Second Life Tails

Okay, so I admit...

I didn't get it.

I couldn't understand what was up with all the tails on otherwise perfectly normal people. To be honest I thought it looked kinda silly...I mean...if you have a horse-tail...why no hooves or other horse shaped features?

NOW I get it.

Second Life tails facilitate Second Life flirting. Very handy for shy or reserved people.

"What?" "Huh?"

Yep...those tails have chat text options when you touch them. And the person whose tail you are "touching" can react in many ways. They can express enjoyment at having their tail "touched" (which can lead to other things), or they can politely continue friendly conversation, maybe act like they've been tickled...friendly but unassuming.

Everyone knows people do not have tails (actually some are born with vestigial tails, but doctors obviously remove them). So in Second Life...here you have a body part that YOU alone decide...by your reaction to who is touching it...just how "attached" that tail is to your avatar. And because it's a tail, both parties in the conversation get to interpret whether or not the tail touching is innocent or frisky. Interpreting an Xcite! Nipple Touch in public does not leave as much room for interpretation, and can be very awkward and mutually embarrassing.

But tails? Tails are a wonderful grey area.

I saw a blogpost somewhere (and dammit I cannot recall where), and someone was talking about how guys in Second Life seem to completely ignore the women who have taken the time to make their avatars look really good...and instead pay attention to the folks (not necessarily RL girls either...but shhhh) who look like they graduated from tramp academy.

I WISH I could remember where I saw that....anyway...part of it talked about the possibility that guys were intimidated by well put together avatars (just as they are with ladies in RL). But I see a solution to this problem. The well dressed lady looking for a little fun, should add these touchable tails to their well-coiffed avatar!

This allows another person to touch your tail (maybe) on "accident" in a casual manner that enables them to strike up the courage to converse depending on how you react to the tail touch.

Genius!