Alphaville Herald

Feature-Length SL Documentary slated for October release

by Pixeleen Mistral, Herald National Affairs desk.

“We aren't doing this to show what Second Life ‘plays’ like, we are here to make a documentary about what people do in it”, said Anders Ogre when I spoke with him recently. Mr. Ogre is a filmmaker creating a feature-length documentary about Second Life due to be released in late October.

Taking a break after the evening’s virtual filming was over, Mr. Ogre and some SL pirates got a lift to a pirate pub on my pet elephant -- filming seems to be thirsty work for pirates. The pirates were in Sanchon sim for an evening battle scene shoot using Chase Specualaas’s pirate ships and melee fighting system. After we slaked the parched pirates’ thirst, I prodded my pet pachyderm down to the water’s edge, and there we discussed Mr. Ogre’s project. Anders Ogre (aka Anders von Reis Crooks in RL) is one of the principles in RoboStudios, an independent documentary film company based in Bainbridge Island, Washington. According to Anders, this project is currently privately funded and financially independent of Linden Lab -- though he did contact the Lindens to tell them what he is up to.

SecondCast #29: zzzzz . . .

Second Cast Episode #29 is out, and it's a real snoozer! Actually, I haven't listened to it yet (I missed the taping yet again, unfortunately), but as Johnny Ming puts it in his show notes, "The show was so riveting that Cristiano fell asleep." The crew also interviews SL resident Tony Tigereye, owner of the Tropics Casino, discusses the recent Suzanne Vega concert in SL, and more on texture IP rights. Your challenge: stay awake through the entire thing.

Taking a Chance on Chance Takashi

A special profile to benefit the American Cancer Society, by Walker Spaight

Chance Takashi

"This is The Observatory, my first big build in SL," Chance Takashi tells me when I meet her in the Caledon Highlands. "Or anywhere, really." It's an interesting addendum: the metaverse, for Chance, is broad enough that a "build" could exist in any number of spaces, virtual or real. But SL is where Chance landed, early in 2006, a refugee from World of Warcraft's level grind, and it's in SL that she plans to make her mark.

When I land at Chance's steampunk getaway, I'm immediately relieved. I'm here to get to know Chance not because I'd heard she'd be interesting, but because she's paid for my time. She hasn't paid me, of course -- the Herald stoops, to be sure, but never that low. Instead, she was the highest bidder in an auction to benefit the American Cancer Society as part of the Second Life Relay for Life held recently in the virtual world. Chance's bid of L$11,525 -- just under US$40 -- earns her a glowing profile in the Herald. Fortunately, it's one that's well deserved.

The Six-Fingered Hand – An Interview With Artist DanCoyote Antonelli

by Fiend Ludwig (with photos by DanCoyote Antonelli)

"Do you want a table and chair?" he asked me. It was earlier in the year and DanCoyote (DC) Antonelli was preparing the first showing of his art in Second Life, part of Rubaiyat Shatner's "The Real" at the Ars Virtua New Media Centre, in the Dowden sim. A huge, complex, beautiful piece of his work casually leaned against a window. Another hovered over the grass nearby. We had just been introduced.

Now, several months later, I caught up with DanCoyote again as he was preparing for a show at the New World Gallery in Second Life, to run throughout August and September (Contact curator Vlad Bjornson for details). The show also has a tie-in to the ZeroOne Arts and Technology Festival at the San Jose Arts Museum.

A Double Dose of SecondCast

It's a double dose of SecondCast today, as the crew brings you not one shiny new episode but, yes, two.

In Episode 27, hear SL resident Oz Spade's take on the recent Second Life Views event, for which Linden Lab flew eight residents to San Francisco to gather their views on the direction of Second Life. (Official coverage of the initiative itself can be found on Robin Linden's blog at the following links: [1], [2], [3], [4], [5])

Then, in Episode 28, hear Johnny Ming and the Secondcasters (sans me, unfortunately; me being Walker) interview Cory Edo of the Electric Sheep Company, discuss Cristiano's ban from Second Life, and recap the SL Relay for Life last weekend that raised over $40,000. Stay with Episode 28 to the end for a nice (or not-so-nice, depending on your musical taste) surprise.

Getting Some Tail at the Furry Rent Party

by Daftcoho Callisto

It was an entertaining scene, a couple of Saturdays back, when the massive FurNation sim held its "Tail Sale." Not unlike "dream date" auction fundraisers, the Tail Sale was an opportunity to buy a Furry for services or company, and all of the proceeds went to keep the FurNation sim alive. All of the auctionees were FurNation admins, and all of them brought something completely different to the auction platform. Some would be your friend for a day, whereas others would put you on their radio show. The rent party was inspired and necessitated by the recent end to Dwell payments. FurNation is not a commercialized sim, and due to Linden Lab's decision to drop dwell incentives for communities, the Furries of FurNation now rely solely on the residents, developers and owners to keep the area running.

The Sophisticate: Fashion Designer Grace Winnfield

by Emerie Mauriac

Grace Winnfield

On a random visit to Grace Winnfield's shop at Pierce (6, 62, 58) [<-- SL link] I met Grace herself, who at the time was less than 60 days in-world but no less impressive a designer for it. Grace came in with a plan, and with obvious talent. As I spoke with her, her bubbly personality and her style intrigued me. She's a slight gal with bright green hair, and a huge smile. I enjoyed talking with her so much, and enjoyed her designs, which are so retro feeling and feminine, that she became the natural candidate for my June/July interview.

Griefers Take to the Waves at SLSF Cup

by Pixeleen Mistral, Herald sports desk

Welcome, Griefer
-- Philip Linden

Sailor Espresso Saarinen (pink hair in the foreground) points out two suspected underwater griefers to event security just before being sent into orbit himself. Photo courtesy of Espresso Saarinen.

Herald readers have observed that public events in SL always have a the possibility of a game of griefer cops and robbers in addition to the nominal event. Last Saturday, while mildly minding her own business and trying to cover a sporting event, your correspondent was sent into orbit three times in the space of two hours, in spite of (or perhaps because of?) the presence of a hired security force.

While this may speak volumes about SL's suitability as a platform for serious pursuits, it does provide a certain level of theatre of the absurd to supplement the entertainment value of an event. If the Herald keeps sending me on these assignments and the Lindens don't start allowing for better policing of their own land, I will be forced to file additional expense reports for certain, ahhhh . . . aides and accessories, let us say . . . so that I can stay at the event site long enough to get the story. This is bound to get expensive fast, but the story has to come first, and the Herald has a grand tradition of investigative journalism to uphold.

