First we have those that are far to kind and giving for their own good, and I adore them for their bravery of putting themselves out there. There are those designers, every day bloggers, residents, clubbers, shopping addicts (which could be any of the others too, someone stop the shopping!) photographers, the list goes on and on. These people are here to truly make friends and enjoy SL to its fullest, without partaking (willingly, that is) in the massive amount of shenanigans or otherwise negative aspects of SL. Sometimes they are pulled in, often times for simply doing something they thought was good, only to be insulted and treated like they had ulterior motives, and they get left behind in the dust of drama. Oh noes, I said the D word. Heaven help me now!

Second, we have those that are here to be what they probably wouldn't in RL, yet they find a massive outlet for it here in SL. Rude, abrasive, cruel, gossip whores, rumor mongering individuals who often times seem to have nothing else going on so they need to get involved in everything. Everything, that most times has nothing at all to do with them. I have to wonder, what is there to gain by that? What does one get out of being cruel to others, to tearing them down in order to feel better about themselves? About being 'feared' and fooling themselves into think this fear is respect by the community, because I can promise you...it isn't. Knowing that people wont speak against you because they don't want you to turn on them is not respect. Knowing that the same people are discussing your actions and know of you, yet don't really know you does not make you a SLebrity (most ridiculous word in the SLorld, tyvm). Having friends that are willing to jump on the bandwagon with you just to build up themselves or their business, isn't a real friendship either. I have no idea why these people survive so long in SL, or why the community lets them even, other than the fear of being their next victim, but they marvel at their power here and abuse it (and other people) daily. I don't understand it because I treat everyone as I would want to be treated, was cursed by being raised that way. Even when someone does something that I should stick up for myself about, I stay in the background and still refuse to say or do things that might hurt someone because I value peoples emotions. Perhaps, more than I should?

Third, there are the people somewhere in the middle ground. Those that are some of the most amazing people I have ever come to meet, but are stuck being frustrated and fighting against the hypocrites and the fiasco that the second group causes. These are the people that can come out and try to defend the first group, by doing things that don't even come close to measuring up to the cruelty or abrasiveness of the second group and yet somehow be ripped to shreds for it. They are the ones that come in and point out 'hey, you are ripping person A up for defending themselves against person B who just did far worse than you are accusing person A of' and then they, as person C gets the brunt of the seconds group amazing amount of anger and cruelty. Even better, because of the fear they have instilled in others, they can do whatever they want, no matter how mean, only to be supported by their groupies. By default, in case its confusing, the groupies become classified as the second group. They could easily be the first, but by supporting and being cruel in the ways of the second, they fall in line. Followers that also flip between the second and third group, depending on where it benefits them the most. Ok even I am getting confused at this point...

Um, did I insult someone? I am by no means pointing fingers here. If you see yourself in one of those groups, then it isn't by my hand but your own, though I do think there is a fourth group, that would be the people that have *no* idea that this community in SL even exists. Oh, to be that fourth group again! So no, I am not here to tell anyone what they are or are not, I am just simply sharing some of my observations as a fly on the SL wall for years now. I have always stuck to my own small group within the community (ok its just word of the day now, use it in a sentance too, its fun =P) and have been really happy that way, as a person who lingers between the first and third group. These are also the people I surround myself with, even though some might even think one or two should be classified as the second group. I can honestly say, without any doubt or fear of saying so, they would be wrong. Amazingly, I don't have a single person that is truly close to me or that I love that I would ever consider of that group.