So Long to SL Machinima/My Old YouTube Account

As most everyone knows or has noticed - I haven't done videos in SL in well over a year now. I used to get a kick out of making videos and stretching my editing muscles, but those days are over.

It started with filming peoples' weddings, then moved on to other projects - but I no longer have interest in such things. As a matter of fact, SL itself has pretty much served its purpose for me. Will I be leaving SL? Hell I only log in now to talk to friends every now and then as it is.

About 7 months ago some random person I don't even know had posted a video response to an old video of mine. Before allowing it as a response I viewed their video and wasn't too impressed. I understand that with hobbies and even real work that when you start out you're no good. I mean hell, Keith and I weren't that great when we started out either. He had video editing knowledge but unfortunately SL lacked the ability to give us the results we wanted. Anyway - I am off track.

So this person's video was of them dancing in a single animated loop for about 5 minutes to a song. Typical youtube video on most accounts, really. Since I didn't feel their video was an actual response to me - I didn't allow it to be marked as a video response. They took it upon themselves to say something like "All I was doing was showing you how much better these new dances are compared to the ones you showed". Fine. Still, it wasn't what I would consider an actual video response.

Over the course of a few weeks (about 3) all their friends were sending me nasty messages on YouTube which I chose to ignore. I had critiqued their video after being harassed saying "Hey next time try putting in some transitions or at least do more than one animation" - which I find to be a very NICE critique considering the content. Apparently giving anyone your opinion when there is room for improvement is a bad thing and this should never be done.

The nasty messages on YouTube continued until I decided to not allow comments, replies or ratings and put a big long rant in the description box which ended with : I understand that not allowing comments, ratings, or replies ruins the entire spirit of what YouTube, SecondLife and Machinima is all about - but I refuse to be harassed over something so juvenile. Way to go shebaspyker &co. Way to ruin it for everyone.

Today I logged into SL to talk to my RL friend Stef and recieved an offline saying (and I'm paraphrasing):
Your little rant on YouTube has really upset my girl Sheba. She doesn't dictate me or tell me who to go off on or anything like that. I don't know who has been contacting you and caused you to go off on this rant - and I don't know the laws in the UK but in the US you can be sued for slander for publishing comments about someone. I'm contacting YouTube and they'll probably delete your account.

I was going to respond to this .. um .. guy (I'm being way too nice) but decided to just put him on ignore. After sitting and thinking about it a while I decided to just delete my YouTube account myself. There are lots of reasons I did it - their harassment not really ranking very high - but if it'll save me a few minutes of telling strangers to "go back to your Gorean RP and stop being so butthurt over the fact that your friend makes shitty videos" then that's a bonus.

My live has evolved beyond SL. I joined SL as a lost 24 year old looking for an escape from the small town life I was trapped in. I found that escape and I relished it. I lived for it in a lot of ways. I was able to express myself in ways that I couldn't do beyond dying my hair purple and causing everyone in town to stare at me. Then I met Keith.

SL then evolved from fun pasttime to vital means of communication to a way of being physically close to someone when it wasn't actually physically possible. As most know, we're now married (just celebrated our 2yr wedding anniversary in March) and have the means of being actually physically close.

We started making videos in SL as a way to fund trips between Illinois and Missouri and thought it was rather 'cute' that we did so by filming other people's SL weddings. Because of all those weddings we were able to save up money to travel to see each other for 3 years before I made the big move after he had finished Basic Training and had been stationed in Oklahoma. The money we made from those videos allowed me to move to Oklahoma and afford things while we figured out exactly what we were going to do next.

Now that we don't need the money from making videos - we don't make videos. Not only do we not need the money but we also don't need the stress. Getting up at 2am to film a 3 hour wedding then turn around and spend 2 hours editing it to upload it - all for about $40 is just not worth it.

Will I still make videos in SL? Maybe, but it will be a leisure activity. Will I dedicate an entire YouTube channel to it again? No. I already have another YouTube account which I planned to post things like my nail art designs and maybe do some makeup tricks - but I won't do the whole SL thing again. Like I said - SL and SL Machinima have served theirpurpose for me and I think its more than time that the torch be passed to someone else.

I've tried for years to mentor those that were interested in making machinima. I love talking to people who are so eager to learn that I feel that my opinion is actually valued. I really love it when people ask me "How did you do that?!" but I don't feel that SL Machinima is my 'thing' anymore. I guess you could say I've just lost the passion for it.

I blog about SL on TheRev - but I never feel that my opinions on anything are valid. Why? A combination of things. I've been in SL so long that most of the people who are 'respected' or whatever don't even know WTF I talk about when I talk about anything that was 'big' or was going on in SL before like .. 07. I also feel like I'm not in SL or up to speed on things that are going on in SL like I used to be, and therefor have no real business in talking about SL. Some people eat, drink and breathe SL (and I used to be one of them!) but I've just moved on.

