New World Notes

MMO Wise Man Scott Jennings on Saving Second Life

Oh that Scott Jennings! (Also known as Lum the Mad, also known additionally as Lum Lumley, when he's in Second Life that is.) When the veteran game developer and critic gets to ranting, he can sure unleash a righteous fury. So when speaking about how to save Second Life, here's some of what he says:

Linden is a service provider. Service providers have to have good customer service. It’s a requirement. Without good customer service, everything else is irrelevant, because your new user experience will consist of your new users leaving your hermetically sealed new user zone and experiencing something akin to the Democratic Republic of the Congo, but with slightly more overweight men pretending to be female fashionistas. This is something that all successful online service providers eventually learn (Blizzard’s customer service team numbers in the thousands), and if Linden wishes to join their number, they need to learn that lesson. [Emph. mine]

(Wow, thousands to handle World of Warcraft customer support? I would have guessed in the high hundreds.) And instead of spending all that money building Viewer 2, here's what Lum would have advised the Lindens, on building a new client:

• Web-based, using Flash, Java or some other ubiquitous platform to minimize installation headaches
• Very, very low system requirements, running comfortably on netbooks and older machines
• Minimal download times
• A very, very simple user interface that passes the “Mac user/grandmother” test
• Searching and directory features that guide new users quickly and easily into Second Life’s already extant vast economy
• Ability to opt into embedding into/connecting with Facebook and future social networks

As careful readers of the last couple years may have observed, sadly, alas, none of that happened, and mostly isn't likely to happen anytime soon. When I wrote my own advice on how to save Second Life, one of the tips was "Hire a Game Industry VP With Design Background". And you know, the Lindens (if they're listening) might want to look Lum's way. In any case, do read the whole thing here.

Thursday Machinima: Japanese Punk Goes Better With French Maid Furry, Fishcake (But You Knew That Already)

You know what today needs? Yes, that's right: Japanese punk rock with gravity-defying fishcake eating and a hot horny babe beset by a housefly while a furry in a French maid outfit rocks out on a three-headed bearskin rug. (How'd you guess?) Also, directed by a little bird. So, here you go:

The machinima is by a Japanese Resident named sober Svenska (blog here), who as it happens, is a friend of my Japanese translator Sanny Yoshikawa. "This song is erotic and about imagining a lover," Sanny tells me, though you've probably guessed that by now. She adds that sober Svenska, whose avatar is a budgie (left), was disappointed to discover her chosen Second Life name literally translates to "Not intoxicated Swedish woman". But she does seem to be under the influence of something when she made this machinima. The band MeRMEN doesn't play in Second Life, by the way, because the vocalist/songwriter lives in a remote part of Nagano, Japan; but the other band member is a close acquaintance of Svenska's, who now makes machinima videos of their music. So it all worked out well. If you call French maid furries and flying fish cakes working out well, and goddammit I do.

If You Think an Achievement System is Incompatible With Second Life, You Don't Remember How Second Life Started

Second Life's homepage from 2004, via Archive.org

"How to Save Second Life in Seven Easy Steps" is my latest editorial on Social Times, and I'm gratified to see it garnering a very interesting conversation there. The most curious reaction, of course, is to my suggestion to add an achievement/leveling system to Second Life, primarily to give new users a structure that will ease them into the SL experience in an encouraging and fun way. Sample objections: "That will just make Second Life like World of Warcraft!", or "I don't want SL to become FarmVille!" At heart to these objections is the assumption that a leveling system is fundamentally incompatible with Second Life, which is such an ahistorical notion, it's worth addressing here.

In point of fact, before World of Warcraft launched and FarmVille existed, Second Life did have a leveling system, and had one from very earliest days.

Continue reading "If You Think an Achievement System is Incompatible With Second Life, You Don't Remember How Second Life Started"

Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Let's Hear it for the Boys

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

I've spent a lot of time talking about swimwear for the ladies, but don't think for a second that I would forget about the guys! I wanted to feature two pairs of swim trunks specifically, because they both have a feature I really appreciate-- prim bottoms. All-mesh swim trunks always look a little bit off to me, so I'm glad that there are more prim-legged options available. On the left, we have the plainly named unisex Board Shorts by Syler Morgwain of Doppelganger [SLurl], which is an excellent place to find swimwear for both guys and girls. I like the slim silhouette of these trunks, but if you want a slightly looser fit (or a more dynamic print), I also highly recommend the Floral Swim Shorts by Cereberus Noel of *GField* [SLurl], which even has matching bikinis available for your partner or bff.

I've got a must-have accessory for beach-bound guys, keep reading to find out what it is!

Continue reading "Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Let's Hear it for the Boys"

Chestnut's Choices 7/9 - 8/4 - Metaverse-only Music Group Chouchou Performs, NASA eEducation Summer Fair, Concert to Protest Gulf Oil Spill Disaster, and much, much more

Chestnut Rau's Weekly Roundup of Upcoming SL Events.........

Chouchou is a Japanese music group that exists only in the virtual world of Second Life.   Juliet Herberle (above) lends her vocals and arabesque Choche provides the music that is Chouchou.  Together the duo have released two albums and several Machinima, the newest of which you can see here.  Read more about Chouchou here on NWN.  

Chouchou will be performing in their unbelievably beautiful new sim at 7:30am on Saturday July 31st.  The group has a devoted fanbase who have been eagerly awaiting the duo's return to live SL performance so make sure you get there early to get a seat.  The sim will open at 7am.  Please set your draw distance to 512 and turn up particles so you get the full visual experience of the build.  Do your part to make the show pleasant by dressing in your low lag, low scripted best.  In Chouchou.  [Slurl teleport at this link] 

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Thursday

Today through 8/22 - Body of a Woman Exhibit by Callipygian Christensen

Some of the moving images In this exhibit by Callipygian Christensen challenge the traditional notion of what the body of a woman looks like and some are inspired by the poetry of Pablo Neruda.  Callipygian Christensen has been creating photographic art using images shot in Second Life, for over 4 years. Her images have won both juried and fan-favourite competitions and have been shown in galleries and special exhibitions.  In Tasogare. [SLurl teleport at this link] 

7/29 5:30pm - GLBTIQ Discussion Group: Coming Out 

Come share stories in a relaxed environment of the safe space of the Gay Angel Club. Coming out is the first discussion of the season, because it can be defined in so many different ways. Half of the process is "coming out" to ourselves and then being able to talk about worries, concerns or just share your story of coming out with other like-minded folks. This event is open to everyone. Any questions should be forwarded to Micheal832 Oodles. In Breezy Shores.  [Slurl teleport at this link] 

