"Standby" by Bryn Oh

A Youtube showing some of Bryn Oh's "Standby," the third and last chapter of her "The Rabbicorn" series, to be made public Nov 1 2010 in the IBM sim.

Rebar Ceremony on The Playa

The Rangers for Burn2, http://www.burn2.org/ , have finished our training. On Saturday the 25th, the Rebar Ceremony was held. The graduates gathered at the Ranger Headquarters on the Playa in anticipation of crossing the line. The address explained the symbolism of the ceremony.

In RL a long time ago, the first Black Rock Rangers took a step across a line in the desert. Ronan Carver said, “Danger Ranger took a stick, drew a line across the earth, and said ‘On the other side of this line, there exists a world where everything is different.’ Then everybody held hands and stepped across that line. The first settlers of Black Rock City had come to burn a wooden man. In doing so, they created a community.”

Rebar is the common anchor for tents and so the Rangers starting stepping over a length of rebar in 1996. Now the numbers of graduating Rangers are so large that the rebar is used to draw the line and the rebar is laid down at the end of the line at the Burning Man . “The important thing is what the rebar symbolizes. ..an anchor..”, said M2Danger Ranger.

So now we are ready and willing to help the community on the Playa! We have learned the skills to work with the community. Our community is busy building wonderful exhibits for the Burn2 week.(October 16 is the start.) It is exciting to watch it all grow from the soil upward. The Rangers are looking forward to it all!! Hope to see you there.

Gemma Cleanslate

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan
(picture from SamanthaS Nightfire)

Linden Labs to Allow Limited Access by 13-15 Year-Old Teens After Merger

On the Linden Lab blog announcement on Tuesday September 28, Terrence Linden announced that with the upcoming closing of the Teen Grid, the educational and non-profit groups and their members there would be able to continue on in the Main Grid. This includes those teens from 13 to 15 years old.

Terrence stated that these teens would not be able to go across most of the Main Grid, but in Second Life be restricted to those areas of their group. Neither Search or the Marketplace will be available to them. “We will implement these controls and transfer these rich and exciting projects from Teen Second Life before the end of this year.”

Reaction in the following comments was somewhat mixed. A majority of the posters seemed to approve of this move. A sizable minority expressed worry, one saying all it would take would be for one peeping tom to pan over to a mature sim and see someone alone in the privacy of his home and naked, and for the parents to catch the kid and file a multi-million dollar lawsuit against Linden Lab, or even have the avatar owner arrested, for corrupting a child. A proposal was made for a way to stop this, and put into the JIRA: https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/SVC-6242?

No doubt the debate will continue as the merger approaches.

Read the blog entry and comments Here.

The Bid4aCure Date Auction

For several hours on Sunday the 26th at the Bid4aCure Event Park, bachelors and bachelorettes were auctioned off to bidders at a date auction. The Lindens raised went to charity for diabetes research. Hosted by Bid4aCure, the event was a memorable experience for all involved.

Read the story in Events

The Rotterdam Virtual Market

Second Life has no shortage of places to shop. Some are made up of flash and glitter, with big signs that cry out "Buy Me!" Grey Lupindo found a location which was anything but. Read about her trip to a flea market with local charm at the Rotterdam Virtual Market.

For the article, go to Places.

Sunday Cartoon: WW2 RP Area

SL Fiction: The MARM Mind-Mapping Software

The virtual world of Second Life is a wonderous thing. But what if it were improved upon. What if it got information not just from computer mainframes. What if it also tapped the mind and memory. Would it be harmless fun, the only thing needed being precautions for privacy, or could there be harm done.

Read the "creative fiction" story by FoxM Ember in Extra.

Do You Have a Story?

On occasion, Second Life Newspaper will print an article or picture submitted to us by one of the readers.

Have you seen a particularly well-detailed sim? Went to a great event? Found yourself in a hilarious "only in SL" predicament? We're very interested in what you the readers have to say. Send us a story or funny picture, and if we like it, we'll post it as a Reader Submitted. For pictures, jpg format is preferred.

Mail submissions to bixylshuftan(at)gmail.com.


PLEASE include your SL user name and tell us if you wish it to appear with your story.

Second Life Newser reserves the right to post in the appropriate section and to investigate any names used in submitted stories (please ask permission before using anyones name or picture or use an alias for them).

Linden Labs to Close Down “Avatars United” Social Networking Site.

On Thursday Sept. 23rd, Linden Lab announced through emails and its blog that they would be closing down their “Avatars United” social networking website.


Today, we have made the difficult decision to discontinue Avatars United and will be taking down the site on September 29, 2010. Over the next week, we encourage you to save any pieces of content (such as pictures, friend’s names, etc.) that you want to keep. We will also soon update you on your AU Coin refund, if you have an account balance. Over the two and a half years since launching Avatars United, we have welcomed avatars from many virtual worlds and MMOs to connect on our platform as the only social network catering to the needs of virtual identities. We are proud to have served those needs and honored to have shared this journey with you all.


