Reflections On The SL19B

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The Second Life Nineteenth Birthday is almost history. Each Birthday celebration of the virtual world has a number of things going on. It offers a chance for exhibitors to show what they have, often to showcase a community, organization or business. It allows DJs to show their stuff. And it offers the Lab a chance to talk to the residents, and perhaps answer a question or two.

Each one is also usually remembered for different things. The SL15B was noted for being the last of the resident-run Birthdays. the SL16B was the first one with Linden Lab back in charge, and also noted for it's 1950s theme. The SL18B was overshadowed by the recent passing of Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg. For this year, the celebrations are probably best known for the Steampunk theme, and to a lesser extend the announcement and release of the "Premium Plus" option for Second Life accounts.

Interest in what Premium Plus would offer before the event was fairly high. But once the details of what it would offer were out, reaction was somewhat mixed. The majority of people commenting on one thread in the official forums expressed their dislike or stated they had no plans on getting it. A few grumbled the Lab was being greedy. But some did say they would get it or were considering. And within a few hours of it's release, several hundred had upgraded to it (at least according to the Lab). While it's unknown how many more signed up by now, it's clear the Lab's move is getting it some extra money from their move. 

So what is the Lab doing with the money? Well, they demonstrated one thing in development: a new line of starter avatars. There's also that Linden Lab isn't truly independent, but was acquired a couple years ago. While one of the new owners has expressed his enthusiasm about Second Life, and he wants it to succeed, it's a sure thing the Waterfield Network wants some return on it's investment. 

One other detail was the sims getting a last-minute extension of time. We're happy of course that the Lab gave the sims a few more days. But they could have given the announcement with more time to spare, and in the public group before the scheduled closing.

And then there's the theme for this year's Second Life Birthday: Steampunk. Perhaps that was a tribute to some Second Life communities with that theme. But it's also a genre of fiction based on the Victorian Age, some of what's considered steampunk now written at the time. The era had it's share of problems, pollution, mistreatment of factory workers, poverty, women treated as second-class citizens, etc. But it was also an age of discovery and progress. New lands were explored. Inventions would make getting around faster, help heal the sick, and improve the lives of people in many ways (imagine life without electric lights and bathroom tissue). Life and society would change more in the more advanced countries at a much more rapid pace than at any time before in history. So many writers get inspiration from the era to write tales of adventures in these turbulent but optimistic times. 

Perhaps some of us will be inspired to read more of the fiction, read about the era, or perhaps spend more time in Second Life's steampunk communities, which would be an interesting legacy of the SL19B. 

And then there's the next Birthday, the SL20B, the Big Two-Oh, What the theme will be for our platinum anniversary will be, we have months to guess. But it will be an interesting one. In the meantime for the Newser, more time for us to write about the people, places, and events elsewhere in Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan