Silence

 

This silence is deafening...

2017 in a Nutshell

The more I write long fiction, the less visible my writing becomes. If you read my blog, it looks like I am writing less and less when, in fact, it's quite the opposite.

It seems that a lengthy learning path is still ahead of me. At the moment, I have great fun improving my writing and focusing on the process rather than on the end results.

A lot changed in my writing routine. Throughout the year, I had to remove myself from a few events. I didn't like some people's intellectual arrogance. It was sad because I did like most of the people. Others, not so much. But that's life. When we don't feel comfortable somewhere, we move away.

As to what was done, I:

* continued to take part in the Weekly Challenge

* tried my hand at plotting and writing an erotica thriller (unfinished) during Camp NaNoWriMo (April and July, 10k each)

* wrote a few bits and pieces about Second Life (published in this blog), among which A Merry Band of Losers

* wrote my Myasthenia Gravis story  (non-fiction) which was published in a book called Hope organized by Donna Whittaker

* and took part in the NaNoWriMo, writing an autobiography of sorts by using the stream-of-consciousness technique.

To the nay-sayers, the hypocrites, the self-centered know-it-alls, why don't you... No, I won't say it. They'll eventually choke on their own venom.

To those who supported me with their care, their attention and their love, thank you from the bottom of my heart.

More in 2018.

A Merry Band of Losers

Octoberville

When I first visited Second Life (SL), I quickly realized that profiles were a great source of information.

I must admit I had (and have) little interest regarding the real life of a complete stranger. However, I was/am quite curious about favorite places/events in SL. I have found some of the most fascinating sims and communities simply by reading profiles.

Having said this...

Profiles are also a never-ending spring of completely barbaric nonsense. I’ll refrain from addressing the idiocy, the ignorance and the blatant childishness featured in so many (too many) of them. But one statement keeps coming up and this one in particular has always baffled me. I recently came across it once more and that triggered this rant.

*steps on the soapbox*

Only losers spend time in SL instead of being out there in the world, they say.

Virtual Reality (VR), as happens in Real Life (RL), does have its idiots and losers, granted. Yet, to say that everyone in SL is a worthless escapist, who clings on to make-believe roles of power (everyone owns something, a store, a club, a sim) and friendships or relationships is, in my opinion, going too far.

Why is it so outlandish to meet someone in a virtual world and become RL friends, boyfriends, girlfriends, husbands or wives? Why is it more acceptable to meet someone at a bar or a birthday party in RL?

Why is building togetherness, creating common grounds, attending events and sharing life in SL being a loser? Why does this make a resident more of a loser than doing the same in RL?

Let’s take it one step at a time.

RL becomes suspended, postponed, when we immerse ourselves in a virtual world.

SL becomes so addictive that we isolated ourselves, damage our social life, and waste an infinite number of hours in completely useless interactions, they say.

That happens for some, yes, not for all. Not even in my wildest dreams, when I joined SL, did I think I’d become a moderator, a host, a store owner, an event organizer, a blogger, a bloggers’ coordinator, a neighbor, a friend, a partner, and a traveler. I've created and I've watched others being creative, admiring their exceptional imagination. All this enriched my RL.

SL is a waste of time, they say.

I suppose it could be, yes. But SL made me go back to writing (I have written three books so far, I update my blog regularly and am preparing the plot of my fourth book; I am hopeful SL will also help me to find the motivation to revise my books… I hate revising) and it allowed me to learn skills I always thought I was hopeless with (such as working with an image editing software, a skill I now use in RL often).

SL is a world of fantasy where nothing is real, they say.

True. Many create alternative life stories and reinvent themselves. However, there are also SL friends meeting face-to-face and cherishing their friendships even more, people crossing borders, continents, to build a life together, to get married, to have children, and there are people making a very real living for their very real families.

SL is an excuse to hide from RL, they say.

It might be for some, it might even be for you.

It’s not for me. SL is as much a part of my RL as going to a friend’s place for a cup of coffee, to a theater play, to the cinema, or for a walk by the sea.

And, let’s face it, those of us who are hiding are doing a pretty good job of creating environments and events for others to enjoy as part of their real lives.

