my whole world rests on those tiny wings

So nearly a year ago, I wrote something which mentioned the General Data Protection Regulation, or GDPR. Jack wrote again--yes, that Jack--and told me that while referring to the official (at least, I thought official) GDPR link, but he told me he'd written a sort of "beginner's primer" to the GDPR. So, fine, I'm linking that, but I still don't think that goes far enough. Where in all of what was said on that 'beginner' link involves Article 11 and Article 13, which are, I thought, the deeply concerning sections? Or is that something else entirely, and I am misremembering what the GDPR is?

In the meantime, this was from a while back (I think during 2018's very hot summer), but I still think it's worth covering. Also, you should know, while this is anonymized as to actual people, I'm leaving in references to the estate, so...astute readers will be able to line up initials. Sorry about that, but...anyway.

[21:09] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: peeks in
[21:09] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: a little bit of (non Caledon) news, just as a public service
[21:09] Exxxxxx Yxxxxxxx pokes [Dxx] in the nose
[21:09] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: [Axxxxxx] tipped me off on this
[21:09] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: hey [Exxx]!
[21:10] Exxxxxx Yxxxxxxx: Hiya, Gov!
[21:10] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: turns out, Inworldz is in a bit of a struggle, they had paypal issues apparently
[21:10] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: InworldZ is closing
[21:10] Sxxxxx Gxxxxxx: there's been a lot of older accounts getting hacked and sending out phishing links to a bunch of random groups lately.

I'm not sure whether Mm. [Sxxxxx] was talking about InWorldz or here, but considering it's a huuuuge problem here, it probably was a problem there, too.

[21:10] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: for those who don't know, they are, well, they are trying to fight the closing is the last tidbit I heard
[21:10] Exxxxxx Yxxxxxxx: oof

Last I heard was that they had closed, I haven't heard anything since.

[21:10] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: that's on SL, [Sxxxxx]?
[21:10] Sxxxxx Gxxxxxx: yessir.
[21:11] Sxxxxx Gxxxxxx: seen it happen in 3 separate groups already
[21:11] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: wow.
[21:11] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: sad.
[21:11] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: anyway, long story short about inworldz, i know a LOT of Caledon people have land there
[21:11] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: and it may be 'make or break' for them in the next... I dunno, short period of time
[21:12] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: I do respect what they are doing there, considered it myself once (private grid) and would love to see them survive.
[21:12] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: long read
[21:12] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: if I remember correctly, that's what happened when they used paypal
[21:13] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: most of you know that I'm militantly 'anti paypal' even when tier is late by a resident
[21:13] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: this, precisely, is why
[21:13] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: well it was a loan company that they had been using then
[21:13] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yes
[21:13] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: as I understand it, paypal bought that company
[21:13] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: the loan company got taken up by paypal
[21:14] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i've dealt with paypal as a (RL) merchant, credit card processor
[21:14] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: they are not to be trusted

I would tend to agree, but for people on my level of transactions, they're kind of the only game in town, so...I deal with the dysfunction.

[21:14] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: then things changed, imagine that
[21:15] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yah, basically even the tiniest mistake or dispute goes in paypal's favour, as, guess who keeps your money when it gets 'locked up'?
[21:15] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: remember something, Pay-Pal started off great BUT then got eaten up by Ebay, uhoh, then Ebay spat it out
[21:16] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: and oddly it produced a lot of super rich people too
[21:16] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: so that tells me a lot of money was diverted
[21:16] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: so it is ebay tainted
[21:16] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i dont use them much, don't know
[21:17] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: I only use them to make small direct payments
[21:17] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: anyway, my main point I guess, the owner of inworldz is telling people to 'dispute' her or something so people can get their money out of paypal

Didn't hear if this worked, either. Personally, I don't think it did.

[21:17] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: if I understand it correctly
[21:18] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: probably best to check whatever the latest is, but, basically, there are people with 100's and 1000's invested in any online community
[21:18] Emilly Orr: So, with what you're saying, people will file disputes against the Inworldz owner, and if PayPal decides not to proceed, PayPal will keep the funds?
[21:19] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: let me check what the owner(?) of inworldz says about this, it's not my fight
[21:19] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: sec I'll get a link
[21:19] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: Paypal has a lien on Inworldz
[21:20] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i'm not sure what their current strategy is
[21:20] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: they aren't either
[21:20] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: just have to wait for more news
[21:21] Emilly Orr: Great.
[21:21] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: one thing I have perspective on, over 12 years...
[21:21] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: is that if the communities start dying out, it's bad for all the remaining ones.
[21:21] Emilly Orr nods
[21:22] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: there was a time (not these days tho!) I probably could have made a difference in something like this
[21:23] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: it's not uncommon, or at least it wasn't, for estates to kinda help each other out here and there
[21:24] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: for instance, Mr [Txxx] taking on Babbage basically saved the community (yes I know there were some others who would also have, of course)

