Decorum Forum - Etiquette for Second Life

Words by Captain Paul Creighton

DEAR CAPTAIN: Is it OK to wear tails to a black tie event?  -AL DRESSED UP

DEAR AL: Absolutely not.  Tails should only be worn with white tie.  White tie is inappropriate for a black tie event.  White tie is the more formal option and it is always incorrect to select a style of dress more formal than suggested or required.  Doing so tells the host or hostess that he or she has chosen the wrong level of formality for their event.

            For gentlemen, white tie consists of, at its most basic, the tail coat along with a white tie.  If outdoors, a top hat should be worn.  White gloves are usually expected.  On the other hand, black tie consists of, again at its most basic, a dinner jacket and black tie.

            It would be unusual for someone to be able to afford a white tie ensemble and not be able to afford a black tie ensemble.  Remember, as a respectful guest, you should comply with the wishes of your host or hostess.  If black tie is “required,” then show up in black tie or respectfully decline the invitation.  If black tie is “suggested” or “requested,” then show up in black tie if you own it or can easily afford it.  If you cannot easily afford it, then a dark suit, preferably black, is acceptable.  Those are really your only options.

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DEAR CAPTAIN: My partner, Abbo, says that I should remove my invisible attachments when we go shopping or dancing.  It's really a pain to find everything in inventory to reattach everything later.  What's the harm if they're invisible?  I think she is just being silly.  Am I right?-SENTIMENTALLY ATTACHED

DEAR SEN: Your partner is correct.  When you go out in public, you should remove unnecessary attachments.  That goes for everything, invisible or not.  The scripting alone will lag a venue even with a small crowd.  Remember, even if something is “invisible” every viewer within draw distance of the object will still render it and load the textures.  You're eating up a lot of bandwidth for essentially nothing, since the attachment is invisible to all of those other residents.  You're also slowing down teleports and sim crossings for yourself.

     Considering all the resources you're using, you should make some effort to reduce this for those around you.  The good news is, it takes almost no effort.  You can arrange your attachments in folders or as specific outfits.  Then you can add or remove these attachments easily.  If you're not sure how this works, look in the documentation for the viewer that you use or ask someone.  It really is just a few simple clicks and you can quickly wear or take off many attachments at one time.  You will make your Second Life so much better by making teleports and border crossings more reliable, as well as improving the experience of those around you who will not be hampered by needless lag or required to load textures that they will never see.

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CONFIDENTIAL TO PAULINE ON GOLDEN SHORES:  Thanks for everything.

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Note of the Editor: 
Dear Reader, if you have a dilemma, you can always "Ask the Captain”, we promise to keep your identity and anyone else mentioned in the letter completely anonymous.