What a conundrum… To be or not to be… a loser.

I can only say this much before I wrap up. How you decide to enjoy your SL is exclusively your business. However, don’t think that because you consider yourself a loser for being in SL, and not out there living the real life, the rest of us feel the same.

Be creative. Be participant. Learn. Teach. Share.

Virtual reality is taking its first steps into the future and we are part of that, yes, this merry band of losers is creating the stepping stones that will lead up to the future of virtual worlds.

*steps down from the soapbox*

A Shark Doesn't Always Look Like a Shark

Finlandia

I worried and worried about someone, and then...

Three words were enough.

I had a decision to make.

Should I look at those three words and take them as a heartfelt remark or should I choose not to be completely moronic and read them for their true meaning? A veiled insult buried under a layer of pseudo-venting self-pity aimed at asserting a pathetic sense of ownership, a desperate attempt to announce to the world how fleeting and unimportant something was when, in fact, it is life-changing.

The cursor blinked on my screen while I read those three words over and over again.

I was then faced with another decision. Should I leave a comment, perhaps buried under a layer of pseudo-jocular animosity or should I just close the website and ignore it?

I made my decision.

I will not worry again, but I shall not forget.

I have three words of my own.

Enough is enough.

Oh, and here are another three words.

Forget about it.

Yep. And to wrap it all up, three more.

Moving on indeed.

2016 in a Nutshell

Home

• 100 Word Stories (drabbles) - 52 weeks, 52 stories
• Short Story "The Toy Maker"
• About Writing
• What to Expect of a Writing Session
• When You Just Don’t Feel Like It
• At a Writing Session - Double Do’s
• The Dynamics of a Writing Session
• Builder's Brewery Art Festival for Relay for Life (poetry)
• Continued the novel "The Unspoken Footnote" started at the NaNoWriMo 2015
• CampWriMo April (continued novel started at the NaNoWriMo 2015)
• CampWriMo July (concluded novel started at the NaNoWriMo 2015)
• Started editing/revising "The Unspoken Footnote"
• 2016 NaNoWriMo Pep-Talk for the Virtual Writers' blog (I didn't participate in the NaNoWriMo this year)
• About SL "Turning a Box into a Home"
• For 3 years I hosted a writing session at Milk Wood, the 500 Word Snatch. Several circumstances, personal mostly, dictated the end of this cycle at the end of September.
• Erotica (unpublished)

Being willing to experiment is, in my opinion, one of the most important aspects of being a writer. I have tried my hand at several different genres and, as a result, I found myself dabbling with erotica. We'll see what happens.

Finally, I was rather surprised, not to say shocked, when I realized the total number of words written in 2016 (most of them unpublished) was a whooping 457857.

More in 2017.

"Study the past, if you would divine the future."

Confucius

Turning a Box into a Home

Introduction

Second Life® (SL) became a part of my days at a time of unwelcome changes, both personal and professional. The changes stirring my Real Life (RL), and the resulting financial uncertainty, prompted me not to spend RL money in SL. So, I created a Free account and paid for everything inworld with money generated by my inworld store (yes, I co-owned a clothing store for a while).

Eight years after setting foot in this mysteriously captivating virtual world, my SL life crumbled to pieces. I won’t mention the reasons why because there was another person involved. About a year ago, I was homeless (how dramatic) and had close to no money in SL.

While I was distracted with my pain, unexpectedly and in an instant, my SL life (and my RL as well) took a turn. Someone listened and cared. That changed everything and I decided it was time to enjoy SL again. In the meantime, my financial RL had stabilized and I upgraded to a Premium account. I got a house (one of the perks), and I had someone special to share it with.

The funny thing is that I never really thought much about the Linden Homes. Everyone kept saying how ugly they were and how they allowed for only a very small amount of prims. It didn't matter. I had years of training in managing the biggest amount of objects for the least amount of prims, and a lot of determination. I rolled-up my sleeves and got to work.

When one thinks of a Linden Home, the wow-factor is non-existent, true. I had even heard someone refer to living in a Linden Home as living in the projects.

