A Few Words With Beq Janus

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

On Saturday September 6, Team Firestorm celebrated it's fifteenth anniversary party. Among those there was the team's Project Manager Beq Janus. I would have a few words with her. 

 

"Good to have you here," Beq tolds me, "It seems incredible that anything lasts 15 years, let alone the more than two decades of Second Life itself. The fact that there's enough passion that a bunch of residents come together to help or at least try to make Second Life the best it can be and supplement the work of the Lab is great, but the fact we're still here, still doing it 15 years later, is mind blowing really. So many people ask me ;how is FS funded?; ;How do you make a profit?; they don't realize that this is entirely voluntary not a single person in my team get paid a penny, a dime, a linden or a peanut, but I think that is also why we are still going strong."

I asked her, "I take it managing things since the departure of Jessica has been a challenge?" She answered, "Jess will always be the spirit of Firestorm. When she told me I was taking over (yep told me, (laughter), no asking!) I had no real idea of how these things work really. I've run large teams in real life, but never a team where pay is never the motivation, where the only reason someone stays is because they enjoy what they do or draw some satisfaction from what they contribute.

 

"This ragtag  bunch of weirdos, and the entire structure of the project is probably close to unique. So it's a real honour to lead them or at least wander in a given direction and hope that they follow (smile)."

 

"SL is full of unique things, social structures and behaviors that simply emerged, while it has never really found that killer  features that perfect use that everyone needs it for, just look at yourself and your role, the griffins over there, the singers and artists, the Goreans and all the RPers of all forms, there's not many places where you can find real people living out dreams/hobbies/needs in such diverse ways."

 

I then asked, "How's it been working things out with Linden Lab, and other challenges?" Beq answered, "Linden Lab has a tough job. they need to keep SL relevant, they need it to grow realistically, its a tough job. I'm really glad, as I'm sure most of us are, that they remain committed. We have different perspectives on some things because of our differing motivations. But our working relationship is probably a lot closer these days, and that applies to all third party viewers not just Firestorm."

Beq added she was a supporter of the Relay for Life and what it did here. Going on, "The amazing Tally Mercury, who you heard tonight. I believe he didn't really think he was a singer until friends talked him into singing in SL. ... I've met published authors who used Second Life to play out new ideas or just enjoy RP to escape their writing. Others who inspired by their chosen community develop the ideas into tales. and others who may not have been inspired directly by Second Life found that the creative spark of SL led them to take a leap into writing and sharing ideas. If you pause to look, see beyond the "dressup" and clothing events and perhaps the inevitable sex and kink mentions, the number of spinoffs, the lives changed and improved through SL is nothing short of breathtaking (even the clothing events the showcases of creators are of course another example, of job creation, upskilling and enablement through Second lIfe) it never ceases to amaze me."

 

Eventually, Beq had to go, and we parted ways. 

 

Beq Janus continues to manage Team Firestorm on a daily basis

 

Bixyl Shuftan