It might not be news to some, but Sony has been inviting the hardcore faithful into Beta tests of 'Home'. 

Sont claims Home is comparable to Second Life, as a virtual community of PS3 owners living together in both public and private environments.

Users will be able to login, chat with both text and speech and play casual games together such as pool, bowling and even embedded arcade machines. And when the old stand-bys grow stale, users can invite one another into other PlayStation Network titles outside of PlayStation Home.

Every user will have their own virtual apartment to decorate with furniture, their trophies from various games (see: achievements) and content from their own PS3s. Since the initial limited showings, but a fair amount of talk, this 'world' is certainly aimed at 'pull' technologies. The user has some ability to decorate and move around, however unlike Second Life, Sony decides what is in, out, or what you can do with it.

The proposed interface for navigation is not suprisingly a virtual PSP. Sony claim to be selling 280,000 units a month. At this point Home is supposedly 'free' for PS3 Customers. The gamer hardcore are however a little unconvinced, as recent 'sneek' peeks still don't allow gamers to meet in themed areas. So if you are into Call Of Duty, then your 'sim' is not likley to be themed as per the game. Instead, a central plaza offers bollwing and pool. Jack Buser from Sony commented

"The real reason for the game space being there is to give you an excuse to do something to meet people," he said. "Take pool. It's just like playing pool in real life. You do it to hang out with friends. Maybe one out of 10 times you play pool it's actually to get better at your game." 

The graphics are going to be slick - the PS3 is a very powerful machine, but how much 'free' content will exisit and how much 'paid' content remains a mystery. How that system works too is not clear, nor any mention of connection speed - and the curse of Second Life - lag. Right now the limted Beta testing is leading Sony Forum types to talk about Home as 'vapourware' - as there is little more than a few screen shots and a promotional video to go by - and that has been around for a while.

Given the endless console wars - this is however an area that Sony, Microsoft and Nintendo are all exploring. However, content - as Linded know, is king. Developing an experience that adds to the gaming experience is the product to be sold - and that is directly linked to commercial interests. It's not clear how Home will be rated, so again hard to suggest where it might fit into the spectrum of virtual worlds right now.

However, PSPs and PS3s are very powerful machines, and have a solid following. This further illustrates how 'big entertainment' (Sony pulled out of buying Club Penguin, leaving Disney to do so) - are actively hiring bright thinkers, gamers and social networkers to talk about and develop their product. The media age is creating new opportunities - and game developers learn about social aspects of gaming - over and above providing a 2D web portal to 'join a game'.

As one forum poster commented about Home's dribble feed of information

Among my worries- people generally don't "behave". If you've played WoW, Second Life, or to an extent XBox Live you probably know what I mean. Also, ads? This looks like a *very* expensive system to maintain, and if it's (mostly) free, that means I foresee a lot of ads, possibly to the point of pushing users away. Only way to avoid that would be really expensive add-ons, like the clothes and furniture, and then you don't get as many buyers, and you're back to square one. So we'll see about that.

Commercial advertising or click throughs are the lifeblood of the internet. One advantage I think Second Life has always had is that the user owns the IP, and in that regard to choose to take or leave anything they see.

Nintendo is rumoured to be getting social. Animal Crossing for the Wii will be an MMO/social networking title. It’s no great surprise – in a few short years, Animal Crossing has become one of Nintendo’s most-loved and top selling franchises (over seven million copies sold) - mostly sold in Japan. And Nintendo is quick to talk about it as a 'communications game' - will pull technology being used to draw users to it.

The cross-over between console, mobile computing, mobile phone, laptop, desktop, plush toys, action toys is arriving with almost 'stealth' like qualities. Its a convergence that has been made possible by read/write technology over TCP/IP - and is spilling over into all devices that can push out a wifi signal. As Beth commented on an earlier post - it further divides the have/have nots.

Consoles are pervasive with Australian school age children. While PS3 is expensive, XBOX360 is also another LIVE console - and as supply issues get sorted out towards the Christmas season - both Sony and Microsoft will wage further price and feature wars - inching ever closer to the console being a 'social' experience.

As we debate - media literacy  and global citizenship s - I think that running a private Teen Second Life Island looks like very simple thing to do in light of what is fast arriving from the commercial sectors. Developing re-useable 'teen' content in online spaces has to happen - as teens will be using these spaces after school.

