Op/Ed: Prokofy the Communist?
by Alphaville Herald on 31/05/09 at 2:23 pm
Diversionary tactics nurture collectivism
by Matt Cvetic
Recently introduced to the celebrity Prokofy Neva's blog, a great curiosity arose in me. For the uninitiated, Prokofy is a prolific and controversial Second Life blogger. Her contribution to the public discourse is to claim anyone and everyone who captures her notice is a communist, a collectivist, a left-bent hippie, or any of a thousand entries from her well-worn Red Thesaurus.
Prokofy bears no burden of proof. Instead, it's up to the accused to prove otherwise. Anyone who attempts self-defense or disagrees is a crypto-communist or a hypocritical communist. Evidence contradicting Prokofy's assertions doesn't weaken the assertion. Instead, it impunes the character of the accused.
Prokofy delivers it all in a loquacious stream of consciousness. Judging by the caustic nastiness that comes with it, this stream wends its way through sewage and brine. For one example of many, visit her blog and read her mockery of the physical appearance of a popular SL fashionista blogger. In Prokofy's mind, once her argument has lost all merit, personal insult remains on the table.
The question that tickled the back of my mind was: why? What would drive Prokofy to raise such a stink? Why is she constantly on the attack? Could she really see such a thick march of furred hats and pointed beards? Was Second Life already lost to the reds? Had a New Kremlin somehow escaped all others' notice? It's silly on the face of it, and yet she continues to obsess. Maybe this was a diversionary tactic. Was there something we weren't meant to see?
There it lay, hidden in plain sight. Prokofy isn't trying to identify communists at all. She's trying to prevent others from identifying communist tendencies. Perhaps even to make the very idea of identifying or discussing collectivism a laughable endeavor. If she were trying to create fertile and uncontested ground in which collectivism could grow, she couldn't do better. It seemed absurd at first. I crossed the idea from my list of possibilities unexamined and only returned when nothing else made sense. Then, I took a look at the facts.
the politics of personal destruction
Prokofy, in her post on philosophy, states that she studied in Soviet Russia. In Leningrad. Studying journalism, of all trades. That's a curious start. Given the ideological limitations of the school staff under Soviet rule, there is no question as to what she was taught to write. As a Soviet Journalist, we can anticipate the tactics she was taught to use in her writing as well. Diversionary tactics and the politics of personal destruction would permeate the curriculum. As a foreign student, she would have been shown nothing but the best that communism could offer. Her perception of communism would be viciously tilted, and for the entirety of her stay, the message would be this: personalities are expendable in service of the greater good.
Our next observation is this: Prokofy's harshest attacks are reserved for businessmen. These include vivisection of businessmen operating in Second Life, and attacks undermining the businessmen who run Second Life. Again, look at Prokofy's poisonous words for the departing CFO of Linden Labs. But what has she to say of the Soviet role play areas in Second Life? What of the communes, easily found in search? Prokofy hasn't a word to spare. Those who speak and act in communism's favor don't raise her ire.
Further, Prokofy makes it impossible to hold a meaningful discussion about property in Second Life. When such a discussion arises, Prokofy dives in as if in a panic. She cranks up the vitriol and drowns the underlying discussion. It becomes the verbal equivalent of a slapstick puppet show. Regardless of position, any who speak are batted down noisily and humorously. The underlying story is forgotten for the outrageous fighting. A Google search for Prokofy and "CMT" or "Copy Mod Transfer" delivers volume after volume of a long-winded Punch and Judy show.
Prokofy's utopian commune
Now, consider the most curious reality of all. Given the opportunity to manage land in Second Life, to take complete ownership of property issues, the opportunity to prove out her stated beliefs, what approach does Prokofy use? What form does Prokofy's utopia take?
Land management is a well-established business in Second Life, and with that comes a standard ownership model. The model used by virtually every land manager is one of buying an estate, and of ceding ownership of portions of that estate. The tenant purchases the land for a nominal fee and pays tier. The land is set in the tenant's name, fully under his control for as long as he pays his tier. The estate manager is the government, and the land owner is just that: a land owner.
Prokofy takes a different approach. A commune is Prokofy's utopia. Prokofy insists that no tenant is allowed to own his own parcel. All land is communally owned. Tenants are not given the controls to prevent others from entering their land. They can't put their name in the owner field. they aren't even given preferential access to the build tools. Indeed the Ravenglass Rentals group, apparently named for an English region that long resisted democratic rule, is set to allow anyone to join. Go ahead and try. Land ownership is optional. No person is denied membership to the party.
