Content theft

I have had to file my first DMCA. Honestly, I would have been more than happy to never have to deal with this process, as, I'm sure, would anyone who has ever been forced to file one.

One of the most frustrating parts of the entire process has been that the other party still does not seem to actually grasp what the problem is, although said party is respecting my cease and desist after I outlined my case. No, I shall not be naming names. We have reached a solution outside of court, and that is, I hope, the end of it.

This seems to be something that many people do not fully grasp (on both sides, both those doing the "stealing" and the victims): Theft of actual textures is not the only form that content theft can take. While one cannot copyright an idea, your implementation of that idea is another story. You cannot just sit looking at something someone else has done and reproduce it without their permission. This is, for instance, why shoppingcartdisco occasionally brings up the problems of reproducing real life items without permission. The actual copyright holder (or their representative) is the one who has to choose to file, the fact they have not does not mean that this practice is protected by law. In my mind, some of this is also a question of ethics, and an example that our world has become too large (in the way in which our brains are wired, we simply aren't constructed to handle the ability to care about this many people as people): would you do the same thing to a friend? Or is it "ok" because it's a stranger?

There are Fair Use allowances, and there is a muddy line between "stealing" and "inspiration" in some cases. However, there are many cases in which neither of these rules apply.


On a personal note, this is the sort of thing that can make one take a step back and say "Is this really worth it, or would my efforts be better directed elsewhere?" This is aggravation that I definitely do not need, and is not good for my well being; were it not for the fact that I have made a number of good friends in Second Life, as well as responsibilities and people who depend upon me, I very well might take all my toys and go home. There are a vast number of other things I could be doing with my time instead, in which I would not have to deal with this sort of thing. As it is, throughout this process I have had far less desire to log in, or to work on things (which is unfortunate, as I have a large number of projects that need to be done on a relatively quick timetable). At least it has been offset by some good (mostly unrelated, thank you, as getting my mind off of it is something required) conversations with people, and have had some nice positive surprises in the time.

Red Elephant Corset

I had to expand the elephant a bit....I sort of started out cramped, and it just got worse from there (vendors on the ceiling....bad idea). I've been working on a basement expansion, which is finally ready to be opened! To commemorate it, there's a corset available in a motif matching the wallpaper in the first room excavated:



(hair is Hannah by Calico Ingmann, eyes as always by Miriel, Bixin pants, Koijini jewelry, currently unreleased skin)

In the elephant, also in the new Lucky Fortune Teller in the basement, bring a friend and try your luck!

Bixin

A companion set to Houxin, Bixin was also designed with Trap's Heart skins in mind.



Bixin comes in the same 8 colours, and is out in the elephant, and on OnRez for gifting.





While it was somewhat created as a male set, I am quite fond of it on Alle.

Why yes, I am still in Tableau

I needed a bit of a break after mountain building, and the festival is still going on! So I hied on over there (you should get there soon if you haven't- it may be over soon, unless they decide the gods need a bit of extra placating), and had a grand time.

All clothes (except the shorts as the leggings are a little, uh, see through) in the following tale of love and debauchery are free from the festival, as are the jewelry, hats, mask, face paint, and henna hand paint. The skins are all available in Tableau.



First thing I remember is waking up underneath a tree. I believe I may have mentioned my penchant for spirits whenever I visit this fine town. (love skin from a potion)



I didn't have too much of a hangover, and besides, hair o' the dog! There's more partying to be done! (ruined beauty skin from a potion)



I met this gorgeous mermaid, and I fell in love at first sight. I made myself all beautiful for her, and set myself to a courtin'. (ruined beauty skin from a potion)



Alas, *sigh*, it wasn't enough. She broke my heart and sent me away, having decided that my rival, the swordfish, had far more to offer such a catch as she. (ruined love skin from a potion)



I was inconsolable. I buried myself in barfights and researching the dark arts, to find the perfect spell to win back my love. (Fashionably Dead Shiner skin, in light tone)




It took me a long long time, but I finally did get over her, sad as I am to think upon her sometimes (I'm also sad the ouija table is gone! But then, I was never able to get it to work). (ruined youth skin from a potion)

Trap, ~silentsparrow~, and Violet Voltaire

I'm partying in Tableau today, to show those gods who's boss. While I have no doubt the lovely ladies and gentlemen of Tableau could find themselves another fabulous place to live, I'd rather they not- I still miss the desert, and I'm terribly in love with the swamp. (But this picture was not the easiest thing to take, as that balcony is phantom! And I still have buoyancy issues, and tend to sink uncontrollably.)