But as many adults don't play games - and are not used to putting out personal information with 'strangers', then there is a huge void between what 'we' think and what 'they' think. Adults often have no idea of using a 3D Graphical User Interface full stop, and when using a computer - monotask. Kids don't.

Music, social trends, social networks, video games, movies and fashion have blended into 'life' - and that life is online - in a continual conversation - that can be remixed, re-packed and re-used.

If schools and teacher think that some 'tenure of authoriity' based on decades of autocratic classroom management will maintain 'school values' then I see a very worrying time ahead - for students as their classroom 'learning' drifts further and further from their social learning - but at the same time, access to this is based on having, as Beth said, Tech-savvy parents that can afford it.

Hair:AVEDA AI - Long Flip - AVEDA Toffee
Skin:ISSIGONIS Sayla Skin v1.1(medium/azure/lip:A/lash:B)
Eyes:~Glanz~ .::Eyes::. mid : DarkBrown
Shirt:GRANDMA!**W-ANEMONE-shirt(M)
Scarf:-Veschi- part of outfit/Shwank Rain Scarf
Glitch pants:LBD Dita glitch pants /blue
Skirt:LBD Dita Flexi Skirt blue/monaco
Shoes:Stiletto Moody Pinup (Patent Color Set)
Nai:CaNDy NaiL #000 Basic Nail Cocoa
Bag:::: B@R ::: Diana Brown Shoulder

Hair:AVEDA AI - Long Flip - AVEDA Toffee
Skin:ISSIGONIS Sayla Skin v1.1(medium/azure/lip:A/lash:B)
Eyes:~Glanz~ .::Eyes::. mid : DarkBrown
Shirt:GRANDMA!**W-ANEMONE-shirt(M)
Scarf:-Veschi- part of outfit/Shwank Rain Scarf
Glitch pants:LBD Dita glitch pants /blue
Skirt:LBD Dita Flexi Skirt blue/monaco
Shoes:Stiletto Moody Pinup (Patent Color Set)
Nai:CaNDy NaiL #000 Basic Nail Cocoa
Bag:::: B@R ::: Diana Brown Shoulder

Note if you are new to SL click on the link above and you will need to sign up by clicking on the orange box in the top right hand corner. Once inside Second Life click the Search Tab (at the bottom of your screen) and click on the Places tab and type in Epiphany Island. Then finally click on the Teleport button on the right hand side.  This will take you to the Cathedral!

The services for this weekend are:

• Evening Prayer - Sunday 12 noon - Led by Rev Mark Brown;(Arkin Ariantho) the topic of his sermon is,   ‘Love is all you need, well mostly..’

• Compline - Sunday 6pm - Led by the Revd Brenda Monroe (Hildeguard Psaltery)

You are also invited to attend the Bible Study led by Sophia Tulip will be held at 11am Sunday at the Conference Center next door to the Cathedral.

These times are SL time which is the same as Los Angeles.  To find out what time this is where you live click here.

posted by Gidge Uriza

So the first thing you are saying is GIDGE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? At work, dude. At work. New job means TIRED TIRED TIRED. And I decided that since I am so chronically tired, I would show you what I want to be wearing 24/7 in RL.

I own intirely too many pajamas for a game where sleeping isn't an activity I do. But I'm obsessed, I love to find fun, cool pajamas to wear. I've held impromptu pajama parties at my house, or gone to club events etc. Most recently I attended the Hair Fair pajama party the night before the fair opened. Low ARC was not on the menu that night, as you can clearly see.

The pajamas I am wering, alas, you can't buy. They were the free item given away by Trinity Eales at a huge Pajama party Cajsa and I hosted in conjunction with Alice07 Barzane's Peppermint Blue club. Trinity gave away three different sets of Pajamas including slippers and a pillow to rest your pretty little head on.

click here to coninture reading on It's Only Fashion

posted by Gidge Uriza

So the first thing you are saying is GIDGE WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? At work, dude. At work. New job means TIRED TIRED TIRED. And I decided that since I am so chronically tired, I would show you what I want to be wearing 24/7 in RL.

I own intirely too many pajamas for a game where sleeping isn't an activity I do. But I'm obsessed, I love to find fun, cool pajamas to wear. I've held impromptu pajama parties at my house, or gone to club events etc. Most recently I attended the Hair Fair pajama party the night before the fair opened. Low ARC was not on the menu that night, as you can clearly see.

