More exciting news in Pet Society land: Not only can we now take a douche, we can hang out at the Pet Society café. Oddly enough, I can’t get a latte or scone at this joint. What I can do is cruise other pets, peek into their homes and see the people behind the avatars by clicking on this icon:
You can see the personal profiles behind the pets.
I’m not sure how I feel about this lack of privacy. My friend Rich Cranor, a filmmaker, once told me that Facebook was good for keeping in touch with friends, and MySpace was for networking and getting your art out into the world. “Don’t mix the two,” he advised. For the better part of a year, I heeded that advice. But once I got hooked on Pet Society, I started adding strangers so that my pet could earn quick money. Then I began this blog and opened myself up to all sorts of randomness. So far, I’ve been lucky. Except for a couple of freaks on my list, everyone seems pretty cool — and generous, often giving my pet cakes and clothes.
Ultimately, one of the greatest things about the Internet is that you get to meet people you would otherwise never meet. Why, just today, a 17-year-old boy from Sweden found my profile on Facebook and asked me to be his friend! He wrote, “I knew you were pretty.” Never mind that if he saw me in the real world, he’d realize that I was at a point in my life where I’m fighting wrinkles and acne at the same time. On the Internet, anyone can be beautiful, and if not beautiful, then mysterious.
Another great thing about social networking is that once in a while, you run into cheesy profiles like this:
The player behind the pet. Which do you prefer?
As ridiculous as this guy looks, I’d rather be connected to him than someone who refuses to show his/her face. I don’t think it’s wise to become “friends” with someone who uses an illustration as his profile picture and claims his name is Daffy Duck. Most of us have built up real profiles and posted images of ourselves and our family and friends. The fakers can at least extend the same courtesy by revealing their true selves before requesting friendship on Facebook.
The low-down on the Pet Society Cafe
1. You can alter your settings so that other pets at the cafe cannot visit you while you’re offline:
2. You earn 5 paw points for a visit to each pet in the cafe, but no coins.
3. You can leave messages or gifts to the pets you meet at the cafe, like you would other pets in your friends’ list.
4. Because you’re allowing other people to see your profiles, you might receive friends’ requests from complete strangers. Use your judgement here. Sometimes, though thankfully, not often, what older people say about the Internet being dangerous is true.
5. As of December 18, 2008, there are no lattes or cute, tattooed baristas at the Pet Society cafe. Hopefully, they will be coming soon.
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Hi! I loved your blog!!
I’m a Pet Society fan as well!
If you want to you can add me as a friend in Facebook, my user is “Mar Pe” and my pet’s name is Chucrut =)
kisses!
I must say.. I am addicted to your Pet Society blog! It’s so fun and hilarious
Keep it up!!
Oh, the pressure, the pressure. Not sure what I’ll write about next, but thanks for reading and laughing along!
http://www.petsocietyanonymous.com
I love your blog and I hope you continue to do updates. I’m also hooked on Pet Society to the point of carpel tunnel syndrome and sneaking onto the site at work.
Unfortunately I’ve only been able to get a few friends to join Pet Society. When I tell most of my friends about Pet Society they give me strange looks and ask me if I’ve thought of getting a hobby or a real pet.
So I mostly hang out in the cafe meeting strangers and going back to their houses. It’s not as bad as it sounds though. It’s all very innocent as I always keep it on the up-and-up. I usually watch tv with these strangers or tell them a joke. Mostly I admire their beautiful homes and try to remember how they are decorated so that if I ever get enough coins I, too, will have a sweet crib like theirs.
As you can imagine, going home with strangers from all over the world does have its dangers. One stranger I visited had a large empty house full of cardboard boxes and one single battered chair in the living room. He had no clothes on and he was surrounded by flies and poo. I got out of there as quickly as possible and tried to make sure I wasn’t followed home. That was a close call.
So keep up the hints and tips as some of us really need all the help we can get to furnish our houses and buy clothing. I’ve been wearing the same outfit for weeks now.
Dear Bam Bam,
Ugh! Cardboard boxes and flies? Disgusting! If you’re looking for some relatively normal friends who are into Pet Society, check out the group “Hooked on Pet Society.” There’s over 100 members there. Here’s the link: http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1138383381&ref=profile#/group.php?gid=49140123342
http://www.petsocietyanonymous.com
Hey thanks! I’ll check it out right now. I need some Pet Society friends because I’ve had it with my risky lifestyle of visiting each and every stranger who shows up at the café. However, I don’t want to cut out the stranger visits altogether because I’ve seen some beautiful houses by going home with strangers. One time I stumbled onto a mansion owned by a pet named Vincent. It was like the Pet Society version of “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous”!
I hung out at Vincent’s place for quite a while. I skulked around from room to room to see what privileged people do behind their closed designer doors. It seems the rich and famous really are just like us. They sometimes skip a shower, they watch too much TV, they raid the refrigerator, and their poo looks exactly like mine. Who knew?
