Second Life Herald

Op/Ed: So Long - Thanks For All The Fish

by Ms. Penance Sautereau

So here it is, my last article. It's due today, and I still can't really think of a particular subject to cover. I've been sitting here staring at the edit page for an hour now I think. A few ideas have popped into my head, but most I dismissed.

I pondered writing about the good things Prok has done on SL as a follow-up on my last article. I decided against it. My little Anti-Fan Club here would just accuse me of pretending to care about her sanity to serve my own interests. (Though I really can't imagine what self-interest I serve by trying to help someone so universally loathed on the Herald.)

I considered maybe writing a third Religion in SL article. I never did get to finish my series. But the research was draining and I can't be bothered to write one knowing  the Herald loudmouths will just dissect it as an attempt to ignite debate. The point of that series was to try and showcase spiritual diversity and foster more tolerance. It was a point no one seemed to get, so it isn't worth a third attempt.

I thought of just asking Pixeleen to post that last fluffy "How-To" piece I submitted in November as my last article. But it'd be frilly and pointless, and I feel like I owe the whole whopping 4 people who like my stuff better than a canned fluff piece as a goodbye.

So I sat here. I pondered. I looked over my past submissions and read the reactions to them. I self-analyzed how I reacted to trolls, evolving from the angry bawing they wanted to just mocking how sad they are. I smiled at the 15% of comments that were nice, appreciative, and supportive. I laughed seeing old comments from people like Candy Lemmon telling outright obsessive lies about non-existent in-world harassment supposedly happening well after she was muted and forgotten. I grumbled at the Effite Diction robot's obsession with trying to fix my writing and ignoring the point of what I'd written. I smiled sadly reading comments from Artemis and D3adlyCod3c, wondering how different things might be if not for initial misunderstandings (Artemis) or if cooler heads had prevailed much sooner (Cod3c).

Rock at the Rock, Dude

by Sigmund Leominster

Kali and Codex rockin' the Rock

You probably know the situation. You’ve been partying hard – and “partying” is a verb I hate to use, let alone inflect – and want a change of pace. Chances are you spirit yourself away to a new location, possibly with you special friend or enormous posse in tow. However, visitors to The Rock might just find all they need in one location because this new venue has three distinct dance floors all in one place, and switching from head banging with Ozzy to slow dancing with you favorite squeeze is as simple as walking across a bridge. There is also something called the Tower, which is, as the name suggest, a series of platforms that take you higher and higher above the fray, each with a number of seats and pose balls to let you and your friends simply chill. And no “velvet rope” – the Tower is for everyone, not a select few.

The creative wünderkinder behind the venture are builder/designer Kali Dagostino and tech wizard Codex Binder. The dynamic duo officially started the party at noon on Saturday January 19th, doing their bit to ruffle the fur of PETA fanatics by wearing between them enough leather to deplete a small herd of cattle. But boy did they look good! Codex took the opportunity to make use of a special fashion accessory – a whip. That and his bursts of flame just to keep things heated.

I arrived just before the grand opening to find the party already underway on the Volcanic Rock floor. The invite had offered L$500 each to the sexiest leather-clad male and female rocker so not surprisingly the dance floor was almost mooing. But then again, there’s nothing wrong with a seething mass of hot avatars in tight leather bumping up against each other to the sound of Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer.”

Bunny the Huntress

by Kris Dibou, warrior poet/pirate

---

Bunny the Huntress

Under the cloak of midnight Bunny stirs
Her eyes accustomed to the dark
Awaiting in silence, sleek and edged
Seeking her newbie mark

Swiftly and surely the hunt is done
Her prey no longer in this sim
And on she goes through darkened wood
Tending her business, grim

So beware, oh newbie, lest you fall
In Bunny's icey glaze
Wear your clothes on open land
And respect our SL ways

Or Bunny the huntress will seek you out
Her vengeance quick and bold
And when you return to the game
Your reception will be cold.

---

copyright (c) 2007 - Kris Dibou - used by the gracious permission of the author.

Furries Invade RL Fashion Show

Furries on the runway - is nothing sacred?

By Pixeleen Mistral, National Affairs desk

SL - RL furry crossover crossdressing fashion?

The Herald mojo wire made some strange sounds this morning and coughed up a furball of an RL fashion alert. It appears that some designers have been spending far too much time in Furnation, and it has begun to affect their work in RL - if this page at we-make-money-not-art.com can be taken seriously.