Today I'm in Trap's new Heart skins, which do suit Allegory quite well, I find. She did get a touch of a tan wearing them...but then, she's a pale girl, and her skin would probably fall off if she ever really saw sun. You get a 4 pack of skins in each set- 2 colours, and both with and without lipstick. The lips are really quite lovely, I'm especially fond of the lipsticks on Allegory, the green is gorgeously subtley towards purple at the corners. They are all around gorgeous skins, even before you get to the fabulous designs all over the body (a skin you can actually wear undershirts with without worrying about ousting your tattoos!)

I'm also in ~silentsparrow~'s new twittery here, which fulfills my need for blinding do-not-look-directly-at hot pink (yes, I wear this colour in RL as well sometimes). It's a set of pure fun- I, of course, gravitated to the melon, with the lime green and hot pink. Cute cute birds adorn the pieces, and I can easily see wearing the shirts with other items less all over blinding at times, as well as putting the leggings under other skirts (and the gloves....oh, I love the gloves! Pink to green stripey fades, with little birdies on the backs of the hands!)

To top it all off, I am wearing Violet Voltaire's Starlene, in Green Bean, to go with the bright green. And it matches perfectly, cute hearts and stars and candy bright.

(And my Lucent heels, with the shoe parts chartreuse, and the bows pink.)

There are 2 shirts to twittery, a cute as sin t-shirt with the great big bird print, and one with a more sophisticated neckline. I'm also so ready for a pajama party if I take off the skirt and wear the t-shirt. (The skirt hides the birds that cavort down one leg of the leggings.)

The other hot (relatively, sorry kids, I'm a little tardy as usual) newness from ~silentsparrow~ is a dress to go with the Dominion suit. There's a special pink version only available at All Dolled Up, but the green you can find with the colour spread at her shop is more my speed, pink previous in this post aside. As we've come to expect from hya's sets, it's full of an assortment of pieces to mix around, with 2 shirts and a corset, 2 skirts, and 2 pairs of cutely saucy stockings were you to look up my skirt (for SHAME!). It has the same rich brocade pattern as the suit (which again isn't just on the coloured bits, but also adds depth and richness to the blacks), and is perfect for mixing with it to give it a bit more female a tone. She also managed, somehow with her spooky magicks, to make drawn and prim bows actually match!

With it, I'm obviously in Trap's Heart skin again, and this time with Violet's No Love Lost crown and doll key, as well as the My Violent Heart earrings (one thing about this skin, I don't feel like wearing necklaces with it to obscure the chest design!) This crown and key are brilliantly detailed with a bit of subtle clockwork motifs that blend seamlessly into the crown and heart shapes. The Violet Heart necklace goes marvelously with them as well, but it gets lost with the fabulous patterning on this skin.

People are going to start thinking I'm an alcoholic. I seem to always end up passed out in Tableau.

Tableau has changed a bit since my first trip there, I don't recall this handy stairway up to the club on the hill. But then, I did always fly straight into the mouth without paying much heed to my surroundings.

Houxin

I was able to get a sneak preview of Trap's new Heart skins before they were released last night, so I had enough time to design something to show off the skin. Houxin features plunging necklines, slits, cutouts, and swirly and spiky edging, to show off you body art (or, just your body!)



Houxin comes in a selection of 8 coloured trims, and is out in the elephant, and up on OnRez.





(Calico Ingmann Zoe hair, Miriel Pewter realistic eyes, Schadenfreude Lucent Heels)

Save Tableau!

The Tableau gods are restless. You may recall, they have this tendency to do horrrrible things to the poor people who live there, exploding volcanoes, alien destruction....and now, there is the fear they have set their eye on the lovely new Tableau. There was a party tonight, to appease said gods, and I hear there might be one tomorrow, in the late evening SL time.

You should attend.

In the words of Polyester Partridge:


Hey what is this Protection Festival?

Thanks for the question, Toast Bard! We'll I'll tell you. As most of you probably already know, every year Tableau is plagued by disaster. Volcanos, Aliens, and more. We're sick of it! This year we are trying a little something different. In honor of our protector Saint Ingrid we're holding a festival to appease the virtual gods of tableau with lots of fun freebies. Come pick some  Tableau swag up and celebrate all week with us!


Tableau is one of my favourite builds in all of SL. I've already lost Silent's beauty of a greyscale NO, I don't want to lose Tableau's blacklight version! Also, uppity gods need to be shown their place, and, hell, any excuse for a party!

Also, there are freebies to be had. I am in the stylish volcano hat, brilliant eyeglasses, with one of the protection necklaces. There are clothes, henna, accessories, balloons....alllllll sorts of fun stuff to be had!

(Also in Trap's new Heart skin, not that you can see much of it, or the ~silentsparrow~ twittery, both of which I need to say things about in a less immediately time sensitive manner. Because Tableau needs to be saved, right now!)

Webbeaters

Wife and boy beaters with a subtle spiderweb print all over. Coming in black, white, and a rainbow of options, the webbeaters are available on OnRez and in world at the elephant. (It's still deeeeesgustingly hot here.)