Owning People - Harmless game or crying shame?
By TheRealDawn
@dawnald (85135)
Shingle Springs, California
May 13, 2009 5:59pm CST
I've seen this game on MyYearbook and heard that it exists on other sites as well. Now it's on Yuwie too. You can "buy" other members and "own" them and they can do the same with you. It's something the owner of the site put it to get some activity going. But there've been a few blogs and notices up saying that this is just wrong and some people refuse to participate. Others say this is just a harmless game and nothing like real slavery. What say you?
10 people like this
32 responses
@sconibear (8016)
• United States
14 May 09
first of all....I've seen that on Facebook but it just didn't tickle my fancy.
BUT.....for all the people that are going to say...slavery is wrong, blah blah blah....
I own a farm on Facebook........on my farm I have horses.
I CANNOT RIDE THESE HORSES......HECK, I CAN'T EVEN SMELL THE HORSE'S POOP!!!
I own an apartment in Yoville.
I CAN'T LAY ON THE BED IN THE BEDROOM AND I CAN'T TURN THE TV ON!!!
people send me drinks every day.
I CAN'T CATCH A BUZZ...I DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT THE DRINK TASTES LIKE.
I get "hugs" all the time here on myLot and on Facebook.
I CAN'T SMELL THE PERSON'S HAIR OR EVEN SNAP THEIR BRA STRAPS!!!
heck....there's applications where you can throw pillows at people, have food fights, squirt all kinds of liquids on people, poke people, send worthless and some times insulting gifts to people....
my point is....it's just a silly application...I'TS NOT REAL PEOPLE!!! 
get over it
get over it3 people like this
if you run for president, i will vote for you 
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
14 May 09
I've been bought and sold and frankly, I know it's just fun, but I don't spend much time at the particular site I belong to that has this game, because frankly, it makes me feel kinda yucky/weird to be part of such a game. Some lines just shouldn't be crossed, even in the name of fun...........
2 people like this
@sparkofinsanity (20471)
• Regina, Saskatchewan
15 May 09
Alice, Alice, Alice, surely you know by now that I'm absolutely priceless! ROFL
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
13 May 09
Once you own them what do they have to 'do' ? 
1 person likes this
@mysdianait (66009)
• Italy
13 May 09
This is the first I heard of this (not that Ihear alot outside here nuch lately).
Do you choose who you own too? 
1 person likes this
@sanuanu (11235)
• India
14 May 09
I have not participated it in yet. Most of the time, I think these games are intended to teen age persons and they are the best to have fun with them.
Have you every played it? how is the feeling of becoming someone's "property" on yuwie?
and after one year you will become an old grand ma for yuwie!
but you didn't tell how do you feel after becoming someone else's property!
@BishounenNerd (373)
• United States
13 May 09
My stance is firm! People are not to be treated as property! I don't care whether it's in real life or in cyberspace, I think that considering people a piece of property is just wrong. Period.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
13 May 09
I wonder how many people will opt out of it (you do have a choice to opt out on Yuwie) for that reason.
@Anora_Eldorath (6028)
• United States
13 May 09
You don't "own" them though. It's a silly game back and forth. The money isn't real, and you can only participate with those who are your friends, and on your friends list (at least on Myspace). So, you can't own anyone not on your friends list. If your friends are all playing the game those are the ones you play with, not those who don't have the application. On Myspace, you can place a block against application invites, which is what I have now not because of offense, but because I'm too darn busy to play the games on there and it got old after awhile. You can only go so far and then no one can buy you because you cost too much.
To me, it's just all in good fun with your friends. I find it interesting that there seems to be a blurring of reality versus fantasy out there. In my humble opinion, if you are playing a live action role play or re-inactment and are temporarily for the game of the day held slave or captive, that doesn't mean you in reality are a slave or captive. It's part of the game, and at the end of the day you are you again. Perhaps we've forgotten how to play as adults.
In terms of slavery, I personally feel that most people in their reality are slaves of their world, even if they don't belong to another human being. They are slaves to their job, their ideals, their beliefs, and so forth. Now that is true slavery.
Namaste-Anora
3 people like this
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 Jun 09
I am a fellow member of Yuwie as you know. I played the game for awhile, and I have to admit, I was honored that people were purchasing me...and my 'worth' was going up...lol.