Our fabulous furry freak friends will want to study the entire gallery at NewsFashionWeek.com.

YAAR! The Pirates of Sanchon, Parte the Fourthe

by Tiny Newt

HMS Endeavour

[Editor's Note: Though the Herald navy had lost sight of Captain Tiny Newt's crew on the Endeavour in recent weeks, we rejoin them now as they commence their original mission: the exploration of virtual parts unknown...
--Walker Spaight]

Parte the Fourthe: In Which We Are Nearly Able To Begin

The crew was assembled on the fantail, awaiting orders. I looked aloft at the two eagles gliding gracefully about the upper spars. Crew members had affectionately named the male "Baldy" and his mate "Crewella," as she was forever squawking at poor Baldy. They had built a nest atop the foremast crosstrees, 65 feet off the deck. Inspiring to behold, the handsome birds provided an excellent early-warning system for the ship. Heaven help any misguided vermin who came aboard.

"Ladies and Gentlemen," I began. "The pirate hordes in the area mean us little harm, or so it would seem. Still, I want each of you to keep a sharp lookout. Today, I would like us to return to Endeavour's original mission, that of exploration and intercourse with the native population." Though my crew is normally well disciplined, my last comments were met with a ripple of laughter for reasons that escaped me.

Interview With the Agoraphobic: Fighting the Fear in Second Life

by Aidan Aquacade

Meet Roberto, quite an eye-catching avatar who is one of the more interesting characters that can be found frequenting random areas of the Second Life world that we explore from day to day. Above Roberto's head is a floating, spinning, square picture of his real-life self. This floating image of himself is something he calls a "tip hat", where people can pay a small donation to receive a party hat, and witness Roberto doing a dance in return for their kindness. Some of the contributions Roberto receives go toward the cause of making his avatar look as much as possible like his real self. This, however, raises a few questions: Isn't there an easier way to raise the money? Why is it so important for him to look like his real-life image? And what's his motivation for setting out on such a time-consuming and ultimately unrewarding task? The answer is simple: Agoraphobia.

Second Convention Hits Second Life, March 1-3

SL resident ZATZAi Asturias has announced the first Second Convention, to he held in Second Life, March 1-3. No word yet on how or whether you need to register in advance, but if avatars don't choke Artificial Isle to a crawl, it could be a fun few days of sailing, speechifying, fun-poking, partying and hawking of wares.
--Walker Spaight

Watch Your Virtual Ankles, Roomba's Cleaning Up In Second Life

If you've been worried about the detritus that builds up in Second Life as a result of prim drift and Tiny sex, worry no longer. Resident Mooba Sienkiewicz (aka Greg, the myRoomBud crew's dad) sends word that he's created a virtual Roomba for use in-world. "One day a real Roomba's gonna come along and wash all the scum off the Grid," Mooba says. Actually, I made that quote up. But he did build a Roomba for SL. Catch a video of the virtual Roomba in action on the myRoomBud SL page.

Attentive Herald readers will remember iHerald Enterprises groundbreaking RealFrogger event held at last year's SXSW Interactive festival. This latest development holds more promise for the virtual world: RealFrogger in Second Life? We should be so lucky.

-- Walker Spaight (cross-posted from 3pointD.com)

Windows Vista Gets Sexy in Second Life

If you're wondering whether Windows Vista will be compatible with your Xcite cock, wonder no longer. The OS sees its official launch today, complete with a party at ten locations in Second Life. But as resident Kitten Lulu amusingly points out on her blog, about half of the 10 locations Microsoft has chosen for the virtual launch party (at 2pm SL time, featuring Praga Khan) are places frequented by paid cybersex escorts. Microsoft "Enthusiast Evangelist" Miel Van Opstal has more insight on just why the locations were chosen. In any case, if you think Vista might put some more "wow" in your Second Life sex life is, check it out. (SLurls here.)
--Walker Spaight

A Day at the Virtual Races

by Jimbo Quality

[Editor's Note: We sent Herald reporter Jimbo Quality out to cover the Second Life racing scene. His report below is presented as the first installment of his Traveling With the Idiot series. You'll soon see why.
--Walker Spaight]

The author wonders whether he's made a wrong left turn

To avoid looking like a complete nerd, I ditched the free SL Herald reporter's hat they gave me before heading out into the grid on my first story. My assignment was simple; bring the thriving SL motorcycle community to life for our readers. I planned to spread the story out, start with the racers and then move to the bikers then start making up crap after that. "I can do this!" I thought as I started to work my special brand of magic on the search box.