Even the cost of doing business is laid on the community, not the businesswoman running the show. Search for the "Ravenglass Rentals" group, read the description, and there you find it. Properties are listed in search, and the search listing cost is charged to the group. The commune shares the tab. Changing this would be as easy as changing one group role box, but Prokofy declines. On one of her rants against others, Prokofy would readily liken this to 1940s communists co-opting American labor unions. It was common for them to excise obligatory union dues in support of activities promoting the party.
Why use a griefer-friendly business model?
The model is a failure, of course. Griefers exploit the building and ownership model mercilessly. Indeed, Prokofy trolls for these reactions, as if invested in some degree of failure. She uses every online venue available to her to fish for hatred and persecutory reactions. She posts her business identity to each to guarantee a link back to her land holdings. Deliberately exposing her business is curious is in a realm where anonymity or second identities are the norm.
As the failures mount, few tenants stay long. No old users can be found on Prokofy's land apart from those who have joined her tiny clique through unquestioning fealty or by never venturing to use independent judgment. The intelligent tenants realize they are paying a premium price, that more control and property ownership can be had for a lower cost on an estate. The thinkers leave. By some margin, only the empty-minded and the ideologically compatible tenants remain. Prokofy successfully retains those most susceptible to collectivist influence, yet she broadcasts the appearance of failure.
When communism failed, where did communists put the blame? It was never the person holding communist positions who failed. No, the failure was a weapon used against the money bags who run the show. Of course, the proposed solution was always to cede more power and influence to the ones running collectives. The same pattern repeats in Prokofy's hands. It's a play lifted off the first page of the Soviet playbook. As low as Prokofy has set the bar for Crying Red, we ought to see the entirety of The Soviet Ballet leaping and dancing over the top. We're reenacting the creation of a Soviet empire in a virtual world. Yet somehow this never comes up in the blogs until today. Why? Because a certain blogger became the defacto arbiter of All Things Collectivist.
There you have it – and what a curious construct it is. This is why we are reminded never to question a folly, but only to ask what it has accomplished. If we follow the evidence, the suggestion is overwhelming: Prokofy is reliving her school days. She's created and now protects a home for her misty watercolor memories, painted in Red.
Teddy Ruxpin Kennedy
Jun 4th, 2009
“I can neither place her as left-wing, right-wing, or Libertarian-minded. I would strike her as crypto-Authoritarian; changing her views whenever it suits her because she has no view other than ‘I am right’.”
That pretty much sums it up. I’ve felt similarly for years now.
Many people are still trying to figure her out, but I think it is as simple as you put it above – an unending thirst to be right, and I will add – to be important, at least in her own mind.
The stuff about her rentals was off-base and really only served to stain what was otherwise a very well thought out and accurate piece (in my opinion, of course). After witnessing Prok’s behavior for several years – since she first came to SL, I agree with most of what you have written.
At0m0 Beerbaum
Jun 5th, 2009
I often wonder, does prok intentionally say the names wrong in an attempt to troll, (and thus a griefer!
) or say them wrong to avoid disclosure (hey, LL leaves this one wide fucking open) or is it because prok is a bumbling old fool?
Also, I like how this article is written much like one of prok’s blogs. 7/10 — nice subtle trolling.
Luke Termagant
Jun 5th, 2009
Robert: America is in the mess not because of the failure of the free market but because of neverending interventions of the big nose governments. Minimaly since Hoover U.S. governments have done everything to prevent free market forces from proper functioning. Instead of keeping an eye on the rules of the game, they have been corrupted by international banking cartel.
Absolutely irrelevant who was in the White House – Democrats or Republicans – ignorants and traitors. Obama is just another carefully incubated puppet working for international banksters and much more dangerous than Bush was. He even learned how to use NLP in his speeches – refreshing upgrade. Give it a year and you will see how America and the World will like fake Obama.
Gauge Laville
Jun 5th, 2009
A thorough deconstruction of someone who takes themselves far too seriously.
*applauds*
Borkofy Neva
Jun 6th, 2009
Zeere-a is nutheeng thet ungers und fexes ixtremeests mure-a thun a system thet is nut ixtreme-a — Leneen cuoold get mure-a ixespereted et suceeel demucrets, mure-a leeberel thun hees suceeelism/cummooneesm, thun he-a vuoold munercheests und fesceests.
