Where’s Home for You in Second Life?

Home's where you go when you run out of homes.

John le Carré  

In Second Life (SL), I’m a wanderer and explorer. 

I had hang outs for the longest time in the beginning but never a home where I could hang my hat.

But, then I finally broke down, purchased a Premium Membership inworld, and ended up with a home in a place called Nowaki.    

All this got me thinking, how many of you out there have a home in SL?

In Real Life (RL), most of us are familiar with the concept of a home. 

Some of us have one, some of us want one, and some of us reject having one. 

Some get tossed out of one.  (Contrary to popular belief in some quarters, I’ve never been tossed out of one.  Further, I’m not some stray who followed Significant Other home.)

Is a home in SL really all that different from one in RL?

Why do we even have homes?

Isn’t it a place to be found, to be part of a community, to decorate? 

(I love decorating my home for the Holidays.)

At the risk of sounding sexist, we get fed by our mothers.  (Yeah, believe it or not, I did have one.  Although, she did ask that I not bring it up in public.)

Then there’s privacy.  (That’s my story inworld, I got tired of hiding in the bushes when I changed outfits.) 

What have I noticed about having a home inworld?

I’ve become attached to my home in Nowaki.

(To my three loyal readers, not to worry, I’m still going to wander and explore!)

Decorating for the Holidays is fun!

I enjoy entertaining friends.  (Significant Other arches an eyebrow.)

But, a few other points about having a home in SL. 

A SL home doesn’t have to be a building (which costs Lindens). 

A SL home could simply be your favorite sim where you hang out with friends or by yourself. 

Or, maybe someone shares their home with you?

What about you?

Do you have a home inworld?

Are you alone or do you share it with someone else?

Is there a small town somewhere inworld that you call home?

Why or why not?

Please drop me a line and let me know!

If I get enough responses, then I’ll write a follow-up.

Or, better yet!

Invite me over and show me around! 

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!

Finding New Friends in Second Life

 

Old friends pass away, new friends appear.  It is just like the days.  An old day passes, a new day arrives.  The important thing is to make it meaningful: a meaningful friend or - meaningful day.

Dalai Lama

 

 

          As many of my readers hopefully know by now, I’ve been looking at social media to improve the sense of community among residents of Second Life (SL). 

          Initially, this was intended as a means to keep the community together in the event that SL went walkabout.  (Love that word, Significant Other contends that I’m only trying to show off that I once saw an Australian movie.)  Later, this became more pressing as Facebook started making noises that they didn’t like my type. (No skin off my nose, I’ve been thrown out of better places than theirs.)   

          Just prior to all the turmoil of my hasty departure from Facebook, I came across a new social networking site exclusively for avatars from virtual worlds.  Its name is the Avatar Social Network (ASN) and, oddly enough, I learned about it while on Facebook.

          Joining, I found several old friends and started to make many new ones.  Since the Facebook diaspora has begun to arrive the numbers are steadily increasing.  No one asked about my Real Life (RL) identity.  I could offer friendship without people coming back asking snarkily who did I think I was trying to friend them.  There’s a Help Center staffed by real people who came back promptly and helped me when I was trying to figure something out. 

          I must admit that this was an entirely different experience from the other so called social network that’d just run me out of town.

          Then to top this all off, I met the founder and general manager of ASN who friended me, had a pleasant conversation with me, and accepted readily my offer of an interview to do this story. 

          His name is Arkad Baxton and with his help, I’ll introduce ASN to you. 

          Now, to be fair, I’ve never met Mark Zuckerberg so he hasn’t had a chance to snub me or decline my friendship offer.  But, somehow I don’t think I’d have gotten the same reception as I’ve gotten from Arkad.  (That offer to guest blog here is still open Mark!)

          Arkad is an avatar in SL.  He’s been inworld since 2004 and his current persona was born in 2008.  For him, the attraction of SL is privacy.  No RL needs to be shared.  Like me, Arkad enjoys his privacy.  This was the reason why ASN was created. 

