Calm Before the Storm in Second Life?

I like these calm little moments before the storm, it reminds me of Beethoven.

Gary Oldman

  

We’ll well into the New Year! 

The Holidays have passed and, hopefully, the hangovers as well!

The first page has already been torn off the calendar.  (Yes, Significant Other warned me that I may be ridiculed for admitting to still using one of those but I do love Snoopy’s and Woodstock’s pictures every month.)

Now, we get back to the ordinary pace of life, whether it be in Second Life (SL) or

Real Life (RL). 

Which brings us up against the 800 pound gorilla in SL this year.

Sansar (Or, SL 2.0 as some of us used to call it.) may soon be upon us. 

Of course, we still don’t have an official launch date and according to Daniel Voyager’s recent poll, most respondents don’t expect Sansar to be released to the public until sometime in 2018.  (Hey, Linden Lab has never been too forthcoming about SL why should things change with Sansar?) 

A recent article from Wagner James Au on his exceptional blog about all things virtual, especially SL, New World Notes, got me thinking about one of my old concerns about Sansar. 

Au started by quoting longtime SL resident and Metaverse aficionado, Gwyneth Llewelyn, who believes that ultimately Linden Lab will have no choice but to push people into Sansar.  Yes, she says Linden Lab has promised not to close down SL but how realistic will that be and for how long?

Ever the optimist, Au outlines a scenario whereby increasing Premium SL subscriptions could offset falling private sim revenues to keep SL going indefinitely. 

As much as I respect and admire Au, and plug his blog whenever I can (If you don’t read it you really should.) I’m going to disagree with him here. 

Here’s why.

Sansar represents a fundamental shift in how we interact in virtual worlds.  And, yes, I understand that means we may have a lot less than what we enjoy today inworld. 

From a strictly business perspective (I freely admit I’m probably one of the least creative residents in SL but I do know something about debits and credits!)  Linden Lab will be facing a difficult choice.

Sansar will probably cannibalize the SL user base. 

SL is an aging infrastructure which will require a significant overhaul eventually.  (I

have to believe that given all the recent hacking scares that Linden Lab is pulling some long nights just to keep up currently.)  This isn't a put down, every platform faces this moment sooner or later. 

As Au points point, private sim revenues are falling and, while increasing Premium subscriptions is a good idea, I don’t see Linden Lab running the promotions necessary to draw in new Premium subscribers.  Furthermore, would more Premium subscribers create more demand on a system that may be already struggling under its existing load?

So, does Linden Lab split its bets and double down or just play one hand?  (Significant Other always laughs when I try to use gambling analogies which is a big reason why I don’t gamble in RL.)

I suspect that Linden Lab will have to make some difficult choices sooner or later. 

And, all this assumes that Sansar is successful.  What if it isn’t?

All bets are off then in my opinion.

My overriding fear is that Sansar will lead to the elimination of SL. 

And, before everyone sends me comments about change is good, inevitable, and necessary, I get it!  (To the guy who sent me a link to Darwin’s On the Origin of Species, many thanks!  Please don’t resend because I already had a hard copy edition which I’ve read.)

Let’s talk about what we lose. 

Unless Linden Lab does something very creative, the investment of time and money people spent creating wondrous builds and everyday objects could be lost. 

If this were to happen, how willing would these folks be to sign on somewhere else and do it all over again?  Would this precedent hang over Sansar like a dark cloud and hinder its own vibrant growth?

What of the communities that have grown up in SL and may come to a sudden and

final end?  Will they become a diaspora like the folks from there.com ? 

Not to end on a low note, I do have hopes for the future.

I want to see Sansar succeed and I want to see SL continue to grow and thrive.

These goals are not mutually exclusive, they can both coexist.

All they require is planning and effort.

Also, more transparency from Linden Lab wouldn’t hurt!

Speaking of whom, if anyone from Linden Lab would ever like to meet me inworld for an interview to tell their side of the story, I’d be happy to do so! 

Also, James Wagner Au is running a poll to see when respondents expect Linden Lab to push people over to Sansar.  Check it out here!   

Let’s see what happens with SL and Sansar, I have a feeling that this year will

answer a lot of our questions! 

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives. 

