Among the people whom make the sim and community of Montecito Bay run, Emorald Resident is one of them. Often mentioned in the same sentence as her partner Lem Aiko (LemonPledge) as "Lem and Em," she has been around since the start of the place. Recently, we met up at the sim's Magnum Opus and I had a few questions for her.
When we found a place to sit down, we attracted some attention from a few others nearby, including Emorald. When he was told what was going on, he chuckled a little, "It's kinda funny. Ya get an interview with one of us, and you get all of us at the same time. But we all family here." He smiled and let
When asked to describe what her role was here, Emorald answered, "Well, I am the head of Parks and Recreation (smile). Pretty much, I do the hiring of DJs and hosts." When asked how she found out about Second Life, she responded, "I had heard about it a few times. Never though much on it till .... oh .... I would say 2015. Then decided 'What the heck, might as well check it out.' And well, been on here ever since.
"It's a rather nice way to stretch my creative side," Emorald went on, "I was never a good painter or anything like that. But many people told me I have a decent eye for photography. So I have been using Second Life to take pics of the avatars I fix up." It didn't come about right away, "I had taken pictures in SL (early on) a few times and thought nothing of it. But I had shown some people what I took and some liked it. So as time went on, I began trying to get better at it. I do use photoshop to make them look a bit better (smile)."
Emorald does get other ways to stretch her creativity, "Little bits of role playing when I get a chance, but mostly in photography. Getting my AV pose just right, getting the perfect lighting, It's always fun (smile). I do a little building from time to timem but, nothing really amazing."
I went and asked Emorald just how early on did she hear about the planning of Montecito Bay. She answered, "I want to say I had heard Moff talking about doing it after he left Furry Fashion. He had always wanted to make something really nice. So Monticeto Bay came about. It's been through a few changes, and next year there is gonna be another change (smile)." I of course asked what the change was, but she just giggled, "Hehehe.... That my friend is kept under lock and key (smile). But I can say it should prove to be pretty awesome. Hopefully the upcoming change will bring about more and more people."
So what did she think was Montecito Bay's most noteworthy event? Emorald told me, "Oh man, the Alien Invasion was pretty crazy, and a lot of fun (smile). The NuYu that is coming up in December should prove to be a lot of fun as well. ... This entire month this sim has been busy setting up for (it). ... I really enjoy this place."
Emorald besides being in charge of hiring DJs does some DJing herself, "I do a bit of everything, to be honest. If I can find it, I will usually play it. I never try and stick to just one type of music. I enjoy pretty much everything. Today i did a Disco set (smile)." I asked which of Montecito Bay's several venues did she like the most. "Always did like Studio 86 and Envy Nightlife," she answered, "two of my faves, guess 'cause of the neon and such." She thought for a moment, "Really though Bix, I love ALL the clubs we have here a MB. I know this place here is Moff's baby (smiles)."
I went back to her earlier saying she liked taking pictures of avatars, and asked Emorald what inspired her particular avatar and outfit? She giggled, "Heheh, that is a story in itself. When i started Second Life, my first av was a dragon. I think I still have it set up, I forget. But as time went on, I just got more and more avatars 'till I ran across this otter av.
"This is technically one of Brae's old avs. But the more I worked with it, the more it spoke to me. It's been through a few changes. But this latest version has a bento head (smile). It used to have the old PAWS otter head, which *is* a nice head. But, I don't think it has the, expression, this head seems to have. With this head she looks more sophisticated, and, just as cute and sexy (smile). The head I have now is the Happy Paws Lionet head. I paid Brae to fix up the otter head texture to it, and I played around with the sliders 'till it looked right. The tattoos, I fixed them up to be on the skin and not just a layer on the Maitreya body."
So what are her future plans besides the NuYu and next year's "surprise?" Emorald answered, "To be honest I dunno yet. I just live life one day at a time. I do play on continuing to take pics in Second Life. Hopefully I can get more stuff to help me get better and better at it." The last thing she mentioned was the NuYu, "I hope to see a lot of people (there) ... gonna be several shows, plenty of vendors selling things, should be an awesome time (smile)."
It was about then we parted and went our seperate ways. For those looking for Emorald, she can usually be found at one of Montecito Bay's events, often with her partner Lem.
A few days ago, the Confederation of Democratic Simulators had it's biannual election. There was only one candidate for the office of Chancellor: Emilia Dagostino (Emilia Avindar). I recently met with her at her art-filled building at the community, the Bauhaus. She called it, "a labor of love that I haven't changed much since a year ago." It was a rebuild of a building of the same name in Germany, "Bauhaus was a revolution in life style and aesthetics, which found itself marching to a different drum. It was truly a portable lifestyle; an array of objects and styles that were portable to other places and other schools of art. Still a basis for contemporary art, a sense of freedom of style but strengthened by utility. Art is so much a part of our CDS sims. I hope to update a gallery listing soon; as you can see, even my next door neighbor here is an artist. (smile)"
When asked how she first found out about Second Life, Emilia answered, "Honestly, I found it mentioned in a tech article back in the founding period, and I signed up. But I must not have been successful because I hesitated to use a credit card to pay the ten doller fee, but I had never put a credit card online back in those dark ages, hahahah. So I must not have made an account. I never found where I had later to try to reclaim it.
"So, in 2009, I wanted to find something fun and went back. Still could not get in, but tried a third time a few months later, and landed in Helfel and flew with elephants and butterflies and became hooked that day, never looking back. (smile) I even remember the first people i met, to this day. I soon searched for Al Andalus, because of a personal interest at the time, and that led me to CDS."
And how were her first few days at the CDS? Emilia told me, "Hmm, tentative. I was shy, and avoided people ... mistake! Everyone was friendly, of course. Pip had poetry readings, which I discovered, and I loved those, and other small social get togethers, which were a great way to actually meet people. We still do these things, but we need more poets and lonely hearts to attend. ..nice place to live and coexist here. (smile) When the lake freezes, we'll ice skate and drink hot cocoa.
Horseback riding, snowmobiles, snowy owls.... all sorts of amusements, thanks to our very own citizens."
When asked how long she had the Bauhaus, Emilia answered, "About a year actually, almost exactly. I was about to give it up last summer, and Kyoko said she'd included it in an arts announcement so I quickly reclaimed it and had to rebuild it in a few days, (laughter). The windows have the feeling of the early Bauhaus school, and I even have the radiator in the hallway, just as Gropius did."
Emilia has been involved in other places in Second Life, ".... SL Birthdays, since my first one in 2007, Burning Man (Burn2) and (New Bastogne) WW2 roleplay, where I was Captain Avindar eventually, but not forever, (smile). I battled there and walked the lonely streets, buying fashions from a seamstress, Sunshine Juneberry, yes. (smile). We flew combat in real skirmishes then."
Things are a bit different in the CDS, "Here we wrangle with self governance and land management, enjoy casual and formal events, but no role play. When I returned, I became interested in the elections that were underway at the time. I became the PIO for Kyoko, who was elected Chancellor, and got to know the group at a much deeper level of detail. I bought a little fachwerk house and got to know all of these CDS sims, each with its own natural flavor, Bavaria, Alpine, Tuscan, Roman, Greek fishing village. So much has been added in only the past year."
When I asked Emilia about what gave her the idea of running for Chancellor, she answered, "Friends persuaded me." She smiled, "Thankful to have good support and people are willing to help and mentor. This group is amazing in being so good at this for 15 years. We have a Constitution, a Code of Law, Land & Covenant, a regulatory body, The Representative Assembly, the Judicial body, 'Scientific Council' and the Executive body, in the Chair of the Chancellor, but also in the Estate Management."