"I totally suck at this!" I thought after a few searches had yielded no obvious motorcycle groups. Unbeaten and unbowed, however, I did what every other good Herald reporter does: I blamed it on the latest update and set out to make shit up.

YAAR! The Pirates of Sanchon, Parte the Thirde

by Tiny Newt

[Editor's Note: When last we heard from him, sea captain Tiny Newt had lost one pirate ship and then recruited the presumably fetching Robin Sprocket to crew his next foray into the dangerous waters of Sanchon. . . .
--Walker Spaight]

Parte the Thirde: In Which We Are Totally Immersed

An expert in both weaponry and sailing, my old friend Robin Sprocket joined me as I sought my revenge against the pirates of Sanchon, but a new battle had already been joined, and there was no time to instruct her.

My "sit on the deck" command was lost to her: She sat on a cannon. This is common with other equipment -- and, of course, in other contexts in Second Life. But the ship, because of her scripting, came to a screeching halt. It took me precious minutes to understand what had just happened. Before I could say "Bluebeard" we were sitting on the bottom amidst smoke and ruined sails. Robin couldn't understand what had happened. "We've been sunk!! That's all. Ha-ha," I said with a sneer.

Back at the dock, everyone gathered for the final battle. The sexy Robin had stirred up the interest of the salty dogs assembled. As the time was short, a new battle plan was implemented. We changed corners and crews, but Robin stayed with me.

Sausalito Smackdown: Millions of Sheep?

by Pat the Rat

While Reuben Steiger, who runs Millions of Us, one of the Big Three players in the metaverse-industrial complex, tried to make light of it in a recent blog post, Pat the Rat hears that the recent meeting of the minds between Reuben and Electric Sheep Company CEO Sibley Verbeck was hardly as luvvy-duvvy as it sounds. In fact, the two virtual CEOs got into a Sausalito Smackdown in the parking lot of a local dining establishment with the unlikely name of Avatar's, before an audience of tourists. The issue seems to have been not who would control the flow of virtual-world services contracts, but who had the tighter tummy. (The spat started when Reuben ordered the Asian fusion sugarbuns for dessert, while Sibley went with the sweetplum jam, which supposedly had fewer calories.) While Herald paparazzi failed to catch the event on camera, we hired courtroom sketch artist Barnesworth Anubis to recreate the event, as seen above. Who won the bout? Decide for yourselves based on our illustration. (That's Sibs on the left, and Reub in the specs.) But the question remains: Can Sugarbuns Steiger and Sweetplum Sibley kiss and make up? And if they did accomplish a marriage of the minds, would we one day be facing Millions of Sheep? Remember, readers, you heard it hear first. We don't make this stuff up.

Avatars

[editor’s note: Kris Dibou is one of the new wave of warrior poets/pirates that make Second Life such an exciting literary scene. Here is his latest work.]

Avatars

I went to sleep last night and dreamt of avatars
Symbolic of our souls desire made visible to all
And through the eyes of avatars we danced, we loved, we played
No disease, no hunger, no death nor pain, no religion in the way

We flew like Peter in Neverland, dueled pirates for their gold
We sailed the sea at sunset's edge and dove below for pearls
And the stars all fell around us, slowly and in awe
Of the beauty that surrounded us, the sparkling waterfall

We danced by the light of the jealous moon and snuggled by the fire
And kissed in the garden returned to us from the legend of the fall
I went to sleep last night and dreamt of avatars
Never to wake in silent sleep, forever in the stars.

copyright (c) 2006 - Kris Dibou - used by the gracious permission of the author.

