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I, for one, would like to know what a protection stamp strives to protect one from? is it:

evil?
magic?
bad ratings?
rude behavior of others?

I am puzzled and would like to open a dialogue to see what these stamps mean to those who display them on their profiles.

Please give your opioion here.

I'm pretty new here on VR and I have wondered the same thing. It has been quite some time since I have felt like I need protection. I can't really think of anything now where I am at in life that I would need protection from. I enjoy VR but I don't really see how anyone on here could protect me from anything. I have been offered protection and I am honored that people would think of me. I just don't think that I am going to display the stamps on my profile. I hope that it doesn't offend. It's just not me. I have seen a few pretty cool protection stamps though. If I am looking at this wrong please let me know. I am open to anything.

I have no idea what they mean, i see them all over the place, but i think they are just something people gives to others to show they care i guess, other than that they are worthless...

personally, i dont believe i need protection from any unseen force or whatever the purporse of them is, and i think they create boring excessive profile clutter. I consider them the same as Quizzes....just more fluff for a profile.

I guess i should be curious that i have never been offered protection but then again, perhaps people see me as not needing any. I don't see any on Cancers profile either.

Still for the newbees and the curious, i think this thread might answer some quiestions for them.

so perhaps a protection stamp is a sign of friendship? Interesting.

Well I have a protection stamp that I give out and I only give ti out to people whom I care about and Love. I think the reason people do give them out is yes to show they care and to discourage rude behavior. But I am an protective person over those I care for and I do not like people to be rude to them. I do not see them as worthless but as a gift of sorts!

I am protected by one person. He is my buddy and will take on anyone who would mistreat me.

So then Protection Stamps can be a way of guarding against cyber bullying?

many of these protection stamps are infused with mystical powers from the giver to help watch over you and protect you from those who might set out to do you harm and believe me, there are those who might want to cause you harm for one reason or another. It is also a sign of friendship and caring, to show others that someone else is there to stand by you in times of need.

Like anything I would say the meaning varies from person to person. In general I think that people give them to someone they consider a friend. As far as the protection offered that could mean anything from defending you from someone speaking out against you on VR to magical or physical protection in real life, not that the stamp itself is magical but thatmagical protections may have been cast for your benefit.

So the display of many protection stamps is not a sign of weakness?

i have quite a few of them on my profile beginning with Radu's. They are people who know and love me and are my closest friends, like family. I have one that goes out to them as well. Some people dont care about them, that is ok. I think they are nice, and the thought behind them is well-meant. Those people are the ones I would walk through hell for which is what mine means when I give it out.

Interesting, i had not thought of it as "Advertising" but it does get your name out there in the population. good pont made there.

i hope more will weigh in on this issue. I have been told that some consider the stamps as protection from rate bombing.

Does anyone see it that way too?

No it isnt a sign of weakness because many of my coven members have my stamp and I am close to a lot of them and most of them are far from weak. It could be a way to advertise yourself but I think that is not exactly the meaning behind them.

I just thought it meant that they are your friends and have your back for whatever reason, I don't know.
Or its a way to show that you do have friends and aren't pathetic and friendless?
If anyone messes with me, I DO HAVE protection stamps and I am not afraid to call in the posse and we'll...... hehehe glare at your profile pic or port pic in a very mean way and ummm do voodoo on you
MoonSong says:
**twitches her nose like Samantha**

oops brb need to pick my nose, hope I didn't hex the wrong person with bad aim
Lesson # 1: keep your weapon clean at all times! ;)

from what I've seen so far most people dont give them out casually like advertisement. I could see where they could help prevent rate bombing especially if you have a stamp from an admin.

LOL moonsong....I think that if protection stamps are indicating who your friends are, perhaps a friends section of the profile might better serve that purporse?

some protection stamps come off as thretening or agressive, to me.

I know that I do not give mine out as an advertisment if you want to rate me come find me not trying to be rude tis the way i feel. Most you have mine are close to me and good friends whom like I said love dearly.