Vincent’s manor was stuffed to overflowing with dozens upon dozens of the most rare and fascinating Pet Society items. I left a note asking Vincent to be my friend but he did not respond. Perhaps he is leery of hangers-on. Or maybe he is a recluse. Perhaps he is just bored and jaded with it all. Or maybe he is an elitist and he does not care to associate with those of more modest means.
Vincent, if you are out there, I don’t know how to find you again. I only wanted to be your friend so I would be able to locate your house again in the future. It’s such an interesting place to visit. If anyone knows Vincent, would you please ask him to reconsider being my friend?
On the upside, I have been practicing the hurdle races so I can win more coins and hopefully furnish my own empty house. I’m a quiet sort of gal who loves gardening and pets. I want to save for a goldfish and then start searching for a cat. Many strangers I’ve visited have cats but I don’t know where they’ve gotten them. I have hopes of creating an outdoor courtyard also. Then my future kitty and I can hang out there. Maybe by then I’ll be able to afford chocolate milk and roast beef for dinner instead of the cheap onions I’ve been living on. Maybe that’s why Vincent didn’t want to be my friend! I think I’d better search for a toothbrush on Pet Society before I go on any more visits. . .
Hmm, the way you talk about wanting to have Vincent sounds like you fancy him. But however, I wouldn’t mind to visit a rich awesome pet too and steal some designs for my house.
I must say, I have to disagree with your opinion regarding the fact that people should have put their real profile picture in facebook. I mean, it doesn’t have to be so. Just because they didn’t put their real photos, doesn’t mean that they can’t request to be “friends”. I personally think this is discrimination, considering I am also one of the people that has never put their real photos in one of a kind internet social networks like facebook.
Hi Kurenai,
Whoa, don’t play the discrimination card. This goes two ways. If I choose to create a fake profile with a fake photo, then I would not expect others in my online network to reveal their true selves either. With a fake profile, I’m telling the world, I don’t really want you to know me. Instead, I want you to know this fictionalized part of me. (I realize that this must sound odd, coming from someone who is blogging anonymously–and maybe I need to “come out” at some point.)
This blog is about the joys of Pet Society, and it’s not the best place to get into any serious discussion, but I think that sites like Facebook confuse the idea of friendship. So many people add dozens or hundreds of “friends” on Facebook or MySpace. Some are real friends, some are co-workers, some friends of friends, and some complete strangers. Yet all of them are listed as your “friends.” And what is the nature of those friendships? Are they really your friends, or they just online acquaintances, a set of profiles you’ve collected like cards or trophies? Even in the real world, an acquaintance isn’t your friend. Online, acquaintances are even further removed. So are your online friends really your friends, or are they just little more than strangers?
True, when a person created a profile with their real photos on it; immediately, when they met someone who doesn’t use their real photos, usually they’ll question them at some point; or some worst; literally -force them- to put their real photos online.
And about the acquaintance comment; I do understands that. But then again, some people enjoyed adding people who may be total strangers to them; and getting to know them better afterward. Whether about the fact if they turned into friends or just acquaintance; or even perhaps “I just know her/him” type, that always depends on the person. The matters about the ‘friendship’ in social sites such as those that you have mentioned, is a matter that I couldn’t debated about considering I quite agree about it.
Nevertheless, just as you have said; this is not a blog for serious discussion about the matters of those social sites, but a blog for Pet Society.
Which reminds me; those poos… can you remove it to other places? My pet pooped a few days ago and I ended up deleting the poo O__o
Hi Kurenai,
Thanks for checking back. Yes, you can move poo. You need to click on your chest first. Once your chest is open, you can move the poo around. Good luck and happy pooing!
http://www.petsocietyanonymous.com
Unfortunately, I am not allowed to put my real pictures on my Facebook. Although, I’m not sure if that’s a punishment, my parents may be saving me from embarrassment over my unphotogenicness (sp?) but oh well. Im stuck with using Windows Vista sample pictures for my display image.
I just can’t stop.
Your blog is awesome. I like it. If you’re stuck in ideas, I suggest you do something fun (like toilets, people’s houses etc.)
I dunno. But keep it up! ^_^
Are you the Vincent that Bam Bam talked about? (Bam Bam posted a comment a little higher than yours about wanting to find someone called Vincent!)
Hi Vincent,
Thanks for reading and for the ideas. Considering players’ obsession with poo, toilets would be a great topic. I like yours by the way. Very chic, very blanc.
http://www.petsocietyanonymous.com
Hi, I’m Bubbles and I’m a Pet Society addict:)
I totally love your blog. Please keep it up. Oh, has anyone come across another pet with the same name? That happen to me just the other day.
@Kurenai, you crack me up!