Checking a few discussion boards, few Second Life residents expressed any sorrow for Avatars United being slated for the chopping block. And many of those who did were thinking of the effort the Lindens spent there that could have been put to use elsewhere, or those in AU there for reasons other than Second Life, as it has been originally created for avatars across virtual worlds, and had been used mostly by MMO players such as World of Warcraft. The opinion most seemed to have was that it was another Linden blunder that they finally admitted would not fly.

I myself got an account to see what it was like just after Linden Labs got it at the beginning of the year. But after a few weeks, didn’t use it much. It seems Second Life residents preferred to go on more popular social networking sites such as “Facebook.” And now, Linden Labs is folding what some called their answer to Facebook.

To see the whole blog post, and comments, go Here.

Bixyl Shuftan

Greeters and Guides for Burn2

Time is passing so quickly. The playa is alive with builders working on their wonders. The entertainment planning goes on so that there will be music and fun for all the visitors. Brigit Ranger , the Community Lead for Burn2 has put out a call for Greeters and Guides. She says, “My hope is to find people who are looking for fun, like to meet new people, and who know the meaning of patience and perseverance. “

It is great fun to be a greeter. I have watched as they weave their magic like trapeze artists at the gate to the playa . Their friendliness and help to new arrivals makes for a happy start to your exploration. A volunteer need only dedicate 6-8 hours for that week , October 16 through 25, on the Burn2 playa. You will probably want to spend more time.

You can contact Brigit by sending her a note card or you can e-mail her at Brigitranger@gmail.com . You will receive training to prepare you for the fun.
Gemma Cleanslate

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

Delinda Dyrssen Challenges Second Life Users to “Mentor a Linden”

In one of her recent posts on “Delinda’s Diary,” Delinda Dyrssen brought up that a number of people she communicated with felt that ironically most of the people behind Second Life, the more important workers of Linden Labs, don’t go about on the Grid much, “Hence the (Viewer) 2.X.”

Paisley Bebee wrote in a reply to a blogger post on the subject:

... unfortunately I have to say that in my experience there are quite a few Lindens who don't know how to cam to click and sit, and certainly don't shop for clothes, skin, hair, ect. Therefore don't know how to adjust clothing, or wear it, or even find it after purchase. This is clear when you see Lindens wearing the same outfit year after year, same original system skin. .... I'm afraid rightly or wrongly, it is suspected that you don't care enough about your customer base to use your own product! And I don't mean, click and sit in a chair. I mean make machinima, take photo's, build something - create something, shop and rez something, wear something, find an event based on a narrow perimeter, go looking for an object that is really obscure on Search (etc.).

Considering what’s been going on in the Metaverse, this might explain more than a few things. Blue Linden was one willing to mingle among the residents, but he’s not around as a Linden any more.

What to do? Delinda had this suggestion:


I believe the idea is ... If some of the really hard core users who spend many hours trying to educate, work, create, collaborate and or play in SL were to spend a few hours with some of the key Linden Labs employees.. one on one..doing what they do..showing these talented Linden Labs people the pitfalls.. the needs, the it would be cool or useful if we could, just even how to sit down or put on a pair of shoes (Phillip did say it was difficult to do that). Then .. and only then could they really come up with a viewer and platform that serves most people needs in a “Fast Fun and Easy” way.


Delinda’s suggestion was that the higher profile bloggers could get their attention, “Pssst, Philip ... “ Her suggestion was that involved Lindens would spend 4 hours inworld with their mentor, phone off the hook with nothing to interrupt baring emergencies and maybe a few breaks. Paisley Bebee felt the mentoring time probably should be a week, “Not only would you learn an enormous about your software, you would learn about your customers!! AND the PR would be fabulous, absolutely fabulous. Linden Lab you need to do this. Most other companies do this these days. Good customer service and increased sales demand you get over your ego, admit you DONT know it all. And be humble enough to find out what we the customers use your product for, and what we want.”

So what do you the readers think? Do you feel the Lindens, to borrow Paisley’s words, can get over their egos to get a mentor? How would you feel about mentoring a Linden? How successful do you think such a program would be?

Bixyl Shuftan

The Pan-Pacific Auditorium

Some of you are familiar with the abandoned building made into a disco club in Xanadu. Here's a look at a depiction of the real-life building behind the movie: the Pan-Pacific Auditorium. Spanning almost the width of the sim, this huge build is well-detailed, well worth a visit between events, or at a packed live music event.

Read the story in Places.

A Not-So Peachy Mess over Xanadu

Some weeks ago, I ended up getting into some controversy when the owner of an adult media company on Second Life openly attacked two articles I wrote when working for JamesT Juno's Second Life Newspaper, in particular going after the owners of a Xanadu-style club. After talking to friends involved, here is our side of the story.

Find out more in Extra.

Happy "Talk Like a Pirate Day"

Reader Submitted by Aeonix Aeon

By Bixyl Shuftan

Eye on the Blog: "Next Steps for Mesh Import"

When Qarl Linden, now Qarl Fizz, was dismissed from Linden Lab, there were worries that the mesh program, which he headed, would end up shelved. But the newest post on the Linden Blog reassures viewers they’re still at work on it, and that the non-disclosure agreements the testers were under are being lifted.

