Sooo.. how you all been? Let me tell you, I've seen better days. I guess all the flak over the Crap Shoes has finally caught up with me. Sometimes my first reaction is to stand up and fight, because that's what everyone expects of me. Even my mother, who calls SL StupidLife and thinks I have better things to do (like what? Pick my nose?) thought I handled it pretty well. Literally hundreds of people stood up for me, told me they thought it was wrong. Many of them posted publicly for everyone, including the author of the secret to see. No one said "Yeah your stuff is crap". Even one of the people who put the secret up there said I handled it "like a champ".
I have google analytics on my blog. I think it's fun to see the things that people search for and get my blog. So I'm browsing the searches, I see someone hated me enough to google Rowan Carroll Sucks. I don't think I've ever been incredibly nasty to anyone in SL. I've never done something without being provoked. Even when provoked, I tend to find a funny or interesting way to deal with it. I guess Rowan Carroll Sucks was a second punch to the gut after the Crap Shoes.
How do other designers deal with this kind of thing? Maybe the question is better stated.. Why do people feel the neeeeed to do nasty shit to people they don't even know? I've hated people, but I've never been publicly bitchy about it. I've never searched for "Soanso Smith Sucks". I've never personally tried to ruin someone's business by posting for the world to see that I feel BAD for their customers.
Feel BAD for my customers. I think that irked me more than telling me my stuff was crap. I mean.. rip on ME all you want. Yeah yeah yeah.. I make crap. Big whoop. But you feel bad for the people who DON'T agree with you? What kind of arrogance is that? People who think differently than me are worth only my pity. You, secret maker, must have a VERY high horse. I hope you have a business. I hope you make creations in world. I don't feel BAD for your customers. I envy them, they are able to look past the incredible arrogance of the designer and see the items for what they are.
Next time you feel like bad mouthing someone's in world creations, take a minute and think about it. Can you do better? What do you think the person who puts their creativity, their heart, their soul into this work, would feel about you commenting? Creative criticism is totally different than just saying "sucks". I like the style but I feel it could be better executed. The design is fab, but I would like a different color.
Think about that fact that most of the designers in game, aren't doing this so we can live in mansions and take gold baths. Most of us barely eek by and do it because we love it. We've been copybotted, ripped, stolen from, gouged by malls, cheated by people, lied to, and lord knows what else.
To quote Dennis Miller "That's just my opinion, I could be wrong."
Monday, August 18, 2008
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15 comments:
Maybe I'm weird but honestly when I first read that I thought the author meant all creations in SL. I mean we are all buying nothing right? "Does anyone actually buy this crap?" From someone who hates SL, for whatever reason, your shoes may have been an easy google image search to represent SL content as a whole.
So the answer is, yeah, we do spend money on crap that is really nothing but bits, and my bank account cries just as much as anyone with any hobby. At least the content creators get their hobby subsidized and buying nothing, ie crap, is not so bad.
On the other hand, maybe it was written by a sour competitor. In which case, sucks to be them that sales are so bad they have to hate on you like that. In either case you win with exposure.
If you keep spending your time building and they waste their time tearing down, you will always be on top. :)
I think your shoes are funny and creative. Yhey're not my style, so I won't wear them but I always love to see what incredible ideas people come up with! Fortunatly there's enough to find in SL for every taste and every budget.
Please don't let people like this get you down, let you creativity flow and keep making fun things. I realy think diversity is important!
Have a lot of fun creating!!
hun, if I got discouraged at all the criticism I've taken over the years I'd never create anything. Think on this as a learning experience, and improve. Seriously, shrug it off, the person who posted that is a mean spirited soul who doesn't deserve another moment of your time or thoughts. Your shoes are cute and amusing and fun and SL needs people like you to give it balance from all the "serious" fashion business. You will never please everyone, you have to do what makes you happy. The best way to get back at them is to keep doing what you are doing!! *hug*
Dear Rowan, you ask why people can be so mean spirited, nasty and insulting in SL - its mostly because these kinds of people consider this to be a game, and have no sensitivity whatsoever to anyone else. I am sooooo tired of hearing SL referred to as a game, nowhere is this word "game" mentioned on the SL website, yet too many use that excuse as a cop out to act out their worst fantasies, including rudeness just for the hell of it.
For those reading this, SL is a virtual environment, not a game. It never was a game and never will be. Too many businesses are here doing business and making money, employing people in a professional manner, utilising the extraordinary opportunities this environment offers.
So Rowan, after all this rambling, my advice is to ignore the lazy unimaginative people here that feel that their only contribution is unfounded criticism. You are doing just fine :)
People sometimes have horrible filthy souls. Or are hideously bored and unhappy with their lives so they hide behind a virtual identity and take their bored unhappiness out on other people with glee. Don't let them affect the pleasure you get from artistic expression/creation.