6pm - Virtually Speaking with Jay Ackroyd and Guest Philip Slater

Phil Slater has taught sociology at Harvard, Brandeis, and UCSC and has written twenty plays, taught writing and playwriting and is currently teaching online courses at California Institute for Integral Studies and blogs at Huffington Post. Today he will discuss his book The Chrysalis Effect.  The show will be simulcast on BlogTalkRadio or attend in world. In Virtually Speaking. [SLurl teleport at this link]

7pm - NCI Class: Animated Textures 

Have you ever wanted to make your creations flicker or flash, or just change a graphic? Learn how in this class that will teach advanced texture techniques like frame animation, and planar mapping. There will be a class project to make flickering Fairy Wings based on real butterfly wings.  In Fishermans Cove.  [Slurl teleport at this link]

After the break:  Song of Solomon Play, Ventura Art & Jardin Exhibition, Grand Reopening of The Patio, and much much more

Continue reading "Chestnut's Choices 7/9 - 8/4 - Metaverse-only Music Group Chouchou Performs, NASA eEducation Summer Fair, Concert to Protest Gulf Oil Spill Disaster, and much, much more"

Who Are Your Favorite Musicians in Second Life? Get Ready to Share in the Epic New World Notes' Readers Poll!

Second Life has a great music scene, but as everyone knows, it's difficult for artists to get exposure or a decent following. So next week, I'm going to launch an epicly epic New World Notes Reader Poll that'll cover each of the main genres, along with categories like Favorite In-World Act, Favorite Music Videos, and Favorite SL-RL Crossover Artist. (The most popular artists will get a profile on NWN, of course.) If we're lucky, it'll be a bit like the famous Rolling Stone Reader Poll, but for the metaverse; if we're really lucky, it'll help some of artists who make the list get more fame and fortune. So start compiling a mental list now, get your friends to start making theirs, and prepare to help us nominate favorites next week!

Second Life Incredibly Powerful Tool for the Disabled, Philadelphia Inquirer Story Suggests, But Needs Major Improvements For Benefits to Last

Here's a compelling Philadelphia Inquirer article on the power of Second Life to benefit the severely disabled (a thesis that won't surprise any regular reader of this blog) with marvelous passages like this one, reported on from Inglis House, a West Philadelphia clinic that uses SL to treat many of its clients. Here's what Stu Sanderson, a client with cerebral palsy, experienced on a visit to SL with a facility staffer:

His fondest memory may be when he and Waller both logged on to Second Life. He wanted to dance, so Waller and he teleported to a hall - and they began to waltz. "There were tears running down my face as I experienced a dance, something in my wildest dreams I never thought I would do. It was like teleporting out of my physical body and literally sliding and gliding," Sanderson, a poet, wrote about the experience.

Awesome. At the same time, the Inquirer reports how hard Second Life's learning curve is, most especially for the disabled, and how it's vastly limited SL's effectiveness in this regard:

All but two of 10 people in that pilot project have quit - too hard for too little return. Even one of the remaining participants, Inglis resident Stu Sanderson... plans to stop soon.

Continue reading "Second Life Incredibly Powerful Tool for the Disabled, Philadelphia Inquirer Story Suggests, But Needs Major Improvements For Benefits to Last"

Other World Notes: How Habbo Beat Zynga at the Virtual World Game

If you think Facebook is the sole model of social games and virtual worlds, think again: With 15 million monthly users, a web-based world for teens with the odd name of Habbo is larger than most of Facebook’s top games, including Zynga’s virtual world YoVille, which counted nearly 20 million monthlies last year, but has since shrunk to nearly 9 million. Habbo, by contrast, has been growing fairly steadily since its launch in 2000. How did they do it, and what can social games learn from Sulake’s success? Read the rest here.

Coley's World: A Surreal Circular Dreamscape Called Enigma

ColeMarie Soleil explores Second Life's arts scene from her unique point of view

Enigma is a surreal circular landscape, filled with hidden stories inside beautiful sculptures. A strange and mysterious sim filled with unique artwork:

But Enigma is not just a place to come admire for the interesting landscape, it's also a place to hang out with friends. Anley has even placed out a few gaming tables for those who want to kick back and unwind while appreciating the sim. There are few sims that balance space like this with a keen eye for composition. Very open and vast but filled with emotional artwork.

Also currently hidden in the sky, Anley has shared her sim space to allow Loup Erin to create a dream box hidden in the sim. You can access this area from a teleport sign at the welcome spot in Enigma. It is more a place to see for yourself. Already quickly becoming a hangout for some very talented clothing creators and photographers, it's sure become a favorite spot for many more. [SLurl teleport at this link]

ColeMarie Soleil covers the Second Life arts scene for New World Notes when inspiration strikes. Before joining SL, she was a studio musician, a wandering gypsy, a graphic designer, and a solo artist who's performed at Whiskey a Go Go in Los Angeles and the Apollo in Manhattan. See more of her machinima here.

Second Life Documentary "Life 2.0" To Air on Oprah Winfrey's New Cable TV Network!

"Life 2.0", the acclaimed documentary on Second Life which I've written frequently about, has been acquired by the Oprah Winfrey Network (or OWN), a new cable network, and will air on OWN next year during a monthly documentary film club.  The series will include movies by Julia Roberts, Forest Whitaker, and other luminaries, so this is a tremendously prestigious venue for this movie about Second Life to be airing in.

"OWN has created a unique platform for documentary films," Life 2.0 director Jason Spingarn-Koff told me, when he shared the news, "and I’m excited to be a part of the Documentary Club and the tremendous exposure it will give Life 2.0." He hopes the wide exposure "will contribute to a healthy dialogue about how Second Life -- and online communities in general -- are altering our perceptions of reality and providing an opportunity for self-discovery."

It'll probably do that. Given Oprah's near-Biblical name recognition, I also think it will likely create another explosion of public interest in Second Life, which could certainly use it. Courtesy Jason (known as Jay Spire in SL), here's a clip from Life 2.0 featuring one of the movie's lead figures, a beautiful young woman who starts a life-altering affair with a man in SL that transitions into reality:

Air date will be 2011, when the movie will also hit home video (DVD and digital.) Here's my own take on the movie, included in an interview with Spingarn-Koff. It's powerful, provocative, and while I don't agree with all that was included (or omitted) about Second Life, it's inarguably a landmark movie about the world. Which Oprah will bring to your TV soon. (She owns the exclusive North American rights for broadcast and home video.)

