Veterans Day/Rememberance Day

To those who served to defend Democracy, thank you from Second Life Newser.

Cartoon of the Day

By Bixyl Shuftan, with help from Skylark Lefarve

Virtual Ability Hosts "Health Literacy" Discussion

Second Life Newser recently went to Virtual Ability Island, where  the location hosted a discussion on "Health Literacy." Zsuzsa Tomsen presented the talk, explaining what health literacy was, and how improving it could help.

Read more in People.

SL Video: "I Wanna Go Fast"

Made for The University of Western Australia's "MachinimUWA III" machinima contest in 2011, by "MoscowIsland."

The University of Western Australia- MachinimUWA III - "I Wanna Go Fast"
Machinima, Idea & Scenario - Andy Graycloud
Building and Terraforming - Sezja Melodie
Post Production - Andy Graycloud.

"I Wanna Go Fast"
Performed by
Johny Black Gang

"Shining Moment"
Performed by
The Flavor

"Make Them Say Ooh!"
Performed by
Dot Dot Dot

"Thanks to everyone who has watched my machinima and those who will watch as time passes. To those who leave and have left many kind comments, it is greatly appreciated. Many thanks to all my friends and to Sezja, who made this possible!"

Burn2: The Temple Burn

Last Sunday November 4, the Burn2 festival came to an official close with it's last big event: the Temple Burn. Second Life Newser was there, and took a few pictures.

See more in Design.

Dr Fran and the Editor at Virtual Ability

While at Virtual Ability Island on Nov 4 for a discussion on "Health Literacy," I ran into blogger DrFran Babcock.

The article itself on Virtual Ability will have to wait. It's been a busy week, and the news never stops.

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Release: Skin Burn

Burn2 isn't QUITE over yet!

Burning Man’s Ten Principles calls for Radical Self Expression. As part of that Self Expression, Burning Culture includes nudity and decorated nudity.

For BURN2, we see it as an opportunity to celebrate the Burning Culture while watching The Man burn under low lag conditions!

How? SKIN BURN!

We do this by having our Avatars wearing just skins, no prim attachments and minimal scripts, so we have minimal Avatar Render Weight (the former Avatar Rendering Cost, or ARC), slowing down the Virtual Playa server.

We first tried this in 2010; this event was an instant hit. We're bringing it back again to the Virtual Playa with the Skin Burn on November 10th! ! Below you will find the information for this years Skin Burn.

To get to the Skin Burn sim, one must be in the BURN2 Skin Burn Group and have the tag active.

Hope to see you there! REMEMBER, access is only available to a limited number of avatars! First come, first served! Alternate viewing of the Skin Burn will be from Elko.

If you have any questions please contact iSkye Silverweb or Neeks Karu.

Date: November 10, 2011
Times:
Avatar Checking: 11:30 AM SLT - 1:00 PM SLT
The Man will burn at 2:00 PM SLT
DJ music will be playing from 2:30 PM SLT.

Place: Hualapai Sim
NOTE: Sim will be CLOSED to all except BURN2 SKIN BURN Group members!

Details:
Everyone must be checked in first for low ARC and low script count at a place off sim. Once they pass the checks, they will be invited to the BURN2 Skin Burn group and given the LM to Hualapai. Check-ins will be from 11:30am - 1:00pm SLT and then close. Free art skins will be available at the check-in for those who don't have any.

Guy Fawkes Night at Steelhead's Friday Ball

Friday night in the community of Steelhead is Guy Fawkes Night, in which the Steelheaders "pretend it's the 5th of November, and dance away under the town hall." Those Guy Fawkes masks seen at protests and elsewhere are encouraged, "Bring your revolution masks and some dynamite."

The dance is at the Steelhead Ballroom in Steelhead Capital City and broadcasted on Krypton Radio. The event starts at 7 SL time, and goes on until at least 9, or until the last people leave.

Steelhead (74, 155, 26)  

Oskar Linden Dismissed From Linden Lab: Full Story

A few days ago on the SL Universe forums, Oskar Linden posted that he had been fired by Linden Lab. Rumors had been going around for a couple days in SLU before Oskar finally responded.


To solidify all rumors, yes my employment was terminated by Linden Lab last Friday. It was a surprise Skype call with the manager of my department and HR. At the same moment all my accounts were locked and I was told a courier was on the way to my house to take my laptop. This is standard operating procedure at the Lab. The reasons given were quite vague, but at the root of it was complaints from a griefer who I had banned from a private testing sandbox that I managed after he was harassing people and threatening to crash them and the region.

I was also told that there were issues with my communications. I don't understand that because I have operated in the role of public communicator for the lab for three years and have always had stellar reviews. It's not like the reasons really matter anyway. When the Lab wants you gone it's over.

To be quite honest this has all come as a surprise and a shock. I have known for a while that this would happen eventually though. All Lindens fear 'the skype call'. The old Linden culture is long gone. Many Lindens are disappeared in that way when the Lab no longer has use for them. It has been difficult working through the changes at the Lab the past few years. I could have left, perhaps I should have left on my own. I would have been better off. I did not choose to do so because I was dedicated to the wonderful residents I have met during my 4 years working on SL. I was committed to all of you and committed to making Second Life and Linden Lab a better place. I felt I was fighting the good fight and didn't want to just run away. I felt that I was making a difference. I hope that I did.

I have no idea what is next for me. I have varied passions that I will follow until I feel the need to pursue further employment.

I have nothing disparaging to say about Linden Lab, in fact I am not legally allowed to because of the wording of my separation agreement. :-) 
 
Linden Lab is cotton candy and kittens, unicorns and rainbows.

I greatly appreciate all of you who friended me and were so passionate about helping me make Second Life a better place. Your enthusiasm to help find bugs greatly helped the quality of the server code. You are all amazing. You are Second Life, not Linden Lab. Never forget that. I love you all and will miss working with you greatly!

In his profile, Oskar stated he was he Technical  Lead and QA engineer.

Someone in the SL Universe forums thought that last weekend's Grid glitch happened after he left was no coincidence, "Oskar leaves LL and SL breaks for 7 hours, does that say anything?"  Daniel Voyager commented that questions about his sudden leaving will probably be around for weeks. " I think many appreciated Oskar Linden’s work and SL/LL communications over the years. Oskar Linden ... will be missed deeply by the SL community. I wish him all the best for the future!"

 Images from Daniel Voyager and Oskar Linden.

Cartoon of the Day

Taken at Obama HQ on Election Night

By Bixyl Shuftan

And It's Obama, Again

Last night, Second Life residents watched the election returns not only on TV, but also got together at locations like the GOP HQ, Cafe Wellstone, and Obama HQ. It was just after 8PM SL time in which the winner was declared. President Barrack Obama had won, overcoming a weak economy with an unemployment rate that would have brought down previous incumbents.

Stay tuned for an in-depth look at election night on the Grid.

Burn2 Thoughts and Pictures

Gemman Cleanslate wrote some about Burn2, but was quite busy in her role as one of the events Rangers. With the art and music festival now technically over, what she had was a few thoughts, and a few pictures.

See Gemma's account in Places. 

Events This Week in Second Life from Nov 6 to Nov 12

This weeks starts off with Election Day, and there are a few locations where one can go to discuss it. Burn2 is officially over, but one can go to the location for the next few days to see any exhibits one might have missed. And of course there is our usual selection of book & poetry readings, DJ & live music events, races, talk shows, and church services.

Read more in Events this Week.

Image credit: Daniel Voyager

Breaking News: Oskar Linden Dismissed From Linden Lab

In the Second Life Universe forums, Oskar Linden annouced that he has been terminated from Linden Lab.

More details to come later.

Election Day

On Monday while boating on the Blake Sea in the Mizzen sim, Gemma Cleanslate got a reminder of what season it was. She spotted another boat heading her way, and as it got closer, she noticed a certain someone's picture on the sail: the Republican candidate for US President, Mitt Romney. The boat itself had no one aboard. Scripts made it go automatically on it's course, as a floating billboard for the election.

Second Life Newser will not endorse either candidate for office. What we do ask is that people get out and do their civic duty and vote.