Well, this very expression prompted me to show you that I have a pretty nice life in SL’s projects!

My house is a two-floor box with a small veranda. Next to the entrance door, there’s a covered area that includes a little pond. This is my immense kingdom, 512 square meters and 175 prims, recently upgraded from the initial 117.

Outside

The exterior of the house is quite interesting but unusable. The door doesn't stay open and the windows cannot be opened either. Perhaps if the building had a sliding window we could control, overlooking the pond, more residents would lounge in those areas of their residences. I decided to leave it as is.

Lower Floor

The interior lower floor started off as a very traditional and predictable living-room. I quickly realized I’d have a problem though. Mesh furniture is tiny and Linden Homes are still built in the old mind frame of hugeness. Adding to that, the relentless prim count was tyrannical. 

So, the living-room disappeared and an interior garden took its place (notice the ugly Linden fireplace; more remarks about it below).

Note: The extra wall at the back is no mod... So, I couldn't play with the prims. But it does work well there. It makes the huge area look smaller. This means I don't need a lot of prims to decorate it further.

The corner underneath the stairs would be a great writing room. I tried several options but it just didn't make any sense to have the writing room there now that the lower floor had become a semi-exterior area.

I’m not a Buddhist but Buddha has had a place in my life ever since I was a child (long story, not the right time to tell it). So, the Buddha took residence there.

Note: I played with tones, matching the different elements, and added light here and there to the objects to give everything a feeling of warmth.

Upper Floor

This corner became the bedroom from the get-go. Not much has been changed and I think not much will change. Its stability is kind of symbolic, actually. And I’ll leave it at that!

Note: The pink pile of boxes in the corner doubles as a Q&A chatterbox. Prims saved.

Challenge number one. I have always had a fireplace in my SL home(s). The Linden Home proved to be a challenge though. It comes with a terribly ugly round shiny fireplace located in a corner of the lower floor. I can’t move it or delete it. I considered somehow covering it which would cost me a few prims if I wanted to do it nicely. So, I gave up on that idea and just embraced it.

Challenge number two. Where could I have a nice fireplace? Next to the door to the veranda? Across the small corridor? No, nope, nope... So, it ended up here, in this otherwise lost corner. I think it works.

Note: A house without animals is not a home for me, so I spared a number of prims to have a fox, a raccoon, a Siamese cat and a black cat. I also paid close attention to details. A book here, a slice of pie on a plate, an open notebook. Well-spent prims. They make everything look "lived in".

The upper floor was an open area. I decided to add a wall and that created an extra room. A see-through mesh wall with an entrance made the room feel cozy. Plenty of books, and words, and colors did the rest.

Note: I fiddled with the transparency %, darkening it a bit.

Veranda

Finally, the veranda. I used a pergola to cover the whole veranda, the same see-through mesh wall (also present in the lower floor as a divider to the interior garden), a C-shaped prim to darken the sides, and I had a pleasant environment where I could place a tempting hot-water tub. 

Note: The C-shaped prim was hollowed, cut-pathed, and set to 40% transparency over black. The butterflies add movement and color.

Conclusion

Linden Homes are a bit of a challenge. Their build is somewhat crooked. The windows are not aligned. It’s not easy to add walls or hide parts of the house we’d like to eliminate. However, if we think out of the box (pun intended), they do work.

The boxy house feels welcoming and warm, and is now a home I share with someone very special.

Note: I still have 40+ prims available for seasonal decorations! 

Pretty awesome for the ugly, sleazy projects, wouldn't you say?

2015 in a Nutshell

Kats Beach

As it happened in 2014, I started the year of 2015 with a commitment, to write 500 words a day. Establishing a writing routine proved to be extremely important in terms of creating a solid body of work.

The difference between 2015 and the previous years is the fact that, more and more, my writing is becoming less visible. As I move forth towards long fiction and spend more time doing research and plotting, the amount of stories I post in my blog becomes smaller, resulting in the impression that less is being done. That is not true.

So, what happened in 2015?

