Welcome Area Nuked! Lindens Blame Teh Herald.
by Alphaville Herald on 20/03/05 at 10:48 am
by Urizenus Sklar and Gina Fatale
So there I was, living the life of leisure that befits a media mogul of my stature, sipping Cristal and keeping track of my investments when I received a story from Herald reporter Gina Fatale. “Why do you trouble me with these trifles?,” I asked, and then Gina explained that all the Herald editors were off on junkets somewhere and no one was left to tend the store. Burdened though I was with more important matters, I took Gina’s story and began reading the subliterate verbal ejaculations of her interview subjects. As near as I could make out, the alleged story was this…
As the Lindens were preparing to move the current welcome area in Ahern to a temporary location in Waterheard for a makeover, a rogue member of the Black Hand Mafia family – Tommy Ramona – fueled by hatred of n00bs and Lindens had “nuked” the entire area with an extreme lag inducing weapons. In Gina’s interview, Gormz Gomez (aka Gormz Gorham on a temporary alt because of an unrelated ban) and Kevin Muromachi shared their eyewitness account and offered inside info on Tommy’s plans to take out all of the Mafia bosses in SecondLife (see interview below).
There is no news here, I thought, just a random nuking of the welcome area by an unaccomplished nobody. *Anyone* can nuke the welcome area. But as I was about to spike the story and return to reading The Financial Times, Gina told me that Andrew Linden had contacted her and told her that the nuking was all a plot by these miscreants to get into the pages of the Herald. Aha! I thought, a story after all.
Ahern getting nuked.
Now who could blame these young hooligans for wanting to taste the fame and glory that comes from being written up in the Herald? As Princess Ho Ho so aptly made the point some weeks ago, nothing could be more rewarding than seeing your name in a real live blog! But as much as I could understand such a conspiracy, there was the thorny question of whether the allegation was true or whether Andrew Linden was, well, tripping. The reportorial instincts in me stirred, and I shed my Hugh Hefner satin smoking jacket and slippers, donned my kaki reporter’s duds and plunged back into the game that had made me an international media superstar and a lindenaire.
Andrew Linden confronts nuker Tommy Ramona
OK, if this was a setup, then someone set us up and contacted Gina, so I asked Gina how she heard about the story. She was sent to the crime scene by Herald Gangland Editor Marsellus Wallace. I contacted Marsellus. He had been referred by Herald Style Editor Matthias Zander. He in turn, had been contacted by One Song (aka Mr. Fairplay). I went to visit Mr. Fairplay. And then things got confusing.
Seems Mr. Fairplay was cohabitating at 100 meters with Alyeska Zamboni – a former associate of Baller MoMo King – a MoMo woman, and probably the last person to set foot inside Baller MoMo’s mansion before it was wiped by the Lindens. But she was also an official in the Street Killaz gang, of which Gomrz and Kevin were members. But wait… One is living with a MoMo woman? Note to Pat the Rat: how come we didn’t know this?
While One and I discussed the attack Alyeska insisted that this could not have happened — her boyz couldn’t possibly be part of the conspiracy. Gormz, one of the suspects, was suspended at the time. Well, not exactly, I explained he was on with an alt. It began to dawn on her that she had some frisky little fucktards freelancing in her family. Not good. “Al, we’ll discuss this later” said One. Alyeska was becoming aggitated.
One and I stepped aside. “One” I asked, “give it to me straight,” was this a case of freelancing media ho’s trying to get ink?
“Well” said One, “not exactly.” And then he began telling a long complicated story and my head began swimming from the hours of alchohol deprivation. When were these people going to offer me some spiritual condiments? How long had I been sober? My head! The colors!…
In my days as a cub reporter I loved a good nuanced story, but seriously folks I was starting to think about my my speculative positions in the highly volatile Gaming Open Market, and then too about my date at the opera with Anshe Chung. This is a damn blog after all. I’ll just throw what I have up there and let the readers fill in the blanks. I excused myself from One’s skypad and wrote up the story – this story. And now, if you’ll excuse me, I give you Gina’s interview with Gormz and Kevin, while I don my smoking jacket pour myself a single malt scotch and return to The Financial Times. Ciao.
Gina Fatale interviews Gormz and Kevin.
Gormz and Kevin
Gormz Gorham: i can explain it all
Gina Fatale: ok start off by telling me what u witnessed
Gormz Gorham: i was there before it even happened. Tommy Ramona — the bomber — is my good friend
Gina Fatale: tommy ramona who is with the blackhand mafia (TBH)?