LoveMachine's Crowd-Sourcing Tool Launching in August, Says Company "Interim CEO"

I just stepped into Cafe Ponte in Noe Valley where I often do my writing (try the mac n' cheese with bacon, srsly), and stumbled into the "interim CEO" (so to speak) of LoveMachine, the new start-up Philip Rosedale founded last year. Meet Ryan Downe, a fellow Linden alum from back in the day and LoveMachine's co-founder, who's captaining the company while Philip's busy back running Linden Lab. Ryan told me Philip's still actively involved in LoveMachine when he can spare the time away from Linden. As a mini-scoop, he told me the crowdsourced employee reviewing software the company's named after will be launching next month. The Love Machine code was first developed for Linden Lab staff, and is still in operation there, and now MMO company Outspark and Kevin Rose's Digg already use the new version of LoveMachine, currently in Alpha.

How to Create a Flashlight Effect With Kirsten's Viewer

I recently blogged a video featuring a flashlight projecting dynamic light and shadow into Second Life ala Alan Wake thanks to Kirsten's Shadowdraft Second Life viewer. Nalates Urriah has a handy step-by-step tutorial on how to make one of those for yourself. In Comments of his post, seasoned hacker Opensource Obscure notes that this effect can now be achieved in the official Second Life viewer too. Holy Heloise on toast I'd love to see Second Life machinima using this effect, he unsubtly hinted.

Update, 3:25pm: Here's a moody and evocative machinima by Toxic Menges incorporating projected lighting to dramatic effect:

New World Cinema: David Fincher Once Wanted To Make a Second Life Movie, Instead He's Made One About Facebook

This is a beautifully composed trailer to an upcoming movie about the Internet's largest virtual world -- that is to say, Facebook. The Social Network was written by Aaron The West Wing Sorkin and directed by David Fincher, famous for his dark visions of modern life in Se7en and Fight Club. (First rule of Facebook Club: Everyone talks about Facebook Club.) Be sure to watch in high definition for full Fincherian chiaroscuro flavah:

I'm somewhat less interested in the corporate geek shenanigans between founder Mark Zuckerberg and his former friends/partners, than the beautiful montage in the trailer's beginning, which really conveys the yearning people have to share select parts of themselves online, to their friends and their extended network of friends, while also trying to define who they are when they do so. Which is something a massive social network like Facebook and a niche but powerful one like Second Life share.

There's another connection to this project and SL. A few years ago, David Fincher actually attempted to make a movie about Second Life:

Continue reading "New World Cinema: David Fincher Once Wanted To Make a Second Life Movie, Instead He's Made One About Facebook"

Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Infinite Possibilities with the Infinity Bikini!

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

The last of my top three Summer bikinis (see my other choices here and also here) could actually have taken up all three spots on its own: Aranel Ah's Infinity Bikinis from BOOM [SLurl] are sold as separates, so there is a choice of two different tops, four different bottoms, and about a dozen different colours and prints. They feature pretty prim bows tying the back and at the hips, and I can honestly say I don't have any complaints about them! I'd originally picked up a black version of this floral print pair, which reminded me of an iconic Anna Sui print, but I had to go back and grab the green version to match my accessory of choice. 

And what might that accessory be? Keep reading to find out!

Continue reading "Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Infinite Possibilities with the Infinity Bikini!"

In Development: Software for Integrating Motion Capture Suit With Second Life For Full Body Interactivity

Want to interact in Second Life similar to the way actors in Avatar shot their scenes? Watch this video by Anton Bogdanovych (known as shaqq Korobase in SL), a researcher with the University of Western Sydney, demonstrating a remarkably kickass motion capture software he's developing to work with Second Life:

"The hardware (suit) is a commercial product from XSens," Korobase tells me. "It's similar to those full body suits that were used in filming Avatar. The software (something we develop) is what will be unique about it." More after the break:

Continue reading "In Development: Software for Integrating Motion Capture Suit With Second Life For Full Body Interactivity"

Education Metrics: Second Life Used to Teach Accounting Over 40% Effective (But Much Less When SL Isn't Mandatory)

Responding to my search last Friday for meaningful metrics on the efficacy of Second Life as an educational tool, University of Central Florida lecturer Steven Hornik Tweeted to me this very interesting series of student surveys, for the accounting class he teaches at the school. Hornik uses Second Life to create and convey 3D accounting equations that are part of the classwork, and in the surveys, 40% more of his students on average agreed that they were useful in teaching the underlying accounting concepts involved. "I would say that any tool in which 40% or more students agree helps them to understand accounting is well worth the effort," he concludes.Those are some promising numbers, I do agree. On the other side of the ledger, it's worth making two more observations:

Continue reading "Education Metrics: Second Life Used to Teach Accounting Over 40% Effective (But Much Less When SL Isn't Mandatory)"

Philip Rosedale and Recently-Appointed CFO Bob "BK Linden" Komin Talk Future of Second Life in Second Life This Friday

Mark your calendar and put in your RSVP: This Friday at 10am SLT, Linden Lab's interim CEO Philip Rosedale and recently appointed Chief Financial Officer Bob Komin will, as promised, hold an in-world meeting and Q&A session to talk about the future of Second Life. Go here to request a seat or get information on catching the presentation streamed live on the web. A lot of NWN readers have a lot of questions for Philip, and it'll be interesting to see what he answers, and how.

Also worth noting: Far as I know, since joining the company last January, this is the first in-world appearance of Bob Komin, whose avatar has been dubbed "BK Linden", which reminds me more of hamburgers than metaverse executives, but maybe that's just my tummy talking. (At the moment, notably, he's the only Linden executive on the company homepage without an avatar.) As Linden's CFO, Komin is very likely the driving force behind the company cutbacks which led to laying off 30% of the staff. Some insiders have speculated to me that Komin is being groomed to replace Philip as Linden Lab's CEO after the interim period is over, so look for signs whether that's the case this Friday.

Other World Notes: A New Look at Blue Mars

I just stumbled into this video depicting New Venice on Blue Mars, very recently uploaded on the official YouTube channel:

Be sure to view in HD, to see all the Crytekkie sweetness in full detail. Good thing Blue Mars will launch with a cloud-based option, because it would otherwise require a fairly high end 3D card to display as well you're seeing here.

Last Week's New World Notes Posts You Don't Want to Miss

Second Life News and Opinion

• SL Developer: To Stop Second Life's Land Loss, Linden Lab Needs a Non-Commercial Land Option
• What Do SL Women Want From Their Animation Overrides?
• Linden Lab Ends Support of Burning Life and Renames It Too -- Good or Bad Move?
• What Questions Should Interim CEO Philip Rosedale Answer During His Second Life Meeting This Month?

