking in a land-mined field! Then, tho not on these boards, there are some 'respected' self-appointed 'experts' who, I find, quote US regulars...occasionally on a daily basis...often out of context and providing points of view not attributable to us and strewn w/biasing mis-information. There! I have vented!

As for what I do? I continue to try to learn, understand and DEFY my condition[s]! And will ardently support others any way I can in coping with the 'lemons' life has given us. I am not in a situation to contribute much financially to either site. I have offered services and skills gained in my prior lifes -to be either used or not is the admistration's choice.

Actually, I'd much prefer chocolate! Hugs to all! - j

I posted this reply...
 

...under the "New Title" thread earlier today. As I stated, I was totally unaware of NeuroTalk until last week and unaware of all the other "stuff" until then also.

"...this site even existed until I read something about it in a message on BT when I realized that site was back up and running. I wish I had known about this site as I spent the last two plus months adrift without reading information from BT the first thing in the morning upon turning on my computer.

Wings states, "...and am disappointed so many are going back to BrainTalk." I wonder if this is because so many people still do not know about this site???

I will be sticking with this site after reading some of the background of BT through various messages - things happening that I had no clue about.

I am also interested in the Vitamin forum as it has been helpful in reading and gathering information as it relates to my PN. I will be posting my story with updated information later today or tomorrow."

Diana Shaffer

I stopped going there
 

after I saw how Glenn was treated in trying to raise some of the concerns we all have. As you can imagine, his posts were impeccably crafted, thought-provoking and well-reasoned. He was trashed by some idiots who sounded like junior high school girls on nitrous. Their embarassing troll behavior was tolerated, of course, because it defended John.

I'm not really sure how crack-addicted one would have to be be to imagine that people with twice one's IQ and six times one's moral fiber would keep coming back to an Internet forum only to be harangued with one's incoherent and nearly illiterate lectures on the sanctity of JL, but obviously a lot of people over there are hitting the pipe very hard.

Steve your so funny!!
 

As my father always said they are probably "A bubble out of plumb". But hitting the pipe is also a very solid description. It seems as though he feel fancy free to misappropriate donations,mask wrongdoings, and intentially ignore us.

To him it has become the norm,like the air that he now breaths. False hero, black knight, a true pyrrhic victory. He was willing to sacrifice morality and the well-being of the entire community to further himself.

What gets me very cranky is that he has no remorse and is oblivious to the feelings of those he has trampled over. I remember I had encountered a member who I suspected was about 14 years old. He was in a foster situation,and his posts were very alarming,and he admitted to being sexually abused by various male members of his family. I PM John lester and asked him to help this young man,and use the information from his posts if he had to. I PM him twice with no response at all.

The young man disappeared from the community,but his member log-on details would of helped with locating him. I mean how unfeeling can one really be??:mad:


PS. There is a good possibility that those very same moderators you speak of Steve are none other than John Lester pretending to be different people. It's actaully very common that an administer like John Lester has multiple profiles,and uses them to further manipulate people into submission. I wouldn't be surprised if he was lurking on this forum too, promoting his other sights.

This will blow your sox off!!!!!!
 

I bet that none of you have ever checked out Second Life have you???

Well, I did, (Only because my son who has aspergers is addicted to it).

It's free to join, so I joined. I must say the graphics are overwhelming, the tech language is not for beginners. You really have to know your computer technology to know what you are doing in this virtual world.

But the shocker was.....There is a lot of sexual activity in this world.

sure, you can be an entrepreneur, and make Linden dollars, and build stuff and fly in the air and create your own avatar with skins, textures, and other wonderful stuff.

You can also enter a virtual world of S and M, bondage, hookers, and last but not least, sexual areas (which I accidentally entered and took off so fast it would make your head spin).

I happened to be sitting on a log around a campfire and if you sit there for 10 minutes you get 2 linden dollars. So I had zero linden dollars to my name, So here I am sitting around a fire, with other avatars sitting on their logs when female avatar walks up to me and invites me to go with her and she'll pay me 50 linden dollars. So, because i have no idea what I'm doing, and I hear 50 linden dollars, I said "sure!" and she teleports me to a place where......and I'm trying to not be off-color here.....but everybody was stark naked and well, USE YOUR IMAGINATION!!!. I typed in the chat box on the bottom of my screen: "oh my god, you're all naked and having sex" and one of the avatar's says in the chat box "well, hi there, come and join the party". So there I was standing in this virtual world, (completely dressed) and everybody was having the time of their lives. One female says to me "isn't this the most amazing place??" I answered "you've got that right!!" and I teleported myself to a virtual gambling casino and sat somewhere and earned some more linden dollars for doing virtually nothing.