Peace, Justice, and the Second Life Way

by Fiend Ludwig

[Editor's Note: When my father first set up shop in Second Life, I knew it was only a matter of time before he would find a way to get his peace work going there. Recently, my dad sent me a press release, asking whether the Herald wouldn't be interested in reporting on his work. I asked Fiend Ludwig to not only take on the job of doing me this favor (we're an Always Fairly Unbalanced tabloid, remember, and we'll write about our dads if we damn well please), but to bring his Fiendish touch to the story as well. WARNING: This story contains one graphic image of a dead body. Safe for work, but not for the weak of constitution.
--Walker Spaight]

Peace & Justice Center on Better World Island

There has been so much furor lately over the minutiae of Second Life -- CopyBot! CopyBot! -- and endless parsing of how real-world interests interact or conflict with more native metaversal establishments and institutions -- First! First! -- that it seems to me that the effectiveness of SL as a communications medium for efforts other than the commercial is being largely overlooked these days. But not by everyone. Bruce Wallace, aka PT Witte in SL, runs the Peace and Justice Center on Better World Island. It is home to discussions and presentations which speak to visitors about his efforts with the 121 Contact project and the September Eleventh Families for Peaceful Tomorrows, both of which advocate non-violent options and actions in the pursuit of justice.

Started in early 2004 as the result of a Human Rights Day workshop at John Dewey High School in Brooklyn, New York, 121 Contact "connects high school students and teachers in the U.S. with their peers in Iraq. The goal is simple: let children get to know each other and it will be less likely for them to war upon each other."

Why Dinosaurs are Extinct

If this cartoon is right, the trouble could have started when one dinosaur invented the "duplicator ray"! Thanks to Ryan North of Dinosaur Comics for permission to reprint this very topical strip, although he says he had no knowledge of the SL copybot phenomenon when he made it. Copybot is the Zeitgeist baby! I found this via Will of the People. Click the comic panel to enlarge.

Ghost Hill - part 4

Fiend Ludwig’s final live report on location in Opelessence:

the moon is a harsh mistress

After much blind groping I found the release catch on that abomination of spring-steel and made my way a door leading outside. My gore-spackled research indicated that I would find conveyance to Fonzarelli through a mausoleum - Dead or alive? It didn’t say. So, merrily off to the cemetery I went, and sure enough, after unwittingly desecrating some number of tombstones, I discovered the crypt.

Ghost Hill - part 3

Fiend Ludwig reporting live on location in Opelessence:

Luckily, I was able to hitch a ride to the end of the road a few hundred yards down the way, leaving Cazzi and her sharp grin behind. From there, I trudged up to the manse on Ghost Hill and entered with some trepidation the gore-spattered house. With some effort, I discovered several hints as to the whereabouts of young Stephen but the horror of the scene did at one point become overwhelming, so finding some respite from the mayhem, so I sat for a few minutes to gather my wits.

Just Askin’: Write my story for me?

[Editor's note: the Herald occasionally reprints stories from other highly respected SL-oriented blogs publications that demand special attention for their depth of analysis and insightful comment. Enjoy!]

by Alaska Tallahassee - guest columnist from the Second Life Blingsider

I know I'm not the only one with this problem. I don’t really have any ideas and I've almost maxed out the number times I can speculate like this hoping that someone might comment or write my story for me. Our AOL Aimee says I have to post 3 times a day even if I don't say anything, so maybe you have an idea of what I should say? It's just so easy and tempting to not actually do any analysis and hope for the best, sometimes even merely on the basis of a clever article title.

Missing Lindens

By Prokofy Neva, Dept. of Rumours, Conspiracy Theories, and Inside Dope for Inside Dopes

They're still booming the treacherous waters of Omidyar off the rocky coast of Rodeo now, but with the month's mind come and gone, I've been forced to give up my lonely vigil for any clue to the disappearance of my old Linden friend, Kenny ....and now I hunt for another missing one -- David Linden.

Kenny Linden went missing from the People list in August; it was at that time his typist was said to leave LL for unknown reasons. A resident-turned-Linden, Kenny was known for his incredible dedication, philosophical approach to the contradictions of Second Life, and his skillful handling of a famous sign-griefer stand-off.

We searched for clues to Kenny's disappearance when the tide was out in the fateful hand-eye stamped sea of Omidyar, always fearing we'd come around the next shoal and find his lifeless avatar face down on the unforgiving shore. Nothing was ever found.

It was like that for T-Bone Linden, remember? An assignment to look at the books and figure out the economy of Second Life; a brisk and cheerful first appearance at a cantakerous town hall -- and not long after, T-Bone, whose calling card I still keep faithfully in my folder, was no more. Like the other economic guru brought in for the same purpose later, G-something? Who remembers her now?

And today...once again the Herald joins the anxious villagers sorrowfully scanning the silent seas: where is David Linden? Still in the People List, his picture is grey, his only group, "The Lindens" and "Numbakulla".

