Another year... another jump

[Moggs Oceanlane]

I have survived two full years of being a virtual golem known as Moggs Oceanlane. While avatars are endowed with powers of flight, teleportation and the ability to see and move through walls - it is not these supernatural powers that keep me in Second Life... it's the community.

When I came back to Second Life - (I say came back because I had an avatar a few years earlier but that experience was one of continual frustration due to technical constraints) - it was because I could see a greater interest from the education sector in Australia... and a little because I wanted to understand the reason people would spend money on virtual land and virtual goods - I just didn't get it.

What I found was an amazing community of people from all around the world and with very diverse backgrounds, ages and views on things. I found art; literature; performance and lots of creativity. Over two years, I have come to know a number of the people I've met in-world well enough to be willing to share real life details; many of whom I'd love to meet in real life.

I have witnessed people falling in love and moving interstate and across the ocean to be with one another; I have witnessed policy and pricing changes and I have seen amazing builds and through it all, there has been this amazing group of people, the Second Life community.

When I first started, I was quite sure I wouldn't share my real life details with strangers I met in SL. I have.

I was determined to have only one avatar, besides having one for testing purposes only - but in the end, I created an alt, initially, because I wanted to see what a newb could do without spending a cent - and when I'm tired and run down, I sometimes login as my alt to explore or build without feeling the obligation of catching up with all of those I adore. My alt doesn't want to blend real life and second life - but she's had a few adventures of her own and given me insights into life and others that I'd never have had as Moggs.

I often wonder if the human moulds the avatar, bending it to a shape of their choosing like warm wax... or does the avatar mould the human? I think, maybe, a little of both. Through our avatars we learn new skills and things; meet new people and get to explore parts of ourselves we don't get to, can't or don't have the freedom to explore in our day to day lives in the physical world.

Second life has changed and challenged some of my world views - mostly in a good way. I blow a raspberry at those who read and BELIEVE the mainstream media's view point that virtual worlds are all about sleaziness and think all of the people in them are twinkie. (BUT much as I disagree with the mainstream media's one-eyed view - I must confess, the flirting is fun! *bats eyelashes at you*).

It is with an inventory suffering bloat and a smile plastered on my face that I head off to once again jump naked into the unknown of the metaverse - I'm curious to see what the next year holds. I'm looking forward to meeting and enjoying the creativity of this delightful community of people and I'm sure that the whole experience will be mixed with large helpings of policy change; community outrage; drama; art; performance and all sorts of unexpected wonders.

Are you coming... or what?!

This blog was brought to you by the words Golem, twinkie, raspberry, bloat, wax and the Lanna random word challenge.

[Sigmund Leominster]

The constant change that goes on in the Second Life environment can be disconcerting. Most of us in real life want some stability, but in SL, that is much harder. I have a folder full of landmarks and many of these either don't work or take me to a new place. People are the same p they come and go. I have a handful of "constants" but even we have all changed in some way.

Real life kept me out of SL for the past few months. That's OK. I'm now stepping back in slowly but who knows what's the same and what's different! My second rez day comes soon - two years and still going. Who would have thought?