Community Gateway

This week Shengri La became a Community Gateway, which is a place where new residents are directed as they begin their entry into Second Life. Shenlei Flashheart and Fashion Research Inc. have built a wonderful Welcome Center for people in the fashion industry. There are basic instructions of all sorts in addition to free clothes, shapes and skins for new avatars. As with all things Shen does the Welcome Center is well thought out, professionally executed, lush, inviting and perfectly lovely.

So for a few days now we have been totally bombarded with new residents. People with rez days of *today* are wearing boxes, trying out every goofy gesture in the library, walking into things, asking "what do we do here?" and "do you like sex." Its all pretty funny. I have a great deal of patience with new folks as I want them to fall in love with our world. I want them to see the possibility, engage the creativity.

Of course having lots of new folks waddling around means our once sleepy community is a bit busier now. Staring out at the water or sitting on a meditation pillow is likely to attract someone wanting to know how to get a house or a job. I am finding my encounters with the new folks a lot of fun even when it intrudes on my quiet time. I hope they stick around.

Digital identity and privacy

Living as an avatar in the virtual world means you need to think about how much to share about your human's personal life. Some people put it all out there. They twitter what they had for breakfast, let us know when they use the bathroom, describe the length and quality of sexual encounters and on and on. Other people hide behind pseudonyms and say little about life beyond the boundaries of the virtual world. A subset of people create multiple personas for reasons spanning business to role play. We have all heard stories about people who use the veil of the internet to lie and steal.

In SL we know privacy is an illusion. Your security orb and curtains do not prevent determined people from watching what you do inside your virtual home. Similarly, I am coming to believe internet privacy is also an illusion. You can protect your personal identity to a certain extent but someone with a little information to go on and Google skills can find links to your RL that you never imagined.

So how do you manage your digital identity? I try to live my virtual life in such a way that everything I do could be discussed at my next job interview. Who knows? My digital identity just might come up and I want to be sure I am proud of my track record.

Observations on change

The virtual world is all about change and growth and experimentation and movement toward a shared future. Think back to when you got your first computer. For me it was 1994 and I spent a ton of money to buy a machine I didn't know anything about. I knew there was information out there and I wanted in on it. I signed up for an AOL account and was thrilled every time I heard "you've got mail!" I messed around on Usenet and fought with my boyfriend about who's turn it was to play Doom. Ahhh....good times.

Fast forward to today. My avatar name gets far more google hits than my RL name. I have accounts on Second Life, Twitter, Plurk, Facebook, Linkedin, Flickr and my blog reader lists close to 150 blogs. I have friends all over the world, most of whom I have never seen in the flesh and don't plan to ever meet physically. Significant changes have already occurred in how we spend our online time and the virtual world is still in its infancy. Who knows where we will be in another 15 years?

One thing that routinely amazes me is how residents of SL freak out about change. We have all heard predictions about the end of Second Life due to the prohibition on gambling, the end of banking, age verification, trademark requirements, windlight, Open Space price hikes, the LL purchase of SLx and OnRez and the possibility of the Teen Grid merging with the Main Grid. There were probably a few other crises of epic proportions that threatened the world as we know it but I likely tuned out the ranting and raving about it all. Perhaps doomsday predictions and emotional hand wringing are just content fodder for bloggers so it seems like everyone freaks out but the average SL resident just doesn't care all that much. Its hard to know.

Linden Labs is a for profit company. Serving the needs of the customer base is clearly an extraordinarily high priority for any company. At the same time companies have needs of their own. Sometimes organizations have to walk a delicate line between doing what is best strategically and addressing the needs of the customer base. We do not (and never will) have complete information about the strategy behind all of LL's decisions. When they make changes that don't appear to make sense it is a good bet there is an organizational need that has trumped customer preferences.

Like it or not LL will do what is in the interest of the company even if we perceive that the change negatively impacts us. Of course we all could buy servers and migrate to OpenSim. I have visited a few other worlds and for now I think Second Life is still the best place to be in terms of reliability, rich content and community. I am very confident that one day, perhaps one day soon, Second Life will not have the position it currently holds and we will have other comparable options. For now, in my opinion, that is just not the case.

LL operates the platform upon which we create our homes, businesses, and our virtual social lives.The reality is that LL exerts significant control over things that are dear to us. When they prioritize our needs behind those of the company itself we are justifiably frustrated and angry. At the same time, we can't control what they do and we can only wish for better communication. What we can control is our own reactions. Flexibility in the face of change is important because one thing is for sure. More is coming.

Big news!