Great Second Life Content and Places

• European Fashion Designer Brings Her Line Into Second Life
• Machinima: The Woman That Your Woman Could Smell Like (If She Wasn't Virtual)
• Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Dark and Sexy Bikinis a Vampire Would Wear!
• Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Kawaii in the Sun with Bikini Number One!
• The Story of Douglas Story, Co-Creator of Interactive Second Life Art Installation Called Ripple

Real World Applications of Second Life

• Second Life Machinima Used to Demonstrate California High Speed Rail Proposal -- And SL Machinima as a Cost-Effective Tool for Real World Work

And don't forget: Want to Write a Guest Post for New World Notes? Send Me Your Nutgraf First!

Weekend Open Forum

You know what to do, and if you think about it, you know what you want to say. So speak about what's on your mind here!

Today at 3pm: Farewell Party to Soror Nishi's Beach

Soror Nishi's fantastic, acclaimed, psychedelic beach is going away from Second Life, due to high tier costs she no longer wants to pay, and Ms. Nishi is moving her work to InWorldz, a new OpenSim-based 3D world. Today at 3pm there's a going away party for a beautiful place, with fireworks and The Born Again Pagans. [SLurl teleport at this link]

Hat tip: Via Juanita DeHao, thanks to Ziki Questi, who has more photos of Nishi's beach here. Nishi pic by Lem Skall for NPIRL,

Catch Indie Fairy Rocker ColeMarie Soleil Performing Three Second Life Shows This Saturday!

Tomorrow (Saturday), punk-flavored fairy Ms. ColeMarie Soleil will perform three live shows in Second Life, and you should catch her if you can:

• Noon SLT at The Cove [SLurl teleport at this link]
• 6pm SLT at The Shed [SLurl teleport at this link]
• 8pm SLT at Whispering Ruins [SLurl teleport at this link]

Coley sometimes covers Second Life locations and the arts for New World Notes (as here), and does great machinima of her own (as here), but I first discovered her as a composer and singer, performing in Second Life with an emotional rawness and scorching alt-indie flair that's unique in SL's music scene. If you need more convincing, watch the video above, featuring ColeMarie covering Fever Ray's "I'm Not Done". (Accompanying machinima made by her, of course. Ani DiFranco sings pretty good and all, but I bet she can't shoot her own music videos, least not with a giant rabbit in a hoodie.)

Weekend Machinima: The Woman That Your Woman Could Smell Like (If She Wasn't Virtual)

SWAN DIVE -- into the best viral machinima of your life! Well, for this weekend anyway:

This Old Spice Second Life parody brought to you by Phaylen Fairchild. Like a lot of the best parodies, the funniest bits are original to her, with the Old Spice spot just a frame for Ms. Fairchild's own special snarky and babelicious hijinx. Which is why in this case I don't totally mind the awkward lipsync and visuals: actual laughs overrule all. More of these, please -- Second Life parodies of viral videos, and the Old Spice campaign in particular. Silverfish hand catch!

Hat tip: Ms. Chestnut Rau (and how)!

SL Developer: To Stop Second Life's Land Loss, Linden Lab Needs a Non-Commercial Land Option

To judge by the Second Life land data compiled by Tyche Shepherd (which you can follow on her Twitter feed), Second Life land ownership has been shrinking fairly regularly in the last couple months. Second Life content creator Darrius Gothly has a smart analysis of the issue. The key problem, if I understand him correctly, is that some Second Life Residents use their land to open up SL stores and other businesses (and can thus cover their land expenses with in-world revenue), while many more use their land for virtual homes, artwork, or other non-commercial activities (and therefore, have a harder time covering their land fees.) However, Mr. Gothly has a solution:

Cheap land is meant for people to live on, not do business from. So on those Cheap Land Sims, they need to be Commerce Disabled. When you are on a Residential Sim, if you right click a Vendor or Touch a scripted object, or do anything else that might lead to you paying money to it, that action is disabled. That’s actually pretty simple to do.

Works for me -- how about you? And more key, would the Lindens go for this model, gambling that offering a cheaper pricing option would create more customers?

Hat tip: Mal Burns, who Chestnut Rau rightly dubbed Second Life's "human RSS machine".

What Do SL Women Want From Their Animation Overrides?

Shauna Skye of Moonletters has a very interesting post on animation overrides, ("AO" for short) those user-generated scripted attachments that customize the way your avatar moves, stands, and so on. She categorizes the most popular AOs for female avatars this way:

• Ho AO: These AOs often have sensual, sexy, or lounge in the title, but let’s face it, they’re so over the top they’re really only suitable for aspiring strippers.
• Attention Ho AO: In this one the person is always walking, always moving, always bending, always stretching, always needing to be the focus— STAND STILL PLEASE!
• Wimp Girl AO: These are meant to seem dainty or shy. I found them irritating because to me it looks like someone who needs to be protected from the school bully. The girl with this AO seems to be saying “I’m so helpless.”
• Cutesy AO: There’s a fine line between this and Wimp Girl AO. This is a step up, but still does not give the impression of much intelligence.
• I’m Too Sexy For My Shirt AO: This is probably supposed to seem glamorous but usually involves striking poses like you’re in Madonna’s "Vogue" video. At times it can be pretty, at other times it gives the impression of a high maintence lady always fluffing hair or putting her hand behind her head...

Much more here. Shauna's list pretty much covers the most common AOs you'll see on Second Life females, and I think feminist critics could have a field day analyzing why those are the most popular in SL, at least among social roleplayers. In my observation, female avatars associated with action/sci-fi/steampunk areas in Second Life tend to choose very different kinds of AOs: Walking with a purposeful stride, arms crossed while standing, cracking their knuckles while talking, and so on. But for avatars who frequent Second Life night clubs or fashion emporiums, you're more likely to see AOs that are almost caricatures of feminine body language.

I put it to readers with female avatars: How much thought did you put into the animation override you chose?

Second Life Educator Searches for Evidence of SL's Value as an Educational Tool (But To Me, Comes Up Short)

Ignatius Onomatopoeia, a faculty member with the University of Richmond who's been a longtime advocate of Second Life as an educational tool, recently had an email conversation with me, where I expressed a recurring curiosity of mine:

I'm not aware of any education application besides the Canadian Border Simulation which have showed concrete, verifiable success metrics for using SL pedagogically... [Does educators' continued interest in using Second Life prove] SL is working with their students, or just that it's working with people (select students and teachers) who are already evangelists for Second Life?