As you know, we have been working on Mesh import for some time and have had an awesome group of Resident beta testers helping us to iron out the kinks. Those testers have been under NDA, but today we will be lifting that NDA so that those folks in the closed beta can talk publicly about their experiences with Mesh in Second Life. This is in line with our desire to be ever more open about what we are working on. Look for other videos, blog posts, and Tweets (#slviewer2) shortly.

Jack Linden then gave a link to several Youtubes showing mesh at work, the first giving a brief explanation of what mesh is and can do.



We’re also getting ready to move from the current closed beta, to an open beta so that any Resident interested in helping us to test the Mesh toolset, or just curious about the technology, can get involved. Mesh Import has some incredibly exciting implications for inworld content creators, so we’re very keen to get as much feedback as we can; and of course, the more people that use it, the better the feature will be when we go live gridwide.

Jack Linden stated they planned to make the announcement of it’s opening in about two weeks.

To see the blog post in it’s entirety, Click Here.

SL Poetry: Revelations

Shellie Sands has a new poem up, this one titled Revelations.

Read the poem in Extra

Team Emerald Heading to Utherverse/Red Light Center

In the week since the discredited Emerald Viewer was blocked from Second Life, the remnants of Team Emerald are heading off to another virtual world. Their departure, however, was conducted in a less than professional manner.

The day Linden Labs made their announcement, Team Emerald member Arabella Steadham, officially the Communications Manager, reacted badly. She wrote an angry post full of rants and insults, the professionalism she had shown up until then stripped away. She attacked rival viewers, she attacked her former teammates whom had defected to Phoenix, and she repeatedly attacked Linden Labs. She ranted the “dunderheaded buffoons” of the “pond-sized American company” had bullied them for no reason other than their viewer being more popular than theirs, and the blocking of it’s use was part of some underhanded conspiracy to force the users to use Viewer 2.0. Second Life, she branded, had no future among virtual worlds except as a backwater.

The following day, Arabella announced that Linden Labs had terminated her account. Banned. She made a few more words defending her rights and branding Linden Labs as dictatorial “Thought Police,” warning readers they could be thrown out for the slightest criticism. Then basically stated she no longer wanted to be part of Second Life.

According to an article in the Herald, Phox, the Team Emerald member whose refusal to resign led to several members quitting and forming Phoenix, was also banned. Fractured Crystal, the member who resigned following the Distributed Denial of Service Attack, was not banned but apparently vanished on his own.

So where did they go? Blue Mars? OpenSim?

A couple days adrer Arabella announced her banning, there was another announcement.
...Second Life isn’t the greatest virtual world software. The only thing that makes Second Life so great is the people! We think that all the same people will be able to enjoy better software, and a better viewer by moving over to a competing platform, the Virtual World Web.

The “Virtual World Web” is the platform of Utherverse. This virtual reality company offers users the ability to access “a Virtual World Web of interconnected 3D communities ” that they call superior to the Internet. Of these virtual worlds, only one, Red Light Center, has gotten much attention. I’ve only run into a few who used it, and none were particularly happy with it’s performance.

Modular Systems has been officially invited to participate with Utherverse, the company behind the VWW, in advising on new viewer features and possibly on future client development.

"This is an enthusiastic group of developers who also love spending time in virtual worlds. They know what a Viewer needs to do to make the user happy because they use it themselves," said Brian Shuster, CEO of Utherverse. "It's shocking that their talents weren't properly appreciated by Linden, but the popularity of their work speaks for itself. We are very happy to have started up a new relationship with Modular Systems developers."

The freind whom I’ve discussed Emeraldgate with often chuckled over Team Emerald going to what he called a third-rate virtual world, being among those I ran into who tried it. He felt Utherverse was so eager to get more users, they were not stopping to think of the potential damage that could be done. The chance that they could rise above being a backwater, to borrow Arabella’s word for what she saw as SL’s future, was just too tempting.

But he felt “the real battle is in SL,” reminding that there were still these Emerald viewers with “spoofers” to get around the Emerald ban. Depending on whether or not they continued to make them available might make the difference in whether or not Linden Labs would take legal action.

The Utherverse is offering incentives for those in Second Life to change over. But in my opinion, this is likely the last we hear of Team Emerald, at least for a long time.


Bixyl Shuftan

Bid4aCure Date Auction in Second Life

Bid4aCure is a fund-raiser event, in its fourth year, that will be held this year in the month of September 2010. We raise money for diabetes research for member organizations of the International Diabetes Federation: Diabetes UK and the American Diabetes Association.

Information and receipts from all years' event may be found at:
http://www.bid4acure.org/
http://www.jocelynsands.com/ (click on the charity link at the bottom of the site.)

