Every Second Man

Exclusive Interview with the Flatterbot Scam Artist

The Mind Behind the Scam

To many in SL, the scenario is frustratingly familiar.

You TP to a new location, usually a shop, and immediately your IM box is flashing. A woman, having complimented you on your wonderful avatar, is spinning a yarn that has it all: anger, betrayal, heartbreak, jealousy and Linden poverty. Eventually, you must choose between putting your hand in your pocket and helping this poor waif get back on her feet, or brushing yourself down and walking on.

Of course, there is no woman. You’ve been speaking to a bot that churns out a scripted sob story. And if you did put your hand in your pocket, you’ve just been scammed.

These bots have become the plague of SL. Signs have been put up warning about them, notices flash up in local chat exhorting the public to be aware of their wiles, and whole blogs have been started, dedicated to tracking down these bots and the person or persons controlling them.

Now, Every Second Man brings you an exclusive interview with the person that claims to be behind this entire operation. Speaking to ESM using the bot Nanyea, an insight is provided both into the workings of the scam and mindset behind it.

The Interview

B: Thank you agreeing to this interview, Nanyea.» View author and full post…

10 Gift Ideas When Buying for the Women of SL

BLAISE BUYS FOR HARPER

I find this time of year bloody stressful, and a large part of that is buying gifts, RL and SL. What’s worse is having friends like Harper Beresford. What on Earth can I buy for the Queen of Second Life that she doesn’t already have, has already seen or has already been given by someone else? Of course, we all encounter this problem to a larger or lesser degree, and it was funny when chatting with Harper that she had thought the same about buying for me. So … it was agreed … we would buy each other a positively generous ten gifts, five in SL and five in RL, and we would write a post on what we were buying and why we had made that choice.

You can read Harper’s gift choice for lucky me by clicking here.

As for me, I hope that both Harper and you enjoy my choices. Perhaps some of the ideas will help you choose some nice presents for the women in your Second Life. If we stick together, men of SL, we can get through this seemingly interminable time of year with our wives’, girlfriends’ and lady friends’ respect intact.» View author and full post…

Light My Fire

You know that it would be untrue

You know that I would be a liar

If I was to say to you

Girl, we couldn’t get much higher

Come on baby, light my fire

Come on baby, light my fire

Try to set the night on fire » View author and full post…

Intolerable Fashion: Top 5 Worst Male Trends in SL Today

SEXY AND WE KNOW IT

“For bad taste to flourish, the good need only say nothing …”

Meet Gavin – the sum of all I hate.

Since starting Every Second Man a mere three months or so ago, I’ve only written about things I like. Not that everything I like is perfect, of course, and not that everything I’ve chosen not to blog has been stuff I positively dislike. However, there is a lot out there that I do positively dislike; stuff that makes me grumble, huff and puff and wonder at the youth of today; stuff that makes me feel old and cranky and out of touch.

It was while bemoaning such delightful trends as the ankle knickers with my blogging companion Harper Beresford that I hit upon the idea of writing a ‘Top 5′ list, but a cautionary list that documents the very worst fashion trends in SL at the moment. It’s subjective, it’s biased and (from looking over the pictures) it’s a horror show. Harper has compiled her list (which you can read by clicking here) and you can now read my Top 5 list here, counting up to the very worst. Set your throats to gag and your stomachs to churned: this is ESM’s Top 5 Worst Male Trends in SL.

#5: Talentless Tanks & Tedious Tees

Now, let’s be clear that I have nothing against tank tops or tee shirts per se.» View author and full post…