SL's Second-Class Citizens Lead a CaddyShack Second Life

by Pixeleen Mistral, Herald sports desk

Cinderella story. Outta nowhere. A former greenskeeper, now, about to become the Masters champion. It looks like a miracle -- It's in the hole! It's in the hole! It's in the hole! --Caddyshack (1980)

Philip Linden takes advantage of unverified labor during the Holly Kai Ocean Nine's opening day

In the wake of recent changes made by Linden Lab, which no longer requires payment information to be collected from new members on free, or "unverified," accounts, a split has developed between residents who think the changes are all for the good, and those who fear they can only mean an influx of unaccountable griefers to the virtual world. But how do the unverified themselves feel about being looked on by some as second-class citiazens within Second Life? Herald sports reporter Pixeleen Mistral visited the Holly Kai Ocean Nine golf course recently to find out. Here is her report:

The Unverified Unverifieds
Even if you've been locked in a decompression chamber for the last week and a half, you know that golf is the hottest new SL sport. But if sport is a microcosm of society, what larger meaning can be found in the duffers that are now flocking to Second Life? Is the the Holly Kai Ocean Nine to be the set for a Bill Murray movie in SL? And why are all the caddies named Unverified?

WoW SL is the New Golf

Golf has come to Second Life, thanks to the ministrations of talented scripter Kanker Greenacre, and the nice new golf club opened by a pair of residents in the Hollywood sim. Designed and scripted by Kanker, who also built the groundbreaking sailboats raced by the Second Life Sailing Federation, floG!, as the game is known, works in very similar fashion to PC golf games, and takes good advantage of SL's heads-up display functionality, as well as making unexpected use of the new one-click-to-sit function that was implemented in a recent patch. Get over to Hollywood now and starting practicing, since besides being fun, a series of tournaments are also planned for later this year.

Send Philip Your Pants c/o SecondCast

The SecondCast crew roped in Philip Linden for an interview again last week, and the results are now posted for your listening pleasure. Philip talks about a very cool new golf game in Second Life, LL's new registration policies, the No Fear policy of Linden Lab as regards lawsuits, and his need for a new pair of trousers. To that last point: SecondCast is holding a competition to design Philip's new pants! Send your (transferable) pants designs to Johnny Ming and we'll model them on a future SecondCast, with the best design becoming Philip's new in-world uniform, or so he promises. That's US pants, by the way, not UK pants -- those are Aimee's province.

Partying With American Apparel -- And Recovering From the Hangover

by Dow Jonas

Four historic events occurred on a recent Sunday in Second Life:

1. Aimee Weber and Barnesworth Anubis appeared in their underwear in public.
2. Philip Linden changed his t-shirt.
3. Pictures of RL women in various stages of orgasm were posted around a huge, exciting build on a private island.
4. A RL store opened its realistic doors in Second Life.

Did I put those in the right, newsworthy order?

Well, of course any one of these events had occurred before, but this is the first time they all occurred together! The question is, What is their meaning?

SLSF Celebrates First Anniversary

The Second Life Sailing Federation sends news of its summer sailing gala, being held this coming Saturday, June 10. The regatta celebrate's the SLSF's first anniversary, as well as the grand opening of Flappy's Marina and Yacht Club at Chong (155,131,47). [<-- SL link] Festivites commence at 6:00pm SL Time, with fireworks at 8:00 along with live music. And in among all that, don't miss "a special announcement and unveiling certain to change the face of Second Life sailing forever" at 7:00pm, according to the Federation.

Grand Opening: Club Ecstasy With An S

From the Herald's random press release department: This Tuesday, May 23, will see the grand opening of Club Ecstasy (not to be confused with Club Ecstacy) in the Ecstasy sim of Second Life, 5:00pm SL time. Owned and run by SL resident Steve Mahfouz, Club Ecstasy exists "to provide quality low-lag / lag-free dancing entertainment for all SL residents. Tomorrow's party will see Steve and General Manager Icy Flasheart start a giveaway of one... million... Lindens... in cash prizes over the next 30 days. "We, the management and staff of Club Ecstasy, are going to strive to provide fun, lag-free entertainment for all groups of SL residents, and offer all popular music genres during themed events," Steve says. It's actually a noble goal, given the state of many of SL's nightclubs. We look forward to the parties.

SecondCast Goes to the Prom

The latest edition of SecondCast is now available for your listening pleasure. While I was away at E3, the rest of the cast took a trip to the SL prom. Those guys get to have all the fun.

Star Wars Scavenger Hunt

Get to the Dantooine sim early for a Star Wars scavenger hunt, starting Saturday at 10am SL time. Revan Muromachi and the rest of the Star Wars afficionados of Second Life, who gather regularly in Dantooine and the Coruscant sim as well, are kicking off a party to launch their new Star Wars role-playing system in Second Life. Jedi and Sith relics will be planted around the sim, and in each one will be scripts that can be used to create objects as part of the RP system. A user-created game being created within a user-created game? Awesome. The Star Wars system that Revan and co. have worked out includes weapons and health systems and ten levels of progressive skills and Force powers. Though the system is still in development, the light-saber animations, pictured above, are looking awesome. (In this case, the master fell. A little meditation restored him to health, tho, no worries.) And Revan promises a startling surprise at some point during the proceedings. Buy your Star Wars kit at Dantooine (160, 60, 24) [<-- SL link] and head over.

From the Runway to the Box Office

by Emerie Mauriac

Designer Adri Saarinen

Adri Saarinen is a new fashion designer that shows much promise. I had come across her new store in Suisun a couple of weeks ago, and picked out a few choice pieces for myself. I asked her to sit down with me to chat about her new biz, an upcoming fashion show, and her involvement in the Foundation for Rich Content. I showed up a little tardy, but Adri was cool…….

SecondCast Gets Their Game On

In Episode 17 of the most popular podcast on the Grid, we visit the annual game developers' contest. Hear us try to figure out how to play the eight outstanding games on offer. A madcap soundscape through some of the most creative content to be found in Second Life.

Phoenicia Gallery Relaunched

The art-space formerly known as the Phoenicia Gallery has relaunched in a new location as the Phoenicia Center for Contemporary Art, and is now displaying new works from RL artists from around the globe.

Check out urban photography by James Seithalil on the first floor in the west wing; experience China via photographer SongLi's work in the lower level gallery; see Anna Krenz's "addiction to media" illustrations on the first floor in the east wing houses. In addition, the Phoenicians' very own Heavenly Bodies exhibit, as seen in our former location (and as highlighted in the Herald), will be on the west wing of the second floor.

Contact Victor Newchurch or Viola Bentham for further information. Click here [<-- SL link] to visit.

The Texan Spectacle of Rancho Rambler

by Daftcoho Callisto

Recently I was invited to sit at the dinner table of the cowboy, Gnash Rambler, and his southern-belle sweetheart, Icould Careless, in the Texas-inspired Rancho Rambler. [SL link--> Gluphisia] I originally discovered the ranch while aimlessly flying across SL, and to my surprise, saw a giant Texas flag made out of bushes. Then as I went further on, I discovered a farmhouse, water tower, corner store, and a humungous sun. Being a Texas native, I had to find out the back-story.