"There's only one rule that I know of, babies—God damn it, you've got to be kind." - Kurt Vonnegut.
I think the best way is just to ignore it. I know that sucks as a reply but truly, if you focus on it much too long, you just keep digging and digging a hole.
I try to think that for every really nasty person, I have hundreds that replace them with nice, wonderful comments. Those people are kind, gentle and loyal - and usually funny as hell and great personalities.
I could spend the day smiling because of what one of them said - or spend a week rolling in a hateful and nasty comment.
I enjoy what I do, I am thrilled that other people get to enjoy that ..and ultimately, at the end of the day - they don't *have* to be there, they don't *have* to buy my shit...but if they feel they *have* to take a moment to bring someone down, then they're probably already more sad and miserable than I could ever make them!
Rowan - you have my support. People are mean - that's all there is to it. The is no rhyme or reason to it - it just is. Please don't take haughty criticism too personally and know that there are those of us who appreciate what you do.
Rovan, ignore any poopers. .P
You do what you do, they do what they do. Do your stuff as good as you can do, then no one can't complain. THEY (the poopers) did seemingly not their best, they just ranted. .P
*hugs* Rowan yeah that was really really mean. You are very good at what you do, and it makes people smile. Keep your chin up girl and you keep doing what you do which is the best way to give that person the finger. And when all the hugs and love and encouragement isn't feeling like quite enough, remember that Karma has a tendency to bite right in the coochie.
Sweetie want to leave you a lil quote a girlfriend gave to me..(who doesn't even use SL) after listening to me tell her about a similar situation.
*gonna blot of the potty word but Im sure you can fill in the blanks ;)*
Why give people the satisfaction of letting them get the best of you, when you clearly already know that they envy and want to be you. You should feel bad they they are pathetic to want to live their lives through your downfall. People who are too weak to follow their own dreams and will find every way possiable to try and discourage yours. It's a natural thing,dont curse it,bless it,because these pathetic mother****** encourage my conceit. Nicole Richie
You have unmistakeable talent honey..hold your head up and don't let anyone let you think different..
<3
points up..
my comment
I was signed in
really I was..
*flutters eyelashes*
I've bought quite a lot of your crap, I like your crap! It's creative and fun. I think the secret snob is just jealous they can't make crap as good as you and choose a nice anonymous chicken shit way of expressing that. Do what you do for you, don't worry about the people who have nothing better to do than hate.
The math is simple:
Negative comments: 1
Positive comments: 100+!
Don't give the lone negative comment more weight than it deserves. Don't ever give someone the permission to make you feel like crap.
It is obvious that a lot of people do appreciate your creations and even more importantly, that you enjoy creating them! That's what counts.
So, don't waste your precious time and energy worrying about meanies when you could instead be spending that time making more fun shoes for the rest of us!
Be who you are and say what you feel, because those who mind don't matter and those who matter don't mind. ~Dr. Seuss
i want to comment because rowan, i remember when you first were starting you gave me a very cute pair of shoes with goldfish in them, i admired your creativity and even wanted to help you out i believe. i remember thinking to myself, "this girl is cool and creative".
what bothers me is, not ALL if even MOST content creators in SL are "professional or trained" artists, modelers, builders, scripters, etc... we're in a world that gives us tool to make things, some of us for the VERY FIRST TIME!!!
some of us do it for fun, others for biz, others for a hobby or whatever.
it saddens me to see people's stuff ripped apart. of course one can say, "ok she does not make things as well as xxxxx does," or "her skill set is not as advances as so and so's"
but to say it's crap is just "crappy".
i feel bad for you and wish there was some magic thing to say.
SL is a platform where one can run a full on business and be a trained professional in modeling and create much better looking things than a user who teaches themselves, has fun, etc. (not sure which you are rowan)
but im guessing more the latter. but my point is...
IT'S YOUR SL, YOURS... IF YOU WANT TO MAKE SHOES THAT ONLY YOUR MOTHER WOULD BUY THEN DO IT!!! IF YOU WANT TO MAKE THE GREATEST SHOES EVER CREATED IN THE METAVERSE, FINE, DO IT!!! IT'S YOUR SL..
i for one am very thankful for this platorm. i didn't have much training in what i do and im thankful there is a place i can try whatever i want.
i applaud you rowan, and i hope you keep up the good work, and just know that often ppl dont think before they speak (ignorance) OR they wanted to hurt you (mean spirited) and either way, keep making what's in your heart to do... ppl will always say something, and spread rumors, and believe them, and not give your feelings much consideration.
stay close to your friends and lean on them... im sure you have many and i hope you are ok, keep your head up!
xoxo,
caLLie
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