New World Notes

Weekend Open Forum: What About SL Is On Your Mind?

You got opinions, I've got a Forum post to put them in.  Not just opinions, but announcements, requests, SLURLs and other links to share, and more.  If it's SL-related and you want to tell other New World Notes readers about it, please post here.

Fashion Kingdom: Rezzable Seeking Designers for Egypt Sim

When I stopped by the London office of NWN partner Rezzable last November, I got an advance peek at construction of an ornate, golden, and historically accurate recreation of King Tut's tomb in Second Life; my obvious bias aside, it was pretty spectacular.  It's opening in February, and to help launch the site, they're hosting a fashion show featuring Egyptian-themed designs.  If you want your own designs as part of this ancient runway extravaganza, be sure to IM Rezzable's Lokum Shilova immediately there's any available slots left.  More info here.

What Makes An Female Avatar Truly Feminine?

Anyone of either gender can create and control a female avatar, and it is a popular Second Life parlor game to argue over the tell-tale signs that it's really a man at the keyboard.  Of course, the most obvious tell is an excessively large bust.  Then again, that's such a giveaway, gender-benders who don't want to be outed are apt to keep their chest size modest.  A woman once told me she looks for a more subtle cue: the size of a female avatar's hands and wrists.  Real women are far more likely to be aware of them, she argued, and make them small, while men rarely consider such details.

Ms. dandellion Kimban has another sign of true femininity, and being a dude, it never would have occurred to me, ever.  Can you guess what it is?  You have to look closer.

Virtual Biology, Blogged

Though much of it's over my head, I'm enjoying Second Life Biology, created and hosted by Simone Gateaux, in real life a professor in biology and genetics.  He's taken his skills and knowledge with him in-world on a number of projects worth keeping an eye on: Monolith, a device that creates molecular sculptures on demand, and created by Ms. Gateaux herself, an elaborate simulation of photosynthesis in SL.

Kirsten Quits: Citing GPL Enforcement Stress, Leading Open Source Developer Quits SL Viewer Production (Updated)

This is tragic and disturbing news, moreso because it probably could have been prevented.  In recent hours, acclaimed open source developer KirstenLee Cinquetti, the programmer behind  creator of the revolutionary Shadowdraft client hack (pictured at left) and the S16 viewer that's already garnered an army of fans, has entirely removed her blog from the Net. (Broken link here.) 

The given reason? 

Ophelia's Gaze: Guide to Everyday, Catwalk-Free Fashion

 

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

It's exhausting to be hyper-fantastic all the time, especially (for example) if you're in-world to meet with co-workers or you use SL as an education resource with students.  Then, being too glammed up might seem inappropriate, or even make you appear less approachable. Even when the topic of an article is casual clothing, it feels like everything ends up just as glamorous as any party dress spread. Bright red lips and smoky eyes are not something I think of when I'm going out to run some errands. I'm pretty guilty of doing this in my own articles, so I felt that it was time to try and get true casual, non-glamorous clothing right-- everyday looks that mix practicality and charm, for those of us in SL who don't really need to look like we're on the runway all the time. Read on for three anti-glam looks to live by (and in.)

Avatar, Abandoned: Why Night Flower's Selling Herself Away

The woman known as Night Flower is now for sale, for L$1000.  That cash will buy you a complete and unique persona, with customized skin over a voluptuous body, lustrous brunette hair, and brown eyes that are wide and expressively sad.  Proceeds from the sale of her self will go to the Nightflower Gallery Artist-In-Residency program.

As for the real woman behind Night Flower, she'll soon be gone from Second Life.  A gifted and perceptive writer, she once described the pain of trying to explain her attachment to the metaverse to a husband unable to understand.  Instead of attempting to continue two lives, she now writes in a long farewell post on her blog, she has made a choice entirely with one:

I leave to give my husband the secret part of myself that I've been withholding for so long.  I leave to be mentally and emotionally present to my kids.  I leave to commit my dwindling finances to the security of my family.  I leave to end the stress born of deception, and ease the fatigue of guilt.  And I leave to finally unite the two halves of myself, and discover what a whole ME looks like.

Her imminent departure leaves the question of what to do with her account, which contains the avatar identity she's made for herself over the year.  Because even after she leaves SL, it will still stay behind, at least for awhile:

Chestnut's Choices, 1/29 - 2/4: ZeroG Sky Dancers, Understanding Islam, Butterfly Hunting and more...

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

On January 29, 2009 at 8PM, the premiere of the highly anticipated, completely redesigned production of ZeroG SkyDancers will debut.  The fourth production "Let Love Live", hosted by the New Media Consortium, will introduce an unprecedented 3000 meter (3km) reactive-interactive stage set that is repeatedly and dramatically transformed over the hour long performance.

Second Life's critically acclaimed ZeroG SkyDancers performs a cross between water ballet and aerial acrobatics in ways that would not be possible in the physical world. Wearing spectacular, flowing costumes, the SkyDancers move through space and become part of the stage. Their flight triggers sounds which layer over the original musical score commissioned for the production.  

Seating is limited. The show will run twice a week during the first 90 days of 2009. Tickets will cost $15 US ($4500 Lindens). For ticket information, please contact Spensley directly at [email protected].  

Also after the break:  Boxing in Deadwood, Grand Opening of the "Freak Showroom," Art Installation Openings and much more.....

New World Tableau: Thess Writer's "Just Kidding"

I love the weird gothic voodoo flavor of Ms. Writer's photo, shot in an existing scene she constructed and dubbed "Mannequin Afterparty".  (It's located in Unintended Water, a popular sim created by her and Cyro Spyker.)  "I added the skulls on the chair just to get a freaky scene," she tells me. "The light is made with a barrel with fire which stands at the right. And of course I used the environment editor. (I'm one of those EE addicts)."  So no after-effect elements were added to the photo.

However, she acknowledges, a clown was added.  "The evil clown is a gift I got from Demerick Creeley," says thess.  "I have the Evil Clown Joke-Maton (with lots of annoying jokes)."  So that clears up that.

See more of Thess Writer's great Second Life photos on her Koinup account; see all the New World Tableau images here.  And click on for guidelines for submitting your own.

New World Notes in Portuguese: Linden Lab compra os sites de comércio electrónico virtual XstreetSL e OnRez: os números, a estratégia e a controvérsia

A Linden Lab anunciou a 21 de Janeiro que comprou dois serviços de comércio electrónico que providenciam as transacções de conteúdos do Second Life através da web: Xstreet, antes propriedade de Jay Geeseman (Apotheus Silverman no SL), e OnRez, que pertencia à empresa criadora de conteúdos do metaverso Electric Sheep Company. Numa analogia dos primórdios da web, isto é um pouco como se a Netscape comprasse o eBay pelos finais da década de 1990.