Gnash Rambler is not a furry-obsessed, dance-clubbing, roleplaying weirdo like some of the inhabitants of SL, but rather, a genuine, funky cowboy with a great sense of humor. "Honestly, I don't know roleplaying," he said. "I came into this game, I see a lotta people role playing. I'm like, I'm a burned-out old hippie turned computer nerd. I don't know many roles to play, um, I know Texas, so I'll act like a Texan."

Picking the Picks People Pick: Does Dwell's End Mean A New Face For Popular Places?

by Prokofy Neva

The impending end of dwell by June 13 has left the SL business and entertainment community wondering how the virtual world's most popular destinations will fare. Though traffic payments were often gamed, they had become a reliable source of income for many virtual proprietors. Will there be a way to draw attention to a plot of land in a world where having virtual asses in camping chairs is no longer enough?

To find out, I asked Philip Linden to query Linden Lab's database for the truly popular places. The results were most intriguing.

Calling All Fashionistas: SecondChic Now on the Air

The Herald is proud to report that one of its own has now gone audio. Herald Fashion Editor Matthias Zander is launching the SecondChic podcast on all things fashionable in Second Life. Rather than the reviews Matthias does so well for the Herald, however, SecondChic will feature information on new products and interviews with designers new and old. SecondChic's first introductory episode is now available at the SecondChic site, and while the interviews haven't started up yet, you can find out how to contact Matthias to submit your products or offer your thoughts for the show. The Herald looks forward to hearing what's to come.

Monster Boats Sail Forth

by Budka Groshomme

As a show of strength of the water community in SL, the Second Life Sailing Federation has created docks in Sanchon and invited all sailors to show their creativity and approaches to building working sailing craft. The monster boat show ends Tuesday, so if you want to see and experience sailing in SL, you’d better get there soon. In response the community has moored pirate ships, variations of the Flying Tako, a Viking ship, and several that defy description. All of them behave much as real life sailboats would in taking advantage of SL’s virtual “wind.”

SteamPunks Seek Sim Funds

A new steampunk group is now taking donations for the creation of a steampunk sim in Second Life. Interestingly, they've built a model of their proposed cityscape in the Celadon sim, creating what's in effect a little virtual virtual world. Use the SLurlPane at Herald affiliate site 3pointd.com to go direct to Celadon, and check out the video by SL resident Dagny Hemingway.

Has Plastic Duck Migrated Back to SL?

Camp Darfur trashed -- by Plastic Duck?

Sources tell the Herald that the notorious griefer and W-Hat associate Plastic Duck (the Herald's third-place Avatar of the Year for 2005) is back. This time, if it's him, he's trashed the re-creation of a Sudanese refugee camp [<-- SL link] that's been built as a consciousness-raising exercise in the Better World sim.

LL Changes Town Hall Format

Well, it seems King Philip wasn't so excited about talking to the SecondCast crew after all. It now seems residents will get to speak directly to LL's CEO himself, calling in to Johnny Ming, who will then screen the calls and patch them through just as a radio host would. Johnny will hopefully have someone on hand to screen calls (as a radio host would), since the burden of producing the recording, relaying questions to Philip and screening resident questions at the same time would doubtless be too much for any single mortal avatar. What rankles about the change is how suddenly LL sprang it, announcing it less than 36 hours before tomorrow's Town Hall. Johnny will be hard-pressed to get the production together within that window -- and will doubtless be blamed if it doesn't fly as smoothly as LL envisions.

Blumfield Residents Get Their Doodle On

by Jeannedellalune Prudhomme, Special to the Herald

Patch Lamington at his Doodle House in SL's Blumfield sim

BLUMFIELD -- Sometimes a scribble is just a scribble. Other times, it's a doodle and a way of life.

So it is for Patch Lamington, preeminent SL doodler and popular founder of the Blumfield Residents Association (BRA).

Patch, who wears his doodleness openly and proudly, has made his mark on the SL scene -- literally. His distinctive doodle craft appears in Blumfield and at several vendor locations, and avies can be seen all over SL tootling around in Doodle Cars.

He also has left a legacy of community in SL by forming one of the more unique groups in our fair world. The organization of the BRA, created in December, brought together a bunch of hapless newbies for fun and recreation and gave their community a voice that was actually heard by Linden Lab. (Full disclosure: J.L. Prudhomme is a former BRA officer and still owns property in Blumfield.)

The Haunted House of Sinatra Cartier

A Second Life Diversion
by Daftcoho Callisto, Special to the Herald

While venturing through the massive land of SL, I encountered an odd, contorted being named Sinatra Cartier, black from head to toe, except for a pair of beady, dark-red eyes. Sinatra owned a few sims of land and, like many residents, sold clever scripted toys and other items there. But more interesting than his merchandise was "Sinatra's Spook House," the carnival-inspired theme-park ride that Sinatra himself created.

Art in Areumdeuli

A new art gallery opens tomorrow night in Second Life's Areumdeuli sim. The Phoenicia Gallery and Studio, located in the heart of Areumdeuli, will be run by colleagues Viola Bentham and Victor Newchurch, and will feature "original works by talented artists from SL and RL." For its opening reception, kicking off on Friday at 6:00pm Linden time, the gallery will display "a selection of figure/nude and erotic photography by several New York-based photographers" (see sample at left). In-world copies will be available for purchase. A sneak peak by the Herald revealed a revealing but tasteful selection of images on the gallery's walls. Get 'em while they're hot.

Post Six Grrrl Rebel Hope

The Herald is happy to introduce this week's Post Six Grrrl, Rebel Hope!  Rebel is a noted clothier in SecondLife, who together with her husband, RH Engel, runs RH Designs!  Thanks to Daphne Molinari, creator of Daphne's Delights, for this week's Grrrl.

Lindens Shoot for Blockbuster with Machinima Film

by Dow Jonas

Forget the Oscars: blockbuster moviemaking is coming to Second Life in the form of a machinima movie produced in SL by Eric Linden and Bedazzled Studios, a group of SL's top architects and content creators who have designed and built an elaborate stage set for the project. Titled "Silver Bells and Golden Spurs," the Western-themed film is said to be going forward with a budget that will allow its producers to pay residents to take roles in the film, expanding on a demo version of the film already available.

Tonight: Machinimists Tinker in SL

Well, it won't be Cannes, but tonight will see BuhBuhCuh Fairchild hosting a Second Life machinima festival featuring five films created by residents within the world. The films are a mix of genres, from the narrative to educational travelogues/ (and hopefully at least one with guns). Admission's free, and the event starts at 7pm Linden time in the Lukanida sim.

