John Edwards HQ Owner Claims Goon Texture Theft
by Pixeleen Mistral on 01/03/07 at 7:18 pm
Jose Rote “hopes they don’t get banned”
HQ may move to Sundance Film Festival’s island in a week
by Pixeleen Mistral, National Affairs desk
Jose Rote
Tuesday evening, Jose Rote – the owner of John Edwards’ Second Life campaign headquarters – had his hands full. A strikingly similar headquarters next door supporting a TV psychic was mocking the idea of running presidential campaigns inside a game world. Even worse, his compound was becoming a high maintenance operation with reports of overnight defacing of the pristine building. I spoke with Mr. Rote as he cleaned “last one to die please turn out the light” graffiti from the floor of the metaverse HQ for the John Edwards campaign.
When I asked Mr. Rote for his reaction to the TV mind reading psychic John Edward presidential HQ next door he found the idea behind the build boring – but he was also concerned about possible texture theft. Perhaps we should have sent an SL fashion correspondent to cover this story?
Jose Rote: I just hope they don’t get banned for stealing some of the textures
Pixeleen Mistral: did they steal some of the textures?
Jose Rote: yeah
Pixeleen Mistral: would that be a DMCA thing?
Jose Rote: you can look if you like, the mailbox
Pixeleen Mistral: any other besides the mailbox?
Jose Rote: that was the only one I saw, but like I said, but I didn’t look that closely, at first I was worried that they used copybot, but once I saw they didn’t steal the scripts I left.
graffiti artists like John Edwards’ HQ
Mr. Rote’s concerns with his neighbor’s build seem to go beyond potential texture theft and he told me, “they forget to actually come up with a point or a statement. I mean, I’m glad they are involved in some kind of way, and bad activism is better than no activism again, but it seems that if they were going to go to such effort, they could have done something more useful.”
Will Mr. Rote spend less time cleaning on an island?
Conventional wisdom in Second Life suggests those who wish to import the real world into the metaverse are best served by tightly controlled private islands – particularly since many residents seem to prefer to separate second life and real life – and actively discourage RL incursions into their fantasy universe. This may be the source of some of the problems Mr. Rote is experiencing – the Edwards HQ is located on the mainland where diverse neighborhoods are the norm. On the other hand – what of the political symbolism of fleeing to the gated-community islands? Apparently Mr. Rote expects to flee the mainland soon.
Jose Rote: I believe the Sundance Film Festival has offered us some space on their island, so I need to move us over there, and now that we have over 150 members, we need to start building some leadership within the group
Pixeleen Mistral: the islands are sorta elitist though
Pixeleen Mistral: might want to think about the symbolism there
Jose Rote: yes, but for a campaign, we do need a degree of sterility, huffington (www.huffingtonpost.com) posted some RIDULOUS thing trying to claim that because there was an adult picture a SIM AWAY, that Edwards was somehow responsible
Jose Rote: and I recognise that John Edward people would think it is funny to say, throw penises or something childish
Pixeleen Mistral: I believe there were there were elephant scrotums and oil dereks involved last night
Pixeleen Mistral: I didn’t see that myself though
Jose Rote: so, unfortunately, we should go somewhere where we don’t have to put up with that silliness
Pixeleen Mistral: so you are trying to raise the level of discourse
Pixeleen Mistral: that makes sense
Pixeleen Mistral: So Jose – when do you think you will move to the islands?
Jose Rote: maybe a week?
Pixeleen Mistral: Any final words for the Herald readers?
Jose Rote: 
Vote Edwards!
Pixeleen Mistral: that fits
Pixeleen Mistral: good luck
Ink-stained Redaktisto Noble has volunteered to help out
While Mr. Rote continued his cleanup operations I ran into a virtual ink-stained wretch – SLNN editor Redaktisto Noble. Mr. Noble told me he is a volunteer for the Edwards campaign – which may shed some light on the slant of the SLNN Edwards coverage.
Next door, the goons were partying at their new home away from Baku and had a radio playing “Hey Ya” by the Outcast. As I watched them dancing I wondered if it is a good idea to put corporations and presidential politics in Second Life. Aren’t most residents here trying to get away from this sort of thing?
Are these potential RL politcal activists?
really?