Do I feel like I need protection? no. But I am honored when someone offers it.

Juno, you can do it like that, instead of protection stamps, I have seen people just list the people that they like and are friends with, both on VR and/or their personal friends.

so is the agressive language of some protection stamps designed to ward off rudeness or bullys?

When you list friends people look at it as people you consider friends. The stamps are people that consider you a friend.

I think so I know on my profile I don't have anything agressive just telling people to mind their manners please

oh don't get me wrong, it is no accident that my profile is absent of stamps and scroll boxes....im HTML challenged anyway and have not yet mastered the scroll box.

To me friendship and protection are a more personal thing,

The whole stamp thing has left me scratching my head lately, it is fairly new to VR from an old timers point of view.

i wanted to, and am hearing from some that use or participate in the use of protection stamps and this thread is ment to be an open dialogue, to learn from.

i hope more members chime in with thier take on protection stamps. im sure there are even more varried points of view on the subject out there.

My protection stamp, is because I would do anything asked of me by my protector and i will do anything for the one who has given me such. It is a reminder that we have each others backs if need be. Physically, spiritually, or otherwise.

hmmmm I haven't seen any that was just really aggressive, just things like "beware" or "you've been warned"
These things are said again out of love/concern for the person they give the stamp to.
Also, in my opinion, there is an air of vampire role-playing involved, due to the theme of the site. But maybe that is just how I take it.

Protection stamps for me means you have someone else's back. How ay on the internet.. but still.

they mean to me has friendship careing loveing trust honor fath and resepst that's what they mean to me.

I leave it with close friends, and I also pray for them for protection every night.

some new ideas, this thread has become quite interesting to me. I hope it helps others to understand as well.

does anyone see a negative with regard to the absense of Protection Stamps on a profile?

It might take up space on one's profile that could have been used for something else, but not in a negative way. :)

perhaps im paranoid but i dont have any such protection stamps on my profile.

now i wonder if others think i have no friends?

My apologies, i digressed and made the thread personal.

My goal is to get a more general overview of the purporses or meanings beind protection stamps since they are a relatively newer invention...

how did they start out?

who did it first?

any folklore out there?

When i give a protection stamp to somebody it's letting that person know that no matter where i am and they are if they need me i'm there for them

I always thought they were to let others kno ehy this is my friend and i have this persons back no matter what..or sumthing along the lines of that..i give them to my friends..io have soo many diffrent ones..i usually never give others the same one...im weird..lol..i think they r mainly a sign of friendship...

I give mine to those I like and respect. It's a mark of friendship more than actual protection as they can look after themselves - but I have and will take action when asked to. The net gets a bad reputation for troublemakers of varying degrees - well I am one who is not and want the best environment for my friends :-)

I give my protection tags to those I love, respect and hold in high regard. If I could do the same with real life friends I would. As I would protect, help and love a friend in real life, this is my way of showing this to my friends and vr in general.

It is not to show or say this person is weak, nor do I see it as a form of advertising! I have many protection stamps from my many varied friends. I only give my tag to those I do genuinely care about and so its no form of advertising from me that is for sure.

a protection stamp can be anything you the creator of it wants it to be...the creator of the stamp imbues it with what ever magik they see fit...333

In our Coven Protection Stamps are a show of Friendship. At least thats my understanding.

To me it means that I know and care for and about the person. I have degrees of protection stamps, a very generic one for people I have limited attachment to, right up to individualised ones for people who I would and/or have done anything for.

I'm always honoured if someone gives me their protection stamp. I feel it means that they too care about me. So it's an indication of affection in a graphical format.

I have a one off stamp - officially poked by ChemicalReaction. It's still my favourite lol

*giggles at Kasabian* And your still the only one on the rave who has it. lol. Friendship right there.