When Alan came home and I explained what happened, after he stopped laughing so hard, his bald head turned red, he looked at me and said "I wish I could have seen your face when everybody was naked".

I mean, who ever thought that second life would have virtual sex places? Lots of virtual sex places.

So now we know what JL has been up to don't we???

melody

Hmmmm.
 

Maybe I better check this out! Thanks Mel! :p But you know, I don't think my ISP is FAST enough to handle that place...LOL If you look at it from another point of view...there are many people who don't understand sex or intimacy.. and online activities could bridge that for them. My son had a brief fascination with the Furry community...and he outgrew it pretty quickly. You can look that up, if you have never heard of it. It was a developmental, juvenile thing for him. ( I found out after, and was pretty stunned!)

In all seriousness... A non-profit does not have to file an IRS statement, unless
the income exceeds $25,000. At one time this limit was going to be raised, so
I don't know if it has. So there does not have to be accountability.

While I agree it may disturb people to know the "truth" about OBT's admin,
the "truth" varies from individual to individual. Some things can be verified on the net.. and others cannot. I have found some interesting stuff myself. Labeling posters at OBT as "high" or the implied negative attributes suggested by Liza's post, is not respectful at all.

I agree with Nide (Bob) in that most of the folks at PN are not involved in the
politics of OBT. Many aren't.

So as Liza is stunned, I am stunned to see this thread here. DocJohn does not
need more negative attitude or accusations (that do not have EVIDENCE, but only speculation)..to bring problems to this board, about another venue.
We are lucky to have this wonderful place...let's not denigrate another place using a wonderful, generous positive one. There are emails and PMs to share your feelings.

If folks do not like OBT...then don't go there. But don't cast aspersions on those of us who choose to participate there in our own way.

I donated, I was banned, I was hurt, and I got over it. It is time others move on as well.

Sorry, off the soap box.

one more thing... remember if it were not for OBT (and all it flaws as well)
we all would not have met each other, and this thread would not even exist.
Think about that. What is more important? The politics, your disappointments, or the facts and connections we all made?

Can't get into OBT
 

When I tried to log in, Wings42 wasn't found. When I tried to register anew, I got the message "The administrator has banned your email address. To contact the administrator click here." I clicked on the link about two weeks ago, asked what the problem was and how to remedy it, and received no response. That feels so like the old OBT. I tried again tonight after reading this thread, but am not holding my breath awaiting a reply.

OBT had two crashes of the old server, and two of the new. The old server problems were quickly remediated, and we were all kept informed. The new server (which I helped pay for) problems were very s-l-o-o-o-o-w-l-y solved and we were not kept informed. In the case of the latest crash, the database wasn't even restored. In any computer dependent business, the IT director would get fired and possibly sued if the database was lost and it took so long to bring the system back up, and if the users were kept uninformed.

As far as I'm concerned, two adages apply:

- "Once bitten, twice shy" and

- "Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me."

I'm not a fool, and will not set myself up for the typical OBT abuse and neglect a third time.

You need high speed internet access for Second Life
 

Hi Mrs. D.

You need a cable modem or a dsl line to get into second life.

And yes, I agree, there are many souls out there who are too shy to go in the real world so a fantasy world is right up their alley.

You should have seen my face when this naked person approached me asking me if I want to get it on and I think I replied "get it on what?"

Now that just shows you how old I really am.

I was sorry to hear that Liza Jane donated $10,000. At least that's what I read in the posting. That would pay my rent for one year.

So some people have bad things to say about OBT and some don't. Matter of perspective I guess.

Oh, by the way, Alan had a full spine MRI yesterday. Told me it was painful. I said "how on earth can an MRI be painful?" he said "you know I can't lie down straight without the pins and needles and shooting pain". I said "you did this for 30 minutes, you poor thing".

Nice cup of hot tea soothed the day.

