The World of Neopian Samizdat

This is not your typical Neopian fan page. I am currently on Neopets and I would lie to you if I say I don't sometimes enjoy it. Nopets, though is far from perfect. Also with millions of members and a real world commercial presence, Neopets deserves, public scrutiny, serious academic study, and plenty of reflection. Unfortunately, those who traditionally study cyberculture are too stuck up to deal with what they dismiss at the "trailer park of the net." That leaves amateurs like me to study, reflect, and leave a written record.

Unfortunately, a good deal of reflection violates the Neorules. This site deals with the social and economic side of Neopia. It also offers two stories inspired by my experience as a Neopian though they occur in another virtual world, and a background/html gallery.

If you are a Neopian some of the material here may be very useful to you. There is no one right or wrong way to approach Neopets. Hopefully, no matter how you feel about Neopets, what is on these pages should help you better understand your experience there. It may also help you realize you are not alone in your frustrations. Well, let's go!

What is Here Right Now

Of course you came for the graphics. Here is the first gallery of goodies and it includes the ring table codes for "store blogs"

Or maybe you are here for the Samizdat Hot Stove. Be sure to have your wish list ready, and enjoy a fun and harmless game of chance.

A Thing That Would Not Die Chapters 1 through 4 of a story that takes place in a world similar to Neopia, and told in plain English. I'm not sure I will be writing more chapters. Time spent on the fan club board at Neopets taught me about Neopets owners in a way that would make me write about them quite differently than what is in the story at present.

We have some new Neopian fiction that is told in plain English. A Green Island Tale. Forget Maraqua. Read about Green Island instead.

Introduction -- Why Study Neopets If you are not a Neopian read this essay first.

Wanting vs Needing My first essay in consumer education for Neopians.

Horatio Alger is Dead! An essay on poverty and paintbrushes in Neopia.

Neopian Ethics as a Consumer Chice It's not for the faint of heart.

It's Not All Right -- Neopian Censorship 101

Yes, there will be more to come as I create it. This site is a labor of love. I love Neopets but in some ways I really wish it would be better.

Eileen H. Kramer

OK news flash! After I got a warning Friday night, I wrote the folks who run Neopets a very scathing letter. I think I did the right thing in writing this letter. I've been a victim for a yar of a very bizarre species of social control. Here is a copy of what I wrote.

To whom it may concern:

Last night I received a warning from you. My crime against humanity was giving a user who was interested (We were corresponding via Neomail) the link to a web site where I have a role playing board. You told me that outside links were prohibited on Neopets, even by word of mouth to those who are intrested in them.

This is patently untrue. Every time I log into Neopets I see outside links with images. Of course these belong to sponsors (ie corporations). They have the right to broadcast their outside links wholesale while ordinary users like me, no matter how many hours we played games or how many Neopoints we've accrued, don't. I fully understand that you want to protect your sponsors right to advertise and make sure that they have a safe haven free from the competition of ordinary users, but a simple writen link (or thousands of them for that matter) in Neomail or on those ephemeral boards of yours are hardly going to be a threat to the wealthy corporations who pay the bills.

Of course I'm no more going to get some modicum of free speech from you by asking for it, than I'd get water if I squeezed a stone. I'm just letting you know that I consider your prohibitions on ordinary free speech damage and I will do my best to route around them. Being a human being, I am already many times smarter than a computer. I have no intention of abiding by your rules that protect the haves and punish the rest of us.

As for my account, I have pretty much done everything that requires large numbers of Neopoints. All my pets are painted, and they have reached the point where training is either very expensive or yields diminishing returns. I've built and furnished a Neohome, won a couple of trophies etc..., but the real rewards any sort of leadership, more space for personal expression within the site, or a chance to speak my mind elude me. The points are useless elsewhere and I can protect any web work I've made for Neopets (All my graphics have to be stored at my personal site anyway.) by keeping a copy on my hard drive. All that is required to have a virtual pet is imagination, persistence, and web space. I have all three of those.

In short, I intend to keep defying your rules as far as leading users to my board, personal web site, and Samizdat site are concerned and also about any matter of faith or conscience. I was fool enough to play games endlessly to earn about a million Neopoints this year. I am not fool enough to censor myself to protect those earnings. My right to speak my mind and heart is priceless. I will continue to act accordingly.

Eileen Kramer/Roanna_np