Ghost Hill - part 2

Fiend Ludwig reporting live on location in Opelessence:

a Fiend in the Dark

On passing the gate to Ghost Hill I was thrust in to some sort of maze. It was too dark to tell of what it was made, and the meager light from my lantern was sucked up by the void. The terrible visions I witnessed were surely figments of my imagination as wandered in desperation for what seemed like hours.

Have the Lindens Stopped Talking?

By Prokofy Neva, Community Affairs Desk

A new resident by the name of Gargling Ginsburg asks about the features voting system, on the now-restricted official LL forums:

"I noticed that features were acknowledged and commented on fairly frequently until 2006-08-24. Since then, not a single acknowledgement or comment. That's over 2 months ago!" he exclaims.

"Have you decided to abandon this system of listenning to your customers? What is the preferred method now?"

Robin Linden has explained that the Lindens are reviewing the voting system and contemplating using an open-sourced management system to improve proposal searching. That's likely why the Lindens aren't reading and commenting on proposals -- but then where *do* they comment? They've been strangely silent on their previously voluble and voluminous blog, affectionately known as the Blob. Another odd thing is that Live Help just doesn't answer -- although previously, you had a good chance that a Linden would reply.

Stood Up

By Prokofy Neva, Community Affairs Desk

Little children like these went to sleep hungry last night in Darfur. Forced to cut rations due to a shortfall of donations from an indifferent world, distraught relief workers had to turn them away. It wasn't for lack of awareness by millions of people who took part in what may someday be seen as a bizarre case of mass psychosis. From October 15-16, people around the world "stood up against poverty" -- but apparently did nothing more than get up from their comfortable chairs. Organized by former UN diplomats and backed by wealthy donors, the campaign reaching more than 23 million people appears to have spent funding mainly on its own "awareness-raising" and didn't set a fund-raising goal.

Among these millions were an untold number of Second Lifers who were drawn into an inworld public relations campaign volunteered by big-time metaversal consultant Aimee Weber who made special wristbands for the occasion. Curious kiosks showing only the feet of avatars dotted the SL landscape; virtual worlders could just click to count in the Guiness Book of Records and not even get up from their computers. Regrettably, the campaigners didn't use the eyeball grabbing to raise some Lindens to help organizations like CARE or UNICEF. RL media never even mentioned Second Life in the campaign; although the story came just before Reuters opened its bureau.

Slashdot Joins Backlash Against Linden Kool-Aid

While the Mainstream Meadia (MSM) continues to uncritically slurp down the Linden Kool-Aid, people with some experience in online games and virtual communities continue to say Whoa Nellie! We've reported the reservations by Zero Grace and Matt Mihaley, but there is also a tough tough comment thread over on Terra Nova in which luminaries like Raph Koster and Randy Farmer weigh in. Now Slashdot joins the chorus, asking the question of the week: Is Second Life the Paris Hilton of Virtual Worlds? But guys guys guys, if we told you once we told you a hundred times. SL isn't the Paris Hilton of Virtual Worlds... It's the Tyra Banks of Virtual Worlds.

Three Years of the Herald! Come Celebrate, October 26.

You love it, you hate it, you wrap your pixelated fish in it, but there's just no avoiding the Second Life Herald. Though things looked rocky a while back, the Herald has soldiered on, revivified by the bloodhound instincts of new Herald managing editor Pixeleen Mistral, and recently re-joined by Herald founder Urizenus Sklar. Now you too can rake a little muck, by joining us at the Herald's third birthday party, to be held next Thursday, October 26, at 2pm SL time, in the Hyperborea sim. Hyperborea, of course, is the new location of the august _blacklibrary, which hosted last year's event. As ever, we have no idea what's going to go on there, but Hyperborea has a nice big sandbox in the middle of the sim, so bring your party favors.

