New World Notes Readers, Please Introduce Yourself Here!

Who are you, and what do you in Second Life and other virtual worlds? Please introduce yourself here, dear New World Notes readers, so your fellow readers and NWN staff can get to know you better in 2011. Bonus points: Talk about topics and subjects you'd like to see more of in New World Notes.

Comments

[Opensource Obscure]

A main interest of mine is the technical development of the Second Life ecosystem. I look on a daily basis for upcoming new features, and when I find interesting stuff I make it public at
twitter.com/oobscure

In-world, I bought with 4 friends a full SL region called LOL - we use it to host it our own creations. It's actually my own playground (everybody is welcome!).
I often also host other residents' creations and artworks: I did it in the past for Rose Borchovski's "The Kiss" and currently for "Colossus" by Veeyawn Spoonhammer.
Visit">http://img232.imageshack.us/img232/4875/lolyh.jpg&title=LOL!%20one%20of%20the%20most%20crazy,%20funny,%20creative%20Second%20Life%20region&msg=Behold!%20The%20Art%20of%20Miru%20Lane%20e%20Lila%20Iwish,%20Pallina60%20Loon's%20Magic%20Circus,%20Imaginary%20Technology%20by%20Gebedia%20Yoshikawa%20and%20Opensource%20Obscure's%20mad%20colorful%20interactive%20installations!">Visit LOL

Also scripting, snapshots, machinima, bug reporting, various in-world communities etc.

[Komuso Tokugawa]

Hi!! I play live music in SL! (well, mostly I just play my ipod...)

anywaaaaaaaaaayyyyyyyyss...

BlueMars finally got back to me about doing a live gig there!!! I is excitemented!

I'd like to see more about live music in Blue Mars! It sound like a lot of fun. The reverbs must be huuuuuuuuuuuuuuuge!

[Loki Eliot]

I'm a content creator, Doer in SL for 5 years. Ever since entering SL i've been interested in how to entertain others with my artwork. SL has allowed me to explore lots of areas of creativity and experience. Im currently interested in transmedia and how second life can be part of a transmedia experience.

I'm also interested in how to reach my tier targets in the 'marketplace' Era.

I rant a lot on my blog but im a creator above all so not everything i rant about is worth reading lol.

With regards to NWN i'd like to see more in depth stories about the people in SL who are creating stuff now and whats motivating them. For example my friends have this week talked about nothing else other than the School of Hardnox Winter Camp event. The pictures and plurk posts showed a real awesome inspiring event run by a talented group of people.

I'd like to see less articles about hack jobs that might improve virtual worlds in 15 years time. It's almost as if talking about virtual worlds as they are NOW is to embarrassing. So i want more topics to do with whats going on with second life residents.

Maybe have theme weeks were you explore and write about one specific subject in SL. eg. tinies culture today, or the virtual 'Club' scene past to present. Or, unheard of sub cultures of virtual worlds. Or "how engaging experience has changed"

[Whimsy Winx]

Hi, I'm a blogger who mostly focuses on fashion, events, and various things I come across. Co-Owner of Fashion Emergency group where we help many people find the things they need, not away's fashion...we know where they keep the zebras in Second Life too. I create home & garden items for my store W. Winx at The Deck, where I spend lots of my time hanging out with friends.

I spend most of my time in Second Life, but also venture into other virtual worlds as a tourist. Second Life has my heart. I am excited to see the advancement of other virtual environments from Wurm Online, to Inworldz.

New Worlds Notes has always been a nice source to get information. 2010 was surprisingly dull for the expectations I had for Second Life, so 2011, I want to see more focus on content creation, from amazing regions, to the machinima going on. We are the dreamers...I would like to see more of that reflected and explored to the depths it can inworld. Reporting on that, and the people behind it, who is making the dreams in other virtual worlds.

[HeadBurro Antfarm]

Hi Hamlet,

I've been in SL just over four years now and still enjoy it as much as I did in my first days, albeit in very different ways now. My time is far more limited these days, so whereas I use to while away hours and hours just exploring and blogging about old, interesting places on the grid, I now target my few hours a week on roleplaying in steampunk Steelhead city and using my blog for writing fiction based on that roleplay.