Taking up my challenge, Iggy visited the University of Texas' massive Second Life presence, and went searching for the kind of metrics I've been longing to see. He doesn't quite succeed in the way I hope: The strongest evidence he finds that Second Life is useful for educators is that many of them are renewing their schools' contracts to keep maintain a presence in Second Life:

Continue reading "Second Life Educator Searches for Evidence of SL's Value as an Educational Tool (But To Me, Comes Up Short)"

New World Cinema: What Do You Think of *TRON Legacy*?

TRON Legacy, upcoming sequel of the 80's geek classic starring Jeff Bridges, which did a lot to introduce the concept of virtual worlds to a mass audience, has a new trailer:

I bet the original has a lot of fans who are reading this blog, but I remember it for having a great kernel of an idea that got lost in gummy pacing and lack of narrative drive. The new version seems to duct tape any residual affection for that movie onto a gleaming, Matrix-y exterior, and you have to wonder what the 18-24 demographic who comprise the core audience of any big studio theatrical release will make of this odd extension of a movie made during a time when most computers were less powerful than the smartphone in their pocket. I sort of wish the virtual world depicted in this movie looked more like the brain of Jeff Bridge's Dude Lebowski, full of phallic paraphernalia, Viking babes, and European nihilists with giant scissors. You know, more like Second Life.

Update, 9:15am: Ann Otoole reminds us that "rez", Second Life jargon for instantiating a prim object, originates from the first TRON film.

Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Dark and Sexy Bikinis a Vampire Would Wear!

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

When it comes to talking about summer fashion, the darker niches tend to get overlooked. What's a vampire to wear when they go night swimming, for example? Knowing this, I really had to cover the Valerian bikinis by Aikea Rieko of Plastik [SLurl]. They come in a ton of different patterns, and each bikini has the option of three different bottom cuts for those wanting more or less coverage. I did notice some slight issues with the textures lining up along the side seams, however unless you're manic about flawless seams on what you wear, it's unlikely that you'll really notice.

And I recently picked up these perfect accessories for blending the dark palette of the swimwear with my more traditionally summery environment. Keep reading for the details!

Continue reading "Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Dark and Sexy Bikinis a Vampire Would Wear!"

New World Survey: Linden Lab Ends Support of Burning Life and Renames It Too -- Good or Bad Move?

Online Surveys & Market Research

Burning Life, Second Life's annual tribute to Burning Man, which has happened around September every year since the world existed, will no longer be supported by Linden Lab. What's more, it's being re-dubbed... wait for it... "BURN 2.0".

That is the very first policy announcement made by Second Life founder Philip Rosedale since returning as the company's interim CEO last month, and that's an irony of many levels. Philip was inspired to create Second Life itself after a visit to Burning Man (read the book, already), and Burning Life was conceived in large part to honor that fact.

So, right about now is a good time for a reader poll. To be fair, here's some pros and cons to consider: It could be a bad idea, because Burning Life is such an integral part of Second Life culture, and Linden Lab's walking away from it represents a final break from SL's origins. It could be a good idea, because Linden Lab's involvement often provoked controversy, and because corporate sponsorship of a free expression event seems to contradict its spirit -- almost like a corporation sponsoring, well, Burning Man.

Where do you fall? Vote above, discuss below!

Image from a 2006 recreation of Burning Life.

Chestnut's Choices 7/22 - 7/28: Grand Reopening of The Freudian Slip, Vietnam Pilot on Combat Flight in RL and SL, Virtual Ability Celebration and More

Chestnut Rau’s weekly round-up of upcoming SL events…

Saturday 7/24: Virtual Ability will celebrate the 20th Anniversary of the Americans with Disabilities Act, which is landmark US civil rights legislation protecting the rights of persons with disabilities. Virtual Ability is one of the 2009 Linden Prize winners. The organization offers resources to help people with real-world disabilities use Second Life, with the goal of facilitating the medical and psychological benefits offered by virtual environments.

The ADA celebration starts at 7:30am with a Welcome by Gentle Heron the President of Virtual Ability. There will be a full day of informational sessions with experts on all facets of the ADA. In addition, visitors will enjoy an exhibit of photographs depicting the history of the ADA and displays about legal protections for persons with disabilities as well. To give the community plenty of time to absorb the information the exhibits will be in place through the end of July. After the talks, there will be a party from 3pm to 5pm with music and dancing. In Virtual Ability. [SLurl teleport at this link]

After the break:  Lance Rembrandt CD Release Party at Pop Art Lab, Kickoff of Professional Designer Society, Off Shore Oil Rig Art Installation and much much more

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

Continue reading "Chestnut's Choices 7/22 - 7/28: Grand Reopening of The Freudian Slip, Vietnam Pilot on Combat Flight in RL and SL, Virtual Ability Celebration and More"

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Catch Cory Ondrejka's Wharton Talk Streamed Live Today at 6am SLT

Want to catch Cory Ondrejka speaking at the Wharton school today at 9am Eastern, 6am SLT? If you're up, of course you do, dammit! Go here to do so; go here, go here. No, I can't embed the video on this blog, because, Wharton impresario Tim Allen tells me: "It is more than just a stream, it is a virtual representation of the conference, with rooms to chat, places to hang out, etc." So you know, enjoy a video presentation by the co-creator of the leading 3D virtual world while hanging out in a 2D virtual space on the web. Onward and upward (and sideways!)

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Wednesday, July 21, 2010

European Fashion Designer Brings Her Line Into Second Life

Martina Karapetrić & Morana Saračević (Vitabela Dubrovna & Precious Restless in SL)

Martina Karapetrić is a renowned fashion designer in Croatia, and owns a Zagreb boutique called Boudoir (founded in 2001), which she runs with her twin sister Morana Saračević. Along with creating haute couture fashion for Eastern Europe, the sisters have worked on campaigns for Dove and Coca Cola Light (Martina designed a new bottle for the Croatian market.) Two years ago, Martina tells me, "[a] friend told me about Second Life... and I decided to look, and try to 'play' it."

She spent a year roleplaying in Second Life, as an avatar she dubbed Vitabela Dubrovna. Which is yet another example to counter the cliche that glamorous female avatars in Second Life are really fat naked guys in a basement -- sometimes, they're actually glamorous European women in a high-end fashion salon. (I say "women", because her sister Morana is also in Second Life, where she's known as Precious Restless.)

