Is the Nature of Second Life Changing?

Nothing is so painful to the human mind as a great and sudden change.

Mary Shelley, Frankenstein 

 

 

Wandering across Second Life (SL) as is my wont, (Significant Other prefers this to my former globetrotting days in Real Life (RL)) I’ve covered much virtual time and distance.

Many things have changed over the course of this time, but, I think I’ve uncovered something new.  (Significant Other’s eyes roll.)

Recently, I went back to visit one of the great sand boxes inworld, the Hobo Jungle, sadly only to find that it’s now gone.  I’d just missed it as it closed about six months ago.  Now, an adult sim is in its place.  It’s beautiful but serves a totally different function.  (And, there may be a story here in the future.)

Once again, this got me thinking (And Significant Other worrying.)

Is something more fundamental going on inworld?

Is the nature of SL itself changing? 

Are we seeing SL metamorphasize (I’ve always wanted to use that word.) into something new?

          The premise behind SL originally was that it could be whatever you wanted it to be.  This naturally drew in the creative types, many of who created large scale, if usually empty, beautiful sims.  This is what I submit is changing.

SL was arguably the first true virtual world on a large scale available to the general public.  But something happened along the way.

New forms of social media like Facebook, Twitter, Snapchat, and the like came along.  People were more engaged in socializing than building things.  In fact, most probably couldn’t have cared less about building things. Their energies were directed into being liked. 

Meanwhile, in RL things were changing too.  People abandoned physical games for virtual ones.  Relationships moved online.  People who previously couldn't connect with others because of disabilities, physical remoteness, or just being plain old fashioned shy could now engage with others.  Globally no less!  Hobbies like model building, military miniatures, and board games had a serious falling off as people moved online.  Putting aside virtual relationships, RL relationships have moved online

All this has been reflected inworld too.

The already mentioned loss of big builds is one example.  Another is the phenomena of active groups based around sims closing rapidly because the founders are worn out by all the effort required especially if they're successful.

But, residents are active inworld socially. builds are simpler, and groups have themes and many times no owned sim.  The degree of social interaction is high, sometimes flowing

over into RL.

What does all this mean?

It could mean SL has a long life ahead of it. 

Scripters who work on avatars and their fashions may take precedence over builders. 

SL could evolve closer to RL for those who wish to remain anonymous with more focus on relationship building. 

SL could become a sanctuary for those who are alone IRL.

SL could become a place where everyone knows your name at least virtually!

What could the future hold for SL?

A very good question!  (Significant Other thinks I ask very good questions and only wishes that I could answer a few of them.)

I still believe there's a lot of potential in SL.

We may see a blurring of the lines between SL and  RL.

Could Bitcoin or other cybercurrencies finally permit an inworld economy to start to begin to flourish?

SL could outlast all of us but in order to do so, it needs a reason for people to want come, a reason to want to stay, and a reason to comeback.

The answer ultimately lies with all of 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!

 

 

 

Three Years in Second Life

 Three things cannot be long hidden: the sun, the moon, and the truth.

Buddha

 

          It’s that time of the year again. 

          The anniversary of when I started blogging about my travels across Second Life (SL), the people whom I’ve met, and the experiences I’ve had.  Each year, this time seems to come upon me more quickly than the last time.  (Significant Other says to wait until I’m really old then see how fast time flies.)  This is the third such anniversary.

          My tradition has been to stop and to write about the past year.  This helps me to think about where I’ve been and what may come.  I also question myself about why I continue blogging. 

          So, as I did last year and the year before that, I’m taking a trip down memory lane here. 

          Therefore, be warned, dear readers!  (All two of you!) 

          I find myself still feeling curious when I log into SL.  The original sense of what may happen next is still there.  What I say next may sound odd, (Significant Other arches an eyebrow here.) but I feel like I’m coming home. 

          Now, don’t get me wrong.  I believe I maintain a very good balance between SL and Real Life.  Significant Other sees to that.  Like an ancient Roman general returning to his triumph, I have Significant Other standing next to me, whispering in my ear that not only am I mortal but real.  (And, if I want to keep being both, I’d better keep both feet on the ground.  Motivation is one of Significant Other’s strong points.)  But, Significant Other supports my excursions, if for no other reason than I’m home every night as opposed to some RL adventures which used to keep me away. 

          (Also, please do not draw any inferences from my use of the analogy of a Roman general and a slave in an ancient Triumph.  Significant Other is a fierce proponent of equal relationships.  The operative word here is “fierce”.)