The pajamas I am wering, alas, you can't buy. They were the free item given away by Trinity Eales at a huge Pajama party Cajsa and I hosted in conjunction with Alice07 Barzane's Peppermint Blue club. Trinity gave away three different sets of Pajamas including slippers and a pillow to rest your pretty little head on.

Pajamas, or a sleepytime look can be a fun costume though, so if you've got any don't discount them for Halloween. I added a robe from Total Betty and the rollered hair I got at Weird Shit. Moon had to change the name of Weird Shit because apparently the Lindens found it offensive. Amazing because I'm pretty sure that there are places called F*ck A Dead Walrus  and the like, but Weird Shit was forced to change their name. Of course, I can't remember their new name. Moon has many, many many AMAZING costumes there so if you are interested, drop me a notecard and I'll pass you a landmark. She also has many his and hers costumes which is great for couples.

Click here to see the rest of the photo shoot.

ALL PHOTOGRAPHY BY CAJSA LILLIEHOOK of MDR PHOTO STUDIO

Fashion Details

• Shape - Gidge Custom Shape by Hatchy Mills
• Skin - Peppermint Blue Party Red
• Hair - Rollered Hair from Weird Shit
• Pajamas - Lila from Shameless (includes slippers and pillow)
• Robe - Total Betty - Cozy Plush Green Bathrobe

Sometimes when I have time to be alone with my thoughts--against all my best intentions--I sit in my favorite tree and watch the changing leaves, and I let my thoughts wander.

Of course lately they wander South Somewhere. I whisper his name, his True Name, and I ask him to tell me how he is, where he is, anything. Today I felt a sudden sting of pain in my ribs, which made me nearly fall out of the tree.

"Please," I try to say to him. "Please, tell me what's going on." I never know if he can hear me or when he can. I can never see a thing. I don't know if he's still blindfolded or if he just is refusing to let me look. I don't always know what's from him or what's my own imagination. Some cold, musty cell somewhere; exhausted, in pain, and still fighting to keep it from me. He thinks he's protecting me by doing this, I know. Doesn't he understand that I'd rather bear the pain with him than not know what he's enduring? Than to have him hide from me? Doesn't he trust me?

That doesn't even make sense for me to say. But for ten years, at very least, I've had the dreams. I've had him whisper to me that he's coming, that there's hope...and now he's so silent all the time.

His captors are doing their job well; they're succeeding in torturing me.

In part one of this series I promised to talk about a few things and I am torn as which to cover in this post. We all want good sex and defining what that is for many of us is important, we all want sex and how to find it is also important. So lets just get on with how to find it so we all can get a little practice, then talking about good sex and bad sex will have more meaning.

If you are a woman, or at least playing a female avatar then finding sex wont be that difficult. Men, women, transexuals, animals and all manner of mythological creatures are likely to hit on you. Men have a much harder time finding sex in Second Life and much of this blog post is addressed to males but should apply much the same to all species/genders.

To find sex, simply search using the Second Life search tool and visit places. God if it were that easy, we would have no time to read blogs. Just visiting a location like Bob's Free Noob Sex Joint is not going to get you laid, most of the time. There are things that you need to consider and do in order to be able to scratch that itch.

One of the first things to think on is your appearance. Sure some people get off on sex with ugly, gross, disgusting people. Most of us prefer to be intimate with some one attractive, or at least someone that cares enough to try and be attractive. Men, women, others, listen up here. You should come up with a look that is beyond that of your default avatar (avatar you appear as the first time you log in).

There are 3 major areas that affect how you look. Your shape defines physical proportions, this is something you can change yourself. Be fat, thin, tall, short or whatever but try to be the you that you want to be. Your skin is something worn over the shape and greatly affects how you look, there are free skins as well as skins you can purchase. Hair, far to many bald men in Second Life for bald to be an attractive look. Men, get some hair on your heads please, if you are bald it should be the personality you want to portray and not just that you are too lazy to find hair or just don't care. Once these are taken care of, get an AO, a device that affects how you stand and walk, so you can look good and also look cool *winks*.

Now that you know we rather not have sex with complete newbie avatars, you should consider personality and approach. When I started Second Life nearly 3 years ago I had no idea, I was a woman in SL without a single friend and I wondered about all the sex I heard about. I went to a few places and guys quickly IMed me and said "you are cute, wanna make sex with me?" and I was shocked. Most of these guys were unappealing and after the first one I just avoided sex for a while.

