Response to SCD: Yes, we should.

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The following text is something we always tried to avoid. Since Tenshi Vielle decided to attack us no longer only on her plurk timeline but also on her Blog “Shopping Cart Disco”, we decided to react.

It seems to be part of the SCD policy to use internal information and to publish IM logs. We never did that in the past even when Tenshi Vielle and her friends started the first attacks. It was our conviction that we keep personal issues on a private level and don’t take them to the public and never to attack someone’s business on the basis of personal differences.

But we will do it now.

Ofelia Laval is not only our closest friend on the grid but also an experienced team member and a wonderful person. We totally trust her and there is never a decision made without the three of us as a team. The decision not to feature Gattina Dumpling in our next issue was simply made because Gattina just blogged herself and her collaborative project Hotel Dare a few days ago on Shopping Cart Disco not simply because Gattina works for SCD. Gattina decided to go public with this topic before coming to us to clear this up. She went public and Tenshi Vielle jumped in her plurk for another attack to call us “bigot assholes”. Gattina’s first step should have been to clarify what she had heard with Ofelia Laval, Leeza Catteneo or me, Rohal Schnyder. We know Gattina as a former tenant and she was always a very nice person. We respect her engagement and her contributions in the arts community for SL and so does Ofelia Laval.

I admit that the following text is long but it will show you a different picture of the untruths Tenshi Vielle is trying to spread on her blog. It will show you a very different picture of a lot of things, too. We will not call anyone by an insulting name. We will just publish the straight facts. [Editor's note: references to RL facts are deleted with XXXXXXX]

1. “It started a few months ago when a friend was viciously cut from their staff (and their friends lists) and I called them out on it.”

This is not true. It never happened. The friend Tenshi mentioned, is Felicity Blumenthal a former ROLE Magazine staff member and friend. She worked for us as a stylist and advertising consultant and moved over to Second Style due to her real life situation and because they offered her more money than we did. Felicity told us that she was in a real life situation where she thought this would help her. We didn’t ask about the amount nor did we talk about money at all. We knew about her reasons when she decided to leave ROLE Magazine and we understood it. In internal IMs we thought there might be some communication issues but we all agreed that there were no issues between us and Felicity Blumenthal nor was she “viciously cut” from our staff. She left on good terms and of her own free will. Saying she was “viciously cut” is a straight out lie. Felicity is still on my friendslist. Here is what Felicity Blumenthal told me in our last conversation:

[2009/06/01 11:26] Felicity Blumenthal is offline.
– Instant message logging enabled –
[12:18] Rohal Schnyder: Hey Fel, I am sorry to hear that you decided to work for Second Style now, but I totaly understand your situation. I will pay you 5k for the first half of this month. and so you are free to start over at Second Style and not bound to commitments. I hope you are okay with it and wish you all success!
[12:19] Felicity Blumenthal: Hey RO… I feel terrible still… you guys, I consider you all friends…. And I love the mag with all my heart. I spoke with Leeza this morning… did you still want me to do the fashion spread? I have all the clothes? Its up to you guys… I will do whatever you want
[12:25] Rohal Schnyder: You could do a list with clothes and the models you asked already or you could stay till the pictures are done. It is up to you.
[12:29] Felicity Blumenthal: I have already given Leeza a list with all the info, models, clothes, etc. I can pass all of the clothes to someone if you want? The pics should happen early next week… I can see everything through myself, if that makes it less confusing. I told them at Second Style that I was committed to you guys and my projects, so that is not an issue. But I want to be fair with you, and if you guys are not comfortable with me doing it, I understand.
[12:32] Rohal Schnyder: Okay, pass them all to Leeza. So you are free and we have a clean cut. I guess that would be best for both sides.
[12:36] Felicity Blumenthal: Okay.. I will pass it all to her right away…. with an updated notecard. If there is anything that anyone needs from me at all…ever…. I am still here.
[12:37] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:37] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:38] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:39] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:40] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:42] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:43] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:44] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:45] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:46] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:47] [ XXXXXXX]
[12:48] Rohal Schnyder: hope to hear from you. and wish you all the best
[12:48] Felicity Blumenthal: Thanks Ro… and likewise, I’ve always loved chatting with you!

Somehow it seems that the only person who has a problem with all this was (and still is) Tenshi Vielle. You might ask yourself: Why?

2. “I personally don’t hate ROLE – I hate the wrong things that have happened over there. Strangely, all the wrong things that have happened seem not to fall in attribution to Leeza, Rohal, or anyone else at ROLE, but only to Ofelia.”

