NEW WORLD GROUP DIRECTORY

Sometimes community service means posing with a hot blonde and a squirrel with enormous testicles.  With the world so large and growing so fast, in-world groups have become essential to retaining any kind of community in Second Life, so I'm launching a directory that'll regularly highlight groups that bring something valuable to the world at large.  (And if you're in a publicly-accessible, non-commercial group which fits that broad description, e-mail me and make your case.)

Which brings us back to the blonde and the squirrel: as the name suggests, Farkers is an SL-based chapter of the vast and vibrant (and lovably juvenile) online community of Fark.com.  After getting the blessing from Fark emperor Drew Curtis, Elizabeth Durnan formed the group with Samson McLeod and 3corner Pitney, then converted her home in Pero into a Farker den, replete with Fark icons and a bar where cold beer is served. (Direct teleport here)

"For the most part,"Elizabeth Durnan tells me, before taking a shift behind the Fark bar, "we are all doing our own thing on here... Fark is all about the boobies and beer, so that will be a good start." They're planning an inaugural event this weekend.

Other groups on the NWN list:

Arts and Sciences

RL Architects in Second Life
Founded by Keystone Bouchard, "This group is open to RL Architects, Architecture students, Urban Planners, Developers and anyone with an interest in how Second Life can be used as a professional or educational tool.  Conversations within this group will be chronicled in The Arch blog which covers the convergence of the metaverse with the architectural profession."

Community Services

Wisdom of the Crowd
Founded by Eggy Lippmann and inspired by James Surowiecki's book, the group aims to be a supplement (or replacement) to the Live Help chatline. "This group was founded on the assumption that people are more likely to provide quality goods and services when they are getting paid... There is a small fee [$L10] to join so as to try and weed out freeloaders and spammers."

Gaming

TWG: The Werewolf Game
I haven't had a chance to play it, but the grid-wide version of the real world party game has potential, like Assassin with fangs and magic: when play starts, a Game Master assigns group members with different roles.  Wolf, Villager, Seer.  "During night, [if] a wolf messages the Game Master the name of another player, this player will be 'eaten'...  During day, a Villager discusses with his or her [group members], and tries to work out who among them is a wolf. When the vote starts, a villager votes who should be lynched, [and] the player with the most votes dies...  At night, the Seer chooses a player, and the GM tells the Seer if they are a Villager, or a Wolf."  Lots of strategies and special abilities suggest very cool group-based game play.

Comments

[guyver]

oh good, fark. That'll bring up the collective SL IQ.