Creator of Slink Avatar Announces Closing of Stores

 

In what can only be described as a surprise move, the creator of the Slink avatar, Siddean Munro, announced on Saturday December 31, 2022, she was closing her stores, taking her avatar and other products off the market.

Following two stressful years of pandemic which I am sure we have all been affected by in one way or the other, I suddenly lost my mother in September of 2021, my grandmother in January of 2022 and my cat Cleo in June. I have been unwell and enduring a lot of chronic pain. I have to be very honest, my spark has dimmed a little and I no longer have the energy to pour into this business like I once did.

I’ve done a lot of soul searching over the last 18 months and have come to the very difficult decision that for my own physical and mental wellbeing, I need to move on from Second Life. I am starting something new, and can only hope it will be half as much fun and as fulfilling as my time in Second Life has been.

She would thank her customers for years of loyal business, "I cannot express what your support has truly meant to me, and I know these words will never be enough...."as well as other content creators who made products for her avatar, "you made what I do so much better! Thank you so much for your fabulous, innovative and gorgeous creations that made mine look so awesome." She announced she would no longer be answering messages made to her or her alts.

 

Checking her Marketplace page, it was cleared out, empty, one day before the announced closing. Same thing with her inworld store, at a sim also named "Slink." Entry was restricted to one tiny area with ban lines around it. There was a redelivery terminal, but the items for sale were out of reach.

 

Siddean had been creating items for sale since 2007. Her avatar shape has been around for some years, and has been described as "The Tesla for mesh bodies," applauded for it's low-lag design, which contrasted with some popular but complex and lag-inducing avatar shapes that multiplied two to three dozen times could make attending an event unreachable for those with older computers. 

On the official forums, there was praise for her on a thread about her closing. "I was very surprised (and a little sad - Slink is still my favorite and most worn body), but it sounds like a change will be good for her, and I wish her the best in her new endeavors." ''I wish Siddean and her team all the best for the future. Slink has been an innovator in SL and Siddean is just a lovely person." "I'm wishing the creator all the goodness, it seems they need a whole lot of happy thoughts from all of us. They were one of the amazing trend setters in SL back in the day and I'm sure their contribution will always be remembered!" "My heart goes out to Siddean, if I'd been in her shoes with all that RL threw at her the last few years, I'd probably do the same soul-searching. I hope she finds a new venture beyond Second Life where she can put her talents to good use and get that spark back." "It seems they had an awful year, and I am not surprised to hear they are stepping away. Lets hope one day they come back with an amazing creation that knocks us all off our feet " "So sad to hear this, Siddean was one of the pioneers of mesh bodies in SL, I don't think we'd be where we are now without her.  I wish her all the best for the future." "Sad news ...15 years of visible accomplishments and a very nice goodbye with hope for the future. Rare in SL for creators it seems."

The other products around for Slink avatars will likely be around for around for a while. But with the avatar no longer for sale and the creator gone from Second Life, it is unclear if any more will be made.

Sources: Slink, New World Notes  

Bixyl Shuftan