What Can SL Content Creators Do With Their Works and Their Land When They Need to Temporarily Leave SL?

Last week I noted news that master steampunk builder Sextan Shepherd had left Second Life and taken his glorious builds with him. I recently heard from Mr. Shepherd himself, and turns out the departure is not as stark as it originally seemed: It's true he's taken his talents to an OpenSim-based project and one in Unity, but he does plan to return to SL, perhaps in a few months. However, his temporary departure still illustrates a difficulty for content creators who need to take a break from SL for whatever reason -- what do you do with all your investments while you're gone?

"I haven't left SL," as he tells me. "It's just that I don't have more time to come in SL... I was asked to work on an OpenSim project, and I have accepted, it's a lot of work (no steampunk stuff this time) and I start a brand new project on Unity3D too." That in mind, he had to do something with his SL content while he was away:

"So as I had no more time for SL and my brand business, I have decided to give up the shops and my land. Unfortunately I have deleted my blackbox (needed for the Marketplace) too, so you can't find my stuff anymore. Neither in-game or on the Marketplace. That's mainly the reason why people thought that I have left SL for a dramatic reason. But no. It's just a question of time, and I may be back in-game in a few month maybe."

The thing is, I imagine other content creators often find themselves in a similar place, with no easy means for temporarily lifting up stakes. For beyond the content jobs Sextan took, he also has some excellent real life news that makes being in Second Life seem secondary:

"My family has grown up with the arriving of my beloved daughter," as he tells me. "And the time devoted to my family has grown-up too! At the same time I have received for my first contract as a 'professional' music composer (for a series of TV advertisements in the USA.)" Yes, in addition to being a great 3D builder, he builds in audio too: "Music is my 'first love' and I spend much of my free time playing and composing music. And I already have a regular dayjob that I want to keep."

All that in mind, "The real problem is that a day is only 24 hours." That is the fundamental challenge. Meantime, we still have an archive of Sextan's stuff to see while he's gone: Go here to read all my links on Sextan Shepherd's work.

Photo of Sextan by Stacia Villota, who uses it in this really neat post about steampunk that you should see.

Comments

[Alicia Chenaux]

Why didn't he just ask a friend to host his marketplace box on their land?

[Chuck Baggett]

It's seem likely he could have found someone to house the magic box prims on there land while he was gone, and thus be able to sell stuff on the marketplace.

For some people taking a while off they might be able to leave their land and stores intact still be selling enough to make it worthwhile, just not selling anything new.

[Rowan Derryth]

Aw, congrats to Sextan on the birth of his daughter!! A nice reminder that, well, life happens!

And perhaps a good journalistic that we shouldn't jump to the worst possible scenario, particularly when we haven't heard from the source. You weren't alone in that Hamlet, nor were you even the first to report it.

[Rowan Derryth]

Make that a good journalistic REMINDER! Also good to reread and self-edit before hitting the post button.

[Hamlet Au]

"we shouldn't jump to the worst possible scenario, particularly when we haven't heard from the source"

That's exactly why I e-mailed him, said so in the original post, and am updating with this post now. The fact still remains that he or is content is not in SL now, and his return isn't even definite. ("I may be back in-game in a few month maybe.")

[nexus burbclave]

Alicia and Chuck both bring up good points about finding space to host a magic box and continuing to sell. That said just having space to keep the store running may not be enough, particularly if you are leaving due to lack of time rather than lack of money. Most businesses will require at least the occasional customer support. If you don't have the time to provide that support during your leave of absence, you should probably find somebody you trust that can, lest you risk your reputation during your absence.

Sole proprietorship seems to be the dominant business model in SL. While this provides a lot of freedom and opportunities, it does make pulling up stakes, even temporarily, much harder to pull off.

[Nalates Urriah]

Direct Delivery should solve the Market Place part of the problem by removing the need for a Magic Box.

He might even be able to connect with the development team and enable DD now. Several are in the Beta test group now.

[Breen Whitman]

I suggest content creators firstly create their content in any opensim world.

This has benefits:

- They have a working copy in opensim

- In Opensim you can back up the items in an "OAR" file to your hard drive.

- Texture uploads are usually free

[Nathan Adored]

Also, one of the advantages of building on an opensim grid is... you could then sell the products to people wanting to take them back to other opensim grids via the hypergrid.

I am on one opensim grid where someone has started building a steampunk RP sim... but hasn't gotten very far along on it. It could probably use just about every steampunk product Sexton Shepherd might make, and every steampunk object anyone else might make, too.

[Eliza Wierwight]

Incredible builder / designer / Artist and great person too. I was very spoiled by Sextan over the years, he gifted me his textures constantly , many unreleased in general and I still consider them 'treasure' and return to them when I design often. Sextan if you read this congratulations on all your new adventures , the greatest one of all being your daughter. You're only in a little trouble with me now for not being active on the SL Grid currently and you owe me the damn prawn build still ~whineslaughs~

Best of luck in all you do.

Eliza

[MarillaAnne Slade]

I had the pleasure of working with Sexton this summer on the Open Grid project. He is an absolute gentleman and joy to work with. It is a very in depth project that offers the opportunity to use every skill one has or has even considered adopting.

I was thrilled to get to stand in his Nemo build as I missed getting to visit it in Second Life. To me it is an exceptional example of how few special sculpted or mesh pieces are needed, if one uses well designed textures and well placed pieces that bring a story to life.

Oh and believe me, when Sexton's music is combined with visuals, it's not an ad, it's drama.

[MarillaAnne Slade]

bother .... and as always when posting from my cell, I messed up something. this has the correct link my site. Hamlet, feel free to merge and remove the above broken link.

[Arcadia Codesmith]

When I came back to Second Life after a prolonged absence, I found that all I had left was my avatar, name and birthdate. My inventory had been erased from existance.

A consequence of that is that I'm more active with my newer avatars than with Arcadia, whom I haven't taken out of mothballs in months (apologies to anybody who has ever tried to contact me in world).

It behooves any virtual world to provide a path back for returning users that's as easy and rewarding as possible.

[Pixels Sideways]

First and foremost, very big congratulations to Sextan on his new RL creation and his music gig. Sextan's work in SL is stunning and entertaining. He's also, as noted, a tres cool guy -- let me test drive a couple of his builds before using in one of our upcoming exhibitions. Would love to see what he's creating in Open Sim and Unity and hear his music too.

Since I've never sold anything on marketplace, I'm not familiar with how it works and how/why the black box is necessary.

If the technology can't support selling on marketplace without this box, then LL might consider creating some sort of black box storage space on Linden Land for people who are on hiatus for whatever reason, if they want to continue to sell their creations on marketplace since LL receives up to 5% commission on all sales above a cerain base amt.