*Knock*Knock* Is This Thing On?

This weekend at the cafe, I'd planned to talk about the different ways to finance your second life, be it working for others, running a business or simply buying $L. Instead, we ended up discussing deep topics like shopping, planning weddings and where to find a good male skin.

I think the most avatars there at one time during the hour long event was four, so I didn't see any reason to try to stick to a topic.

Where the crap is everyone?

Whatever, we had fun anyway and that's all that matters.

Yeah I know, I was gone for a while then I missed my "comeback" discussion. I'M SORRY OKAY???

Around the grid I'm hearing that the world economy is having its effects on our virtual world. Performers say tips are down, club owners are cutting back and Linden Labs seem to be reaching out for new premium account holders by offering a free house to those who sign up.

How about you? Is the monetary funk we're all experiencing in first life taking it's toll on your second? If it is, or isn't, I'd like to hear about it. Drop me an email or add a comment here.

Until next time, I'll see ya on the grid!

I'm Like the Terminator, but Cuter

OMG she's back!

Okay so, sometimes that other life gets in the way of my second life, but hopefully that's over.. for now. I've not been away from the grid completely, but discussion groups and Second Slice have kinda been on the back burner for a few weeks.

While I've been away.. sort of.. Some things have changed. I got rid of my little cabin, which makes me sad, but under new ownership, Wando just wasn't the same. The lovely view from my front door became cluttered with buildings and the distant neighbors kept creeping closer and closer. Soon, little comments blaming actions of the residents for the lag, not the added prims or increased population, changed the whole feel of the place. The lag was getting so bad I couldn't really enjoy it anyway.

So I let it go.

Now I'm kinda homeless, but not really. I still have the cafe, where I've made some changes and added a shiny new Intan couples dance ball, filled with a metric buttload of Bits and Bobs animations. I also added a fence, so people would stop falling off, planted a few flowers and updated the jukebox stations. As always, Second Slice Cafe is open to anyone who wants to use it, come on by.

I hosted my first discussion group in a while this past Saturday. We had a decent turn out and it felt nice to see some familiar faces. I'm really stumped for topics, so please email me or drop me a message in world with any suggestions.

Anywho...

I'm looking forward to getting back into the swing of things. I'll see ya'll soon!

Avatar Profiling?

I've spent large chunks of my Second Life hanging around infohubs and, as a result, around griefers. Not just being on the receiving end of attacks, but in the company of friends who's only goal in this virtual life was to disrupt everyone else's experience as much as possible.

Oh you know the type.. we accuse them all of being prepubescent, bed wetting, pimple faced little twerps who've hijacked mommy's computer while she's out banging the neighbor, but in reality they're usually sad little pudgy men with a dependence on Viagra or militant cat ladies who never get out of their apartment and who log on to the grid for no reason other than to show how obnoxious they can be.

Last Saturday night's discussion at the Second Slice Café was supposed to be about holiday memories, but instead I ended up playing whack-a-mole with the ban hammer through about half of it. We had a great turnout, but about half of them were griefers and while griefers in themselves are a nuisance, what really pickles my pixels is that I KNOW why they're there as soon as I see their avatar or read their names.

So just ban them, right?

That would be the simple thing to do, but would it be the right thing? Wouldn't that be like.. profiling? What if it is? Should I even care?

What do you think?

Moving on..

This week the topic will be:  Using SL to live out your RL fantasies

What do you do in SL that you can't do in RL? Changed genders? Explored an alternate sexual preference? Opened a business? Gotten married? Stayed single? How do you use Second Life to do all the things can't do in RL?

This Saturday at the Second Slice Café at 5pm SLT. I hope to see you there!