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

            If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life  please click here.

            Open roads and kind fires!

Where Do We Go After Second Life?

 Watch, therefore, for ye know neither the day nor the hour wherein the Son of man comes.

Matthew 25:13

 

          Recently, I read an article in the blog of another blogger whose work I enjoy greatly and have considerable respect for.  (Yes, I do read the competition!  I’m not that insecure!)

          Canary Beck and her article is entitled What would you do if Second Life disappeared overnight?  (See, I told you that I wasn’t insecure!)

          In this article, Canary discusses how her life could change if Second Life (SL) were to simply disappear overnight.  (The thought of which panics Significant Other because of the fear of my roaming about unchecked.)

          Canary says she no longer worries about this and has plenty of ideas about what to

do with her newly found free time.  Although, she does admit that one drawback might be spending more money in Real Life (RL) because of so many opportunities.

          Canary’s view is non-apocalyptic and is more along the lines of a theoretical exercise. 

          Her discussion moves into maintaining balance between SL and RL and examines the two ways to restore such balance either by a sudden withdrawal (SL interruptus?) or a gradual reduction in time spent inworld. 

          Canary chose the latter a while back and is happy with the results. 

          Unlike me, Canary doesn’t seem to worry too much about the demise of SL.

          While I don’t lay awake at night worrying about such an eventuality, (Significant Other would make me find someplace else to sleep if I tossed and turned too much.) Canary’s article did make me think again of what would happen were SL to simply disappear because of some corporate machinations at Linden Lab. 

          SL is full of refugees from the virtual world There.com after its closing.  Although, since reopening I haven’t heard too much about it.  (I guess once the magic’s gone, it’s gone.)

          Many of them speak longingly and fondly about their times in that community.  One, Celia Pearce, wrote an excellent Book, Communities of Play, about one group of There refugees through their Diaspora to new worlds.  (Strongly recommend that book to anyone interested in virtual communities.)

          The closing of a virtual world has consequences for the real people with real feelings

behind all those avatars. 

          Whatever happens or doesn’t happen to SL over the next couple of years, there is little that we can do about it.  (Think Jor-El on planet Krypton.) 

          However, like Jor-El we can take measures to perpetuate the communities that have grown up in SL and have become important parts of the lives of so many people.

          First, there is preparation, both psychological and physical.

          Psychological by recognizing that this can happen and will eventually happen and probably sooner than the Sun flaming out and turning our planet to cinders. 

          Physical by preparing as I’ve blogged before to have a plan to move across the Metaverse to a new home or at least using social media to keep the communities alive. 

          Next, is paying attention to what’s happening in RL with Linden Lab.  While we may not be able to do anything about it, we can at least see it coming so the migration can be orderly. 

          Finally, let’s keep enjoying ourselves in SL!

          Whatever may or may not happen, we’re still there and we still have one another!

          As Canary blogged, there is life after SL.

          We just have to decide how to make the most of it!

          I’d like to thank Canary for another wonderful example of her thoughtful writing about SL!   

          As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!

No Go for SL Go in Second Life

 The greater cantle of the world is lost

With very ignorance, we have kissed away

Kingdoms and provinces.

Shakespeare

 

           Sometimes it takes me a while to get around to things and because of that I miss an opportunity. (Significant Other nods in agreement.)

          Like I’d blogged a while back about the new mobile app, SL Go, which permitted Second Life (SL) users to interact inworld as they went about Real Life (RL), and I had been critical about its initial launch.

          Subsequently, a few of my beefs were corrected and folks spoke well of the tool.

          I planned to do a follow-up since there was now a decent free trial period.

          Well, things changed.

          Sony recently announced its acquisition of certain patents and intellectual properties of OnLive, the online gaming service that owns SL Go and as a consequence the app will be shut down on April 30,^, 2015.

          Guess I won’t be writing that story any time soon now!

          Hard to believe that it was just over a year ago that SL Go was first announced.

          So, what happened?

          Why is Sony buying some parts of OnLive and not others?

          Does this give us a hint into the future of SL itself?    

          OnLive’s sale of selected assets is probably just part of the normal buying and selling of products and services by larger global companies in the mistaken belief that somewhere along the line “Synergy will create added value!”  (Yes, I know, I must sound terribly cynical.  If you had the wounds that I have from these deals, you’d be cynical too!)