          Likewise, I find inworld a sense of loss when friends disappear and sims go away.  Especially, when there is no warning.  It’s impossible not to care about the people I meet in SL.  As in RL, time spent talking, arguing, exploring, and whatever else we get up to create bonds. 

          To start, what’s been happening with SL in the last year?

          Ebbe Altberg became the Grand Poobah of Linden Lab (LL).  SL GO, the new tool that was going to make us all mobile in RL when we wanted to be inworld was announced with much fanfare and seems to have disappeared of late near as I can tell.  Oculus Rift, the great hope of those who, like me, are awaiting the expected resurgence of Virtual Reality (VR) came on the scene and was snapped up the Evil Empire, Facebook.

          The common theme behind these three events, any one of which could be a game changer, is that all raised hopes and generated buzz but nothing really has changed much yet.  Maybe SL’s organizational inertia is too great to permit anyone or anything to achieve an escape velocity.

          What have been my big accomplishments for the past twelve months?

          Well, first, I finally had my Big Makeover!    

          Thanks to Starla Farella, her skills and her magic, I’ve been reborn inworld.  (Significant Other was really impressed.)  I no longer look like a noob.  At least, I think so.  (This is where I’d really appreciate both my readers to say in public what they said in private.) 

          Then there were the new worlds that I visited in SL. 

          I went to Gor for the first time.  I’m still trying to get my head around that lifestyle.   No judgments here, but this is definitely a world that can only be virtual.  I visited the Regency Era and still marvel at how another age can be recreated inworld.  Then there was Da Vinci Gardens where ideas that are insanely great are literally given wing.

          The border between RL and SL was touched.  (This one worries Significant Other.)  I worked with the Relay for Life team as they worked to raise money for cancer research.  I helped a British television production company look for RL couples whose relationship began inworld.  Then, I met a group of RL people who practice their religion in both worlds. 

New friends have been made and I value you most of all. 

          Tera Trenchcoat accepted the job as my Research Assistant (RA).  I’m grateful for her patience, insight, and being willing to work for nothing.  (I think this finally sunk in the other evening.  Significant Other is still convinced that Tera’s using me as the subject for her RL graduate dissertation in abnormal psych.) 

          Finally, I’ve begun to use social media more and am seeing more folks dropping by to read my blog.  (Either that or the Original Two readers are doing a great job of looking like a crowd.) 

          Many other things happened along the way this past year.  I’ve tried to capture some of the highlights here.  All whom I’ve met and all the places I’ve visited are important to me as they influence me and influence the person I am inworld. 

          The past year has seen loss inworld.  Friends haven’t come back.  I wish them well wherever their paths take them in RL and SL.

          Great sims like Utopia Naked Isle Resort and Ancient Alexandria are no longer with us.  (I’m still trying to lay a guilt trip on the owners of the former, wish me luck!)

          Do I have any disappointments with myself?

          Yes, I do.  (I’m not including Significant Other’s comments here.)

          My writing tends to wander like I do.  I feel I have too many unfinished projects.  But, I’m an itinerant blogger, right?  Maybe I should cut myself some slack with this one.

          I still haven’t interviewed Bunky Snowbear.  The man who tried to walk across the Grid before stopping out of boredom and for a career in inworld movies.  Bunky’s the reason I started my own journey and began blogging. 

          My writing’s not as edgy as I’d hoped.  I’ll work on this. I don’t think people read me for my jokes.

          Finally, I don’t post nearly as often as I’d like too.  It’s not for lack of good material.  There’re stories aplenty inworld.  But, I’ll cop out and say I have to manage RL.  (Significant Other has asked that I point out that this one is all on me which is true.)

          What’s the future hold?

          Plenty!

          I’m an optimist.  I believe in the future of virtual worlds like SL.  Some of the recent events in RL hint at its promise.  There are even rumors of the return of the Lindens! 

          The people and places in SL are something to behold and I encourage all to come inworld and to see for themselves.

          To wrap it up, I’ll still keep blogging!

          Let’s see where we all are this time next year!

          See you around the Grid!

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 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.

 

Utopian Renewal in Second Life

 

It is always quietly thrilling to find yourself looking at a world you know well but have never seen from such an angle before.

Bill Bryson

 

          Here we are, hardly into the New Year when already a major event is happening in Second Life (SL).  My good friends at the Utopia Naked Isle Resort are staging a major reopening of their VIP section after extensive renovations over the Christmas Holidays.

          Utopia is noted for its impressive building programs as evidenced by its Winter Wonderland sim not to mention the elaborate redecorating that occurs weekly as they prepare for their Tuesday Pack the Bar (PTB) revelries.  My good friend, Lisah Lorefield,  is the driving force behind much of this work and Utopia’s latest makeover is probably her most impressive work yet.