There were, yes, but the plain fact was, Babbage as a sim was going to go away. There were several people who wanted it saved, and the owner was willing to sell, but had there not been that support, Babbage would have evaporated into digital mist, like so many other former realms.

[21:24] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the other reason I'm mentioning this, sometimes, there are benefactors who can easily make a difference, who are online here
[21:25] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: in any case, the more buzz they get, the better chance they have at inworldz.
[21:27] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: if there's any demand for it, I can talk about Caledon + personal situation if anyone wants to hear (main summary, we are fine)
[21:28] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: hears crickets, so I'll let everyone get back to their evening :)
[21:28] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: Ahhh. Read the post from there this morning. Sounded like there wasn't any viability problem until the lender created one. Just the relatively common business practice of using short term loans to average out short term expense / income fluctuations.
[21:29] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: (Rubs his wings together)
[21:29] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: Hi [Dxx] :) I'd like to hear what you have to say on Caledon, and I'm very glad to hear that we are doing fine :)
[21:29] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: hai :)
[21:30] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: Hey :)
[21:30] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: tries to summarise... basically, I've not been on enough, which is partly why our occupancy is a bit lower than I'd like, even though we are still quite ok
[21:31] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the plan is as follows: go around, be on more, keep updating commonwealth stuff, then re appraise where it's all at
[21:31] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: if occupancy is still falling off, I may have to make adjustments, but, eh. I'm so busy with RL biz, it's essentially cheaper for me to let a couple regions worth of land be open
[21:32] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: Always good to do an assessment, yes :) Provided RL cooperates (we all know that comes first)
[21:32] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: costs more time to adjust regions, than it's worth, and we are still in the black by some margin
[21:32] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: yay :)
[21:33] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: what's going on: biz is still in demand as ever, and, i'm in the process of buying a house RL, trying to figure out which one to make an offer on 

He has since bought the house, though the patches of disconnect from the grid is still happening. He's doing what he can, but as he said, his RL consulting comes first, and has to. I think we all understand that.

[21:33] Txxxx Txxxxxxxxx: Don't let the Cat Girls distract you! You may miss the fine print.
[21:33] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: Oh congratulations!
[21:33] Txxxx Txxxxxxxxx: xD
[21:33] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: meaning, I'm packing up the current house, and it's over 100F outside all day, and not a lot cooler at night
[21:33] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: fine print? meow....
[21:34] Txxxx Txxxxxxxxx: xD Congrats. I just moved in 91 degree heat. I share the wealth. Hah.
[21:34] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i'm not leaving OC, which is complifying things of course
[21:34] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yah way too hot for this.
[21:34] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: we have a famously bad real estate market
[21:35] Txxxx Txxxxxxxxx: I probably couldn't afford a house there as a teacher unless I sold a kidney.
[21:35] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: anyway that's the gist of it all, plus, I took a day for myself yesterday... went surfing at Trails
[21:36] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yah it's a nasty market here... sigh. but, i've already got a house here so it's more of a trade kinda
[21:36] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: is bone tired as the waves had serrrrious power at trails
[21:37] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: not even that big, but wow what a push, i think it's the south swell
[21:37] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: which is why i wasnt on yesterday
[21:37] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: Good that you got some relaxation time, though :)
[21:37] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: that, and the classic 'yep i missed a few sunscreen spots' dorky tan
[21:37] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: Ouch.
[21:38] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the plan is to stay alive a bit longer if possible, through cardio :)
[21:38] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: :D
[21:38] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yah remember the ah, the 'bad guy' in the Avatar movie with the blue people?
[21:38] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: WHICH ONE?
[21:38] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: he had claw marks on his face kinda?
[21:38] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the... heh yea
[21:38] Cxxxxxx Fxxxxxxx: oh that one
[21:38] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the really aggressive one
[21:39] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: well guess what happens if you sorta forget to finish one side of your face...
[21:39] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: oopsie.
[21:39] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: you get a sunburn pattern like that.
[21:40] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i'm sort of a walking ad for Monster energy drink :(

Could be worse.

