SL10B Wrap-Up with KT Syakumi

By DrFran Babcock

I finally caught up with KT on the second to last day of SL10B, because she was so busy up until then. She was a blur the few times I saw her. Sure, I was able to corral Doc Gascoigne in the corn field, but KT was not only senior lead along with Doc, but oversaw a two sim stage build of The Reactor.  I was happy when she had the time to respond to my questions:

SLNewser: Well, now that SL10B is winding down, you have had a little time to reflect on the experience and this history-making event. What are your reflections? 

 KT Syakumi : Wow, reflections. Um, I’m reflecting on how nice it will be to start getting to bed at a reasonable hour. You’re in trouble when you start thinking of 2:00 am as an early night. I’m just glad that the general community enjoyed it. We started planning this in January, so it’s been a long road, but hearing the chatter in the group talking about their experiences at SL10B and over the last 10 years makes it worth it. It just feels like the whole SL community wanted to celebrate 10 years of SL.

SL Newser: What would you say was your greatest joy during SL10B? 

KT Syakumi: There were many. I worked by milestones. I have this huge spreadsheet programme thing with tasks and objectives to be completed and dates, etc. The first ‘joy’ milestone was when the sims were finally opened to the exhibitors to start building. These completely empty sims were suddenly transformed overnight. When I logged off the previous evening, the sims were bare and quiet. When I logged on in the morning, probably half the exhibitors had claimed their plots and started building. It was a ‘wow’ moment and was the point where I really knew that the event was going to work.

SL Newser: What was your greatest challenge during the event? 

KT Syakumi: Time-wise, the week after the applications closed was a killer.  There was only one week in between applications closing and the sims opening. I had 518 exhibit applications to process and to send out emails. Just the sheer number to get through meant no sleep for a week. The biggest overall challenge would have been managing and co-ordination of all the volunteers and exhibitors. Well over 1000 people were involved.  

SL Newser: Your amazing build, The Nuclear Reactor Stage, was the talk of SL10B. We would love to have a little peek into the creative process that went into it’s design and construction.  

KT Syakumi: Haha, yes I've heard some of the talk. To me, the SLB is not just about celebrating a birthday. Some people queried how a giant silo on a wasteland fit the birthday theme, and if you’re just having a birthday party, then it probably didn't. To me, the SLB is all about celebrating SL and the diversity in it. It’s about showcasing the best of SL and what it can do. And, it’s about celebrating the community of SL (it is the SL10B Community Celebration after all), and the variety inside SL. I realized before I started that it might not be everybody’s cup of tea, but it was important to me that all tastes and styles are represented. The Live stage and the Cake were designed to be the 'Looking Back' part - they were made using only prims and sculpts. And I think we all agree that they in no way suffered from that - they were both amazing. The DJ stage and the Lake stage were the 'looking forward'. They were requested to be full mesh builds, to showcase what can be done now with new building methods. I had the idea of a very game-like build, and you can see the influence of a few different videos games in it. It didn't end up anything like what was in my head at the start, and I completely ran out of time (thanks to Harlequin Rhode who helped me make textures when I sent her panicky IMs), but I think I got the overall feel fairly right.  

SL Newser: I think the lighting and the overall look of The Reactor was stunning. Anything else you want to share about SL10B? 

KT Syakumi : [Laughs] There’s not enough space! I’d like to thank all the staff I worked with—your dedication and ability to put up with me is astounding. I’d like to say a special thanks to the stage builders: Donpatchy on the Cake, Kazuhiro Aridian on the Lake, Toady and Flea on Live, who stepped in late and proceeded to just go beyond my wildest expectations, Aki Shichiroji who made the auditorium, and my unsung hero, Pygar Bu, who ran around making all the random stuff I thought of, as well as being responsible for the welcome area. It looked sparse, but he recreated it to look identical to the original 2003 welcome area completely from a few old photos - no easy feat. These people are the reason I wasn't reduced to a blubbering mess. Their ability and especially attitude made this event for me.

SL Newser: Pie or cheese?

KT Syakumi: Pie. I’m allergic to cheese. You wouldn't want to know me.