*For the Virtual Writers Inc. website, A Story Waiting to Happen (monthly non-fiction articles with suggestions for stories and virtual inspiration drawn from sims in Second Life)

1. Kats Beach

2. Roche

3. Hestium

4. StoryBrooke Gardens

*100 Word Stories Weekly Challenge (fiction drabbles; this challenge continues to be an invaluable creative opportunity that pushes me to think about the micro-world of a sentence and the value of each word)

*500 Word Stories (fiction)

*I ventured into writing an Erotica short-story. It’s now at 11.396 words, but miserably unfinished and unpublished.

*A short-story called "Sonya Electrified" (fiction)

*Writing resources for my own blog (non-fiction about the writing process)

*An opinion article about Second Life’s SL12B, “So, What’s the Problem?”

*I took these MOOC to collect information that would eventually help me with character building:

1. May 11 - June 7 - Heart Health (University of Reading) - a Beginner's Guide to Cardiovascular Disease
2. April 20 - May 31 - Psychology and Mental Health (University of Liverpool) - How a psychological understanding of emotions and behavior provides new ways to improve mental health and well-being
3. April 20 - June 14 - Introduction to Cyber Security (The Open University) - Essential cyber security knowledge and skills
4. April 13 - May 15 - Forensic Science and Criminal Justice (University of Leicester) - The use of science in criminal investigations and its role in the criminal justice system
5. March 9 - 27 - How to Succeed at Interviews (The University of Sheffield) - Tools to succeed at interviews and land a dream job or course place
6. March 2 - April 10 - Dysphagia: Swallowing Difficulties and Medicines (University of East Anglia) - The administration of medicines to patients with dysphagia
7. March 2 - 20 - Introduction to Dutch (University of Groningen) – Introductory
8. January 5 - February 13 - Introduction to Forensic Science (University of Strathclyde) - Methods and scientific underpinning of forensic science, from crime scene investigation to reporting evidential value within a case

* I continued to host the weekly write-in in the virtual world of Second Life within the context of the 500 Word Writing Challenge, Saturdays at noon SLT/8pm Lisbon PT - 30 minutes of writing.

* In July, I started hosting a daily write-in, Monday-Thursday at 2am SLT/10am Lisbon PT because a few participants of the weekly writing sessions were interested in having a daily schedule. After a pause for summer vacation, it is interesting to observe that a fairly stable group of writers now attends the morning events on a regular basis – 2x 30 minutes of writing.

*Throughout November, I hosted the morning write-in daily, Monday-Sunday at 2am SLT/10am Lisbon PT– 2x 30 minutes of writing.

*The novel The Unspoken Footnote written during the NaNoWriMo (fiction, mystery, to be completed and revised). I spent more time plotting the story and it ended up becoming longer than the planned 50k words (at the end of the year, 74.913 words and about five or six chapters from conclusion). It will be fun to revise it.

*Writing Workshop “Boost Your Writing Using Second Life”. I hosted this event in the first week of November as part of the events organized by the Virtual Writers. It was my first experience of this type in Second Life. Those who attended enjoyed and found it useful.

*NaNoWriMo Pep Talk for the Virtual Writers website and in-world group, Week 3.

Of the 182.500 word target for this year (500 words X 365 days), I managed to write 163.284. I was 38 days short of reaching the goal. This average increased (from 29 days in 2014), which means I wrote less than in last year. Yet, considering that there are 104 weekend days in the year, I think I still did a pretty good job.

Looking back, I realize I achieved the major goals I had established for 2015 – writing a novel in a more structured way, continuing to write short-fiction - a great learning sandbox for higher flights, and motivating and helping other writers.

I feel I didn’t achieve my goal of writing more short-stories.

One aspect I failed miserably in once again was in revising last year's NaNoWriMo novel. I now have TWO novels to revise and ONE to finish and revise before November.

The advantage of being an active member of a writing community is the fact that everyone pushes for everyone else. As a result, the Virtual Writers are planning to organize the necessary logistical settings for anyone who wishes to take part in the Camp NaNoWriMo in April and July.

For this event, writers set their own goals, writing or revising/editing. I’m choosing the latter which means that I must have The Unspoken Footnote ready by April. My goal is to finally be successful in revising/editing one of the three novels I will have written by then.