Even this is a lie.   As I said earlier, we make all decisions as a team.   Tenshi Vielle and Dancien Graves attacked me and Leeza Catteneo earlier on their plurk timelines for no reason and without any proof.

See plurk screenshots here:

http://www.role-magazine.com/roblog/Tenshi-Role_2.jpg
http://www.role-magazine.com/roblog/Dancien-Role.jpg

I ask Dancien Graves and Tenshi Vielle to explain and prove these accusations in detail (and in public) or to withdraw these accusations.   Of course both are free to use all publication forms they can access including ROLE Optic so the public can learn the reasons and context behind these accusations.

Tenshi seems to like to use the term “underhanded shit.” I will give you a short cut of a conversation where Tenshi Vielle educated Leeza Catteneo what this term exactly means:

[2009/06/13 13:47] Tenshi Vielle: Let me tell you something about gossip. The person who says the gossip almost always lies about saying it.
[2009/06/13 13:48] Tenshi Vielle: If it’s underhanded, it’s almost 99% true.

Having this definition in mind, reading what Tenshi Vielle and Dancien Graves write about us being “shady people” in continued public attacks, I want to give you a short cut of a conversation Leeza Catteneo and Felicity Blumenthal, the friend, Tenshi Vielle jumped in to assist and to “call us out”:

[2009/05/10 10:10] Leeza Catteneo: I saw second style s hiring
[2009/05/10 10:10] Leeza Catteneo: so it seems like they will start over again
[2009/05/10 10:10] Felicity Blumenthal: yep
[2009/05/10 10:11] Leeza Catteneo: will be interesting to see what will happen with them
[2009/05/10 10:11] Felicity Blumenthal: actually…strictly between you and me….
[2009/05/10 10:11] Felicity Blumenthal: Tenshi is going to be a co-editor or something
[2009/05/10 10:11] Leeza Catteneo: ohh okies!
[2009/05/10 10:11] Felicity Blumenthal: but shes not doing it as tenshi
[2009/05/10 10:11] Leeza Catteneo: oh xD
[2009/05/10 10:11] Felicity Blumenthal: shes using an alt
[2009/05/10 10:12] Felicity Blumenthal: so no one will know
[2009/05/10 10:12] Felicity Blumenthal: hush hush
[2009/05/10 10:12] Leeza Catteneo: a seeekret one?
[2009/05/10 10:12] Leeza Catteneo: xD
[2009/05/10 10:12] Leeza Catteneo: oh oki
[2009/05/10 10:12] Felicity Blumenthal: she is afraid her name will bring bad press
[2009/05/10 10:12] Leeza Catteneo: haha yes I can imagine
[2009/05/10 10:12] Felicity Blumenthal: lol

Isn’t that “underhanded shit” at it’s best?   Tenshi is afraid her name will bring bad press?    And wouldn’t it be an interesting question who else but me remembers when Tenshi Vielle plurked: “I do not work for Second Style”?   Who else remembers this certain plurk?   It is common knowledge.  And there is even more:

[2009/05/22 12:21] Felicity Blumenthal: I tried to get with you last night because Tenshi asked me to be in second style…. it will be an interview, with some pictures of me……I didn’t think it would be anything big….but I wanted to let you know
[2009/05/22 12:21] Leeza Catteneo: Oh okies! When will they publish?
[2009/05/22 12:21] Felicity Blumenthal: I am hoping in the interview I will be able to mention ROLE Magazine…lmao… tho I dunno how that will go over
[2009/05/22 12:21] Leeza Catteneo: haah its worth a try xD
[2009/05/22 12:21] Leeza Catteneo: Is Tenshi still working under an alt?
[2009/05/22 12:22] Felicity Blumenthal: yeah, thats what I figure… I mean…shes going to ask what I do, I am sure….and they are featuring me for my style…. so…. lol…. I have no idea why she asked me..seems silly on their part, but whatever
[2009/05/22 12:22] Felicity Blumenthal: yes she is still under an alt

Felicity now works for Second Style as an advertising coordinator and blogs fashion on SCD.    I would say all this stands for itself and tells a lot of who is shady and spreads lies here.

3. “There’s also been rumours that ROLE magazine copies VAIN magazine’s article lines and such – there is apparently an employee leak somewhere. At this point, it’s just a rumor but the articles do occasionally fall in a line, whether by method or by coincidence.”

The first time Tenshi Vielle was in the mood to spread this “rumor” was on her plurk line: http://www.role-magazine.com/roblog/Tenshi-Role.jpg

Felicity Blumenthal, the friend, who was (in Tenshi’s perception) “viciously cut” from our staff, jumped in to defend ROLE Magazine.