          But, there is that nagging question, why not SL Go too?

          Let’s think about this for a moment. (Significant Other starts to worry.)

          Sony is a fairly astute corporate player.  (Notwithstanding it’s recent email problems.)  They know how to handicap the winners from the losers.

          Could this decision to not purchase SL Go now be a sign of some doubt on their part about the long term viability of SL?

          Or, are they worried about SL 2.0?

          Linden Lab’s new and improved version of SL that they don’t anyone too much about except for “Trust us!”  (Yes, yes, I know!  I’ve already admitted to being cynical,)

          Does the sudden demise of SL Go mean the clock is ticking for SL?

          How come no one ever tells the residents of SL anything until it’s in the news?

          As I’ve blogged before, the Lindens remind me of the ancient Greek gods.

          Legendary, remote on Mount Olympus, interfering in the affairs of humankind as it suited their whims, and nobody ever met one! 

          Let’s see what the rest of the year brings! 

          As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!

                                             

Looking Ahead to 2015 in Second Life

The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams.

Eleanor Roosevelt

  

Well, I’ve closed out 2014 in Second Life (SL) with my look back. 

It’s now time for me to look ahead into the New Year in SL and see what mischief I can get up to.  (Significant Other gently reminds me to keep all mischief out of Real Life (RL)!)

This is my one shot each year to think about what I want to accomplish inworld both in terms of work and the tone that I set in this blog.  (Believe it or not, there is always a plan.  Whether or not I stick to it is something else altogether.  Significant Other mumbles something about why can’t I just follow football like all the others.)

My intentions for this year are several.

First, I want to quit being an obituary for sims that are closing inworld.  Yes, I’ll still

mention them but I want to focus on the creativity and dynamism which is what SL is all about. 

Next, I want to step away from Linden Lab’s issues.  They’re not exactly listening to me.  Whatever is going to happen there will happen and I can’t prevent it.  I want to spend more time blogging about the worlds which comprise SL. 

Finally, I want to be more hopeful in my writing about SL in the New Year.  There is still so much I haven’t discovered and I want to bring as much of it back to my readers for as long as SL is around. 

Permit me to be more specific.

I’ll focus more on the inworld communities and the people who reside there.  Several readers have commented that they’d like to hear more about SL’s residents.  I’ll do my best here.  (Hey, if you don’t like it, tough!  These folks took the trouble to let me know what they’d like to see.  Send me your comments and I’ll do my best!)

I want to visit more new sims, meet new people, and have new experiences.  Then I want to want to write about all these and share them.  Several readers have admitted to living vicariously through my writings.  (This does add some pressure.)

There are a couple of series in my blog that I either began and haven’t returned to for a while or haven’t started at all.  I want to return to these.  Sex and the Single Avatar and Shoemaker’s Children are two examples.  There’s also a boat trip across the Grid with

several friends that I want to start and complete in 2015. 

I also have several outstanding stories that I need to complete as well as a SL user to be found somewhere in Antarctica. 

Overall, I want to be more hopeful, focus on the fun inworld, and avoid the Dark Side in SL.

From a technical perspective, I have several goals.

I plan to overhaul my blog’s form and function.  (I’m open to suggestions so please send them in.)

I’ll continue my experiments with social media as they seem to be bringing in new

friends and readers.

My use of pictures in the body of my story will continue as well as new ways to use them.  Once again, this was at the request of readers.

To wrap up my SL plans for 2015, I plan to have more fun and ignore the siren calls to the rocks of despair inworld.

Life’s too short!

So, to all, Happy New Year!

I hope to see many of you on the Grid in the New Year! 

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives.         

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!

Looking Back on 2014 in Second Life

Nostalgia is a file that removes the rough edges from the good old days.

Doug Larson

 

          My tradition for the last several years in Second Life (SL) as the days grow shorter and the winter chill draws closer in the nights is to look back on the year past just before we start the New Year.

          I reminisce about what I’ve seen and done, and what I haven’t.  (Significant Other’s eyes roll and comments that it’s a good thing this is only once a year.)

