AVIE POLL: What makes you choose one venue over another? Hazel Silvermoon Reporting…

 

In Second Life, how we spend our days matters greatly to us. We spend a lot of time picking and choosing where we will go, and what we will do. Sometimes, that is to hit up the hottest clubs, or to go to charity events. Other times it’s shopping, or game nights.  But how do we choose which Venue to go to, and what makes us choose one over the other?

I went around the grid to poll several individuals about this matter, and I asked them what their favorite activity in Second Life is , and why they chose that Venue over any other. I wanted to find out what was really important to them, and what kind of qualities they look for when choosing, and I loved the answers I got. I broke the responses into several categories.

Clubs

Clubbing was by far the top activity listed by all those interviewed. When asked, the top qualities looked for when choosing the perfect venue were: Staff friendliness, welcoming atmosphere, and fun events or activities. What makes or breaks a club for most , is how involved the staff is in making sure guests feel welcome and are having a good time. Residents tend to favor clubs with a rich setlist, and plenty of fun parties to attend as well as a place that makes us feel like family.

Shopping

Shopping was another popular category. When looking for a favorite store, residents look for : frequent product releases, inclusivity for a variety of body types, outfits that suit their personalities, and ease of shopping experience. When shopping, we are often looking for clothing that fits our particular sense of style, and we keep coming back for more! One individual had this to say on the matter:  “If someone does their advertising properly, and it looks attractive, I want to buy the item, and if they care how things look, I like it better. Anything that doesn’t lag is also great.”    

HUD/STAT Based SIMS

HUDS that allow us to change our avatars to closely mimic the needs of real life ( or to simulate real life activities)  are huge in SL. With communities like Mystory, DFS, and various breedables, there are many ways to simulate doing the things we love . From growing plants, to keeping track of real life needs like Hunger and Energy, there is something for everyone. The top two responses when asked what made them choose one of these HUDS/RP SIMS over another were: realism and ease of use. It was important for most polled users to feel like they were fully immersed and like they belonged to a community of like minded users. 

Themed Events/Parties
Themed parties and events were another popular choice. . The top reason to choose one themed event or party venue over another was personal interest. Since these events are theme-based, residents go in search of these events based on the things that they find fun and exciting. Another quality when choosing a party venue is ease of attendance. One particular Avi stated that they did not enjoy overcrowded places with a lot of lag, as it made it harder to participate in event activities.

I think the important thing to remember is, we are all different. We all look for our own personal ways to have fun, fit in, and feel comfortable in our thriving virtual communities. What makes a venue special to us is not only what they have to offer over someone else, but also what we want in our Second lives, and what resonates with us. 

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SLE Poll -Qualities of Friendship- Tabitha Mercury reporting...

 Finding friendships can sometimes be as easy as a smile or as daunting as a chemical equation for an English major. This makes one wonder, what qualities do people look for in starting a friendship? 

Well, I took my notepad and pen and set out to find out.

I polled several people and asked them what their top 5 qualities they look for in friendships. Well, that might have been a mistake, because that gives an array of options to sift through. Not having a standard list for them to choose from made for quite an array of qualities that we might search for when finding new friendships.

After crunching the data with my trusty rusty calculator, yeah I am old-school like that, I have found the following qualities to be the most wanted when finding a friendship with someone:

1. Sense of Humor (5 votes)

2. Common Interest (4 votes)

3. Honesty (3 votes)

4. Reliability (3 votes)

5. Open-mind (3 votes)

Some others that are worth a mention are: Loyalty (2 votes), Fun, Communication, Kindness, Inner Beauty, Outer Beauty ,Considerate, Being Real, Adventurous, Respect, Passionate, Patient, and  Likes to tease and be teased, which all had a mention.

I have a friend, Angelixa, whom I have personally witnessed being able to be friends with people who are of different circles, which is quite a juggling act, I would imagine. I posed the question to her about what she feels is important when finding new friends:

Angelixa: Every good friendship starts with humor. That's usually how you get into someone's contacts to begin with. But you cannot sustain a relationship on humor alone. Being privileged to anyone's humor requires respect, patience, and honesty. Respect their time, their privacy (especially in a space like SL), and their boundaries. The patience to listen and being honest in what you share. You don't have to share everything (we don't all have time for that), but for the things you do share... be honest.

Once you get past that stage of learning someone, you can finally begin to appreciate their true beauty... their passions. What drives them? What can they talk hours on end about? Only then will I truly consider them a friend.

I feel Angelixa has a good take on how to start and maintain a new friendship and has dispensed some sage advice. (Yes, she’s always like this, very wise and sage for her age.)