When I was shiny and new, NWN was the place I came every day for information about SL’s past, present & future. I read many other well known blogs too, but they all dropped off over the years and only NWN remained until last year when I found less and less that grabbed my interest was being published on the blog. It seemed that an increasing number of articles were either simply not about SL or about abstract possibilities for SL and I all but stopped reading.

What I’d like to see from NWN is twofold, reporting both on and for we, the residents:

1) I’d like to see you do more reports along the lines of the interesting in-world stuff you used to cover - visiting regions, reporting on problems residents faced, covering interesting games generated in-world. I realise that things like “Hottest Av” grab people’s attention, but truly I consider them beneath this blog. I also realise that maybe you wouldn’t want to cover the same things as you did three or four years ago, but you asked and I’m telling :)

2) I’d like you to be more of a voice for the residents. I know that in our last conversation following Adric’s death, I explained to you that because of your once intimate ties to the Lab I wanted to to be our (by which I mean the ordinary Joe Schmoe residents) best hope of having our voice heard by the Lab, but you explained that since you left in 2006 the Lab had changed so much you had no ties there now. I heard & understand what you said, so let me come at it from a slightly different angle - you may not have the links to Lab anymore to automatically have your voice heard, but you still have the one blog that all people involved in SL know about and respect. To put it simply, you have the clout to be heard. If I post a piece about the still borked group chat issue, about twenty people might read it, none of whom would be Lindens and the Lab wouldn’t lose a second of sleep over it. If you post it, the Lab knows damn well that a large group of people, not just residents but a wider arc of metaverse pundits, will read it and it may, just may, make them thing about answering you or getting it sorted.

In short I’d like to see you back in-world reporting on what a bloody good place SL is, but I’d also like to see you holding the Lab to account because out of us all, you are the only one I can think of who can do it without being ignored or brushed aside as a persistent trouble-maker.

Regards,
HeadBurro Antfarm.
*******************

[angela Beerbaum]

I'm a content creator,Maya and Zbrush as nap ...... also? yes Owner store since 2007

neko docet neko rules !

[Jon Brouchoud]

I'm a blogger (archvirtual.com), freelance design consultant and co-founder of Studio Wikitecture. I work in with Second Life, OpenSim, and Unity3D.

I'm specifically interested in the 'architecture' of virtual worlds. Not only how architects and designers can use virtual environments for prototyping and visualizing real-world designs, but also how architectural design shapes experience within virtual worlds.

Although I know first hand how difficult it can be, I've often wished New World Notes had more of an in-world presence. This site attracts so many of the best and brightest in the industry - in fact, moreso than any other blog I'm aware of - and centers around the potential for immersion in virtual worlds, yet the NWN community remains a mostly web-based contingency. Again, I know how hard it can be... after 3 years, I still haven't been able to build a meaningful in-world presence for Arch Virtual, but there's gotta be a way! =)

Keep up the great work! This blog is an outstanding and important resource for anyone exploring or working in virtual worlds.

[Merry Gynoid]

Hi Hamlet

Veteran user of SecondLife, just spending time dabbling in all the aspects that SL has to offer, building, scripting and seeing how many IM windows I can have running at the same time. Also help run The Lost Continent live music venue, so would like to see more things on social aspects and music.

Also a part time resident of Twinity, which is like SL but without the mad stuff.

Always enjoy reading the blog, and hope it can be expanded to showcase other virtual worlds too.

[Celebrity Trollop]

Hi Hammy!

Been in SL for 5 years. I'm back to blogging and writing scripts here and there. Writing from my iPhone so this will be short. I'd like for you to kind of go back to reporting/writing features about residents. Those were always the most interesting part of your early posts.

Thanks!

[Oni Horan]

Hi, I'm a game developer and content creator in SL and I follow this blog because it has the most complete and widespread coverage of Second Life.
I'm mostly interested in Second Life as a cultural phenomenon, so neither pure technical reports nor only political ones are enough for me.

