Why Am I Still in Second Life?

Life is just a mirror, and what you see out there, you must first see inside of you.

Wally “Famous” Amos

 

          After almost two years in Second Life (SL) I’ve been thinking about why I’m still here lately.  Actually, a few people inworld have been asking me why. Not to mention Significant Other, who has been very supportive of my efforts but asks why and where do I go from here.  (Be warned, I talk a lot about myself in this story.) 

          My original reasons for traveling and blogging about SL were because I wanted to share with a larger audience my wanderings about the grid.  Why was I even on the grid in the first place?  Well, traveling about in Real Life (RL) is not an option for me as it once was.  (Significant Other expects me home on a regular basis and quite rightly insists on a forwarding address those few times that I do get about these days.)  Also, I’d read the blog of Bunky Snowbear who had tried to walk across the SL grid before giving up.  I thought to myself, “Why not?”

          That was then and this is now which causes me to rethink why I’m here.  (Don’t worry, this isn’t one of those hand wringing spiels where I announce I’m leaving SL.   I’m here to stay.  I’m only revisiting my reasons.) 

          As I’ve blogged before, I’ve learned a lot since coming inworld and a lot’s been happening.  Like making friends, folks like Perryn Peterson, Spec Belfire, and kimba are just four of many whom I’ve made. I can’t forget Janey Bracken and Hibiscus Hastings from my CNN iReports days.  (Several remain nameless to protect their privacy.  I seem to have gained a certain notoriety.  But, they still like to hang out with me!)  These are people whom I look for when I’m inworld and participate in events as part of communities.  Or, just chat and check in our respective SL’s.

          Communities are another reason that brings me back inworld. These are the groups of individuals who have come together inworld to socialize, create, and have a good time overall.  These communities come and go.  Sometimes, individuals just stop coming inworld and they’re missed.  There is that human urge to know what happened and why.  We can’t leave the story unfinished.  Sometimes, SL friends have RL issues and we talk. We want to reach out and help as best we can.  The barrier between SL and RL begins to blur.

          Then there’s what’s at the end of the road.  But, there never is a final destination in SL.  Curiosity is one of the impulses bringing me back.  (Significant Other likes to remind me that curiosity kills the cat.)  SL is not complete and never will be.  The only thing that SL can do is end and that unfortunately depends on the corporate whims of Linden Lab. 

          Finally, what happens next in SL keeps bringing me back inworld.  Who will be the new people I will meet?  Some who may not even be in SL yet.  What new places will I discover?  Again, maybe they haven’t even been built yet.  What new experiences could I have?  And trust me, I haven’t even scratched the surface here yet. 

          Like I wrote earlier, I’m staying inworld.  How long do I stay I don’t know.  But, in my RL, I tend to go the distance on projects that I start.  I plan to do the same here.  The unanswered question is when do I go into the Greater Metaverse and see what’s going on out there which was my original goal. 

            So, why am I still in SL?  Let’s just say I’m enjoying myself with my friends and looking forward to new friends, new journeys, and new experiences.  I love the uncertainty of not knowing what’s around the turn in the road. 

 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.

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.

Into the Wilderness: Among the Second Life Diaspora (Part I)

Sometimes we feel we straddle two cultures; at other times, that we fall between two stools.

 Salman Rushdie

Recently, I encountered some difficulties with the laptop I use when visiting Second Life (SL).  (Someday, Linden Lab (LL) has to do something about that awkward viewer.)  A polite way of saying my hard drive died.  They certainly don’t make ‘em like they used to. 

Last week I managed to post to a blog despite my machine’s vagaries.  This week I wasn’t so lucky.  I have been unable to go inworld for almost a week now.  I’m not going through withdrawal, DT’s, or anything like that. But, I do miss my friends on the grid. 

This little technical problem is also playing havoc with my planned writing schedule.  (I was so pleased with myself with having three months of stories laid out.  I guess it’s true what they say about if you ever want to hear God laugh, tell Him your plans.)  With the help of inworld friends, I’ve reached out to those with whom I was a no show on our appointments.  Unfortunately, I didn’t have Real Life (RL) email addresses for all my SL friends so I’m playing catch up right about now. 

My plan right now is to acquire a new machine.  (BTW, if you ever find yourself in a similar situation, don’t bother with Geek Squad.  Check out my rant on their Facebook page, which was replied to nine hours later, for the gory details.)  This will take a little more time but I should be back inworld in February. 

In the interim, I plan to visit with the SL community across the Metaverse until I can go back inworld.  I want to see what they’re going and how they’re using the tools available, especially the social media ones. 

I’ve learned during my travels across SL over the last eight months that SL residents are doing a lot across the Metaverse. 