          ASN is intended to be an alternative to Facebook for non-real accounts such as ourselves.  Arkad stresses that no RL information being required was the driving force behind the decision to establish ASN. 

          As Arkad puts it, a person can be whomever they want to be inworld. He cites the example of Anshe Chung, a Danish school teacher in RL, a Chinese land baron millionaire in SL. 

          The goal of ASN is to bring and keep the virtual worlds and games communities together without any obligation of providing real information, thus offering more freedom than other social media websites. 

          I continue asking if ASN was a reaction to Facebook’s policies or did that develop afterwards.  Arkad replies that ASN was the result of a mix of things.  The original concept, yes, is ensuring privacy and that no RL data is being shared or requested.

The other, he continues, is that there was not any kind of social network available where virtual world members can share their photos, connect, promote, play games or interact like there now is in ASN.

          Arkad says proudly that ASN has it all in one place. ASN is the flickr, Pinterest, Twitter, Facebook and Forums, etc. for virtual world residents and gamers all at one place.

          As far as I’m concerned, Arkad seems to have hit both nails squarely on their heads. 

          I next ask about the funding for ASN as all this takes money.  Arkad explains that originally investors were behind ASN but, now, advertising and sponsors are helping.

          When I ask about who ASN’s members are, Arkad says they come from all over and cites Second Life, Little Field Grid, Island Oasis, Virtual Highway, There.com, IMVU, World of Warcraft, and even flight simulator enthusiasts.  A pretty diverse group in my opinion. 

          Arkad states that there are several reasons why people join ASN.

          First, they come to make friends.  Next, they join to promote their activities such as photography and blogging.  Finally, there’s a lot of useful information to be found at ASN and members avail themselves of it.

          My next question came from one of my readers.

          The question concerns intellectual property (IP) rights for content posted on ASN.  (Remember the ToS controversy with Linden Lab and SL?)  The question is does ASN consider itself the owner of IP posted on ASN.

          Arkad replies that no, ASN is not the owner.  What’s posted on the Internet is available for all.  ASN has no claim on it.  (Ebbe Altberg and Linden Lab could learn a few things from this guy.)

          I inquire about any issues that ASN may be experiencing. Arkad replies that server capacity had been an issue but has been addressed by the recent upgrade.  (I have to add that this migration was done very professionally and with transparent communications with the user community.  I know some large global companies that could learn from this.) 

          My last question has to do with ASN’s future plans. 

          Arkad says that short term, the immediate plans are celebrate the first birthday of ASN this coming September 20^th (which is why this story is one day early) from 10:00AM to 11:00PM SLT. 

          The festivities will be non-stop with performers, gifts, and parties.

          Oh, you’d like to know where the celebrations are?

          Well, I can tell you without having to… (You know the rest!)

          Until just a few hours ago this was a tighter secret than the personal mobile phone numbers of Linden Lab management.  (Don’t ask.)

          The first anniversary celebrations will be here.  See you there!

          The location will be announced the day before on the website so keep an eye out is all that I can say now!

          Longer term, after the parties, Arkad’s plans for ASN are to introduce new features onto the website, fix some bugs in the Android app, and launch the iPhone app.  A pretty impressive list!

          Arkad next takes me to ASN inworld location to show me where residents can join and use the ATM for credits.  (More about this feature in a future story!)

          Wanting to be mindful of Arkad’s time, I thank him for his openness and hospitality then take my leave to return to Nowaki.   

          ASN is a well run, tight community of avatars from across the Metaverse.  In my short time here, I’m impressed by the friendliness of the other members and the helpfulness of the staff.

          For those looking for a social networking application to assist in their enjoyment of SL and other virtual worlds, I strongly recommend ASN. 

          You’ll see me there!

          I would like to thank Arkad for his time and hospitality while meeting with me for this interview.        

          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’ve included some pictures from my meeting with Arkad in his private offices inworld.

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.

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 safe fires!