[Commizar Janick]

I'm an explorer trying to see all that the metaverse offers. I too am a big fan of Beebop Reality and just love when I can find it on the grid. After 3.5 years of exploration I just became a paying member and am now hunting for my own plot of land and am musing on what to do with it.

[Neoma Vasilia]

I have been reading NWN since I started in Second Life in 2006 as Nyte Vargas. As Nyte Vargas I did content creation, trained models, modeled and co-hosted the MODA Fashion Spotlight with Harlee Lane and the most amazing team of people.

What I love about NWN is the fact that it does keep me up to date on goings on, not just related to Second Life. I would love to see more news about the different OS grids and virtual worlds out there, as well as the current news within Second Life. That being said, part of the reasons I read NWN is because it has nothing to do with who is selling what latest fashion piece, skin, hair, etc. It is refreshing to read something that shows us there is more to virtual worlds then dressing oneself to look great.

[Wizard Gynoid]

3.75 years old. builder of extraordinarily high prim count artworks. pioneer adventurer in the outer realms of the Omniverse (Metaverse is so 2010). proponent of both SecondLife and the Open Sims. advocate for Resident's rights. proud friend of many amazing avatars. http://about.me/wizardgynoid

[M Darlingmonster Ember]

3 years old, steampunk dilettante and aeroship designer in the micronation of Caledon.

I tune in to see more about art presentations, great grid dreams, stretching technology and a sense that SL is growing rather than shrinking.

Would not mind seeing you pick up the strands of NPIRL reporting.

Thanks for continuing to scout SL.

[Ahkenatan Grommet]

Hello hamlet!
I own Primouth Motors in SL. I still sell a limited amount of cars in SL but I don't login as much as I used to. RL got in the way and I got burned out. I started in Jan. 2005. I met you once when I first started, you visited the little town I was building. Those were the days.

I would love to see more vehicle related articles in NWN. I know most auto makers now are light years ahead of me in terms of prims and sculpties and I would love to see some of those people highlighted here. There are some great car makers out there.

Keep up the good work NWN!

[Mistletoe]

Hiya! I'm Mistletoe, and I'm in SL to do EVERYTHING.

Seriously, there are so many things I want to do, I need multiple avatars.

I run three different shops (the biggie being Clover's Kitchen, as my "co-main" Clover Windlow). I play live music with my RL husband Archimides Skytower. I do fireworks shows. I surf. I fence. I RP. I blog. And I'm currently writing a book on sports in SL called Sports Pixellated.

Two words I have NEVER uttered in SL: "I'm bored".

[DMom2K Darwin]

I have been in SL since February 2008 when a group of us migrated over from Myst Online: Uru Live once Gametap announced they were closing the game. Since coming here, I have learned to build and animate and have put those skills to good use. I still love to explore other worlds but consider SL to be my home and that when I am in the other worlds such as Blue Mars or InWorldz, I am just a tourist. I read NWN regularly and have really enjoyed the variety of articles.

Currently I am a member of ♫~D R U M~♫ a virtual drumming troupe that performs in SL. We have an incredible group of people that build, texture, script, make sounds and create animations for our instruments that we use to perform live for our audiences.

I would like to see articles about innovative things that people come up with along with current news and developments. Also I would like to see features on artists, entertainers, teachers, as well as some of the groups in SL who have influenced many of us by what they have to offer. Continue to explore other worlds, I think it is important to see what else is out there.

Great job NWN - keep up the excellent work!

[Argus Collingwood]

Hello Hamlet,

I would love to see more Economic Topics concerning SL. Somehow the metrics [even those gathered at http://gridsurvey.com/ ] are MIA and it would be great to see some independent figures. As SL ventures into the future, a finger on the economic pulse would help us all to see how we as a Virtual World are doing.

Love your blog! <3

[Nadir Taov]

Hi Hamlet,

We've spoken a few times before; I build and run several RP communities including the Crack Den, Dead End, Shipyard, etc. I also retail themed land under the "ALTERSCAPE" brand.