Redaktisto Noble
Mar 1st, 2007
“Slant of the SLNN Edwards coverage”? We’ve run two articles on the topic, one factual from a few weeks ago that someone else wrote and I edited, and one opinion piece from yesterday that I neither wrote nor edited (we have three editors and I’m the only one involved in politics). The Herald, on the other hand, has run 4 articles about the Edwards campaign in the last 3 days. Not that I’m complaining, but the accusation against SLNN doesn’t quite make sense.
urizenus
Mar 1st, 2007
Redaktisto, *slant* doesn’t have to do with how much coverage but with playing favorites. The Herald has many articles on the Edwards in SL phenomenon, true, but each of our articles is a paradigm of impartiality. Indeed, it is a litmus test of being a Herald reporter that you never voted in any election anywhere, ever. Even in Junior High.
You know, reflecting on this makes me feel all hurt over that one reporter that gave the Herald a 1 out of 10 for impartiality and gave Adam Reuters a 10. Oh wait, I forgot, it was you. Well, don’t worry, maybe someday we too will come to see that corporate press releases are the sole repository of truth and on that day perhaps you will upgrade us from a 1 to an 8 or something. (And yes Adam, I know, that was a low blow, but the good will you got by buying me lunch has worn off — and next time I want dinner!)
jummy
Mar 1st, 2007
jose rote had me thinking that edwards supporters are humorless drama queens, and redakisto noble just confirmed it.
Redaktisto Noble
Mar 1st, 2007
I don’t know if it’s even worth saying that 1) SLNN hasn’t played favorites with any political candidates and 2) slant has just as much to do with how much you talk about something as what you say about it.
But Uri, you know I never meant to hurt you with my opinion piece on SL media. There, there.
Lukas
Mar 1st, 2007
Oh come on, “texture theft.” You can download those “textures” free on the internet (http://johnedwards.com/). Anybody with photoshop could whip out a copy in like 2 seconds. You cannot copyright red and blue stripes and a font choice. In case you haven’t noticed all campaign literature is the same, only the name and the number of red and blue stripes changes. Please tell me the rest of Edward’s supporters are more with it.
Please remember all, the purpose of copyright law is to *enable* you to use other people’s work legally, not prevent it.
jummy
Mar 1st, 2007
“1) SLNN hasn’t played favorites with any political candidates”
if that’s true, then why has slnn given so much more coverage to edwards than clinton?
oh yea, because slnn hasn’t set clinton up with an hq yet. as soon as slnn surts running the sl hq of clinton’s campaign, we’ll see slnn’s coverage ballance out.
Redaktisto Noble
Mar 1st, 2007
Jummy – umm, how ’bout because Clinton doesn’t have an SL HQ yet? A group of supporters recently started a group. We did, however, report on Obama’s group starting an HQ. When there’s something to report about the other candidates in SL, we will.
jummy
Mar 1st, 2007
no redaktisto, we understand that clinton doesn’t have an sl platform. edwards does because you, the editor of slnn, helped build and promote it.
in any case, what the public needs to know is when was the last time you were in contact with w-hat members previous to monday the 26th?
Hiro Pendragon
Mar 1st, 2007
The Secret Service’s job requires them to investigate any death threats for the President, but also Presidential candidates, however, silly or non-serious they seem to be. I hope they read of “Last one to die please turn out the lights” and start a file on the culprit.
Decomposing Monstre
Mar 1st, 2007
That’s funny. We all went to specific lengths to ensure that none of the textures were stolen, just recreated similarily. The only one I’m not sure about was the mailbox, and that was created by someone else. Sounds like you’re picking at straws.
Had Jose actually bothered to contact me I could have done something about it. But as usual he didn’t. I’ve IM’ed him a number of times and attempted to talk to him and give him advice on how to stop the graffitti (He still hasn’t turned autoreturn on), but he’s never replied. Real sense of humour that guy.
Vote Edward!
Prokofy Neva
Mar 1st, 2007
>none of the textures were stolen, just recreated similarily
*bursts out laughing*
Wayfinder Wishbringer
Mar 1st, 2007
I have to say, it’s a wonder to me that “texture theft” ever reached the headlines here. Is the Herald getting that deperate for articles?
Of all things on SL, textures are the absolutely easiest thing to “steal”. All it takes is zooming in on a flat surface, taking a snapshot and viola! “Stolen” texture.
I don’t condone theft of anything. In fact, I am probably one of the foremost people against theft on SL. But hey, reality is reality. Stolen textures? LOL
Decomposing Monstre
Mar 1st, 2007
/\ I have the PSD’s to prove it if you really want to go that far.