          While Utopia Naked Isle Resort is open to all and supported by visitors’ donations, (Hint: Tier fees aren’t cheap so please contribute if you like what you see.) the VIP area is for paying members and offers privacy for those seeking a more intimate setting surrounded by fields and beaches.  The design is of a very high quality.  As with the main area, it is clothing optional.

Recently, I dropped by to meet with Lori, one of Utopia’s owners about the construction effort and the upcoming grand reopening. 

          After exchanging greetings, Lori and I begin talking about the newly renovated VIP area.  I ask why the renovations were necessary.  Lori replies that Utopia’s owners weren’t happy with it because it didn’t offer enough things for its members to do particularly of a non-sexual nature.  (Get your mind out of the gutter, this is a serious review!)

          Lori continues saying that new caves, hang gliding, sky diving, floating rocks, a mer area (underwater zone) will be available when the facility reopens on January 18^th.  The intention is to have a place where people will want to come and hang out with their friends so the non-sexual activities were added to diversify the activities. 

          The VIP area will be open to all for the first twenty-four hours on Saturday, January 18^th.  At the opening party on the same day, live musician Tukso Okey will play at noon SLT.  There will also be a week long scavenger hunt for that twenty-four period to help visitors familiarize themselves with the new features.  The first person to send in the twenty scavenger hunt items will receive a prize of 2,500L.  The VIP membership will be reduced to 150L during this period.  (Which is a bargain BTW.) 

          Lori drops hints of hidden themed rooms in the caves for visitors to find and even I with my press pass am not given any more clues.  But, she did tell me a few skeletons might be found in cave walls near the hot tubs.  (They seemed like such nice people here compared to where I grew up but these days, who knows?)

          Lori has to leave for her Real Life (RL) responsibilities and I thank her for her time.  Later, when I return for pictures for this story, I learn about the canoeing which is new and stumble onto the new orgy room. (Nice to know, some folks still respect tradition.)   

          While with Lori, I also learned that Utopia will now have more weekly events on Mondays, Wednesdays, Fridays, and Saturdays in addition to Tuesday’s PTB function.  Events can be found posted at the Utopia LZ. 

          The renovations did not harm the VIP area’s original inherent charm but have only added new features.  Lisah does an outstanding job of creating the effect of more space while still working within the confines of the original sim.  She accomplishes this by building up and digging down.  (Lisah is also showing a fascination with rope bridges in her recent builds.  I have to ask her what this is all about the next time I run into her.) 

          The grand reopening of the Utopia VIP area will take place on Saturday, January 18^th and will be open to all.  Utopia has planned many activities as Lori describes to make this a fun filled time for all.

          I can speak from personal experience that it is very difficult not to enjoy one’s self at a Utopia party.  Staff, members, and guests are always very friendly and inclusive.  After all, they let me hang around.  (Significant Other thinks someone probably just lost a bet.)

          More information about Utopia can be found at their recently established website.

Please come if you can and maybe I’ll see you there! 

One more item!  Utopia’s first anniversary is fast approaching in the spring.  I have it on good authority that there will be much celebrating and merry making for a week at that time.  Watch this blog or Utopia’s notice boards and website for more details! 

          I’ve included links below to pictures of the new VIP site.  These do not do it justice.  Come and see for yourselves!   

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

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 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 VIP Area Entrance

Photo No. 2 Rope Bridge to VIP Area   

Photo No. 3 Ocean View I

Photo No. 4 Hang Glider Location

Photo No. 5 Sunset

Photo No. 6 Orgy Room

Photo No. 7 Gazebo in the Rain

Photo No. 8 Ocean View II

Photo No. 9 Waterfalls

Photo No. 10 Field

Photo No. 11 Flora

Photo No. 12 Picnic Spot

Photo No. 13 Pond

Photo No. 14 Underground Caves  

Photo No. 15 Skyboxes TP’s

Photo No. 16 Overview

 

Looking Back on 2013 in Second Life

For last year's words belong to last year's language
And next year's words await another voice.

T. S. Eliot

 

          Sitting at my keyboard in Real Life (RL), the realization is dawning on me that another year is passing away.  As is my want, I take this time of the year to become a little nostalgic and reminisce a bit about my misadventures in Second Life (SL).  (Be warned, many of already know what I’m like when I get like this!)

          I like to think back about where I’ve been, who I’ve met, and the experiences I’ve had.  How did I do against where I wanted to go this year?  (Not great, but I have my excuses ready.) 

          Most importantly of all, was it a good year?