Our signature event: the Date Auction will be held at 1 PM SLT on September 26, 2010

Event Date and Time: Sunday, September 26th at 1 PM SLT
Event Location: Bid4aCure Event Park

Bid4aCure Event Park, Temprus (47, 76 36)

What is needed from auction volunteers?
1. An introductory paragraph. Please write about your SL self. This will be read on air when you step up to the platform to be auctioned off.
2. Choose 2 songs that most fit your SL personality. If you are a live entertainer, you can send MP3 recordings of yourself to jocelynsands@gmail.com Please make sure to include songs for Bid4aCure auction n the subject line and make sure that you reference your full avatar name.
3. Please send me a profile-sized picture of yourself; it can be your ad or a second life pic. It needs to be given to me with full permissions. This picture will be on display when you step on the podium.
4. Please join the group Bid4aCure.org in SL. The group is open enrollment and will be used that day to coordinate as well and send announcements.

Frequently asked Questions:

What time will I be auctioned off?
This is a live event on SL and so precise timing is difficult at best. The list will be published a week in advance. If you cannot be here for the entire event, then you are asked to be online and available via IM from 1 PM SLT on the 26th until you are auctioned off. You will receive an IM when there are 6 people ahead of you and you are asked to come to the event at that time. Please also notify your groups / friends so that they can come and support you.

What do I have to do that day?
Just show up. You will hear your name and be asked to come and stand or dance on the podium. Jocelyn will read your introduction aloud and then play your music selections while the bidding starts at 1000 Lindens. Once you are “sold,” Jocelyn will announce that and you can step down off of the podium. Make sure you know who bought you for a date and contact that person.

What are the dates and how long do they last?
Dates have ranged from exploring SL together to going dancing or horseback-riding. It is up to the two people to determine that. The same goes for the length of the date, although you should expect to spend two hours.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Why Bid4aCure?

• Diabetes currently affects 246 million people worldwide and is expected to affect 380 million by 2025.
• In 2007, the five countries with the largest numbers of people with diabetes are India (40.9 million), China (39.8 million), the United States (19.2 million), Russia (9.6 million) and Germany (7.4 million).
• In 2007, the five countries with the highest diabetes prevalence in the adult population are Nauru (30.7%), United Arab Emirates (19.5%), Saudi Arabia (16.7%), Bahrain(15.2%), and Kuwait (14.4%).
• By 2025, the largest increases in diabetes prevalence will take place in developing countries.
• Each year a further 7 million people develop diabetes.
• Each year 3.8 million deaths are attributable to diabetes. An even greater number die from cardiovascular disease made worse by diabetes-related lipid disorders and hypertension.
• Every 10 seconds a person dies from diabetes-related causes.
• Every 10 seconds two people develop diabetes.
• Diabetes is the fourth leading cause of global death by disease.
• At least 50% of all people with diabetes are unaware of their condition. In some countries this figure may reach 80%.
• Up to 80% of type 2 diabetes is preventable by adopting a healthy diet and increasing physical activity.
• Diabetes is the largest cause of kidney failure in developed countries and is responsible for huge dialysis costs.
• Type 2 diabetes has become the most frequent condition in people with kidney failure in countries of the Western world. The reported incidence varies between 30% and 40% in countries such as Germany and the USA.
• 10% to 20% of people with diabetes die of renal failure.
• It is estimated that more than 2.5 million people worldwide are affected by diabetic retinopathy.
• Diabetic retinopathy is the leading cause of vision loss in adults of working age (20 to 65 years) in industrialized countries.
• On average, people with type 2 diabetes will die 5-10 years before people without diabetes, mostly due to cardiovascular disease.
• Cardiovascular disease is the major cause of death in diabetes, accounting for some 50% of all diabetes fatalities, and much disability.
• People with type 2 diabetes are over twice as likely to have a heart attack or stroke as people who do not have diabetes. Indeed, people with type 2 diabetes are as likely to suffer a heart attack as people without diabetes who have already had a heart attack.

Press Release from Bid4aCure.org in SL

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan

Interview with WW2 RP JG 2 Commander Vickster “Baroness” Kuhn

Among the people in the WW2 RP is Vickster Kuhn, the commander of the German JG 2 flight group, also known as the "Richthofens." As work was being done on an article for the combat sims, she agreed to an interview, to tell her side of what goes on with the combat roleplay, and some of how it came to be.

For the interview, go to People.

Help Wanted at Burn2

The DMV (Department of Mutant Vehicles) of Burn2 is looking for volunteers. Artists and builders can all help with the creation of the fun vehicles that visitors to the Burn2 playa can pick up and drive around.

Emcee Widget says “Mosey on over to the VOLUNTEER FOR BURN2 link on the left there and find a DMV position that you like. Textures, scripts, builds, sits .. we need ya. Don't be shy. Oh..and wear a protector on your cheeks...we can make you break them from all the laughing we do.” Here is the link if you would like to take up his challenge: http://www.burn2.org/volunteer-signup.

Part of the fun of the playa is getting ready for the Burn2 which will take place October 16th through the 24th . There are many other jobs to apply for that do not require building skills so don’t be shy. Greeters have a lot of fun. Lamplighters dance up the road every day and night. There are many who did not get a plot in the lottery but here is a way of being part of it all.. Volunteer!

