STEAM 7 – Halfway Home!

If some animals are good at hunting and others are suitable for hunting, then the Gods must clearly smile on hunting.

Aristotle          

STEAM 7 is now past the halfway mark.  After the blast of a kick-off party for the event, I thought I’d check in on Perry Peterson’s, the organizer’s, Steampunk Hunt and see how things were going.  Not to my surprise, things are going better than expected. 

          Just a quick recap, STEAM 7, a steampunk themed Second Life (SL) hunt runs from September 1^st to 30^th inworld.  As usual the Hunt has a subtheme to main steampunk one.  This time it’s “Time & Space” honoring H. G. Wells.  Participating merchants are incorporating this concept into their gifts to the hunters.   

          Checking in with Perryn and a few participants, a few themes are becoming clear.  First, everyone feels that this is the best Hunt ever.  This has been a recurring theme over the last several years and reflects on Perryn and his team’s organizational skills and commitment.  Gifts are better than ever and only two shops dropped out at the last minute, a new record for low losses. 

          Knowledge Tomorrow, Curator of the Joy of Steampunk Museum, is participating for the first time as both a hunter and a merchant.  She believes the community is stronger now and the hunters are more social. 

          Noddington Schmooz of Land of Nodd says that the STEAM Hunts always seem to be a cut above and apart from the rest.   The gifts are consistently of good quality, and there is such a spirit of camaraderie among the hunters and the merchants. 

          One of the principle differences from past Hunts is hunters who are starting the Hunt at the end and working backwards.  This may also contribute to Perryn’s observation that the number of hunters is exceeding expectations especially for shops towards the end of the Hunt.  Sounds like hunters are developing strategies to beat the crowds.  Could STEAM: The Hunt for Dummies be in the offing?

          Traffic from STEAM 7 is up from previous Hunts.  Knowledge reports that traffic is “way, way up” for the Museum.  Noddington says that, happily for him, both sales and revenues are up.  Marcel ghostraven (no relation) has run off to a different sim and left his shop on auto pilot for the duration of the Hunt to pursue other building projects.  (One of the many wonderful things about SL!)  He believes his sales and traffic may be up.  Interestingly, Marcel is the only respondent who thought traffic might be off on this Hunt.  Kyris Upshaw says he has slight increases in sales and traffic.  Janeel Kharg of Ankh Morpork reports traffic up but not sales.  She’s not worried because she’s in the Hunt to raise the awareness of her sim.  

          As for the gifts in STEAM 7, a whole new level seems to have been achieved (and will be difficult to surpass in future Hunts but somehow I think Perryn and the merchants will figure out how).  What follows is a partial list which hopefully will encourage those of my readers who haven’t visited STEAM 7 yet will. 

          Knowledge was kind enough to send me a list of the mini-Hunt’s gifts and their creators.  Included are a personal hot air balloon (Noddington Schmooz), steampunk wall clock (Shigeko Tachikawa), NS6 Dusk Banshee (Nightshade Sixpence), Copper Sea Mine House (Albus Weka), Red Sea Mine House (Albus Weka), steampunk rocket (Lexx Bondar), steampunk bathysphere (Albus Weka), Visionary Quotes – Mechanical Eyes that Speak (Ceejay Writer), Black Sea Mine House (Albus Weka), gas discharge tube (Shigeko Tachikawa), steampunk submarine (Rebecca Bashly), steampunk chopper (Rebecca Bashly), and escargot-a-vapeur (Sextan Shepherd). 

          Marcel has created Inside the Machine, a representation of our Solar System; When the Land Masses Appealed, a volcano in the box; Is This Roswell?, a do-it-yourself alien sighting kit; a steampunk rocket station; a lunar styles steampunk space station; ST3000, a futuristic space shuttle with working weapons; and TM1, a time machine.  Kyris has built a “steampunky” fan that blows physical objects about.  Noddington, in addition to the above, has also fabricated a mesh version of H.G. Well’s time machine and a sculpted grandfather clock.  Janeel also based her gifts on Well’s time machine, as well as male and female Eloi avatars, jewelry based on 30 Million AD, and a versatile circular building. 