Thanks to Pierce Portocarrero for flagging this to us. Also be on the lookout next year (if all goes well) for Pierce's own documentary following a year in the life of Second Life resident Nephilaine Protagonist as she builds her virtual fashion business into something very real. Or tries, anyway.

First Cast of SecondCast Catches a Few FIC

SL resident Johnny Ming's new Second Life podcast site, SecondCast.com, went "live" today with a podcast featuring four of Second Life's famous Feted Inner Core -- including yours truly, for some reason.

It All Happened at the Happening

Make magazine's Phillip Torrone prepares to probe the virtual world

I was skeptical about it when I first heard the description, but Second Life did indeed meet and mingle with the massively multiplayer offline universe often known as First Life last night. It all happened at The Happening, "an extraordinary audio/visual benefit experience" that went down at R&B Coffee in Washington DC.

Real-World Music Festival to Fund SL Events

The Foundation For Rich Content -- which we covered when it started up last year -- is now inviting Second Life users to an Alabama of the mind. The FFRC, which provides private grants to SL residents to help fund "events and projects that enrich the cultural scene of Second Life," recently teamed up with a real-world arts organization that's interested in helping to encourage the same, and is now accepting applications for projects that will be funded with that organization's cash, administered via the FFRC.

A Valentine's Day Chat with Hamlet Linden

by Walker Spaight

Hamlet Linden contemplates life after Linden Lab

Though the really big news in virtual journalism this week is the retirement of Herald Publisher and Editor-in-Chief Urizenus Sklar, another shift in the ranks is taking place as well, as Second Life's "embedded journalist," Hamlet Linden, announced that he was going independent and that his blog, New World Notes, would no longer enjoy the corporate sponsorship of Linden Lab. We tracked down Hammie on Valentine's Day for an exit interview, and though we forgot to ask him why he didn't have anything better to do than talk to the Herald, we did get the dirt (such as it is) on his splitting up with his corporate benefactors at Linden Lab.

A Merry Denominational Xmas to You!

Happy Hannukah! Joyous Kwanzaa! Lovely Diwali! Have a nice Ramadan! Merrrrrry Christmas!!!!1!

That's what Blizzard Entertainment, the corporate cog behind World of Warcraft, is saying to their 4 million-plus players this holiday season. A new holiday patch released this week adds some fun new content to the game, in the form of a big Christmas tree in a number of Azeroth's cities, reindeer mounts, some holiday quests that can turn you into a Christmas gnome (or earn you about 5 gold at the Auction House, if you choose to sell your gingerbread cookies there), mistletoe you can kiss under and snowballs that can be purchased from Santa's helpers and actually thrown at other players. Of course, none of the NPC Orcs and Gnomes call it by name, but gone missing among all the fun stuff is any nod to a fantasy religion resembling anything other than Christmas.

While the Herald likes Christmas as much as the next virtual newspaper (and really likes virtual snowballs), the oversight has left some players at a loss. There's hardly a groundswell of discontent, but chatter could be heard here and there this week indicating that Blizzard's choice of holiday might not be everyone's. Of course, players heard to complain in the main chat channel were generally laughed off the server by their teenaged peers. But it does leave one wondering how WoW's substantial Asian population feels about the choice, for instance, or how it strikes the guys named UAEtoon and similar things.

You may feel that Christmas is by now a non-denominational holiday in itself, having had all religious content commercialized right out of it. But not everyone agrees. Worth a discrimination lawsuit? Let's hope not. But it is worth noting, for better or worse, that in a world in which political correctness has many people choking on their kwanzaa pie, Blizzard has chosen to take the straight and simple route and nod only to the Santa set.

And then there's the alarming amount of leg certain NPCs have taken to showing under the mistletoe! Shocking! (See below.)

Not easily mistaken for a Hannukah elf

Times Uber-Reporter at it Again! Wallace Dishes on the Virtual Vacation that is SL

Forget about Plamegate, Harriet Miers, the war, and the next hurricane. The big news in today's New York Times is clearly the story by Mark Wallace, discussing virtual travel, but with a big emphasis on Second Life. But the big dish in here is the news that former Post Six Girl Diamond Hope -- the subject of Walker Spaight's "Making of a Post Six Girl" story has gotten hitched to another Second Lifer. But in real life! Woot! (And Pat the Rat tells us that they met through the Post Six Girl story!) As if that wasn't enough sex and romance for you, Herald mafia reporter and former MoMoHo Gina Fatale is quoted too! Dang, is that Wallace guy a great reporter or what?

Oh yeah, there is also reference to various SL movers and shakers in the club business, an obligatory quote from that egghead Teddy C, and a still more obligatory quote from that fattie huffing W-Hat luffing guy that works at Linden Lab -- King Philip.

Infonet Infiltrated! (Well, Not Really)

Squagmire Stravinsky's Infonet (or is it the g.Net now?) only gets more and more awesome. In fact, so formidable an operation is it that the Grid's own "innernet" has now drawn the attention of cyberpunks and VW hackers. The Herald has learned that the Infonet complex was recently the target of an infiltration exploit that saw a couple of SL residents wandering around in Authorized Personnel Only zones near the beating heart of the Infonet itself. Fortunately, the attack seems to have been driven only by benign curiosity on the part of a couple of young avs out for a good time, and in any case, Squag's security systems are comprehensive enough to deal with an intrusion of this nature. [UPDATE: As Squagmire herself points out, no data was affected by the wandering avatars, who weren't actually interested in the data in the first place, but only in Squag's amazing architectural achievement.]

Note that while you may see evidence in the link above that your correspondent was along for part of the ride, let us assure you that our motives were purely reportorial--and besides, we missed all the good stuff anyway.

Rich Content Foundation Finds Riches

A new public advocacy group, this one dedicated to "fostering richness and diversity in content and events," has hit the Grid, and with initial funding secured, the Foundation for Rich Content will soon seek to share the wealth with "events and projects that enrich the cultural scene of Second Life. "

Among the FFRC's patrons is designer Simone Stern, who has pledged L$5,000 per week, according to a Foundation press release. The FFRC is obviously pleased at this intial show of support, but is still seeking simoleans Lindens, so now is the time for eager patrons of the arts and culture to step up.

Founded by RyeDin Meiji, the FFRC group holds weekly meetings at 1pm SL time every Sunday. Attendance and membership is open to anyone. Parties interested in contributing funds to the foundation may contact the FFRC Treasurer, Gabe Lippmann.

While the group is still establishing guidelines for project applications, according to one member, the Foundation hopes to start accepting applications by late October, and funding projects soon after that. Contact a group officer for more information.

Get Thee to the Library!