[21:40] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: awwww, ouch
[21:40] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: I hope you have some aloe
[21:40] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i do
[21:41] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i feel guilty taking leaves off it tho
[21:41] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: awesome then, the burned skin really drinks that up :)
[21:41] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: it's not the plant's fault i was stupid
[21:41] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yes :)
[21:41] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: they grow back, think of it like getting a hair cut for the plant :)
[21:41] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: aloe has strangely thick leafs
[21:41] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: yups
[21:41] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i feel bad, it's not like just picking off a maple leaf
[21:42] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: dew eet
[21:42] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: hehe
[21:42] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: :D
[21:42] Emilly Orr: It'll grow back. Succulents are forgiving.
[21:42] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: then you got to slice it up to get the goup to come out
[21:42] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i've been abusing this one for a long time
[21:42] Emilly Orr: Or split the leaf. Either way works.
[21:43] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: it's probably screaming to the Avatar spiritual thingie by now, and pointing a finger at me
[21:44] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: lol
[21:45] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: I'd chance it, sunburn on my Irish skin is no joke :)
[21:45] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: yah it doesn't take long... and this was down by the san onofre nuclear reactor
[21:46] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: yikes
[21:46] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i have thought of an art project I'd like to do, if ever I became an artist
[21:46] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: what's that?
[21:46] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the san onofre power plant has a very distinctive appearance
[21:46] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: lol yes it does lol
[21:46] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: let me find a picture...
[21:46] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: I know it well
[21:47] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: that's for anyone who has never seen it
[21:47] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: heh
[21:48] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: it's a verrry distinctive shape.
[21:48] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: my art project would be as follows:
[21:48] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: quite a landmark
[21:48] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: two VERY LARGE cloth triangles, one covering each dome.
[21:49] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i would leave it to the viewer's interpretation
[21:49] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx chuckles
[21:50] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: not stretched too tightly, and absolutely covering the tops.
[21:50] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: A coat of paint wouldn't hurt either.
[21:50] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: heh
[21:50] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: i'd call it: Welcome To California
[21:50] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: T-shirt triangles with a bit of padding?
[21:51] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: the domes would supply all the padding necessary
[21:53] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: The title is great :)
[21:53] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: Something one actually could do in augmented reality..
[21:53] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: indeed! looks balefully at his old project computer for that.
[21:57] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: (deals with a RL distraction) ~ I've got to log, but by all means, if anyone can gather help for Inworldz, spread the word.
[21:57] Zxxxx Exxxxxxx: Take care, [Dxx]
[21:57] Dxxxxxx Sxxxx: ^^
[21:57] Wxxxxxxxx Jxxxxxxx: Journey well.

That was it, and I probably left in too much beyond the actual InWorldz coverage, but hey. For what it's worth, there you go. If anyone knows anything else, let me know.

now we got problems, and I don’t think we can solve them

Just heard some tragic news. Got a notecard when I logged onto the grid this eve, entitled "MK and Cherub Update". For those who don't know, they've been running Octoberville largely out of pocket all these years. Here's the text:

Hello everyone,

We have some very unfortunate news to share with everyone. Yesterday (1/7), MK and Cherub’s real life apartment caught fire. Due to the fire, smoke and water damage they have lost almost everything. They have given permission for us to share their PayPal account info with anyone that is willing to help our favorite Octoberville creators out. They are able to use any funds donated to PayPal for their immediate needs. The PayPal account is [ And I'm making this a non-clickable link for a reason, but just copy this addy, and then click the PayPal link, it should work? jac quel in ew al ton@ho tma il.c om ].

Stay tuned for more info. Thank you for any assistance that you can provide.

Let's hope they get back on their feet soon.

In other news, Nintendo is releasing some phone cases for Breath of the Wild, Splatoon and...I forget the other game. Another game. They are really, really pretty, and fairly subdued overall. Guess they're now realizing their fanbase has grown up, and still likes game tie-ins. Good for us. (The only down side? Right now, they're only available in Japan.)

In more depressing news, lootboxen have come to SL, which means we now have hackers and "gold farmers" playing with hacked funds for the ultrarares and the boxes, then selling them--somewhere--for cash. That's not only vile, that's really irritating.