There are so many different qualities that people look for and this poll showed me that we all are so unique and look for different things in others. It was interesting to see which ones seemed to be most important (by being repeated by different people) and what some would include in their top 5 qualities that they look for in a friend.

For me personally, Honesty, Reliability, Sense of Humor, Intelligence, and Loyalty would probably be my top five qualities I look for in my own search for friends. I will admit, I have many more qualities I look for in new friends and it was very hard to reduce it to a top five list. I am taking applications for new friends currently, so hit me up if this sounds like you. *winks*

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Avi Poll: The Pros and Cons of Virtual Friendships- Hazel Silvermoon Reporting…

 

Making friends in real life can be quite a challenge, and many of us are left with feelings of anxiety over socializing face-to-face. When we enter the virtual world, we often think that things will be easier, since we are hidden behind a screen. Sometimes, this is the case, but often, the anxiety still sets in, and we are left to put ourselves out there. Even though Second Life is virtual, it is massive. However, I personally have met some of the most amazing people in my 13 years here, and they have become some of my closest friends in both the real world and the virtual one. Online friendships definitely have their pros and cons, and this week I got to speak with several incredible people who were able to give me their take on friendships in a virtual world. 

 

 

Fire: “You get to meet people, and know people from around the world. One of the cons of this is that you make really great friends, but then you can’t hang out with them in real life. It is easier to walk away from people in the virtual world. You can be who or whatever you want to be, but still be yourself at the same time.”

Hexlais: "I think virtual friendships are cool. They allow you to meet people from around the world and from different walks of life. You can also make lifelong friends, which I think is awesome. I would say the cons are, at any point in time something could happen to said friend, and you'd never know about it. Also, sometimes people are two-faced and hide behind their avatar and use it as an excuse to hurt others." 

Porta: "Virtual Friendship.

Pros:

Exposure to other walks of life

Distance doesn't matter

Easier to find and engage with those of similar interests

Accessibility is significantly easier for those less able bodied

Cons:

Timezones

Differing opinions of the importance of time available

Disappearances

The lack of a tactile engagement

Potential for furthering people moving to become hermits.

Overall thoughts:

I think in the world we move to where more and more things are online, the idea of virtual friendship is one that will come further and further into fruition. Perhaps not understood fully by the older generations but the ability to connect and develop deep meaningful friendships through a virtual environment has been exceptionally helpful to developing and understanding more about myself. The plethora of life experience at hand that otherwise would not be possible or as easily attainable without a medium such as a virtual world, is astounding. So many life stories and discussions are possible at   just a few clicks and I think it builds a wonderful community and connections." 

 Darvynious: " The pros of virtual friendship is that most of the time it is relatively simple and easy to make friends in this world with the access point being as simple as a button press. Virtual friendships can easily carry over into real life or other platforms if the connection is strong enough. There is also the aspect of time where in online friendships not much time commitment is required to maintain an online friendship.

The cons of virtual friendships is that at times those friendships can easily vanish just as quickly as they started, but it depends on the person and their levels of dependency.  People in the virtual world may linger here a little too long and sometimes it can do more harm than good especially when some people can spend most of their lives here and have a very little grasp on time, reality, and important events going by as they get too absorbed in the world...but in some cases they may also expect the same commitment from you. In some cases, people will believe they are not good enough for you if you are not online as much as they are. While it is a con to have to communicate at times it is mainly due to the strain of most people not wanting to establish casual conversation unless the conversation is brought to them first, but this can be changed over time as you learn habits and learn new perspectives from making these online virtual friendships."

Louis: " Pros, I'd say is being online is less intrusive to your life, you can log off SL whenever you want, no need to drive over to a friend's house then have to drive back, etc. You can also play games like SL or other games through a console or computer.

Cons I'd say, is you sometimes need to hang out together, get to see the person face to face to establish a stronger connection with someone, go to a bar together and drink, go watch a movie, introduce your friend to some of your other friends face to face. there is only so much you can do over the internet. and I think eventually it's cool to meet the person face to face."

No matter who we are, friendships are crucial to human life. It is important for our mental health, as well as for developing social skills. I think the main thing we can all take away from this poll, is that it doesn't matter if the friendship is face-to-face, or virtual, we still grow to know and care for these people either way. It doesn't matter if we are separated by a screen. Humans need and crave interaction, and in virtual worlds like Second Life, that is what makes us feel a connection to the world we have created here. So for those of you reading, remember: even if it may seem intimidating, there are people out there who are waiting to meet someone like you, and you might just make a friend for life!

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Discrimination, The Truth About Second Life Most Hated Community – Samuel Roberts Reporting

In the real world we deal with things everyday that make us come face to face with hate itself, whether you’re a woman in the workplace and you are discriminated against or a African American being pulled over for no justifiable reason by the police simple because of the color of your skin, racism, agism, sexism, ableism and basic ignorant prejudice is all around us in many places in the world we live in. 

Often this is even increased on platforms like video games that give the player base a sense of anonymity which in turn allows the ugliest parts of person to be revealed once the promise of consequences is removed. The question is, “Is it the same in Second Life?” have we reached the utopian ideal in this virtual world where we all live and get along in harmony, no. No. a giant big, colossal No. 

I Spoke to many people this week about the things that they have faced in second life for being black, for being a woman, for being disabled, for being young or old but the one community that stood to me the most was the furry community, the stories I heard were just hurtful and appalling, music venues not allowing them to even come and enjoy music, sims not allowing access to anyone with a tail or non-human face. I found corners of SL where Fury’s would gather and they seemed like “safe spaces” spaces in the grid where they could be free to be themselves, it hurt my heart to hear the stories around them being removed form places for just being who they are and to be honest I met some of the nicest people I’ve met in my 10 years in SL in this community.

I even bought myself a tail, initially it was to blend in for my attempt to infiltrate the community but over time I grew to love my tail, I would get compliments on it from the other Furry’s around me and I’ve honestly never felt so welcome by a community in second life. To be honest with you I was overwhelmed when a multitude of Furry’s started to explain their stories, banned for being furry, hunted, shot at, targeted directly by groups of trolls who would go out and find Furry’s to make fun of. One story stood out to me and gave me an unsettling feeling, it is as follows. A certain Group/Sim which shall remain nameless would literally target specific furry groups and hunt them as a kind of warped sport, they would RP as is if they were looking for Furry’s to kill. Another story that comes to mind is a man who has a love for motorcycles and tried to start a MC in second life only to realize that the entire MC community for the most part shoots at any furry on site and regards them as less than human, he has been rejected from any MC meet ups and is considered a pest in the eyes of some of second life’s largest MC’s. Even a personal story to end on, as an SL musician, some of my furry fans have been not allowed to come to certain venues to hear me play.

I hope this article brings awareness that not only agism, sexism and racism exist in second life in places like “The Boardroom” where if you are black you will be called the N word 100 times in the space of 20 mins or whether because you’re a trans woman you will be told you look manly and laughed at many public places around second life, Discrimination exists in Second Life and no more than that of the Furry Community.

I want to give a shout out to a lovely creature by the name of Keith who was warm, genuine, and welcoming to a human on the search for answers. Change comes when those with passion can no longer hold their tongue my friend 😊

I want to leave you with this closing remark from the wonderful Raven, it grants us a glimmer of hope and reminds us the light is always stronger than the dark. 

Raven Corvinus: “As someone who has operated a furry sim since 2016 it is my opinion that the harassment and gatekeeping has gotten better since then. I cannot remember the last time I had a hate group show up (yes there are hate groups still active on SL but that is expected. It’s the internet after all) However the furry community remains hurt over the earlier years and get fearful when a person that is not a part of the community shows up to furry sims. Even if they mean well and have done nothing, almost everyone has a freeze response and gets quiet. Work is needed on both sides to come together and not discriminate against one another. I don’t think there is a long-term solution. Some folks just have a lot of hate in their heart and don’t care to hurt others. It’s those that give majority a bad name. For all my time in SL, I have more memories of fun and feeling safe than I have feeling unwelcome and actively hated. I feel like if we focus on what is good it easily trumps the bad. It’s my belief that if you feel you don’t belong somewhere, then make a place where you do~ Much love to you all.

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Dolla Dolla Bills Ya’ll – Samuel Roberts Reporting

Money makes the world go around, right? Apparently, this is not only true for the world we live in outside of Second Life but also the Grid world we all know and love. It seems Second Life is far more than just a video game but its own country with a GDP larger than some countries. Yes, that’s right, with a GDP of over 600 million USD Second life could literally be listed as a country in the range and scope of its free market power. 

The question this reporter set out to answer was “Can you Make a decent Real-World Wage in second life?” I went out and polled the citizens of Second life with this very question on my mind and before I asked, while I was asking and after I Had asked the answer was unequivocally the same, a resounding yes, I spoke to Coders, Scripters, Graphic Designers, Musicians, Artists, Painters, Visionaries, Sim Builders, Breeders, Escorts, Real Estate Agents, and Event Managers. 

