Gilmour Preserves the Remnants of a Lost People in Second Life

Gilmour (moderate)

I doubt I'm the only person who has an exploding to do list.  I may not have the opportunity to post everyday for a while but I do take breaks long enough to check out what's happening here and there.  I've been noticing some really cool photographs of a place called Gilmour and couldn't resist visiting this morning.

Gilmour (moderate)

I've gotten in the habit of checking the land info in case they specify windlight settings - after all, I should know what it's supposed to look like. :)  Wendy Xeno specifies settings for both the sky and water and, if you don't already have them, they are both from Torley.  The only cheating I did in this visit was to move the angle of the sun for some of the shots.

Gilmour (moderate)

What I found in Gilmour was beauty disturbed.  There are a few sandbars and the apparent remnants of previous inhabitants that indicate a life of both closeness with nature and a dark type of spirituality.  The ocean around them must have seemed like it was infinite.  Their environment would have made them cling to each other and rely on the strength of their bonds and their community.

Gilmour (moderate)

We will probably never know what happened to the people of Gilmour.  We can however speculate and take advantage of the opportunity to visit what they left behind.

While you are visiting, keep in mind I need your help with my SL8B project.  I'll make sure your name isn't written in the sand.

Gilmour (moderate)

Thinis is a Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic "Paradise" in Second Life

Thinis (adult)

I met Djehan Kidd a few weeks ago on the site of her newest build and, because the official opening day is tomorrow, it's time to share this extraordinary creation with you.

Thinis is a Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic Role Playing sim for Adults - a perfect setting for those acting as  dehumanized, oppressed and fearful individuals to express themselves.   Gang and faction applications are now being accepted.  If I was going to do Dystopian Post-Apocalyptic Role Playing this is where I'd want to be.

Thinis (adult)

I wish my photos could accurately convey the beauty of the textures and atmosphere Djehan has used.  Even if you don't wish to Role Play in this fantasy you must go visit.  A great build should be experienced by us all - well all of us who have access to Adult sites that is.  :)

Thinis (adult)

On a personal note, I had figured out that relogging 3 times solved my problems with teleporting and seeing names.  The really good news is that the latest update to V2 has made that unnecessary!  Now people on my friends list will stop asking me if I'm using a bungie cord in the mornings.

For the first time in a long time I had an unsolicited proposition while I was exploring Thinis.  Received an im, from somebody not on the sim, inviting me to spend some "special time" with them.  I was amused at first and politely declined then realized at the end of the conversation she thought I was a man.  Either that or she was referring to some male deity.   Just in case I guess I'll have to redo my profile pic.  :)

Thinis (adult)

Please don't forget I need your help with my SL8B project.  Try not to tag more than one photo in each category though.  :)  I'll rescue you from the roaming gangs!

Thinis (adult)

The Rule Book for the Internet, Blogging, Networking & Second Life

Our Place in Cosmos by Pixel Sideways, Caerleon Isle (moderate)

We've all seen what happens when something "new" appears on the horizon.  Particularly when that horizon is online.  It doesn't take long before there are "rules" and "laws" established by the community of early adopters. They are, after all, the experts and once you've been using or participating in something for a while you acquire a sense of ownership and a need to share the guidelines that you and your colleagues wish everybody to follow. It's the ultimate in an anarchist's desire for a group of equals to set the parameters for interaction.

I'm all for rules.  I'm a Canadian.  It's no accident that our Charter of Rights & Freedoms begins with the desire for "Peace, Order and Good Government".  None of that spring break type of  "Pursuit of Happiness" here.  My problem is that the more time you spend online,  the more you do and the more you network, the more rules and laws you have to learn.

Give me a break already.  I'm old.

Our Place in Cosmos by Pixel Sideways, Caerleon Isle (moderate)

Think about it for a minute.  There are, now well established, Internet Rules & Laws.  Those are just the basics and it would be great if that's all you needed to navigate your way through the interwebs.

But what if you decide to actually contribute to the online landscape?  If you decide to blog be prepared because everybody has drawn up Rules for Blogging.  I don't know how anybody is expected to know, never mind follow, all of the conflicting dictates around posting your thoughts.  I appear to break most of them everyday.  I don't even bother trying to understand the rules for photographs or illustrations.  I'm sure I'm doing them wrong as well.

The biggest minefield out there is the set of rules that appear when you decide to actually interact with other people.  The stress of trying to satisfy all the oracles and eminence grises is debilitating.

