SecondLife in Top Ten PC Games

I saw it first on New World Notes but had to repost it here. SecondLife is in 9th place on Nielsen´s Top Ten rating for PC Games for May 2011, I wonder how InWorldz placed?

Will The Last Elves Emigrate?

I leave SecondLife for real life a few days and it seems like all hell breaks loose.

The big story is of course the decision of ElvenMyst, presumably the last Elf clan in SecondLife with over 2 000 members, to leave for a lesser virtual world.

I was really sorry to read that news. I have never had any dealings with the elves of SecondLife - not that I know of - but my Ars always spoke with great admiration of their talent, creativity and skillfulness. As I understand it there were many elves in the earliest days of SecondLife, but they had for some reason or other moved on to other worlds in the course of time.

This last emigration seems to have been brought on by a hiccup in the Linden Lab billing system, which started when one of the Eldars of The ElvenMyst clan got an automatic e-mail from the billing system about being late in paying tier, which he then actually tried to do several times but the system did not accept the payments. The Eldar then filed a ticket with customer support, when it did not get an immediate response or solution the four Eldars decided to pull up stakes and move to InWorldz (of all ghastly places).

Although they have now, according to the clans blog, - a day after the ticket was filed and after direct involvement by Rod Humble (the cute new CEO of Linden Lab, a k a Rodvik Linden) - already been given an both an excuse and a very generous offer of compensation although the Eldars want more.

As I understand it the Eldars are now in communication with the membership to find out what they wish to do in the present situation.

I must say I would be very sad to see the last elves leave, but I cannot help thinking that the decision to leave was an overreaction which was too hastily made. We cannot presume that the people working at customer service know who we are and our standing in-world. Most of those working there probably only visit in-world for work purposes and are not involved in any of the communities.

In my own experience the people at Linden Labs customer service are mostly benevolent and helpful, even if they are not always able to solve your problem fast but then again neither technical nor legal problems can usually be solved by snapping one´s fingers, no matter how huge the customers business is.

I am hoping the elves choose to stay in heaven!

My World Is Getting Crowded

I remember when Ars and I moved in on this sim in January 2008. There used to be just a few sims close to us, now there are loads and loads. My sim is the one dead centre.

Is this the result of the current crisis in "InWorldz", are all the refugees coming to my neck of the woods?

Well they are very welcome to a better place - most of them! One of these days I´ll go around visit them all to wish them welcome.

I Never Thought It Would Happen

Picture courtesy of Elodie Footman

I just read a post on my friend Apmel´s blog "Min avatar heter Apmel" ("My Avatars Name is Apmel") that totally made my day!

Apmel is a big admirer of SaveMe Oh, who is a performance artist in SecondLife. For the first time ever I got a glimpse of what he finds interesting about this particular artist.

I haven´t been able to stand her before today and did not understand why everybody - herself included - thinks she is soooo fabulous.

I never thought I would ever agree with SaveMe about anything whatsoever, but whaddaya know she rings my bells already in the first three lines of their conversation.

"SaveMe Oh: I tried out opensim, inworldz and craft
SaveMe Oh: and its all a bullshit
SaveMe Oh: you can build like crazy, but no one ever comes to look at it"

Read the full conversation between Apmel and the amazing, the soothsaying free spirit, the virtual world genius SaveMe Oh here.

Truthfully, I have started to suspect that SaveMe Oh may be my evil twin, well at the very least a kindred spirit of sorts.

BMcM Corporation to buy OutWorldz?

Archive photography, Bock McMillan

After yesterdays rumours about Microsofts alleged bids to buy Linden Lab and Second Life the Internet today started buzzing about the next big deal in the Virtual Worlds business. 

It is now claimed on the blogs, Twitter and Plurk that the mighty BMcM Corporation has shown some interest in acquiring "OutWorldz", a.k.a "InWorldz" or "Low Budget Second Life". 

This blogger tried to get confirmation of the rumours by directly contacting the interim CEO and Chairman of the Board of BMcM Corp, Mr. Bock McMillan. 

After an extensive search Mr McMillan was found as he was exiting from a house of ill repute in the Zindra zone. Mr. McMillans responses were at first rather evasive and he declined to comment at all. Pressured by this blogger he finally erupted and said, "Why the hell would we want to invest good money in that awful place? We are not in the habit of squandering our shareholders money on useless or profitless activity!"

There is of course always the possibilty that Mr McMillans response was a blatant lie so as not to disturb any ongoing negotiations. 

Microsoft makes bid for SecondLife?

I almost fell of my chair when I read about this rumour on my friend Eddi Haskells blog Eddi Haskell´s Second life. I am not sure of how I really feel about it either but I thought you should know. (And "Tinas universum" has a post about the rumours too)

Rumours are that Microsoft has made more than one bid to buy SecondLife. The rumour still seems to be unsunstantiated and lacking confirmation, but lets just wait and see...

P.S: After thinking about this for five (5) minutes I think Microsoft should consider OutWorldz instead, some say it´s an exciting place although most of us would not agree!

Dear Bill Gates, it would be a better bargain if you bought "OutWorldz", its a much cheaper place...

Bye bye Arabella

I read the news on "Tinas universum" that Arabella Steadham has been permabanned from Second Life, and am actually not upset or amazed at all but rather grateful to Linden Lab for looking out for my safety, protecting my privacy and generally covering my precious arse.

