Hey, where did you go?

Vivito and I have stepped away from SL for the time being. Nothing dramatic, just a slow erosion of usability that has finally resulted in SL being more hassle than it is worth. The frustration of trying to walk, build, or chat - forget flying or exploring - and being unable has made SL a source of pain and stress rather than of relaxation or fun.
We are trying hard to stay connected to our friends and community via Twitter, email, and even the dreaded FB (for those friends who know us under our offline identities).
It is an awful wrench, and we miss being able to log in, chat and play with our friends.
We will maintain Caer Firnas for the time being, but are divesting the rest of our SL properties. The financial outlay makes no sense as we are unable to utilize the properties, and we have other offline needs for the money in any case. We have always seen this as our "entertainment budget", so some entertainment value is rather expected :)
For now we have been lured by the siren call of Lord of the Rings Online (LOTRO) by a naughty Burro, and are having a wonderful time questing and adventuring together again.
This is not a flounce, and we are not abandoning SL. I am VERY hopeful about the changes Rod Humble is making and count on his making the viewer and the grid usable for us again.
My SL IMs go to email, so I will get those. If you drop me notecards I will eventually log in and get them, but depending on other traffic they could get capped, so if it is important send an IM letting me know so I can log in and pick it up. The same goes for Vivito.
Contact info is in my inworld profile as well.

The Doorways Are Lost

I will admit, it all started with a mishear. In my defense, Loreena McKennitt's lyrics can sometimes be hard to understand without a sheet, at least initially. But the end result is that it got me thinking about liminal spaces, magic, and transformation. And this blog post has been percolating for a while as a result.
I love Loreena McKennitt's song "The Old Ways", it is a lament about the passing of an age as a new age takes over. The singer is recounting her encounter with a representative of the old ways who is passing from our world, and her longing to rejoin them. One line in this song struck a chord in me, which I heard as "The doorways are lost, he sang as he flew"*. This started me thinking about doorways, and liminal spaces. The idea that the doorways between the old and the new had been "lost" kept open the possibility of finding them again and perhaps recapturing some of the magic of the old ways. It also opens the question of whether perhaps those old doorways have already been rediscovered, but we have not yet recognised them.
The idea of liminality is that there are places and times where one stands "between". Usually between an older life and a newer way of being, and this transition may be accompanied by some sort of ritual or recognition. These liminal times involve being in the state or time "before", the transition itself (which may be accompanied by a ritual), and the state or time "after". This transition can be easily visualized as a doorway or passage that must be traversed before the transformation is complete.
Bastillion Bachman had a wonderful "cave of transformation" in Brigadoon that epitomized liminality perfectly - one entered the "cave", which was actually a tunnel. Inside the cave you encountered some vendors that would allow you to take an animal form and emerge from this tunnel having been transformed.
So thinking about transformation and liminiality, I started thinking about doorways. A book, when you look at it, is a small door. You open that door and traverse each passage of the book until you emerge. A good book leaves you transformed, for better or worse.
But what about something like your computer monitor? Is that not an opening to other worlds? If I open a doorway into another world via my keyboard, my monitor becomes the doorway to that space where transformation can occur.
I love the idea that the Fairy doors that were abandoned when the Old Ones went into the West, might be found again. And that we can still be magically transformed if we find one.


*The actual line is "The Old Ways are lost, he sang as he flew", which makes a lot more sense in context of the song title - but I prefer my version :)

The Old Ways - Loreena McKennitt

4th Annual Mad Scientist Convention and Spring Hunt!

Steam SkyCity is Celebrating our 4th Anniversary!

Saturday, May 7 & Sunday, May 8

Benefitting Relay for Life

For the 4th year we are celebrating with the Mad Scientist's Convention in Steam SkyCity
and this year we are including our annual Spring Hunt the same weekend!

What madness could possess us, what insane impulse could bring us to combine this much evil? We set out on this voyage certain of our goals, and certain of our success.
My shaking, palsied hands cannot put down on paper the horror that transpired. We were warned of the consequences of such a foolish plan, but dismissed the warnings as the foolish superstitions of ignorant villagers. Thus we sealed our doom. Now there is no way out, this must come to fruition as has been foretold. The gibbering madness will consume us all, and the eldritch horrors will rise up from the depths and eat us all.

So much fun in store!

Spring Brain Hunt

That's right, this year you are seeking BRAINS! As always, our residents and friends have donated goodies that are placed in givers all over the sim. Find them, click them, take the goodies!
This year, we have added some new features that are primarily for our amusement.
Also, as always, the things are hidden with varying degrees of evil. Some are easy to find, some are deliciously difficult. You are encouraged to scream, cry, whine, and threaten to Leave teh Internetz Forevah if you become frustrated. Your pain is delicious. Mr Volare will be handling the complaint shovel again this year.
As always, we will provide our special Clues that Don't Actually Help (R)(tm)(c)(rtfm) which will be sold in a RFL vendor to benefit Team Caledon.
These clues are sold for amusement only and are not intended to actually direct you to brains, provide advice for life, nor instruct in self-trepination techniques.

**********

4th Annual SSC Mad Scientist Convention

Saturday Events
9am
Opening Reception and Welcome in Steam SkyCity Commons
Convention swag, evil networking, refreshments

Spring Brain Hunt begins - see rules above

Graverobbing Contest begins - 1st event of Mad Science Triathlon! This event challenges the Mad Scientists to find graves hidden throughout Steam SkyCity. These graves will be located in the ground, which may be underwater. These graves contain sundry body parts, as well as some grave detritus. These graves will provide the parts needed to build creatures. Parts are moddable and can be retextured, they are transferrable if you want to swap with others, they are no copy. Finished creature will have at least 5 graverobbed parts, no more than 50 total prims. You may add from your own inventory so long as the finished creature has at least 5 graverobbed parts and is less than 50 prims. Finished creatures will be judged at the Mad Scientists Ball on Sunday.

12 Noon
Speed Build Contest - $L20 entry fee
Oxbridge Village Sandbox - Come up to the sandbox and have some fun! We will tell you what you are building and the parameters when you arrive.

5pm
Manifesto Slam - 2nd Event of Mad Science Triathlon! Come and declaim you plans for World Domination, How it Ought to Be, or just Menace the Populace.

Implausible Superweapon Contest - $L50 entry fee, 50 prim limit. Build something awesome and come show it off at the Mad Scientist's Ball on Sunday evening.


Sunday Events

Spring Brain Hunt Continues all day
Graverobbing continues

12 Noon
Double 0 Skeet Shooting - 3rd event of the Mad Science Triathlon. Pesky secret agent keeps messing up your carefully plotted schemes for world domination? Annoying hero keeps rescuing the menaced maiden just before you can foreclose on the mortgage? Get your vengeance!
Bring your own weapon (needs physical bullets). If you prefer to keep your hands clean, you may appoint a trusted lieutenant to shoot the actual weapon in your stead. That is if you trust said lieutenant not to try for a field promotion...

5pm
Mad Scientist Ball with Magz!
Costume Contest
Judging for Implausible Superweapon and Graverobbing contest creation
Awards for above contests and the Mad Scientist Triathlon
Lots of dancing and merriment for the survivors of the weekend's horrors

Pay no attention to the horrors lurking in the darkness, they are simply phantoms created by your fevered imagination, artifacts of your madness. They cannot actually harm you...


**Serious note**
a) This is intended to be fun. If you have a low tolerance for frustration and lag, or if you think hunts are about being entitled to each and every item in the givers it is respectfully suggested you find something else fun to do this weekend. If you have a good sense of humor and can tolerate the weekend hijinks of the grid, come play!

b) This event has been about celebrating Steam SkyCity since its inception 4 years ago. Since the events coincide with Relay for Life, which is close to my heart, I offer it as a fundraiser for Team Caledon. However, my primary desire is for anyone to be able to come and enjoy themselves. Events that have entry fees are set low and clues are priced very low. There is a donation kiosk in the Commons - if you enjoy yourself this weekend and wish to support Relay for Life please place donations there.

What do you do in Second Life?

In the 4 1/2 years I have been visiting Second Life (tm), this is the most frequent question I get, from both outsiders who are unfamiliar with the platform and from insiders (including LL (tm) aka The Lab Which Cannot Be Named).
And there are many answers to the question, because as a virtual world rather than a Game, there is no specific way to utilize the platform.
Since Rod Humble took over as CEO, he has expressed what we all hope is a genuine interest in what it is we are doing on the grid when we log in. Lots of time and money has been spent to encourage more and more people to log in for the first time, often to the dismay of those who are already logging in and would like attention paid to encourage them to log in MORE OFTEN.
Bird in the Hand, etc. Books, blog posts and seminars abound on the importance of keeping your current customers rather than chasing after all the theoretical customers "out there". Written by learned folk with many impressive credentials, so I will refer you to them. Suffice it to say, they tend to agree that taking care of folks who already are your customers is a Good Thing.
So what does that have to do with that adorable couple at the top of the page? I am getting there.
People utilize the grid in many ways, and lots of folks are blogging now about how they use the grid and what they see as the areas that need improvement or repair.
So I would like to talk a bit about how some of my community utilize the grid, in the hopes that our voices will be heard as well. The couple in the photo above are myself and my husband.
When I discovered SL (tm) I discovered a very strange place, with unfamiliar customs and terminology and full of people who I found somewhat frightening. Over time I discovered Caledon, and found a community of very welcoming people. This community has become my online community, and as real a community full of people just as real as the people who live in houses on my street and the people at my work. I resist using the RL/SL dichotomy for that reason - people in SL are not NPCs, they are living human beings.
Our community in Caledon has grown a lot since I joined in 2007. People have come and gone, we have celebrated achievements, marriages (including mine), births, graduations. We have mourned deaths, supported friends in crisis, given advice, sympathized and scolded. We are a community.
There are members of our community for whom Caledon (and/or other communities on the grid) is their sole social support. For some it is their primary community outside of family. Some have long distance romantic relationships that are facilitated by being together on the grid where they met.
So how does a community maintain this sort of cohesiveness in SL? We log in and go to our build platforms, or a concert, or an event. We shop and play all over the grid.
But as residents of a community we use group chat to stay in touch, group chat is the glue that holds us together as a community. Newcomers to our group nearly always ask after logging in and seeing the robust chat "Where are you all now, TP please!" We explain that chat IS where we all are, as our avatars are scattered all over. Chat is where we pass along our culture, discuss news, get literary or geeky or silly, tell about events, our lives, and generally share. Chat is where drama happens, conflicts are resolved, feelings are hurt and hurts are soothed.
And group chat has been broken a very long time. It has gotten even more broken lately. And what I see is people stating "I can't post anything tonight. Or I can't get the group to open. I give up" and logging off.
That was your customer, right there.
Many in our community also RP, attend events, build, sell, shop. Our community participates in many inworld fundraisers for various charities - the largest being Relay for Life. We utilize the grid in many varied ways. And we do it both individually and as a community.
So my request to our new CEO is this - recognize and support your communities. Because WE are the ones who welcome your newest customers and give them a reason to keep logging in.

A True Son of Caledon

I am pleased to announce that the incomparable Garth Goode has designed the winning entry in our Caledon Embassy Office contest.
His creation will go on display Really Soon Now (tm) once my head cooperates. Until then, feel free to shower him with praise and assorted linen.
Splendid plaque to follow!

For the Honor and Glory of Caledon

(Vienna Museum from Zota's Flickr Stream)

A Building Contest, to create the Caledon Office of the Steamlands Embassy

As we prepare for the Grand Opening of the Steamlands Embassy, each participating nation has been invited to create an office in the Embassy building to represent their nation to interested visitors. The Office can be simple, or it can be ornate, and is designed to introduce visitors to that nation and provide whatever landmarks, information or items that might assist a visitor to that nation.
Caledon's office in the Embassy is a bit...drab. Uninspired. Boring even.
This certainly does not represent our vibrant and wonderful nation and cannot stand!
We are calling upon the creative citizens of Caledon to Rise Up and create something wonderful.
So here is your challenge:

Caledon Embassy Office build challenge

Deadline: April 9th at 11am.
Prim limit: 40 prims

Entry fee: Your time, artistry and cost of materials
Prize: The honor and glory of Caledon. The Adoration of the masses. And a lovely brass plaque :)

You will build (or put together with purchased items) an office for Caledon. We will view your completed builds on the Oxbridge Sandbox on April 9th at 11am.
Judges will determine the winner and that build will become the new Embassy office for Caledon, and will have a plaque with the name of the builder and the date.
Keep in mind that I will be placing your build in the Embassy so the entire build will need to be copy ok, and you will have to be able to transfer it to me. Keep this in mind if you are purchasing items to use in the build!
Any questions please contact me via IM or notecard inworld:
Fogwoman Gray Volare

I can also be reached by email at yahoo dot com as fogwoman dot gray.

*edit: To see what the space looks like please visit the Embassy in Steam SkyCity. It is off the Main passage by the Commons. New Babbage and Armada Breakaway already have construction going in their offices as well.

Bluster and Bile

Negative blog posts get lots of hits.
Frothing and foaming at the mouth, calling names, and general trolling will get a lot of responses.
The only problem with this strategy?
Makes you a troll.
And I have a strict policy about the systematic starvation of trolls.
So with the rare exception of an occasional rant, you will find little here to fire up your engines or fill you with righteous indignation. Which is ironic, since this blog started out as a place for just that during the Open Space debacle.
The closest I will come is to say "Shame on you".
Some say the troll is to be pitied or shamed, but I prefer to starve them humanely.