The two I have on my profile are actually other members of Lux, and to me my coven mates are like my online family. I also have a protection stamp that the others in Lux are more than welcome to use on theirs. For me it's a loyalty/friendship thing, not that I actually expect real protection from anyone. lol As it was said above, what could we do? Stare at someone's pic and think really mean thoughts about them? lmao

well I have a few of them on my pro, in a scroll box, and I give my stamp to my close friends. I don't take it to mean that they are protected from any thing, it just means that you are close friends and it is really just something to add to your pro. I mean sure I am loyal to my friends and will be there when they do need me but I know that a stamp isn't going to stop someone from being rude or disrespectful, it is just something to show that you're friends with someone.

I started to see alot of profiles have protection stamps...I believe protection stamps are given out to show how much you care about a person, and a sign of friendship. It also makes your name well known on VR. I dont see it as a weakness at all.

to show this person cares enought about me to show it by given me their stamp and also they are watching over me, in case...something to wrong happen towards me.

I have a few protection stamps on my profile and i have given out my own protection stamp to my friend the people i care about to show them that i care and that i will be there for them when ever they need me no matter wot. Each person has there own reason for giving out protection stamp.

I feel that the protection stamps are just a way of showing that you are there for someone, no matter how far away you are in real life. Many people have grown to have a small secondary family on here and the stamps, to me, show that they have grown close to someone.

For me I mainly have protection stamps from people in my coven. I do have a few others that are from friends and people I talk to often. I have given mine to them more as a thanks for helping me in various ways.

I have a protection stamp and I agree with what most people have written here.. I give mine to friends and family who I hold dear to me. I place the stamps I have recieved with great honor on my pro to show our friendship to the rest of vr.

I confess I used to wonder about them myself but I came to realize they were not just brags or threats but instead gifts from those special people who are capable of caring for others to the degree of announcing it to the world.

I think like most here I am more than capable of protecting myself especially given this is a "virtual" world. The few I have been given are on my profile but since it's not excessively long to begin with it's not a problem, otherwise I would have them in a scroll box.

It has nothing to do with the number of friends I have but then I've always gone for quality over quanity in that matter anyway.

I think protection stamps are for basically to build friendships to show that you care about another person. I give mine out to ones I care about the most

I too think that the stamps are a sign of friendship and that you care for that person.

Protection stamps are for showing people that you care about this particular member....The way i see it V.R is a site where people from all walks of life join in to explore themselves and others.This site brings a lot of people together.There are many who met their future love through this site.This site brings many of us together.Protection stamps are nothing but visual elements that form a part of the whole process.I would definitely be honored if someone whom i look up to gives me their protection stamp.I see it as a form of acceptance.

But i do feel just giving away protection stamps are useless.Some people do that to become famous...It should be given only when there's a genuine purpose behind it.

i have to agree with the general opinion on here.. I give my stamp to my dearest of friends to show loyalty and love i have for them.

I consider my protection stamps as gifts from dear friends on the Rave that care about me. I give mine to the people I care about and would help out in a minute if they had a problem or just needed to talk!

when i give somebody one of mine, its a sign of affection and friendship.nothing really all that mellowdramtic.

Like Gauthum said...its showing who really cares for you..like a list of your closet family and friends.

When I give mine it is given only to those closest to me. I do however send it with a prayer for those who receive it so that they know that I am always there for them through thick or thin.. Weather it be spiritual mental or physical bond we share.

I can tell you that i use the protection stamps of my coven sises and bros as a way of let the rest know that i'm not alone, i have the care and love of all my coven mates...

I,m working on mine at the mo.its an honour when someone gives you theirs.i only have one on my profile,and thats from someone very close to me.its an honour to wear it.

I give mine to those I consider closer than friends, and close friends and comrades.

With the making of it, I thought with all my heart of love, companionship, and protection from what life throws at you. So mine is a prayer for that person.

I don't show others' protection stamps upon my profile, because I have too many and that would be my ENTIRE profile if I did. But I have a special folder on my computer for them.

