The Alphaville Herald on the Boob Tube
by Alphaville Herald on 12/02/04 at 12:01 pm
CNN has produced a story on the joys of cyberbrothels in alphaville. It’s up on their website at http://premium.cnn.com/pr/video/meta/tech/2004/02/11/bb.sin.city.cnn.np.smil. I have no idea if it has aired on the network. It seems that the reporter (Bruce Burkhardt) got his virtual ashes hauled in the Jiggolo [sic] Escorts cyber brothel, which offers a good hour of cybering for the low low price of 17 K simoleans. I guess my complaint would be that the story makes it sould like all the Romance category houses are sex oriented.
Meanwhile, everyone who is angry at me for the CNN story can look forward to my ritual humiliation by The Daily Show on Comedy Central tonight! My students are especially looking forward to this one, as will all haters of Urizenus — The producer promised that they would indeed make me look like a total ass. I’m not sure what will make it into the story, but there is a bit where Rob Cordry (sp?) insists that I shoot Polie Bear. There are also some obligatory remarks about fisting parties (how else are they going to stay on basic cable?).
Comment, rant, or vent below.
Dyerbrook
Feb 12th, 2004
Oh come on Uri, you mean those 2 out of 100 romance houses that merely offer date services so that people can meet and then go back to their lots to cyber in private? Puleeze…
That link you give requires installing stuff, signing up for a free or paid pass, which then doesn’t work anyway (I have XP and all the latest Real Audio stuff). Is there a transcript?
Harvey
Feb 12th, 2004
Quote Uri:
I guess my complaint would be that the story makes it sould like all the Romance category houses are sex oriented.
Close Quote
When have you ever made it sound otherwise? Don’t see why you’re complaining…
toy
Feb 12th, 2004
a good share of the top 100 romance houses are BDSM/Gor homes and the main concept in those homes are not ‘sex oriented’ they are for discussion and roleplay but the emphasis is not on sex.
toy
Cocoanut
Feb 12th, 2004
I agree with Harvey.
coco
Cocoanut
Feb 12th, 2004
And with Dyer, too.
coco
Cocoanut
Feb 12th, 2004
And speaking of your students, it bothers me that their view of this game is likely yours. It bothers me to think that all of you hold us up to derision and criticism. I hate that. I wish they could know how myopic you are.
I hate it, too, that you use us and the game to feel superior to us; as in, you only play it for “research purposes.” We are just little exhibits on microscope slides to you. My experience is that people who consider themselves so vastly above others fail to get to really know others. Consequently, they never realize the bubble of superiority they inhabit is largely in their own minds.
While your students are laughing their heinies off, let them know that some of us in this game have already been where they are academically speaking, vastly outperformed them at it, and enjoy the game and the people in it for what it is – a game, filled with many wonderful people – not a microscopic colony of humorous loser Sims to be observed and reported on from some lofty vantage point. Particularly not with the kind of reporting you do.
coco
Hyper
Feb 12th, 2004
U know what ur 100% lame i would like CNN to interview me im 15yrs old I’ve been playing TSO for a year now and am 100% good i have lovely friends and the so called ‘sex’ thing doesnt go on 24/7 as The Nutty Professor claims it does! You think your so smart tarnishing the name of a GOOD game don’t you!
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 12th, 2004
Re Dyers comments,
Probably significantly more than two chere, But yes,, the plain Romanic getaway lots, the honeymoon hotels,Candle lit resteraunts, and the Lover’s lanes do hold a lesser share of the top 100 lots. (And thank you, I also couldn’t get the article, and would be grateful for a transcript link.)
Harvey;
I would not be quite so harsh on Uri, for the most part, he has been reporting OTHERS reports of the Romance scene, And he HAS allowed differing opinions on the subject to be posted. I wouldn’t shoot the messanger.
Coco;
“I hate it, too, that you use us and the game to feel superior to us; as in, you only play it for “research purposes.” We are just little exhibits on microscope slides to you. My experience is that people who consider themselves so vastly above others fail to get to really know others. Consequently, they never realize the bubble of superiority they inhabit is largely in their own minds.”
I have spoken to uri one on one, and i never got this attitude from him, But i understand your feelings. I was a long term resident in a home where one of the residents turned out to be a Psychiatrist doing a study on Human, On Line Relationships. She, rather than observing, Interfered directly in several of the relationships, causing pain and mayhem. (In one case she actually threatened the continuity of a Real marriage.)
The Betrayal we all felt when we finally found out what this person was playing at was as traumatic as the Mind games she played while Masquarading among us.