I explored different locations and found out there was a better way than pestering people for a good fuck, or even just a fuck. I started to have conversations with people, we would talk about anything of interest and often we found common ground and had sex with some of these people. Just like in the real world, if you only focus is the sex then you get less of it. How you look for sex will make a big difference.

Location, location location. If you are looking for sex then look for it in an appropriate area. I really hate getting hit on while shopping, if I go to a club I kind of expect it. Location means also, looking for a specific type of sex in a place that caters to it. For instance, why would you look for straight sex at a gay club?

Ok this post is very non-specific, very general and some would think obvious. Try shopping for a cute outfit and then wonder why its less than obvious to so many. Remember also, we are all looking for sex all of the time. Some of us want love, friendship or just to have fun. The next post in this series will focus on good sex and what it is. Other post will delve deeper into specific topics.

Now go get laid, will you?

I'll show just a few....

DV Lush natural (just lovely!) and DV Chemical Peel (just in time for Halloween!)

DV Deadly Envy Doll Skins (without and with tears)

DV Deadly Gluttony Skin (without and with tears)

DV Deadly Greed Skin (without and with tears)

DV Geisha skin and DV Lotus skin

This is merely a few of all the skins available.

KMH Skybox Concrete S - 10 X 20. You can buy it for $150L if you don't want to wait for your lucky letter to come up on the lucky board. Be sure to check out their nice low-prim furniture while in the store.

This great reading stump is a picks gift from Off Brand Furniture. Put the store in your picks and go back the next day to get this gem. It's wonderful!

With PJs as sexy as these...how could any guy protest flannels!

Lacy pink lingerie and flannel PJs from Jolie's Boutique....both for $1L.

Who is it I am talking about? Well.. it´s this one:

Oops..no, that was not correct -this is Tipsy, the cow - :)

"she" is Maximillion Kleenes tipjar :)

But, I am talking about Maximillion Kleene!

This is how he is decribed in the live music ad´s:

"Maximillion Kleene is...

Rock/Pop/Alternative solo acoustic stylings,
covering well loved classics to newer, hip
stuff and an eclectic mix in between.
A versatile vocal style, with a full toned
acoustic sound, from soft and melodic
to pulsing and energetic."

See more pictures of Max on my FLickr:
http://www.flickr.com/photos/ikacioc/

Max on My space:

http://www.myspace.com/maximillionkleene

Max on Flickr:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=maximillion+kleene&search_type=>

TIP!!!
Max has a group called "Rythm collective" - be sure to join that and you will get info on when and where there is concerts.

]]> http://boiseblog.wordpress.com/?p=3 Sat, 11 Oct 2008 22:51:31 +0000 boiseblog http://boiseblog.bg.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/journey-into-second-life/ I am new to the virtual world in Second Life.  After watching some YouTube videos on SL, I realized that I, too, could capture screen shots of my Second Life adventure.  In addition, I could capture virtual presentation tools, SL equivalents of PowerPoints, in action.  Perhaps video vignettes of slide shows in action inside Second Life could be a powerful tool for educators new to Second Life.  My inspiration got the best of me and I went to Fraps.com to downloaded Fraps, the real-time video capture utility used to make movies from gaming environments.

The Fraps installation went well.   I felt empowered with the ability to make movies, machinima, with this new (to me) screen-capture technology. I had wondered how video screen shots were recorded for use on YouTube and for use in computer based tutorials.  I was surprised to learn that the mystery behind the animated screen-shot movies was simply a matter of activating the Fraps program and toggling a hotkey on an off to start and stop the screen shot capture.  The application sets F9 as the default hot key, but allows the user to select a different key if desired.

I eagerly logged into Second Life, intent on ‘filming’ a slide show presentation, or some other presentation tool in action.  I teleported to ICT Library and found  no avatars present.  I pointed to a few display signs and read a little about the presentation tools available.  The information displayed was limited, convincing me that my project idea to create machinima (machine + cinema) was a good one.  I walked around the library looking for action.  I came across a path that lead outdoors, to a garden, where I saw an avatar who appeared to be reading.

I approached, cautiously, wanting to make a good impression.  I had come to realize that newbies like me were usually not a welcome sight.  Our clothes and clunky animations make us stand out like sore thumbs.  Those In World for any length of time grow tired of answering the inevitable deluge of questions that stream from the keyboards of newcomers they encounter.  As I ungracefully strolled forward, I saw from the sign hovering over her head that her name was Sonja and she was a librarian.  She greeted me and I felt relieved that I had finally met an avatar with a professional demeanor.