Our Place in Cosmos by Pixel Sideways, Caerleon Isle (moderate)

I've actually decided to ignore new networking opportunities as long as possible.  Once you get past the baseline Netiquette you still have to master the varying rule permutations of say Twitter and Plurk.  I'm still figuring out the Rules of Life and I'm not willing to try learning new ways to behave on some personal stock exchange for avatars or a Hud that wants to connect me with the same people I know from other places. The people there have expectations and I don't need another location to fail.  That book that wants my face all over it will just have to be satisfied with the 10 gazillion people it already has.

Second Life has, of course, lots of rules.  Once you get past the Terms of Service everything dictating your behaviour is pretty much whatever the loudest voices demand.  A few examples:

1. Don't im somebody when they first logon.  Give them 5 minutes to rez and take care of notices.
2. Don't cam inside somebody's house.  
3. Don't send tp requests without at least a conversation or buying the person dinner first.

There are lots more rules that people try and create.  Some fashion bloggers are really good at that - I fail miserably at all of those of course. 

There are too many rules dictating my SL behaviour. Everyday a blogger or plurker or tweeter pronounces a new one. I can't keep up.  Add them to the rules that I'm supposed to follow when I talk to somebody on the social sites I'm still willing to use and I'm drowning.

Our Place in Cosmos by Pixel Sideways, Caerleon Isle (moderate)

So I've made a decision.  I'm willing to follow one peer pressure rule and one only.  And I choose the rule spoken and advocated by that great philosopher Wil Weaton.  I think it covers pretty much every possible occasion and type of interaction and the rest of the great pronouncements will find themselves in my trash.

The one rule to guide us all, the one rule to bind us?  Wheaton's Law.  Don't be a Dick!

There.  I feel much better now. :)

Our Place in Cosmos by Pixel Sideways, Caerleon Isle (moderate)

Obsession & Determination Create an Underground City in Second Life

Jeddin's Underground City (moderate)

His name in Second Life is Jeddin Laval.  On a grid where some people think a month is a long time Jeddin has spent years building and refining an Underground City.  This City, located in the future world of Tarnus,  is a 3d child of and gateway to an even bigger obsession of his - a work of fiction he has spent many more years writing. Everything in this build is a representation of a location or event that takes place in the The Descending Road.

Jeddin has created something enormous in its complexity and richness of detail.  I'm going to try and give you a coherent introduction but I think you're really going to have to experience it to understand.  If you love creativity, obsession and science fiction and you have a need to click on everything - you must go visit the Underground City.

Jeddin's Underground City (moderate)

In the physical world his name is Dana Paxson - and I'm not telling you anything secret.  He not only doesn't hide his real life he links to his work from the Second Life build.  In fact, that would be the point. :)

Imagine a multi-thread work of fiction which has reached over 250,000 words.  All of that "world building" in written form and SL provides a way for the creator to realize his work and share it in 3D.  But it's not enough for Jeddin to just represent ideas and locations from his fiction.  He makes it possible for us to reach into the novel and understand what we're experiencing.

For example, one of the constructs in the novel is something called a Memwall.  Graffiti is placed on a wall to remember those who have died and that wall has been recreated inworld.  If you click on a bit of graffiti you are invited to go to the website and read the backstory.

Memwall, Jeddin's Underground City (moderate)

Clicking becomes a preoccupation when you visit the Underground City.  Almost everything you see can be touched and provides you with some type of information or link.  There is a room on one of the many levels which provides you with maps of the City's architecture. Click on them and they transform into holograms.  Click on them again and more magic happens. 

When you see writing on a wall do some more clicking.  On one wall is a song called "Mineburn".  Click on that and you will be taken to its origins.  As you become more familiar with the City you'll learn that clicking on "Hell" gives you tips.  Clicking on blue "S" signs will take you to the novel for more information on the location you're visiting.

With the exception of the furniture in the  Library, everything you see in this City has sprung from the mind and fiction of Jeddin Laval/Dana Paxson.   He has had years to develop this world and the level of detail and integration is compelling.

Jeddin's Underground City (moderate)

This is a very complex build, full of surprises and hidden rooms and so much information that it will take many visits to absorb.  You can take a tour as an introduction or use the transportation system to make your way on your own.  Or do both.  :)  

The novel is also very complex, however it is constructed in a way which allows you to read one thread at a time.  Jeddin/Dana calls it Electronic Literary Macrame.  The system of links is integral to ELM as well - click on the left sidebar and you find encyclopedia articles, on the right and you'll find a glossary.  You will want to read the Descending Road so you should be very grateful to the author.  He provides it free of charge in multiple formats.  The combination of the novel and the inworld build is a treat.