To me the protection tags that I have mean alot to me, they protect me from anything that will hurt me and to "run off" anyone or anything that would ever do me any harm, The people's protection tags that I have on my profile mean alot to me, they are my moms boyfrined (Iamhell) and us having eachothers protection tags is our veary first bond together, the symbol of trust, My boyfrineds tag ( Devlishdewy), Of corse I love him and he loves me so the protection tag is another way of showing our love.

theyre called "protection" stamps? hmmmm... maybe id use em more if they were called "sheilds of fr0ntin, yo" or or or "vain glory pics"

not really sure lol,however i know that the person who gave me mine will always be there for me,we are great friends outside of vr as well so..

People that receive my protection stamps are close friends or my vr family...as for the ones I display on my page those people have my back if I need anything on here and some also have my back outside of the cyberworld as well.

I got 3 sorts of protection stamps, (right now but soon only two when my new ones are done)
One is for my closest and dearest friends, that one is limited to like 2 or 3 poeple.
One is for my close family only
One is for the ones I enjoy the company and wish to publicly show my protection, if they get attack, I fight back for them.

As for the ones i got, I will admit I have receive several, so decieded to place them all in a lovely slide thingy, so they can all be there, I still need to update it tho, recieving new ones recently.

As for waht do I think of those who dont have any? Well its their profile, their right and their choice, and I respect it. I do not juge them differently then those who have 20 or 30 protectors. As when I look at a profile I dont look at them, I look at the person who the profile belong to.

Those who have my protection stamp are many..and dear to me. They are my friends and I don't want them harassed by others on here out who are just here to be mean or rude. Those who protect me are dear friends and I know they are as fiercly loyal to me as I am to them.

Protection stamps mean multiple things to me depending on who they are from. If they are from a close friend, it means I know they are there for me and care about me...if from a girlfriend, I know I'm watched over even though I'm not with them, if it's from another coven member, I know they will watch out for at least with the site and possibly outside of the site if close enough, and then I usually don't have just random ones.

Apparantly, the meaning behind these stamps vary from person to person. The general consensus seems to be a display of friendship and loyalty.

I'm completely HTML and photoshop challenged, so I don't have any to give out, but the ones that I receive are displayed more as a show of friendship and loyalty than for protection. I know that should I ever need someone to talk to, I can look for these people and they are here for me. Even without the stamps we know this of each other. The stamps are a nice gesture from a friend and if they've taken the time and energy to make one and offer it to me...the least I can do is proudly display it.

I have no clue who started them but with mine I know I do have some friends..............

i have one that i can give to people but no one has wanted one yet.

Its a sign of friendship I have a couple and it is just to show someone that their work and chats are appreciated

I just give mine to people I feel close to, and would stick up for if they were having problems with someone else. I think only 6 people have mine, and I think of all these people as my friends (except one, who's actually going to be my husband - bit more than a friend!)

I could be wrong but it always struck me that aggressive and bitter stamps, profiles, and such invite more negative response than they 'protect' against.

I mean the first rule of bullying has always been to get a reaction and someone claiming to hunt you down and eat your entrails if you 'act mean' certainly strikes me as the type most likely to 'react' and give a cyber bully the attention they crave when you bully them.

some great points being made here.

i do wonder about the history of protection stamps. I recall first seeing one from HellsGuardian, and before that, there was another before him but that person has long left VR, he went by Paganstyle, his name was Bob.

does the excessive display of protection stamps give new people the wrong idea about VR? that it's a place you need to be "protected" in? why Protection? instead of just "friend" or brother/sister?

In my opinion, Protection stamps are a way of showing people that visit a friend of yours' profile that they are, indeed, your friend and you will back them up if someone does something wrong to them. Protection stamps aren't really for 'protection' because when you're states, even continents away, how can you really protect someone?

when i give someone my protection stamp, it is my way of saying that i care for them, and will stand by them, support them, and look out for them.

It means to me that if someone tries to start trouble with you or your friend you have their back or they have yours.

exactly......i give protection for my friends that i love and respect them but most the time respect!!!!:D

to me, the protection stamp is a sign of friendship and respect. therefore, I won't just accept them anyone who offers them to me. that doesn't mean these ppl are protecting me from anything though...

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