After a year exploring Second Life, Martina decided to try her hand at creating Second Life fashion, and the end result can be seen in her Second Life blog, called Vitabela, which features designs that only exist in SL, as well as fashions she and her sister made, that were first seen on the runways of Europe. Take this one:

"This dress was part of my 10. collection, called 'Victorian Dolls'," Vitabela tells me. "It's a silk plisse dress, decorated with a big blue flower... Some real life designs are very hard to interpret in SL, but some are easy." To create the Second Life versions of her work, she uses high resolution runway photos, and translates them to dress templates and textures for Second Life avatars.

Martina likes the challenge of bringing her designs to the Second Life market, which "is huge and worldwide, so I have the oportunity to present my RL/SL designs to many people." Other advantages: "Once I create a dress, I'm able to sell it countless times... there is nothing you can't make in Second Life, almost every idea is feasible." However, the veteran fashion designer does find marketing more difficult in SL, than real life: "It's much more hard to reach target costumers, but not impossible."

One more spectacular mash-up of real and virtual fashion after the break:

Continue reading "European Fashion Designer Brings Her Line Into Second Life"

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Other World Notes: Live Gamer Expands Virtual Economy/Microtransaction Market for Gaming/MMOs

Social Times: Real Networks’ GameHouse Goes With Live Gamer’s Virtual Economy Solutions. Real, the company where Philip Rosedale established himself in the tech world over 10 years ago (before going on to found Linden Lab), is jumping into virtual economies and microtransactions in a big way. Read more about it here.

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Do You Jibe? Another Unity 3D-Based Virtual World From OpenSimulator Developers Now In Open Beta

Jibe is the name of a new virtual world running on the Unity 3D web browser, developed by ReactionGrid, the company mainly known for running OpenSimulator-based platforms for companies like Microsoft and IBM. Jibe isn't strictly a web-based world, however, because here's the interesting twist: If you have a powerful PC, you can get a downloadable client with high end graphics. The Unity-based version of Jibe also comes in two flavors, depending on how studly your laptop is. (Wouldn't it be great if Second Life also offered these options?) Above is the Jibe avatar I created in about 30 seconds, running in the mid-level version, dubbed "Space Electron". As a Beta product, it's very Beta, maybe a few notches in performance quality below Friends Hangout, but then that's why they call it Beta. And unlike Friends Hangout, Jibe comes with Vivox voice support. In any case, it's excellent to see more Unity-driven virtual worlds - counting this, FH, Rezzable's Unity browser, Frenzoo, there's at least four of them now. (And not counting the MMO titles like Fusion Fall.) Read more about Jibe on this Reaction Grid page.

Hat tip: Tinsel Silvera.

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Tuesday, July 20, 2010

The Story of Douglas Story, Co-Creator of Interactive Second Life Art Installation Called Ripple

One day a successful Los Angeles filmmaker currently on assignment with NBC was called for jury duty, and met a juror who was a professor with a strange teaching tool. From that chance meeting, the filmmaker made an avatar and named him Douglas Story. The avatar became an artist, and the artist ultimately collaborated with another avatar artist named Desdemona Enfield, and created installations like this one, which recently opened in SL: Ripple, a vast landscape (and soundscape) which responds to a visitor's touch:

[SLurl teleport to "Ripple" here]

"I discovered Second Life in the summer of 2006 while serving on a jury in downtown Los Angeles," Mr. Story tells me. "A college professor who was on the same jury was using SL as an aid in teaching his classes, and told me about it." From there, Douglas Story, who had trained in the art of motion pictures, learned about a burgeoning art movement that used the metaverse as a medium:

Continue reading "The Story of Douglas Story, Co-Creator of Interactive Second Life Art Installation Called Ripple"

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Want to Write a Guest Post for New World Notes? Send Me Your Nutgraf First!

I often get contacted by folks interested in writing for New World Notes, but they're not necessarily interested in becoming a regular columnist like Iris Ophelia or Chestnut Rau. So I'm opening up the chance to write New World Notes guest posts on any topic related to what you read here: The arts, culture, business, science, and technology of virtual worlds, primarily Second Life, but also OpenSim, Blue Mars, and other user generated content-oriented worlds. However, if you want to write a post, don't just send me the whole editorial -- first, send me the nut graf of the post you want to write.

What's a nutgraf? Short for "nutshell paragraph", it's this:

Nut graf is an editorial slang term used by editors at newspapers and magazines, as well as copy editors. The term nut graf refers to the sentence (or sentences) that summarize the essence of a story. In journalism, a nut graf puts the story in context and tells readers why the story matters. Many editors would say the nut graf is the most important section of a story, since it tells the readers why they should be reading the story.

A nut graf can be one to several sentences, and especially for beginning writers, it's the heart of any good article or essay. I'll even go so far to say this: If you can't express the point you're trying to make in a nut graf, you don't actually understand the point you want to make. (Or how to communicate it, which is effectively the same thing.)

That said, here's some general New World Notes guest post ideas:

Continue reading "Want to Write a Guest Post for New World Notes? Send Me Your Nutgraf First!"

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Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Kawaii in the Sun with Bikini Number One!

Exclusive to NWN, Iris Ophelia's ongoing showcase of all things stylish in SL

This week I'll be reviewing three of my favorite bikinis as part of my three week Summer fashion bonanza, and this first bikini is the only one I didn't have to struggle with placing on this tremendously short list: The Ice Cream Swimsuit by Portia Platthy of FLUFFY [SLurl] is my go-to bikini, even though it doesn't have a lot of the intense shading we often expect. The shading is pretty subtle, and while I think I would like a little more contouring in certain areas, it has enough wrinkles and hem stitching, not to mention a damn adorable pastel print, to make up for it. It comes with green, lavender, or pink straps, with a rock-bottom L$100 price tag, and it just screams cuteness. It really plays nicely into a Japanese "decohime" look (it's no secret that I'm a huge subculture junkie!), so I had to throw the lightened hair and the fancy cellphone into the outfit. 

But what exactly do I think is cute enough to bring into the water with this tasty two-piece? Find out after the jump!

Continue reading "Ophelia's Gaze on Second Life Summer Swim Wear: Kawaii in the Sun with Bikini Number One!"

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New World Products: Mr. Mubble Makes a Baked Texture Dream Home

I haven't gone Second Life house-hunting in quite awhile, but recently someone by the mouth-gargling name of bigdoggt32 Mubble told me about a home he'd been making with baked textures and lighting, and it's one of the more amazing I've seen. Mr. Mubble made it, he tells me, with a custom rendering/texture system: "It allows me to take anything I make [that] I render in 3D Studio Max and puts it on a normal prim, so you still get the baked lighting and shadows quality without the lag [of] sculpts." That includes simulated dynamic lighting. How he does that "is a bit of a secret... but basically I use a program that takes pictures of the rendering and turns those into textures." So a uniquely well-lit home for those who can't afford a laptop powerful enough to run Kirsten's Viewer. See for yourself: [SLurl teleport at this link]

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Monday, July 19, 2010

What Questions Should Interim CEO Philip Rosedale Answer During His Second Life Meeting This Month?