Another manifestation of that was good enough to fool me the first time I saw it:

[12:27] Kevin985: hey nice avatar...im new to this game and saved 238 of those linden things from a contest and camping...im trying to get this skin/shape combo for 700...i feel bad for asking but can you please lend me 462 so i can get it?...if not thats fine too...just seems nobody wants to help me out
[12:28] Emilly Orr: Well, mostly because we're taught these are generally scams. However, there are still places that offer camping for Lindens, and you can search for Linden trees, and hit those once a day. And you could search under employment, see if there's something you're good at you could turn into a salary.

They're complete bot accounts. I feel pretty foolish that I thought I was actually talking to a human behind the screen. Live and learn.

Last thing for this short entry--has Rezology on the Marketplace been hacked? Because it sure looks that way.

I'm always in the twilight, in the shadow of your heart

I never, ever, ever want to see this. That said, the concept of a Watchmen prequel comic isn't automatically a bad one; it's just that--as with so many other mythic concepts--getting it wrong is a higher likelihood than getting it right. It likely won't be Sailor Daleks wrong, but the potential's definitely there.

Kotaku, on another front entirely, weighs in on the official review of Minecraft, now that it's in open release. Yes, Minecraft is finally out of beta, and unfortunately, the general reaction has been--it was better in beta, Notch. Which is never where a game designer wants their game. Hopefully--since Notch has stepped down as CEO and lead of Mojang--Jens will listen to the game's fans, and maybe work towards improvements.

Still, what are people complaining about? Well, this for instance. Also this. And these two. And another door glitch. (Though to be fair, this is less a bug, and more a feature...) And almost countless others, including things that work in SP, but not in SMP (basically, single-player versus multi-player).

Generally, the impression is not that people are tired of Minecraft now that it's no longer 'experimental'. (Or even 'independent', by at least traditional definitions.) But many are saying--and I'd say I'm among them--that some of these bugs were reversals of earlier bug fixes, and, more to the point, should have all been fixed before leaving beta.

The Walktopus is going to be a reality! In bronze, no less. Larger-than-life sculpted version, yes. (I keep thinking I've linked this, but then I remember, I haven't updated the Train Wreck to anything in December yet...)

And I want to talk about the double-dozen hours' war between Regretsy and PayPal. To bring everyone up to speed who doesn't know: Regretsy, in addition to being a repository for pointless, surreal and bizarre Etsy crafts (and makers), has also come up with several innovative ideas to get necessary funds to people that need them--including children, the poor, and those in hospitals and hospices.

The latest round was a mini-fund to support two hundred deserving families in poverty, to help them with actual financial donations (to pay bills or pay rent), as well as buy toys to give to the children of these families. (That's covered in this entry, by the way, and also touched on in greater depth by the Green Geek Girl.)

So what went wrong? PayPal did. Both by deciding--spuriously, as it turns out--that Ms. Winchell was rooking vast numbers of unaware donators, but also, by deciding on a whim that their vague internal policies didn't matter if they decided they didn't.

And, as a result--at least, a couple days' back--killing the entire charitable effort, because PayPal not only froze Ms. Winchell's business PayPal account, but also her personal account, which has never been used for any of her charitable efforts on behalf of Regretsy.

There was outcry. There was a great deal of outcry. People on Twitter freaked out. People on Tumblr freaked out. The Consumerist blog published a long list of every single PayPal contact address they could find.

Then PayPal posted an official statement, which is still--slowly--filtering through to the screaming mobs hungry for PayPal's blood. But to be absolutely fair to both sides, all of this could have been avoided if they'd have had more concrete, less flimsy and vague policies established in the first place.

Now, at this point, PayPal's made their own donation to the needy families, as well as refunding seized funds from both her established PayPal accounts (which is severely after the fact, as she'd already refunded, on her own, more than two thousand dollars' donated to the charitable effort). I suppose it's a case of all's well that ends well, but as Ms. Winchell puts it, "We see the erosion of customer care in every sector. No one knows your name. No one makes eye contact. No one thanks you [...] And Paypal forgets your fees are attached to people who are trying to make a living, or facilitate something good for other people."

She's absolutely right.

Finally, Discovery's long-running and highly popular show, Mythbusters, has been placed on indefinite hold while an investigation is conducted on what exactly launched a seven-hundred pound cannon through a house and a car, and could have (five minutes before or after--seriously killed or injured people. I don't think Discovery (or parent company ABC) will find them at fault, but it's a scary, scary brush with an almost-disaster.

Hopefully, more later. Still severely disenchanted with SL. Trying to work through it.