Will update on what they find and what can be done. (if anything).

be well
Melody

I was never involved with any politics at braintalk, as most here werent or arent. I didnt even know there were politics, I thought it was a totalitarian state. Sure I am grateful that I had a place to go to when I didnt know anything about PN, and I appreciate most deeply the people who went out of their way to give me advice and just in general took the time to post what they knew. Many times however, I felt like I was back in grade school with the arrogance, and at times just plain meaness of the moderators. I was once threatened with being banned because I said I was sick and was throwing up, another time I was banned for 30 days because I was discussing peripheral neuropathy in the chat room and someone else found it boring and complained. That has nothing to do with politics, its just the way I was treated and I resented it. I wasnt denigrating the people from here that go to both places, Ive made a few posts there since its back up running, what I was amazed at was the almost fanatical devotion to someone who obviously has moved on to other things and the denigration of anyone who posited their view of needed reforms after two major crashes. I understand perfectly why people who contributed money to get it back up and running last time feel the way that they feel. I bet many feel like they bought the Brooklyn Bridge. By the way in a recent thread, an administrator at this site said there was no problem with discussing what people felt that they needed to about Braintalk.

Yes, Joe, you make some good points.
 

Discussion is good, IMO. Implying that "something is wrong" with people who post at OBT is crossing the line, IMO.

Alot of the behaviors at OBT, I thought were due to the personality issues that the admins had.
For example, my son is a computer "nerd" techie..he makes his living with it
now. So I know many of his friends...over the years, and have a feel for
the "type" it can attract. I can tell you for example the head computer technician at the
huge place I am now temping at could put some of those admins at OBT to
shame. Did you ever see the skits on SNL in the past about the computer guy who comes into the office and denigrates the personel because they are having a snafu? Very familiar to me at least. While we can laugh at the TV, it is another matter when it is you or I who are being shamed. And I also get that shame feeling from this thread.

I personally did not feel comfortable in chats... I visited a few times, and decided it was not for me. But I would not post that I was "stunned" that others chose to do so! I think as a matter of fact that you and I chatted on one of those rare times!? I also had my moments of not posting as often as before while I was sorting out my own feelings and issues.

So the fact remains that we now have a nice new home. Those interested will find this place like OBT was found on Google. I don't think it is necessary to
keep going on and on about disappointments...one has to move on to the more constructive issues. And here it means support and helping.

Melody...
 

you know I had an MRI of my right knee/thigh when I was having major pain, several years ago.

I thought the MRI made it worse for about a week. I have seen posts where
people have thought the same. The MRI agitates molecules to make a picture.
It stands to reason it is doing "something" to the body, IMO. So it might be that in addition to the uncomfortable position? They say at the test, "no" but do they really "know"?

Can I say AARRGUH!! GARGUH! About all this?
 

Mrs. D YOU WERE BANNED? David, did you 'start over?' I got that rite off the bat...
Aussie, you are spot on....about the 'bubble'! VERY GOOD! Gave me a good smile for my morning! I really needed it.

This all is getting depressing, can we all live, work with what 'vehicles' we've got and get on w/it. I beleive contributions will reflect accordingly. Wherever appropriate...after all $ is a major influence- look at Congress and politics! No-brainer! - j

Life goes on-As Cats say: Life is hard, then you nap! - apt?

A MRI agitates molecules!!!! Really!???
 

I'll never have an MRI again. Believe me, I want my molecules to stay right where they are!!

Especially when a naked person approaches me again!!!

Lordy, lord

melody

Oh, Melody...L O L
 

Thanks for the big belly laugh... I needed it today. (I am working a very
stressful shift 2:30-11pm and I am getting a bit foggy in the noggy!

A good laugh clears the mind and soul!

Ive had 4 mri's and one cat scan, and the only effect Ive had is being stiff from not being able to move for 20 minutes. Now EMG/NCS's on the other hand have set off my PN for a few days.

I hope it wasnt me that you felt was trying to shame, as a matter of fact i owe you more than i could ever repay.

Corrections
 

Omigod, Mel, I did not donate $10,000 to JL. If it says that somewhere, please show me, as it's a bad typo if that's what it says. JL told us he had raised $10,000 when he asked us for money after his servers crashed. No, I did not give that much---oh to have such money to donate--would be nice, but no, not me. But I did give generously, by any standards with the belief that money would be used to maintain the site.

MrsD--I'm sorry you think I'm insulting the moderators over there, or "trashing". My post here was mostly because, well, I'm stunned that folks post there and not here, where we are being treated warmly and with respect. I certainly feel safer here, and I appreciate that the moderators here are open, bright, and seem to understand what we are dealing with. My understanding of the moderators "there", was that they were basically friends of JL from Second Life. I could be wrong on that, but I understood that we paid for them to go to California together and "brainstorm". And I have found out, when I did my charity search, that yes, JL did not have to file anything with the IRS because the charity was under $25,000. Still, I started this thread because I was annoyed to have to check both sites to find my friends, and hoped everyone would just stay here. I like this place.