Thet’s vhy zee Hereld elt heejecking zee neme-a ooff a reel heesturicel feegoore-a cun becume-a su incensed et my ceefil und demucreteec rentels cummooneety veet a foo seemple-a levs, thet efueed zee ooppresseefe-a ixtremes ooff oozeer oopshuns in SL.
Ooff cuoorse-a yuoo efueed zee bed ixpereeence-a ooff islund froods vhee yuoo hefe-a zee oopshun tu pey oonly a veek eheed, *und get a reffoond*, dooh. Thet’s hoo meeenlund rentels vurk in must ceses — reffoond veet a smell cuncelleshun fee-a.
Es fur Termegunt, vhu ixturted iferyune-a oon zee greed veet hees ugly ed ferms unteel LL poot heem oooot ooff booseeness, he-a is perpetreteeng meesinffurmeshun here-a.
Zee ugly red hemmer & seeckle-a perched oofer zee seem ooff Refengless — a symbul ooff zee messecre-a ooff meelliuns — is nut oon my lund. I vuoold nefer hust sooch un ebumeeneshun.
Zee symbul is oon zee lund ooff Scutt Detreetoos, vhu is a Gureun veepuns deeler, member ooff Vuudboory, und greeeffer, und zee oobject ves creeted by heem tu heress me-a und my tenunts.
Fur oozeer fects reffooteeng zee noomeruoos ignurunt irrurs und pueents ooff beees in thees erteecle-a, see-a my blug. My gruoop rentels is ixectly zee seme-a es hoondreds ooff oozeer meeenlund rentels booseenesses thet eren’t ettecked here-a. Must peuple-a dun’t gu effter zeeur neeeghbuoors’ lund in a gruoop, becoose-a zeere-a ere-a checks egeeenst sooch behefeeur (ifeecshun, ixpusoore-a). In zee feefe-a yeers I’fe-a roon thees booseeness, I’fe-a hed zee surt ooff nesty terrur-furmeeng thet zee b/terds und Vuudboory du deesgooised es tenunts ixectly tveece-a. Greeeffing is ooferrepurted oon zee Hereld — it’s nut zee center ooff grefeety, und zeere-a ere-a iesy tuuls tu deesmiss zee feeoo, zee preems, und zee efeters.
Zee Leendens ooooght tu feeoo zee Sufeeet symbul veet zee seme-a repoognunce-a thet zeey feeoo Nezee inseegnia, boot zeey ere-a leeke-a ell Vestern leeberels in thet regerd, und feeoo cummooneesm es merely a guud idea thet ves nefer implemented pruperly. Zeey eeem tu feex thet ooff cuoorse-a.
BTV, zee Hereld shuoold ceese-a preenting inffurmeshun ebuoot me-a und my booseeness thet it knoos tu be-a felse-a, und vheech herm me-a metereeelly. Vhet’s guud inuoogh fur zee Ilectreec Sheep Cumpuny shuoold be-a guud inuoogh fur me-a.
Prokofy
Jun 8th, 2009
Where the rubber meets the road, Teddy Ruxpin has it dead on above. It’s about being right, and nothing else. Past that, it’s roleplay. The red baiting is a troll for reactions. Nothing more. Keep in mind that Prokofy roleplays a revolutionary reporter. To feed that fantasy, she needs strong reactions she can turn into pretend persecution.
Just look how she equates a JIRA ban with a death sentence. She did the same thing when she was banned from the blogs. She did the same thing when she was banned from the forums, too. She will do the same thing when she gets herself banned from the wiki. That will be for insulting people, just like the other three. Prokofy’s player is wet with the fantasy of pretending she has a big and powerful enemy. She’s secure in knowing the enemy never actually does the scary things she attributes to them.
So in the end, Prokofy is using faux persecution to feed a sex fantasy with her imaginary character. That’s why she will never stop.