Three weeks after announcing his return to Linden Lab as "interim" CEO (which was followed by relative silence from the company), Second Life founder Philip Rosedale has an update on Linden's strategy plans, and announcements of an in-world Q&A session for the community, to be scheduled sometime this month. The company's new strategy, he says there, is essentially about going "back to basics":

[R]efocusing our efforts to re-examine, repair, and where necessary, re-design the basic experiences and systems that are at the core of the Second Life experience. First on the list should be a big attack on lag and crashes, clearly things that very negatively impact all users.

That would include me: Over the last few months, Second Life performance on my main machine has become so degraded, I've had to learn how to write about Second Life without any expectation that I can reliably be in Second Life for any particular story. (Dis-embedded journalist?)

"Before the end of July," Philip promises, "we will also hold an in-world gathering where we can talk more about these plans and take questions." And what should those questions be? To start things off, I can think of three that are crucial to the future of Second Life:

• When will the promised "Second Life on a browser" viewer be available?
• When will the cloud-based version of Second Life that's reportedly feasible already be offered to general Residents?
• Will this "back to basics" strategy delay or cancel release of mesh uploads in COLLADA?

Suggest more in Comments! If they're really good and not answered in this July Q&A, I'll try to seek replies soon after!

Image credit: Changing Worlds Building Dreams.

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Second Life Machinima Used to Demonstrate California High Speed Rail Proposal -- And SL Machinima as a Cost-Effective Tool for Real World Work

The Second Life machinima below will be featured in a July 29 exhibit put on by railLA, an LA-based private/public coalition supporting high speed rail solutions to serve the Los Angeles area. Conceived and created by Bay Area-based metaverse developer Avatrian, it shows off a clever solution for one of high speed rail's biggest problems: Time-consuming local stops take the speediness out of high speed rail. Avatrian vividly demonstrates how a pod system keeps the speed and the local stops:

The pod solution is similar to a project already in development by the Chinese; but, as you can see in the machinima, and as Avatrian's Rodion Resistance points out, "We added a twist: the pod actually goes downtown." (A great idea, though I'm personally skeptical if even that will work in a place as intractably sprawly and car-centric as LA.)

In any case, the video is a perfect example of what I just wrote last week, that Second Life machinima is the only real world application of Second Life that can work as a mass market application. I doubt anyone involved with RailLA needs to know or care the demo video was made with Second Life, to benefit from this video. And consider how Avatrian made it:

Continue reading "Second Life Machinima Used to Demonstrate California High Speed Rail Proposal -- And SL Machinima as a Cost-Effective Tool for Real World Work"

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Last Week's New World Notes Posts You Don't Want to Miss

Second Life News and Opinion

• Machinima is the Only Real World Application of Second Life To Gain a Mass Market (& For Now, the Only One that Will)
• Top Five Features of My Favorite Second Life Machinima -- and The Top Five Elements That Make Me Click Away
• Do You Have Third Life Syndrome?

Great Second Life Content and Places

• Ophelia's Gaze: One-Piece Swimwear For Summer!
• LOGOS: New Sci-Fi Card Game for Second Life Running on the Google App Engine
• Coley's World: Exploring Thibedeau, a Strange and Magical Shopping Mall and Creative Community in Second Life
• Chestnut's Choices 7/14 - 7/21: Cool Events in Second Life

Real World Applications of Second Life

• Second Life Rocks the DNA Lounge for Mixed Reality Bootie
• iPhone/iPad App for Accessing Second Life Now With Multi-Tasking -- and 14K Users!
• Second Life Gets Its Own Hip Hop Track -- And a Mixed Reality Music Video Produced in Philadelphia, Tokyo, and SL

Other World Notes/New World Gaming

• Why Second Life Users Should Try Friends Hangout, the Unity-Based Virtual World (Besides the Special Offer NWN Code!)
• Coma, The Latest Mini-Masterwork of Flash Game Art

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NWN in Japanese: Meet My New Second Life Avatar (私が、めったにSLアバターをアップデートしない理由が分かった)

先月のLinden Lab騒動の真っ最中、私は小さなニュースをお伝えするのを忘れていた：長い年月の後、私のセカンドライフアバター Hamlet Au は、大きく変わろうとしている。以前のアバター（なんと、2005年からずっと変わっていない）同様、リアルライフの私を真似て、Tom Wolfeをリスペクトした白いスーツを着ている：

Continue reading "NWN in Japanese: Meet My New Second Life Avatar (私が、めったにSLアバターをアップデートしない理由が分かった)"

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Saturday, July 17, 2010

Weekend Open Forum

What about Second Life or anything else even vaguely related is on your mind this weekend? Say here, say here!

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Friday, July 16, 2010

Do You Have Third Life Syndrome?

Soror Nishi wants to know: Do you have Third Life Syndrome, or TLS? And here's what she means:

When it comes to virtual worlds we all (mostly) have a Third Life Syndrome... TLS is that strange condition where we seek to replicate our SL looks in other worlds. In fact, for many, and for myself in a small degree, our enjoyment of a Third Life is dependent on this replication of name and looks. A virtual Virtual Me.

Much more here. As more and more virtual worlds emerge, I definitely think we'll see many people with TLS. In fact, if on the off chance Second Life remains stagnant or even shrinks, and no world-to-world interoperability standards are put in place, we may still see SL's influence years from now, in the names and identities of avatars in other worlds, evidence that former Residents have gone in search of the metaverse's next evolutionary stage.

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Other World Notes: Why Second Life Users Should Try Friends Hangout, the Unity-Based Virtual World (Besides the Special Offer NWN Code!)

Visiting Sunny Daze in this Friends Hangout world (direct link)

Use this link to get a special virtual currency sign-up bonus for use in Friends Hangout, the new web-based virtual world running in the Unity 3D plugin, which I wrote about earlier this week for Social Times. Friends Hangout comes with Facebook and Bebo integration, and gives registered users a space to customize and share online that's 1 million square meters, and according to the developer, can hold up to 10 users (30 if you become a paying customer.) I've tried it out some, and find it fairly impressive for an early Beta virtual world, with lots of room for improvement. One feature I particularly like: You can visit individual worlds with a single click, and enter as a non-registered guest. (Which I'm doing above, as a redhead babe, chatting with an avatar named Sunny Daze, who has a pet cat she bought from the Friends Hangout store.)