One of the fun/creepy things you can do in Jeddin's world, is get to know the "Andro's". Bioandroids are a fixture in Tarnus and they have to be created somewhere.  Be careful though - the recycling plant will mistake you for one of those constructs and I don't know how to save you.

However, should you remember to help me with my SL8B project - I might just be willing to negotiate for your release.  :)

The Andro Lab, Jeddin's Underground City (moderate)

Sextan Shepherd's Magnificent Machines in Second Life

Sextan, Liberty Cove (general)

I've been doing some background work on a post for tomorrow and saw this photo by Liqueur.Felix.  The name would have gotten my attention even if the content didn't - as soon as I see Sextan I know I'm going to love whatever the subject happens to be.  If you are not familiar with Sextan Shepherd you are missing one of the truly great steampunk creators. 

I didn't realize Sextan had a new playground so I went to see what new marvels he has thought up.  My first step though was to download the windlight setting he has specified - Bristol - and although I'm always tempted to play, I stuck with the one setting for all these photos.

Sextan, Liberty Cove (general)

It's impossible to miss the giant mechanical being who clutches the little town in his claws - and he is fabulous.  What I love even more are the tiny details that Sextan does so well.  The rotating globe has a magnifying glass which allows you to actually see the fine print as it moves.

This marvelous collection of gears and lenses will send you into space for an upclose encounter with various objects in the universe.

Sextan, Liberty Cove (general)

As always there is great beauty in the mechanical; the textures, the complexity, the movement are superb.  These are intricate, surprising and fantastical devices that are also works of art.  

I met some charming and intelligent people while I explored this island.  I appreciated that as much as I did the aesthetics of the design.

Sextan, Liberty Cove (general)

One of the major pieces on the island is Sextan's "Oracle".  The more I examined it the more I found it a bit disturbing.  Don't get me wrong - it's extremely well thought out and well done.  Maybe too well done. One of the faceplates is "broken" so you only see the skull, however the ones that are intact are a bit too "alive" for my comfort. This is no static prim.  It's a glimpse into a vaguely creepy corner of the artist's mind.

Go visit Liberty Cove.  Maybe you'll find the inspiration you need to help me with my SL8B project.  I'll polish your brass clock!

Sextan, Liberty Cove (general)

A Riot of Purple, Fungus & Snails in Second Life

Fungus (moderate)

I landed in a meadow of purple grass and immediately checked my windlight settings.  But no, this colour is the natural shade of Fungus.  Adorable wonky shops, snails and mushrooms are set in a landscape exploding with violet, mauve, aubergine and any other shade of purple you can think of.

Fungus (moderate)

The owner/builder of this marvel is Ross Myhre and he offers you the Snail Trail Quest as an inducement to explore.  This is a fun and strange place.  The shops are ready to rent and, honestly, this is a great location for all of those quirky and creative retailers who seem stuck in malls.  It is certainly a much more interesting place for shoppers.

Fungus (moderate)

On a personal note, and totally off topic, when I first read his name it made me think of Russ Meyer who would have loved Second Life.  Not just because of the big (and now bouncy) breasts but because he would have had a riot making films in here.

I don't know if Ross is as obsessed with mammary glands, and it's none of my business, however he obviously likes purple and manages to use it in a fabulous, charming and appealing build.  Go visit Fungus.  It will make you smile. :)

Fungus (moderate)

Since I'm making personal notes here I'll add two more.  First please remember I need your help with my SL8B project.  Photos are starting to be added and I'm thrilled!  Just make sure you add your tag to the 'tag field" not the title.  If I find them I can make sure the tags are added but I'm concerned that I might miss some!  For those who haven't yet submitted their photos - what if I promise you a mushroom omelet?

Finally let me say that this week I had one of those experiences that make you fall in love with Second Life all over again.  I won't give away too much information - there will be a full reveal in the future - but let me tease you with this shot.  I hope you all  take advantage of every opportunity you can that is offered by the grid and your fellow residents to enjoy the wonder and sheer fun that happens every day somewhere inworld.