          Looking back, I did go to new places and met new people.  I visited several art galleries inworld and met the artists and curators behind them.  I’ve learned that there is a thriving art world in SL and many creative people are at work here rivalling their RL counterparts. 

          I participated in various RL holidays and festivals like the Chinese Lunar New Year, St. Patrick’s Day and Cinco de Mayo inworld both thanks to my good friend Perryn Peterson.  (Who by the way was also my subject for this year’s One of the Most Interesting Second Life Residents I’ve Met story.) 

          I got serious too.  I looked into social issues like bullying inworld.  Being always fascinated by where RL ends and SL begins, I blogged about identity, trust and loss in SL.  (Speaking of which, Significant Other always worries I’m going to invite everyone I’ve met over for dinner someday unannounced.)  Bitcoin was addressed and I’m still waiting to see how digital currencies such as this work with virtual worlds.  I also touched on the dirty, little secret of SL.

          New worlds beckoned and I spent time among the Goreans, an interesting community whom I need to return to.  Very different, but nonetheless interesting, was the Regency Era sim that I dropped into and which I recommend to all Jane Austen fans. 

          My travels among the nude continued with first time visits to Naked and Utopia Naked Isle Resort.  Friendly people and great facilities make these must visits for the aspiring nudist inworld.  I’ve made several good friends at both sims. 

          2013 was a year of new experiences for me in SL too.  With my good friend, Lisah Lorefield, I attended her Tarot card reading.  Thanks to Starla Farella, I had a makeover inworld and feel more like a real avi now.  Starla is a genius when it comes to creating a more lifelike avatar and I refer all to her who are looking to look more like a real person inworld.  Of course, I had another laptop crash this year which caused me to ponder how we can exist with SL when we can’t access it directly.  (OK, maybe Significant Other is right, and I do have too much time on my hands.) 

          But, let me honest and talk a bit about things that I didn’t get around to.  Like my two series, Sex and the Single Avatar in Second Life and The Seven Wonders of the Ancient World in Second Life, I’ve been remiss there and I will return to them in the New Year.  I also never started the series entitled Shoemaker’s Children where I’d blog about Linden Lab and its disappointments.  Or, failing to follow up on other promising stories I’d written.

          I’ll spare you my excuses (Significant Other has already heard them and is unimpressed.) but I’ll return to all these (the stories not the excuses) in the New Year. 

          What are my observations about SL overall this year? 

          I still find the sense of community to be very strong.  Creativity in builds and artwork is as high as ever if not higher than before.  Yet, I worry about the loss of people and once popular sims.  Some that I’ve visited in prior years are no longer with us.  Some friends are no longer around and they are missed.  I can only hope that they are happy in their RL’s and responsibilities there have kept them away.  (And, not as Significant Other has suggested, they’re trying to avoid me.) 

          My readership is up and I thank all of you!  Please keep reading and feel free to continue to distribute links to my blog and stories! 

          What do we have to look forward to in 2014?

          I will continue the series I’ve already started and mentioned above.  I’ll go back for more stories on Gor and erotic art inworld.   

          RL activities on my part will help me in overhauling my blog layout and increase the use of social media. 

          There will be more involvement in community activities like the 1920’s Berlin Book Club.  I’ll also go deeper in my stories and try to be less superficial as I sometimes am. 

          Finally, I’ll work to be a better friend inworld.  As a wanderer in SL, I realize I’m very bad at staying in touch and following up.  I can blame the call of the open road inworld and RL responsibilities but those are only excuses. Expect to see and hear more from me in the New Year.  (Including that long overdue game of Greedy, Greedy that I owe to two friends!) 

          So, let’s go back to my earlier question, was it a good year?

          Without any qualifications on my part, yes, it was.  I stayed in touch with some old friends, met new ones, and had new experiences.   I found all the reasons why I came inworld in the first place to be still valid.  I think I discovered a few new reasons to boot.  I continue to enjoy being inworld and blogging about it.

          Yes, it was a good year inworld, a very good year!

          Before I go any further, I’d like to thank Significant Other who continues to support my inworld activities and blogging while still marveling that I haven’t been thrown out yet.

          To my many SL friends, it would be hard to thank all of you individually but I would like to thank Perryn Peterson for all his magnificent events and always allowing me the scoop on them.  I’d like to thank my Research Assistant, Tera Trenchcoat, for volunteering to help me in my travels despite the hardships of putting up with me and some of my well-intentioned but misguided brilliant ideas.  Thanks to both of you and everyone else! 

Happy New Year!

I’ll see all of you in 2014! 

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

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 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.