Last week I wrote a post that may have been a bit confusing. Sure I blog about things I have done and occasionally highlight upcoming events I think people will like. But since when do I, Chestnut Rau, write event listings reminiscent of Lanna's List on New World Notes? What was up with that?

Lanna has moved on to other projects and will no longer be writing the events listing for NWN and Hamlet Au was looking for a writer. So, I took a deep breath and threw my hat in the ring. Last week Hamlet asked me to write an audition post and he must have liked what I did because, yes, I am the new events writer for New World Notes. See? There was an announcement and everything. I am not dreaming! My first post should hit NWN tomorrow so please do check it out.

I am so excited to have the opportunity to write about the amazing events that happen every day in Second Life. If you are planning an event or know about something you think people would enjoy please do email me at chestnut dot rau at gmail dot com or IM me in world.




Taken at a time limited build high above Scribble. Details in NWN tomorrow.

Chestnut's Choices, week of 1/15 - 1/21

Philip Rosedale headlines 2009 Metanomics Season, Listen to Komuso at AM Radio's build, Find out Why Kim Stanley Robinson is a coyote and much more...

This week Second Life is jam-packed with things to entertain you whether you are interested conversation with Second Life visionaries, immersing yourself in an art sim or hanging out and listening to fabulous music. Some of the events I will be checking out this week are listed below. I hope to see you there!

Philip Rosedale kicks off the Metanomics Spring 2009 season! Host Rob Bloomfield engages the Linden Lab Founder and CEO in a broad-ranging discussion on the hopes that virtual worlds can fulfill in these anxious times. Expect Philip to share his views on: why he loves not being a CEO, but Barack Obama will make a great one; what the death of Google's Lively says about Linden Lab's strategy; why Linden Lab is profitable when YouTube isn't; how Second Life's economy is faring in the wake of real-world crises and OpenSpace pricing changes; why enterprises are flocking to Second Life; and why Second Life residents both hope for and fear change. LIVE, Monday, January 19, Noon. You can TP from here.

(photo taken at AM Radio's "The Refuge and The Expansion")

On Saturday, January 17 at 7 PM you will want to TP to Wales Springs to see the crazy blues cyborg Komuso Tokugawa perform at AM Radio's "The Refuge and The Expansion." This party brings together one of SLs most hauntingly beautiful sims with one of our most passionate live musicians. Bring your boogie shoes and your cameras for a wonderful hour of music in a beautiful setting. This event benefits Heifer International about which you can read more at www.heifer.org. Heifer's mission is to work with communities to end hunger and poverty and to care for the earth. They do this by providing livestock, training and other services to small-scale farmers and communities worldwide.

If you are looking for places to explore rather than scheduled events check out Koinup's list of cool places or the SL Tourist Board on Flickr.

(All event times in SLT, "Second Life Time"-- i.e., Pacific Standard)


***

Thursday January 15

1pm - Light and Heavy: The Art of Physical Objects
The four pieces in this show by Oberon Onmura celebrate the odd and wonderful characteristics of SL's physical objects. Visitors are invited to interact with the pieces - push them, ride them, sit on them, climb them. But be careful not to fall over the edge unless you are wearing a flight assist device! TP to Nomanisan.

6PM - Winston Ackland Live at Club Dreams
Winston Ackland 's original works and quirky adaptions of obscure covers make for a great musical hour. Relax in a comfortable atmosphere and enjoy innovative songs crafted from a blend of rock, bossa nova, jazz and lounge. TP to Club Dreams in Gwail

6pm to 10pm - 80s Night at Lounge of Dreams
DJ Rosie (6-8) will be playing a mainstream mix of 80s faves spanning rock, pop and new wave, and DJ Marx (8-10) brings it full force with the import, limited distribution, underground, indie, deep cuts, and obscure 80s we know you love deep down. Everybody is welcome at Lounge of Dreams in Trapper -- human, nonhuman, male, female, gay, straight, bi, neko, furry, faerie, vampire, gargoyle, scaly, tiny, you name it!!


***

Friday January 16


All day - Exhibit "Eyes of a Child"

This installation includes images by award-winning photographer Marianne McCann, who is a well known child avatar in Second Life. Marianne's work includes landscapes, portraits and larger than life sculpture. Marianne hopes her work gives the viewer insight into how she and other kid avatars view our shared world -- the beauty, the fun, and, at times, the challenges. Enjoy looking at SL through the eyes of a child in the small gallery in Shengri La.