          Overall, I’d say that everyone has been very busy! 

          Finally, I’ve heard that hunters are getting better dressed every year and the Hunt may need its own photographer soon!  I met one hunter who was dressed rather appropriately to my mind as Sherlock Holmes.  Maybe STEAM: The Hunt could become an event like Mardi Gras or the Halloween parade held in NYC’s Greenwich Village.  Something else for Perryn to think about! 

          Merchants tell me that hunters have been overwhelmingly friendly and courteous.  Merchants and hunters appear to be forming a tighter community.  I wonder what this might portend for the future?  Some of the hunters seem to try rushing through to be the “first” to complete the Hunt.  Some worry if they really enjoy the Hunt when they do that and if they can really visit all the merchants. Maybe going slow and enjoying the Hunt might be good advice to hunters.  There is no prize for being first! 

          Also, some merchants have not taken the time as requested by Perryn to wrap and mark their gifts appropriately.  The gifts are still marvelous but a little packaging can go a long way!

I want to thank Perryn for his time and assistance. I look forward to visiting with the hunters and merchants during the remainder of the Hunt.  I would also like to thank Knowledge Tomorrow, Marcel ghostraven, Kyris Upshaw, Noddington Schmooz, and Janeel Kharg for taking the time to reply to my queries.  I would also like to thank Knowledge for her permission to use the pictures indicated below.

So, remember!  There’s only two weeks left in STEAM 7.  Please go and see the beautiful work prepared for it by the creators, meet the merchants and other hunters, and see all the work and effort that Perryn and his team have put into this spectacular and one of a kind event!

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

Below are a few pictures of some of the communities I’ve visited inworld, which at the time seemed a little humorous.  I hope you find them that way too! 

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.

Photo No. 1 STEAM 7: The Hunt Poster (with credit to Tattoo Lane)

Photo No. 2 Perryn Peterson 

Photo No. 3 Joy of Steampunk Museum Landing Zone 

Photo No. 4 Three Sea Mine Mer Homes (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

Photo No. 5 Personal Hot Air Balloon (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

Photo No. 6 NS6 Dusk Banshee (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

Photo No. 7 Steampunk Wall Clock (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

Photo No. 8 Visionary Quotes – Eyes that Speak (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

Photo No. 9 Escargot-a-Vapeur (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

Photo No. 10 Gas Discharge Tube (with the permission of the Joy of Steampunk Museum)

 

 

 

STEAM 7: Back Among the Steampunks

If some animals are good at hunting and others are suitable for hunting, then the Gods must clearly smile on hunting.

Aristotle

Recently, after my attempt at humor inworld, one of my oldest friends in Second Life (SL), Perryn Peterson  (That’s in terms of how long I’ve known him and not how old he is!) reminded me that the semi-annual STEAM: The Hunt was coming up.  This would be STEAM 7. (STEAM is an acronym which stands for “Steampunk Travelers’ Event, Adventure & Megahunt”)  

          I had to admit time has escaped me since I’d last written about a Hunt. That had been in last September.  Real Life (RL) technical and health issues had kept me away from STEAM 6 in March and I didn’t want to miss this chance to catch up with events.

          I meet Perryn at the recently renovated Laughing Gryphon House in Mieville Doyle Victorian Steampunk sim which is also the starting point for the Hunts.  We settle in the comfortable armchairs in an atmosphere comparable to a nineteenth century London gentlemen’s club (I’ll explain some other time how I happen to know what one of those looks like.) and begin our interview about STEAM 7. 

          Perryn has been running Hunts for over three years now and reminisces about how fast time has flown. 

          STEAM 7 will run from September 1^st to 30^th as the autumn one typically does.  As usual the Hunt has a subtheme to main steampunk one.  This time it’s “Time & Space” honoring H. G. Wells.  Participating merchants will try to incorporate this concept into their gifts to the hunters.    