Uri is Forthright about his study. he observes, and he aske questions, and those of us who might not wish to assist him in his studies need never take part in these forums, or see him in game. We have that option because we are aware of his study.
As to your second point regarding the “bubble of superiority “in which his students exist,,, Show me any University student who doesn’t suffer from that little character flaw at least once in their academic careers. and chere, I am afraid all i have to say about them is, to Paraphrase Dickens, “The worst i can wish on them is that they learn by experience.”
Hyper,
I also understand your point of view as many of these articles also paint people your age as all being Hormonally feuled Sex Maniacs. Not true. I have met many young people in the game at skill and money houses, and i also don’t find them to be continually on the make (Though in Fairness they are not unknown). and perhaps for balance, CNN should consider interviewing a teen or two who are just in game to have fun.
No one is perfect, so the “100% lame” dosn’t apply.
Toy;
Perhaps no surprise that i agree with you also.
While our lots are adult themed, with discussions of issues best not held close the the ears of the under aged, We are definatly NOT a place where unrestrained sex play takes place on a continuous basis (On one of our lots, Swearing can get you booted out).
In closing,
Uri did NOT write the CNN article, he only reported it. something well within the reasonable perview of this BLOG. Give him just a Little break.
Maria.
snoops
Feb 12th, 2004
hmm ..so research is not research if a person enjoys it ? Whoever said that enjoyment and research were mutually exclusive ? I don’t mind being put under close scrutiny.*smiling* Also,any student is able to make up their own mind irregardless of their Proff’s ideas.
JC Soprano
Feb 12th, 2004
I’ve been on CNN TV and the cover of CNN Technology. It’s not all that, trust me. What’s funny is people act like this is the first time this stuff has been in the news and Uri here is shedding the light on it all.. TSO has a very seedy underbelly.. It’s been in the news since February of 2003, all Uri did was light another fire under EA, which I know first hand EA needs. He was not kicked out of TSO for talking about this stuff, he was kicked out becuase he links to places like the kingsware patch and TSO Extreme. I have been suspended as well before for my website, long before Uri.. I know how it works, Uri could post his website all he wanted in-game, if he didn’t have those links. Sorry Uri, not bashing you, just telling these people a bit of TSO history.
“U know what ur 100% lame i would like CNN to interview me im 15yrs old I’ve been playing TSO for a year now and am 100% good i have lovely friends and the so called ‘sex’ thing doesnt go on 24/7 as The Nutty Professor claims it does! You think your so smart tarnishing the name of a GOOD game don’t you!
Posted by Hyper at February 12, 2004 02:52 PM”
JC Soprano
http://www.thesimmafia.com/paparazzi_coverage.htm
m tovar
Feb 12th, 2004
dyerbrook there is no free content. you, in your exquisite hipness, should have figured that out all by yourself. there is no free content. that is why you are paying 10 bucks or so a month for tso. because paying 10 bucks or so a month for tso means that tso content is not free. having xp and all the latest audio stuff is pretty much like telling the water company about how you have a faucet. i applaud your faucet, dyerbrook. long may it reign. pay the money and you get water, too.
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 13th, 2004
Tovar, I think you Misunderstood Dyers post.
“That link you give requires installing stuff, signing up for a free or paid pass, which then doesn’t work anyway (I have XP and all the latest Real Audio stuff). Is there a transcript?”
This is in Reference to the CNN link provided by uri, Not anything provided by EA/Maxis. Dyer is simply saying he doese not wish to pay a subscription to CNN just to see this article, and he is asking for Uri to post a Transcript.
Not an unreasonable request on the surface, but in further thought, it might, for Uri, be inadvisable depending on how Millitant CNN/Time/Warner is regarding redistribution of Copyrighted articles. The Link may be all he is Legally allowed to post.
Maria.
Harvey
Feb 13th, 2004
Ahhh querida Maria… congratulations on your new position as Uri’s mouthpiece. I wonder why the professor can’t speak for himself when he wishes though… perhaps he is gagged, wasting away in your dungeon?
toy
Feb 13th, 2004
~stares at the chip on harveys shoulder and smiles~
one oftenspeaks for friends when they dont post often
toy feels that is all Mistress Maria was doing…. the comments about a dungeon were rather crude 
you know nothing of MJistress Maria or Gor if you did you would ralize there arent dungeons in Gor 
toy
falara kajira to Avan’shea Maria since 5/10/2003
TSKELLI
Feb 13th, 2004
btw for those who may be interested and who did not have the opportunity to see the show, there is someone on the stratics board who apparently is going ot try to post a recorded version of the Comedy Central spot on the net.
kelli
Slothman
Feb 13th, 2004
Haha, that Daily Show segment was absolutely hilarious. Especially when Rob pee’d himself. I love it. I don’t know much about all the goings on in the game, but I think Uri represented gamers well enough. Usually when a gamer is on TV he’s some wanna-be hip hop style bozo acting like hes on MTV.