Then I began to see notices on the board...for 'harems' and 'pretty girls for sale' and it began to bother me. I also began to see the less popular on the notice board begging for someone to buy them. I guess I opted out because I don't care for the base nature of those (mostly men) who turn something fun into intense competition...or something vulgar.
Is it just a harmless game..where you aren't really a slave or don't really own people...with all the controversy surrounding violent games and role playing on the impressionable mind....I just think we need to be a little careful. It is possible to become desensitized to things like violence, crime, sexually explicit material and fantasy. But that is a whole 'nother discussion.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 Jun 09
It can certainly be used the wrong way (like anything else). In this case, it seems to have (at least somewhat) turned into a cliquey little popularity contest.
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
15 Jun 09
I still want to know about that deleting the troublemakers thing though (MM)...
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 Jun 09
Yea...seems that that happens more and more on Yuwie.
1 person likes this
@gabs8513 (48686)
• United Kingdom
14 May 09
It is just a harmless Game and to me I am showing my Friends what they mean to me
I have seen it on a few Sites and really I do not own the Friend I keep the Friend close to my Heart that is how I look at this Game
It is just like playing thee Computer Games, I mean what is the difference of someone playing violent Games and this Game I rather play this Game and show my Friends how I care then go about being violent
I just wish I could get all my Friends lol but you are next on the List
Hugs
@spicysweetie21 (2573)
• United States
3 Jun 09
I think its totally harmless, its just a game app on myspace or whatever, i have it on myspace and i think its fun, people who compare it to slavery or say its wrong are party poopers that need to calm down
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
3 Jun 09
I think so to. They can opt out, so no big deal to me.
@marcialoyd (1173)
• United States
14 May 09
I think it is just a harmless game. I actually found it quite amusing when my two best friends started buying me back and fourth arguing over who would "own" me. It actually feels pretty good to have a high price tag on your name! :-D
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 May 09
Yep, but dang it, Superman is worth more than I am. lol
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 09
Clearance sale? Let me buy him for a million $$ and then sell him for $10. hehehe
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
15 Jun 09
That is another reason I quit playing....just another reason for his superego to grow to astronomical proportions! lol Didn't want to feed it anymore. Now, if we had a game selling kryptonite....lol
1 person likes this
@zed_k4 (17589)
• Singapore
14 May 09
I think it's a rather harmless game, but silly one too. 
I don't know if tagged.com basically has this similar kind of situation. They sort of buy 'pets' there and the pets are the network members in that particular site. I did join but I found that it was such a wuss thing and I totally neglected it.
There are others whom have gotten such lots of money buying people as 'pets'. I am so not into this type of games at the moment. I'd rather play Mafia Wars on my Facebook account.
I don't know if tagged.com basically has this similar kind of situation. They sort of buy 'pets' there and the pets are the network members in that particular site. I did join but I found that it was such a wuss thing and I totally neglected it.
There are others whom have gotten such lots of money buying people as 'pets'. I am so not into this type of games at the moment. I'd rather play Mafia Wars on my Facebook account.1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 09
Well you could always just keep your account and come back to it later. Who knows? Maybe Korry will put something really cool in...
@p1kef1sh (45681)
•
14 May 09
I am often bought and sold on Facebook Dawn. I'm not too bothered. Of course there are a considerable number of people who voluntarily are the slaves of their partners or owners". If people do these things of their own free will then I can't get worked up about it. But no coercion!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 May 09
three home cooked meals a day and your own bathroom?
@maidangela7349 (1191)
•
14 May 09
I have never heard of MyYearbook or this game. However I am a writer and into slavery from a fiction point of view in fact I am just finishing a Novella called Act of Slavery which is all about slaves. I understand that there are more slaves in the world now than there have ever been but I am not sure how that figure is arrived at. I also know one or two people who have become slaves on a voluntary basis so I suppose it is not real slavery in that they can leave but while they are in that situation they are treated as slaves. How do you get into this game?
@maidangela7349 (1191)
•
14 May 09
h well Blondieblue you are probably not a masocist
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
17 Jun 09
OH I hate those things. Some of them are really hard to get rid of!