Before jumping into a conversation about my plight, I sincerely complimented her on her appearance.  She was wearing a pink pant suit with shimmering high heels and a pretty blonde up-do hairstyle.  It was something that I would wear in real life, unlike the tiny black miniskirts that seem to dominate the fashion scene of the dance clubs I had (literally) dropped into.

I asked if she knew how to use any presentation tools  and she answered yes.  After a question and answer period of where she purchased her clothes and prim hair, we came back to the topic of presentations.  She offered to demonstrate how to use a slide projector for a slide show.  She walked toward a media box and pointed.  Then, the first image appeared in the box.  Wow, I thought, this is a great opportunity to capture a video!  I pressed my F9 key to turn on the screen capture utility.  To my embarrassment, my avatar starting dancing around the garden!  I was humiliated.  I finally found a patient soul to show me the ropes and I was acting like a crazed lunatic!  Fortunately, the dance animation that was programmed into my F9 key was fairly short.  I was hoping that Sonja was occupied with running her slide show and did not see my odd behavior.

When she finished her presentation, I told her that I was a graduate student at Boise State.  She asked me to join her group, which I did.  Upon accepting the invitation, I gained a subtitle in the label that hovers above my head.  I’m now Debbarry Lane, Book Lover!  I also asked if she had noticed that I was dancing  around joyfully during part of her slide show.  She laughed and replied yes.  I told her about Fraps and my mission to create machinima.  She recommended that I meet a few people she knows that are skilled in the new medium.  She had never used video capture technologies, but did know that you must own the land in order to have video capture permissions.  She then informed me that she had a prior engagement and wished me luck before disappearing from my screen.

Despite my continued low level of progress in manipulating my virtual environment, I felt better about this Second Life session.  The social contact was interesting and imitated real life with genuine emotion (embarrassment).  As I reflect on my introduction to Sonja, I wondered how my face appeared.  I had been so excited about using Fraps that I forgot about my earlier issue with my demo skin.  I turned my avatar around and zoomed in.   Sure enough, there was ‘demo’, written all over my face!  Oh well, embarrassment was a welcome change from feeling like a social outcast.  I’m sure if Sonja read the small print across my face, she understood.  I had told her of my adventures and admitted I was feeling vain.  My project was to gather information, not become a beauty/fashion queen.  She assured me I was doing the right thing because appearances count in Second Life as much, or more, than in real life. 

Harleykillernl Back is the new music sensation in SL. With his incredibly fast guitar and excellent backing track he is like a one man blues-rock hurricane. He is inspired by great guitar players such as Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Yngwie Malmsteen and Garry Moore. Need we say more?

!!!

This pumpkin animates on rezzing, and loops with a short peek and a bigger peek at intervals.

Available now at my Linji and Tiny TAMA stores.

Thank you to everyone who has come to see or has purchased from me at the Jewelry Expo! Today is the last day of the show and there are some cool things all over the place. Please come see me at my The Oh! Factor-booth 68.

~elfa and namaste

Das neue Dress von Mimikri heißt Mimikri - Modesty. Es ist in zwei Varianten tragbar. Einmal in einer Wickelkleid Optik und wie auf dem zweiten Bild zu sehen mit einem Tüllrock

Ich trage es in der Farbe beige. Es sieht sehr edel aus in dieser Farbe. wie üblich gibt es das Kleid in weiteren Farben. Diesmal sind es acht.

Die Bilder habe ich übrigens in einem Haus vom ~*{M&S}*~Design gemacht, welches  wunderschön eingerichtet ist. Wenn ihr mal schöne Möbel, Gartenmöbel oder ein Haus braucht solltet ihr da mal vorbeischauen. Sogar kleine Tiki Häuser gibt es dort.

Mimikri

~*{M&S}*~Design

Shape: N.B.LOOK shapes by Nadja Baxter Model 09
skin: 10 Pale Skin -Jennifer- / smoky1 *REDGRAVE*
Shoes: Stiletto Moody d'Orsay Sandal (Color Set)
Hair: curio Gertrude -black

Sustainability considerations relating to the use of Second Life for education « Learn Online.

Ett klikk unna...