Harvey
Feb 13th, 2004
Smiles at toy : )
Closes the box.
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 13th, 2004
Thank you toy.
Harvey, Clarifying a point for someone else is NOT being their Mouthpiece, it is part of the Intellectual process of discussion and debate, and making sure people are in posession of facts before they speak out is just courtesy. People were becoming hot under their Collars (No joke intended) over yet another article in the mainstream media over the “Seamier side” of TSO and they were, sounding as though they blamed Uri for the existance of the CNN article. If he DIDN’T report it in the AVH, The CNN article would still exist, and people would STILL be forming opinions based upon it. The only difference would be, that you, and many others would be continuing in Bilssful ignorance of it’s existance.
during my time on this blog, i have noted that Uri does his very best to allow Persons on all sides of an issue to have whatever fair say they wish. I have seen people engaging in Flaming wars here that would have gotten them Banned from just about any other forum, but Uri seems to see the value in Free debate. If it seems i respect him for that, The answer is, Yes, I do.
As for your other comments,, they are unworthy, and i won’t dignify them with a Response.
Maria.
Harvey
Feb 13th, 2004
Gracias querida…
Adiooooosss…
m. tovar
Feb 13th, 2004
no maria.
i did not misunderstand dyerbrook.
dyerbrook is a moron who does not understand
that premium content costs money. dyerbrook thinks that because he has a pipe, he gets to have content.
Harvey
Feb 13th, 2004
Also possible that The London Times and Dyerbrook have different definitions of “custom content”.
Semioclast: Propaganda and Disinformation
Feb 13th, 2004
In another blow to the MMORPG (Massively Multiplayer Online Role-Playing Games) genre, UbiSoft’s Uru Live has been officially pulled offline. This raises some striking questions about the economics of MMORPGs and (indirectly) UnFiction and online gamin…
robert
Feb 13th, 2004
Well I not concerned about URi as much as what i saw the EA guy say on the dailey show. He out and out lied and withheld information about the game. I think the daily show did a lame report for not uncovering what EA tried to suppress. If Uri was not kicked off the game cause he reported the sex stufff then why did EA have to lie about sex on sims?
Dyerbrook
Feb 13th, 2004
Get a life, Tovar. I was referring to not wanting to pay for a premium CNN pass just to see one article, not the TSO game. And I don’t expect to get something for nothing, America doesn’t have socialism yet, thank God. Some TV and radio sites have free content, however. CNN has lots of free articles and transcripts. Sometimes they might have paid sections for the video/audio, but they might have a transcript or summary somewhere else, I’ve seen it many times. I find in the news business, if you wait long enough, everything turns up on a blog soon enough anyway, so I figured Uri would post it. Most news companies don’t care once 4 hours or 24 hours have passed anyway.
m tovar
Feb 14th, 2004
yes harvey it is clear that dyerbrook and the corporation have different definitions of custom content. but dyerbrook, the dear moron, is talking about entitlements. his subtext is that because he has equipment of a certain type then surely there should be no barrier to seeing something, even if only once.
dyerbrook has no entitlements except those which the corporations are pleased to permit.
Dyerbrook
Feb 14th, 2004
Oh, stuff it tovar. Ludlow should have warned his readers that this was something that was pay-for-view. My point about Windows XP and Real Audio is that I have them, and so it’s not some “technical challenge” that prevents me from physically viewing this stuff. But I’ll be damned if I’ll pay $4.95 to see Urizenus rant. So let him put a transcript, if it is available. There’s no such thing as a free lunch, and I’m the first to tell you so.
m tovar
Feb 14th, 2004
dyerbrook, my dear moron. you do take on.
Maria LaVeaux
Feb 16th, 2004
Tovar.
As anyone knows from reading elsewhere in this blog, Dyerbrook and i do NOT form a mutual admiration society. so anything i pointed out here is in the interests of accuracy, NOT as support of a “Friend”.
As i said, You Misunderstood Dyers intent in the phrase i quoted above, and now we have Dyers confirmation of that.
Dyer:
“I was referring to not wanting to pay for a premium CNN pass just to see one article, not the TSO game. ”
To be Purely honest, i saw NOTHING in his first post regarding Custom Content in game and i am wondering where you got the idea he was commenting on it at all? If you are going to argue a point with Dyer, at least make sure you two are discussing the same issue. it makes things so much clearer when you are both on the same page.
Maria.