#40 30/3/2022 - Crush - Jellyhead

Community discussion is intended for discussion about this community. About the forum specifically, but also things related to the wider web revival community.

Chat and Forum Games is a social space for chatting casually, social discussions not related to the internet, posting silly topics and sharing your real life ^^

EDIT: I updated the descriptions to make that a lil more clear!

It's interesting you ask, because I have been doing a lot of thinking about this!

Ooo thanks for answering my question, your reply gives me many thoughts

I agree, this app kinda caught me off guard; before now I was only thinking about metaverses in big overview terms, but seeing it working on the ground in the real world with normal people on it is a different matter.

I would still argue that virtual clothes are not important, virtual expression is important; the clothes are just the proxy that expression happens through (it could be something else); BUT that's getting a bit esoteric because for most people clothes ARE the best possible expression.

DUDE you spent $16 on it! I spent $2 and I was like "Oh I better keep this a secret or ill be judged" Although I did spent A LOT on in-game clothes in Puzzle Pirates when I was younger so I learned my lesson back then. ALTHOUGH someone I follow posted a screenshot with like 2500 gems, that must be worth over $200....

I remember having a heated conversation with my VERY LEFT WING cousin where I tried to explain that money is necessary to act as a speed break on society to stop itself burning out too fast (They did not agree with me). In game worlds where things move even faster I think that's even more the case; if they just gave you all the clothes for free, I think (possibly) it would be overwhelming and a bit boring. You neeedd a speed break, and money (although deeply imperfect) is the best speed break we have invented so far. The alternative is an economy of creativity (like neocities), where you have to make things in order to express yourself BUT people don't like that as much because it requires much more effort, and favors people with existing skill and free time.

THAT SAID, the dress up aspect of Zep is a lot like the dress up aspect of Animal Crossing, and AC has no IPAs (It just uses its own simulated in-game money that you earn in-game only), so even if you need money, you don't need IPAs (Although you do need some way to fund your virtual world, if there's one thing people also hate its subscriptions). Government's could fund virtual worlds and then we could remove all payments, BUT that depends on having a good government that wont abuse it (And one that wont drown it in so much bureaucracy that it would not keep up with the paid ones)

I think your last comment about having more clothes in a virtual world than reality is the most important part. Its ALL about being more than you can be in reality, that's what makes it fun. Its about being larger than life, a high roller and a bigwig in your own fantasy space. Its about the joy of being greedy! I think greed is part of human nature, so its good to have an outlet for it that is (at least mostly) non destructive to the world. At the same time though, greed will always create more greed, so greed focused games will always be made by greedy companies.

All that said, I still really enjoy Zep! Im not sure what that means; I don't think I'm wrong when I see its issues, but I think maybe being right does not matter so much? Can a metaverse be fun and not be greedy? Could MTV have happened without the record companies? Can a shopping mall exist without the shops? I honestly don't know how to face this with the ideals of the web revival, but I know we need to figure out a way, soon

Then, my uni went back to in-person classes. I had so many people to talk to, so many tasks to do, a place to physically drive to everyday - and my enthusiasm for completing Sky's "daily tasks" and watching my virtual character hug my friends' virtual characters waned. A lot.

Feeling my love for a world which once brought me so much joy wither away like falling leaves was honestly heartbreaking.

Ooph I know the feeling, I remember having my birthday in April 2020 on Animal Crossing with all the lil villagers and it was such a sweet happy event. I don't think I even bothered to log in 2021, and I feel really sad about that. That kind of emotional reaction to virtual spaces is kinda scary because its totally genuine, its a real and valid emotion for you; but its also SUPER easy for companies that create these worlds to abuse it.

creators who make custom items for the app have to purchase their own creations

Iv been meaning to look into this, I was thinking it would be cool if you could earn in game gems from selling items and maybe open your own lil store.

I feel so STARVED for a good virtual world

Ooph I know! I want to make one myself, but making VWs is actually SUPER HARD! I think something that makes this app feel alive (verses older services like SecondLife) is that most of the people on there are teens, it feels relevant in a way that older worlds don't.

Even if there was like a really basic app with JUST that, like TikTok or Twitch for virtual selves? I think that would be amazing!!

This is an interesting idea.. I suppose in my mind "real" social media, is a bit like branding or monetization, it feels like it has real world implications, and that takes the fun out of it being pretend. BUT that's a kinda weird perspective from me Ill admit.

ALSO Im very jealous you used the pout pose effectively! I tried using it a bunch of times and it looks really creepy with my avi

Stomp away! Im sure you know how nice it is to get feedback about things, even if its unhappy feedback, it always makes my day to have something to fix. These are good suggestions, I always fight with the editor and I dont know why I didnt think of changing it

add height to textbox on posts (this one im typing in) (maybe expand it just a few hundred px? I know you can resize it yourself also)

Made the minimum height 500px, that's about 2x bigger in my browser.

make text in post textbox larger so it's easier to read, it's kind of tiny and hard to see aaaaaa

The text should now be 11pt instead of 9pt!

a way to resize images in posts? (i couldn't find a method that works, apologies if I missed it!!)

You can do [img width=100] - there is a bbcode help tab in the footer, but I can see how this is confusing to those who don't use forums often, so Ill think about how to improve it!

also itd be neat if clicking on 'melonland forum' took you home as well

The logo will now take you home!

Cache clearing may be needed for changes to appear!

Hi Corvid, welcome!! (If anyone has a cool crow emote Ill add it)

I wish I had known about the HTML side of neopets when I was on it as a kid! I have gotten into websites a lot sooner :omg:k: And I agree, branding things sucks the joy out of creation, I think its a big issue with the world today. I'm glad you're here though and hope you have a very pleasant time! Also a dragon!!? Oooph its be a good few years for frogs and lizards.