In RL, I'm a resident of the SF Bay Area too and UI designer, focused of social media consulting and web dev. I keep track of NWN on a daily basis via twitter mostly. Your blog is usually my first stop to check details on any interesting news that breaks out about SL :) Keep up the great work!

- nadir (@taov)

[Daniel Voyager]

I've been a regular reader of NWN since October 2006 and I have to say NWN is awesome. It's one of my top favourite SL News sites. I enjoy reading your blog posts.

I'm a SL blogger and I enjoy covering the news in Second Life. I love sharing info, exploring, taking photos and I enjoy taking part in well known grid events.

I would also love to see more SL economic metric posts in the near future on NWN. Thanks for all the times mentioning my name over the years. I appreciate it very much. :)

Keep up the good work, Hamlet. (^_^)

[Sterling Wright/ LifeFactory Writer]

Hi there!

I have been a reader of your blog since 2008 and was very honored that you were kind enough to write a piece on SL machinima way back then and include my film, "Life on Life." Machinima remains front-and-center to my VW interests, but I have also participated in the Metanomics program hosted by Cornell University--a great show!

I was away from SL for most of 2010 and am just returning now to resume filmmaking and to collaborate on several initiatives launched by others. I am very excited!

Currently, I live in Washington DC although am seeking employment opportunities on the West Coast or in Boston--it is well past time for me to relocate! While still in DC, however, I have decided to use my access to the technology and innovation discussions happening in DC think-tanks to write a blog covering these dialogs. I am afraid the Capitol is seriously behind the technology uptake curve, and yet it is clear that a national strategy based on technology innovation is needed. I attended an A-list event this week that addressed this issue, and despite the stellar industry and public policy speakers, 99% of the audience was taking notes with pen and paper. There were only 3 laptops in the room, including mine :-/ We will have to do better than this!

I am writing up this event now for the blog. Please feel free to stop by, although there is a paucity of content at the moment because the site is only a few days old. But, there is a page on my VW projects including my projections on where VWs are going and what I believe will need to happen technically for them to emerge fully in the future. I would very much like to see NWN continuing to report on VW developments from the R&D angle. Yours is a great blog!

I look forward to seeing all of you again in SL. I have hugely missed the place....

Best wishes!
Life.

[Sterling Wright/ LifeFactory Writer]

oops, apologies....my site is GlobalFutureMedia.com. It is still so new, I am not in the habit of sharing it!
Cheers!
Life

[Edvard Larsson]

Hiya, another long-time reader. I like your blog, it's on my daily to-read list along with a few select others.

[Selby Evans]

I am Thinkerer Melville inworld, Selby Evans outworld. The same for InWorldz and Jokaydia. I work to promote education, theater, art, entertainment, and newcomer help in Second Life and other virtual worlds.
I subscribe to NWN via Google reader.
I would like to see NWN cover more topics about the growing interconnections among Second Life , Facebook, and Twitter.

[Bixyl Shuftan]

I'm the editor of Second Life Newser, and have over three years experience writing about the goings-on in Second Life.

[Adeon Writer]

Well, let's see...

I'm a 24 year old software technician (as of 5 days, otherwise I'd have said I'm a unemployed fresh collage grad) who takes time away from his job of breaking other people's code by living in a virtual world where I break other people's code. (The virtual world came first.)

My biggest interest in SecondLife, that puts it way over any other virtual worlds, are the in-world scripting tools. Being able to create complex creations from within the world has to be the most addicting toy I've ever found. If you join any of the four major scripting groups you'll undoubtedly see me asking and answering a handful of techy-geeky-nerdy questions.

I've said in other places that I'm more or less just "winging" SL - I have no particular goals, I'm just happy that it exists. I'm pretty much interested in anything SL has to offer, provided it's PG. ;)

I play fullscreen, I prefer voice rather than text since it's more personal, and I try to have the graphics cranked up as far as my wallet will allow, I have an avatar that... looks nothing like the real me... what else.

I also do free script work, if you make it sound interesting. :)

As for your blog - it's doing just fine.

