I Get Results with Social Media and Second Life!

 Human relationships used to be easy: you had friends, boy- or girlfriends, parents, children, and landlords. Now, thanks to social media, it's all gone sideways.

Susan Orlean

  

          My regular, faithful readers (Both of you know whom you are and I’m grateful even if you do insist on secrecy comparable to the U.S. Witness Protection Program.) may recall my earlier request for Second Life (SL) residents to use social media to keep the community alive beyond the Grid in case the Grid should ever happen to go away. 

          I went out into the world of social media.

          I started tweeting. 

          Got bumped out of Facebook.     

          Took up Google+ and went into the Avatar Social Network. 

          I got results!  (Significant Other looks shocked too.)

          Hits on my blog increased.  (I now average over 30K monthly.  Has to me more than just my two faithful readers despite what Significant Other says.)

          I’ve met people via these social media apps and with several I’ve become friends inworld.

          This story is about one of these people, Takio Minakuro. Who said shortly after we’d met inworld, “Why not a story about me?”

          Yes, Takio, why not? 

          And this is your story.

          As I said, I met Takio via Twitter.  She favored and retweeted my tweets which led to our following one another (I forget who followed whom first.).  This is in turn led to us conversing via tweets and one thing led to another and we became friends in SL.  (Takio goes by Dr. Takio inworld.) Pretty much how folks in Real Life (RL) meet via Twitter.

          Takio has been inworld since 2009 after learning about SL from friends.  She was active until 2011 when she took a break.  Takio’s self-employed in RL and works long hours.

          Then in December 2013, Takio had a skiing accident in RL which prevented her from working but did allow her more time inworld and she’s been enjoying herself there ever since.

          Her store, Tokyo Girl Avatar, which deals in shapes and skins opened this past January.  (It’s interesting how many creative types in SL got started because of enforced down time due to illness or accident.) 

In addition, Takio is actively involved with roleplaying in Japan Hospital where she roleplays as a GYN OB doctor.  She believes she is the first woman medical doctor inworld.  I don’t know about that but Takio does want to serve as a role model for young women who aspire to being medical doctors in RL. 

As if that’s not enough, Takio also has a partner and children inworld as well.  (I get tired just writing this.)  

Takio believes that both emotions and friends are important.  For her, SL is everything that she cannot have in RL as she puts it.  I think many of us have similar views.

Our interview took place in her home inworld which doubles as her medical office.  A standalone, German style house which is located in a small town.  (How do I know it’s German style?  I read and I’ve been to Germany!)

The home’s interior is spacious with a large living room, a bedroom, and two rooms for her medical practice.  The décor is Japanese and Western.  Pictures of her SL family are around the living area. 

The medical offices, which include an examination room and a patient’s room, include the latest and greatest medical devices inworld.  All of which are very expensive.  (After the last several years of listening to US politicians and media talk about healthcare costs, why am I not surprised?)

Takio is a gracious hostess and answers all my questions frankly.

My takeaway is this.

Social media, Twitter in particular, is a highly effective way to expand your circle of friends in SL.  Takio is a highly experienced and accomplished resident and, yet, she stepped out into Twitter “to find people in SL” as she puts it.

Takio is a longtime resident inworld with an active social life divided between her family and friends not to mention her profession, and she’s been using social media apps to broaden her community inworld.  Overall, she has 380+ friends in SL.  I’d say she’s been successful!

Hopefully, social media in conjunction with SL will permit the community to expand beyond the Grid and possibly outlast SL itself. 

I’d like to thank Takio for taking the time to meet with me for her very candid interview and for becoming friends with me inworld.  Her flickr page can be found here.

We both hope to meet others in SL through social media and to continue to grow our circle of friends?

Care to join us?

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!