Comments on: Prok’s Candid Conversations with the Core: Cristiano Midnight, Part One

By: Prokofy Neva

Prokofy Neva — Fri, 25 Mar 2005 11:53:27 +0000

Cristiano, you’re just being grumpy. The “hate the sin not the sinner” is directly in reference to Cristiano’s willingness to distinguish between Ulrika’s ebil ideology of socialism, and Ulrika herself as a person, and other friends he has in that Newoldenburg social democracy toy. It isn’t a reference to his making money or not directly. But the reason I probed on his celebration of social democracy quite hard, is because I find it hypocritical for someone to engage in pretty stark capitalism in the game, selling overpriced thingies that are in demand for people, but then embrace social democracy and rebuff its detractors. But, whatever.

Cristiano doesn’t like to live with some of the frank answers I got from him. The only way he seems able to cope with that is to slam me as a “hack” or the SLH as tabloid. In part, we are playing the game of hack and tabloid, that’s understood as the construct. I find so often Cristiano has no sense of humor or context and isn’t laughing but getting angry and indignant at my hyperbolic posts when he should just roll his eyes and move on to the next square. It is quite impossible to set up a real-style journalistic interview in a game context when the targeted subject insists on trying to interview you, and when you have no telephone contact or f2f contact but only this quickly scrolling line text where half the time you aren’t answering what someone has just written to you, but emphasizing some previous point you made 10 lines ago. These convos almost have to be run through a splicer to make sense later when an editor copes with them. I’m all for editors trying to boil down such madness which is in part induced by the medium itself.

By: Cristiano Midnight

Cristiano Midnight — Mon, 21 Mar 2005 17:32:51 +0000

Walker,

I stated that Prokofy agreed to an uncut interview – if the writers for your site are misrepresenting things to get interviews, that is a problem. Thank you for being so gracious though, it is appreciated.

By: Walker Spaight

Walker Spaight — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 21:56:33 +0000

And by the way, Cris, I have never agreed to let anyone go into the Herald unedited. That is commonly considered bad journalistic practice.

Anyway, I thought you came off well in this interview. Thanks again.

By: Walker Spaight

Walker Spaight — Sun, 20 Mar 2005 02:01:24 +0000

Since we’ve printed the edited selection in the comments thread, I’ve gone ahead and restored them to the body of the interview.

By: Cristiano Midnight

Cristiano Midnight — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 16:24:56 +0000

Walker, I know it was unintentional, but in my estimation – it did change the context to implying the hate the sin comment was about selling things, while being indifferent to wealth, and that he was referring to me. It was about Ulrika Zugzwang’s politics. I agree it was confusing, since as an interviewer, Prokofy has not even aspired to the level of hack yet, and that there was no slight intended. However, my original agreement to do the interview was that it would be unedited, and Prokofy agreed to that. It is why I kept a copy of the original interview.

Urizenus, I don’t think much enlightenment is gained from Prokofy’s style of overly leading questions and his complete bias, other than to point out how profoundly deep his bias runs. It is very possible to interview someone you have comtempt for without using leading questions and to find truth and enlightenment by doing so. I have no regrets on doing the interview, but I definitely don’t think his style of faux journalism should be encouraged or rewarded. Even the Star has a higher level of journalistic integrity – high drama does not have to equate to incompetence.

By: Reno Parks

Reno Parks — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 15:17:22 +0000

i posted a comment lastnight. unfortunately, it was deleted hmmm wounder why.im just socializing . well i for one belongs to a community or a social group if thats what you would like to call it an no im not from the us but i would like to say no i am not dum an yes i might mis spell some words but dose that make me indifferent from you all ? this sight dont post all of what i say only the funny shit i post to make my self look dum its just my way of playing the game to see how people will try an get over .i would like to say im not a professor of sociology .so i feel if i dont want to talk to you i dont have to an for the main part i dont hate u.s.a as a matter of fact i love it but like every place there are the good an the bad an for me these drama kings an queens of this sight brings the name callen becouse of there actions an you dont have to post this one if you dont want i just go to dudes page an get my say so

P.S GOOD DAMN JOB ON YOUR SIGHT Cristiano
i like it it has realy been a great help to me an some others with out all the b.s

By: Urizenus

Urizenus — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 13:13:04 +0000

>Most societies and cultures let go of ‘Prom King & Queen’ celebrity after high school.

