New World Notes

Cajsa's Choices: Images from My New Flickr Gallery, "Coronavirus in Second Life" -- And Coronavirus Advice from My Doctor in Real Life

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Gwen B completely captures exactly how I now feel in her photo “Covid-19.” I admire her composition, the use of the Rule of Thirds in placing her avatar, the use of the triangle to connect the text and the subject. It’s bold and brilliant. 

If you are interested in how Second Life is capturing coronavirus, I have created a whole gallery of pictures to enjoy, if that’s the right word. (Slideshow above.) I also thought I would share my doctor’s advice since she is an infectious disease specialist who recently diagnosed me as likely having the virus:

• My doctor said there is no approved treatment and that all treatment is oriented to your symptoms. So just use whatever over-the-counter drugs you would use for the symptoms you have. 
• The new one for me was using my albuterol inhaler to ease my breathing. I have it for allergies and didn’t know it would work for chest congestion. It never occurred to me. 
• All the rest is pretty normal: As needed, take acetaminophen, cough syrup with dextromethorphan, cough drops, fluticasone, and sudagest. 
• She also said call 911 if it’s hard to breathe or your temperature is over 103. Guess they don’t want folks just showing at the hospital up willy-nilly.  

Hamlet asked me how seeing these pictures make me feel while I am sick, presumably with COVID. I feel all sorts of things. The TP hoarding images make me laugh, as they seem to mock the ridiculousness of buying 144 rolls of TP, though diarrhea is on the list of possible symptoms. Thankfully not for me, since I didn’t stock up. 

I am touched by the SL photos of social distancing that portray the alienation that comes with staying at home, separating ourselves from the fabric of life. There is this tremendous irony that the most communitarian thing we can do is to isolate ourselves. 

Back to images. What is a pandemic without a rush on toilet paper? SL has its own take on the shopping frenzy as seen in the pictures below:

Second Life Marketplace Swamped By Coronavirus-Themed Fashion, Accessories, and Virus-Spreading Games

"With the coronavirus running rampant in the real world, we're all going to spend more time socializing and working in virtual worlds like Second Life"... is a sentiment I'm starting to see more often, from industry analysts and fans (variation from Robert Scoble here). But while it's still far from certain that that's happening, we're definitely seeing people in virtual worlds like Second Life socializing around the coronavirus. 

Right now, the official SL Marketplace carries dozens of coronavirus-themed items for sale, everything from fashion and accessories to full-fledged games. Call it some much-needed black humor to relieve the tension or a sick joke at the expense of thousands who've since died from the virus, but you can buy a Covid-19 beverage tray from DeathGrip CreaTions (above) for the low low price of L$180 (under $1).

Here's another, echoing the infamous World of Warcraft-based "corrupted blood" incident which went on to become a case study for real world epidemic research: pick up a copy of the CORONA VIRUS particle bumper for L$99, and spread virtual disease at your next virtual party in Second Life:

Wear or add the Corona Virus Bumper. As soon you collide with another avatar, you will sneeze (sound) and spray the Corona Virus particles everywhere

A bit too dark, even for Second Life? TessYr Vaak has you hooked up with an anti-coronavirus spray featuring Bento-based skeleton animations, so you can fight the virus with the latest avatar technology:

UK Second Life Users Likely To Be Hurt By Brexit Fluctuations on US$-to-Pound Exchange Rates

Last year, many Second Life users based in the UK celebrated their impending Brexit from the European Union with a party in the virtual world (above). But ironically, British SLer Michaelatv Destiny makes an interesting point about Brexit in the official forums:

I'm just getting some feedback from my fellow Brits. In 2016 I had an affordable [SL] homestead I could keep under my present retired income. We were getting $1.49 to one GBP. Our currency crashed big time after stupid decision to leave.

In no time at all it was down to $1.35, which added £6 a week extra on my tier, which I could not afford. So been waiting 3 years for GBP to recover back to $1.49. Again. This hasn't happened, and I really losing hope I will ever be able to buy or rent in the near future.