There are ezines, Inner World , The Best of Second Life , and Retropolitan  focusing on various aspects of life in SL.  Then there are blogs like New World Notes , Janey Bracken’s Janey’s place in Second Life, and Chey Palisades’ Chey’s Second Life Blog where their owners write about their experiences in SL and related worlds.  Other places on the Web where SL residents congregate are the SL Forums, Flickr, Facebook, and Google+. 

What all of these locations have in common besides SL is they don’t require a SL viewer.  (I have access to another laptop, I’m just not permitted to load additional software onto it.)  So, I can stay in contact with the SL community.  (Assuming they want to stay in contact with me!) 

So, for the time being, I’ll still be out there with the SL community.  I just won’t be inworld for a bit. 

I have a request of those reading this blog, if they run into any of my other readers inworld if they would please tell them about my current technical problems and inform them that I can be reached either at my blog or at webseplunker@gmail.com.  I’d love to hear from them! 

Finally, I want to apologize to those whom I may have appeared to have simply fallen off the grid.  I hope I haven’t caused any inconvenience and I look forward to seeing everyone again very soon!  As always, I’m open to any and all ideas for places to visit and people to meet. 

I would like to thank Perryn Peterson and Janey Bracken for helping me reach out to other SL friends.    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.

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.

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

Twenty-four Hours in Second Life – Hour IV

          As I’ve written earlier, I’m way off base in the number of stories I’ve posted from my Twenty-four Hours in SL journey.  All I can say in my defense is that I accomplished my objectives of reaching out and meeting the SL community. If anything, I probably surpassed my original expectations because I spent far more time with other residents than I’d planned which prevented me from blogging hourly.  (How’s that for a rationalization?)

I also believe that I’ve given a full and complete account of my time in SL over these twenty-four hours.  This post will cover the last major activities before I wrap the journey and summarize my observations.  The previous segment in this series can be found here.    

Shortly after posting the last story, Page Eames, a friend and one of the leading designers in SL, also,  the owner of La Flat, contacted me and suggested that I visit the Fifty Linden Friday Sale in SL.  This is an event where several of the top designers in SL come together to offer one special item on Friday for 50L.  The participating shops rotate each.  This Friday turned out to be the last such event.  I visited a store Page recommended, Fashionably Dead,  specializing in women’s hair, and Split Pea Manistore on Lloyd, specializing in women’s accessories.  Both stores were mobbed.  (By SL standards, I’m not talking Black Friday at Macy’s in Herald Square.) What I found interesting about both of these stores was that I didn’t encounter the usual, post-modern glitz associated with high end shops in SL.  The first store was in a rundown set of shops and Split Pea was open air.  Yet the merchandise and the clientele were definitely top drawer.  An interesting lesson here for marketers in SL. 

After this excursion, I met two friends, Janey Bracken and Hibiscus Hastings,  at the Jamaica Inn sim to learn how to play the game of Greedy, Greedy.  (BTW, Jamaica Inn is a bit of a misnomer, snow was everywhere when I arrived.  My two friends found this hilarious.)  Now, I pride myself on my ability to play games.  I have a good head for probabilities.  (Significant Other may say otherwise but I’m not going there.)  I was totally clueless.  Written instructions were given to me and I was still lost.  Then to my chagrin, I’m leading by 2,300 points.  Despite Janey and Hibiscus saying this skill on my part, as far as I was concerned, this was pure dumb luck.  Before I left for my next appointment, I was a hair’s breadth away from first place.  Buying lottery tickets is more of a science than this game.  Somehow, I got away with my pride and reputation more or less in one piece. 

          My next stop was a modeling class at AvCon productions  led by two friends of mine, Chelle Hawker and Furry Fizgig.  Three students were in the class including IFo Hancroft, one of my oldest friends in SL.  This class was one of the earlier introductory ones and included the basics of learning the craft, walking, posing, and behavior.  Chelle and Furry shared their experiences, war stories, and perspectives.  I was particularly impressed with how the instructors did not run out after class but stayed and talked with the students. 

          After the models, I visited the Masked Ball held in the 1920's Berlin sim hosted by Frau Jo Yardley. The event was held in the Odeon.  There was music, dancing,and food.  The company was enjoyable and pleasant.  This sim always offers an enjoyable look back to a time before madness descended on the world.

I was getting close to the end when I accepted an invitation from any1 Gynoid  Turns out that this was a series of two parties during which time I danced with any1 and we discussed politics and economics.  From any1 and her friends, I sensed their strong feeling for those whose rights, whether civil or economic were affected.  The need for full and fair employment came through loud and clear.   

I want to thank everyone for coming out to meet 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: Fashionably Dead

Photo No. 2: AvCom Productions Modeling Class