I've been pleasantly surprised at the interest in Vig's Unified Theory of Second Life (tm).  (Hat tip to Hamlet Au, who I've never met but appears to be a reader of this humble blog as he put the spotlight on my theory.)  Thanks to all those who have offered comments.

I've been mulling this theory over for a while, and the words chosen were very deliberate.  For all of its technological wizardry, Second Life is a social space.  It is a place for people to access and meet other people, enjoy shared experiences and interact with each other - in a host of formats and venues.  If you pull the people out of Second Life, you have Photoshop in 3-D.  (Conversely, if you pull the virtual world element out of Second Life, you have a live chat service.)  

Problem is, the Second Life culture celebrates the exact experience which places the greatest strain on the Second Life system - the shared user experience, of which I will offer examples after the fold.  

Despite the lag and other inconveniences, we hardcore users struggle on despite the hassle - recognizing that lag and other technical glitches are the price of admission to hang out with our friends, create and be inspired by others' creativity.  But what of the new users?  Will they drop into the metaverse and find themselves in a quagmire...and want to stay?  Is Second Life THAT compelling?  

My feeling is that it is not.  I also have a feeling that a lot of other people agree with me, which is why Second Life's recurring user count has leveled off.  And I'll stick to my guns in stating that that number won't go up until Linden Lab makes Second Life as stable as, say, your run-of-the-mill XBox game or World of Warcraft.   This is all the more profound when considering that virtual worlds (including Second Life) are on the downside of the Gartner Hype Cycle for Emerging Technologies:

Think about this when considering these examples...

[caption id="" align="alignright" width="225" caption="photo by Charlot Dickins"][/caption]

Burning Life - Check out this photo, "Burning Lag."   I also have to mention this poignant blog entry from one of Second Life's finest artisans, Charlot Dickins, who said, "It sure looks as if they burnt life thouroughly, or did they forget to burn lag?" - it just breaks my heart that someone as talented as Charlot couldn't take part.

Garden of NPIRL Delights - Another festival where the density of avatars is compunded by content overload.  This combination led Crap Mariner to say, "The problem was rather simple: such a show needs to be spread out, decentralized, and put on openspace sims so that the clutter effect does not lag people into immobility, and works are not cross effected."  Crap goes on to say, "As for lag, I've found that reducing draw distance to 64 helps a lot there."  Doesn't that mean that one needs to scale back the technical experience to have a tolerable social experience?

The Relay for Life - A wonderfully well-meaning fundraising event for the American Cancer Society, is designed to build community and raise a lot of money for cancer research.  Eladrienne Laval blogged, "We fought through tremendous lag, but it was so touching to see the folks lined up alongside the track to cheer us on."

Great musical performers offer concerts designed to expose as many avatars as possible to a musician's performance, in theory building positive traffic for the hosting venue and both exposure and income for the artist - not to mention a pleasant cultural experience for the guests.  Of course, concerts bring lag - generally the better the performer, the bigger the audience and....the more lag.  A trip to a Komuso Tokugawa or Max Kleene show is a guaranteed lag experience (but their talents make us persevere nonetheless), but other artists feel it as well, like Syd Siran:

Grand openings of new stores, where Sapphire Metamine shared in late 2007, "...Glam World was THE place to be. But being on the lazy side, I just couldn’t fight the lag, so I grabbed the complementary Loelle hair from Maitreya and ran!"  

Cultural events like the SL Shakespeare company, whose performance in March 2008 led CNN iReporter Maxie Mostel to say, "Though the costumes did not quite materialize due to lag, the voices were clear and well-rehearsed."  Take a look at this picture.  Is that what we want to have in our virtual world?  

And, lastly, even events of the highest order in Second Life - the ones where Linden Lab Chairman Phil Linden comes inworld for a conference.  Yeah, the Macarthur Foundation event crashed on him, too.  Now, that's a meaningful social experience.  

To be clear, I'm not criticizing these events for their ambition nor motivations.  I should know, I ran Oyster Bay and was hampered by lag and other tech glitches all of the time.  We try hard, and the servers can't keep up.  

Love it or leave it, that's how SL operates - the marketing machine (both Linden and user generated) drags people to a central place and then the SL technology infrastructure makes them miserable.  I just can't see how SL can meaningfully grow until that infrastructure catches up with user demand for satisfying group experiences.  

Thoughts, anyone?