I brought up the election, which seemed pretty quiet. Emilia told me, "I was unopposed, and we had six stand for five seats on the Representative Assembly, and they posted signs which gave Notecards, and there were some spontaneous questions sessions and group chat. I look forward to making some appointments that will reward folks for their daily efforts. Living here is its own reward, but friendships continue to grow, and thus the history of the group will continue to flourish, hopefully, for many more years." Of her plans as Chancellor, "To be available for anyone, and to not hurt any feelings."
Emilia had to go and take her real life daughter to a movie. She reminded that anyone could look up information about the CDS at https://cdsdemocracy.org .
It was twelve years ago this month that yours truly started writing
the news about Second Life. The actual anniversary was a few weeks ago.
But as so often, have been busy with both keeping up the Newser, as well
as other activities in Second Life.
I'd been in Second
Life for a little less than a year, and logging in regularly for the
past few months, hanging out at Luskwood and the now-vanished STA. I was
browsing newsletters and blogs, and in October 2007 came across an
invitation by the Second Life Newspaper for reader submissions. After
sending in a few, in early November 2007 owner JamesT Juno and editor
Dana Vanmoer offered me a position as a reporter.
And
so for two and a half years, I would write articles once or twice a week
for SL Newspaper, writing on a variety of subjects about the people,
places, events, and things around this virtual world. I was part of
something that kept readers new and established in the know about Second
Life.
In June 2010, my mission here would change as
the Second Life Newspaper closed it's doors, and a new newsletter, the
Second Life Newser, opened with Gemma Cleanslate, Grey Lupindo, Shelie
Sands, and myself as it's writers, with me as the editor. So it was up
to me to go through the articles of the others and post them in addition
to putting up my own. Most weeks, I only have two good-sized articles
up. The Newser being a team effort, the rest are done by other
reporters.
Over time, I've written many stories about
Second Life. This includes some annual events such as the Second Life
Birthday and Relay Weekend done again year after year. The latter is one
example of the good that virtual worlds are capable of. I've also
written about some interesting new places, people continuing to find
inventive ways to express themselves in an online landscape that's gone
on for over sixteen years.
And then there are the people.
Some are well off in real-life, successful on both sides of the
computer. Others have physical or mental disabilities, and Second Life
allows them to accomplish what they couldn't in real life. I've had to
write about some great places closing down, though happily a few have
come back. Sadly though, I've had to write about a few people here
passing away, including a few I had personally talked to. While I do
feel some sense of pride in helping that they will not be forgotten and
people will know more of the good they did, it's still a sad feeling
that I won't be talking to them again, at least not for a few decades.
"So how do you find the time?" and "How do you keep it up?" some might
ask. Over time, I have ended up with additional inworld
responsibilities, such as helping a friend with her club. And I do enjoy
some gaming, a little time to relax, often with friends. But I've
always liked writing, and have almost always found some time to do so.
Occasionally, there's so many things going on that catch my attention, I
need to pick and choose what gets written about now, and which gets put
to the back burner. There have been a few subjects I haven't been able
to write about in detail, or at all, due to so much happening at once.
The reaction I've had in real-life to my writing has been mainly positive, especially when it concerns topics like the Relay or Veterans. I have had a few people tell me it's time to move on, such as writing for a "red meat" political blog for some quick cash. But I'd rather not alienate half my audience. I am writing a science-fiction novel on the side. But the Newser has been my best audience as a writer, as well as the means as a writer I've done the most good. I am not giving it up any time soon.
As for the future, how long I keep writing about Second Life depends on how long Linden Lab will keep it going. For years, there's been predictions that the virtual world is on the verge of dying. Over time, the Lab has made no shortage of decisions that looked like they were going for a quick buck and not thinking of the long term, or made no sense to anyone but themselves. But unless there's some great calamity such as a worldwide depression, it's a safe bet to assume the virtual world will be around for many more years. Eventually, someone will make a better product, and Linden Lab will be bought up or close it's doors, taking Second Life with it. But until then, or I end up in a real-life accident I don't walk away from, I have no plans to quit writing.
Happy to keep you informed about Second Life for twelve years, and here's to many more.
When I was contacted about the Veterans Tribute, it was suggested that I talk to Flattop Ewing. Flattop I was told had returned after an absence to help organize the Tribute and it's music events. So I contacted him, and we arranged a time to meet up for an interview. We soon met up at the Tribute grounds, with his partner Sarah Ewing (SexySarah Svenska). "It has been amazing this year," Sarah spoke about the event. Flattop mused, "is my tie straight for the interview? ... I used the good deodorant."
I asked Flattop how the Tribute got started. He answered, "I started it 13 yrs ago in a club as just a two day event (with) two hours each day. There were no memorials, there was no wall at that time. I was just a DJ that wanted to do something regarding veterans. I was truly unprepared for the response it would receive. The first day was a good response for the two hour gig. The second day we nearly crashed the sim with people trying to come in."
The club, Rockstar, would since close down. But Flattop was in position to repeat the tribute a second time in 2007, "By then Sarah and I had opened up our own club and bought a sim. We picked up the club and put the tribute together. We sought out various creators all over Second Life that we had seen create various memorials." "And the wall was born," Sarah added.
Flattop went on, "That's also when we realized what we felt the tribute was to become, was bringing together different people and showcasing their talents and their desires to honor veterans in their own way. That second year we actually had DJs and live entertainers come to us asking to be a part of it. I honestly don't remember the number of events, but we had I think four days of events." I asked more about the wall. Flattop answered, "Initially the wall was just representing those that were assisting to coordinate the tribute and our friends. Then we (had) visitors that would start asking to add their real-life loved ones to the wall to honor them." And how many bricks had names put on them? "There were a lot," Flattop answered, "I remember logging in each morning and having a lot of them to make. I think we ended with something around fifty blocks compared to the ten we started with of coordinators and friends. Wildroses Pevensey does them now and she does an amazing job.
The tribute became larger, "The next couple years we had some other close friends, some of them veterans themselves, become part of the tribute staff. We received such a response still even more than we imagined. We had a Second Life flight squadron do an air show and give helicopter rides to those visiting the tribute. Again, the wall (was) growing and becoming the focal point of the entire tribute. The venue always a place for those within Second Life to come reflect and remember those that have served or are serving."
The 2010 Tribute would be the last Flattop and Sara would manage, "In 2011 Wildroses Pevensey, another coordinator took over when real-life called us out of game until recently." Sara would comment, "She and Sabre, another officer, built this SIM up this year, too. It is beautiful and reflective." Flattop went on, "We felt that it was part of the tribute taking on a life of it's own, to honor all veterans around the world."
Of the wall right now, Flattop would say, "currently on the wall are about 900 names. I'm not sure how many have been added so far this year." Of the conflicts the veterans were in, "Names range from WWI through current, including WWII, Vietnam, Korea, Afghanistan, Somalia, Desert Storm, and some that were submitted for other country's conflicts, and of course those that are currently serving as well."
And of the smaller events, which did Flattop find the most memorable? He answered, "My personal favorite was when we had an air show." Sarah commented, "It isn't so much an event, for me, it is the wall and the stories people have of their own, or a loved one's, they have to tell. So many amazing stories of so many lives, we have been honored to hear through the years."