All in all, it was a good year. And I’m happy to say that, more and more, I volunteer and rely on peer support. Routine, perseverance and peer support are vital. These were the most valuable lessons I have learned this year.

"Just write every day of your life. Read intensely. Then see what happens.” 

Ray Bradbury

SL12B - So, What’s the Problem?

SL12B's exhibit by Lesly Elizabeth Rotaru (leslystarbridge)

I am not a Second Life blogger, nor do I intend to be.

This post is the result of my observations and opinions.

A few years ago, when Linden Lab decided to drop the organization of Second Life (SL) Birthdays (SLBs), like many others, I felt the responsibility to do something about it. And I did. I (along with London Junkers, my SL accomplice) took part that year.

I had a strong admiration for the herculean effort of both organizers and volunteers who stepped up and took matters in their (our!) own hands. The SLB celebrations didn’t die. As a matter of fact, it seemed that there was a renewed sense of enthusiasm.

Well, things happened and I was faced with a few issues I shared with the organizers back then. Then, I saw those I respected leave the organization team, for whichever reason (I’m not implying anything one way or the other) and I never applied again. Nevertheless, I continued to visit the sims, even if only teleporting in to see specific areas.

This year, I decided to visit every single exhibit in the SL12B.

SL12B's exhibit by Lesly Elizabeth Rotaru (leslystarbridge)

When It Comes to the Crunch

The Hunt

I love hunts, so I thought a good way to start would be to do the SL12B hunt. It’s a good idea to host a hunt and I believe it’s not the first time one happens on SLBs grounds. So, I was hopeful to find something interesting.

Problem 1: The maps. I’m bad with maps and that’s why I delegated the task of navigating through the different parcels to London. However, even I realized that the option of placing a star on top of each parcel offering a gift was a tricky one, not to mention the rather chaotic placement of the sims’ names on each bit of the map.

Problem 2: Identifying the gifts. Some were designated SL12B[something]. Others had been completely renamed. Some were inside folders. Others went to the Objects system file. Suggestion – name the gifts according to the sim where they are located, for instance SL12B Sp[ectacular] #1. It would be easier to know whether we had missed a gift. It would be easier to organize them in our inventories.

Problem 3: The prizes. I am not the ungrateful type. I believe that when someone offers a gift, he/she does it from the heart and that we should receive it candidly and be thankful. Some exhibitors are amazing creators and are able to offer extraordinary prizes. Others must rely on someone else’s skill or their own. And that’s fine. Having said that, the SLB is a window into what SL has to offer. Special attention should be placed on what people take home with them from their visit to an SLB.

The Exhibitions

The impression I got when I arrived at the SL12B for the first time (remember, I was doing the hunt) was that it was a sandbox.

A certain visual cacophony is inevitable, especially with small parcels in such close proximity. Yet, some of the exhibits looked incomplete. Others were simply too ugly to look at, I’m sorry to say. But even the ugly ones belong in an event like the SL12B. “Ugly” is a debatable concept and besides not everyone is a building master. I get that.

Problem 1: Product displays. I grabbed a few landmarks along the way and teleported to the creators’ stores only to see the exact same items there. I understand that the theme “What Dreams May Come” was general enough to accommodate practically anything, but if I wanted to see a store display I’d go to a store. I am not against people using their creations. However, I’m strongly against people using their creations without making an effort to present their interpretation of the theme.

Problem 2: Recycled exhibitions. Some of the exhibitions were previously featured at other events. One thing is to have a specific, very identifiable style. And many in SL do. Another is to show the same over and over again.

Problem 3: Cliché-ridden exhibitions. Not everyone is a creative genius. Not everyone is skilled enough to present something unusual and clever. Beds, pillows, sheep and other sleep related options are always dangerous. Unless you have an original way of working with those elements (and a few did), you’re stuck. The line between being utterly ridiculous and totally ingenious is a fine line to tread.