SL Newser: What would you like people out there to know about Second Life™? 

KT Syakumi:  Most new technologies seem to go through a few phases. They start off new and slow and build slowly till they hit a bubble and explode in growth. For Second Life™ I think that was 2006. Then, they become hyped and hyped and then over hyped, and suddenly people find that their experience doesn’t match the hype, and it starts fading. I think that is what happened to SL. The cool thing is that people then begin to discover exactly what is possible with the technology and they begin to understand it fully. I think SL is slowly headed into that as it evolves and grows. I’m hoping people will begin to see what SL is really capable of rather than what they’re told it is.

SL Newser: What’s next for you in Second Life™? What can the residents expect from you? 

KT Syakumi: I guess I'm fading back into obscurity again. I need to spend time on my business that I've neglected for the last 2 months - I also learnt a lot about mesh building from making the reactor and I want to put that into practice.

Fading into obscurity? I find that so hard to believe. Watch these pages, because I am sure one of us will be writing about KT soon enough.

DrFran Babcock

SL10B - Meet the Lead Stage Managers!

by DrFran Babcock

I could not be more excited about Second Life’s™ tenth birthday. It is almost impossible to believe that there has been a whole decade of virtual world existence.  The preparations for this gigantic party have been ongoing for several months, and SL Newser is glad to give you some inside glimpses.

Second Life™ is a worldwide, and that means that there are residents active all the hours of the day and night. The four incredible stages of SL10B will be filled with talent around the clock. If you wonder how that gets done; wonder no more. Each stage in the 20 sims (plus two provided by Linden Lab!) has a lead manager, and I will let you get a little peek into the the lives of these residents.

Each of the four Stage Leads was asked the same questions. Below are their answers:

Fedora Jones – Lake Stage. Builder: Kaz

SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here?     

Fedora Jones: I really don’t remember how I first heard about Second Life™, but it was probably some random mention of it on some random web site.  I'm sure it wasn’t a First Life friend who told me about it because I didn’t know anyone in SL when I set up my account.     

I stayed because I wanted to get involved in singing once I had a better computer. Once I got my computer hardware upgraded, I was able to join the SL music community.

SL Newser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before?     

Fedora Jones: My first real show in SL was as a singer was at SL8B, and the new (at the time) CEO of Linden Lab visited my show.  So, the SL birthday event has some sentimental value to me because it’s my anniversary, and I wanted to “give back,” if possible.  I was a Stage Manager at SL9B, and I assume that I was asked to be a Stage Lead for SL10B due to my outstanding performance as a Stage Manager at SL9B-LOL.

 SL Newser:  What are your duties going to be like during the celebration?     

Fedora Jones: Basically to “herd the cats” and get everyone in the right place at the right time. Seriously though, my primary duties are to schedule the performers and Stage Managers for the Lake stage, and to distribute information to those people.

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting?         

Fedora Jones: The Lake stage is a "Mixed" stage, meaning that it has both deejays and live performers.  Most of the performers at Lake are deejays, but Sunday afternoon will be mostly Live performers.

SL Newser: (In homage to the old Metaverse Messenger): Pie or cheese, and why?’

Fedora Jones: I’ll choose "pie" because there are a wider variety of kinds of pie than of cheese.  Plus, you can put cheese on your pie, or even make a cheese pie, but why would anyone put pie on their cheese?  (Ed’s Note: Haha)

SL Newser: What would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say. 

Fedora Jones: In spite of all its pixelated prettiness and technology, Second Life™ is still based on real people.  For that reason, you’ll experience in Second Life, most if not all of the emotions, and “issues” you have in real life. 

GOLAN Eilde DJ – Nuclear Reactor Stage – Builder: KT Syakumi

 SL Newser:  How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here? 

GOLAN: I heard about it on the news. It was Friday evening on Channel 2.  They were talking about how people were making money, so I wanted to see what that was like. After that, I stayed because of the people;  what they make you feel.

SL Newser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before?

GOLAN: I started to do this long time ago (this is my 6th year in the SL), and the sixth SLB event. I started at 2008 at SL5B,  but wasn’t a stage manager back then. We were greeters and moderators, I think.  In SL6B I was Stage Manager for the first time.