[9:53]  ReoDominus Commander: I am realy thankful for your assistance this day Slick
[9:53]  Avalon Vesperia smiles
[9:53]  SlickRichard Dangle: But of course Reo... You are a frind of this Family, and We always try to help our friends
[9:54]  Avalon Vesperia: well then :) who will be first?
[9:54]  SlickRichard Dangle looks at the boys .... four of them eh?
[9:54]  ReoDominus Commander: I have one lil one missing .....but he wont make it now
[9:55]  SlickRichard Dangle nods
[9:55]  Avalon Vesperia: awww
[9:55]  Dahni Nykvist looks down, hoping They will forget him
[9:55]  Avalon Vesperia: hold your head high boy ..... I know you will do fine
[9:55]  Kyle Onmura thinks that D definitely comes before K in the alphabet...
[9:56]  SlickRichard Dangle: Will You be wishing to brand them Yourselves, or do you wish Me to do it and You assist?
[9:56]  ReoDominus Commander: Slick ...bro .... we are using personalised brand's ::smiles
[9:56]  SlickRichard Dangle: but of course :)
[9:57]  Matrix Voom looks up nervously at his Master, "my Master, this one will go first if it pleases you?"
[9:57]  SlickRichard Dangle: All I meant is do you wish to wield the iron or hold the boys still
[9:57]  Avalon Vesperia smiles to the boy who just volunteered
[9:57]  SlickRichard Dangle smiles at the boy who spoke up
[9:58]  ReoDominus Commander: ma matrix ...you shall be first my boy
[9:58]  ReoDominus Commander: I will hold Slick
[9:58]  Matrix Voom smiles back nervously, steadying himself for the honor of the branding
[9:58]  Dahni Nykvist tries to smile at his brother
[9:58]  Kyle Onmura pales slightly...
[9:58]  SlickRichard Dangle: very well... <holds hand out for Reo's iron>
[9:59]  ReoDominus Commander hands his iron to Slick
[9:59]  Avalon Vesperia: I have a cross prepared
[10:00]  Matrix Voom runs his sweaty palms against his thigh, breathing in deeply
[10:00]  SlickRichard Dangle: I will fire it.... if you would strap the boy to the cross while I do we can get started
[10:00]  Dahni Nykvist shivers at the thought he will be watching his brothers and get more nervous
[10:00]  ReoDominus Commander grabs matrix by the ko-lar and pulls the boy to the cross
[10:00]  SlickRichard Dangle tips the iron into the fire
[10:01]  Matrix Voom feels the strain of the collar on his neck, cutting into his flesh
[10:01]  Kyle Onmura: Might this one assist with putting salve onto his brother's tigh after the branding?
[10:01]  Avalon Vesperia grins
[10:01]  SlickRichard Dangle slowly rolls the iron watching to ensure it heats evenly
[10:01]  Matrix Voom looks up nervously at the wooden cross
[10:02]  ReoDominus Commander ties matrix to the cross and clamps his cuffs into place
[10:02]  Avalon Vesperia checks the shakles and steps to the side
[10:02]  ReoDominus Commander: Slick ..... silks on or off Sir
[10:02]  Matrix Voom feels the cold metal clasp his skin, his muscles tight, sweat beading on his skin, the wood of the cross scraping against his back
[10:02]  SlickRichard Dangle: it is best if they are stripped, so no stray cloth gets in the way... silk melted to skin doesnt make for a good brand
[10:02]  Scott Hifeng looks at his brother matrix with admiration at his courage
[10:02]  Kyle Onmura looks at his brother... feeling very uneasy...
[10:02]  Tap Quentin smiles ... and assures matrix... proud of the boys bravery.
[10:03]  ReoDominus Commander breaks matrix's silk strap as he rips boys silks off
[10:03]  SlickRichard Dangle watches as the tip of the iron starts to glow...
[10:03]  Matrix Voom hears the rip of silk, feeling the breeze hit his naked flesh
[10:04]  Matrix Voom looks over at his Master, watching him, giving him a smile, as he breathes deeply
[10:04]  ReoDominus Commander stands aside assured the boy is fastened securly
[10:04]  MIRANDA Crimson watchs
[10:04]  Avalon Vesperia: the best place to hold his thigh Reo ...would be behind to the left
[10:05]  SlickRichard Dangle pulls the iron from the fire to examine it
[10:05]  Matrix Voom feels his sweat begin to trickle down his chest, the hot sun beating against his skin
