It's been a while since I wrote here, but I have a cause that has caught my attention...

A few weeks ago Darien Mason's human was banned from Second Life due to TSO infractions. The specific infraction was creating alts to be used as "community alts" to be used by a group of humans to further the role play and story lines.

I believe with all my heart that this was not done to cheat or take advantage of anyone, it was done to facilitate and further a wonderfully detailed and complex role play storyline.

If anyone knows Darien, you know that he is a nonstop story telling machine... committed to weaving a world that we all have in some way large or small taken part in. There was joy in his stories. There was fun. There was silliness. There was intrigue. There was community.

I ask that you all take a moment to log into the Second Life website and go to the support section (link found at the top of the screen right underneath the banner) and look for the "submit a ticket" and fill out the form. I have included the copy of my ticket to give you an idea of what you might like to say.

Thank you for your consideration, and hopefully joining me in getting Darien back on the grid with us.

Summary: Request to reconsider avatar banning

Ticket Type: Technical Issue

Technical issue: I've logged in, but there is a problem

Inworld Issue: Avatar

Did you check the Knowledge Base?: No, I did not check the Knowledge Base

Preferred Language: English

Details: Hello, I am writing to humbly request that Darien Mason's ban case be reopened and reconsidered. Darien Mason, while did in fact break the TSO, he has spent the last few weeks thinking about his actions and regrets them greatly. He is a HUGE part of the victorian steampunk roleplaying community, and his absence from Winterfell, Caledon, Steelhead, Steeltopia and New Babbage has left a hole in all of our lives. I beg you to at least talk to Darian Mason (darien.mason@gmail.com ) to get a feel for his sincerity and reconsider his banning... Please allow him (not his alts) back onto the grid. Thank you for your consideration - Miss Serra Anansi of Winterfell

*heaves a heavy sigh* Just saw this video on my friend Gabrielle Riel's blog Songs from The Nightingale

Quote from Gabi's blog: This stunning machinima "AWOL", was created by Lyric Lundquist. She says that Bettina's post on "SL is Killing Me" perfectly explains what she is portraying here.



I have always know that there was SL burn out, I have been fighting it for just over a year now. I can't deny that there are still glimmers and streaks of joy for me in SL, but there area also shadows and fissures of disappointment and defeat as well. I am lucky to have a small but very diverse and supportive network of people keeping me going.

To those of you who keep me going, you know who you are, thank you from the bottom of my heart. I can't promise that I can keep going for ever, but with your help, I will do my best not to let you down.

Well gosh then its time to give thanks to all of you who have held my hand when I was sad, giggled at me when I was being a goof, stood up for me when I was the victim, cheered for me when I was successful and rooted me on when I was ready to quit.

It’s been a wacky year, which I will recap in my New Years post…. But for today, I want to thank you all for sharing your second life with me!!

Much Love,
Miss Serra

I read Wildstars blog today and was over come with tears. He wrote of guardian angels:


there are moments when one feels lonely, sad, lost, miserable. there are these moments ... no way to avoid them

yet, if you looks carefully, these are the moments when you notice them most: they can look very different: rich and poor, wise and fools, nobles and commoners, princesses and clerics, humans and elfs, nekos and fairies, vampires and mermaids, shy and naughty

they act in very different ways: with a message or an email, a call or a smile, a comment, a pat on the shoulder or they offer their shouder. They do not let you sink, they force you on your feet, they make you talk, they make you vent, they make you come out of your hideouts, and doing so you are lost no more

I have so often felt lost and alone where all I wanted to do was crawl into a dark hole and never come out. I think we all have these moments in life, but then someone comes and offers your their hand to help you up out of that hole and reminds you that you are safe and loved and needed.

So I want to take a moment to thank my guardian angels, my friends and loved ones and sometimes even the occasional stranger. Thank you for all the times when you have helped me out of the shadows. I will never forget those moments of kindness and I will always be there with a hand, a shoulder and a firm word of encouragement for you as well.

I love you all.