The Lindens are running a business where Prokofy is no different than the angsty Gorean or the babyfur who can’t keep fantasy in check long enough to speak straight. That’s why they will never ban her. She’s just like the other kids who can’t or won’t contain their fantasy life. They probably find her funny, which is fine by her.
vargas cleanslate
Jun 8th, 2009
for prok to be a communist, she’d have to actually understand what communism is. while she claims to have been educated in the former soviet union, it sure seems like her idea of communism was largely formed by repeated viewings of red dawn. that being said, way to stoop to her level; i thought most folks got tired of playing “spot the commie” after joe mcccarthy.
neva say neva
Jun 9th, 2009
Real Russian or Fake russian? Real schizophrenic or RP schizophrenic? I think its all just the abberant behaviour of someone trying to make a RL living off of bit-diddling avatars in Second Life. Trying to pay the RL bills by renting virtual houses and virtual property in a collapsing game world. You would expect the bullshit to get pretty deep around a situation like that. I am afraid though that the day is coming where they will have to hoist their lazy ass out of their computer chair and get a real job where they have to keep their mouth shut and do what the boss says. Oh the humanity…
Prokofy
Jun 9th, 2009
Interesting, neva say neva.
If someone wants to write a REAL story, check out Prokofy’s tax liabilities. Anshe and others pay VAT to Linden Labs directly. But that doesn’t happen for Prokofy in the US.
With like ten sims resold for around $150US markup per sim, Prokofy is probably pulling $18k a year. Someone should do some research on her holdings and then interview her. Counting her tenants and surveying her parcel is easy. Just join her rental group.
So, how is she paying? Does that income count as capital appreciation or what? What sort of business paperwork was required, and what kind of entity did she create? Or is she paying at all?
Adric Antfarm
Jun 10th, 2009
Wow. Step away for a few days.
Yes, this @ system is dumb and you have to know it. Find software with a “reply” feature. I’m opting out of it. Live with it.
Next, the RL comment was regarding a rather nasty running battle between this site and another that culminated in the posting of an unflattering RL picture. It also resulted in a hot one, but that doesn’t cancel it out.
“Retarded” is sort of out of use by the way by those with common sense, but to each his one. I hope you never have someone in your family with developmental issues.
I do agree our system is going to a hybrid socialist/capitalistic model at this point but it’s not that simple. I find affirmative action offensive but when you have a business that has engaged in old (white) boy network hiring practices for years it is called for to make things right. In the same respect, Wall Street, Bankers, etc – engaged in horrible practices that require the rules be changed. I would of liked to see fewer get bailed out and more in handcuffs, but such is life. Had this of come out of the blue – yes I would oppose it, but to deny the system failed and needs to be changed is the road to the third world. One day I hope to open my 401k quarterly statement without finding retirement is farther away.
Based on a few dumb postings of mine you seem to have made a profile of me that I am sorry to say is off on some items (but not bad on a few). The big thing is I cannot put my hate of Rush into words. I just cannot. Has his large pill popping ass visited our troops fighting the war he so loves once? Colbert is playing the part and somehow makes it there. I honestly don’t do talk radio. Sorry to disappoint you. I switch back between Olberman/O’Reliy at night to hear the insane polar opposites of the same story for a bit and end up on CNN. Maddow I like. Beck makes me scared.
As for the war itself, when someone can explain to why we invaded Iraq resulting in me loosing friends I will reconsider my current view it’s morally shady for the largest holder of WMDs to attack another country for their nonexistent stockpile of such.
I imagine you miss the target on your picture of my views of the hot button issues as well given my support of all to marry whoever they wish, strapping nuts who cap those who provide reproductive services to woman down for lethal injection, and not seeing a ton of harm in weed. You would of been correct on guns and the rest I guess but would never get my FSM religious afflicaiton.
I blame our (me and one or several of you fucksticks) conflict on a few things. You being a fucking twat for one. Me being a prick second. Mostly however, my service and geographic location means I come from a different world than you. I’ve not made near the assumptions of you however but I imagine you have your own slanted view on that and causation, but we should be able to agree it’s you being a twat mostly.
Oh and what the fuck is this “you should consider toning the rhetoric down a notch”. Don’t you ever fucking assume for a second you have to right to control the words of another. I would put on my uniform again today (would it fit) and fight for your right to be a misinformed twat spouting incorrectly assumptions and other idiot-speak. I don’t come to your place of work and smack the dicks our of your mouth.
This is a comment area. If you dislike my words, reply or hit the road bitch. Shutting me up would require a ban of sorts which is kind of lame, but the site owner’s right.
May his noodly appendages bless you. Twat.
Ivanov
Apr 17th, 2010
I really think you are overthinking the whole Prokofy thing. It is like the British tabloid industry – post some crazy stuff and people will read it.
In the case of Prokofy, he uses lots of google ads to capitalize on visitors eyeballs. Nothing more. He probably believes that shit in the blog as much as you or I do, but it’s really unimportant if people are paying to read it.