          This year as I start to blog, I’m thinking that it may mark a turning point in SL.

          Let me start with the good news first.

          The start of the community is still strong inworld. 

          I’ve met new communities like First UCC and am impressed by their vitality and sense

of togetherness not to mention the quality of their builds.  They have also interfaced very effectively with Real Life (RL) serving the needs of their congregants there and in SL. 

          Perryn Peterson continued his seemingly non-stop run of parties and hunts with Mardi Gras, recreating Tolkien’s worlds, and the Silk Road Hunt to name but a few. 

          Social media a new tool for me to reach out to meet new friends and find SL groups off the Grid. 

          All this led to new friends and new experiences in new places.  After all, isn’t this what SL is supposed to be all about?

          Finally, there was a management change at Linden Lab with Ebbe Altberg taking over the helm there.  Revitalization seemed possible. 

          Now, let’s go over the bad news.  (What?  Do you want me to lie to you and say everything’s fine?)

          The new version of SL (SL 2.0 in the press) being worked on by Linden Lab hangs over the community like the proverbial sword of Damocles. 

          Will we lose all our possessions that we’ve acquired and built over the years since the new version is not backward compatible?  (I don’t buy the idea tossed about by some that Linden Lab will keep both worlds open indefinitely.  There’s no profit in that for them.)

          How will we maintain our SL identities as we migrate to a new version?

          How many current residents will just give up and leave rather than deal with all the change and aggravation.

          Next, sims are closing at a regular and alarming basis,

         

I’ve blogged about the recent announcement of the closing of Phaze Demesnes, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World that are no more, and I was informed just before I started writing this article that Muenchen is closing soon. 

          Many of these sims took years to create and their loss will leave a gap in the body of creative work that is SL.  The creative teams behind them are leaving in many cases too.  This is not a good sign.

          SL is not keeping up with the times in terms of technology either which is really sad considering how cutting edge SL once was.

          SL Go doesn’t appear to have reinvigorated SL as was originally hoped despite being a reasonable if somewhat overpriced mobile platform. 

          Facebook continues to eject SL residents despite their claims of developing a new approach for those who wish to conceal their identities.  Many including me that Linden Lab has done nothing to stick up for their customers here. 

          Finally, while I wrote earlier the new management team at Linden Lab offered early promise, their actions seem more to threaten the community’s existence than do anything to help it.

          How did I do on my plans for 2014?

          Well, I missed a few.  (Significant Other mumbles something about no surprises there.)

          I had hoped to restart several of my blog series that I’d fallen behind in 2013.  That didn’t happen.  (The one that I did try, the Seven Wonders of the Ancient World, I found that all the sims were gone!)

          I didn’t overhaul my blog.

          On the other hand, I did increase my use of social media and my readership has gone up.

          I have participated in the 1920’s Berlin Book Club.  (Even if I’m almost thrown out some times.  No, not for unruly behavior.  Let’s just say that no everyone shares my enlightened social theories!)

          Finally, I wanted to be a better friend inworld. 

          I’ll leave this one to you, my readers, to decide.  (Significant Other actually gives me points for this one!)

          Recapping.

          A lot has happened to me this year both inworld and personally.  Yet, somehow, I’m still inworld and still plan on coming back next year.

          I feel that this year, 2014, has been a turning point in the development of SL and that we’ll only truly understand how much so only when we look back in future years.  But, something has definitely changed this year inworld.

          In a future article, I’ll outline what my plans are for the New Year and what I look ahead to!

But for now, Merry Christmas!

As always, I’m grateful to all inworld for their kindness and time in stopping to talk with a stranger who was passing through their lives.         

 

I'd also like to call out for special thanks my long suffering Research Assistant, Tera Trenchcoat, for putting up with my haphazard wanderings across the Grid.

My Twitter handle is @webspelunker.  Please feel free to follow me and I’d be happy to follow you.

I can be found on Google+ as webspelunker Ghostraven.

My flickr Photostream is located here.

On Skype I’m webspelunker Ghostraven.

I welcome feedback from readers, please either comment on my blog or e-mail me at webspelunker@gmail.com . 

          If you would like to read about my other adventures in Second Life please click here.

          Open roads and kind fires!