          Speaking of the merchants, Perryn estimates that there will be about one hundred and forty for STEAM 7 including some hunters like Glorf Bulmer who are now merchants themselves.  Several dozen merchants are new to the Hunt which Perryn believes is a real plus to the increasing popularity of the Hunts.  Unlike when he first started the Hunts and had to “scour the bushes” looking for merchants to participate, he now has to “beat them off with a stick”!  Sounds like things are looking good in world. 

          From the Laughing Gryphon the hunters will first visit the shops of two other Hunt organizers, JoseDiego Silverspar and Wyvern Dryke.   

          Other participating merchants include Mayah Parx of Epic Toy, Janeel Kharg of Ankh Morpork, Noddigton Schmooz, Moggio Morigi, Albus Weka, Villain Baroque and Lexx Bondar.   

Lexx Bondar will be participating in her third Hunt.  (STEAM 5 and STEAM 6 were her earlier forays.)  In the past she has contributed gifts such as a steampunk jetpack and a single seat airship. While Lexx hasn’t made up her mind as to her gift for STEAM 7, she’s leaning towards either a steampunk submersible or a steam powered rocket ship.  Sounds like fun either way!  Lexx enjoys making gifts that hunters will continue to reuse and enjoy.  She sees her sales and traffic go up with each Hunt and feels Hunts are a win-win for everyone. 

Villain Baroque has been participating in the Hunts since STEAM 2 and it is his favorite hunt inworld.  H. G. Wells happens to be one of his favorite writers and will be preparing a special gift based on the “Time & Space” theme.  It’ll be a "Wells Musical Timemachine".   A Steampunk Musicplayer that walks the listener  through the decades from 1860 to 2012 by playing a song of this time, a song somehow related to "Time" like "Beatles - Yesterday" for the 60’s or "Bill Haley - Rock Around the Clock" for the 50’s.  Sounds like another winner!

          Perryn also talks about the sense of community that is built among the hunters who comment on how wonderful the group is, how they’ve made friends, and how friendly and helpful everyone is. 

          Then there’s the business aspect of the Hunts.  Perryn says the merchants are seeing increased traffic and purchases.  Group membership also sees increases after the Hunts. 

          Perryn highlights the poster for STEAM 7 which was done by a new artist, Tattoo Lane. 

          At the risk of editorializing (Why not? It’s my blog after all!), I must say the STEAM: The Hunts are fun events well worth the time.  I’ve met hunters who have do the entire stretch and others who do parts.  All have enjoyed themselves and plan to come back in the future.  I’ll be in and out over the course of the month.  (Perryn, sorry if that keeps some away!) 

          See you there!

          I thank Perryn for his time and assistance and take my leave looking forward to visiting with the hunters and merchants in the Hunt next month.  I would also like to thank Lexx Bondar and Villain Baroque for taking the time to reply to my queries. 

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

Below are a few pictures of some of the communities I’ve visited inworld, which at the time seemed a little humorous.  I hope you find them that way too! 

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.

Photo No. 1 STEAM 7: The Hunt Poster (with credit to Tattoo Lane)

Photo No. 2 Perryn Peterson

Photo No. 3 Laughing Gryphon House

Photo No. 4 Refurbished Main Room

Twenty-four Hours in Second Life – The Look Back

         

Well, I did it!  I spent twenty-four hours in Second Life (SL) and lived to tell about it. 

I had a great time.  As I had planned, I met old friends, made new ones, revisited places from earlier stories, visited new places, and had new experiences.  All within the virtual world of SL.

What did I learn?  First, that SL isn’t terribly different from Real Life (RL).  (A word of warning here, I’m an unstoppable optimist concerning the overall good nature of people.  Yeah, there are a few clunkers out there.  But, eventually, and sometimes at great cost, they get tossed aside.)  People want to help other people.  People have issues in their lives.  Illness and unemployment are just a few examples.  But, there are happy occasions too, people leaving SL to go celebrate the Christmas Holidays with family and friends in RL.  The people I met as avatars in SL are not some fictional cartoon representation of an alternate reality.  They are there to express their lives in a form that is only a different expression of their day-to-day reality. 