Second Life resident Wandering Yaffle's new library in the Furness sim truly deserves a better headline pun than that, but such are the deadline pressures of life at the Herald that it was all we could come up with on short notice. To really do the thing justice, you'll have to get your virtual asses over there yourselves and check out the unbelievable collection of writing on games and virtual worlds that Yaffers has assembled in Second Life, a kind of virtual-reality mirror of his typist's Always_Black Web site, which our RL journo friend Mark Wallace managed to sneak into The New York Times some months back.

Enjoy the party, and happy reading!

Getting Your Burn On

Walker confronts The Man

There's still one more weekend to go before the third annual Burning Life festival gets wiped from the face of Second Life. By now, of course, you've missed most of the virtual hallucinogens that were being handed out on the six Burning Life sims, as well as the wild cybering we hear was going on in skytents that hung far above the virtual desert. But the Herald looked in as the party got under way on Monday, and spoke with Vicero Lambert, builder and burner of the man himself, as he stood ready to light the fire under Second Life's you-know-what.

[UPDATE: Burning Life has been extended another week! Builds will be up until September 19, according to the SL forums.]

Vicero Lambert

Vicero, who in RL does Web developement in Washington State, spent three weeks putting the man together ahead of the event, basing his work on his real-life experience of the Burning Man festival held every year in the Black Rock Desert of Nevada. Built from "way too many" prims (about 200), the man began burning at 3pm on Monday, much to the delight of the assembed, who packed the sim to its limit of 40 and even managed to squeeze one or two extra avatars in.

Burn, baby, burn!

According to Vicero, the man will burn "till the sim is destroyed or my items are returned."

At Burning Man in Nevada, Vicero designs work for Camp Subline, a theme camp devoted to modern, structural works of art. In other words, "a camp with style," Vicero said.

The wonders of virtual worlds were not lost on this veteran of the event's real-life analogue. "Burning Man and Burning Life are in my opinion totally different," Vicero said. "Burning Life is a better way for people who can't afford Burning Man to be able to make art so that everyone may see it. And you can do anything at Burning Life. Burning Man is so restrictive." Really? "Well, they no longer allow motorized vehicles on the playa."

Vicero surveys his destruction

While the burning of the virtual man himself got off to a slow start, the particle effects and technoesque dance music soon had the crowd oohing, ahhing and shaking their virtual booties.

Burning Life's Dance Dance Revolution

Ashes to ashes, prims to prims

Though the man himself has been burned, there are still several dozen art projects spread over the six Burning Life sims to see.

Wandering Yaffle asks, "But is it art?"

Creations range from pirate ships to the hand of God, political statements, inside jokes, a really fun Bouncey Castle, abstract sculptures, a Hiroshima memorial and much much more, including a sculpture of Second Life's main man, Philip Linden.

Philip Linden at his Burning Life desk. The button reads, "Press to crash any random sim"

Illuminating SL's Spiritual Side

story and photograph by Buttery Shortbread

Avatars of all denominations and spiritual beliefs have a new place to worship in Second Life, at the Interfaith Temple, built only about a month ago by Athel Richelieu, who is not yet out of his teens in his first life (though old enough for SL proper, to be sure).

The beautiful, pure white marble monument he built rises from the sim of Ambulyx. Inside this simple yet very functional worship center is the Ray of Golden Light, which, to myself at least, symbolizes universal spiritual illumination.

I observed out loud that it seemed a bit unusual for someone so young to be so involved with religious pursuits. "I feel more and more in my age bracket are becoming open to spirituality and bringing it into their lives," Athel said, "though yes, perhaps it is unusual in the United States."

When asked whether his temple was geared toward the New Age movement, Athel said, "Ahh no, not New Age. I would consider it to be for all faiths, though I would say there is an emphasis on mysticism and inner peace. Mysticism, finding God or Spirit within, is a part of most all major religions and cultures. Hence the meditation pillows, and such."

"My personal spirituality is very open," Athel continued, "though right now I feel my personal spiritual teacher and Guru I am following is Mata Amritanandamayi or Amma, a worldwide recognized Saint in the Hindu religion though embracing all. She has spoken at the United Nations, and has followers such as a former US Senator and Yolanda King, Dr. Martin Luther King's daughter. I would say my life centers quite a bit around spirituality. In my first life I have an altar in my room."

Athel estimates that the temple receives perhaps several visitors a day, but he is currently not often at the sim. "I am surprised by the interest it has received in such a short time. I will come here randomly and it seems like people visit often. There are some who like to stay and just feel the presence." One avatar who was visiting during our interview, FarindaFlyingdove Talamasca, mentioned that she likes to visit the sim several times a day.

Athel says would like to be able to hold daily services, though realistically his goal is set for three or four per week. He does not preside over the gatherings except to lead prayer and moderate to keep discussion topics on track. He considers himself as much a visitor to the temple as any other member of SL.

Given those ambitions, I asked whether he hoped to expand to building other churches in other sims. "I do hope to possibly build shrines in the future in other sims," he said, "but these will most likely be focused on more my personal spirituality and things I feel need focus, rather than Interfaith."

The temple is also available for weddings, committment ceremonies, memorials or candlelight vigils for peace, you name it. Those who wish to book the site can bring their own items for and someone to conduct the event, or request Athel's services. There is no cost for that or for use of the sim.

And with the holidays just ahead, Athel hopes that Interfaith Temple will serve to host a number of celebrations of all manner of spirituality. Be sure to get your reservation in soon!

The Surrealistic Playground of Brainiac HQ

by Leon Mechanique

Where the brains are

There's just something about visiting Deevyde Maelstrom's Brainiac HQ that really gets the mind working in odd rhythm's. When the Herald asked me to check out the new games Deevyde released in July, I thought to myself, "That sounds like fun" (and "I could make a few quick bucks"). So, like any good reporter, I Googled my subject and found not a few interesting links including this brief entry in the SL History Wiki. It's not much, but it's more than I've got. But when I visited Deevyde in Second Life, I found myself in the midst of a surrealistic playground of SL science that no wiki entry could even begin to describe.

It's an understatement to say that Second Life is populated with creative souls. It seems as though everywhere you roam in the world you will find someone building something cool and unique. But my previous in-world sightseeing tours had not quite prepared me for Brainiac HQ. It was difficult to concentrate on the questions I was asking Deevyde simply because I kept wanting to look around. He does marvelous things with simple primitives and bright colors where others go in for complex scripts and textures. But like a good reporter I soldiered through and actually managed to retain some information about Deevyde's dual release of Warbots v2 and Portal Wars v7.

The Brainiac himself: Deevyde Maelstrom

Leon Mechanique: I'm interested in what you have going right now. Are you entered in the game dev. competition?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Nope. I thought long and hard about it and decided against it.

Leon Mechanique: Ah, but you know you've got some pretty nice writeups on the Web about your work?
Deevyde Maelstrom: I do? I know about the Game Slave one which I contributed to myself, and I think I have a few mentions on various blogs and forums. That's about it though.