Problem 4: Lag. Unavoidable? Yes. It’s SL. There’s lag. Period. Could we reduce it? Yes. Was that done? No. What I saw was tons of people walking around with impossibly high ARCs. I found that disrespectful towards other visitors, but… what the heck… what’s really important is to look good, right? I walked like a duck, removed all my attachments and wore an invisibility layer. That lowered my ARC to green and I managed to survive.

Problem 5: The exhibits looked amazing in the photos! I hate being unfair. Since my first impression of the exhibits was so poor, I started checking blogs and other social media channels. The photos published there were amazing. When I teleported to the exhibition itself, things often looked different. This is the problem of changing the Windlights to get a nice shot. I have nothing against nice shots, quite the contrary. But… well. I figured I wasn’t being unfair after all.

Applying to take part in a celebration of SL carries within itself a lot of responsibility. You’re expected to show your best. I’m not sure everyone understood this.

The Concerts/Shows/Other Events

I can’t comment. I didn’t attend any.

The Volunteers

I visited the SL12B sims throughout several days. I only encountered two volunteers in the welcome area. They were very nice, very polite and welcoming. They offered assistance and encouraged me to visit all the exhibitions. Good job!

Doubts

A few doubts did come up. I'm sure there's a logical answer to all, but... Ok, so...

Q1: Why did some exhibitors have parcels twice as big?

Q2: Why did members of the organization also have parcels? Considering that there’s a selection process, this seemed slightly… awkward.

Q3: Who paid for the sims? Perhaps the answer to this question would provide some clarification to questions 1 and 2? If yes, I withdraw the comment I added to Q2.

Q4: Were the exhibitions reviewed after they were set up in order to verify if they complied with the Exhibitor Policies?

Q5: Was the hunt trail tested in order to create a cohesive event?

The Upside

I did not single out anyone in my criticism and I will not single out anyone in my praise. I can tell you nevertheless that I’m glad there were exhibitors who did make an effort. They interpreted the theme their own way. They allowed us a glimpse into their worlds, their experiences in SL and their dreams. Well done!

SL12B's exhibit by Lesly Elizabeth Rotaru (leslystarbridge)

Into the future

I understand that organizing an event such as the SL12B is of a magnitude often hard to comprehend.

I understand that a multitude of factors can easily slip through the organizers' fingers.

I understand that the number of applications must’ve been far bigger than the number of parcels available (I hope my assumption is correct).

I understand that selecting or rejecting someone based on a descriptive paragraph and a name provides fragile ground for picking.

I understand and I don’t wish to declare SL12B a disaster area, far from it.

Those who put effort, commitment, time and most likely money into this community celebration are to be complimented.

To all who didn’t recycle exhibitions, who didn’t set up shop, hoping to draw people to their stores, to those who created something new especially for this event, I congratulate you. You deserve my respect. And believe me, I appreciate and value your work.

See you next year at the SL13B.

Second Life, this dangerous thing!

Nostos Deer

As an old-time Second-Lifer, I’m part of an endangered species, I must admit reluctantly.

I am one of those people who believe Second Life (SL) is an amazing platform that, if well developed, could become an important stepping stone to the Future. Yep, dreaming big today!

Well, being totally ignorant of the technical aspects behind the complexity of SL (which could be a blessing), I nevertheless defend that it IS a viable platform.

Yes, the sims don’t work, the accounts are too expensive, the drama is overwhelming, the stress is exhausting, the griefing, the lobbies, all that is part of SL. However, let me focus on one area in particular.

In one of those crazy-believer days SL old-timers have every now and then, I tried to convey the potential of this platform to a friend who is a teacher. This friend is a well educated person with a college degree in History, several decades of work in the educational system, and someone who is always interested in new technologies, new options, and new means to implement in her classes. I was sure she’d be extremely interested in knowing about SL!

I had prepared my speech carefully and to the point, after all people do tend to get bored out of their wits when we talk to them about SL; I never quite understood why. So, I explained it briefly. The basics of creating an avatar, what a sim was, and that many people were involved in Role-playing (RP) in SL seemed enough to trigger interest!

