Tag: unexpected

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The meaning of Second Life

Games are games, even OpenWorld games have a beginning and End game and most importantly progress, levelling up and LOOT.  It’s been years since I logged into my Second Life, the new Terms of Service are simple and clear enough.

1.3 Your User Content is not confidential; You represent that your Content is original to you (and/or your minor child).

Well, I could not be bothered to install the viewer to see how my Avatar looked after all these year but for the most part my Second Life is dead.  I have little or no impulse to be online all the time and could easily get live on a cruise ship with slow latent satellite internet at sea.

In a few short weeks, I’ll be experiencing a new level that scares the crap out of me – Hong Kong.

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When was the last time you felt needed $$$$?

The formula for an emotional exploit has been around for centuries and is still pretty effective. 

  • Basic step-up question: Do you Love me? 
  • Basic exploit question: Can you send me some money?
  • Decision 1: Say No and expect the “You don’t really Love me ” comment
  • Decision 2: Say Yes and know that you are betraying yourself as a sucker

The strategy to just to create time pressured confused and emotional conflict. This makes it tough for the target to make a rational decision, in fact the wrong decision will often seem like the absolbute right and justified thing to do.

Exploiters with finesse blend their attack with subtle time pressure and set-up friendly history and established heartfelt trust where they have actually given money to the target.

Honey trap or tasty treat?
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7 Days offline

I observed the ultimate demonstration of digital dependence as an amazingly high number of end users gripped tightly to their mobile device despite high latency expensive satellite internet or no connection at all.

80% of their Apps probably failed but the camera functions still made it feasible to carry their digital brick to beaches, waterfalls, swimming pools, to the dinner table or watching an iguana.

Being off-the-grid is only enjoyable if you actually expect and plan for it. Even basic tasks like typing a letter suddenly become a big deal if you rely on cloud solutions.

Observed behaviour

  1. Feeling dumber without a search engine
  2. Frustration with limited access to your data
  3. Feeling alone without access to voice services
  4. Panicky feelings without access to banking

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/cryptic

It’s been a couple of months since checking on my OMNI mining account and oh no, their SSL certificate is invalid.

If a Crypto company cannot deal with a simple Secure sockets layer (SSL) certificate for their own website then it’s time to worry.

I contacted my sponsor….too be continue.

….turns out the provider just set up a new domain, lawd knows why but it’s up and running.  My crypto mining balance is still crap though.

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Easy to buy, hard to ditch (30 min+ wait time)

Strategically, providers make it inconvenient to leave their service.  I was on hold for over 30 mins to my current provider to get a Porting Authorization Code (PAC).  Naturally, this triggers feelings of anxiety and annoyance.

Similarities to being trapped in a marriage even when the emotional bond is broken, the legal side is like a gun to the head.

Even if relationships had a “do not enter” sign we would still dive headlong into Love oblivious of the dangers we are putting ourselves in.

Love you to Death