Gemma Cleanslate

Second Life Jalisco, Mexico

Today, Reporter Grey Lupindo goes south of the border. In the Opera Joven sim, she finds a slice of Mexico to explore around in. So get your train tickets and head to Jalisco.

Read the story in Places.

More New York City Block 9-11 Pictures

Many more pictures were taken of the 9-11 ceremonies at the NYC sim than were needed for the article. So, a number of the extras get an article of their own, to show a little more of the scenes.

To see the pictures, go to People.

Reader Submitted: Heartfelt Interviews From Secondlife on 9/11

A decade ago, madmen in Afghanistan launched a plot to murder innocent civilians in New York City and bureaucrats further South. Nine years after that war crime, people of SecondLife (SL) proved that humankind shall never forget to hunt down those lunatics and eradicate their heinous insanity from the planet. As news media, we must be very careful not to aide the cause of murderers. Words matter: they were MURDER bombers. Publicity for their despicable crimes is their primary tool.

About all this, I spoke with people at the 9/11 ceremonies at Blue Angel Memorial in SL's Unsung Village sim. Melodie Jigsaw was in Texas on 9/11 and thought: "sheer overwhelming loss and tragedy - the complete sacrifice of the first responders - the devastation that occurred so quickly and so unexpectedly… takes my breath away today." And when I asked her about burning Korans and building YMCA-like Islamic centers in NYC... a surprising and delightful response: "its just a damned shame that 1) people can't tolerate differences in each other and 2) people do things that they KNOW will push buttons. Yes, you CAN burn a Koran or build a mosque anywhere you like - but does that mean you have to? When you are CERTAIN to do nothing but cause unnecessary drama?" Dang! Nobody messes with Texas ladies!

Blue Angel organizers Hope McAlpine, Drakken Calhoun and many friends dedicated the 9/11 ceremonies to Leary Firefighters Foundation. Yes, that's Dennis Leary from the hit TV show about firefighters: "Rescue Me". Find out more and donate at: http://www.learyfirefighters.org/ Or you can experience the amazing 9/11 memorial garden and donate at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Unsung%20Village/60/144/23

Next, I spoke with Darkstone Aeon, who was an eye witness on 9/11. He recalled: "was on the phone with my brother who lives 5 blocks from the towers. I was joking and he said 'noooo! a plane hit the tower.' He said it was so loud he hid under his desk. I stayed on the phone with him… then watched as the 2nd plane hit and watched as the towers came down… I had customers who worked in those towers." His brother survived. Later, Darkstone shared thoughts about extremists who pervert religions: "they breed fascism and hatred and have for centuries destroyed… while people commit genocide in the name of god. Thats why I am here… because we should NEVER FORGET."

Anya Mellison, SL owner of Blazing Iris Consulting / Photography / Jewelery Fashions and Blazing Blazing Lounge ,told me about losing her childhood friend on 9/11. She created a special work of art, dedicated to her friend and shared it with SL Newser.

Greenies have a special place in SL society. Why they go green, who knows? I met a very wise Greenie on 9/11, Awesome Portilo, who shared: "As for the [Islamic] YMCA [near WTC], I feel like every person is an individual. I hate grouping people together like a lot of others do. America is a melting pot, it always has been. This [World Trade Center] was supposed to be the place everyone could go when they felt like hope was lost everywhere else. Just because a certain terrorist group attacked us at one point in time, we shouldn't be so quick to punish others by refusing such buildings."

And I talked to many others… with heartfelt quotes, enough for many news stories. These are ordinary Americans with impressive insights, wisdom, and creativity. As a reporter, 9/11 is actually my favorite day of the year. This is the day when hearts open up. American strangers become American friends. The inner beauty of peoples' souls is freely shared with abundance, love, and kindness.

Any1 Gynoid

9-11 Commemorations in Mystery, NYC sims

Throughout the Second Life Grid, there were a number of events reflecting on the day nine years ago when the United States suffered it's worst attack from terrorism, a total of 3000 killed. Some events were small with just a few attending. Others were larger, involving dozens. Two of these commemorations were the small vigil at Mystery, and the large remembrance at the NYC sim.

Read the story in Events.

Nine Years Yesterday

The 911 memorial day has dawned again, and it seems like it just happened.

Attending a reading of the names of the first responders who were lost on that day 9 years ago is always poignant. Some of the names become familiar over the years. I went to the reading of names at the 9-11 Memorial 2010 in Unsung Village this morning. Hope McAlpine keeps it all alive every year.

I moved on to the WTC Memorial and Statue in New York, NYC where the reading of names of all those who perished were being read. I heard some of the same names again, recognizing their affiliation, police, fire … all those in the towers, and the planes then the names of those who died in the plane that crashed into the Pentagon. And on and on. So many names. It is wonderful to see them remembered in SL as well as RL. Some of the relatives were there and spoke of their lost one. Also, Jasoncool, a relative of injured said “My 2 cousins were firemen that day helping on recovery and cleanup and they are permanently disabled from the health issues.” Respects were offered by the listeners.