I don´t believe a word of Arabella´s rantings on her own blog "Arabella´s Amblings", that she has been permabanned for being an honest, upright and outspoken person against the dictatorial Linden Lab.

You should try "OutWorldz" now Arabella, I have read a lot of good stuff about the boring place. They really, really need some more excitement there (except for the often occuring shutdowns) have fun!

InWorldz not in the top ten

Well, it should not amaze anyone, but as you can see "InWorldz" didn´t even make the top ten. My guess is they come in around 234th or lower...

Meanwhile Second Life has moved up to 8th place since February 2010 and has also increased it´s average per minute playing time since then. For the cold figures for February 2010 look at this post on "Mer eller mindre KRANFEL".

Linden bashing

I get very easily pissed if I read something that upsets me before I have finished my breakfast and have gotten my full pot of coffee.

Now I just read - yet another - Linden bashing posts on the blog "Mer eller mindre KRANFEL". I do not understand why Alessia/Vesper cannot promote the "lovely" InWorldz without constantly bashing the Linden Lab and Second Life.

All I can say is the following:
1. Second Life is not compulsory.
2. Linden Lab - through it´s wonderful employees - has always come through for me whenever I needed it.
3. Second Life has improved greatly - and keeps on improving - since I first arrived.
4. Second Life is well worth every penny I spend, if I did not think so I would move on and never look back.

It is true though, we really are building a paradise in Second Life and all of us who love it here benefit from that.

So please stop spitting in my soup!
..........
FYI
No, this post is not aggressive.
No, I am not being defensive to protect the time and money I have invested in Second Life.
No, I am not insecure, never have been and never will be.
No, I am not on any edge whatsoever.
Yes, we are still friends.

Now go find some better arguments!
........
P.S. Thanks Alessia/Vesper for all the international traffic to my blog from your post in the "Inworldz forum". Welcome strangers, I am usually a nice guy, whether you believe it ot not...

Hell no, I won´t go!

There has been a lot of talk about alternative virtual worlds lately, alternatives to "Second Life" of course.

The three alternatives I have seen discussed most frequently are "OpenSim", "InWorldz" and "Blue Mars".

The comparisons made by the believers in the alternatives invariably emphasise the shortcomings of Second Life. OK I have tried all three so called "alternatives", OpenSim a while ago and the other two just recently.

Admittedly I have only tried the alternatives for a short period of time and also with a huge degree of initial scepticism, but all I can say is that at the present stage of development they are no real alternative for me.

The points often raised by the believers in the alternatives are less lag, lower prices for land and everything else and more prims. They also speak about "the great pioneering spirit".

Less lag?
In my own experience - and I am no physicist or computer wizard - lag is often associated with the amount of avatars that occupy the same sim or perhaps the "world as a whole". No wonder then that the alternative worlds may have less lag, they only have a fraction of the inhabitants of Second Life. When I was in OpenSims there were 32 in that world, in InWorldz there were 68 and in Blue Mars there were also less than 100 (but I cannot remember the exact number).

The amount of users in those other worlds are extremely low. Being there feels very lonely, boring and absolutely useless. And even with this said, it took more than 45 minutes for my avatar to rez in Inworldz the first time I visited.

I hated Blue Mars because they let me be born with a childish face and I did not like the rest of the graphics either. (Yes I have seen that my friend Eddi Haskell has succeeded in creating a beautiful avatar for himself in Blue Mars, but all I can say it seems to have taken him a very long time, and I am not half as artistic as he is.)

Lower prices?
This is simply a question of supply and demand. The supply is infinite, the demand is extremely low. Do any of you really believe that the prices will stay low if and when more people come to the worlds you are promoting?

More prims?
I have all the bloody prims I need and a shitload of prims to spare. If i had even more prims I would not use them anyway. Who wants or likes clutter (with the possible exception of hoarders).

Pioneering spirit?
Pffffft thats just another way of saying "We don´t have anything ready made for you here, build it yourself or do without!" (I remember walking around in OpenSim with black socks and two black box shapes on my feet because there were no shoes provided in the inventory I was born with and nowhere to get any.) And to be perfectly honest, I am not a pioneer at all, send me to a shop anytime!

My top five reasons for staying in Second Life - at least until further notice - are:
1. My Ars and our Southern Charm sim.
This is where Ars was and Southern Charm still is. Until they tell me I can move Southern Charm to another grid I am staying put til Linden Lab pulls the plug.

2. My family and close friends in Second Life.
Love you guys and don´t want a virtual world without you!

3. Cultural developement.
The fantastic musicians and poets, the amazing artists, the awesome landscapers, the terrific builders, creators and developers. My world would be less without them.

4. Economic developement.
You can get almost anything you want in Second Life, and if you cannot get it you can order it from one of the creative developers.

5. I believe in Philip Linden and his creative staff.
The original dreamer is back at the helm, and soon with a better look...
Overall my Second Life experience has vastly improved during my three and a half years here, and it keeps improving.

Admittedly there are still problems to be handled, but I believe the issues will be taken care of. New problems will arise in time of course, and they will be taken care of also. I want to be here and see and take part in the evolvement of my Second Life so...

Hell no, I won´t go!

P.S. Yeah, I decided to remove the "update".