For those wishing to discuss the election in Second Life, one can go to the hangout for Democrats/liberals and progressives at Cafe Wellstone in the mainland Pini sim (56, 78, 45) , or the meeting area for Republicans/conservatives at The Republican Party of SL Headquarters in the Sunset River sim (180, 198, 23).

Go out and go vote.

Bixyl Shuftan (image from Gemma Cleanslate)

Guy Fawkes Exhibition

In the Tardis sim, there's an exhibition of the Guy Fawkes Gunpowder Plot.

Experience the dark history behind one of England's longest traditions, the burning of Guy Fawkes effigies on November 5th. The Guy Fawkes exhibition will take you step by step on a true story of a plot to destroy the very establishment of England, and the truth behind the man considered the culprit. With freebies and interactive props, this Exhibition is not to be missed!

A notecard at the entrance reccomends you set your view to midnight to get the best effect. Most of the show is in the main exhibition room in the center of the place. "On your way back out, don't forget the freebies."

The exhibit at Tardis (215, 55, 22) is open to November 11th.


Remember Remember the fifth of November

The gunpowder treason and plot

I see no reason why gunpowder treason

should ever be forgot

Guy Fawkes Guy, 'twas his intent

to blow up king and parliament

Three score barrels were laid below

to prove old England's overthrow

By God's mercy he was catched

with a dark lantern and lighted match

Holler boys Holler boys let the bells ring

Holler boys Holler boys God save the King

Reporter Grease Coakes Temporarily Out of Action

In the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy, a number in the area hit by the storm are still unable to access the Internet, sometimes from lack of power. Among them, Grease Coakes, who emailed us from a library, saying he still didn't have Internet at his house.

On another note, Xymbers Slade, whom has been taking a break, recently informed SL Newser that some real life problems have come up that will demand his full attention for some time. So he has been given an indefinite leave of absence.

Hopefully both will be able to write again soon.

Both Grease and Xymbers (and others) had tangles with a hurricane last year with Irene.

Burn2 Burning of the Man

The Burn2 festival came to it's appropriately firey conclusion this weekend with the Burning of The Man and the Temple Burn. Saturday was the day "The Man," one of the symbols of the fesival was put to the virtual torch, and Second Life Newser was there for pictures.

See the screenshots in Events.

Grid Hiccup Disrupts Second Life Saturday Night/Sunday Morning

Residents going about Second Life on Saturday night and early Sunday morning found things weren't quite right. Objects wouldn't rezz. Notecards couldn't be made. And some objects when clicked wouldn't work. Furthermore, residents trying to log on were often blocked from doing so. As it turned out, Linden Lab was performing "unscheduled maintenance" on the Grid, as shown by the Grid Status Report.

[Posted 7:35pm PDT, November 3, 2012] We are currently performing an unscheduled inventory server maintenance. During this time, some residents may be logged off and will temporarily be unable to log in for a brief period. This maintenance may also disrupt transactions and logins. Please check back here for updates.

[Posted 11:58pm PDT, 03 November 2012]We are currently undergoing unscheduled maintenance to Second Life. This may cause some Residents to be logged out, or prevent some from being able to log inworld, or even into Secondlife. com Please keep an eye on this blog for updates.

It wasn't until 9AM SL time (12 Noon EST) That the Grid Status Report declared everything had been fixed. Among the events disrupted was the Burn2 Temple Burn, of which the "Australian/Pacific Burn" scheduled at 4AM SL time had been rescheduled for Monday. In the meantime, residents found other places to go to, such as World of Warcraft, Minecraft, or funning around on the SL Universe forums.

It should also be noted that some residents from the area hit by Hurricane Sandy, aka the "Frankenstorm," are still unable to get on Second Life normally due to evacuation, or unreliable power.

Bixyl Shuftan

Meeting Up With Prokofy Neva

Recently I was contacted by Prokofy Neva, whom had just found out about Second Life Newser and was interested in interviewing me. So he and Jasmine and I met up, and I was the one being interviewed for a change. Prokofy has a reputation for being opinionated, and has been banned from a few places, but he was friendly and courteous to me, and the interview went without a hitch.

One can find Prokoky's "Avatar on the Grid" interview Here on his "Second Thoughts" blog. Expect an interview of this noted personality of Second Life soon.

Bixyl Shuftan