New Tech, New Rules - October's 4Seasons Joined 55L Thursdays: An INCREDIBLE Deal - Bombshie from Designer Showcase and New WTB

This morning I read an article on the camera drones that are under 500 USD, so inexpensive that the average joe could afford one and it seems many many average college age joes and joettes have bought one and operate them everywhere from the beaches to the center of their home team football field for Opening Day games. In the last few years, new technology appears on the market so quickly that the regulators related to the new technology have to run to keep up with what's created, try to make rules associated to that tech make sense, and yet keep the freedom of commerce and fun in the original product so people are happy. If the young people or old people or in between people own and operate these drones on their own private property, the risk for danger factor remains relatively personal, and if a crash occurs, a failure of the tech in the drone, it's usually to the detriment of the private operator. However, when the same tech is deployed over a stadium filled to the max with 106,000 people waiting for kick off (and this is happening over seas with loads of football matches as well), the risk for danger factor exponentially escalates and the rules to limit or control the tech have not been clearly defined so there's a massive loop hole right now and I can only imagine that this will continue to be the case in the years to come with tech coming at us as fast as light and faster.

Yesterday, a friend of mine came to me with a couple of screen shots she'd taken while traversing Second Life, searching for information on a newly released bit of tech for the mesh products we're all trying to sort out for ourselves. In her travels, she found a place that specialized in littles aka children/girls who have a very specific role in Second Life according to the TOS. They're allowed, but only in certain areas, never in areas related to sexuality and the acts considered sexual in nature. Yet she found a whole new slew of items created to add breast and hip attachments to the child avatars. It's another example of how tech is ahead of the rules and ahead of the people who are out there trying to analyze content creation in such a way that they encourage creativity and do not stifle the interest creators have in the virtual world, but also keep the rules set in place by the TOS. As far as I remember, the TOS went through a major overhaul in 2007/2008 because of several lawsuits, and part of that litigation included regulation of the child avatar, where it was permitted, how it was permitted to be used and to interact in the Second Life community. Having accessories that attach to child avatars to in essence give little girls breasts and hips steps very close to a line that seems contradictory at first glance. When I saw her notes and images, I could see how she perceived that accentuating the sexuality of a child/girl might be a contradiction of elements related to that change in rules of the TOS and the use of child avatars. But at the moment, professionally analyzing just the content creator, the tech, they're in the same type of loop hole. They're not telling someone to break the rules. They're not showing specific imagery of the girls with said enhanced female bits. They're not making this person or that buy their items.

Both the drone creator and the mesh enhancements HUD touch the edges of what's already been litigated. The result makes for complicated discussion, investigation of intention, exploration of fact, analysis of previous litigation, and a fair and just application of new rules for new tech. Meanwhile, consumers like me who payed for a ticket for family members to be able to attend Georgia Bulldogs next game must be aware that there are risks associated to said drones, and if that family member sees one flying nearby, their attention must be averted from the game long enough to assess their own personal safety in lieu of someone else policing it with decision to remove it. Just because I think or said family member believes that it shouldn't be there, at the moment, they are flying over stadiums. They are already there. It would be foolish to ignore them. It could be frustrating to some, and in fact deadly to a rare few. There's a case of a person who operated a drone in a city park who killed himself inadvertently using one of these camera drones legally and within the parameters of that park, and still he faced dire consequences. I don't know what will happen with the items from Second Life that collect all of our mesh pieces and make application easier, and if people will use those new bits of tech to push the child avatar rules. I know when I end up somewhere where I feel uncomfortable, I watch carefully for risks and dangers, look to my own inner voice for decisions, and act accordingly until the regulators have time to do what they do.

I put together this outfit today as I was thinking about this topic. As I did, I was so excited to make sure you knew that October's 4Seasons joined the 55L Thursday group and will begin having 55L items regularly. This new 55L special edition skin will be out this weekend, beginning November 13 running through the weekend to November 16. At 55L - what a deal!! I'm also sharing pieces from Bombshie, Dominga Gold Belted Skirt from Designer Showcase and WTB's Renee Scot Burntrose Top.