My last visit of the day was to Lion’s Gate at Journeys End. How fitting. It was a place of tribute and celebration for all. It seems fitting now. Some years ago I could not celebrate, but as the years pass it is easier. A live concert seems to soothe. Sid Slade was fine for an ending. Now we will pass another year in safety I pray.

Thanks to all the world who understands our remembrance, RL and SL, and our sorrow that does not ease.

Gemma Cleanslate

9/11 We Remember

At the NYC sim: (215. 40, 23)




The tribute will be throughout the day, with a ceremony at 1 PM SL time.







Fireman’s Prayer


When I am called to duty,
whenever the flames my rage,
give me strength to save some
life whatever be their age.
Help me embrace a little child
before it is too late,
or save an old person from
the horror of that fate.
Enable me to be alert,
and hear the weakest shout.
And quickly and efficiently
to put the fire out.
I want to fill my calling
and give the best in me.
To guard my every neighbor,
protect his property.
And if according to my fate
I am to lose my life,
please bless with your protecting hand
my children and my wife.

9/11/01 - We will never forget

Poem by Firefighter A.W. “Smokey” Linn

What Not to Say to the Chronicaly Ill

A friend of mine with a painful illness thankfully gets well wishes from most she comes across in Second Life, but it seems always runs into those whom are clueless in what to say around her. After a while, she decided to do something about it by making a poster.

To read the story, go to People

Homestead Sim Available in Sunweaver Estates

The Sunweaver Estates recently announced the Sunny Beach Homestead sim is now available for rent. Homesteads are are the same size in area, as regular sims. But their prim count is lower, at 3750, and can only hold 20 avatars. But the rental fee is much smaller than a regular sim. The asking rental fee is $95 a month.

For more information, please contact one of the rental managers: Nydia Tungsten, Wensleydale Dinkins, Shockwave Yareach, and Rita Mariner.

Calling Poets: Poetry Contest at Criss Museum

All poets hear this. There is a poetry contest going on from now until September 19 at the Criss Museum.

To enter the contest you must go to the Museum and chose a painting that inspires you. Then write and submit the poem on a Notecard which indicates the name of the artist and the piece in the poem to Emile Sands, Poetry Coordinator of the Museum. The name of the note card should be MCA Poetry Competition Entry and include your name. There is a 2500L prize for the winning poem.

In keeping with the poetry theme, on the 14th of September at 12pm SLT, Stosh Quartz and DonJuan Writer will be special guests for a romantic set of readings at the Criss. You are invited to join in your best Victorian attire and enjoy the romantic poems. You can bring your own too for the open mike to follow.

Good luck to all poets!

Here is the entrance to the area: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alajuela/182/74/22


Gemma Cleanslate

9/11 Ceremonies to be Held in NYC Sim

On Saturday September 11th, there will be comemerative events at the NYC, New York City Block, sim in Second LIfe. Following a ceremony at the World Trade Center Memorial, there will be a parade in honor of the firefighters and police who perished trying to rescue people in the towers. The parade will be done by the Second Life Fire Department.

The NYC sim is run by Cheri Bing, whom is also a resident of New York City in real-life. The place has been running for overr three years. For the entire time, she has had the NYC memorial, and last year, the commemoration was reported on by CNN. Earlier this year, the Second Life Fire Department established a station in the sim.

To get to the NYC sim, Click Here. The Twin Towers Memorial is in the southeast corner of the sim.

Bixyl Shuftan

Sunday Cartoon: WW2 RP Area

Bixyl Shuftan

Emerald to be Blocked From Accessing Second Life, Phoenix and Emergence Approved for Linden Directory

In what many Second Life residents thought was just a matter of time, an announcement was made on the Linden Blog:

As of 10am PT Wednesday, September 8, the Emerald Viewer will be blocked from logging in to Second Life as a result of violations of our Policy on Third Party Viewers. Residents who have been using any version of the Emerald Viewer will need to use a different Viewer to access Second Life. ... We take Residents’ privacy, safety, and security very seriously and will take action to enforce the policies that help protect it. ... we have decided to block logins from the Emerald Viewer in order to protect our Residents. All versions of the Emerald Viewer will be blocked from logging in to Second Life as of tomorrow at 10am. Please be aware that attempting to circumvent our blocking to access Second Life with a banned Viewer is a violation of the Policy on Third-Party Viewers and may result in the loss of one's account.



It didn't take long for word to travel, a few groups I'm in discussing about it in chat. Someone put up a link explaining how to modify one's Emerald Viewer to avoid being blocked. This was quickly followed by an announcement from the group leader that Linden Lab was not fooling around, and would not think twice about banning someone trying to get around the Emerald block.

There were still a few people confused as to what was going on, wondering if trying to simply attempt to log in with Emerald would mean a ban. To those reading, the answer is no. Trying to log into SL with an unaltered Emerald viewer after 10AM SL time tomorrow will not mean a ban, just unable to log in. But modifying it to get around the block very well may get you banned.