Gormz Gorham: yes
Gina Fatale: so blackhand ordered a hit on the welcome area because?
Gormz Gorham: nope black hand had no involvement in this attack
Gina Fatale: can you tell us why tommy ramona decided to bomb the welcome area?
Gormz Gorham: he was bored. and i suppose he doesn’t like lindens that much rofl. tommy is a nut
Gina Fatale: ok so can you give me the details starting from when you went to Ahern what happened exactly?
Gormz Gorham: ok, tommy was messin with these noobs…
i take it he likes to pick on noobs…and he planted C4s and Nukes all over. the lindens were moving the newbie area i heard so he went there and decided to nuke the place clean. then everybody whipped out their guns and was shooting everybody and all hell jus broke lose right then and there
Gina Fatale: ok i was just there at ahern with you and tommy was still there — how come he was not banned?
Gormz Gorham: i really dont know it was Andrew Linden that was there
and i suppose he was iming everybody asking what the heck happened
Gina Fatale: and you’re positive this was not an order from Blackhand? it was just something tommy decided to do on his own?
Gormz Gorham: as far as i know it was not
Gina Fatale: you think tommy is interested in coming here to talk
Gormz Gorham: tommy is shut down; they got him
Gina Fatale: he was just at ahern
Gormz Gorham: i know they prolly just now banned him
Gina Fatale: well now he is offline
Gormz Gorham: let me get santino here… hey bro
kevin Muromachi: Hey
Gina Fatale: so Santino (Kevin) you’re saying as far as you know tommy bombed the welcome area cuz he was bored, that’s it? lol
kevin Muromachi: naah he talked to me before he did it
Gina Fatale: ok what did he tell you then
kevin Muromachi: He was talkin kinda crazy about how he wanted a ransom
Gina Fatale: how do you know tommy?
kevin Muromachi: oh i knew him since we met on sl. he is a crazy dude. i cant believe he had the balls to do that
Gina Fatale: ok are you also with him in blackhand?
kevin Muromachi: naa i’m not connected to that
Gina Fatale: ok
kevin Muromachi: he actually bought the nukes off me before he did it — he had over 10 different nukes
Gormz Gorham: i admitt i gave him some nukes too
Gina Fatale: and what was his reason he told you he was going to do this?
Gormz Gorham: he told me he wanted to do reenactment so i forked over some nukes
kevin Muromachi: i gave him some with a special mod to it
Gina Fatale: what kind of special mod
kevin Muromachi: basically everyone he launched was the equivalent to
luanching 7 nukes at one time
Gina Fatale: your the maker of this type nuke?
Gormz Gorham: i am i made my own custom nukes and gave him some
kevin Muromachi: i just added stuff
Gina Fatale: but neither of you knew what he was going to use it for
kevin Muromachi: naa he didnt mention anything
Gormz Gorham: he told me before he was gunna use them for “reenactment”
i knew he was lying through his teeth
Gina Fatale: is there anyway we can confirm that this was not an order from blackhand considering tommy is in that family
Gormz Gorham: im positive, im Family with the black hand, im a leader — i would know before anybody
kevin Muromachi: when he wanted to start whacking mob bosses, wasnt sure if he was serious
Gina Fatale: he wanted to whack mob bosses?
Gina Fatale: which mob bosses in particular did he say?
kevin Muromachi: he started planing it he said, had a “hit list”
Gina Fatale: and this type of activity is also to be considered just him? or his family?
kevin Muromachi: Its more him, hes just crazy i think lol, the bosses he said treated him with disrespect and wanted to take there businesses — he said a ” Take Over”, Those are the words he used
Gina Fatale: so tommy as a one man army was going to take out the SL Mob bosses lol, pretty bold move for a one man army
kevin Muromachi: yes it is for him
Gina Fatale: do you think he will be back? im assuming at this point he is banned
kevin Muromachi: definatly they cant hold a man like him down
Gormz Gorham: nah he ass will be goen for a while, but knowing tommy u cant stop that man
Gina Fatale: im gonna wrap this up now is there anything else you would like to share?
Gormz Gorham: yea, this is my own words, i think tommy is a scumbag for what he did. them defenceless noobs. i felt so bad i wanted to kill him my self but didnt want to get baned
Gina Fatale: but your family? would you say that blackhand is pretty pissed with tommy now?