@Sadness - I'm curious (since you're the only other person on this forum whos been hooked on Zepeto recently) does Zepeto count as a metaverse in your mind, and how (if at all) has using it changed your opinion on this topic?

EDIT: For those who missed it I made a post about Zepeto here!

The reorganization is now complete! Lemmy feel free to ask any questions or add any more comments though!
Also I moved many topics, if I moved your topic and you think I got it wrong, feel free to move it yourself! (Scroll to the bottom of the first page of the topic and find the move button at the end!)

#39 27/3/2022 - Kim Wilde - Kids In America [PopFidelity Allstars Remix]

Zepeto!

Zepeto is like this kinda metaverse-ish game/social media platform from Korea (I think the same company that makes the hugely popular Line Chat in Japan) here is my profile:



Also here is a video of me and some yesterweb people in a car: https://gweb.zepeto.i:ha:user/post/432319483?sc=S2ZNI3

I think whats interesting is, I reeaaallly enjoy this platform! Using it feels like how the internet first felt when I was like 14, and Iv been trying to figure out why that is. A big reason its fun is that its almost like a parody of social media, its crammed with micro transactions, it feels like the worst possible world that social media could create but somehow that honesty makes it endearing.

I think more than that though is the kind of creativity it offers; it lets you be yourself but not yourself, like your a parody of yourself pretending to be someone else pretending to be a social media star. It gives you weird poses, weird looks, weird backgrounds and cloths and music to dance too; in the process it forces you to create something you never otherwise would. The upshot is that it weirdly succeeds at creating another reality and another you; its a reality that feels like 1980s mall; vapid, vibrant and silly, but somehow incredibility iconic.

I'm not sure if it will last, if Ill be sick of it by next week; but this week Iv found it really inspiring, and its make me hopeful again that technology and the modern web can and will be fun in the future; it also makes me believe that the hybrid of modern technology, and web revival chaos and aesthetics will become something very cool.

I see these are good suggestions! I think the idea with off topic is that its for things that don't relate to the forums overall theme, but I do agree its a bit confusing here.

Also your always welcome to suggest categories! Also also thanks for spotting that regular members cant move topics, I have added that permission so you should now be able to move your own topics freely.

A revised plan based on your feedback! - Let me know how this feels for you all.

So we are a few months into the forum now and Iv been reviewing how its working out and if anything needs to be changed.

I'm mainly looking at the categories, particularly the ones with lots of posts and not many posts.

3D Modeling has only 4 topics, so it prob needs to be merged into another category. While Internet and Web has 37 topics, so it might need to be split into new categories.

Do people think off topic is working? That maybe could be split into interests like Anime/Comics, Graphic Design and Social threads.

So here is what I'm thinking:

• New category - Website Making (Dedicated to topics about making websites)
• New category - Anime & Comics
• New category - Graphic Design (For topics like pan & scan)
• New category - Social Club (Possibly? Not sure about this one - for topics like What drinks have you've been drinking as of lately?)
• Rename category - Internet and Website Discussion to Internet Discussion
• Rename category - Art to Art & 3D Modeling

I would prob move the existing 3D Worlds topics to the links and showcase section? Not sure about that 100%

So in angel's welcome topic there was a mention of fashion, and I commented that I find web design a lot like fashion design.

Iv been thinking about that some more because this video popped up in my YouTube feed:

Iv always found fashion interesting, but at the same time Im not interested in wearing fashion items, or in making them, or in buying them or in following their trends; Iv just always been interested in the cultural idea of fashion.

Clothing is at its heart a purely utilitarian thing, it exists to keep us warm and safe from the elements; there is no particular need to turn it into an artform, yet people do. Im aware people do this with other things like furniture or architecture, but there's something more personal about cloths and more universal.

You can project that onto websites too; websites are utilitarian, they exist to supply some information; there is no need to turn them into an artform, and yet we do; also to set the record strait, if you don't think of your site as art, but do try to style and customize it, then it is art. Likewise a website is very personal, and it gets more personal the more you do with it.

Both industries of fashion and webdesign suffer from the same things too. Both try to convince you that you don't have the skill or ability to learn how to make your own, and that you should pay a professional to do it for you. I don't plan to start making my own fashion items, but not everyone plans to make their own websites.

From what Iv seen though, the kinds of people who make their own websites, also tend to like to customize other parts of their lives. I think there might be a snowball effect to it, where once you start to define one aspect of yourself you start wanting to define more.

But I'm still drawn back to the idea that webdesign and fashion are extremely close and perhaps can learn from each other; they have unique styles related to their era, they have patterns and premade templates that help you create them, minor choices within them can say a huge amount about your personality.

Some big questions that I have are, why is designer fashion a huge industry, and why is designer webdesign almost forgotten? Why does fashion accept colour and intense designs, when webdesign is so dead set on minimalism? Why do we limit our personal expression online to be created by UX engineers when we (as humans) are so interested in the art of expressing ourselves physically.

I have no answers here, but I think its an interesting discussion and Id love to hear your thoughts on it!

Hi, welcome to the forum honestly I can relate to not having posted on forums before, their big down side is that you have to make an account which is a pain, but I'm glad you took the time!

Wii Sports.. might possibly be one of the most influential games of all time? Possibly, it was definitely and incredible moment when suddenly it pulled so many non gamers into a game space. I look forward to hearing your analysis

#38 24/3/2022 - Marianne Faithfull (written by Bob Dylan) - It's All over Now Baby Blue