3pm to 6pm - The Grand Planetarium
The Ginsberg Arts Center welcomes you to The Grand Planetarium;
a mystical 3D journey into our solar system. Come enjoy the stars at The Grand Planetarium


7 PM - CQ Bravin Live at Starbrook's Coffeehouse
Hailing from Jacksonville Florida, CQ is fast becoming well known throughout SL for his soulful covers and original songs. CQ plays indie, folk acoustic music that works so well in SL. He draws an enthusiastic and loyal crowd and once you listen to him you will understand why. TP tp Starbrook's in the Ethereality sim . More information about CQ and his "The Colorful Quiet" can be found on his myspace page.


***

Saturday January 17

11am - Story Hour with Shandon Loring
Shandon Loring has traveled through many times and places and worlds, both virtual and real, and has recently come to the Second Life metaverse. He has collected many stories and tales and books, and would like to share his love of a good story with you, and to be your Seanchai (story teller). For more about Shandon Loring see
http://shandonb.googlepages.com. TP to the SS Galaxy for the event.

7 am and 5 pm - Ode Butterfly Hunt
Join the hunt for fabulous free jewelery by Random Calliope in the stunning 5 sim Shengri La community. Butterflies roam the sims and can be found floating high and low. The way to release the treasure is to click on the butterfly. New residents will find this event a great opportunity to learn to move around, use your camera and engage with a sometimes confusing interface - and be rewarded with lovely pieces of jewelry for their efforts! TP to the Shengri La Welcome area.

Noon - A discussion with Kim Stanley Robinson
Kim Stanley Robinson, Hugo- and Nebula-award winning author of The Mars Trilogy and the Science in The Capital Trilogy, will be the featured guest at an open talk show in Second Life next week. Robinson will appear as his avatar, Stan Shackleton, a coyote, in honor of the role played by the figure from Native American legend in his Mars novels. He will discuss his just-completed new novel, the politics of science and technology and will respond to audience questions. The Salon is open to anyone and can be reached by TPing to The Nexus in Extropia Core. New World Notes has a more complete write up here and you can find additional information about this exciting event on the Extropia Events blog. Note: this will be a very popular and well attended discussion so if you plan to attend I would suggest you arrive early.


7pm - Komuso Live at AM Radio's "The Refuge and The Expansion" TP to Wales Springs


***

Sunday January 18

8am - Gimp for Beginners: Poster Design
Learn to use the FREE program GIMP and create images using your own SL photos. By the end of the lesson you will have a poster which can give out note cards and landmarks. This class is perfect for landowners, people starting businesses or those wanting to improve their skills. You can take this helpful class by going to Danish Visions. Prerequisites: Download V.2 .4 GIMP free from http://www.gimp.org/downloads/ and have voice enabled. You will not need to speak but the instructor will be using voice. More information about the class can be found here.


6pm - Michele Ecksol and Paper Scott at Atlantis Rising
Michele and Scott are without a doubt one of my favorite live music groups in SL. They combine incredible musicianship with humor and have a way of eliciting strong emotion with their music. This is a show you will enjoy so head on over to Atlantis Rising. More information and a sample of their music can be found on Michele's myspace Page.


***

Monday January 19

Noon - Metanomics New Season Begins
The 2009 season of Cornell University Professor Robert Bloomfield's highly popular talk show Metanomics show starts today with very special guest Philip Rosedale. You can TP from here. Go early as the sim gets crowded. If you are unable to be inworld you can watch the show via ChatBridge.

6PM - Rockcliffe University - Legal / Criminal Justice Forum -
Hawc Decosta and Randi Hooker are providing a two part legal forum. The forum this month will discuss griefers and Internet Crime. TP to the lovely Rockcliffe University Campus to learn about this difficult topic so you can protect yourself.


***

Tuesday January 20

6pm - Scope Cleaver speaks at Molaskey's Pub
Preeminent Sl architect Scope Cleaver will discuss his work creating fantastic buildings in virtual spaces. He will focus on the challenges and the possibilities of design and how he approaches his work. This will be a Town Hall style discussion and audience participation will be encouraged. TP to the Molaskey's Pub Bonfire beach and bring your curiosity and questions.

(Photo credit of Scope Cleaver build for Princeton University: Amalthea Blanc)

6-8pm - Carnival of Doom: "Strange Girls! Ladies Night!"
DJ Miriam Antonelli Rocks the Midway. Ladies get your strange on! Gentlemen who think they can handle the "beauties" may find themselves dead! Bring a new guest to Doom and show them the sights. Veteran guests and Carnies will help you frighten your friends. A scary good time is promised for all. www.secondlife.rezzable.com

7pm - The 2nd Question
The fast-paced, fact-based, fun hour of science related merrymaking, audience participation, prizes, wit & wisdom. Pooky Amsterdam and Hydra Shaftoe make it all happen in a broadcast hour, shown live on SLCN.tv! You can be a member of the studio audience by TPing to the 2nd Question studio. You can find out more or watch past shows here.


