So, instead of sorry this time, I want to say thank you. In the past three or four days, I have been touched by many of your comments. It's definitely made me a stronger person inside knowing that I have loving and loyal friends here to help me out whenever they can :). I just wanted to let you guys know how grateful I am to have you guys. Really, I couldn't ask for better readers!! I used to always think that my blog was going nowhere, and that it would continuously go nowhere. In the past month, however, that has changed. People have come to realize and actually like me and my blog. So I just wanted to say thanks to all you guys! :D
OH! I almost forgot! I'm going to be holding a contest for all my truly awesome wizards fans! I still haven't decided on how exactly I'm going to run the contest, but hey, it's gonna happen. I WAS going to throw in the new $40 gift card, but I'm gifting that to my friend, Paige Whisper, today!!!! :D!!! I'm soooooooo excited to give it to her. It's going to be awesome!!!! But yeah, It'll probably just be your choice of a Manta Ray or a Sea Turtle or any other item 7,500 crowns or less in the crowns shop that is gift-able. as to other prizes; I don't know yet. One will probably be a wizardblox code. As for a second prize, I don't know. Maybe a $10 giftcard (that would have to wait for a while; I'm running short on the bucks ;) ).
Anywho, so yeah, I also have a bonus topic today that I thought was very inriching sent to me by Blaze DeathCaster, one of my best readers!:
I've had an idea for a discussion item or blog post that I've started a few times but never been able to pull together right. It always seems to drift off in the wrong direction. Given the topic, it might make sense (and be fun!) to do some kind of collaboration with you on it rather than trying to solo it. See what you think.
Here's the idea: In the spiral, we make friends in a unique atmosphere. For the most part, we don't judge people on their age, their appearance, religion, or race because we're all avatars that look pretty similar. Gender still plays a role, I think, and text chat vs. mute can be an influence as well. But for the most part, we judge and make friends based on people's behavior. We like people who share blades, traps, and heals or who pass to let others get in one good hit before the end of a battle. We appreciate it when people stick around to help us "defeat and collect" more whatever, even though they've already got what they needed for the quest. And of course good manners are always appreciated, like asking before porting or joining a battle, or not outstaying your welcome at someone's house. There's something special about a world like that, where people are judged almost solely on how they behave toward others. And as an extension of this, friends are made that would otherwise not be. You and I are a good example. Outside of the spiral, how likely are middle and high school students to be friends with adults. Sure, kids may be friends with neighbors and friends of their parents, but the friendships in the spiral seem different. I think we approach each other as equals since our avatars all look the same age and this makes for more balanced friendships. Of course, some might question this and be concerned about adults making friends with kids online. I'm sure there are some very real concerns there, but we should still acknowledge and try to make the most of the unique opportunity the spiral provides to make friends we otherwise wouldn't. We should also try to take the lesson from this to the real world and try harder to judge people on their actions and behavior, not their appearance, age, etc. Well, what do you think? I'm pretty sure there's a strong discussion or blog topic in there. Actually, that bit above came out better than some of my previous attempts. Anyway, I'd be curious to get your perspective on this. If it strikes a chord with you, maybe we can collaborate on it. Blaze
So, what do I think about kids making friendships with adults?
Personally, I think this aspect of the game is great. I many of the statements stated by you are very legitimate, and I certainly do agree. I love the whole judgement concept you described. I love making friendships with people that are all different ages thatn me. For example, a good friend of mine by the name of Keira DreamWraith is and adult with a child who is a few years younger than me. One reason I am for this is because I can talk to her about things. These adults can provide experienced advice and help with real life problems.
However, it can cause some problems. I had one incident, when I have an adult wizard's phone number, and we would text each other some times. One time, my sister stole my phone, and asked "Who are you?" The adult wizard got mad, because they thought I was trying to get real life information. When I got the phone back, I explained the situation, however, it just created another issue; why didn't my whole family know I was talking to this adult wizard. In the end, everything turned out ok, thankfully. We are very good friends to this day. However, this can get to be a very sticky situation.
Anyway, that's pretty much it for today. Be sure to check back tomorrow for the contest!!!!
P.D.