Gormz Gorham: he will get kicked out for sur
Gina Fatale
Mar 20th, 2005
just a correction there seemed to be a misprint or misunderstanding here Kevin is not Santino (as far as i know), also we were awaiting to hear from the GF of Blackhand (Santino) to confirm it was unrelated and that Tommy did this on his own, so far no official statement has been made. In further investigating it seems the nukes used were the ones made and sold by Rizzo Ramona (not Gormz), Rizzo has claimed he gave the nukes to Gormz who in turn gave them to Tommy. According to Andrew Linden he swears that Gormz was in on the nuking as well. Confused more?
Gormz Gomez
Mar 20th, 2005
Hey all i might be perminatly baned… Lindens deciding within 1 week what would happen to all my accounts…. They even baned my IP adress… But nothing can stop me ill be back
Street-Killaz-Member
Mar 20th, 2005
Correction, Alyeska is a Leader of the Street-Killaz Gang but Gormz Gomez originally started the gang and trusted Alyeska to be a Leader too
Aislyn McTeague
Mar 20th, 2005
Tommy Ramona was kicked out of TBH a long time ago. kevin is his alt……
Santino Molinari
Mar 20th, 2005
Tommy Ramona is kevin Muromachi.
this has nothing to do with the Black Hand Mafia. TBH works very hard to maintain a good reputation with the common citizens of SL. Mafia’s only fight other mafia’s. Not impose our power onto Civilian Citizens. (unless they got it comin’) I feel that tommy’s attacks were unwarranted and just the example of the Rouge, irresponsible, & immature Mindstate of Mr. Ramona.
It is just the State of mind that caused him to get himself removed from our family.
and as for my little brother, Mr. Gormz… YUR KILLIN ME BRO..! lol.
Gina Fatale
Mar 20th, 2005
In case anyone can’t read, I did not seek this story out it was given to me thru a chain of people, says so right in the first few paragraphs of the story, all questions i asked were legit questions that any of the other reporters would of asked as well, the day this occurred tommy ramona was in a tbh group as far as my fuzzy memory can remember, hence the reason for asking if this was a tbh related incident. Note gormz said it was NOT related and also never once mentioned tommy was kicked from tbh, he did say however at the end of this interview “he will get kicked out for sure”. If Tommy wasnt in TBH at this time then ty for clarifying this to our readers and to Gormz. Andrew Linden’s theory is that Gormz and Tommy/Kevin planned this together, I’m beginning to believe he was correct now that it is revealed Kevin is Tommy. JMO.
With that said there goes anyone’s theories of how this was some evil plot devised by gina to attack the tbh, tommy ramona, gormz or anyone else mentioned in the above interview.
Gina Fatale
Herald Reporter
Gotta love my lil accuser buddy
Gormz Gomez
Mar 21st, 2005
As i said i had no envolvement in this “bombing” Tommy imed me saying Gormz im bombing the newbie area! I only went to see what was going on and take pics for the herald you see above. I did not have any gun in my hand. And Andrew has no right to make a “theory” Because he is a Linden, and they can trace who sho who and who said what. So Andrew has no idea what he is talking about because right when it ended it came before that no Lindens were there while Tommy Ramona was bombing the place. Just to clear things up i got my accounts banned for a different reason called “making alt accounts while your main one is banned (Disabled). As a gang Leader i dont think that would be a Mature thing to do.
Gina Fatale
Mar 21st, 2005
Gormz you may not have been directly involved in the bombing (ex: shooting nukes yourself) but the fact that you stood there and played along that Kevin was just a friend/eyewitness and left out the fact he was really Tommy Ramona raises reasonable doubts.
I’m sure when Andrew Linden decided to IM me after the interview (funny he knew about that?) and lecture me on how the herald encourages and promotes this kind of behavior he may have been giving me his own personal view of your involvement with the nuking. Andrew said in his conversation to me after he investigated the nuking further he had good reason to believe you were in on it as well that it was a plan devised by the both of you just to get your names in the herald. He offered me no proof and i did not ask for it. Again it could of been him just expressing his personal view on the situation.
Gormz Gomez
Mar 21st, 2005
I wasn’t planning to be in the herald, whoopdi fucking doo ur name is mentioned on a website. Just watch how wrong all you people be when the Lindens investagate what was said and who did what. Im going to let it go from here but till then I wouldnt keep going on and on intill you get the 100% Legit information.