NY Times Joins Chorus of Linden Fluffers

In yet another nauseating puff piece in a string of nauseating puff pieces about Second Life, The New York Times has offered a story with little depth of analysis, but some nice pictures of Philip and Prok. Summing up the story, the content seems to be this: "Gosh golly, companies that I have heard of have opened...um, stores?...in Second Life. Isn't that just all bleeding edgy?" Quotes from the typist of Prokofy Neva are provided for balance (OMG, the poor virtual shoe coblers will be ruined by Adida's virtual shoes!) but we are comforted by Philip -- there are "no economies of scale in SL." Well, as much as I don't give two figs about virtual shoe makers, I think Prok does have a point, which is that Adida's can devote one billionth of one percent of their advertising budget to hiring someone to make virtual shoes and other gear, and those once-touted virtual clothing makers who "make a RL living! (tm)" by designing their own stuff will be roadkill on the Web 3.D Highway. And sometimes a puff piece like this can accidently drop a paragraph that helps us understand *exactly* what is going on:

For advertisers worried about the effectiveness of the 30-second TV spot and the clutter of real world billboards and Internet pop-up ads, Second Life is appealing because it is a place where people literally immerse themselves in their products.

In other words, SL is rapidly being transformed into a gigantic series of advertisements in which we are totally immersed. In this brave new world we are no longer merely observers who are likely to turn the page or channel; we no longer view adds, we live them. Advertisers no longer want our eyeballs, they want our digital souls, and they are coming to Second Life for the harvest.

Yale Daily News blasts SL: "Second Life is a nerdy, Jolt-fueled pastime for social cripples and perverts"

In a blistering assessment of his first visit to Second Life, Micheal Seringhaus of the Yale Daily News cuts through the Reuters fluff and offers that the reality is rather different than the "sober assesments" given by mainstream media.

I was mostly ignored, occasionally propositioned for text-based sex and wholly unable to conduct business. I am sad to report that peddling homegrown pixel-bling to ultra-Goth Furries requires a skill set I do not have. Those who make money here are better sellers than I.

I spent another hour in-world, succeeding only in getting lost, cursed at and stuck in a vacant house. On my Yale-hardened weird-o-meter, literally everyone I encountered buried the needle.

Judging by my brief visit, Second Life has more in common with an AOL chat room than a digital economy. For all its promise of immersive neo-capitalist escapism, it seems a little too trivial, better in concept than in execution.

A brutal critique, but much more on target than the breathless hype we are getting from the so-called media professionals, who, one begins to suspect, are being "looked after" by Linden helpers.

The Register blasts C|Net's Terdiman for being Linden Fluffer

The Herald has long appreciated the fine work of Daniel Terdiman for Wired News and now C|Net (not least his reporting on the Alphaville elections and the Roomba Frogger game instantiation event), but today he has come under fire from Ashlee Vance at The Register. According to Vance, Terdiman's recent "breathless" coverage of Second Life, and the subsequent installation of a C|Net headquarters in Second Life must be viewed with more than a little skepticism given that Terdiman is so close to Linden Boss Philip Rosedale that he listed Rosedale as a reference on his online resume (subsequently removed, but here is the archived version). Vance charges that Terdiman has fallen under the spell of Philip's kool-aid, and has become, to put it in terms familiar to Herald readers, yet another fluffer bitch in Philip's stable (TM). Quoting Vance:

But despite fixing some appearances, Terdiman continues to heap happy press on Second Life, and Rosedale in particular. Just hours after pulling Rosedale from his resume, Terdiman posted an interview with the CEO. ...

Our hat goes off to Terdiman, who used to work in public relations. Not even a Second Life insider working at CNET in the guise of a reporter could likely have pulled off such a feat.

Say it ain't so, Daniel! We still love you (even if you are a Linden Fluffer).

SecondCast #33: From Music to MySpace

There's a new SecondCast on the air: in Episode #33 we talk to Mike Prevost of Muse Isle, a Second Life venue for live music performance, and Cylindrian Rutabaga, who often plays there. An interesting look at what it's like to gig in the virtual world. Plus, listen along as the SecondCasters pimp their MySpace pages in order to try and get a record deal. Exciting!

Incredibly Hostile Exchanges: A Chat With Philip Linden

by Prokofy Neva, Special to the Second Life Herald

Today marks the first day of the last of the Second Life forums. As Linden Lab begins to shut down the message boards that have been home since beta to a never-ending stream of advice, sales pitches, information and vitriol, the Herald took the opportunity to check in with SL kingpin Philip Linden on just what led to the decision and where he gets his news these days. Correspondent Prokofy Neva went one-on-one with Philip for this report:

Prokofy: When did you stop reading/keeping up with the forums?
Philip: I'd say about a year ago, the sheer volume of messages overwhelmed me in terms of my individual ability to read/scan most of them.