SL Newser:  What are your duties going to be like during the celebration?

GOLAN: To make sure all is OK on the stage, but that is just  overall information  so the answer can be divided into a few parts:

24 hour support for event stages, performance events, Live and DJ

 entertainment and stage areas.    

Performance Staff training and coordination, as needed.

Performance Staff scheduling, as needed.

Performer and Deejay applications and schedule(s) assignments, as needed.

Volunteer applications and assignments, as needed.

Stream Coordination and assignments.

Interviews / Subject matter expertise regarding the stages, performers and performance.

Basic Security of the stage areas.

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting?

GOLAN: It’s going to be literally 24/7 music for eight days.  Some of the Deejays are top of the line Deejays in SL.  Playing different genres: trance and techno, and even pop music (smile).

SL Newser: (homage to Metaverse Messenger): Pie or cheese, and why?

GOLAN: Pie. pie is sweeter (grin).

SL Newser: Last, what would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say. 

GOLAN: SL is the best virtual world I know.  I also love being here and taking part in this amazing event. Some people make you feel this is your second family.

Linda Sautereau – Main Stage - Cake Stage. Builder: Donpatchy

 SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here?

Linda: I learned about Second Life at my former University, which had an initiative for faculty to teach using virtual worlds.  I basically came to use SL to teach my classes and stayed because of the music and the people.

SL Newser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before? 

Linda: I started as a greeter in SLB6 or 7.  I was a stage manager in SLB8.  I had met Doc (Gascoigne) when I was an SL Mentor.  He knew that I owned a jazz club and asked me to be the lead on the Cake stage in SLB9, and again this year.  I feel very strongly about making a positive contribution to the SL community.   

SL Newser: What are your duties going to be like during the celebration?

Linda: Basically to make sure that the residents who come to the Cake Stage have a great time!  That means making sure that the performers start on time with as few problems as possible.  I’ll manage a crew of Stage Managers along with my assistant lead, Laura Polke.  We change and test the streams, handle any griefers, coordinate with the sim coordinators if there are land problems, and just overall run the stage. 

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting?

Linda: Well, we have a mix of genres and types of entertainment on the Cake stage:  Deejays of almost every type of music: jazz, country, trance, house, R&B, blues—just about anything.  We will also host dance troupes and tribute bands.

SL Newser: (Homage to Metaverse Messenger) Pie or cheese, and why? 

Linda: Pie...cuz cheese doesn't like me. 

SL Newser: Last, what would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say.  

Linda: That SL is a place where you can be and do whatever you choose to do.  You can create, run a business, or just hang out and listen to some of the best recorded and live music anywhere.  But more importantly, you can meet lovely people from all over the world, many of whom can become great friends!

Jahman Ochs - Live Stage - Turtle Stage. Builders: Flea Bussy and Toady Nakamura
  

 SL Newser: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what was it about this world that kept you here? 

Jahman: I’ve been involved in online communities of one sort or another since 1979, starting with ARPANet (Ed’s. Note: Wow! That’s the beginning of the Internet), through CompuServe and AOL, Delphi and PlayNET, IRC, and so on. I’ve also been a programmer since that same time working in, among other things, 3D graphic display platforms and software. I had always imagined that eventually there would be a way to intermingle the two: a 3D environment that would be a social community, so you might say that Philip (Linden) Rosedale and I were soul-brothers.

I knew about Second Life™ from its inception from the trade magazines and web sites, but did not actually arrive here until 2006, after reading the article in WIRED magazine regarding Philip receiving their Rave Award for Innovation in Business. 

Of course, once I did arrive, I found a world very close to what I had indeed anticipated; was immediately enthralled by the rich building and scripting tools and the depth of community; and, despite all of its flaws, I have never been too far from this place ever since. 

SLNewser: How did you come to be a stage manager for SL10B? Have you worked a birthday celebration before? 