Petey
Mar 2nd, 2007
“As I watched them dancing I wondered if it is a good idea to put corporations and presidential politics in Second Life. Aren’t most residents here trying to get away from this sort of thing?”
Wow. We’ve actually reached the point where Pixeleen and I are making the same points.
I’m not sure who changed their opinion how, but damn, that was a shock.
Nacon
Mar 2nd, 2007
Is it me or everyone is actually getting their brainwashed by the media and the image of John Edward?
No no…. think about it.
I’m just standing over there…. way over there, totally not part of any idiotic crap going on here.
(In other words, good luck with that.)
Lewis Nerd
Mar 2nd, 2007
As one of the 50% or so – and rising – non US residents (yes, believe it or not, there is life beyone the East and West coast), count me under “couldn’t give a shit about US politics”.
Whichever candidate wins… the US will still go on invading countries for oil under the banner of ‘liberating the people’, and refusing to own up to their responsibility for global warming.
Thankfully none of *that* happens in SL. Yet.
Lewis
Misty McConachie
Mar 2nd, 2007
Actually Lewis according to the recent metrics released by LL Americans now only make up 31.19% of active residents in Second Life.
http://blog.secondlife.com/2007/02/09/state-of-the-virtual-world-%e2%80%93-key-metrics-january-2007/
Nacon
Mar 2nd, 2007
Yes, we all know everyone hates USA for a reason (keep reading).
So it doesn’t matter how many people in SL is not USA residents…. what really matters is that… 48% of USA residents with voting right… are pure IDIOTs. By the term of “idiot”, they have a I.Q. lower than 95.
And honestly… that’s not funny, that’s too many idiots with voting power. So that’s why people hate USA because too many IDIOTS voted the wrong guy. Yes… Bush is also an idiot for some odd reason too.
PS: before you think about flaming on me for what I said about USA, I am an American as well, I think I know what the fuck I’m talking about.
Wayfinder Wishbringer
Mar 2nd, 2007
(Wayfinder trying really, really hard to resist pointing out that Nacon likely isn’t in the other 52%. Trying really hard. Oops. Failed. LOL)
Sorry, couldn’t resist at all. XD
Economic Mip
Mar 2nd, 2007
Right, almost 30% Americans, which is why Katie Powers video about the politics in SL was so absurd to me. I IMed her about this in world, but doubt she will respond, or ever visit Second Life again. What the Edwards have against autoreturn I have no idea, nor why this is THREE STORIES IN A ROW all of the sudden. Less is more when it comes to Johnny’s campaign. Also do keep in mind that many in Second Life would be the Americans who never vote in their lives, so what exactly is this campaign trying to prove?
Rock Ramona
Mar 2nd, 2007
should have sent the fellow over to one of the gorean sims,sure theres some serious politicians and gentlemen there to help him out,i mean,he hired those 2 loser bloggers for his campaign,why not get the Goreans on board…wait……..thats it….im emailing Bill o Reily right now and tell him to do a story on the wonders of politics and Goreans…..no,i dont have a life…
Nacon
Mar 3rd, 2007
I don’t use “LOL” due to the fact people use it has their I.Q. less than 95, play again.
Economic Mip said: “so what exactly is this campaign trying to prove?”
1: To fuck LL and SL up.
2: Nothing, Katie failed to see any good, useful politics in SL.
3: Katie has fear of being raped in SL when she has to do another reports in SL, so she’s trying to take a stand.
4: Proves that SL doesn’t have good politic movements to look at.
5: Katie may have been raped digitally in most retarded way.
6: Was brainwashed by John Edward, to bring attention upon him, thus he can take an heroism act.
7: Any man can be young, sexy, and retarded to run a campaign.
8: Any idiot can make anyone get involved in a campaign.
9: Any News can be retarted enough to start a campaign.
10: No public is safe from a made up world where nothing actually happens.
11: There’s more than 48% of people in USA has I.Q. lower than 95.
12: CNN was covering more news than FOX News in the real world.
13: John Edward haven’t been watching FOX News yet.
14: No one cares about the mailbox
15: Goreans wasn’t good enough for a politic topic.
…who knows?
Bedevere Octagon
Mar 6th, 2007
Quote from Redaktisto Noble: … widely-read (and often excellent) SL-related blogs like Prokofy Neva’s “Second Thoughts” …
ROFL – blew your credability wad right there.