Don't Mess With Elvis

Milvus is a Marsh With Attitude in Second Life

Milvus (moderate)

There is a place in the middle of the ocean where the land is resisting the encroaching sea.  The inhabitants do their best to nurture the remaining plant life and defend their structures and art from potential flooding.  Milvus is a marsh with attitude.

Milvus (moderate)

This is home for Mandarine Scofield and, with Koad Sewell, she is making a determined stand against the worst that Mother Nature might bring to bear.  There is beauty and, if you're addicted to clicking that camera button, a seemingly endless number of images to capture.

Milvus (moderate)

There is a floating island with its anchor clinging to the edge of this swampy island.  I suppose that if the worst happened they could retreat there and watch the devastation - luckily there is a bar on that island.  I expect it is kept well stocked for just that purpose.

Milvus (moderate)

Kent says in his profile that they appreciate visitors.  The positive response to their efforts encourages them to keep changing and improving the landscape.  I think Milvus is fantastic now and can't wait to see what happens to this remote island in the future.

PS.  Yes I'm going to keep nagging you to please help me with my SL8B project.  I'll throw you a life preserver when the floods come!

Milvus (moderate)

A Day in the Second Life of a Grid Explorer

Blue Galaxy (moderate)

You probably didn't notice but, no, I did not post here yesterday.  I was inworld and it was one of those visits where I encountered many aspects of the "charm" of Second Life that make you either laugh or grab the nearest weapon and aim it at your computer.  I'll explain in a bit.

First let me tell you that today's photos are of Blue Galaxy - a really cool "open role play" island with some of the best terrain and landscape I've seen.  Instead of suggesting one windlight setting, the owner provides multiples and assigns them to different times of day - all of them are worth trying.  The settings are available from Torley Linden if you don't already have them.

The sim has a pretty high traffic count and I saw a  few groups of happy role players while I was there - it's a very evocative design and lends itself to lots of different stories.  The number one rule is "Don't Be A Dick".  I fell in love with it. :)

Blue Galaxy (moderate)

My primary goal yesterday was to go see the inworld screening of My Avatar and Me - a film that has been mentioned by a few people lately.

Seeing that the screening was at the top of the Destination Guide I decided I should get there early.  I relogged a few times first though to try and get rid of my ongoing problems teleporting - getting logged out every time you click on a tp is not fun if you're trying to explore, never mind aiming for something specific.  Second Life finally decided to cooperate with me on changing locations however the price I had to pay was an absence of names for anybody in chat or profiles and I had no ability to initiate im's.  "Fine" I thought, "how much trouble could that cause?"

Blue Galaxy (moderate)

I met a brand new resident when I arrived.   Nice guy and I started to help him with a few things when suddenly some large pink boxes started knocking people around.  It's been a long time since I had experienced a griefer.  A short green troll avatar was having a lovely time messing with everybody so I AR'd him.  Then he pulled out a machine gun and started shooting the survivors as they managed to crawl back onto the patio where they'd been chatting before his arrival.  I AR'd him again and said something to that effect in chat - then I had to assure another guy that I hadn't reported him and that's not why he was pushed into the ocean.  If you're confused believe me I was too.  Remember, I couldn't see any names in chat so I didn't know who was accusing me except I was pretty sure it wasn't the troll.

I tried telling the newbie that it wasn't always this dramatic on the grid.  I think he believed me.

The troll then did something really strange - he sent me a friend request and sat down next to us.  Huh?  He kept insisting he didn't realize his actions were bad but somebody had made him wear something and he was innocent.  Right.  I had to go run errands and told him to behave (I sound more and more like my grandmother everyday).  When I came back he was running around with pink boxes and guns of course. Puberty is very hard on the young.

Izzy Linden appeared and (after removing a number of transparent boxes the troll was using as shields) got rid of the little brat.  Thanks Izzy! :)

Blue Galaxy (moderate)

We all finally found the place where we were going to watch the movie - there was a main theatre for the VIP's and some mirror sites for the rest of us.  Bryn Oh sent over popcorn, which was nice, and we all took our seats.  Then the movie started.

I've never had any trouble with streaming media before but, of course, it wouldn't work for me on this occasion.  I tried logging off and on and even reinstalled QuickTime.  That worked for one person but not me.  About half of us could see the film perfectly.  The rest of us did without sound and video that was like a series of random still photographs.  The good news is that the movie had subtitles so I could sort of follow the plot through them and the comments of the other audience members.  Based on what I did see I recommend you try and watch it yourself.  I know I'm going to look for another opportunity - maybe when my run of glitches is over. :)

Today I have 4 things I really need/want to do in Second Life.  Unfortunately they overlap and so my life from 2 til 10 slt could be a little crazy.  It would be helpful, oh Technology Gods, if I could tp and im and if I had any idea who it was I was talking to.  Work on that will you?