 

 

 

Photo No. 1 ASN Conference Room in SL

Photo No. 2 Arkad Baxton with web in Conference Room

Photo No. 3 Opposite End of Conference Room

Photo No. 4 ASN Meeting Area in SL

Photo No. 5 Arkad Baxton

 

Photo No. 6 ASN First Anniversary Announcement

My Fashion Sense in Second Life

Fashion changes, but style endures.

Coco Chanel

 

          Alright, maybe some (OK, all) of my fashionista friends in Second Life (SL) might challenge me on having any fashion sense at all inworld.

          But, hear me out on this please.  For if beauty is in the eye of the beholder, why can’t fashion be?  (Something tells me that I may be banned in parts of SL after this post.)

          For those who haven’t met me inworld, I’m a pretty ordinary avi. 

          Why?

          My reasons are few.  I like things simple and ordinary.  I try to keep my costs down.  (Significant Other is adamant that any money I spend on fashion better be spent in Real Life (RL).  Something about being seen together in public.)  Finally, SL fashion, to be done right, takes a lot of time to be done right even if only freebies are used. 

          SL is about choices many times.  The most basic and probably most important choice we make inworld is about how much time we spend there.  Once we make that decision the next one is what do we do with that time.

          For me, that time is spent exploring, meeting new people, and having new experiences.  Sitting alone in Nowaki, mulling over fashion considerations, and forever tweaking whatever monstrosities (I recognize my limits.) I’d create with Blender is not for me.  (Who says I don’t have any community spirit?) 

          Many residents I meet inworld are fairly cool with my approach.  Then there are a few who sniff distastefully at the obvious noob and walk away.  Which is fine.  Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  (Besides, they’re probably boring anyway.)

          Don’t worry this story will not turn into a diatribe against the fashion world in SL.  Far from it.  I have many friends who are designers, models, retailers, and fashion journalists whom I think the world of both them and their work.  (Several have offered to help me, the fact that I am who I am is my fault alone and not theirs.)  Others are impeccably dressed and coiffed with outstanding skins.  The fact that they let me hang around with them speaks more of their character than their obviously superior sense of haute couture. 

          A sense of style inworld requires resources.  Oddly, the more one may try to avoid spending money, the more likely one is to devote considerable time to their efforts.  Especially those who are creating original works and not simply knocking off the work of others. 

          More than personal vanity is involved too in being fashionable inworld.  Roleplaying many times has dress requirements before people can participate.  Historical sims have costume codes that visitors are required, justifiably, before they can enter. 

          Then there are sims where clothing is not required but even they seem to have a hierarchy of who’s got a better skin.  (Or certain AO’s but I won’t go there now.)  Don’t expect me to have a six pack set of abs anytime soon! 

          My basic wardrobe inworld is fairly straightforward.  There’s my everyday tee shirt and jeans casual. Followed by my basic gothic look which serves me well for most historical sims.  (Although, I’ve been known to go native in ancient Egypt.)  I can’t forget to mention my Gorean outfit which is probably my most sophisticated look.  Finally, there’s my basic nude look for going out, well, among nudists. 

          My first attempt at a makeover when I came inworld was fairly basic. (“What you see is what you get!”)  I later started another makeover but became distracted.  (Which Significant Other says is my natural state.)  I will return to this effort and see what further harm I can to myself later this year.  Don’t worry, my trade mark red eyes will stay.  (How else can I be distinguished from all the other nude guys? Don’t say it! We’re still not that kind of blog.) 

          Any suggestions about my next makeover are more than welcome.  Although, I reserve the right to approve all recommendations.  Also, any recommendations that I just disappear will be tossed out onto the proverbial dustbin of history. 

          What got me going on this topic?  Maybe it’s because Halloween has just passed and all the costumes got me thinking.  Or, maybe I’m becoming more self-conscious inworld.  Either way, get ready to see some changes in me.  But, not to worry, I’ll still be the same old lovable noob running around asking lots of questions.  

          I’ve included a few pictures of myself in various outfits so you can be the judge of just how I look or where improvements could be made.       

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.  (Including the undead!) 

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  web in Casual

Photo No. 2  web in Goth

Photo No. 3  web in Gorean

Photo No. 4  web Almost Nude!  (Still not that kind of blog!)