I recently talked with Jeff White, the Tampa-based developer of Friends Hangout who's hoping it'll appeal to virtual world early adopters -- and perhaps just as important, more investors besides himself.

Why would Second Life users be most interested Friends Hangout?

Uses the latest technology with Unity, that allows us to easily upgrade, plays in a browser, better graphics, much cheaper [then Second Life]. [W]hat SL charges $195 for a full region per month [Actually, $295/mo. for a private region - Ed.], we give away for free. However we are just launched so we have many things to add before we can say we are at the level SL is, they have been around a long time, and have some great features, but we are moving quickly and listening to feedback and what users want. So now is a good time to tell us what you like or would like to see.

After the break: More on world plans, scripting, and developing offline with Unity

Continue reading "Other World Notes: Why Second Life Users Should Try Friends Hangout, the Unity-Based Virtual World (Besides the Special Offer NWN Code!)"

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What Famous Author Is Your Second Life Writing Like?

Frivolous Friday fun:

• Find a large-ish block of text you've written in or about Second Life -- extended IMs, chat logs, notecards, or if you blog about SL, a lengthy post.
• Copy that puppy.
• Go to this site and paste your SL text in the window there.
• Hit the Analyze button.
• Using a statistical analysis tool, the site then determines what famous author your writing most resembles. Report your findings here, or on your blog. (There's a widget for that.)

I did that with a couple New World Notes blog posts, and the site analysis said I write like tragic young postmodern genius David Foster Wallace. So you know, it must be totally fricking accurate.

I write like
David Foster Wallace

I Write Like by Mémoires, Mac journal software. Analyze your writing!

Who did you get?

Hat tip: Jezebel.

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Thursday, July 15, 2010

Top Five Features of My Favorite Second Life Machinima -- and The Top Five Elements That Make Me Click Away

Since we're talking a lot about Second Life machinima this week, I should mention all the features I generally look for in machinima I blog on New World Notes. I watch a lot of machinima, but maybe just 5% of what I see shows up here.* Why do I pass on the other 95%? Usually, for elements like these:

• Generic opening titles: Opening credits which use generic/template titles created from video editing software.
• Lip sync: Second Life lip sync is unbelievable, distracting, and often a narrative crutch to convey information better related visually or in voiceover.
• Poor pacing: Few machinima intended for online consumption should be longer than 5 minutes; less than 3 minutes is ideal.
• Too "inside baseball": Most machinima is only interesting or comprehensible to users of the software/online world it's created in. This is not a bad thing in itself, but it is generally difficult to blog.
• Indifferent visuals: User interface visible; low res shots, shots that convey little or no information. Boring angles, bumpy camerawork, etc.

So what Second Life machinima works? Ideally, the very best includes:

Continue reading "Top Five Features of My Favorite Second Life Machinima -- and The Top Five Elements That Make Me Click Away"

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Coley's World: Exploring Thibedeau, a Strange and Magical Shopping Mall and Creative Community in Second Life

ColeMarie Soleil sees Second Life's arts scene from her unique point of view

Thibedeau, a shopping mall and community in Second Life, is fun and funky and unique and a lot of fun. I interviewed the owner Eln Alter, who told me more about Thibedeau, and what he hopes from the future of Second Life:

What should you see when you visit Thibedeau? Here's a starter's guide:

Continue reading "Coley's World: Exploring Thibedeau, a Strange and Magical Shopping Mall and Creative Community in Second Life"

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Chestnut's Choices 7/14 - 7/21: International Fashion Week, Global Kids' Roundtable on Virtual Worlds & NonProfits, Final Events of RFL 2010 and more

Chestnut Rau’s weekly round-up of upcoming SL events…

The American Cancer Society's Relay for Life is probably the largest series of events in Second Life. We have all attended parties and concerts,  fashion shows and expos.  We have all purchased items from the purple RFL vendors and donated to the kiosks. So many people have donated so much of their time and their Lindens for this cause and the success of RFL is unparalled in SL. I hope you don't have "event fatigue" because the culmination of RFL 2010, the actual Relay itself,  takes place this weekend from 10am Saturday July 17th and runs for 24 hours straight.  

 

At  Relay For Life, teams build ‘campsites’ located on 34 connected sims and take turns walking or running around a track.   During the Relay we remember loved ones lost and work together to raise funds for the fight against cancer.   There are themed events that change every hour and you can find a full schedule of events here.  There will be live music, a roller coaster to ride, auctions, fishing contests, storytelling and surfing.  You will have plenty of opportunities for fun, and as you explore the sims please take a moment to remember the real reason we Relay. Start your journey at the Welcome Area In Relay for Life.  [SLurl Teleport at this link}

***

Thursday  7/15

1pm - Sunday  7/18 - International Fashion Week 2010

The International Fashion Week 2010 is a fashion event produced by GLANCE International Agency (GIA) beginning Thursday, July 15th at 1pm and ending Sunday, July 18th at 6pm. GIA will present 20 fashion shows in 4 days showcasing Spring/Summer 2010 collections. The 20 featured designers include: Hyper Culture, Convoitise, Mea Culpa, Indyra Originals, Ranena Olivier Couture (ROC), A La Folie, Aleida, Angel Dessous, Orage Creations, KIM Fashion, Nefertiti Kimagawa, Son!a, MIAMAI, Faster Pussycat, SHIKI Design, JADOR Fashion, Naive, SwanSong,  G. Sloane Couture, PurpleMoon Creations.  In Glance. [SLurl teleport at this link]   

Ongoing - Interactive Art Exhibit 'Environmental Fluidity Collaboration Project'

The Caerleon Art and Education Sims in conjunction with the Virtual Art Inititiave invite you to experience a unique, entertaining fun filled adventure at the Enviornmental Fluidity Collaboration Project. Featuring exhibits by many well knowns SL artists, the works invite you to explore and discover the diverse array of interactive, reactive, kinetic and fluid art.  In Caerleon Isle. [SLurl teleport at this link]

Also after the break:  1920s Berlin Project Anniversary Celebration, Mankind Tracer Album Launch Party, Musical Newcomer to Watch Guitar Zane Live and much much more

Continue reading "Chestnut's Choices 7/14 - 7/21: International Fashion Week, Global Kids' Roundtable on Virtual Worlds & NonProfits, Final Events of RFL 2010 and more"

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