And of course ROLE Magazine rejects the accusation/rumor of “following” Vain Inc.  Both magazines have their own style and concept, thus their separate places on the market.  Further we do not believe that our staff copies from Vain Inc. nor do we believe Vain Inc. staff copies from ROLE Magazine.  This accusation doesn’t even make sense in so many other ways.  But of course we won’t mind learning any information to the contrary if Tenshi Vielle is willing to compare the back issues of both publications and prove this accusation in public.  By the way, No one from Vain Inc. contacted us.  They have never contacted us.  The only person who spread this rumor in public was Tenshi Vielle.

Regarding upholding ethics and good business practices as the opposite of “shady people” and regarding the “underhanded shit” and rumors against ROLE Magazine following Vain Inc. we would like to ask:

- Tenshie Vielle to explain how ethical it is to be “a co-editor or something” for Second Style and “not doing it as Tenshi but using an alt” so “no one will know” because “she is afraid her name will bring bad press” while at the same time attacking a competitor of Second Style in public by generating bad press with deliberately incorrect accusations and without talking to any of the persons’ responsible while using her SCD Alter Ego.

- Tenshie Vielle and Dancien Graves to explain how ethical it is to support a publication which claims to “reach over 25,000 readers every issue” if all their 29 magazine issues in 3 years made 128.975 views all together.  That’s an average of 4,500 readers per issue.

Having this in mind I’d like to quote Felicity Blumenthal (Now advertising assistant for Second Style):

[2009/05/22 12:28] Felicity Blumenthal: yeah…. I am curious to see how it goes over for them… Second Style was a big name…so who knows. LOL….hope its nothing like Aspire
[2009/05/22 12:29] Leeza Catteneo: ya their name is really big. And did the ownership change completely?
[2009/05/22 12:29] Felicity Blumenthal: yes
[2009/05/22 12:29] Leeza Catteneo: oh okies
[2009/05/22 12:30] Leeza Catteneo: 25K every month =D
[2009/05/22 12:30] Leeza Catteneo: Before the first issue even
[2009/05/22 12:30] Leeza Catteneo: That could beat runway xD
[2009/05/22 12:30] Felicity Blumenthal: ROFL
[2009/05/22 12:30] Felicity Blumenthal: exactly
[2009/05/22 12:30] Felicity Blumenthal: how can you claim readership without publication?

- Tenshi Vielle, as the “co-editor or something” of Second Style … how preposterous it is to accuse ROLE Magazine of following Vain Inc.’s layout and spreads (or vice versa) if Second Style obviously followed ROLE Magazine?  The June Second Style issue provides a “Bridal Wear” fashion spread.   On page 72/73 you will see a beautiful dress which was already used in the ROLE Magazine “Bridal Wear” Fashion on page 32/33 in our May issue.  But the highlight is definitely Tenshi Vielle doing her first model job ever for US in exactly this ROLE Magazine “Bridal Wear” fashion spread on page 31.

(Of course this third paragraph is ironic and good for a laugh but suits to show how hypocritical and fraudulent some people will behave when it comes down to competition.  ROLE Magazine understands that a lot of topics are either “hot topics” or “seasonal themes” and everyone will of course have similar spreads/themes and articles now and then as is true in most blogs or magazines during the course of a year.)

We believe there is always enough space and market share for many magazines with different tastes and styles and we are sure that reasonable people will understand that deliberate false accusations, “alt games” with unsubstantiated public attacks (as well as false claims) are not the kind of competition that contributes to the Second Life experience.   We know there are a lot of reasonable people in Second Life who are tired of these public and false accusations and attacks that are based on a biased perceptions and by characters that are known for spitting poison.

And we ask for these reasonable people to focus on the beautiful things in SL.  The helpful things and the constructive contributions.  When Gattina states that she “think people who have the capacity should support the arts on SL, and not turn things into an episode of Knot’s Landing” she should remember that she went public with an issue she didn’t verify with the persons responsible.  Exactly this behavior seems to be part of the SCD policy and causes fraudulent “drama” and will not set any constructive standards.

And Tenshi, if you wouldn’t have spend your time at our Art Exhibit by disrupting and upsetting the visitors and artists while you were “having fun with friends” you might have noticed the awesome art of Bryn Oh right in front of you. But even this shows that your attention span and observations don’t really jump over the “drama… blah, blah,” know what I mean?

In case you missed it the first time: http://shoppingcartdisco.com/?p=850

Best regards,

Rohal Schnyder

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