Brexit happens any day now, and there's no doubt in my mind that our GBP will go into free fall. I conservatively predict the pound will be almost worthless, crashing to about $1.10 to one GBP. That would push up the price of a homestead to £9 -£10 a week, from-pre 2016 levels.

More conversation here. For the many older British living on a pension, especially, even a small change to the British pound-to-US dollar exchange can adversely impact their discretionary spending (i.e. entertainment, i.e. Second Life), so she's probably right. I'm not any kind of expert on exchange rates, but this analysis from Capitol.com does suggest sharp fluctuations and a downward trend for the British pound against the dollar, greatly accelerated by Brexit:

No, Virtual World Ageplay By Consenting Adults Is Not Legal (In Many Places)

There's been lots of heated reader discussion about last week's update on the lawsuit against Linden Lab, which alleges the company has not adequately prevented money laundering, sex abuse, and virtual world ageplay in Second Life. Some of these comments, unfortunately, contain a profound misunderstanding of of age play in particular that should be addressed -- for instance, this:

Is it pedophilia when two 45-year-old people using the SL system have pixel sex, and one has a mesh female adult body and the other a mesh child-like body? Is this pedophilia?

Is it pedophilia when two 45-year-old females using the SL system have pixel sex, and one has a mesh male adult body and the other a mesh female child-like body?

Legally speaking, the answer to both questions is yes -- in many countries around the world that are essential to Second Life's survival as a virtual world. To quote this analysis by lawyer Benjamin Duranske from 2007, when the age play controversy as reported by a German TV news story, utterly tarnished Second Life's brand forever:

Hollywood Producer Sells Motion-Captured Routines of Celebrity Dancers Like Alexander Chung to Second Life Avatars

Video courtesy Paragon Dance Animations

Alexander Chung is a renowned dancer and choreographer with a huge following on Instagram and YouTube, and now thanks to an indie producer in Hollywood, you can buy his real moves for your Second Life avatar.

While there are many Second Life brands that sell motion-captured dance moves, Paragon Dance Animations is the first I'm aware of -- at least in recent years, long after Second Life's boom days -- to create and sell dances taken directly from real world, renowned dance stars. Chung's moves are first to be offered in the SL marketplace, but Paragon has also motion-captured Liz Lira, Latin choreographer for Dancing with the Stars, and plans to sell her branded dances as well.

Paragon Owner/Producer Jon Nakagawa pitched Chung the prospect of dancing for avatars after a studio class.

UK Second Life Users Already Planning Virtual World Brexit Parties

With the UK's Parliament rejecting a final deal, the country is careening toward a final Brexit from the European Union in 17 days. The streets of London will probably not be full of celebration, but the virtual streets of London City in Second Life plan to be kicking:

We're having a Brexit Party. Top Tunes with a leading Brexiteer DJ. Hurry on over cos 'Britain is open for business'

"I would think many people will to the party out of curiosity," London City owner and Brexit party host Torric Rodas tells me. While he's personally supportive of Brexit (like the DJ), he tells me most members of his UK-based Second Life community are ambivalent: "I do not believe that most members of London City are Leavers," as he puts it. "I believe it is still as deeply divided as the original referendum was." At least in the virtual world, any fisticuffs and general rioting won't lead to actual bruises.

Hat tip: Ysabelle Stewart

This Sunday in Chicago & on Twitch: "Improvised Second Life", Real Actors Doing Avatar-Based Improv Comedy Before Live Theater Audience

This looks fun: Starting this Sunday at 8pm SLT (10pm Chicago time) is a show called "Improvised Second Life". As the name suggests, it's improv comedy performed by avatars in Second Life, broadcast in front of a live audience at the Crowd Theater in Chicago, the world capital of improv comedy, and streamed on Twitch at the same time. (Video channel below.)

"This video is streamed live at the theater on our projector," show producer Dillon Cassidy tells me. "The players are at home and can hear the audience, and due to Second Life's native voice chat, the audience can hear the performers. Its a lot like a layered puppet show." They've done several shows already, he says. "It's been pretty well received. The whole production lies sort of in the uncanny valley and adds this really absurd quality to the improvisation."