Gina Fatale
Mar 21st, 2005
You weren’t planning on it yet the day of the interview you were very excited and overly concerned that a picture of yourself was to be posted and your correct name used (the Gormz Gomez name). I don’t know call me crazy but if its no big deal to you then why were you so hell bent on getting into the herald that day? No one is going on and on about it, these are valid points, which give some (not all) the impression there was more to your side of the story in this nuking than you have told. (again all opinions until facts are revealed if ever)
Everyone is entitled to an opinion with or without facts. Repeating myself once again (seems i have to do that alot) “he offered me no proof (andrew) and i did not ask for it”. Just stating what was said to me that’s all. Do I believe Andrew was correct? at first no, but now i have my doubts which surely you can try to understand why. Does it matter what i think? nope not at all. No reason to get defensive then.
boo parks
Mar 21st, 2005
Yet another poorly executed stunt from sl’s greatest idiot the all ignorant Gormz. Man I have been in sl for sometime and I have seen this gormz try and pull all kinds of skemes and antics and they have never ever came out in his favor. Sorta reminds me of the coyote from roadrunner show. Shit allways blowing up in his face it never fails. What is next a acme supply company that this gormz oops i mean coyote can collect more supplys for future skemes and plots. Man u have been successfull at only one thing ” Making yourself look stupid”
mike czukor
Mar 21st, 2005
wow lots nukin been going on,i got a new nuke on the production line if ya wanna buy ill give details anyway bombing noobs is stupid lmao
Marsellus Wallace
Mar 21st, 2005
Matthias a SLH staffer contacted myself to cover the story. I was unable to at the time so I sent Gina. If anyone has a problem with the story take it up with me, not Gina.
Marsellus Wallace
Editor, Gangland News – SLH
mafiaeditor@gmail.com
Gormz Gomez
Mar 21st, 2005
Hey Boo Boo, Talking shit agen eh? I thought i tough ur punk ass a lesson a million times, you just dont got teh balls enough to say that ur owned u can run ur mouth all u want u pathetic follower of Reno Parks. But its funny on how i have pics of me on GNO ILAND owning all ur asses 1 on atleast 30 people if you would like me to share the pics of the herald i would be more than welcome too
Reno Parks
Mar 22nd, 2005
WHATTTTTTTTTTT OWN WHO YOU LIL BASTARD I SHOW YOU WHO OWN WHO
Gormz Gomez: lots of sh*t happens
Reno Parks: couse you lie so damn much an she told me 15 i would take her word over yours for real
Gormz Gomez: i dont get how ur defending her
Gormz Gomez: ok u belive her
Gormz Gomez: i have no problem with that
Gormz Gomez: everyone has there own beliefs n opinions
Gormz Gomez: Gorm Gomez was a knock off
Gormz Gomez: that wasnt me
Reno Parks: dude come on now
Gormz Gomez: that acc was disabled for young age use
Gormz Gomez: if u can get us 3 in a meeting
Gormz Gomez: to end this
Gormz Gomez: i own a sim worth of prime land i dont wanna offord my ac getting baned for life
Gormz Gomez: so wuts the deal?
Reno Parks: i will call a meeten with her you an i
Reno Parks: just us 3
Gormz Gomez: perfect
YOUR FULL OF SHIT OWN THAT
boo parks
Mar 22nd, 2005
What a gay comment gormz. you thought you tough me a lesson? whatever the hell that means. You have nothing of interest gormz. maybe a snapshot of you at gno when we let you come there so we could laugh. Oh if you ever come back I purchased you a coyote skin you can start wearing it immediately
. And if you need a anvil dropped on your head or some other silly shit I think I can help you there also.
Andrew_Linden
Mar 22nd, 2005
I’ve been trying to understand how to categorize SLH. Right now I’ve got it bookmarked under “blog” rather than “resource” or “news”. It seems to mix a little bit of real news with a lot of pretend — pretend journalists reporting on the metagames people play in virtual worlds and open-ended video games.
I guess it is like a big collective meta-game where people play their characters both in the virtual spaces and in the SLH commentaries. But the suspension of disbelief is not complete… the players seem to slip in and out of character, blurring the boundary between real and play. Given some peoples’ inate ability to navigate multiple and sometimes contradictory understandings of the world I wonder if some of the players themselves are not fully aware of when they are in character and when they are not.
(From this understanding, I suppose it is not too suprising that a “mention” in the SLH would motivate a resident to take certain actions in SL. They are playing the SLH game, which spans SL, the SLH website, and a little bit of real life. These players often make my job difficult.)