Prokofy: Why did you wish to close them?
Philip: For me personally, two things come to mind. First is that the sheer volume and diversity of messages in the more general forum categories is overwhelming all of us at LL as readers, and there is an appropriate expectation implicit in any Linden-run forum that Lindens are reading everything. We aren't able to any more.

Portraits from SLCC

SL residents attempt hallway camping at SLCC in hopes of earning L$2 per 10 minutes

With the Herald on a shoestring budget this year, we had little opportunity to see Hamlet get horizontal, but there were plenty of faces on display among the crowd of 400+ devoted SL residents in attendance. Without further ado, we bring you a small selection of portraiture from the event. We look forward to seeing your mug at next year's party.

Lindens Hit the Bottle After SLLA Assault on American Apparel

by Pixeleen Mistral, Herald National Affairs desk


Linden staffer (in dreadlocks) provides personal SL support for a potential business partner (in black and red) at American Apparel

After spamming a number of the SL forums recently with demands for resident voting and consultation before major Linden decisions, SL resident Marshal Cahill told me Thursday, "We will naturally be branded as terrorists but that is simplistic. We are using the environment, particularly new media, to get our message across." Marshal is the political mouthpiece of the Second Life Liberation Army (SLLA), which, based on SL proposal voting, appears to have at least 3 supporters in a quest to liberate SL residents from the iron fist of Linden oppression either via SL feature voting on proposition 1769 or direct military action. One of those has to work, doesn't it?

After the SLLA's deadline passed, the group took action against the American Apparel store in Lerappa sim, as documented by Aimee Weber, who built the store. One has to wonder if this was all some sort of edgy PR move, since the AA store is generally completely deserted. If the SLLA claims it will target critical Linden infrastructure, certain residents may feel the need for an attack simply to validate their place in the world. My SLLA sources claim that Aimee was gracious and supportive, and this may be the preferred method of handling rebel groups in SL these days. In any case, I understand that the SLLA is considering selling T-shirts to raise money for weapons. Perhaps SLLA will also want to consider charging its next few targets as a fund-raising move? One hand washes the other, after all. I was in this sort of cynical mood, until a very reliable source provided me with strong evidence that AA really is part of the critical Linden infrastructure.

Feature-Length SL Documentary slated for October release

by Pixeleen Mistral, Herald National Affairs desk.

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

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

Taking a Chance on Chance Takashi

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

Chance Takashi

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

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

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

by Fiend Ludwig (with photos by DanCoyote Antonelli)

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

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

SLStats: Is Big Brother Watch-ing?

by Pixeleen Mistral, Herald National Affairs desk

SNOOPYbrown's closest friends: Nobody yet. Only people that you have hung out with for at least an hour are considered your friends. -- SLStats.com

SLStats.com reveals that SNOOPYbrown has no friends *sniff*

Poor, poor SNOOPYbrown Zamboni. Here it is August 1, 2006 and SLStats.com doesn't think he has any friends! Won't someone please, please help? Go get one of those cool new watch/scanner attachments from Mark Barrett, and get close to SNOOPY. You and SNOOPY will both benefit. You'll show the world who you are close to in SL, score points for being down with one of the F.I.C., and SNOOPY will not look like such a sad-sack and loner. You want to share the good news with Teh IntarWeb, don't you? You already trust Linden Labs with every detail of what your avatar does. Why not trust third-party Web sites as well?

Getting Some Tail at the Furry Rent Party

by Daftcoho Callisto

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

Crime Beat: Murder in Blumfield

by J.L. Prudhomme (Special to the Herald)

Residents of the Blumfield sim were awakened early last Tuesday morning (EST), the Fourth of July, to the horrific sight of a bloody corpse lying on a vacant lot in their fair neighborhood. The mangled body of Ms. Ava Arrow was found supine on the Linden-grown grass of a seaside section of the sim. Blood was splattered on the ground, and a large, orange gourd was found mysteriously near the victim’s noggin, leading all to think she had been pummeled to death by pumpkin -- rather odd given the time of year.

WoW SL is the New Golf

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

Send Philip Your Pants c/o SecondCast

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

Partying With American Apparel -- And Recovering From the Hangover

by Dow Jonas

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

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

Did I put those in the right, newsworthy order?

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

Happy Birthday SL: Snapzilla Closes in Protest!

Happy Birthday, Second Life! Although it's not such a happy birthday present that Snapzilla is offering up to Linden Lab today. Everyone's favorite SL photo-sharing site has closed