If you're in the Chicago area, here's more details. Otherwise, join me below the break to watch and participate on Twitch:

Leader of Pro-Trump Troll Group Reportedly Banned from Second Life, Leaving Behind Nazi Insignia at SL HQ

Anonymous online trolls for Donald Trump continue to run rampant on Twitter and across much of the social media landscape, but there seems to be at least one Internet forum being closed off to them: Second Life, where a cohort of Trump trolls besieged a headquarters of Bernie Sanders' SL supporters with flying demons and swastikas last April, then gathered in their own headquarters in May, a fever dream auditorium replete with unabated furry porn, racial slurs, and a pot-smoking Trump-head choo-choo train. Now, however, according to a new report by roving furry reporter Bixyl Shuftan -- who's pretty much the Seymour Hersh of furries on this beat -- the ringleader and some of his crones have been banned in Second Life by Linden Lab. The private SL island where the Trump HQ was hosted -- appropriately entitled The Wall -- has been locked up, and had its content wiped.

Trump trolls being Trump trolls, this (above right) is what the The Wall looked like up until the end of last month, as seen from Second Life's satellite map view: with a reconfigured version of the Nazi Party's eagle-headed Parteiadler insignia. Which probably in itself could have got the group leaders banned, seeing as racist symbols violate SL's official Community Standards. (Something I pointed out back in May.) As of today, however, the neo-Parteiadler insignia, and for that matter, the entire Wall, has been wiped clean. 

So that, evidently, is that, leaving us with yet another example of life echoing Second Life -- and in this particular case, also giving us an avatar-based glimpse of the online subculture which is now directly influencing a major US Presidential campaign:

Bernie Sanders’ Second Life Headquarters Besieged by Trump-Supporting Swastikas, Demons and 120 Ft. Fireworks-Spewing Donald Trump Statue

Photo of pro-Trump demons besieging Bernie's HQ via Washington Liberals

As Donald Trump continues to ride roughshod over much of the United States, there’s multiple reports that Trumps’ virtual fans are riding roughshod on Bernie Sanders’ unofficial headquarters in Second Life as well. Sanders' spot is in the sim of Caspoli, located here, with a Bernie 2016 banner that can be seen from satellite -- a Roman-themed hangout space in a peaceful meadow, where Bernie supporters often gather to share news of their favorite candidate. But lately, the place has been besieged by pro-Trump griefers. I first read a report of anti-Bernie griefing from roving furry reporter Bixyl Shuftan (yes, that's a thing) and found out it wasn't an isolated incident:

“There is a picture I managed to capture of one of the flags spewing from a particle dispenser at HQ,” Sanders support group member Macaria Wind tells me, handing over an image file of a Trump swastika. “Left there by one of Trump's supporters when no one was around.”

But that was only the start. During a Bernie rally in SL, Mr. Wind goes on, Trump-supporting demons flew around Bernie’s rally, endlessly typing ”TRUMP! TRUMP! TRUMP!" into text chat.

“Pages and pages of TRUMP! LOL,” Wind tells me. “[O]ne has to laugh at the childishness displayed by some of his supporters. In my opinion, they mimic their candidate. I must add though, what is not a laughing matter are the racial slurs and bigotry witnessed by one group member who visited Trump HQ when there were actually people there.” (Read more about that incident here.)

To be sure, virtual landowners in Second Life can bar anyone from their property. But that effort was, well, trumped, by a Trump supporter’s next move:

Virtual Donald Trump Trolling Second Life Still Somehow Less Juvenile than Real Life Donald Trump

Now that Trump's virtual mansion in Second Life has become big news, the inevitable has happened:

Like I said last year, trolling videos in Second Life is quite literally a cottage industry on YouTube, so it was inevitable this would happen. And while I generally don't blog trolling videos, this one is actually on the relative low end of offensiveness. (I'm more offended this dude's Trump avatar doesn't look anything like actual Trump.) Even more notable: