Is there actually anything to do in Second Life?
How many times do you get that question – “So what do you do in Second Life?” It’s a great question but you wonder if the individual asking it really wants to know the answer or is at least prepared for the answer. Having been asked the question I take a deep breath…………
I usually start by telling people that I have a love of music and that my musical tastes are very eclectic, I tell them I love to go to a whole variety of music venues covering a whole plethora of musical genres and I give them examples. I then talk about the fact I love to go to some of the live music venues, I talk about the fact that there is a great deal of rubbish out there however, every now and then you find a real gem, a true artist, vocal or instrumental and again I give examples.
I then go on to talk about my love of art, I talk about the creativity and exuberance of people in Second Life, I talk to them about some of the amazing galleries there are, galleries that I would happily spend a few hours wandering around but then I talk about some of the amazing sims I’ve visited with such creativity and imagination and skill and knowledge and passion, incidentally if you want to see some of what’s great about Second Life visit my friends Mel and Gee’s Venue of the Month page, a real showcase of what is great about the creativity in SL;
Anyway, back to the “So what do you do in Second Life?” I often find that the whole art admission leads to a whistle stop tour of places I love and that’s where the reply ends, however if I’m pressed I usually go on to talk about my love of Sailing, an activity that one of my best and longest friends in SL, Porter Tracy. I go on to tell people about what it’s like, the places you can go, the things you see around the Blake Sea, the freedom you feel, the joy of painting your own sails and hull to make something common your own, the racing and competition, even if you just want to go and watch…… and so it goes on. I then talk about something that links all of the above, the fact you can make like Isabella Bird or Gertrude Bell and explore the vast expanse that is the grid, I talk about just looking at the map and taking a random TP, sometimes landing you in a potentially compromising situations but more often than not landing you in some long forgotten, redundant sim that was evidently the pride and joy of someone’s artistic imagination, I talk about some of the places I’ve been and loved, going back as far as the much loved Greenies sim.
At this point I usually check if the person asking the question is still awake, if so I talk about fashion, and my need to indulge in some of the stores of my favourite designers, I talk about who they are and what it is I love about them, I talk about their shops or the monthly shopping events, I talk about my constant hunt for excellence in design and the blogs I watch that help me find it.
Depending on my mood at this point I may give them a break and let them get a word in edgeways because after all, I’m really only just getting started however and it’s something I’ll come onto in later blogs. I always like to finish on the fact that my most favourite thing to do in Second Life is to turn strangers into friends. I love to go to busy sims and chat to people, I love to get to know them, on the whole people don’t subscribe to the notion that Second Life and First are mutually exclusive so I love to get to know where they’re from, from there I love to get an understanding of their culture, their language and their customs, I love to know what it is they do with their real lives, etc, etc. Over the years I’ve made some amazing friends in SL, some that have come and gone and some that are still around and I count as strong a friend as many I have in real life.
So is there anything to do in Second Life……. Well, yes!
Anyway, to go back to my friends Mel and Gee there’s a couple of pictures below that showcase some of their candidates for Venue of the Month;
What I’m wearing
Earrings – [MANDALA] Prophecy (Midnight)
Rings – [MANDALA] SINRA Rings Season 2
Necklace – **Real Evil (RE) Rebel Cross Necklace M2 - Female
Face Plugs – .:ellabella:. Kerli V2 lite-chin
Boots – :::KC::: Baby Boots - Maitreya
Knickers – Erratic/ delice lingerie - thong / white (maitreya)
Cardigan – Foxes - Cable Knit - Lara - Black
Dress – Foxes - Slip Dress - Lara - Burnt
Hair – MINA Hair - Jett / Brett S (materials)