So in short - my SL videos that used to be on my YouTube account no longer exist. I deleted everything as a nod to myself that 'Yes, its definitely time to move on. Whatever that was, it isn't you anymore.'

As for my nail art/beauty/health/makeup blog thing - once I get that rolling I'm sure I'll post the info here somewhere.

Mean Girls Guide to SL

Huzzah! JellyBean decided to feature my blog as the 'blog to watch' .. at least for the week! I'm sure it was weird to have such a non descriptive descritpion. I know, I'm handful.

The Good - The Bad - The STFU

In WoW I belong to a guild, which is normal isn't it? We are a small guild in a RP server which means we run instances and do quests. No fun Durotar raids or anything like that for the most part (though I do pick fights with guards outside little towns and outposts just to start shit).

Anyway - so this guild of like 15 people max (even though nearly all of us are 70s) had a meeting. I was told this ventrillo guild meeting was 'mandatory' and that I had to attend. This being right after they made some stupid website through Guild Portals which I was told I had to sign up on. Alright I signed up on your stupid ass site that just tells me things that I could know if I logged into vent being as there are only 5ish of us that use Vent regularly. I even had to make a dumbass username (PooPooWagon) just to USE this site that I haven't even visited since I have made that account. Now you're going to tell me that I HAVE to attend this stupid meeting? Take a flying leap, alright?

For one, I'm a little bit opposition defiant and when anyone tells me that I have to do something I'm almost always inclined to just not do it at all - just to show you or anyone else just how little I actually have to do it. Two - I pay every month to play this game. Ok well I don't pay for it Keith does - but still that's my pop money! And when you take my pop money .. and start making demands of me .. I start debating which makes me happier .. pop or WoW. And sadly sometimes its just pop. In a game which I pay to play - I like to have fun. I like to not be bossed around by a bunch of 40somethings that think being the leader of a guild somehow gives them power over peoples' personal lives. Maybe it would be different if we were raiding Karazan or something .. which we aren't because only two people have the attunement and are too stuck on themselves to help the rest of us finish the last part ... whatever Anonymous WoW Guild - this warlock has other things to do betches!

Trip Hop is your Friend

For whatever reason I got a wild hair and decided to go to a few clubs in SL. Nothing has changed in the year or more that I've stayed away from the club scene. The same color events or attempts at getting people naked still happen. Let me sum up the entire club event list for you:
Best Ass
Back in (Insert goth color here ie: Red Black or leather though it isn't a color)
Devils and Angels
Naughty Schoolgirls


And ya know - the DJs are all the same too. They all play the same music as if they are all the same person or at least grabbing shit from the same torrent. I knew it was a bad idea to tell people the title of that song two years ago. Consider this my public apology because even I, after all this time, cannot stomach to hear that fucking Josie Nunez song one more time. I realize that many people believe this to be a new hip song but it isn't. That song is NOT awesome, people! It wasn't even that great two years ago when it was lilke 3 years old! And if I hear Pink - Oh My God one more time I will choke a bitch. What is wrong with people?!

I used to DJ in Second Life but stopped after I was told I had to stop playing what I like and take requests. Normally I wouldn't care if everyone else had at least tolerable taste. I don't mind entertaining people .. but ya know I have to listen to that music too. Oh and Respect by Pantera isn't a new song either - even though people treat it like it is. Pft people that song was out when I was like 10 at least if not younger I swear.

And playing music through SAM doesn't constitute as a live DJ. Any monkey can do that. Also? I get sick of the 'howls' at clubs. Come up with a new gesture to use - same goes for that 'Yeeehaww' shit. I won't even go there - but I've had my fill of rednecks IRL for the rest of my RL thanks. And I'm talking HeeHaw shit people! /rant

Blog Censorship

I love the fact that Six invited me to write for Appearance Mode way back when. She and I have been friends since we were both pretty much noobs - and she's grown to at least tolerate my opinions and views on things. The problem is: I have to censor myself on her blog. She says not to outright bash anyone - which I don't do even here on my personal blog (except that whole guild thing up there ^^) And here's a part that I'll just call:

What I'd Really Like to Say

Dear Blogger,

Your posts are too long winded and never have anything that I personally want to read or check out - and have probably already bought a year ago - or would just never buy. I feel your fashion opinion is biased to a small group of your designer friends or people who are paying you off with h0r skirts and bad hair.

I don't enjoy reading your posts because its always the same name drops and generic products that I'm never interested. I actually try to scroll past your posts to see if anyone else has posted anything. Most times they haven't so I do have to congratulate you on carrying the weight of the whole blog on your own shoulders - I could never do that.

I will say though - if no one else will stand up and out post you - I will. I will make sure that my daily post contains things wich go outside your tiny box of your idea of fashion and barbie-mindedness will be matched against my smart mouth, fast wit, feminism, and overall hate for that which is the 'norm'.

Consider this a call to arms.

Sincerely-

The Non Ass Kissing Blogger