Pedigree Anonymity (2)

[Kikii Littlepaws]

I don't like to think of myself as an elitist or a snob ... and I hope that I've never given anyone that impression! But, I really do feel a great deal of joy, excitement and yes, even pride when I have taken a cat that I bought from another breeder and coaxed out hiddens or introduced new & different traits, and I finally get that "purrfect" kitten I was after. When I sell that kitten - or that kitty's kittens - I am happy at the notion of my name staying on there as the breeder. The art analogy was pretty perfect, in my opinion - showing my name on the kittens I've bred out is like placing my signature on a painting I've created. I also feel that it's the right thing to do to have the breeder of the kitty I began with listed on their cat, as well!

I do see both sides of this conversation, and I can understand some very legitimate reasons for being concerned about having alts "exposed" without having been given the chance to opt in to all of this. Reasons that are not remotely shady! Speaking as someone who, in the past, has run a moderately successful business in SL (yes, I have alts as well!) I always kept work and play very separate. I had the avatar that I created/designed under, and an avatar for just hanging out with my friends, and who could go a couple of hours without being sent notecards or IMs asking me if I wanted rental space in a mall, or if I could do custom work for them. (I know, I'm bad, but one little me can't possibly do 24 hour customer service, that's unreasonable!)

Bottom line: these situations may be in existence as it stands right now - that some of our lovely kitty friends have moved cats to alts that they normally prefer to keep private & unassociated with their "main" account, thinking that there would be no reason to worry about exposure, because this "breeder tag" didn't exist before. So, perhaps the best compromise is the one that Pira has already mentioned: let the cats bred out before this point in time remain without the breeder tag (or leave it masked), and go forward with it in the future. That way, people who may want to move cats over to an alt for getting the multiple "special birth" kittens can still do that - but they'll know they need to move it to an alt they don't mind having associated with their primary account.