Don't forget I need your help with my SL8B project.  I'll sacrifice a troll for you!

Blue Galaxy (moderate)

Day Dreams & Clocks in Second Life

Daytime Dreams (moderate)

There is a building in Second Life situated on a white sandy beach surrounded by palm trees and topical grasses. This in itself is not unusual.  I don't spend much time at or talking about the beach but you and I know there are lots of them inworld.  In this case though, go outside and feel the sun on your back. Then, if you make your way down the beach a bit, you'll find a long pier with a wooden deck chair sitting on the end of it.  The view from the chair is anything but typical.

First you'll notice the blue water and occasional rare fish.  Then you'll notice some large blocks which seem to dance to the music you hear.  The landscape looks different over there - the ground is all black and white, not sand.

Daytime Dreams (moderate)

You have arrived in Daytime Dreams and Dolphin Aeghin, your host, has built something very special here.  It is a minimalist landscape but it's also romantic - when I arrived a couple was dancing and it made me smile.

If you're like me you'll find works by artists you know and love as well as creators you will now seek out.  The island brings you wonders by Sextan Shepherd, Bryn Oh, Akasha Wachmann and Madeliefste Oh - just to name a few of the talented designers included.  Dolphin contributes some of his own quirky creations as well.

Daytime Dreams (moderate)

There are clocks.  There are wonderous, fantastical glorious clocks. There are hats and tea cups, a giant working chess board and a talking parrot.  Bryn Oh's Mayflies are happy here.  Someday I might successfully take a photograph of them. :)

Think of Daytime Dreams as a steampunk/fantasy/romance set on a vast undulating chessboard in the sea.

Daytime Dreams (moderate)

You must go visit this homestead and discover what a quirky and talented person can achieve with limited prims and works from both their own imagination and by some of the grid's best artists.

But while you're there, don't forget I need your help with my SL8B project.  I'll put sunblock on your back for you!

Daytime Dreams (moderate)

Tornadoes, Guillotines and Strange Creatures in Second Life

Museum of Amazing Illusions & Magic (general)

I saw this photo by Justum of a tornado tossing around an art gallery and decided to go see what was happening.  What I found was Enchantment Island, one of the quirkiest places I've visited inworld.

To begin with I wandered around the Museum of Amazing Illusions & Magic.  I won't show you what happened when I turned into a snake or lost my head, but this remembrance of my encounter with a guillotine might give some idea of the wonders that await you in this storehouse of illusions.  I applauded myself for remaining calm throughout this trauma.

Museum of Amazing Illusions & Magic (general)

This is one of those locations on the grid that is very difficult to summarize - it is full of  a range of different "exhibits" and themes.  Surrealism competes with fantasy, a haunted house sits next to the Mad Hatter's Tea Party.  There are all sorts of vignettes positioned around the sim and something for almost any taste.

I, of course, went to check out the aptly named Tornado Gallery.  Luckily, or unluckily, I arrived to find it having already been struck by the storm.  There was some debris strewn about but I picked my way carefully through the devastation to the building now lying on its side.

Tornado Gallery (general)

The Gallery itself is impressive - even when it's been upended.  I noticed a few merry-go-rounds on the island but the one in front of this building is by Bryn Oh.  You must know that it does not offer you the typical horses most of these rides provide.  More of her work is on display inside and are for sale. 

There are other artists, including machinamists, represented in this building.  I'm very impressed that the structure is accessible and intact even after the giant windstorm.

Tornado Gallery (general)

This island is a lot of fun to explore but there's a hint of bloodthirstiness that you'll encounter here and there.  I suspect I didn't find all of the traps waiting for the unwary.  The occasional hint of menace aside, the talents of many builders, artists and scripters are represented and it is well worth a visit.  It will be easier and more effective for you to experience many of the illusions and tricks if you turn off your ao and remove a lot of your attachments.  

I plan to go back once they've recovered from the big storm, maybe another will strike. :)

PS.  Please remember I need your help with my SL8B project.  I'll mow your lawn!

Tornado Gallery (general)