Featuring October's 4Seasons FIRST 55L Thursday Item Special Skin

Featuring Bombshie Dominga Gold Belted Skirt from Designer Showcase

Featuring WTB Renee Scot Burntrose Top

1. Truth Gogo

2. MG Swallow Wings

3. SLink Elegant 1 Hands

-- Female Feet High

4. KMADD/Moda Mesh Eyes

5. Le Primitif Leather Cage Sandals

6. Chop Zuey Chromatica

7. Muse Poses

Tomorrow, Who Knows? -- Featuring ECRU from Designer Showcase, WTB, Chop Zuey, EMO-tions and **Feel**

I warn those who are close to me that my life has been on a veritable roller coaster since the day I was born. I came into the world and became a ward of the state instantly. I spent the first year and 3 days of my life in the University of Virginia's ICU for little tiny people. I've heard off and on through my life, and long before I understood words, "You're not going to make it." I suppose I just took it as a dare. "You wanna bet?" So here I am, 45 and I'm still making it, one day at a time, and hopeful that you out there, reading my words, are taking the same dare life gives. I know it's tough sometimes. A special person dies. A loved one gets injured or ill. A baby is born with special needs. I know that you can make it. If you need to take it one small step at a time, you CAN do it. When I hear your stories, turn a listening ear into a virtual hug, I also know deep down inside that if I could make the conscious decision to survive this roller coaster we all call life, YOU CAN Too!!

I love evolution of self. It happens off line and online. I also love History, a fanatic about it really. It helps to see where we've been so we can figure out what we are and where we're going. SL turned 2 shortly after I joined. There was a team pulled together of Lindens and users, creators, and important figures of that generation. Now we're in the midst of turning 11 and there's going to be an SL-2 somewhere in the future. It's evolution. And each of us will figure out how to survive. We'll find our niche, stay in the first world or travel to the second and whatever each decides, it will be for a reason, important, and wherever you invest time and heart, you will find home.

I really enjoy blogging. I know it will be here, whether it's for this sim or that designer, or even for the next incarnation of SL. For now, I'm going to do this thing, this latest evolution of my own, blogging events and specialty spaces and sales rooms. It's my way of broadening my own experiences and exposure to more, more designers, more creative people, and more friends. I have E C R U heels on in the first photo, and they're from July at Designer Showcase. I've got a new top and mini from WTB, an item that was at a recent event that's now available in their main store! Chop Zuey has a great men's belt out as a gift this month. I resized it and used it as a choker. I'm also wearing a new ring from **Feel**. And EMO-tions put a pair of new colors out for the hair "Shakira" - Snow (seen in the photo) and Black (not shown). I have it in an Ombre and another color and now have these two colors as well. Between great events, sales and the generosity of designers who share loads of gifts, there's always something fun to wear as we continue to enjoy the only Second Life we've known. Tomorrow, who knows?

The following designers made this style possible:

Featuring from E C R U at Designer Showcase Entice Stilettos

Featuring new gift from Chop Zuey (Men) American Men's Belt - Altered Size and Worn on Throat as Choker

Featuring (new to my blog) WTB MS Paillettes Mesh Outfit

Featuring (new to my blog) **Feel** Cross&Butterfly Triple Ring

Featuring new gift from EMO-tions Shakira Snow (and Black not shown)

1. Chop Zuey: Hana Shobu BellyRing

2. Kyxe Skins & Shapes: Orchid Skin Tone

-- Glamour Lips Butterscotch

3. KMADD/Moda: Mesh Eyes

4. SLink: Elegant 1 Hands

5. Morphine: Freya Cat Eyeshadow

6. Gaeline: Manificia Lashes

7. Corpus Poses