Leon Mechanique: Yeah, but you got written up on Torley's blog. That's pretty good cred.
Deevyde Maelstrom: Oh, and the Brainiacs have the briefest of mentions on wikipedia, which I'm quite proud of :) Torley's cool, he helped out in the v4 tests.

Leon Mechanique: So what's the latest and greatest coming out of Brainiacs?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Well, atm I'm focusing on 2 big games. In Warbots, players build a bot, equip it with weapons and fight in an arena to try and kill the other bot. Kind of like Robot Wars or Battle Bots on TV. Warbots is in a much earlier stage of development than my other game. With v2 I'm basically saying, "I'm back, ready to do something with this, heres proof, enjoy!" :)

Leon Mechanique: Has it been code, or just overall design?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Code. v1 is functional, just doesn't have many features

Leon Mechanique: So there are more things you'd like to add then, like what?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Well, the health system was the big one. Warbots have a great community (these days) and I talked to lots of them about what they wanted, health and improved controls were the big ones.

"Violent competition is massive fun!"

Leon Mechanique: So, the player controls the bots?
Deevyde Maelstrom: I'm hoping to add a system of 'special abilities' via a similar submissions system to my other game, and when Havok 2 comes out I'm planning to have some fun with that :)

Leon Mechanique: What about autonomous bots?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Hmmmmm... I haven't really thought about that. I guess that would fall under 'special abilities', would be easy enough to implement then. Also, for players looking for more 'autonomous' fighting, I'm developing another game but thats far, far from ready atm.

Leon Mechanique: What's the other game that debuted alongside Warbots?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Portal Wars. It's basically an FPS where anyone can create their own weapons and equipment, from scratch, and get them officially added into the game. It's been eating up most of my SL for a while now, v7 is most of the stuff I wanted in, but I plan to take it at least to v8 to add things like player bases.

Leon Mechanique: Wow! cool concept. Can I or anyone else bring weapons from other parts of SL into the game?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Can you be more precise? You can't, say, shoot someone with a mega pushgun from outside the game but you can take an (appropriate) weapon you've developed elsewhere and have a PW version made.

Leon Mechanique: Ah I see, so my "Jedi LightSaber" wouldn't work in the game environment?
Deevyde Maelstrom: No. It doesn't have the right code, basically it's a seperate damage system to the innate SL one.

Leon Mechanique: So how does a player get into building a weapon and participating?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Right... erm, well people join the game by picking one of the 2 basic teams from the dispenser downstairs, and they get their basic gear from that too. Along with that there's a detailed guide on how to get ideas for submissions, how to submit stuff ideally, etc. It's quite interesting though- we have several people who submit equipment because they like the creative aspect, but who don't fight.

Leon Mechanique: I like that. Encouraging creativity, and allow a positive channel for aggression at the same time.
Deevyde Maelstrom: Exactly! :) In both games I'm trying to teach the players something. I'm a big supporter of the 'learning through fun' approach. That, and violent competition is massive fun :) But yeah, at least one person even used the warbots to teach a building class (they come with very detailed instructions).

The Warbots arena

Leon Mechanique: what's the L$ cost of entry into Warbots?
Deevyde Maelstrom: Both games are totally free, I'm not doing this for the money :)

Leon Mechanique: What about the idea of a Warbots league?
Deevyde Maelstrom: It's something I explored back in v1. I wanted some sort of regular championship heats system, going through to a final heat where the winner is declared supreme and wins a trophy or something. I'm hoping to start running heats again after the launch.

Leon Mechanique: Any problem with someone else building bots for play in the league and reselling them?
Deevyde Maelstrom: I know one of the Warbot 'cells' (theres a few groups in world atm, I'm trying to merge them all) have a collection of player-made bots that they sell, but I don't mind too much as it's only L$1. If someone started trying to sell bots for signifcant commercial profit, I'd step in. I might include a license or something with v2 actually, we'll see.

Leon Mechanique: Ok, same rules for the weps in Portal Wars?
Deevyde Maelstrom: PW is slightly different, because I'm hoping to get submissions of existing weapons to PW-ize. When you send me something for PW, that's effectively a 'copy' you give me to add to my game. You'll still have all the rights to the original object that you made all by yourself. With the Warbots, as they run solely on my code, its different.

Leon Mechanique: Well, thanks for your time.
Deevyde Maelstrom: I appreciate you stopping by. I hate advertising in almost all its forms, which puts me at a disadvantage in getting news of these out to the general populace.

Leon Mechanique: You don't need to advertise, you need to publicize.
Deevyde Maelstrom: I'd love to, but documentation doesn't write itself!

Putting the Wind in SL's Sails

by Eloise Pasteur

Racing the winds of Second Life

Last week, the Second Life Sailing Federation (SLSF) held its first large race, not around an island within a sim, but around islands over a route through several sims.

"So what?" you may be thinking. "Boats have been around in SL since the very early days, what's so special about this?" Well, for the first time there is a sailing boat in SL that reacts to the winds, taking into account weather information from the Grid and matching it to the angle of the sails to simulate a more realistic sailing experience.

Two dozen people and especially the five helmspeople clustered nervously at the start line were about to discover just how well they could cope with sailing through eight sims or so in friendly rivalry with each other.

They're off!

Sailing the Flying Tako, official race boat of the SLSF and brainchild of Kanker Greenacre, is not a simple case of pressing forwards, backwards, left and right, although you do use those movement keys. Left and right move the tiller, forwards and backwards adjust the sheets so you trim the sail to maximize your speed as you juggle the wind, the heading and, in this race, the need to navigate around the course.

The course

Beginning sailors enjoy themselves and their sailing, whether or not they've sailed in real life. People who have sailed in real life take a little while to adjust to lag and so forth, but take to the tactics of the races with a familiarity that suggests we've finally got a sailing vessel in Second Life that is as close to the real ones as we can get.

Unlike real life, however, sailing this boat is not the preserve of the rich. Not even the rich in SL. The Flying Tako is on sale in several places for the princely sum of $1 (check Gualala 105, 245, among other locations). That gets you a boat that brings the richness and fun of sailing and racing to your virtual world.

Approaching the first island

In fact, the Flying Tako is not just about racing. The helmsperson might not be in a position to be a great conversationalist, but the ride for the passengers is generally smooth, gentle and lets them see our world in a great new way. Even those at the helm see the world afresh as the wind tickles their cheeks.

Dinghy sailing in real life is a solitary exercise followed by a social one. Sailing in Second Life follows that trend too. After yesterday's race, people mingled and chatted until gradually other commitments pulled them away.

So climb aboard. After all it's your wind, your imagination.