***

Wednesday January 21

5PM - Rockcliffe University - Business Forum
Phelan Corrimal presents Rockcliffe's Business Forum. This forum will be about the application of Moore's Law to virtual world economics, its impact to cultural expectations, and impacts to virtual business models. TP to Rockcliffe.

House progress

We are getting close to a finished home build. We had to abandon our four elements idea as we were running into a prim problem. We live on a homestead and have to keep a large number of prims free for events that happen on our sim. So we have to stay under about 1500 total prims. We have a waterfall, dance floor and a hang out space in addition to some sculpture on the ground so prims for our home in the sky are very limited. Prim limits drive me crazy but being on a prim budget does force creative, thoughtful building. You can't really argue with that, now can you?

Here are some progress shots for your enjoyment. These are all 100% untouched, I did not even crop them. (I am a lazy blogger today. Hey! Its Sunday and I am working on a fun and exciting secret project. Stay tuned!) If you want a tour of our house and garden IM me any old time. Now that we have a place to hang out we would love you to visit.

Grand gowns, fabulous art and you are invited!

My friends Shenlei Flasheart and Callipygian Christensen are opening new stores in beautiful Victoriana Square and are having a celebration tomorrow, Saturday, January 10th, 2008 from 4 PM to 6 PM SL time.

At #4 Jermyn Street the newest Debutante store will open its doors. You can meet Shen and there will be free (and almost free) gifts will be secreted in the Debutante vendors starting at 10 am SLT on Saturday through 6 pm Sunday.

At #8 Jermyn Street Callipygian Christensen's newest gallery - Calli's at Antiquity - opens, with Victorian inspired period art, created from SL photographs. Portraits, landscapes, sepias and images of various Victorian sims in SL are featured here. I was lucky enough to pose for Calli so when you go see if you can fine me in one or two of her stunning photos.

Calli will be present during the grand opening and will be happy to discuss art or specific images. A draw will be held at the end of the day for an image of the winner's choice. Be sure to touch the notecard giver for the exhibit notes, as it will record your attendance for the draw. A pose area will also be set up so that you can take a snapshot in your new Debutante finery.

Victorian Square uses a landing point, so you can get to the openings in a couple of ways:

-TP to the landing point and use the TP boards on the wall of the reception area - there is a board for Debutatne and one for Calli's at Victoriana

-TP to the landing point and take a short stroll straight across across the park to the store and gallery

-IM Shenlei Flasheart or Callipygian Christensen or me for a direct TP

The green is back in Shengri La!

Winter is lovely. The frost on the trees makes everything sparkle and ice skating is great fun when you don't get cold toes and it doesn't hurt when you fall. Still, I think most of us prefer warm weather, green trees and flowers to ice and snow. Luckily winter doesn't last long in Shengri La!


(best viewed larger)

I added Intan couples dance machines on the sim so bring a dance partner and enjoy the atmosphere. There are also a few places you can meditate if you are interested in quiet contemplation. Please visit!

Shengri La Love

time on my hands

I am not working this week so amid movie marathons, reading the entire Twilight series and painting my daughter's bedroom I have been forcing myself to push through my Photoshop mental block. I surrounded myself with books, tutorials, a brand new mouse, coffee and time. I created lots of images that will never see the light of day and I have miles to go before I am able to use Photoshop well. Still, I am making progress.

This is my favorite image so far. I was able to correct some oddities in the photo and it captures my mood well.



What do you do when you have time on your hands?

Bryn Oh

Today I got a notecard from the Not Possible in Real Life group with a landmark for Bryn Oh's sim Immersiva. Apparently Dusan Writer - who also created a home for Eshi Otawara's Flower Tower - gave Bryn Oh a sim to support her artistic endeavors. How incredibly wonderful is that? The generosity of people in Sl astounds me on a daily basis. I think it is beyond fabulous that there are people who are willing to support art in this way.

Immersiva is innovative and interactive and true to Bryn's tradition there are steampunk elements, bees, angel wings, poetry and secrets to find. I did not have nearly enough time to explore when I went and I spent every bit of 45 minutes looking around. Bryn is a master of tiny details and each of her sculptures merits close inspection. Go when you have time to explore because you are going to want to take your time to fully experience Bryn Oh's creativity.