I’ve been having trouble recognizing the borders between the real and the fake, but I’m getting better. Unforunately, I’m always in character and have been unable to digest the collective cool-aid that is being passed around.
I think I’m going to have to sit this game out. I will have to remain an involved non-participant — a force of nature.
Urizenus
Mar 22nd, 2005
Andrew, that is pretty close to correct. We do blur the boundaries between playing journalists and being journalists and more generally between game-play and reality. Funny thing is, it doesn’t take much to blur the boundaries, and a lot of players naturally inhabit the borderlands. I understand the discomfort people feel when we fail to clarify what side of the border we are on, but if we have an editorial stance it is this: there is no border, get used to feeling uncomfortable.
Marsellus Wallace
Mar 22nd, 2005
Andrew:
I couldn’t agree with you more. This has been a problem as long as MMORPG’s existed. Especially when player attacks are involved. People don’t attack the avatar they attack the person to get a rise out of them. There are also legalities involved. My roommate in rl is a federal officer. I won’t say with what agency or what he does, but we have had many discussions on how the actions in-game that people do actually reflect in real life and in some cases can be considered a crime. Especially when the actions involve someone in another state or the server is in another state. Then it’s a federal matter. These may be virtual characters, but their are real people behind them. Anyway, that’s my two cents.
Oh ya, when am I gonna get a tour of Linden Labs? I can be SLH’s liason hahaha I am in Sacramento, you guys aren’t too far from me.
Marsellus Wallace
Editor, Gangland News – SLH
mafiaeditor@gmail.com
Gormz Gomez
Mar 22nd, 2005
Funny Reno you can edit a Note card on what people say HAHAHAHAH! But 1 thing u cant edit u cock sucking faggot is a Picture
Duh
Mar 22nd, 2005
Because Marsellus, you need to be 18 (or atleast act/look like it)
Cienna
Mar 22nd, 2005
The issue with virtual realities is that people approach them in different ways and for different reasons. Some use them to escape, some to be what they cannot be in the ‘real’, some to explore aspects of self that society doesn’t permit or that are highly penalized. In my experience over ten years in the genre, the person who is ‘just themselves’ is the exception, not the rule.
Virutal worlds create their own reifications and social constructs, and often serve as places in which the mainstream can safely be eschewed. A casual look at most virtual worlds readily confirms this.
I assert the only time there is conflict to speak of is when some force asserts a mandate that ‘the real’ must be observed simply because it is real. This goes as much for social constructs as for ideological ones.
The problem in virtual worlds is simply that much of the structure rises from the reifications of ‘the real’ and in many ways, this ensures conflict in and of itself.
While the answer to the question, ‘Why is it wrong to bomb [place X]?’ is the same both in a virtual and real world, the reasons for why it is wrong are different and arise differently, and in this difference is the crux of the matter best highlighted.
There will always be a segment of your customer base that is here simply because they can be as ‘nasty as they wanna be’… the real question is — how do you present a world in which being cooperative brings higher reward than not being cooperative?
Marsellus Wallace
Mar 22nd, 2005
Hey duh… You forget I have rights to Herald I can easily look up who you are… Your not anonymous hehe I’m 27 for the record and am obviously more mature than you. Good try though… I almost was hurt. HAHAHA
Marsellus Wallace
Editor, Gangland News – SLH
mafiaeditor@gmail.com
boo parks
Mar 23rd, 2005
Gormz um I think you can edit a picture in sl. LOL once again a fool opens his mouth and makes a stuppid ass statement. Gormz man leave your finished, through, your avi is allways busted lookin anyhow and you are just real ignorant. Man im still laughing at your post lmao you thought it was so smooth to say u can’t edit pics but man you should know ya can hell I have seen edited pics all over sl gormz. Another plot that went wrong for the coyote.
Lastat Svarog
Mar 23rd, 2005
Boo Parks ur pretty funny kid, talkin shit about my boy? Thats all u can do is talk shit over the herald i remember u cryin like a lil baby when we bombed ur ass so stfu bitch
mike czukor
Mar 24th, 2005
iIs this over yet,im getting sleepy…..o and by the way i got bunch new guns im sellin lol gota love herald
mike czukor
Mar 24th, 2005
still lmfao bout the coyote an road runner shit lol
mike czukor
Mar 25th, 2005
boo funny you stink talkin about my rl boy u aint shit kid all u do is cry when u get bombed
Lourli Nightshade
Mar 31st, 2005
I love watching people take SL serious
boo parks
Mar 31st, 2005
cool