At the time of this conversation, my friend was teaching the Middle-Ages to her students. What a perfect opportunity! I told her about the large number of sims with a Medieval theme and how interesting it could be to try to find one adequate to her students, perhaps even contacting the owners and suggesting organizing an RP event so the kids could see how people dressed, how their houses looked, what they ate, the tournaments, the social classes, etc. (and avoid any unexpected, X-rated situation we could come across, I thought).

She listened, patiently, and nodded.

“Imagine the possibilities! If the school sees the potential of this, they can even get a sim! The cost of one sim divided by all the students and teachers would be ridiculously low! Each department could have their plot in the sim, and create exhibitions, events, debates, classes!” She nodded.

“At the end of the year, the sim could become one large showcase of what everyone did throughout the school year!” She nodded.

“Imagine the kids who come from other cities or even countries (and we do have a lot of those) whose relatives would never visit the usual end-of-term exhibitions. They would be able to do that online!” And she nodded.

“No…?” I asked.

My well-informed, always curious, technology-focused teacher friend stood up and killed the one-sided enthusiasm with a simple wave of the hand. “This is a game thing, not that educational. They’ll get distracted with the cartoon-type figures and it’ll be a waste of time.”

Hah, I couldn’t help but smile. I am old enough to remember when we had our first computers set up in our school with an internet connection. How suspicious the teachers were of them. The students would get distracted, they wouldn’t write their own papers, they’d simply copy them from the Internet, they said. Their portfolios would be a pastiche, ridiculous and blatantly worthless. Everything would be a waste of time.

I… Well, I rushed to learn about this Internet thing. I organized classes in the library, back when that was the only place with Internet. Later on, I took my own laptop to my classroom, after being strongly advised not to, if the students broke it, the school wouldn’t pay for that. I did it anyway and no one ever broke my computer! Plus, was it a waste of time? NO! The students learned faster and better. They were more motivated, brought more questions to the classroom and I had never heard “what if we do it like this?” so often!

Back to my History teacher friend, the fact that educators specifically are not flocking to be in SL intrigues me. Is it our total inability to explain to them what SL is or is it people’s lack of interest in new possibilities that prevents them from becoming involved in this platform (and please remember that I am referring to a very specific group of people with a very specific goal)?

I can hear some of you saying that this indifference happens due to other factors… Yes, I know. But I must say that despite the recurrent complaints of cost, technical limitations, a steep learning curve (a pet peeve of mine I think we could totally overcome), amongst other aspects widely discussed elsewhere, SL could be an extremely interesting resource in education!

Perhaps it’ll take another 20 years for SL, or any other similar platform, to be considered the remarkable resource it really is. Perhaps it’ll take more unyielding souls like us Second-Lifers, who simply refuse to give up. Perhaps!

So, for the sake of the Future, bring down the Danger signs! Yep, dreaming big today! Hah!

Pull Up A Chair, Let’s Talk

Tatty Soup

“What a bunch of losers,” a friend said when I told her about Second Life (SL) and how close we become to those around us in this virtual world. Losers we may be, in the eyes of those who are not residents but there is something that connects us all in SL.

Lately we have seen a number of old-time residents either leave us or become gravely ill, many of whom contributed greatly to this virtual world. I have heard their names, read their blogs, and heard friends mention them many times. But I have never met them, inworld or off-world.

It is in my nature to be concerned with those who are suffering and to grieve those who are gone. However, when we are talking about SL residents the feeling is somewhat different. There is a sense of deep loss for a partner in crime, an accomplice, someone who understood the magic of SL, who wandered through amazing sims and recognized that this is an extraordinary place. Yes, there is a common denominator among old-time SL residents. They are dreamers. Despite the hurdles, despite the technical limitations, the countless problems, they stay on. When one of them goes, SL is poorer, weaker.

I know there are many who believe that SL is a lost cause. I do too at times. But, if nothing else, SL brought new friends to my life, even if I didn’t know them, even if they didn’t know me. Yes, friends, because they were part of this chain of people who are strongly passionate about making SL a special place, a chain whose rings go from complete strangers to acquaintances, from virtual friends to very real friends we share our lives with. And that is when the virtual is distant or cartoonish no more; that is when we worry and are saddened.

I guess what connects us is the fact that we are stubborn enough not to forget our humanity.