[10:05]  SlickRichard Dangle grunts in satisfaction and turns to the boy
[10:05]  ReoDominus Commander: jashi Avalon
[10:05]  Avalon Vesperia smiles
[10:05]  Matrix Voom smells the smoke from the fire, glancing at the hot iron
[10:06]  SlickRichard Dangle: hold his thigh above and below the brand spot to keep his jumping from messing the brand up
[10:06]  ReoDominus Commander holds matrix's thigh and looks at Slick
[10:06]  Matrix Voom feels every muuscle shake
[10:06]  Tap Quentin looks on ... as matrix... shows so much courage.
[10:06]  SlickRichard Dangle: inside or outside of the thigh?
[10:06]  ReoDominus Commander: outside Brother
[10:07]  SlickRichard Dangle: boy, this will hurt... I will not lie..... there is no shame is screaming
[10:07]  Matrix Voom closes his eyes and breathes deeply
[10:07]  You: ma Master,
[10:07]  SlickRichard Dangle nods to Reo, then presses the iron against the boys tender flesh
[10:07]  MIRANDA Crimson holds her nose as the smell of burnt fleash fills the air
[10:08]  Matrix Voom feels the hot iron burn his flesh, the smell of charred skin
[10:08]  You: aaaauuuggghhhhhh!!!!!!
[10:08]  SlickRichard Dangle counts heartbeats 1..2...3...4..5...
[10:08]  Avalon Vesperia turns her head softly .. as she hears the scream
[10:08]  Matrix Voom writhes, screaming at the intense pain, his muscles taut against the shackles
[10:08]  Scott Hifeng calls out encouragement to brother matrix... Hang in there brother!
[10:08]  Matrix Voom muscles shake, tears welling in his eyes, he screams loudly
[10:08]  SlickRichard Dangle swiftly pulls the iron away... turning to place it back in the fire to heat for the next boy....
[10:08]  Kyle Onmura averts his eyes... unable to watch this...
[10:09]  Matrix Voom breathes in deeply, panting, the skin on his thigh hot with intense pain
[10:09]  Avalon Vesperia: a well placed mark
[10:09]  ReoDominus Commander throws water over his boys flesh
[10:09]  SlickRichard Dangle bends close to examine the mark for imperfections
[10:10]  Matrix Voom feels the water cool his skin, he screams again
[10:10]  Dahni Nykvist looks proud at his brother, thinking he handled this very well
[10:10]  SlickRichard Dangle: do You wish them salved, or just clean water
[10:10]  ReoDominus Commander: clean water Brother
[10:10]  Matrix Voom looks down at the brand, bleeding along his leg
[10:10]  ReoDominus Commander: I belive it to be best
[10:11]  SlickRichard Dangle: as you wish
[10:11]  Matrix Voom bites his lip to hold in the scream, the tears running down his flushed cheek, as his skin burns, trying to be brave
[10:11]  Avalon Vesperia smiles softly to the boy
[10:11]  SlickRichard Dangle: a fine mark ... bear it proudly boy
[10:12]  Tap Quentin ..... looks on as .... this brave young boy..... serves his Master so well....
[10:12]  You: ma Master, this boy is honored to wear the brand of my beloved Master
[10:12]  SlickRichard Dangle smiles
[10:12]  ReoDominus Commander unclamps his boys cuffs from the cross and lowers matrix down to the ground feeling how his boy is shaking
[10:12]  Tap Quentin smiles.... at the boys words
[10:13]  Matrix Voom falls into his Master's arms as he is lowered to the ground, feeling the cool grass beneath him
[10:13]  You: jashi, my Master, jashi
[10:13]  SlickRichard Dangle: I recommend no clothing for at least a day or two so that the brand isnt rubbed on, Reo
[10:13]  ReoDominus Commander throws more water over the brand and raw flesh
[10:13]  ReoDominus Commander: Indeed .... jashi Slick
[10:14]  Matrix Voom winces as the cool water hits his brand, panting and shivering
[10:14]  Kyle Onmura slowly removes his training leathers... nervous from anticipation...
[10:14]  Dahni Nykvist: be strong my brother
[10:14]  ReoDominus Commander takes matrx to dahni's side
[10:14]  SlickRichard Dangle turns back to the fire... rolling the iron
[10:15]  Dahni Nykvist puts his arm around his brother
[10:15]  Matrix Voom leans his head against his Master's chest, as he is lowered beside his brother