What got less attention, but still talked about some was the change on the Second Life Third-Party Viewer Directory. Both the new Phoenix viewer from the team led by ex-Emerald Jessica Lyon, and the Emergence Viewer from LordGregGreg Back (whom had left Emerald before the scandal) had been added to it with no comment from the Lindens. In a sense, LordGregGreg and Jessica had been vindicated, and Emerald condemned.

So is this the end of Emerald? Not necessarily. There are reports going around of the last update of Emerald involving “spoofer” programing to allow people to sneak in. Diehard fans of Phox and Fractured Crystal may keep it around in small quantities for some time.

Chatting with a friend, he felt that the shenanigans by the troublemakers of Emerald very well could land them in serious trouble. The night before, he had listened to BBC Radio 5, which talked about Second Life and the Emerald Scandal, and knew that the next day Emerald would be banned (and Emergence & Phoenix placed on the TPV directory). Linden Labs could afford to be a little lax as long as the debate was within Second Life. But once this began hitting more mainstream media, it’s reputation was on the line.

What Linden Labs does with the troublemakers he felt depends on how defiant they remain. The Lindens have a lot of evidence against them from the Directed Denial of Service attack , to the Emerald code, and then the spoofer, which he felt was their way of telling Linden Labs off. He didn’t think they realized Linden Lab could call the FBI on them, whom could work with overseas police for those living abroad. What the Emerald Team troublemakers did, he felt, could easily be classified as cyber terrorism. Which means if Linden Labs decided to pursue the “nuclear option,” those involved face years in prison.

Or perhaps the judge will be lenient, and give them twenty years probation, but among the terms, they can never again so much as touch another computer.

Bixyl Shuftan

The Ozland Fall Treasure Hunt

Grey Lupindo loves a good hunt in Second Life. And recently she found one in the three-sim area of Ozland. Read about her adventures as she goes down the yellow brick road in search of fun and little treasures, and finds much more, including an art exhibit.

Read the article in Events.

New Section: Classifieds

Second Life Newser has just opened it's Classifieds section. For a small fee of 500L, one can place a small classified ad there of 100 words or less.

An example might be:

Wanted: Roommate for house in Sunweaver Air sim. Must be willing to share 800L a month plot rental. Beachfront property. Cool neighbors. Call Jack Sparrow

More details can be found on our Advertising page.

Linden Labs gets New Marketing VP

Linden Lab recently welcomed a new addition to its executive ranks: Kim Salzer, who became our Vice President of Marketing, at the beginning of August. Kim (known as Kim Linden inworld) joins us from Activision Blizzard, where she was Vice President of Global Brand Management for properties like Guitar Hero and Call of Duty 2, among others. Kim brings a deep background in gaming (including experience at Electronic Arts working on massively multiplayer online games and hit sports franchises), and in online learning, and we’re excited to have her as part of the team. As an introduction to Residents, I asked Kim to tell us a bit about herself in her own words:

Q: What’s the one thing you bring from the gaming world that will be most useful to you in your position at Linden Lab?

A: Working in gaming taught me a lot about just how creative and passionate that audience can be, and I think the same is true for the Residents of Second Life. And SL provides so many great tools to enhance and bring out that creativity, I’m really looking forward to helping foster that as we move into the next phase of the platform’s growth. I want to see if we can make the range of what’s possible in Second Life even broader.

Q: What are your goals for your new position as VP Marketing at Linden Lab?

A: What I really want to do here is help the Lab figure out what the “X Factor” is going to be for Second Life. When I was working on games, I always tried to choose a single idea to focus on and bring out, an X Factor that helped people get into the game and helped them discover all the rest of the possibilities there. If I can help bring that kind of focus to Second Life, I’ll be happy about how I’m doing my job.

Q: What excites you most about working on a product like Second Life?

A: I’m excited about the prospect of helping to build a product that really empowers people to express what they’re about, and that can make a real difference in their lives. I think we’ve only just started to see what can be done here, and I can’t wait to see where we and our Residents can take things from here.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

That Kim Linden comes from the company that brought us World of Warcraft is interesting, but not necessarily a sign of earth-shaking things to come (with recent events in mind, at least by itself). As Tateru Nino reminds us, Linden Labs in the recent past had a Marketing VP whom had worked with the people who brought us The Sims.

To view the blog post and the following comments, Click Here.

Postcard from Breezes

Arya Boutique is full of the nicest well made clothing, based from the India theme to many other styles. Very nice welcoming gifts to be had. and a staff that is so truly great. They have the nicest camp chairs and two of the most helpful kindest camp helpers. I have never seen such warm people. Chatting goes on all time, unlike what few camps that are left in SL. Arya (227, 173, 22)

The WW2 Combat Roleplay

Somewhere in France 1944, American and British forces battle in the streets of a town against the German Wehrmacht and Waffen SS. Up above, Mustangs and Hurricanes engage in dogfights against Me109s and Focke Wulfs.

Who will win the day? Well, that's up to you.

The WW2 RP, three sims of furious combat over land and air. Both sides continue to accept new players into their ranks. If you're a history buff of the era, or find a thrill in combat gaming, this may be the place for you.