I'm sorry if I said anything shaming that somehow hurt you. That surely was not my intent. But I don't mind shaming JL. I think his behavior, and that of some of his mods, is lacking is simple empathy and conscience. It's just plain wrong, and I have no trouble saying that, but surely, it is not aimed at you, MrsD, so I'm confused at how i triggered this feeling, and I am sorry for somehow doing that.

Joe--I appreciate your message that it's okay to talk about my feelings about OBT here. I'd like to be "over it", but I'm not quite. I feel conned and used.

Mel--about your day at Second Life. It sounds like quite an adventure---a virtual sex club! Who woulda thunk it possible? But Second Life is becoming the next big thing on the internet, and a number of real brick and mortar companies are investing in it, and people are spending real money there. So...did you have fun?

Steve--<<I'm not really sure how crack-addicted one would have to be be to imagine that people with twice one's IQ and six times one's moral fiber would keep coming back to an Internet forum only to be harangued with one's incoherent and nearly illiterate lectures on the sanctity of JL, but obviously a lot of people over there are hitting the pipe very hard>>

You do make me smile. Too bad you're spoken for. All the good ones....

Just hit me over the head!!!
 

Liza Jane. Here's what you posted:

"I'm stunned at how many folk post there. John took $10,000 from us and used it to fund a retreat for Second Lifers, who were acting as moderators."

See how I thought you gave him $10,000? How silly of me. I now know you mean total money gotten from all the people, right?

Now you asked me if I had fun in Second Life. I can't say. My mother taught me never to kiss and tell. AND I ALWAYS LISTEN TO MY MOTHER!!!!

You gotta go there. It will knock your socks off. I will never understand why anyone would pay for a membership when you can join for free and do whatever you wish but people are literally paying rent for housing, building islands, gambling in virtual casinos.

Oh, I forgot to tell the story of how I ended up in an S&M dungeon. It was my first time on Second Life and I had absolutely no idea what the heck I was doing. I was practicing teleporting here and there and practicing flying around. So I did a search and somehow was teleported to a very dark world.
There was a host standing there with a collar on and he goes "how may I serve you maam". I think I asked him "how do I earn free linden dollars" and he goes: "I can't help you maam, I am a slave". I said "you're a what??" an then I looked at his avatar. Sure enough, he was slave wearing a collar (this world was for people into bondage and submissives and all that.

Well, here I was asking this strange thing a question about linden dollars and he is going "I'm a slave". So I just said "So if you're a slave, you have to answer all my questions, right?" He said "of course maam"

So I said "stop calling me maam and start explaining linden dollars to me".
So for 15 minutes, I learned all about the currency of Second Life.

FROM A SLAVE NO LESS. jeez.

Thank god I learned to fly by myself.

Melody

Wow!!!
 

This is the first time I have posted on this website... I have to go back and read Melody's post again. I thought I must be dreaming when I read some of that. I have never heard of anything like that before...

I guess all of this must have taken place when I was on my hiatus. I have no idea what the majority of this is about, but am grateful to have found all of you again. This seems like such a nice site and I look forward to coming here frequently.

Meanwhile, back to the post. That shocked the PN right out of me for a fleeting moment... :) :) :)

Glad to see you all again.

Cathie

welcome cathie! :D

just wanted to make sure you knew that melody was on another site...second life...not neoro talk when she was having those new experiences.

they were new weren't they melody? :p

There's
 

a long article about Second Life in today's Boston Globe. John Lester is quoted.

Posting here has sure slowed down since Melody described that island. You havent ALL gone to that Island have you?

they were new weren't they melody?
 

New?????

Let me tell you someting!!! I'm a 59 year old Catholic girl who went to catholic parochial school with the nuns. I married a jewish man when I was 32 years old. We sent our son to an Episcopl Private Country Day School

No where in my life did it ever happen that a naked person came over to me saying "want to get it on?" No wonder I said "get it on what?"

I never laughed so hard in all my life.

I'm seeing things I never thought I would see...EVER.....

I visited gambling casinos, dungeons, (and the other place).

The thing I don't understand is the stuff people pay for in this place. They rent out beautiful apartments and pay by the month. They entertain and go on dates.

I was flying around someplace yesterday and when I landed this big good looking guy walks up to me and says "want to see my place?. I typed back. "I don't even know you" and he goes "well, we can fix that". Then he goes "I like your outfit". (You can creat your own avatar, with skins, colors, textures, height, weight (no body is fat there, believe me,they all look like playboy bunnies".

