I have my very own blog! Be afraid. Be very afraid.
This isn't about general stuff. It's about Linden Lab in general, and, more specifically, it's about Second Life. It's not about Real Life, sometimes referred to by Second Lifers as "First Life", unless that happens to impinge in some way or another upon Second Life.
What is Second Life? It's a very unique and wonderful (and sometimes agonizingly frustrating) virtual world. Some people call it a "game", but I don't see it that way. There are no competitors striving against each other for a goal that determines a "winner". Some people consider it a glorified "chat", and it does have much in common with things like IRC, or the various instant messaging services, and the concept of "chat" and "IM" (instant message) is built into Second Life as the primary means in which users communicate with each other. It's much more than this, though, since you are presented with a (sometimes) almost lifelike representation of the real word in three dimensions. Your manifestation in the world is in the form of an avatar. As in many other virtual worlds and online games you can move around Second Life and interact with objects and other people's avatars. Where Second Life differs from these is the wealth of tools available for actually modifying the world, ranging from building structures as tiny as intricately crafted miniatures and jewelry to massive buildings hundreds of meters across, and for making them interactive with the environment through the use of LSL (Linden Scripting Language). Second Life presents you with more options than any other such online service for customizing your avatar and the things you build, even to allowing you to import custom textures, sounds, and even animations. There is even a "voice chat" option available if you want to use it that allows you to speak with other people who have it enabled. If you're not satisfied with just exploring the world and/or renting a place to call "home", you can have your own little piece of it by buying virtual land, either through auction of "mainland" property or by purchasing "private islands", all directly from Linden Lab.
So what's this blog for, anyway? It's for me to talk about Second Life and my experiences on it, and for you to respond to the topics I post. I'll deal with the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, and will do so with an even hand. I consider myself an equal opportunity curmudgeon where it concerns bad people and ideas. I hold no favorites, and I give no quarter. If you're doing something I don't like, I'll tell you about it. I don't care if you're my best friend, the Vice President of Linden Lab, the President of the United States, or God Almighty, if you're off-base, and it has something to do with Second Life I'm going to let the whole world know about it. On the other hand I can be the most loyal supporter you can imagine, and if you deserve a pat on the back I'll gladly heap mounds of praise on you. And you might get your ideas criticized in one blog thread and praised in another. I'm not (usually) a one-issue voter. There are very few "deal breakers" for me. I don't judge a person on the basis of his/her ideas that happen to differ from mine. I like to believe that there's good and bad in almost everyone and everything -- what's good for me might be bad for you, and vice versa.
Please, though, read my Play Nice post regarding acceptable behavior, here. If you post to this blog you will be expected to abide by it. If you don't abide by it, you will be prevented from posting.
So many things ... so little time. I have a gazillion topics I'd like to talk about, but it's not easy for me to compose readable, error-free text like you're reading. At least I hope it's error-free. I have a language disorder that scrambles my thoughts before they reach my fingers. Without proofreading, three or four times just to be on the safe side, things very much resemble, at least to other people, but not to me at the time, those cipher codes you see in the newspaper. So, if you happen to see any glaring errors please bring them to my attention. I don't mind, and I'll happily correct them.
This is my ball, and I don't have to share it with any other kids. OK?
If you post to this blog you are agreeing to Play Nice (please read that -- it's a clickable link). If you don't Play Nice I won't let you play. If you Play Nice you're welcome here any time you want to make a comment.
If you want to know something about me, then check out my Second Life Extended Profile.
2 comments:
I am ready to blast off with you! Your writing is superb. I haven't written in a long while, as I have become bored and strained with previous subjects. I have a feeling in this Second Life, fresh new blood will invigorate this palate. *hugs* Jewel
Hi, Jewel! You're too kind. Please feel free to chime in on any thread, here, any time you want. Nobody, really reads this blog, yet, I suppose, but I'd like to stimulate some lively conversation, both pro and con, about Second Life. This is one of those places you love to hate and hate to love, but you either drop it cold turkey or keep coming back. I keep coming back because, in spite of its shortcomings, I have hope for the future, and faith that, eventually, Linden Lab will get through its growing pains and develop into a mature enterprise that we can all appreciate and support.
Many people just don't understand what makes Second Life so unique. It's not a just a glorified chat room. It's heads and shoulders in features and potential over any MUCK. It is a one-of-a-kind at the moment. Nowhere else do the users have the freedom we do in Second Life to shape the world according to our own imaginations. There will be copycats. There will be spin-offs. Both are already in the works, in fact, but it remains to be seen if any of these will match up to the potential that Second Life offers for actually becoming a part of a virtual world, rather than just another person who logs on and uses the facilities.
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