Seven Second Life Facts about Me

The only thing I ask is, don’t judge me (or at least just do it quietly in your head)! :P

Strawberry Singh

            Recently, I came across a blog post by Strawberry Singh where she listed seven facts about herself in Second Life (SL) and challenged other SL bloggers to add links to their own seven SL facts.  So, here are mine:

            My SL Fact #1:

            My name, webspelunker, was created by me because of my love of going into the dark, unknown places off the Grid. 

            My SL Fact #2:

            I’m in the midst of a stalled personal makeover.

            My SL Fact #3:

            My favorite pastime is exploring new sims and meeting new people.

            My SL Fact #4:

            My single, biggest regret since arriving inworld is not yet learning how to script. 

            My SL Fact #5:

            I’m always testing my limits inworld and anything is fair game. 

            My SL Fact #6:

            I’m always moving about which makes long term friendships difficult.  (A polite way of saying I can be a bad friend.) 

            My SL Fact #7:

            My base of operations is in Nowaki. 

            My thanks to Strawberry for a chance to share my facts with her readers!  Please check out the rest of her blog, it’s a great source about SL. 

 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.

Journey to Ancient Alexandria

Trouble's just the bits in between! It's all waiting out there, Jackie. And it's brand new to me. All those planets, creatures and horizons—I haven't seen them yet. Not with these eyes. And it is gonna be... fantastic.

The Tenth Doctor

          This week I’m doing something I haven’t done in a while, visit a good old fashioned Second Life (SL) sim where the sim itself is the main attraction and everyone keeps their clothes on (or at least taking them off is not the primary activity). 

          So, after bouncing around the grid for a bit I came across Ancient Alexandria.  A role playing sim which recreates the ancient world of the Ptolemy’s and Cleopatra’s in all its past glory. 

          Unfortunately, when I first came across Alexandria, I wasn’t in proper period attire so I wouldn’t enter.  (Contrary to popular belief, I try to respect sim’s rules about attire and behavior.  One reason why I’ve been bouncing around butt naked so much lately.)  I promised myself to return for further investigation.

Something else different about this trip is that I’m accompanied by my Traveling Companion, GraciAnn Harte.  (Hey, Doctor Who’s been doing it for fifty years.  Why not me?)  Some of my readers may remember her.  We’re neighbors in Nowaki.  Graci also accompanied me on my recent BDSM club tour.   When not suffering with my presence, she’s a model who has recently graduated from modeling school.  Graci has been wanting to go exploring inworld and I offered to invite her on some of my adventures. (Actually, I think she comes along to see what trouble I get into next!) 

Graci and I agree on a day and time and begin to prepare for our trip.  One thing about hanging around with a model is that she knows a lot about how to dress and where to get cool outfits.  We went shopping together where Graci’s great taste and common sense came into play.  Especially when she saw what period costume I wanted to wear.  She mumbled something about not wanting to be seen in public with anyone dressed as a slave.  Needless to say, I ultimately went with her recommendation.  I have to admit I do look spiffy in her choice.  (Significant Other thought so too.  Now, she wants Graci to go to work on my hair and eyes.) 

At the appointed time and date, Graci and I teleport into Ancient Alexandria. Graci has selected a traditional long white dress with period jewelry.  Her hair is done in a Cleopatra classic style.   She is barefoot.  (So much easier in SL isn’t it?) 

We arrive at the port area.  (Where else would people arrive in ancient times?) The famed Lighthouse is visible in the harbor.  We move onto a temple and then back to a market back near the port area. Along the way we pass through a residence and wander the streets. 

Since Graci and I had to make our trip early on a Sunday morning because of our schedules, many residents aren’t about.  In fact, we only meet two.  One, a woman driving a horse and wagon and another woman running through the city streets. 

The sim’s attention to detail is extraordinary and this is at two levels.  The first is the period accuracy and layout of the buildings, furniture, and other everyday implements.  Then there is the quality of the detail work for these objects.  Intricate patterns are woven into rugs and mosaics.  Having had the opportunity to visit some ancient ruins in Real Life (RL) myself, I’m impressed by the quality of the workmanship and the accuracy. 