To read the story, go to Places.

Sunday Cartoon

By Bixyl Shuftan

(with help from Erix Oh)

From the Ashes of Emerald ...

Just a few weeks ago, Emerald’s development team, officially known as Modular Systems, was doing very well. With Linden Lab’s official new viewer disliked by many in Second Life, they were the first, and most popular, of the third-party viewers. Probably about a third, some say almost half, of the residents were using the Emerald viewer. Having the respect and admiration of many, the few stories going around about the past of a few of the team members and possible code vulnerabilities got little attention.

Today, Team Emerald has fallen apart, and word on the Grid is it’s just a matter of time before Linden Lab blocks its ability to access Second Life.

Jessica Lyon whom resigned from team after what was branded a “hostile takeover” by the remnants, quickly organized a new one to produce a new viewer for Emerald fans.


A few days ago, I assembled a team of developers to work on a new viewer. Some who were originally Emerald developers, some who were not. All are respected reputable residents in the Second Life Community. The goal was simple, to provide users with what they want and do it transparently.

I’m am very proud to announce the launch of the Phoenix Viewer. This project, has started off simple, with it’s initial release of a safe clone of the Emerald viewer. Users want Emerald features, you shall have them.


It’s interesting to note Jessica included among the developers LordGregGreg Back, the developer whose resignation from the Emerald team marked the beginning of the end. So far, there is no conformation on his blog about his involvement, though he did hint he would be making another entry soon concerning Jessica’s actions.

Second Life Newser has already ran into a few people who have tried Phoenix and liked it. A peek at the comments suggested some have had a little trouble loading it. And of course there is the matter that Linden Labs has yet to give it its official seal of approval.

Here’s one review of the Phoenix viewer by “Natales” - Click Here

So will Linden Lab ban use of Emerald? Possibly, though pulling the plug on a popular viewer is a risky move. A fraction of the Emerald viewership refuses to let it go. It may be that they plan to let the word spread about alternatives to Emerald for a while, give the remaining Emerald users time to accept what happened and find a replacement. Then make an announcement they will block the viewer after a given amount of time.

Hamlet Au has had a few things to say about the Emerald mess. Among them, that the actions of Fractured Crystal bring up the debate on how to treat youngsters. He was reportedly 18. When 17 and 16 year old residents are allowed onto the grid, will they be allowed on development teams, and when they screw up will they be pilloried in the court of public opinion like adults? Then there’s the issue of Internet anonymity and business. Hamlet Au considered Linden Lab the only ones to trust in the mess as they were “an actual company with actual names.” Others feel this anonymity is still “the great equalizer,” allowing those with talent to succeed online even if in real life they’re a “horse-apple” shoveler. The issue will continued to be debated for some time.

As for Qarl Fizz, the former Linden who joined Emerald before the proverbial slop hit the cooling fan, he has yet to answer our request on his point of view of the team’s downfall. He may have just decided to stay out of sight for a while.

“This ain’t the end of Emerald, but you can see it from here.”

Bixyl Shuftan

"Tats and Tunes" at The Village International

Once again in keeping with the dedication to all Art forms in their sim, The Village International, For Art’Sake‘s Nathaniel Somerset and Stacy Braveheart have a brand new exhibition beginning September 5 and running until September 12. This time it is Body Art. Some of the most prominent artists of tattoos in Second Life will be showing their work.

Primal Art Tattoo‘s Shifty Simons will have some of his famous pieces displayed. His dragon work is well known and there is now a flattering female version of his draconias dragon. He also specializes in custom work for your convenience and his product range is varied. Pania Nexton of Sweet Chaos Inc. will be showing full body, top layers, colored, and black. Rams3s Kirax makes all styles of tattoos, Chinese, Maori, henna ,face tattoo, and all language names. Van Naimarc of V TATTOO STORE has a sim filled with so many varied artistic tattoos and will be showing a variety of them at the exhibit.Natasha Leckrone and Tatt Dagger are co-owners of Tat'Tash Ink Tattoos and will have a display of their edgy, gritty tattoo designs.

These are a few of the artists of body art that will be there personally during the week. They are also placing some of their pieces in boxes around the sim for a HUNT. Along with the exhibit there will be numerous activities going on in the sim. There will be 7Seas fishing contests every day at various times, beginning with the opening day at 10:00 AM SL time. The sim will have parties with contests, such as best in tees, best in blues, formal, and more, with enjoyable music. Live performances or DJs every day will make for a lively week.

Monday a live performance with Ganjo Monkeev playing blues, funk and more. On Thursday there will be a Kiss Concert . These will take place in the mmhmm YeSss Club in the sim. DJ Michel Moeleneaux will charm you with his blues music. And Kittie Morrissey, who loves getting the crowd pumped up will be there. The entire schedule will be available at the sim and you can also check it on the website http://forartsakemusings.blogspot.com.


You don’t want to miss it so put it on your calendar, starting Sunday the 5th.

Enter the sim here and you will find information: The Village International (112, 117, 25)

Gemma Cleanslate