No society that I’ve seen up close has let it go. Every society has its “brahmins”, and SL is no exception. Prok’s appproach to his interview subjects is of course “always fairly unbalanced”, but the result is quite informative for all that. I hope the members of the FIC continue to agree to do these interviews.

By: Cienna

Cienna — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 12:25:21 +0000

You know, as a new player, I am completely and utterly disinterested in this kind of drama. If I wanted soap opera, I’d go watch television. The interviewer sounds like the kid who got left out of the ‘cool club’ and is now determined to ‘ruin them’ to soothe battered ego. Is there really THIS MUCH interest in the ‘cool club’ here? How sad. Most societies and cultures let go of ‘Prom King & Queen’ celebrity after high school. The only other thing that really leaps out is the apple-polishing over forum posts. Does the interviewer not understand that bragging over forum posting is like bragging about how much you masturbate?

By: Walker Spaight

Walker Spaight — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 09:47:46 +0000

Hm. I apologize for any misunderstanding, Cris, but despite our conversation of last night, I must protest, to an extent. Yes, the passage you cite was edited out of the interview. But considering what comes just before and just after it (see below), the context isn’t all that different. The interview is confusing there in any case, because these seem to be two threads going on at once. Anywaym in the interests of clarity, here’s the complete passage:

CM: and I do not feign indifference – I said that it was
not a goal of mine. I do make money in SL – I do quite well at it,
honestly, in my own personal metrics. I am not into social democracy – I
believe in capitalism myself. I am in no way a socialist, I joined to the
group to support two close friends of mine, even while having very
divergent political views.

[THIS GOT EDITED OUT:]
PN: There are some very pernicious ideologies promoted in that
group, however, for example, this slamming of the so-called “progressive
taxation” which is merely bulk discount for larger land investors. That
would impact you if you had your land grouped
CM: I have stayed in SL because I enjoy it – it was also
the purpose of the site, it was a passion of mine. It’s part of my
creativity. When it stops being interesting or fun to me, I do something
else.
CM: If you did your homework more closely as an
interviewer, you would realize I have slammed Ulrika on that.
CM: I can dislike the ideology and like the person. It is
for example how I feel about you.
[END EDIT]

PN: Saying it is “not a goal of mine” and yet insisting that you
do well seems to come off to me like you are trying to show a supreme
indifference to the hurrying and scurrying of land dealers and business
people in SL, but come off it, I don’t buy it. If you don’t care about
income, why keep your stores open???
PN: What do you enjoy most about SL? [THIS LIVE WAS EDITED OUT]
PN: Hmm, now this sounds very much like a Catholic concept,
hating the sin, not the sinner. Do you attend Mass regularly Cristiano?

By: Cristiano Midnight

Cristiano Midnight — Sat, 19 Mar 2005 01:05:53 +0000

Just to clarify the “hate the sin, not the sinner” comment, which was edited by Walker and had the context changed to appear as if Prokofy was referring to money, here is the original context of it:

PN: There are some very pernicious ideologies promoted in that group, however, for example, this slamming of the so-called “progressive taxation” which is merely bulk discount for larger land investors. That would impact you if you had your land grouped
CM: I have stayed in SL because I enjoy it – it was also the purpose of the site, it was a passion of mine. It’s part of my creativity. When it stops being interesting or fun to me, I do something else.
CM If you did your homework more closely as an interviewer, you would realize I have slammed Ulrika on that.
CM: I can dislike the ideology and like the person. It is for example how I feel about you.