@Blondieblue (67)
• United States
14 May 09
I wasn't aware of any of these games, but don't think it's any big deal. I just don't see the appeal of it myself.
1 person likes this
@SomeCowgirl (32191)
• United States
14 May 09
I think that it is harmless and just fun to battle back in forth over a person. Really it's just a profile, and a picture, and if it's done amongst friends then what's the harm. It's more dangerous if you don't know the person, but I don't think the game is really about slavery at all. I don't play the game anymore, got rid of the app accidentally and haven't put it back on, but when I had it I played amongst friends and was careful to not offend anyone.
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 Jun 09
Did he seriously? Funny, Korry was one of the first to "own me" and I bought him and Club Flashback. I wanted to see if you could buy people on private profiles or who had blocked you. Turns out you could. The first one is fixed. idk about the second one. But yeah, I'm sure he didn't do it because he wanted to be friends...
@debrakcarey (19887)
• United States
14 Jun 09
I guess it can be fun when played by friends....I was honored when Dawn and another friend 'rescued' me from Superman....lol. I didn't like him being the first to 'own' me when the game started...why'd he do that? Did we ever figure it out...lol. He hates me with a passion....? Oh ...I don't even want to think about what ran through his mind!
See...that's why it's an evil game ;) you're enemies can own you and fantasize about weird things to do to you....LOL!
1 person likes this
@jayrene (2708)
• Philippines
14 May 09
it's just a harmless game... i participate in it too... people dont really "own" you, they own your pic. and you can choose which pic you want to submit to owned.
you can even delete that pic even if somebody else own it.
if another one wants to buy the your pic that somebody else already own, they will have to buy it at a higher price (lunch money in myyearbook - not real money), and if another else buys it, the the price goes higher, its just like that. the higher the value of your pic the more popular you'll get.
what has slavery got to do with buying pics and owning them... lol
1 person likes this
@polachicago (18716)
• United States
14 May 09
For me it is not acceptable at all...I would do it, I have rather quit than participate....I don't think it is acceptable even for fun...
1 person likes this
@Citychic (4067)
• United States
14 May 09
I agree with you 100%, Oh well, what can we say? Anyhow I hope that ur having a nice day and enjoying mylot. I am going to get ready and take a break b/c I've been up here for quite some time now and even the frogs and crickets are beginning to chirp. So that tell me that it must be getting kind of late. Anyhow I do hope to see you around the lot again soon. When was the last time that you went to Yuwie. Seems like I don't get the chance to get over there as much anymore but I will never forget my friends from there and after all b4 yuwie I was a social networking virgin, hee hee but now I guess I've been broken in b/c I'm starting to learn quite a bit about these networking sites. How many do you belong to now? Hope you have a great day!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
14 May 09
I go to Yuwie every day, myLot too. I belong to too many sites to mention but I only get to a few of them regularly...
@chiepao (714)
• Philippines
15 May 09
I think it depends on the person if they would take it seriously or not. On yuwie's point of view, of course they would want members to stay active as possible and I think this is their way of getting people to stay active on their site. If you're owned must as well own others..xD
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
18 May 09
Yep it's a way to get people active again. And it seems to have worked, at least in the short run...
@bcdesjardin (38)
• Canada
14 May 09
can your owners whip you? can they beat you? can they make you work for no money? NO its not slavery its a way to get people interested in the web site.
Harmless
1 person likes this
@asherem2 (257)
• Thailand
26 May 09
Slavery! of course...people might say and see it in a different way - but it still the same.
we just put some sugar coating in it - like saying she's not voracious eater - she's a gourmet. he is not fat - he's obese.
he commits adultery - he just having some affair..duh?
no matter what people lay on it - whether in games or in any other activity the reality is - it goes deeper! when we want to have control over others - then we call it slavery! duh? wake up people!
and you call themselves intellectual? i call that ignorance and stupidity!
1 person likes this
@dawnald (85135)
• Shingle Springs, California
26 May 09
I think it's just a silly game but it's also mostly a waste of time...
@terrific2designs (75)
• United States
14 May 09
It's a harmless game. You either enjoy it and participate in it, or don't enjoy it and stay away from/ignore it. Nothing more, nothing less.
1 person likes this