The question was so undeniably answered with a “yes” that the question itself began to demand an upgrade. It was Organically morphed into the natural follow up question of “What’s the most and least Lucrative?” This is where the answers became subjective, some people claiming that escorting was by far the most guaranteed long term while others stating that real estate has given rise the grids first real-world millionaires. Close look at the facts reveals that while real estate is the most lucrative on paper it’s also one of the hardest to gain a footing due to the monopoly on the market held by older names that are quite frankly giants in their industry whereas escorting guarantees an average of 20k-100k per day depending on hours per day, that’s up to 400$ USD per day. But others I spoke to claimed that the escorting market was flooded with more workers that clients due to its easy access and lucrative nature. Musicians come in as the idle of the road, descent wage earners with anywhere from 4k to 40k per day depending on your popularity, even your intrepid reporter here himself sits in that category. Sadly, the answers I got for the least Lucrative was overwhelmingly photographers, those that take your pictures and photo shop the magic in to give you that professional look, on average a photography shoot commission is around 5k however rarely do you find a photographer with back logged work, most have it as an uncommon thing except for a few exceptions.

My Verdict: the verdict simply is Second Life is the best kept side hustle secret on the planet, with a few career paths that can be utilized as a main income source, in short, do not underestimate the power of getting involved in the free market of Second Life,  if could turn your income stream in the real world from your 40k USD per year to a healthy 60k per year if utilized correctly and a last thought from your Australian reporter. “None of this is possible with the consumer, is the every man buying shoes, commissioning a portrait, booking a band, renting land, tipping a stripper or buying a rare breed able cat.

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Has Online Dating Ruined that Old-School Romance?? Samuel Roberts Reporting.

 

Poll on members of SL on the question “Has Online Dating Ruined that Old-School Romance?”

 

It’s a brave new world kids and this is not your grandad’s dating scene, unless your grandad is on tinder in which case good for him. Lol. Look, the truth is it’s a strange new world where the idea of approaching a stranger and getting to know them over time, flirting, building a repour before approaching the father for permission to take things further are all but extinct. Now its like a face you think is hot, if they like your face back then it’s a short questionnaire. ASL?? Age – Sex – Location, how old are you, what’s your gender identity and where are you?? That’s all I need to know and if your answers vibe with my answers then BAM we can meet up and no. you can’t meet my father. Is this what dating has become? Is this really how it is these days? Is it really that cold and lifeless?

 

Turns out no. I hit the grid this week and polled some random passersby about the question on my mind, has online dating in fact ruined what use to be romance? The answers I received were not what you would expect, there seems to be an atmosphere of on the one hand yes something feels like its lost but also, it’s been expanded. Made easier to cut through the red tape and find something special you would never have had the chance to given that you were only exposed to a small surrounding community of offline in person community group.

 

So, I asked around, and these are the answers I got, when asked this very question one woman said.

 “Yes, it has lost honesty, when people are not honest in what they are really searching for, its easy to pretend when no one is looking right at you that you are a genuine guy, so as a woman you get fooled in online dating, lost of players lying to get a few good pics while pretending they want more”.

 

another woman’s reply was.

“I don't think it has ruined it, not even close, I met my husband in RL on an online dating app and 7 years later we are still together and loved up more than ever. In fact, I would have never met the man of my dreams if it wasn’t for online dating”.

 

both these answers seem to contradict but I do not think so, I think they are both correct, they both make valid points. On the one hand anonymity is a good thing to hide behind for the player out there but if you’re in a town of 300 ppl then meeting a few players online before you eventually meet that guy you end up marrying for 7 years is maybe worth it considering without your only option is the abysmal small-town folk currently in your vicinity.

 

One man’s response to this question was.

“Believe it has destroyed old fashioned romance unfortunately, now girls think it’s weird when I try to meet them organically when I’m out and about, its like if I haven’t swiped and said they’re hot on an app first it is considered weird to even talk to them”.

 

and another reply I received was.

“Yes, the days of grabbing a woman by the hair and dragging her back to the cave are unfortunately long gone.   This seems to be the future...but is it more reliable? I think not.”

 

A hint of jest and sarcasm in the latter reply but I think the gentlemen’s point rings true in the sense that it is neither more nor less reliable. which I think is the point I’m walking away with so far, online dating isn’t a new kind of dating, it isn’t some kind of evolution of dating, its just a different forum, it has its pros and cons but threonyl thing that has really changed is the way in which we initiate contact, its still up to our own charm, personality and charisma to finish the job.

 

I especially love one woman’s response when she said.

