The Alphaville Herald

11 Responses to “Conned!”

1. 

   Prokofy Neva
   

   Aug 29th, 2005
   

   Conned is right. Pwned might be better. Geez. I was mildly disgusted that Walker got flattered into speaking for this self-selected FIC bunch instead of going to cover the whole thing as a respectable, critical, hard-hitting and hard-nosed journalist — which is really what this sycophantic sortie to NY deserves.

   It was a blatant FIC maneuver to purloin the one journalist who might have covered this thing a bit at arm’s length, a gonzo gamer journo but with basic integrity. Now, he’s on a panel and feted. Bleh.

   That leaves you, Uri…but you’ll be hungover and busy with the LI gals. Or there’d be me, but I’ve already paid a whopping $95 to attend this thing as a commoner.

   *Sigh*. Journalists. They’re SO easily purchased.

   First item for journalistic investigation: why is there a limit of 160 people for this meeting? There isn’t that kind of limit of numbers on the grown-ups State of Play conference which is in *the exact same conference space* — or did I miss something on the myriad websites and wikies?

   Second item for journalistic investigation (*pours Walker another vodka*): at the first organizing meeting, already pre-cooked and pre-fixed by Hiro, Flipper et. al. with the lovely Jeska and Pathfinder, etc. — there was talk about how LL couldn’t pay for its own staff to fly to NY, and that only certain Lindens, ie. Philip and Robin, the biggies, would have travel expenditures out of LL. So then somebody said, oh, let’s raise money to pay for our favourite Lindens to come — those younger office Lindens or telecommuter Lindens not yet able to run around with their own expense accounts. So I’d like to know how much, if any of the collected $95 fees are going to go to paying somebody’s favourite Lindenz to come?

   Third item for journalistic investigation: oh, well, I realize you’ve lost intereste by now, but I do wonder about these workshop titles and how they got “democratically” picked (guffaws).

   I plan to be there…what’s a picnic without ants : )
2. 

   Urizenus
   

   Aug 29th, 2005
   

   Why can’t Walker speak *and* cover the event in his typical hard hitting journalistic way? Anyway, the Herald will flood the event with little muckrakers, so if Walker sells out its just more inches of blogspace for the rest of us. It *is* an interesting question as to whether the fees go in part to bringing our junior Lindens, but we could just ask. And, by the way, I’d rather get Lindens for my fee than that pewter SL necklace or whatever we’re getting.
3. 

   Prokofy Neva
   

   Aug 29th, 2005
   

   Walker? Chew gum and walk at the same time? Hmm…well, Uri there *is* this concept in journalism called not *making* the news but *covering it*. But…I understand. You all need to be in the 3-D resume polish machine too. I fully understand.

   Yes, my blog is poised to cover Walker’s fall into the arms of the FIC camp, fer shure.

   Oh, I want the pewter necklace. And I’ll bet there will be no way to check whether I am really in the first 100 or not cuz they’ll just give it to their friends and who’s to know?

   Did you ever go on one of those long car trips to like Michigan? Oh, that’s right, you’re *in* Michigan already.

   Well, pretend you had to *go* to Michigan. And you’re practically ready to throw up, not only from all that Easter candy you’ve been eating for the last 400 miles. But just now, when your little bother I mean brother was behaving absolutely *beastly*, poking you, stealing your johnnies (those little chocolate eggs) and just generally behaving like an ass…Mom says he has to switch seats, and Mom comes and sits in back and doesn’t want to play “who’s on the cow side”.

   And even though Mom tries to make it seem like it’s “punishment,” all of a sudden your little brother turns around and makes one of those nyah-nyah faces at you from his now way-more-interesting perch in the front seat with Dad. Which he got. Not because he deserves it. But because he was bad.

   Don’t you ever feel like that in this game lol?
4. 

   NealStewart
   

   Aug 29th, 2005
   

   I’m sure that Walker’s coverage will be the same regardless of which side of the podium he’s standing on.

   Prok, you should approach the conference organizer Jerry Paffendorf NOSPAMjerrypaffendorf@accelerating.org and see if he can set you up with one of the presentation slots in the Secondary Room.

   I mean, how can they leave you off the Fucking Important Celebrities list? Anyway, will follow your coverage.