Next, I have not even begun to scratch the surface of all that is going on in SL.  Games, different communities, sites to visit, I did a few in this recent journey but there are tantalizing hints of much more over the horizon.  This is why I continually return to SL, to go over one more horizon to see what’s on the other side and then to bring the stories back to my readers.  And, I haven’t even gotten close to the builders and creators in SL who make it all happen.  I’ll try to reach out to them next year. 

Finally, there is a rich, vibrant social community in SL.  I was at three dances.  I was invited to several parties which unfortunately my schedule didn’t permit me to join.  (Don’t you just hate it when someone uses that lame excuse!)  I’ve been invited back for tea.  One resident has asked for my assistance in drafting an article.  A car was sent for me when I arrived at a train station.  I could go on.  People are coming together in new ways and then going off to do something else. 

Alright, these are all the positives.  What about some of the things that didn’t go to plan?  First, I had to quickly move away from doing hourly posts because I found myself interacting with people continually and new situations arising.  I decided to go for being with people and consolidated my posts. 

Second, lag and response time inworld slowed my progress and my activities.  At one point in the final hours, I was afraid that I might have to abandon my quest.  Others noticed this as well.  Maybe more residents than usual were inworld because of the Holiday season.  I don’t know.  But, this will be an issue in the future for Linden Lab (LL) if platform investment doesn’t anticipate these needs. 

Next, one of my friends has lost a lot of valuable work and the time she invested in creating it.  LL needs to be better able to handle these situations.  There’s no magic here.  Data retrieval and customer service models to support it have been around for years.  A thriving economy is possible in SL but only if LL acts more proactively to protect intellectual property rights and secure their physical protection.    

Finally, and this is a small point, but, I believe it’s an important one.  All the while I was in SL, I never met one Linden.  To be fair, there was no expectation that I would meet any.  No one had said they would meet with me.  (Even though, I did write ahead and say I was coming.)  When I meet residents who remember the Golden Age of SL just a few short years ago, they always talk about the Lindens who used to walk among them and bring truth and work minor miracles.  Maybe these tales have morphed into the creation myths that every society has.  But, as a relative newcomer to SL, I put Linden sightings right up there with Elvis and Sasquatch.  This is an unfortunate turn of events. 

One last point before I wrap this article up.  As I made this journey, people opened up and shared personal stories with me.  I want to respect their privacy and will do so.  But I want them to know that I heard them and I believe that the SL community can help them, should help them.  SL isn’t like World of Warcraft where we run around in green skins and animal hides bopping each other over the head with clubs and stealing one another’s gold pieces.  Nor is it like Facebook where we run off with our own little cliques and like each other’s opinions on the local weather.  2011 has shown how new technology can be used to bring about great change in societies.  I’m not talking about overthrowing the world here but maybe we can help make a difference just one resident at a time.  I’ll write more about this in 2012. 

Before I go, I want to thank those who came out in the last couple of hours to encourage me to keep going.  Spec, Hibiscus, and World, you guys rock!  Janey, thank you for joining me as I crossed over the finish line and thanks for trying to teach me Greedy, Greedy! 

Happy New Year to all and please visit and support the sites mentioned in these stories! 

For everyone’s convenience, I’ve included links to the four articles about my twenty-four hours in SL:

Twenty-four Hours in SL – I

Twenty-four Hours in SL – II

Twenty-four Hours in SL – III

Twenty-four Hours in SL – IV

I want to thank all the others for coming out to meet and travel with me during my twenty-four hours in SL.  I also am grateful to all of them for helping me along the way! 

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.

Photo No. 1: Flying Crane Tour

Photo No. 2: Kevin the Bird Behind web

Photo No. 3: Topographic Map of Phaze Demesnes

Photo No. 4: Linden Realms Portal Area

Photo No. 5: North Pole Sleigh Ride Adventure Off Season Arrival Area

Photo No. 6: web on a snowmobile

Photo No. 7: Muddy’s Music Café Dance Floor

Photo No. 8: Ankh-Morpork Winter Scene

Photo No. 9: Snowmen Auto Accident

Photo No. 10: Fashionably Dead