Now the avatar I created is a regular girl with a regular body, a pair of jeans, a top and some shoes. I have absolutely no idea how to do anything else and I'm lucky my avatar has any clothes on at all. It seems you purchase items with linden dollars, and they stay in your inventory until you right click, drag the item to your avatar and it gets clothed. (Yippee, isn't that a ball of fun?)

So I politely say "thank you" to this guy when he goes (and I kid you not) want me to buy you a new body part?" I just stood there and said "I beg your pardon". And he goes 'yeah, it's on me, I'll sport you for a body part".

I think I said "I have to go and cook dinner, and he said "oh, okay, come back soon".

OH YEAH, I'M RUNNING THERE. Somebody will get me a new body part.

Someone should buy me and Alan Blue Stuff, that's what we need.

And this is the future of gaming. What's next. Holographic sex????

Bring back Star Trek, that's all I have to say.


Anyway, back to PN Stuff. Alan had a bad pn night last night. he took a xanax and it did nothing. His feet were driving him crazy all night, even after I massaged him. Don't know why. He should be getting the results of his mri this week. I do hope they can do something on his back. Because when he doesn't sleep, I don't sleep. Oh well. PN stinks, as all of you wel know.

be well,

Melody
P.S. I dare any of you to try Second Life. You laugh your asses off




I stopped flying. I think my second life experience is over. At least for now.

Melody,

I'm sorry to hear Alan had a bad night, and that you did, too, but as for the rest of your post...

Priceless, Melody, Priceless! :D You're story telling just gets better and better...lol!

Cara

Melody, Melody--They're selling new body parts there? Please tell me how to get there---I want a new spine something awful!

And maybe I could find JL there and drag him to that S&M club for the spanking he deserves!

they don't sell spines!!!
 

After I finished cooking dinner, I went to Second Life to see where you get body parts. I mean, if I can get a body like Pamela Anderson Lee, then what the heck, right? So I typed in Body parts Store, and all these things pop up. I teleported myself into a store and lordy, I saw body parts all over the walls. You hover your mouse over the picture and guess what you see????Brand new nipp###. Brand new (well, I can't even use asterisks on that word). They even had a wall with rectums, only they didn't call them rectums. The sign said "Buy yourself a new (you fill in the blanks).
Guess what a body part costs??? 600 linden dollars.

Wow, I guess if I had 5000 lindens I could have some body hah!!!
Only thing is I couldn't use it for anything.

There were men and women in the store and one guy was eyeing my avatar so before he could approach me and ask if he could buy me a new rectum, I hightailed it out of there. Don't need a new one, mine works just fine.

I also read that there is a Harvard business student who teaches some kind of virtual course in Second Life. What the heck ever happened to going in person to learn something.?

This virtual stuff is really amazing. People don't have to leave their homes anymore.

Me?? I'd rather hug my Alan, give him a real massage by a real person and grow old together.

Ah, but it would be nice to look like Pamela Anderson Lee now wouldn't it???

melody

Safe sex club?
 

Goody. ;) I bet somebody will introduce a virus into Second Life that you can only get through virtual (oops, I almost typed "virtous") sex, and you have to pay a virtual doctor to treat.:D

If you have virtual sex, can you honestly say, "I never had sex with that woman!" ?

If I went to Second Life, which I don't intend to now, I'd love to run and backpack in the beautiful Sierra wilderness again. Sex is great, but to me, moving in the beautiful outdoors for hours was even better. That's the worst part of PN for me, that I can't do what I most loved to do anymore.

It's very weird
 

the article in the Globe spotlighted a woman who teaches at the Harvard Extension school. She's standing in front of the real building--a building I've walked by a million times--and then you see her avatar in front of the virtual Harvard building, which looks exactly the same as the real one!

I almost want to go there, and see whether I can walk home.

Although, I'd get very nervous if I found my apartment and discovered an avatar of myself typing on a PC....

NOW THAT IS FUNNY!!!

Melody

Me too
 

Hey Melody,
I'd want a new spine, new knees, new feet, aw heck, I want a new body and I don't care if it looks like Pamela Anderson Lee or not. I just want it to work!!

Billye

John Lester is going to make a lot of money!!
 

From what I've seen in Second Life (and believe me, this is no Nintendo game), he's going to be filthy rich.

Seems a lot of people like to live in fantasy worlds.

Me? I'm just happy to get up without pain in the morning.
melody

I tried
 

to get on the site, but must be doing something wrong. I managed to register, but can't seem to get anything to come up. I am on a Mac though, so maybe this is the problem. I have never heard of anything like this before. Or maybe you have to have a paid registration, which I did not...