[CronoCloud Creeggan]

CronoCloud Creggan, sometime fashion blogger, kibbitzer and wanderer, been in SL since July of 2006. You'll find me either socializing, or shopping. I tend to stick around the various Steamlands and reside in Caledon.

I miss the fun of the 2006 NWN, talking to residents and finding interesting people...like that post with the peguin driving a mech suit where the penguin and a friend were exploring.

I'd like to see a touch more focus on the fashion business as a business since IMHO avatar enhancements drive the SL economy.

I also wouldn't mind seeing a little PS3 Home coverage.

[Aquarius Paravane]

Aquarius Paravane - 4 years in Sl, builder, proprietor of mainland rentals and Rental Central property rental mall, moderator of the SL Certification Devs building track and also a sailor.

RL - interested in usability and enterprise social networking and collaboration tools including virtual worlds.

I read NWN daily via RSS or Twitter.

[Rodion Resistance]

Hi,

My name is Rodion Resistance in Second Life, and my real name is in fact also Rodion. I have been a Second Life resident for over 5 years now, with three of those years working as the Creative Director for a real-world company called Avatrian LLC. We create content for people who want to establish a presence in Second Life and we also do total sim development in both SL and OpenSim.

My main interests in both Second Life and OpenSim include primming and working with sculpts and 3D meshes, but I also like to work with poses and animations, and texture-work. I also dabble in machinima. I'm practically inworld around 10-14 hours a day, and you can usually find me in our sim, Avatrian Central.

Don't be shy to say hi! :)

-RODION

[Allison Selene]

I've been in SL since 2006 and am the co-owner of Alli&Ali Designs. I also do artwork, machinima, and am an expert at stumbling around Second Life and goofing off.

I read this blog on a regular basis, but rarely add comments, so this is a first of sorts.

Thanks!

[Johnny]

I've been in SL, and blogging about it, for the best part of 4 years, reading NWN for most of that time. I'm primarily interested in the psychological aspects of virtual interaction; NWN is a fairly good source for links about this, as well as more general news, so I look in regularly.

[Extropia DaSilva]

Hello, I am Extropia or 'Extie' as my friends prefer to call me. My greatest passion is trying to understand what Vernor Vinge meant when he said 'the sense of self itself is in for rough times', following Sherry Turkle in studying how people reinvent themselves online, anthropomorphize objects and how there is talk among neuroscientists of a coming revolution in our understanding of what and who we are, driven by an increasing awareness of how the mind works. Current online social networks/worlds are just the beginning, the future is going to be wild!

I host discussions for Jinny Fonzareli's Thinkers group. Hamlet's blog is a great source of discussion topics that focus on cyberspace.

[Dirk Grantly]

Hey Hamlet,

I chatted with you some time back about the Alienware 11 inch laptop. I have since bought one myself to run SL (and the rest of my life.)

I am a professor with an open university in Canada and a practising psychologist. But really... my main passion in SL is roleplay in the Amiville Colorado and Colorado North western sims where I am one of the town doctors. The 1860's medical roleplay, and the western roleplay have become like a second home to me. It's brilliant fun and that's my main focus for the next while.

[Morgan Leigh]

Greetings,
I am a bit of a lurker on these pages but I read them a lot. I am a PhD candidate at the University of Tasmania doing a PhD about Pagan religious communities in SL. I am really fascinated by how people bring meatspace religious activities in to SL.

I also teach sociology of religion to undergraduates in SL. Here's a link to a machinima of my class last semester wherein the students role played a pagan ritual - http://www.ooze.net/pub/authentic-theurgy-01.mpg If you want to see more of my academic stuff then go here - http://utas.academia.edu/MorganLeigh

Lastly, but definitely not leastly, I am a virtual world developer. My favourite things are really fiddly landscaping (closet Slarty Bardfast fan), building fully functional machines and making machinima. If you like machines check out the Diabolical Machine here - http://slurl.com/secondlife/Pandani/179/128/44

[Jordans Pas Cher]

I like ANMJ on FB & just subscribed to the email feed! :)