Post-race festivities

Welcome Respite: Living the Elven Life

by Seldon Metropolitan (photographry by Lexa Lawson)

Standing at the top of the Serenity overlook platform, you can see nearly all of ElvenGlen. Unlike the city sims, which seem to bustle and teem with energy even when unoccupied, there is an eternal calm over the elven land, carefully engineered by its protectors to capture the peace and reverence for life that form the core values of elven society. From my vantage point on the round wooden platform, the sunlight drapes over the thatched rooftops of the market square, flits through the branches of the trees in the magical gardens, and shines brightly off the imposing heights of the royal palace.

Cultivated over the last six months by its dedicated leaders, Wayfinder and Forcythia Wishbringer, Elf Clan has grown to over 280 members since the Herald last visited with them. The simplistic lifestyle and intricate culture of the elven community offers a welcome counterpoint to the club and Tringo way of life that is so prevalent in Second Life society. In order to ensure that their visitors fully experience the botanical marvels that they’ve cultivated, ElvenGlen is entirely a no-fly sim. The walking pace is an excellent way to experience the ambiance they’ve developed. In addition, to maintain the aesthetics of their world, modern looking weapons, gadgets, and vehicles are prohibited inside the sim.

When I first meet with Wayfinder and Forcythia, their striking regal presence makes an immediate impression. The primary architect of the major structures of ElvenGlen, Wayfinder is adorned in swirling green robes, holding a glittering staff that radiates with his power, and accompanied by his tiny dragon familiar. His tone as he speaks about the projects they are working on is one of fierce excitement, and from his speech I can feel the passion that goes into every aspect of the administration of Elf Clan. Forcythia is the water to Wayfinder’s fire, a smooth but steady talker, calling my attention to the flowers and trees she carefully cultivates in her private greenhouse. Together, they have an inexhaustible joy for all things natural and beautiful, which they bring to all aspects of the administration of their clan.

The first place we visit on my tour is the open commons area that serves as the telehub for arriving in ElvenGlen. Here sits the teleport directory that allows quick access to the most remote parts of the sim, as well as a variety of helpful information for those unfamiliar with the elves and their customs. The valley’s few shops line the green here, with a mixture of elven weapons, clothing, home furnishings, and souvenirs for visitors who want to remember their time here. No modern-looking items are allowed, and they don’t allow much space, as they don’t want the focus of their land to be shopping.

Also featured in the open area is the drumming circle, a white pavilion filled with a variety of percussion instruments. These were custom made for Elf Clan by Robbie Dingo, and with some scripting magic, all the drums play in a cohesive rhythm and can change patterns with a touch. The effect with several people playing is quite amazing. The drums all have short sound radii, so walking around the circle while several people play makes the sound change drastically, bringing certain rhythms to the front depending on where you stand. With just four of us playing, the music is infectious; I can imagine that a full drumming circle would be exponentially so.

The Elven Magical Gardens

We encounter the second major feature on our tour a bit further up the central green. The Elven Magical Gardens are an expansive network of raised beds connected by narrow wooden bridges. There are plenty of places to relax amongst the trees and flowers, and the flora is enhanced by a variety of sculptures, fountains, and other artistic works. It’s a serene place, at the very center of the sim both literally and metaphorically. As I walk through the gardens, I get a real sense of comfort and care from the surroundings. Despite my passion for concrete and steel, I can understand the calm and relief that those who care for this garden derive from it.

Continuing our tour, we reach the other side of the garden. I am shown the Orcish embassy, a squat building lampooning the rivalry between the orcs and the elves, and led past the pool where Forcythia’s pet whale, Prince, lives, endlessly leaping out of the water to the delight of onlookers. We wander through Forcythia’s greenhouse, which showcases her newest additions to the flora already present in the valley. Finally, we end up sitting at the fire ring, a circle of cushions around a fire pit in the goblet of a hill on the edge of the sim. Used for intimate gatherings and poetry readings from the notecard-dispensing poetry globes, the privacy of the hilltop gives the area a feeling of protection.

North of the fire circle, we stand at the edge of the hillside looking over a flat plain. A fantastic castle is seen off in the distance. I have come on a unique day, it seems, as the new sim of Elf Haven has just been placed adjacent to ElvenGlen. It isn’t open to the public yet, but the increased space and room for expansion has everyone in the clan excited. With as many members as they have now, there isn’t much room for personal space on the existing sim. They intend to move some of the existing builds to the new land, and a few projects that have been on the backburner because of space restrictions should come to fruition in the near future.

We continue onward, with a few quick stops to see other attractions, and finally wind up at the towering gates of the palace. The soaring heights of the towers reach up into the clouds; Wayfinder apparently did the major construction on the castle in only two days, in his own words, “taking a few years off his life.” Standing over 206 meters tall, the grand doors of the main room open into the throne room, a room with a floor area of over 4,096 square meters, and marked by the glass thrones flanking a giant purple dragon statue. There are several dozen seats arranged before the regal thrones. Apparently, they frequently have standing room only for their meetings. At Wayfinder’s invitation, I take a seat in the throne, and while I don’t feel comfortable, I can understand the allure.

ElvenGlen Castle's Observation Dome

Heading up to the second floor, home to the Elf Clan museum, we peruse the impressive collection of swords and other weapons made by players. They give me a glimpse at the forthcoming historical slide show, a collection of 160 photos detailing the growth of the clan. Then it’s off to the Grand Ballroom, where the more formal festive events are held. Our final destination in the castle is the Observation Dome, the massive translucent sphere adorning the apex of the towering castle. Far below, the rest of the sim looks like a tapestry pattern, layed out in separate panels of inter-connecting whorls. Small dots of people move through the whorls, and from this vantage point, I feel like Zeus or Odin, spying on the mortals below.

Our time running short, we get a quick tour of the games platform, home to the archery fields and the Battlemace arena, and then its time to say goodbye. Overall, ElvenGlen is a beautiful place, full of life and community. For those looking to add a little harmony to their Second Life, the solid, active, Elf Clan offers a base of supportive players who are all ready to look out for one another. I can see myself seeking refuge in the welcoming glades from time to time, and I am eager to see how they will utilize their brand new, wide-open sim.

This is the first in a planned series of travelogues about a few of the unique communities that thrive within Second Life. Herald reporter Seldon Metropolitan would be glad to hear from groups with a unique voice or vision. Feel free to contact him via IM in-world.

Trailer Park Trash!

The following is a public service announcement by Mrs. President Chomsky

After my campaign against the culling and extermination of virtual pets on TSO (with my good friend St. Frank), I was so exhausted I was going to give up activism for a while, but this is Just. Too. Much. On a recent stroll I stumbled across Ferran Brodsky's Phobos Trailor Park, a cultural disaster area infested with inbred ritz-mock-apple-pie-eating, beer swilling rednecks and women of loose morals. I asked myself: is this the sort of community we want to cultivate in SL? I think not! Please join me in protesting this pixilated eye sore. (I thank Uri for graciously lending me column space to expose this disgrace and for coming to this cesspool of iniquity to take pictures. -- Mrs. Pres. C).