Jahman: My first SLB was SL7, when one of the organizers approached me in the last weeks prior to start, to ask me to assist the Lead in managing a new stage to handle an overflow of acts for which there was no room on the other three original stages. That was the first year that the “Cake” stage came into being. (Of course, now, Cake is the largest of all the stages in SLB). During SL8B, I was again the assistant to the Stage Lead for Main stage, the last year it was called such (now it is called “Live,” to distinguish the fact that it has, exclusively, musicians and singers). That was the first year I was involved from the planning phase and really learned the whole process, from start to finish, that goes into making this event happen.  SL9B was the first year that Linden Labs relinquished their sponsorship, and it was not clear there would even be an organized, multi-sim event. As such, that planning phase was much shorter once we decided to move forward without the Lindens, using donated land. I was still right there when the call went out, and in the span of two months—this time as Stage Lead in my own right for the Lake stage—we put together one of the best SL Birthdays ever!  This year for SL10B I was offered the Stage Lead for the Live stage, and there was no way I would have been happier. I’ve been a musician (singing since I was six months old!) all of my life, and music in Second Life™ is my second passion after scripting.

SL Newser: What are your duties going to be like during the celebration? 

Jahman: As Stage Lead for the Live stage, most of my duties were prior to the celebration. I was responsible for scheduling, contacting and confirming the 120+ performers who will be appearing there during the event(!); recruiting, scheduling and training the staff of 15 Stage Managers who will actually manage the stage during the performances; and collaborate on the details of the stage build with the incredible builders who created the stage and its surroundings on the two sims that make up Live this year. 

Once the event starts (and Live stage traditionally has the first performance of SLB, after the opening ceremonies on Cake stage), it will be non-stop music here with performers back-to-back from 7:00 AM to Midnight SLT for eight days straight, At that point, I will be turning over most of the responsibilities for managing the hour-by-hour details of the stage to my team, of whom I am most proud. We work together as a unit, to make sure that every performer arrives on time, gets on stage with a working stream when they are scheduled, and has the opportunity to give the very best show possible. My role will be to make sure my team has anything they need during the event to make that happen, as well as fill in for the various roles involved where there are gaps in the schedule.  

SL Newser: Can you give us a peek/preview of some of the entertainment you will be hosting? 

Jahman: My goodness, with over 120 performers, all of whom are at the top of their game, it's hard to be that selective! Pete Mroz (Pilgrim75 Swashbuckler in-world), LindiMoo, Lyrica Acoustic, Ilianor Illios, Tone Uriza, Premium Composer, Sioux Nikolaidis, Debi Latte - and the opening act this year is Mimi Carpenter. These are just a handful (or two!) of the absolutely incredible mix of musicians and acts, which includes dance troupes and cheerleaders! Without a doubt, I can say this is the very best overall collection of talent that we have ever offered on an SLB stage. 

SL Newser (in homage to the Metaverse Messenger): Pie or cheese, and why? 

Jahman: Cheese, because I'm a savory kind of guy

SL Newser: Last, what would you like folks to know about Second Life™? Or, anything else you want to say. 

Jahman: Second Life™ is not a game. It’s a community of creative and passionate people in an environment truly unlike any other in the history of humanity, and representing a concept of reaching out beyond the physical world to form a place fueled completely by collective imagination. Whatever the future holds, that vision came to full fruition here first, and I am hopeful it will forever be remembered as such. 

So, there you have it. I think you will agree that the Stage Leads are a diverse and worthy group of Second Life™ residents. Say hello to them as you groove to the entertainment they provide.

DrFran Babcock

SL10B: Interview With Doc Gascoigne

By DrFran Babcock

Doc Gascoigne is well known in Second Life™ for his philanthropy and commitment to events such as Burn and the Second Life™ Birthday celebrations. I didn’t really know him well, but have bumped into him at many of these events. I have always had an affinity to him since his name is Doc, which is what most of my friends here call me.

I was thrilled when co-SL Newser reporter, Gemma Allen contacted me to ask if I would like to conduct an interview, with Doc. I was pleased and astonished, because he is not someone known to give interviews.

So join me as we meet this wonderful co-leader of the Second Life™ Tenth Birthday Celebration:

SL Newser: My first question is always: How did you find out about Second Life™, and what is it that keeps you here?


Doc: I got an email from Second Life™; a try us out email. I was a member of There.com, and I thought: Wow another interesting place for me to try out, so I went there. My graphics card crashed, and I went to hunt down another. In There.com I was a mentor and worked the newbie island.

What keeps me here is the community.  When I was a mentor we made connections to new residents and we often recruited those who found Second Life™ amazing and wanted to be a part of the community.

Almost 9 years later I still find new recruits, and I still feel that sense of community. I still want to be a part of it all.


SL Newser:  You are well known in Second LIfe™ for being a mentor, your participation in Burning Life, Burn, and the Second Life™ Birthdays, yet very little is known about you. What is it that made you agree to an interview at this time?



Doc: At nearly 9 years and for the 10^th  Birthday, I decided to finally be interviewed and only by you. (laughs). In all my time as a mentor, volunteer and event lead I never thought, no matter how many times I had been asked, anyone wanted to hear what I had to say.  I do not consider what I do as anything special other than to recruit and round up people and set them up for volunteer opportunities. When you are part of the community, you want to be a part and participate. This year’s gathering expresses what true community is about.

Community is not just a word it is an entity; a living, breathing entity (Author note: emphasis mine). It’s interacting population of various kinds of individuals in a common location. Our common location is Second Life™. It was truly humbling for me to see so much collaboration that the Second Life™ community has shared for this event.



SLNewser: What are the things that you like about SL? You have been here a long time, and you have seen many changes.

Doc: The gadgets are my thing—both simple and complicated. Little bells and whistles and ingenious things we buy or people generously give for free that make Second Life magic. You have to enjoy the Engineer's Motto: If it isn't broken, take it apart and fix it....again and again!



SLNewser: What’sit like to organize an event as big as this birthday celebration?
Doc: It is a lot of work. It is a giant undertaking that without the help of over 1000 people (!) would never come to fruition.

We seek out really great people from all over Second Life™. The main trick is spreadsheets. I make a wicked spreadsheet. I find our best volunteers also have a love of Second Life™ community. They are natural leaders, generous, with various skill sets and backgrounds. We know that with each great interaction we “pay it forward,” and bring more people into our little army of volunteers. It is a Borg-like thing, we assimilate residents and make them part of the volunteer collective. (Author note: But, like, a positive Borg thing, right?)

SL Newser: What do you hope people experience when they visit SL10B?


KT Syakumi suggested we use the theme “Looking Forward, Looking Back.” We would like everyone to share the momentum of the event as we see ourselves: from whence to hence.

SL Newser: Pie or cheese? (Obligatory homage to Metaverse Messenger, the badly missed SL Newspaper)

Doc: Pie

SL Newser: What would you like folks to know about Second Life™?


Doc: You are a valuable asset to Second Life™.  Second Life™ is a community built with user created content. You are a part of this community. It will be your knowledge and skills that will help others continue to build and create.


SL Newser: Anything else you want to share ?

Doc: If you enjoy the party this year think about becoming a volunteer next time. Stay in the SLB Community Group for info and updates. Come join us! 



Haha, I guess Doc means: You will be assimilated.

If you see Doc during SL10B, thank him for his selfless service, and his passion for Second Life. I know I will.

DrFran Babcock

SL10B Interview: Marianne McCann

By DrFran Babcock

Second Life’s Tenth Birthday is on June 23, 2013, and the celebration is going to be the biggest birthday bash this virtual world has ever seen. There is a lot of buzz about Marianne McCann’s full-sim build, some of which was covered in prims, and the rest of which had signs asking folks not to take pictures. Top secret builds are always a fascinating draw for the public, so I decided to see if Mari would grant me an interview prior to the opening of her history-themed sim.

I was surprised and pleased that she was willing to speak with me. We met on the SL10B build on Beguile, but you won’t see any photos of the build until press day^—not really that much of a loss, because Marianne is a delight to speak with. I have always found her to be someone who both takes Second Life™ seriously as well as playfully. That’s a sophisticated feat to pull off. Here’s what she had to say:

SL Newser: Mari, you were not in Second Life™ from the beginning--you came in during the rush of 2006, as did I. However, you possess an enormous love for the history and anthropology of this virtual world.

Marianne McCann: At heart, I’ve always been an explorer, no matter the world -- and part of that means understanding the history, the background. You know, getting a sense of what a place or thing is all about, and here, it became understanding the stuff that predates me, looking at how the world had evolved before I made an account in 2006.

I found it fascinating to watch the evolution, and read the history of things that sound like almost mythical things. The tax revolt, the Jessie War... all these things that made the fabric of Second Life™.


SL Newser: This is one of the first major builds I have seen you construct that does not focus on the Child Play community. Many people who do not know you here may come to know you as someone who is a genius of history, not a pioneer in the freedom to be whatever one wants to be here. What are your feelings about this?


Marianne McCann: I’m actually okay with that, really. It’s a funny story, in a way, and one that typifies my Second Life™ I guess.

I came to Second Life after hearing about it from friends, and felt it might be a good respite from actually doing a lot of community activism in my first life. Then, quite unexpectedly, found myself doing much the same here! “No matter where you go, there you are” became a very true thing.

On the plus side, we've all come a long way since then. A lot of those battles have been won or lost.
And really, it has allowed me to show off more facets of me. Like the interest in history, or some of the builds I've done in and for Bay City. That doesn't stop me from still keeping a foot in kid stuff, and staying watchful, but it gives me a more varied palate.

SL Newser: Can you explain the process you went through in coming up with the design of the build? I really want a glimpse into your inspiration...and your perspiration. What was it like to conceive of a build this large ?


Marianne McCann: Well, I have a bad habit when doing builds at the SL Birthdays. My first stop is to look at the World’s Fairs in the US in the mid-century. See, there’s that history interest, and in this case, I knew I wanted to showcase everything year by year, and give people a place to walk around and reflect.

This build was inspired a bit by the Avenue of Flags at the 1933 Century of Progress Exhibition in Chicago, Illinois. The upright flagpoles come directly from it, I'll admit, but I opted to make it a plaza, with the pools and fountains to give it a more “park like” feel. The large arches in the back, feature the Second Life™ sun image from the old viewer as a fresco, to emphasize the passage of time. And of course the big box prims up there, a play on the old slogan: “It all started with a cube.” But ya, it winds though, with a sign or two for year to year, giving the highlights and some pictures, as well as the various items. Most everything is from its actual years, with items dating back to early 2002 and textures back to December 2001!

The first item on the walk is the remains of a slideshow that Linden Lab gave in 2001, at the Demonstration conference, talking about their upcoming Linden World project.
It's fascinating to read through and get a sense of what Philip & Co. envisioned early on, and muse about how close it may have gotten.


SL Newser: How have you been able to amass so many artifacts of the history of Second Life™ Who are your mentors, idols, etc?


Marianne McCann: Well, in some ways, it just sort of happened. An inventory in the 95k range and all...but back in 2007, I believe, I was writing for the Metaverse Messenger, an in world newspaper, doing a kids page. I started to watch for interesting happening on the grid then. I spotted a big gambling protest in Pooley, and photographed it. Also, I got a couple of their protest signs,  some of which I could not display on a General rated region! This led to me starting to collect items here and there relating to this history: protest signs, stuff from the tax revolt, then old maps, other items of note here and there, Eventually, well, you can see it all here,  I suspect.


SL Newser: Oh, and bears ? I guess the bears are too primmy?


Marianne McCann: I actually donated a few to another build here: Bear Island. I would need a full sim just for that collection; I have over 400 Linden Bears, and some of them are, um, not exactly prim savers. It was  my first collection, I suppose. I remember trawling through Ambelside hunting up bears.


And mentors:  I think that the SL History wiki, and all the work Oz Spade and Eggy Lippman put in on our history also helped fuel me, and Salazar Jack, too, and of course, Lalo Telling, who did some amazing history work. This build is actually dedicated in the memory of Lalo, who passed recently.
A number of times while doing this build, I’d come across something and think: “Lalo would love this!” or “Oh, Lalo would know this.” For example, finding evidence about what may have been the first Second Life2 road network in Tehama via old pictures of Natoma, that sort of thing. Oh yes, Daniel Voyager. He puts so much heart into everything he does.