   I note in the agenda that Jeska Linden is moderating one of the Concurrent Resident Panels. I can see it now: “This panel has diverged into a personal discussion which is inappropriate for this conference. As such it’s being terminated.” Haha.

   Just kidding. I’m sure she’ll do wonderfully.

   I hope there’s lots of people who digitally capture the shit out of the conference and put all the pictures and audio up on the web.

   – Neal
5. 

   HiroPendragon
   

   Aug 30th, 2005
   

   Mark,

   Thanks for the publicity at the time we need it most – registration phase. We already have dozens signed up but this is a big help!

   Prok,

   Fair enough questions. Here’s your answers:

   1. State of Play had the same limit … because it will be held at the same room. The hard limit is right out of the mouths of NYLS officials recommending any more would be very cramped.
   2. Linden Lab is the top donator to this project, and has more than significantly paid for its entrance fees as such. As far as airfare and hotels go, zero (0) dollars will go from funds we receive to any speakers, Linden Lab or otherwise. All speakers and sponsors still pay their own way to actually make it to New York. For us, it was convenient since we picked the same weekend as State of Play in order to maximize our possibility of snagging speakers.
   3. As for workshops, we had several methods. First, SNOOPYbrown held a future salon just for getting ideas from the public for the Convention. You should know this, as you were there. Second, we had a WIKI that had a page dedicated entirely to user suggestions. This WIKI was up for at least 3 weeks, and was advertised both in forums and in kiosks spread around in world at dozens of locations. We also word-of-mouthed the heck out of it.

   From these suggestions we picked subject matter to discuss, based on groups of themes that were suggested, and tried to pick themes that most broadly covered as much as we could get to in our limited time restraints.
6. 

   Walker Spaight
   

   Aug 30th, 2005
   

   “Fucking Important Celebrities”

   lol Neal
7. 

   montserrat {RdS}
   

   Aug 30th, 2005
   

   you mean like people actually PAY walker to write in RL???????? he HAS a RL?

   wow.

   how many peacock feathers you want me to bring anyway, uri? and, do you HAVE to be from long island???
8. 

   Prokofy Neva
   

   Aug 30th, 2005
   

   I’m glad the conference dollars aren’t going to pay Linden airfares, they should pay their own freight.

   And yes, I was there at the first meeting, when Hiro and others did things like shout in all caps, and suppress any ideas but their own. I had to LMFAO at the description of this event as “soliciting ideas from the public” — I think it would be more accurate to describe it as “putting ideas over on the public by Flipper, his girlfriend, and Hiro”. It was quite something to watch. They were coming up with topics like “Love in SL” and the forums discussions have been almost exclusively about how and where to party and how drunk people might get. So it wasn’t looking to promising. I spent quite some time clicking around on the so-called Wiki, which is just the usual FIC push-media LOL. There’s no evidence that anything put there gets into organizers, who had their minds made up, and the agenda pre-cooked, before they even announced it.

   No, this is all a ruse. It’s a FIC-produced event. I did sign up, however, just to push the envelope. It’s a job, somebody’s got to do it.

   I don’t want a presentation slot, thanks. You’re right, it will be fascinating to see if Jeska will moderate and silence people in RL as she has in SL. My bet is she won’t have to, as the sychophants will be knee-deep around the organizing and will ensure conformity.
9. 

   Walker Spaight
   

   Aug 31st, 2005
   

   lol yeah i can see it now:

   “This panel discussion has devolved into fascinating and revelatory conversation and as such is being moved to the dingy coffee shop down the street from the New York Law School. Please refrain from uttering anything even remotely interesting in future.”
10. 

    big fish
    

    Aug 31st, 2005
    

    >>I did sign up, however, just to push the envelope. It’s a job, somebody’s got to do it.

    The only thing you are pushing, prok, is your tongue up your own arse. The only job you do is felching yourself after creaming your pants over you internut eloquisms.

    I’m puzzled as to how you get your head up your own arse tho, considering as it must be rather larger from ego inflation.

    What’s your real secret? A lifetime supply of amyl?
    Or do you just embark on another writing expedition and it loosens up gradually as the pages roll by?
11. 

    TrannyPet Barmy
    

    Sep 17th, 2005
    

    Damn i’m tempted to come to this …………. lol i could have a few words with a few Lindens ………. face to face

    TrannyPet Barmy

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