Like Billye, I would love to have some new body parts, preferably just working ones that don't hurt...

Cathie

I've been on Second Life a few times...
 

I like to fly, around. I have not been approached for anything funky yet, but some guy did try to offer me something sort of gift, like a biscuit or something.I declined. Another guy wanted to chat,and I declined.

I just like to fly....

I have been on there with my son,and we enter the little virtual stores,hotels, lots of little shops. It's fun. I saw some naked people too,and we had a bit of a giggle.:D

No one could sign on to Second Life yesterday!!
 

Hi, for anybody who wanted to go and look at Second Life yesterday, the grid was down for maintenance and an upgrade from 7 in the a.m. till 3 in the p.m EST.

It was working fine as of last night. I had to ugrade my software. Took me all of 5 minutes.

And it's completely free to sign up. unless you want a paid membership.

I truly believe that the people who pay for it are the ones who are really really in to the virtual role playing games. They hunt for treasures, and they design their avatars with skins and costumes that would rival a special effects company.

When you have linden dollar (virtual money in SL), you go into virtual stores and purchase skin (the color of your body), you can purchase body shapes, ears, (other private body parts as well). You can have an animal head, an animal behind, tails, etc. That is in the animal body parts store (I kid you not).

You can also purchase wings and look like an Angel in this world.

But this kind of stuff is for the real gamers who take this to a whole new level.

I looked up my son's profile in their and there is a tab at the top of his profile that says "first life". I clicked on it and sure enough, there was his picture.
So there is the real world in which we live in which is referred to as First Life and you have Second Life which is (virtual reality).

So there you go.

Happy Teleporting!!!!!1

Melody

This really sounds...
 

familiar... The Furry community had the same sort stuff only it was
not fee for service. It sort of seems like Second Life is an extension
of some other role playing groups. YOu know in those days the fast
connections were not available etc, to enable this type of game.

Furries required more imagination. The "furries" all were animal icons...
and I found it really strange, but my creative type son, says this is an
archtypical human trait--long buried in our modern world. But he outgrew the concept
pretty quickly. I even saw a CSI episode with a furry plot line, and also an ER one a while back. So that may have been more popular. My son said some people got really into it, dressed up in private time and had conventions. This aspect never appealed to him. He was not into it that much.

I had asked him about Second Life a while ago...and he said it was very slow
getting going. He went there a long time ago. It must have changed? Perhaps, I can visit and
egg him into showing me...but next month I am working only weekends, so I don't have the time off to travel --he works week days! He has Comcast, high speed.. I don't have high speed at all!

I am finding these posts of yours, Melody, fascinating!

Ever heard of an Everquest Convention?
 

Mrs. D.

When the nintendo crazy hit, and then there was playstation, well these video games had role playing aspects to them. Not only could you play karate, and tetris but there was a game called Everquest. My son had all the games. I looked it up online and there are Everquest Conventions.

The people who go there are exactly like the trekkers who go to Star Trek conventions. The everquesters dress up like their characters in the game.

they go to conventions dressed like Nanook of the North, with polar bear skins and large blades. I would drop dead if a guy ever came up to me at a convention and looked like that. I'm much prefer Klingons. They seem tamer.

I've never been to a star trek convention. I know people who have gone and they've taken photos with Zulu and Checkhov and other guys from the tv show.
That would have blown my mind. I should have taken the time and gone.

I'm not into that anymore. Probably I outgrew it.

But Second Life, well the graphics are out of this world. Everytime you enter a world, the graphics start loading as you stand there and the world you are now in is literally building itself up around you as you stand there and wait for it to load up. Whoever designs these graphics most certainly knows their stuff. Some worlds have waterfalls that so exquisite, I just walked around and admired the view. It was actually like going on vacation and sitting on a log by various waterfalls. Absolutely breathtaking and very calming.

You should try it.

Melody

O.k. now, lost the PN-ers subject
 

But this is very interesting. Melody, my curiosity got the best of me. I tried it, but found it very difficult for my brain to comprehend. Probably due to my fear that there was something wrong with being there. A little on the scary side. I fear that this site and what it offers could become very addictive and a person with addictive tendancies to spend money, experience sexual fantasies, gamble, etc. could become very hooked on this place and possibly get into real debt. For example: I spent my 200 "dollars" on a dress right away and futher adventures were difficult in the wee morning hours. Forgot to add a person with terrible curiosity too (wink)! I don't think I'll go back.

Billye