Tapestries, fabrics, and other objets d’art are strategically located throughout the sim.  Again, attention to detail and quality of craftsmanship are evident throughout.

There is an eerie sense as Graci and I walk through the empty streets.  I’m reminded of a ghost town.  Fortunately, it’s daylight.  Otherwise it could be more scary than eerie.  (I admit it, I’m afraid of the dark.) The two people whom we do meet are busy and can’t spend much time with us.   

While we wander about, Graci is taking pictures.  Despite my nobleman’s costume, I look the part of a tourist from the provinces wandering aimlessly about. The people we do meet respond better to Graci than to me. Maybe it’s my red eyes? 

This is an abbreviated trip for Graci and me as we both have RL commitments which call us back sooner than we’d have preferred.  But, our brief visit has given us a chance to see another SL sim lovingly built and maintained by a community dedicated to one theme.  We’re grateful for their efforts and for allowing travelers like us to visit. 

Graci and I encourage you to visit and see the work which brings back images of a world long gone. 

I’d like to thank my Traveling Companion, GraciAnne Harte, for making the time to join me and I hope that she will be back for further adventures inworld. 

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.

Photo No. 1 GraciAnne Harte in Period Dress

Photo No. 2 web Prior to Departure

Photo No. 3 Alexandria Arrival Hall

Photo No. 4 Harbor Lighthouse (Ancient Wonder of the World)

Photo No. 5 Harbor Breakwater

Photo No. 6 Ship Dockside

Photo No. 7 Public Baths

Photo No. 8 Murals in Public Baths

Photo No. 9 Street Scene at Night

Photo No. 10 Private Garden

Photo No. 11 Interior of Residence

How I Write

My personality type was always telling me to pack light, run fast and loose, don’t ask permission, beg forgiveness instead if things went wrong, and improvise your way out of trouble.    

Richard Grant

                                                               

          Since I’ve been blogging for the last year about my travels across Second Life (SL) I’ve been asked by my inworld friends and other acquaintances about how I write.  I think they mean where do the ideas for my stories come from?  Sometimes they ask about what the motivation is behind my blogging.  I think they are going to be surprised about the method to my madness.

          I know many writers (real writers, not hacks like me) have a methodology which they use to produce their stories.  Serial writers of popular fiction have templates which they use to turn out their regular installments like a well tuned assembly line.        

          I, on the other hand, do not follow such conventions.  I like to be a merry wanderer without commitments and deadlines.  (OK, I’ve failed miserably with the last, I do blog regularly.)  However, as I said previously there is a method to my madness and this is what I’m blogging about now. 

          Although, one nice thing about wandering about inworld is that I get to come home to my own bed in Real Life (RL) each evening.  (Virtual worlds have many advantages over reality sometimes.) 

          So what do I do?  Nothing terribly complicated.  I start by going walkabout.  In the beginning, I was looking to meet the various communities inworld and see what they were about.  I’ve been with vampires, nudists, and the BDSM community.  Then I hang around with them for awhile.  (I have to admire how they put up with me.)  I go where my leads take me.  For example, meeting someone in Nowaki, the neighborhood that I live in when inworld, led me to the BDSM community inworld.  Which in turn led to other folks and places. 

          While hanging around (and wearing out my welcome) I try to learn who is in the community.  What do they do?  How are they different from other communities?  Why do they let me hang around?  And, finally, what am I doing there myself? 

          I find myself staying longer and longer within these communities trying to answer these questions.  I’m also finding how open and hospitable folks are in SL. 

          This blog is the second in a trilogy I’m writing on the first anniversary of my beginning to blog about SL.  Next week, I’ll blog about pushing the edges of the envelope in SL.

          I want to thank all those who have helped me and guided me along my way over the course of the last twelve months.  The list is too long to write but I thank each and every one of you.  What I am truly grateful for is how each of you opened yourselves up and gave me something which I could share with the broader group. 

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.