I asked about this year's smaller music events. Flattop told me, "We have a handful of DJs that have offered their time this year for around Veterans Day weekend. As Sarah had mentioned, real-life had pulled us out of Second Life for some time. We only came back a few months ago, and unfortunately we weren't able to get more events like we hoped." One event they planed would be held on the Veterans Isle sim instead, an anniversary party for the US Marines. "The US Military Veterans group was gracious to offer to host the Marine Corps Birthday Ball this year," Flattop told me, "I will be DJing the ball on Nov. 9th at 6pm, The day before the actual Marine Birthday."
While I was there, several people dropped by the Tribute. Sarah and Flattop would greet them, answer any questions, and the people would go on to look around.
Of their future plans, Sarah told me, "We have tossed around the idea of having a traditional USO show, if we could get it together. We are also looking for more interactive content that people can walk through, etc, to have." Flattop added, "We would also like to bring back an air show at some point as well. The first and foremost has always been about the Veterans and the wall. As Second Life continues to grow and change, we never know what might be available to do in future years."
It was soon time to part, and I asked them if they had anything else to mention. Flattop answered, "We are continuing to look for more content from around the world. We would also like to have a little bit of a learning aspect for those that may not know some of the historical aspects of Veterans Day/Armistice Day."
Be sure to drop by the Veterans Tribute at Northern Lights (129/32/38). Music events are being planned there for Saturday November 9 to Monday November 11.
It was a few days ago that my attention was drawn to the Historical Hunts group. The reason for the announcment was that group founder Perryn Peterson had made a certain announcement.
I regret to inform you that Miss Tai' (Tai'lahr Winnikow) has passed away in RL. This is the message I received from her RL husband:
"Tai'lahr left us this day without ever realizing how many people she touched and how much she was appreciated."
Please keep them in your thoughts. A suitable exhibit will be established at the Mieville Memorial Gardens for Miss Tai'.
Checking the place at Mieville Lakes (127/203/22), I noticed a picture of a lady with a candle nearby, "In memory of Tai'lahr Winnikow, creative, clever genius." Asking around, Oldesoul Eldemar of the Relay for Life told me, "She was awesome and so helpful in (the) Fantasy Faire and Fallen Gods groups. She helped us moderate Fantasy Faire backstage and fans. She did the hunts for Mieville."
Oldesoul recommended I contact with Wyvern Dryke, also known as Wyvvy. "I was glad to call her one of my friends," he told me, saying she was here for eleven and a half years, "I knew her about five years of that." When I asked what she did, Wyvern answered, "Many things. She helped a great deal with the events in Mieville, including checking that the merchants were all ready for the hunts, helping hunters who needed assistance in the hunts, and creating games for the events." She had been doing so for about four years, "She was so giving, she said once she'd rather give things away then sell them. ... She also helped others create their own products. She taught them scripts, among other things. She was very giving and generous. ... She is missed by all of the Mieville community. Her absence leaves a massive hole which will not be easily filled."
Wyvern suggested I talk to Kerryth Tarantal for more information. As it turned out, she was a longtime friend who knew her before they both came to Second Life, "I must have met her in 2006 or 2007. We were in the version of Myst Online - Uru Live that was carried by GameTap at the time. We shared some of the same activities in that game. Like SL it had a lot of free form social qualities." They came here about the same time, "In February of 2008, GameTap announced that Myst Online, or MOUL, would close in two months. By that time, we had a close engaged community of several hundred people. We 'emigrated' kind of in a body. Some went to games like Eve Online or Lord of the Rings. But most came to Second Life who were old enough, beginning of April, 2008. Tai and I have rez days one day apart."
Of their first days, "I don't think we had a lot of contact in the early days. It was a large community. I was going crazy becoming a shoppaholic and going on hunts, and she was already building and inventing. There were a lot of parties. Hers were the most fun. Because there were so many of us from Uru, we all kind of cocooned in our group for quite a while. And we had a lot going on. The best memory I have is when she helped organize a box-bot themed party that was hysterically funny and almost the most fun I ever had in SL. She made costumes and cereal box bumper cars and playground equipment and rides and toys. This must have been late 2008 or 2009. I wasn't building then, and I was amazed at the creativity of it. People still talk about it. Someone brought it up today."
Kerryth told me Tai' was a source of her encouragement, "I started a little fractal art gallery around that time and started making clothes in 2009. She was the person who encouraged me the most. In fact, she got behind and pushed! (She) helped me organize a fashion show - right before I had surgery and couldn't use a keyboard for weeks. We got it done. The thing about Tai was that she was always like that. Encouraging, helping other people. It didn't always sit right with everyone. (smile) She was always creating and inventing, and it was all pretty much outside the commercial world of SL. She gave things away. She was embarrassed to sell things. She just wanted to give, so people could have fun. There was a spirit of exploration and discovery in those early years of SL that's kind of hard to find now. She was whole heartily into that."
While Tai' did a lot, she preferred to work quietly behind the scenes with no one else besides a few friends in the know. Kerryth told me she "Never wanted to be the center of attention. She hated it in fact. Very private." She then went on about her, "Excellent scripter. We used to brainstorm silly ideas. So much fun. I'm going to miss that very much." And what kind of ideas did they brainstorm? "Things I could make for my store. Or for Burn2 or events like that. I would create the objects, do the texturing, run the business. She was all about 'What can we make this thing DO?' That spirit has changed the direction of what I do. In the direction of what gives me joy and less concern about 'marketing.' Or she would make a mock up out of prims and I would make a mesh to do what she envisioned. But she was getting to be fairly good at making mesh herself these last couple of years."
So what next? Kerryth told me, "I'm going to bring some of her creations out for a retrospective, probably next month. Toys and gadgets. There are a lot of things around my store that we worked on together. Everywhere you look, in fact. But her greatest contributions were hunts and games for Mieville events. I have a gallery space at my store." She felt her best quality was, "Her generosity - I think I mentioned that. She was always popping up to offer help in hunts. She was passionate about Fantasy Faire, though she avoided any kind of limelight. I think Fantasy Faire appealed to her exploring, discovering side. It's like two weeks in a theme park for those of us who are involved! Her absence leaves a huge empty space in my work and in the communities she was part of." Of the attention now on her, Kerryth told me, "It would have made her terribly uncomfortable. We were reflecting today on how all this attention would probably have sent her offline. (smile) That's how she was."
Remaining in the Historical Hunts group, I would hear occasional talk about Tai', "Hope everyone is out crunching bones. There won't be any more of Tai's amazing fair games unless she passed the setup to someone else. (frown) Just one of the superb creations we have enjoyed over the years and won't have around any more." Only now is how much this woman meant is becoming more widely known, and it is clear she will be very much missed.
Most people depend on their eyesight so much, life without it can't be imagined. Indeed for most of human history, those who lost their vision were dependent on others. Today, modern technology allows the blind to live independently, and many surprise the rest of us with how well they can adapt and live surprisingly normal lives. This includes using computers and going about Second Life. A few years ago, the Newser interviewed DJ Keao, whom in real life was completely blind but still able to get about the virtual world. As surprising as her situation sounds, it is not unique.
Longtime readers may be familiar with Mermaid Celene (CeleneHighwater Resident), whom was with the Newser team a few years ago. Among the things she wrote about was the Radegast third-party viewer which turned out to be an invaluable tool for the visually impaired. Since then, she has founded a group for them in the virtual world, the Blind Users Support Group.
Welcome to Blind Users Support. This group is for sighted and blind SL users alike who want to work on in world accessibility projects. This group also provides technical support to those using the Radegast viewer or other low vision or blind friendly viewers.
Recently, I met up with her and interviewed Mermaid. Our interview started off on an amusing note as she arrived at the Newser with a fishing pole in her hand, though quickly removed it, musing, "I just took off my fishing pole. I have been told it is a hazard when not in use. I am sure I have hooked at least one person with it."
Asking about how she first found out about Second Life, Mermaid answered, "I have always been a creative person and I always had a desire to play games that involved life simulation, town building, management, things of that nature. The problem is that none of that is accessible. So one evening I had just discovered another inaccessible game and started to cry. My real-life husband asked if he could check in to something and he came in-world. He found his way to Virtual Ability and he was informed that there was a new text-based viewer called Radegast. I tried it and studied it for two years before starting to train others.
"Back then there was no user guide, so it was purely trial and error. Virtual Ability was instrumental and getting me on my feet in Second Life. I wanted to help other blind users discover SL because it is so different than anything else available to us. And it is so much more accessible than people think. With a little time and effort it is doable."
I then asked when the group came about. "It is about a year old," she answered, "Virtual Ability suggested that we start a group for blind users and it grew in to a group not just for them, but for people who wanted to work on in-world accessibility projects. I have been shocked by the outpouring of support from the Second Life business community. We have over a hundred members and growing." There was no group for blind users beforehand, "We were all just in Virtual Ability. Now we are a secondary group to them. But Virtual Ability is still home, for those of us who have disabilities anyway."
She spoke more about her supporters, "Seeing the support of stores like Allura has been incredible. Kenzie is fantastic and has been so supportive of our cause. We think a lot of her. Others too have been great. We have several clubs who are members as well. ... Foxy's, Always Amazing, Fishermen's Warf Beach Club ... There is no way I am going to be able to get all of these." She would later mention three others, Codfathers, the I Love 80s Club, The Maldives, and one with a store, "Simply Shelby is another great one that has a very accessible store for the blind user."
"A number of residents would be surprised to encounter blind residents," I reminded Mermaid, "What do the various members of the group do here in Second Life?" She told me, "People are surprised. They are also very friendly and do their best to accomidate us for the most part. Different users do different things. One owns his own sim and I believe he runs his own club. Others DJ, role play and shop. ... They are very active in various communities in-world. I don't see some of them often any more. They have left the nest. (laughter)
As Radegast was a few years old, I asked her if there was another viewer in development that would be as helpful or moreso to blind users. Mermaid answered, "Yes. It is being developed by Cinder Roxley. I would interview her about it for further info, honestly. I don't know a whole lot. She is doing a great job and she is developing it alone so it is difficult. She is maintaining Radegast while she works on it. So we are always looking for C++ programmers willing to donate their time to helping her. Radegast is our only avenue for using Second Life. So if it were not here and updated we would be shut out of SL."
Mermaid had messaged the Virtual Ability and Blind Users Support group chats about anyone else whom I might want to talk to, and told me, "Gentle just suggested that you might want to talk to Nilesh. He is a brand-new user who is exploring Second Life for the first time this week. He might have a unique perspective. ... He is a quick study. They learn so much faster than I did. It took me a year to learn to do some of the things he is doing. Of course, we were learning as we went. It was one of those things where you just had to experiment to see what did what."
Meeting up with him took a little effort, and the two of us were soon on the Virtual Ability sim with NileshMistry Resident. He had been on Second Life for only a few days. There were some introductions, then I asked him how was Second Life going for him. "Not bad," Nilesh answered, "I am enjoying it. Second Life has a lot to offer. A bit of a learning curve as a blind screen reader user, things work very differently. But I'm getting my head around things." And what were some of the more challenging things? "Mainly just trying to not go around looking awkward (laughter), so things like knowing where to face, the socially excepted distance you should keep between people, not walking into things or tripping over people, things like that." Mermaid commented musingly "still stumbles over people even after eight years (and) has impaled at least one with my fishing rod. He is wanting to learn to fish so I am thinking I won't be the only one!" That got Nilesh chuckling.
The newcomer went on, "Walking into a new place is difficult obviously its hard to no how far or close you are from people, or if you have your back to them." Mermaid stated, "You won't run in to anyone in SL unless you teleport in on top of someone or sit on them." "Over all though, its great, been getting involved with a lot of events, and finding new places."
I brought up to them that neither had profile pictures. Mermaid responded, "You can put pictures in place but I honestly haven't experimented with it. When you are blind sometimes that slips your mind. Or at least it does for me. Haha." Mermaid tried to get hers in place, but it didn't work and decided to get a friend in real life to take care of it later. Nilesh's luck was not better, "I'll either try again later, or get a friend to do it."
It was about this time we had to go our separate ways. Niles would say about the virtual world, "In general though, Second Life is great and a lot more than I thought is accessible to blind people, and it looks like its just going to be getting better. The client we use is brilliant, Radegast." Mermaid would say, "It is pretty amazing how far we've come in a year. Thank you guys for doing a story on us. Hopefully it promotes us further. The group is open to anyone who is interested in in-world accessibility."
For any questions about the Blind Users Support Group, contact Mermaid Celene (CeleneHighwater Resident).
Recently, Gemma Cleanslate wrote about an exercise of the Second Life Regional Search And Rescue group. They are led by Tealcie Annibles (Tealcie Resident). I recently met up with her at their headquarters in Euryalus. Of the radio stream, besides music there were occasional "weather reports" describing sim lag and other glitches.
I asked Tealcie about how she first found out about Second Life. She told me, "Back in about 2006ish, I heard the buzz and came to have a look. I had a terrible connection and ancient computer and of the nine or so days I was involved I spent maybe 45 minutes in world and the rest trying to get in. It was horrid. I forgot all about it until December of 2017. I was in a store doing some Christmas shopping and two young ladies were in the checkout ahead of me and one said 'I don't know how you do it I still can't even find my left shoe.' And the other laughed and replied, 'Well That's Second Life.'" That got me interested and I came for round two, fell in love and stayed." She had come back because of a casual conversation about it in real life.
"I spent the first week figuring things out," Tealcie continued, "rented a quarter region and learned terraforming and such and then bought a private region. That became too limiting. So I dumped the adult region and came mainland. Here, the story gets good. I was naive to the ways of this world and immediately albeit inadvertently, ticked off a bunch of people. I ran afoul of my own ambition. I quickly bought land and built thirteen bases all around the world. My meteoric rise from unknown to omnipresent, combined with some really ugly builds , (laughter) , seemed to get under peoples skin. My error finally dawned on me. So I dumped back down to one base for awhile. I survived a griefing that even Linden Governance called 'epic' , and I stayed low for awhile after that. Then apparently not having learned my lesson I began to build again."
I asked about what could a griefer do that would get attention of the Lindens. She answered, "Oh it was a really cool grief. Imagine your most used item, In this case my logo with white background. It was everywhere: signs, flags, etc. This grief intercepted the UUID and changed the image to one of the griefers choosing and it only affected me. Everyone else saw the logo. I saw a woman flipping me off. Linden Lab said it was impossible until I proved it to them by forcing them to enter my account and do some photographic work real time. After that, I have no idea what they did. But within three weeks it was over. I named my mystery griefer The Gaslight Griefer and I'm somewhat honored to have drawn out such an epic attack."
Tealcie went back to the Search and Rescue group, "All this time since coming mainland the SLR-SAR group has floated along. It's just a few people having fun." She had founded the group herself, "I just wanted a way to enjoy the things I love with other people flying, boating, climbing, exploring. I figured create a group and hopefully attract like-minded folks." Since the group's start, "We have hovered around thirty members with varied participation. I try to create fun events and time them so everyone around the real-life globe can attend at a decent hour. I usually bite the bullet with the 2 AM SLT slot on Sunday morning which works out to about 8 PM down under. So everyone around the clock can attend and still get to bed for work Monday. It really depends on the scale of the diasater being staged."
I brought up Gemma's article of the train wreck, and asked about other examples. Tealcie listed a few more, "We crashed a 757 into an oil platform out on Gaeta V, punched a DC-9 into a hillside in central Sansara, another harbor fire on Corsica, various ship sinkings around the Blake (Sea). This next weekend should be a hoot. I'm using the rental region Iridium again but no spoilers on the actual disaster. I have found first responders like the real time call for mutual aid with no heads up. All our events are set to public rez so first responders from any agency have no trouble getting their equipment out."
I asked which exercise was the most challenging to set up. She answered, "Most challenging? The 757 had (an) airliner, oil platform, and underwater elements. It was fairly intense in detail. This last build, I had great help from Lale who rocked the train tracks and tunnels and did a great job dangling the cars. This upcoming disaster will be pretty intense as well."
I asked how long does it take to plan an exercise and set one up? Tealcie answered, "Planning is usually just a five minute brainstorming. Dasha came up with the train wreck we saw last month and it was penciled out in minutes. The build has to be done in two days as the regions are a three day rental. I generally terraform and rough it out Friday evening then do the build Saturday night after work. We encourage the public to attend and I think one of the best ways to watch the event is to jump into a victim position and cam around while hamming it up awaiting rescue. Watch, Participate and have fun."
And where does Tealcie and the group get their ideas for their drills? She responded, "Well, the ideas come from lots of people and places. I take the ideas, mix in some pure evil like booby traps, landslides, explosions and just have a blast, pun intended. I try to give the first responder community a challenging, but winnable fight. These events are really about the community not SLR-SAR. We put them on for everyone to come together and represent their home groups and work together doing what they love. The more different tags I see the happier I am." I asked if any of the ideas came from movies and television. She answered, "More from the real lives of people who have witnessed tragedies. The commuter train wreck was something close to home for Dasha. And yes some media stories of disasters ignite ideas as well. I try to tailor the events to our community strengths too. The SLIAFF member agencies are all well equipped for fires fought from air, land and sea so there is always a fire element. My people enjoy technical rescues and heavy extraction situations. SAREMSUK group are extreme flying and airborne specialists and frankly Sophie and her SAR EMS UK group are the bar we wish to reach someday. There is a vibrant first responder community here in SL and I'm the new kid on the block just trying to do my part for that community."
Recalling some people can be stickers for realism, I asked how difficult were the helicopters to fly. Tealcie answered, "Well, there are three basic levels of helicopters in Second Life. The first level are extremely simple to fly. The middle level are a little more difficult and offer a bit of realism. Then there are the SA helicopters. Kelly Shergood and her team construct very realistic expert level helicopters. I lack the skill required to fly the SA helis into rescues yet, but there are many who would not fly anything else. SAREMSUK for instance use the SA built Sikorsky 92 to great effect." How much practice do those need? Tealcle told me quite a bit, "Practice, patience, and possibly even expert instruction. They are the pinnacle of Second Life Helicopters. Several of my members have the requisite skills. Lia and Alma both totally rock the SA helis. As for learning SL Helicopters I start people on the middle tier and can generally have a student flying in 10-15 minutes. I do it that way so people don't give up by being defeated by the expert level helis. Get the basics down, then move up a step.
"And there is so much to learn along the way that doesn't involve flying. The EMS gear in Second Life is phenomenal. Also you need to swim, climb, be injured, scuba, drive, and operate equipment. First responding is one of the more intense pursuits in SL. Fortunately we are blessed with creators who 'get it' and build amazing gear and vehicles. ... I have several builders I contract with and I am slowly bringing responder gear to the community filling niches where gear is needed. That's not at all easy since there is already so much here. But as I find things missing, I get my builders working on the items. Like our operational Jaws of life-esque cutter and pry tools. They are designed to aid in roleplay at extraction scenes."
As the interview drew to a close, I asked Tealcie what else she had to say. She answered, "I'd like to see the community grow. And I hope my no tag required events promoting pride in whatever group you represent, helps along those lines. There are still some groups who demand you belong to no other groups to belong to theirs. It seems exclusionary. I say I don't care what group or groups you belong to you don't have to join mine to play. Jump right in. Represent whoever and have fun. I got that philosophy from SLIAFF and the way they run their mutual aid responses. Numerous agencies respond and work with a common purpose. I am trying to spread that wisdom across the entire first responder community. I wish I could take credit for the idealism but I'm just repeating what I have learned here from people with double-digit SL ages who learned themselves through trial and error.
"I'd like to add that SLR-SAR is an open group and free to join. You do not have to leave your current group to join us and you are free to leave and return to your hearts content. But the main thing is you don't have to join the group at all to participate so be sure to watch your frequencies Sunday the 22nd for that mutual aid call and come have some fun."
And with that, the interview came to a close. A few days later on Sunday September 22, the SL Regional Search And Rescue was one of the two groups that took part in a large exercise in Iridium. And this was a disaster of epic scale, an ocean liner that collided with an oil rig resulting in fires and the potential of a massive explosion. Tealcie tool part as one of the injured. But the rescuers were well equipped. Despite a mishap or two due to lag, the exercise went well. Cleanup was soon after, so what was left were screenshots and memories to talk about with one another and friends. And of course they would soon be planning for the next disaster.
Umber (also known as Vermillia Urnestone) is a talented Second Life mod maker. She makes mods for multiple avatars, many of which are based on popular characters from series such as Pokemon and Digimon. I’ve known her since she first started her store in Fox Haven so I had to take the opportunity to interview her for the Second Life Newser.
Q: What got you started in creating things for Second Life?
A: I think the first thing I ever actually made in Second Life was a mod of my fursona on the Curious Felis avatar. It wasn't pretty! But it got me interested in working with textures. Then when I started taking 3D animation classes in college, I started experimenting with mesh. I figured, "Why not sell these things?" And MOOPA Inc. was born. We started as a little hole-in-the-wall store back when Fox Haven was still around, and I never expected to go this far with it.
Q: What have been the challenges of getting started and creating mods in Second Life?
A: The first time you ever look at a texture map for mesh, the first thing that comes to mind is "What am I looking at???" and that was my exact reaction. My first mods were very messy and minimal in what I actually did with them. Over time, though, it gets easier to understand how textures and UVs work.
Q: Is there any advice that you would give to new or experienced mod makers?
A: I've found that the most efficient way to texture for mesh is through trial and error and being able to preview your changes as you work. The Edit menu has an option for "local" textures - absolutely use it! This will save you a LOT of L$. I can't tell you how many times I have to test the seams of texture maps to understand exactly where they match up. That's just part of being a texture artist.
Q: You mention in your profile that you have social anxiety, which I do too. For those who may also suffer from this, do you have any suggestions for how to deal with it and still run a store or otherwise have a public image?
A: I think the idea of seeing customers so happy and satisfied with my work is a big part of what helps me work past that social anxiety. Do I still get anxious when I get a PM from someone who's mad or someone who found a major issue with a product and needs help? Sure I do, but those are few and far between and the idea that my brand is recognizable and loved by so many people helps me keep going! I guess my advice is to consider your limits when it comes to anxiety and not push yourself too hard. Put your stuff out there, but if you need some time away, then do it. Take a deep breath and take your time responding to messages.
Q: What are the inspirations for your work?
A: As can be seen in my current selection of mods, I've been really inspired by franchises like Pokemon and Digimon. I've seen it as a fun challenge to try to recreate these things using a premade avatar and my own (limited) mesh skills. Sometimes I just have a vision in my head and say "Yeah, I need to make that real." When it comes to clothing, it's just a matter of "I want this kind of outfit for my kobold avatar, let's make it."
Q: What have been you favorite mods to work on?
A: I think my favorite one that I made so far was the dinosaur mod for kobold. I love dinosaurs, man. That was also the first mod that I actually used specular maps for, after learning how to make them for a set of clothing me and my rigging partner had finished.
Q: How did you come up with the name for your store?
A: It's based on a really, really stupid inside joke started by a coworker at a club I used to host at quite a few years ago. My avatar glitched while changing outfits and I was a mix between a koopa and a cow. My nickname for the remainder of my time working there was "Moopa.” Fast forward to making my store. I needed to think of a name on the dot, and, inspired by the store DERP, I came up with the goofy store name of MOOPA Inc. and now I'm stuck with it! Hahaha!
Q: Are you currently working on any new products?
A: Right now, the only projects in progress are for the upcoming Gacha Guild Halloween event. Unfortunately, production of new clothing and mods has slowed dramatically since I graduated college. I've been busy with a part time job as well as commission work. I absolutely want to create more, and plan on releasing more mods in the near future. However, the future of our clothing line is currently unsure, as my rigging partner may no longer be able to keep working with us. I myself am unable to rig.
Q: What has been your favorite aspects of mod making and being part of the Second Life community?
A: My favorite part of mod making is just bringing my ideas to life and then watching others take that creation and make even more diverse and amazing things out of it with outfits and shapes and other moddable parts. As for the community itself, I just love how it feels like home. It's comforting and allows for and inspires so much creativity. I love seeing what other people do with all the possibilities on here.
Thanks for having me be a part of this. I hope anything I've said here has helped anyone even a little bit. Hahaha!
Casio Microline (also known as Sugar Paw) has been part of the Second Life community for over eight years. In that time, she’s been a valuable asset to the scripting and building scene and served as an admin and sim owner. Ever generous and kind, she helps communities, stores, and other creators with her skills. It’s no wonder that she’s well known and respected throughout the Second Life community. I had a chance to interview her this weekend and pick her brain for the Second Life Newser.
Q: What got you started in scripting and building for Second Life?
A: I got into Linden World in 2002 and was so fascinated with how this virtual world works with it’s physics which were more than the simple interaction you get from most of the other games that are limited and not simulating a world but rather just being an action point of interest. I found it interesting till Linden Labs had announced a new and improved product called Second Life. I had joined Second Life in 2003 after the announcement of L$ but as I continued in it's community on through 2005-2006 new features were introduced with more options and tools for building during that time. There were places that we were able to learn basic scripting and builds, and from then on, I have seen lots of users building art and homes with just basic prims. From my experiences of being in the community for so long, it gave me the idea and impression that this world can improve more with it’s contents and it would be my favorite playground. I had been inspired to continue building and scripting as part of showing my ways of arts and fun to the community as they also share their experiences of their own. Therefore, as a builder, it would always be inspiring to build and continue pushing the limits of quality and creating more for the community.
Q: How did you come up with the name for your store?
A: In 2012, I had created a club sponsored by a few friends called Mirco Heaven. After that, in 2013, I had made my own club called "Toxic-Illusion.” After that same year, we had continued on and merged both clubs to be one and named it "Toxic-X Club and Lounge.” When I started building mods and put them to the test on marketplace in October of 2013, I just thought that having the product brand as the club would be easy to remember. My first product was an animated tattoo mod for the VRPS Sergals.
Q: What resources did you use/currently use to build up your scripting/building skills?
A: In 2009 I found a book called "Scripting Your World: The Official Guide to Second Life® Scripting By Dana” The book was used by me as a guild to understand more about scripting. The programs I use to create textures and plan are GIMP, Photoshop, and Blender. I also use tools and plug-ins supported from Second Life Wiki pages. For most updates and future knowledge, I read up and ask in the Second Life Community Forum.
Q: Sandboxes are a valuable resource for creators in Second Life and you seem to frequent many of them. Can you suggest any good sandboxes for those just starting out?
A: I would think of in-world sandbox as a place to present some ideas including taking notes of ideas that others saw as you progress. Some of the sandboxes are peaceful and quite empty and some could be crowded with users and can be annoying. It depends on what you are working on or if you are just hanging out. Each sandbox has a different community type. I would choose a few for different concepts depending on what you are looking to do. Most of the time I would build on my private parcel/sim or at my home. The best way to look up a sandbox is to just use the search and the "Places" tab and type "Sandbox.” If I was looking for a place that welcomes furries, I would search for "Furry" also. It also depends on the rating of the sandbox which content (General, Moderated and Adult) is allowed. Also, I would recommend reading the rules and guides of that region. There are six sandboxs I hang around or work in currently and those are Sudden Stop Sandbox, Sandbox Mirificatio (Premium), Fluffy Sandbox, MAGE Sandbox, Aldora Sandbox, and Pixel Hills Sandbox.
Q: What do you think brings success in the creative world of Second Life?
A: Having lots of friends and getting random ideas leads to knowing what needs to be produced. Some of my ideas are just for fun and some might be interesting to put on the market. Most success from creators in Second Life come from builders who mostly follow their dreams and enjoy creative builds. The phrase I would always tell myself when it comes to building and being creative is "Keep on moving and never give up!" because the failing of a build gives me the knowledge of the mistakes I made. I would continue on building to avoid and improve from the mistakes I made.
Q: Do you have any suggestions for those who want to learn how to script or build but may feel intimidated in learning to do so?
A: The first suggestion is to have fun with the build and be creative. Find resources like books or the Second Life Wiki where there are references of the tools, samples, and functions. If you’re stuck with any builds and can't find a solution, it would be best to try asking around places like sandboxes or friends that has experiences with builds. If all this fails, there are in-world learning centers which anyone can apply to at Builders Brewery.
Q: What have been your favorite projects to script and build for?
A: Mostly I would love building random things just for fun. Some of the items can be funny or cute and some may be useful in roleplay and effects. Most of the common builds I enjoy is making random fun toys, attachments, and decorative objects as long as others enjoy the creative ideas.
Q: Can you talk about what else you've done besides scripting and building in Second Life, such as admin work?
A: The most common things I would do aside from building is just hanging out with friends and family. Other than that I sim-hop (explore the world) and find random people to talk to. Some random conversations are interesting and some places can be fun to explore. Mostly, in the end, I like making more friends. Aside from this, I would volunteer by moderating groups and advise region club administrators or managers.
Q: Can you talk about any projects that you're currently working on?
A: There are a few. The main projects are creating HUDs, a roleplay system, tools for Ravenlock Pokemon sim, and other project commissions for a few creators as part of their tools for their products.
Q: Are you open to any scripting or building work for those who might be interested?
A: I am open to new ideas and new challenges to build or script for. I mostly do simple scripts just for fun but any scripts or works that take time would have a cost. Any projects involving weapons and violence would be a no.
Q: What keeps you scripting and building and being so generous and helping the Second Life community?
A: Enjoying making examples of creative possibilities in Second Life experiences. I would always enjoy seeing others having a good time as I enjoy watching them. I don't believe that being harsh or rude to any simple question solves anything so ask away and I will respond as much as I can.
As more and more Indonesians become Second Life
residents, they feel the need to hold an event that can unite Indonesians to get
to know each other through the Putri SLI 2019 event. This event is a beauty
pageant involving avatars of Indonesian women. How is this event held? Next is
my interview with Maia (Maya Sharpshire) as one of the Putri SLI 2019
committee.
Q: What is the main purpose of the Putri SLI
(Second Life Indonesia) 2019 pageant?
Maia: So that Indonesian women become an
inspiration and role model because of their beauty, brain, and behavior.
Q: How did you come up with the idea to hold
the Putri SLI 2019?
Maia: We've got the idea from a friend,
particularly after our Indonesian friend, Dara Quinn became Miss SL Winner, and
SLI never held such a pageant before. So I and several friends decided to
organize the Putri SLI 2019 pageant.
Q: Is it only for Indonesians?
Maia: Yes, it is only for Indonesia women.
Q: How will you know for sure that the
registrants are Indonesian? What if she is not Indonesian but fluent in Bahasa
Indonesia?
Maia: In my opinion, in SL it is more possible
for participants to be more diverse than in RL. We expect and believe that the
participants are sincere and honest in their personality.
Q: What is the personality of Putri SLI that
you would like to established from this pageant?
Maia: A woman who can be the inspiration and
role model for fellow woman. And can be the representative of Indonesia in the
international events which will make Indonesian culture more known to the
world.
Here is the schedule of the Putri SLI 2019
pageant:
Monday, 29 July 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
Coaching with Maia & Tymon (Mr. Virtual
World 2012)
Tuesday 30 July 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
Coaching with Maia & Tymon
Friday 1 August 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
GR with Maia, Tymon & Brina (Host)
Sunday 4 August 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
Elimination & Challenge I
1. Styling Casual Look Red-White (freestyle)
2. Quiz
3. The Announcement of Semifinal
Friday 5 August 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
GR with Maia, Tymon & Brina (Host)
Sunday 8 August 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
Semifinal & Challenge II
1. Styling Gown
2. Quiz
3. The Announcement of The Grand Final
Friday 15 August 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
GR with Maia, Tymon & Brina (Host)
Sunday 18 August 2019 - 06:00 AM SLT
Grand Final & The Coronation
1. All contestants will wearing gown from the
sponsor
It recently made the news that Hangar Liquides, an urban science-fiction themed area high above five sims, was in serious danger of being closed after twelve years online. The place was designed, created, and owned by Djehan Kidd. Wanting to know about how the sims came to be, and how they got into this predictament, I asked Djehan about an interview, and we met up at one of the apartments in the city. Djehan spoke fluent English in voice, but with her accent prefered the interview be done in text.
Djehan had found out about Second Life, "Long ago, in 2006, it was gaining popularity and was in the news on the TV, I thought it was a great idea, so I decided to try and never left. I forgot the name the first time I heard it on the news. That's why I only joined in 2007, when I heard the name again. I remember spending a year trying to remember because I really wanted to try."
Of her first days here, "I went to a French hub, a sort of noob place where they gave information on what you could do on SL. I thought I wanted to script and also build. Then I quickly got myself land, at Hina, and I started to build my first project which was (a) MOCA, museum of contemporary art, and then I started to texture and build and make installations in it. My first installation was called 'The Mother of All' on SL. Oh it was a lot of fun, I still have the moca group. Some people were coming over, including my SL neighbors that I still have in my friend list. Haha! It was nothing very social for me, it was really already about building stricto sensu. But I could use the tools of SL, so I had the group and made some announcements, and it was simple and fun and creative.
"After this, I first logged in during February 2007, in June 2007 I got the first sim to build a city on, and then started Hangars Liquides. I wanted to build Hangars Liquides after I saw Nexus Prime, I was always going there, hanging out with builders Slade Onizuka and Ash Garden. Slade built on HL the first months too, before he had to go out of being deployed to Iraq. HL started four months after I first logged in. ... It was smaller, only one sim. It already had a lot of convolutions in the architectural style. I tried to extend it first by rezzing a 'megaprim' sphere all around on which I stuck photos of the city on the sim arranged as a panorama. So the sphere was extending, or giving the illusion to extend because with the center of the megaprim inside the sim, the actual surfaces were far away from sim limits.
"It never looked the same over time. It has been a constant mutation all the time. For instance, now it has mesh. So it looks like it does today since mesh arrived more or less. And then I constantly tweak it and change it, I imagine real life cities are always evolving, you see cranes here and there. So I figured it was just the same here. Many towers come and go too. I think they are still the highests in the grid, in a city."
I asked about when the British newspaper, The Guardian, took a look at Hangars (video link). Djehan smiled, "Yes. It was presented as the largest cyberpunk city in the world. The city was already on 5 sims back then." When I asked if interest in the city picked up afterwards, she responded, "I don't know, I'm not sure the SLers are following the Guardian enough maybe.Haha! But it sure was good for the city to be featured there. I guess it is now part of the guardian's archives."
I then asked about roleplay groups in the city. Djehan answered,"Over time, I always saw many RPers from different roleplays come and go. Sometimes they exploded the traffic at insane numbers, well for a cyberpunk city. Sometimes it is a small team who does it privately, all sorts. I don't want to forbid any outfit or anyone, so you could get elves, aliens, furries, humans, robots, all sorts of roleplay happened like this. Sometimes some wanted me to organize, sometimes they were independent, I prefer independent projects of course, because I have to focus on building and I take no artistic direction or requests at HL. So they use the city as it is." She paused for a moment to think over her words, "I mean 'I take no artistic direction' from others, (laughter) I practice my own here, I mean. So roleplayers who need this or that, they couldn't ask me to build for them, if they wanted they commission me to build their sim."
I then brought up the real life nonprofit group Hangars Liquides. Djehan responded, "That's a very long story, Hangars Liquides is older than Second Life in fact. It started out as a record label in 1998, within the European underground hardcore electronic music scene, and it got big right away in all the illegal raves throughout the world. Hangars Liquides was producing records and signing artists from European Union and also the US. It's a grassroots landmark of underground techno culture now. I joined them in 2001, but we only started the non profit to be able to get an island on SL in 2007."
I asked if that's how the sims had been funded. "At first yes," she answered, " We went with the founder La Peste (The plague) aka Laurent Mialon, a cult composer. He coined and created Flashcore music with HL. We went to meet with many politicians and elected people delegated to the cultural affairs to pledge for the new technology that was Second Life and also for music of course. They gave us a government grant so I could pay for the installation of the first region. And also delegates to technologies, sorry I forgot to mention."
I then brought up when Linden Lab had ended the discount for nonprofits in October 2010. Djehan told me, "Yes they did this. Then I thought it was an emergency that I start a marketplace shop in order to be able to pay. I paid upfront what they asked for, and then HL was kept, and I started my MP store. Also, I sent a ticket to LL to ask them if I could rent to residents, in the city, to fundraise to pay the tier, Linden Lab told me that I was allowed to. So I also rented places." On her Marketplace page, she sells, "environments, mostly cyberpunk and dystopian with exclusive architecture. Lately I started to add a few furniture too. But I sell mostly environments like the Space Cocoon, the Cyberpunk Apartment. And right now I am about to release a new dystopian slightly futuristic one too (smile). I am finishing to paint the textures."
In 2013, Linden Lab restored it's discount for nonprofits. So all was well for a while. Then the Lab contacted her, saying the rules about qualifying for the discount had changed, "Sometime during 2017 or 2016, someone from Linden Lab contacted me inworld telling me that the TOS for non profits just got updated, and that I couldn't keep the rentals, or my shop or anything. So I stopped all these activities on the non profit sims. Then they came to verify that everything had been removed and from then on I just continued working as usual..And I always paid a lot from my own pocket anyways."
So when was the future of the sims looking doubtful? Djehan answered, "Before April, I had to pay big invoices. Nonprofits don't pay by the month, we have different payment plans through different systems. And because I was late, one of the regions got down, so I paid and everything went back up. But from that day, I realized that my work was in danger if one day I couldn't pay anymore. Like, if I was a painter, I was one before, I would rent a studio to paint in. And the day I can't pay for the rent , I couldn't take my paintings with me. And as an artist I never thought I would ever have to lose my work, because I wouldn't afford the space to host it. It is very strange. I have all the textures and assets in my inventory. What is at stake is the composition of it all on the five regions all together linked into this giant knot that is the city."
I asked her what she was doing to make sure the five sims could stay up. She told me, "I work, I'm a professional artist and all I know is work. I need to make the money to keep up, so I work ten hours a day. I work the weekend, I handpaint, I manipulate vertex, all I know is to make 3D to sell it, and hopefully make enough money to keep the city up. Sometimes for commissions, like when I did Thinis, I worked up to 18 hours a day seven days a week, for a very little pay, I was glad Linden Lab featured me with a very nice text on their front page. But looking back it was impressive. In five weeks, I built three sims all from scratch, all handpainted textures. Some of my clients dubbed me 'the machine' when I was commissioned to build New Seattle for the Shadowrunners. All I know is work."
She then showed me a video of the Thinis sim, "after eight days of work, by the way. ... People liked it, I put all my heart in this one too. I love the post apocalyptic worlds too. Oh, and this is a video of the type of stuff I sell on MP, but filmed in VR back when SL was available with HMD. I think it is a shame LL stopped suport for the VR with HMD. Second Life in VR is so cool."
I then asked about offers of help coming in. Djehan thought some before answering, "Yes well people are kind and offer help yes. But they don't know that it is to be paid all at once. It costs around 3K USD, plus the cost of the two extra sims monthly, which are not non profit, Cell and China, around $240 USD monthly. You know I live in France, Here the median income is 1700 Euros per month, which means jhalf the population of the country lives below this. This is very far from anything in California, let alone the Bay Area. It has become too anxiogene to have to pay this.
"So right now, I really don't know what is going to happen. And since I can't have a backup to save the city on my HDD, I had an offer to get it displayed at the Fluxus Museum in Spain for instance. But they didn't want it hosted on Linden Lab's servers, so I am stuck on Second Life. And it is not for nothing that Linden Lab offers the possibility of preservation. It is exactly for this, and we are in touch with LL to preserve the city since a month, and I am just awaiting their answer. So a Linden is submitting the city to the SLPP (Second Life Preservation Program) and I am waiting. I've also been in touch with the Linden in charge of that program, and apparently a committee will come visit the city too."
I asked if there was any chance the Lab would allow her to rent out apartments and still qualify for the nonprofit discount. Djehan answered, "I don't think they can make an exception. I asked twice, and I think that Linden Lab is very monitored in their activities. Remember the casinos? Even at one time you could exchange Linden dollars with Bitcoin. I think that they get this imposed on them. I might be wrong but this is my opinion. I think that if they could allow me to rent they would of course allow me.
So when would the commitee drop by? He wasn't sure, "I am waiting for the answers with the tickets and by email, so far I didn't get a no or a yes, all I know is that a commitee will visit and decide."
I then asked what would she be doing after it was known whether Hangars would be saved or not. DJehan answered, "I will continue to work no matter what. If having it preserved allows me to keep updating it I will. If not I wont. The most important is not to destroy the art work. But then I will just go deploy on Sansar , High Fidelity, continue to release environments on the MP, work in Augmented Reality in Italy, also in VR for the Venice Biennale. I have many projects and ongoing projects. I work on many things. But yes of course preserving my work from destruction too is a big priority."
I asked about her VR work in Venice, if it was her largest current project. She answered, "In terms of organisation behind the scenes yes, the Venice biennale requires that you are represented by an institution, the city of Venice was supporting me, surrounded by my Italian Team, first of which my Curator, the urbanist in chief of the city of Venice, the UNESCO, the sponsors. My work on SL in my permanent exhibition, my portfolio, it is a very large piece , a composition. The last Venice Biennale in which I was selected in 2013 was for Augmented Reality.
" All in all, it is all very big projects. The Venice one like I described it, and on Second Life it is simply a big project because it is the largest cyberpunk city on the grid. It was accepted by the direction of the Biennale after being personally selected by the curator in chief of that edition of the Biennale. For the 2021 Biennale, I will work on Virtual Reality. It is much simpler for me than Augmented Reality, because I know the subject very well. And Augmented Reality tech, based on GPS is still not really - how can I say, AR still requires much research for it to work smoothly, with GPS. Because the elements tend to shiver when displayed on devices due to the constant update of the position of the devices in real space. The GPS constantly updates the position of a moving human that is watching the content, and it is not ready. But there are other ways to display AR, without having it shiver (smile)."
At one point, she talked a little about being able to express herself as an artist, "You know, being able for every citizen, in my country France, but also the USA, is a constitutionnal right. It gives us the right to associate in between people, with another aim than making money. Because we humans are an intelligent species. We create arts, we also organize charities, and all this falls within the nonprofit organizations. And it is essential to protect this. It is not a constitutionnal right for nothing. It is extremely important. Well humans, intelligent in our own particular way, let's say, because I love all species. But humans have their own particular traits. We make arts for instance. When we were living in caves, one of us started to paint the walls, in Lascaux grotto (smile) .. And we wonder why we started to draw like this, because it has no purpose. Experts even today are having troubles to explain why. Contemplation? Or maybe because they were locked in it and they missed watching outside? We don't know."
We chatted a little more before we eventually parted. A few days after the interview, Djehan had announced that she was going with a crowdfunding campaign to try to save Hangars Liquides. "I launched a crowndfunding thing," she would tell someone over the HR group, "That's the only way, instead of rental boxes. Then everyone who gave can come and stay around basically." When someone asked about the 6000 Euros/$6743 dollars, she answered, "That's the cost for the five sims. And non profits don't pay monthly, we have to pay yearly. So next due invoice is August1st. So hence the deadline for the fundraiser."
Hopefully Djehan Kidd succeeds in saving her cyberpunk city that's been in Second Life of twelve years. But even if she doesn't, she has no plans on stopping what she does.
Among the people whom make the sim and community of Montecito Bay run, Emorald Resident is one of them. Often mentioned in the same sentence as her partner Lem Aiko (LemonPledge) as "Lem and Em," she has been around since the start of the place. Recently, we met up at the sim's Magnum Opus and I had a few questions for her.
I went back to her earlier saying she liked taking pictures of avatars, and asked Emorald what inspired her particular avatar and outfit? She giggled, "Heheh, that is a story in itself. When i started Second Life, my first av was a dragon. I think I still have it set up, I forget. But as time went on, I just got more and more avatars 'till I ran across this otter av.