SL Newser: What would you like folks to know about Second Life™?


Marianne McCann: I want people to think of Second Life as a place, a tangible space we can all share and can all do great things within. In my neck of the SL grid, Bay City, we’ve got this great community of people, all tending to work together and make our community great. I love that. So ya. I guess that. It’s this incredible place where we can all share, and learn, and grow. I also love to see people come together and make something greater. Being good neighbors and helping each other. I’m a hippie kid at heart
.

SL Newser: You have been quite open on your blog and elsewhere about your reasons for playing a child in Second Life™. What have been the positive and negative outcomes of this?

Marianne McCann: Well, the positives are that, first off, folks know where I and other kids come from. It’s a “light a candle versus cursing the darkness” thing. It’s made things better for kid avatars, I think. Its helped people see what it is, what we’re doing, not thinking we're all here for some deviant purpose or whatever. Otherwise, what would they learn? Not from the stuff on Report Mainz or Sky News? That’s not the kids I know.


The negative: Well, most of the negatives came out of ignorance of why I was a kid here, though I think that it has caused me to be a bit pigeonholed. People just think of me with kid stuff, or they think I’m going to be more radical, or...I dunno. I'm good with that!

I've taken some pains to try to make this build as open as I can. I mean, so it's not just “my” history. I mean, hard for it to not be through my own lens, but I have tried to be objective A lot of the photos I’ve used here are ones I’ve shot, so it is through my eyes. However, it’s not “scenes of my family life,” or what have you.


SL Newser: Pie or Cheese? (Note: This “joke” question was a standard in the old Metaverse Messenger.)

Marianne McCann: And there can be only one answer: Apple pie. With a slice of cheese.


SL Newser: Is there anything you want to say about how you came into SL, why it clicked for you, and why you love it so?


Marianne McCann: I had actually heard of SL way back. I had a first life boss who ended up being one of Linen Lab's first marketing guys. At that time there was no Mac client, and I saw no obvious value in buying into a service I could not even use, so I “filed it,” as it were. But come late 2005, early 2006 I had a couple friends who were here regularly, and raving about it all. I decided to come here for a week or two and see what the hubbub was all about. I wasn’t initially impressed. My computer was a bit slow for SL, even in those days, so the user experience was low. I could not even properly finish the tutorial on Orientation Island! The Ahern Welcome Area was a madhouse, and I quickly moved my home to the Sami Infohub.

Then I met up with the folks I knew who were here. This is the funny bit. I had three friends: One was a young mouse in a family of furs, one was a kid out on her own, and one was a kid in a family.
I thought was a bid odd but after I explored a bit what they were doing, seeing what they were up to, it seemed like quite a bit of fun. I ended up stretching those two weeks... a bit. We both grinned a lot at that statement.

SL Newser: One last question: What do you forsee in the future for Second Life™?

Marianne McCann: I’m going to tie that a bit to this display, in a way. When I started to write out all of the different things that happened in Second Life™, year by year: Gaming Open Market (GOM), Windlight, the Banking Ban, Ansche Chung, Flexiprims, etc., etc.

I realized that every innovation, every highlight, every controversy, every policy change could be written with a sentence that ended: “This was widely criticized as a bad idea, and it was said this would be the end of Second Life.” Every year, Second Life™ has been ending. Free accounts would be the end of it, or whatever, and yet, here we are, ten years on.

We have had our dark times. When the Lab laid off so many of its staff right at the end of the M Linden era; then I did worry, but we persisted, even past that. There’s some amazing stuff right now. I am a sucker for mesh stuff, and the materials stuff is amazing too.

I don’t think we’ll ever see Second Life™ like it was at the end of 2006 into 2007, the wunderkind, with all the corporations flicking about, but we’ll survive, and grow.


SL Newser: Thanks so much Marianne. What a thought-provoking interview. I can’t wait until the world can see your build.

SL10B opens June 15^th, 2013. More information can be found here: http://slcommunitycelebration.com

DrFran Babcock

Credit for the Liquid Prim: RRaskolnikov Roffo of the Lollygaggers (one of my favorite objects in my inventory)