The audacity!

The filth!

The tackiness!

The degradation!

The shameof it all!

The Mystery of Chicago 1900

The Chicago machine: Martin Magpie and Claire Glitterbuck in their world within a world within a world

by Jill Mackenzie

Chicago 1900, the vast new project headed by Martin Magpie and located in the Faded Reality sim, opened Friday to rave reviews from residents delighted to be transported to another time and place within the already once-removed-from-reality world of Second Life.

From the moment you rez in the arrivals room of the Faded Reality sim, you enter another dimension, almost a world within a world within a world. Rather than arriving in a vast, open telehub mall, avs find themselves in a small room with a swinging lamp that dangles from the ceiling. In one corner is a simple bed that holds two round boxes. Closer inspection finds them filled with clothing fit for the turn-of-the-century Chicago theme.

The scene on arrival – no telehub mall here

As you step through the door you notice a desk and some posters on the wall. One is a Private Detective license and the other is a warning that states if you go further you will be in a different time.

As you walk down the cobbled street you will notice the tremendous attention that has been paid to every detail. An almost tangible mystery fills ever corner of this sim, from the trolley car that is driven by the ever-smiling Red Frodgers to the hush-lipped owner of the Cotton Club, Miss Claire Glitterbuck.

Miss Glitterbuck's Cotton Club

To unravel the real story, there are obvious clues available to read, and then there are the not-so-obvious ones that you have to look carefully for, or click on unmarked objects to find. In fact, the city is interactive and full of ever-changing events. As people begin to spend time there and interact with the actors, who knows what kind of mysteries will unfold!

A number of roles are filled by real live avatars in Chicago 1900, including the hat-check girl at the Cotton Club and a deep-pocketed mayor who likes to pretend he is blind and deaf. Martin Magpie noted that there are still openings for actors to keep the project going (IM Martin Magpie or Claire Glitterbuck for details).

Early visitors have reported seeing a rough-and-tumble group known as The Linden Gang causing havoc and likely bootlegging in the moonlit hours. One Phil Linden in particular is a wanted man in Chicago 1900, and rumors would suggest there are people laying in wait for his return. One source reported seeing a coffin with his name on it and cement shoes near by.

Other attractions of the project include a theatre that will show period films on Friday nights at 7pm game-time. The Cotton Club will host comedy nights on Saturdays.

Scenes of yesteryear

According to proprietor Martin Magpie, the project is strictly non-profit. In many ways it is reminiscent of previous themed builds in SL, like Old London or Neverland, which achieved similar levels of quality builds and thematic coherence. The expectations for the project are great, and Martin and his crew will be hard-pressed to live up to them. The theme will remain the same, according to Martin, but the mysteries found within the sim will be constantly changing, and it is not likely to be a place you would visit only once.

The Geeks Are Coming!

by Budka Groshomme

A fanatical group of science fiction fans in northwest Indigo sim has built some kick-ass space ships that are now poised ready to sally forth to destroy the Alliance, the Borg, or the Klingons!

Or perhaps they're just getting ready to attack the puzzling array of oversized teddy bears ranged along a bluff nearby.

SciFiGeeks was founded by two university friends while studying online worlds. In 2004 NeuralClone Zaius and Chosen Few discovered their common love for matters Sci-Fi about the same time they found Second Life. Both quickly learned that SL provided an element that, unlike traditional SF, allowed them to become active participants in their fantasies. This was amazing. “You have to remember that, a few years ago, SL itself was just SF,” declared NeuralClone.

The group grew to nearly 100 members in only a matter of weeks after being founded, testament to the fact that Second Life attracts SF fans from all walks of life.

Strangely, to the eyes of one who is used to the SF convention circuit, the characters that form the Sci-Fi Geeks do not appear that much different from those attending one of the many SF conventions around the country. Nor do they differ from the other fantastic inhabitants of SL who quickly discover to their delight that Sci-Fi and SL go hand-in-hand. Some members don their costumes when they visit, some have adopted SF avatars full time, and others prefer to maintain a more "normal" Second Life guise.

Many of the members realize their favorite shows, movies, and stories in their builds, as evidenced by the huge green Klingon bird of prey above the museum. This ship, like its accompanying alliance ship, are fully realized with internal structures from the engine room to the command bridge. Both ships are accessible by teleport from the lobby of the museum the Geeks have built in Indigo.

The bridge of the Defiant

Below the menacing ships, at ground level, lies the SciFiGeek’s museum. The contents of this building pay homage to the genre. On the ground floor is Star Trek’s holodeck, where one can image objects and scenes from favored science fiction settings – a telephone booth for Dr Who fans and a scary Lovecraftean monster, among others.

Upstairs, the walls are adorned with an array of posters from SF movies of the past – “Monsters of the Deep”, “The Creature from the Black Lagoon”, “Destination Moon” and others that bring back memories of buttery popcorn, sticky, pop-soaked floors and treasured afternoons spent staring in amazement over what now look like cheesy special effects.

At the time, these movies of science fiction’s past were wonderful trips for the imagination. Later generations stared in fascination at the same visions on black and white television, interrupted endlessly by commercials, and strung over many more hours. Later still, these same movies appeared on color sets side by side with actual television SF shows! Star Trek, with its cheap velour suits and many aliens in not-very-convincing rubber suits, paved the way for better SF on TV. Similarly, the success of the first Star Wars, building on a fan base teethed on television, was largely responsible for the big budget releases we enjoy today.

Many of the science fiction fans here in SL are seeking the same sort of SF release that they get from the SF flicks and shows. What brings them together? Perhaps, like SL itself, Sci-Fi deals with what it means to be truly human as no other genre might. “If the soul of Sci-Fi is great stories,” Chosen Few declared, “Then technology is its heart.”

Chosen Few

Through the Sci-Fi Geeks, fans have found a sense of identity and established a community of shared interests. They are no trivial group either. Still growing rapidly, they permeate every layer of SL, no doubt acting as a leaven to the greater cultural conscience. On any given day in Indigo, at any hour, you may find them gathering together, in twos and threes, sometimes more, to share their love of science fiction in all its many forms.

Most, you will discover in your conversations, are fans of the visual forms, sucked in by movies and television of all vintages. Others are print fans, both of novels and short fiction. Regardless of their particular interest, all are willing to talk endlessly about their favorites and, more interestingly, their passionate interest in the art form that science fiction has become.

Recently, the SciFiGeeks launched their Web site, through which they hope to attract ever more members pay the rent on their land and share their love of the genre. We wish them the geekiest of luck.