"Hm, that is a very open-ended question. I would say yes and no. There are good and bad aspect when it comes to dating in general. Personally, I don't really care much for dating in either world because I am extremely anti-social so talking to people in general is hard. As for dating a whole, it is a lot of work, taking care of yourself for some people is hard enough. Adding in another person is just overkill. Especially when most people want some type of fairytale romance, which in a game is easy to give someone. So no, I don't think that online dating is what ruins dating for people, it's people who ruin it.”

 

Or one woman’s response which I found enlightening when she said.

“ personally i think it helps to an extent, getting rid of some awkward conversation if you are not interested there’s no *trying to find a way to sneak out or get called away* but it also makes it easier for predators to get to know their prey before they can be identified so it’s just as scary and in my opinion needs to stay verbally cautioned. that way people aren’t letting their guard down too soon because it is more comfortable to be behind a screen at first.”.

 

In closing Online dating is Bad for those with bad experiences and good for those with good experiences, all in all its just another brick in the walls don’t hate the game. hate the player, guns don’t kill ppl, ppl kill ppl, if you’re not catching my drift il spell it out… its not ONLINEDATING that affects or changes anything… humans will do what humans do…online dating seems to be just a forum we use. But what do I know? Right? What do YOU think?

 

To Jump In the Pool:

 

Love Actually Dating Agency: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Gold%20Hollow/75/74/30

 

Lonely Hearts Dating Agency:

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Morenci/32/36/3501

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AVIE POLL QUESTION: What is the funniest thing you ever witnessed in Second Life? Share your story!

 

Hey, friends and SLE fans! I hope you are having a lovely weekend!

It’s been a while since I randomly interrupted your regularly scheduled Second Life

and I hope I’m not being a pain in the prim.

Still, I was wondering if you were interested in participating in a new AVIE POLL section

I want to introduce SLE readers based on the stories I collect from you, the readers!

SLE will ask a question once a week and if you have something to share just submit it through this form link with your screenshot proof if you took a pic! You can remain anonymous or share your name it is entirely up to you!

At the end of the form, you can also make suggestions on other topics and questions you would like to see addressed by the SL community.  Let's make this interesting!

AVIE POLL QUESTION:

  What is the funniest thing you ever witnessed in Second Life? Share your story!

Submit your story here:

https://docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSftLxr_ZsWNBaYjfLjS9UAPMBCdFP3jsiGBaI2Td8kj

CvwtvA/viewform

DEADLINE: SEPTEMBER 3, 2022

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Is a group conference with your friend list considered spamming? Inquiring minds wanna know

Hey peeps it’s Lanai *takes a seat* 

It’s been a while since I’ve written an open diary to SLE fans and friends. Since I have a little time on my hands…

 I like to think whoever is following SLE enjoys the various topics we post and the interviews with some amazing and talented people. Those on my friend list are friends or at least friendly acquaintances. Obviously, At some point, we met and accepted each other’s friendship. If you don’t have a sense of humor you are in for a rocky friendship. As you can see, I can be a bit shameless at times...

With that said, I like to remain behind the scenes as I do my thing and spend time with friends doing fun stuff. After 16 years in Second Life, I’ve managed to ward off most of the griefers with a random SLE police report here and there. I’m not afraid to poke fun at myself either.

 It seems there has been a rash of Karens showing themselves now too.  Let’s keep it real. Ain’t nobody got time for that”...With all the madness in RL, we come here to be creative, share our skills and talents, socialize on a grand scale and just have fun. I cannot for the life of me understand the mind of a Karen.

Most of the time I spend in SL I am helping others and being involved with the community. I have to say it’s a fun adventure after all this time but I felt the need to address something that happened this morning and ask for your advice. This will also bring me some clarity so that if you feel disturbed by any of my friend conferences or even personal IMs, group notices, Please Unfriend me or leave the group.  I actually got reported to LL from someone on my friend list this morning that didn’t like my friend conference. 

 [07:17] SL Karen*: Hi Lanai, no matter what your business is, it's rude to spam people on your friends list. I separate my contact lists into contact sets so I am not spamming. I unticked the see me online so you can't spam. And I did report your spam to SL.

*Name changed to protect Karen’s Identity

What the heck!?!  Wouldn’t it be easier to just unfriend me? 

When I send out friend conferences once in a while with free advertising giveaways or an invite to join in a game night, I’m not out here sending notices with random TPs without an explanation or acting the fool with people on my friend list..  

*flushes and washes my hands*

So, here’s my question….Is a friend list conference rude and considered spamming? Does this mean I should worry about sending IMs to my friends? I’m confused.

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