Second Life’s Seventh Birthday: “Expect the Unexpected.”

Well readers, one of the big events in SL is upon us. SL7B, Second Life’s Seventh Anniversary Celebration, is this Monday.


Craving birthday cake? Get ready to celebrate Second Life's seventh birthday party, otherwise known as SL7B!

The SL7B celebration begins on Monday, June 21 at 10:00am PDT and runs through Sunday, June 27, spanning 21 regions with over 700 contributors, over 300 exhibits, and over 200 live performers and speakers (including special speeches from Philip and M Linden). SL7B is a showcase for the art, innovations, and ingenuity of all Second Life Residents.

The regions will remain open through July 3 for people to enjoy, but the live entertainment ends on June 27—so be sure to stop by SL7B next week to get your fill of the amazing experiences that this event has to offer.

What can you expect? The unexpected, of course.

This year's theme is "Unexpected Collaborations," a celebration of that which is only possible through our virtual world. While the event is sponsored by Linden Lab, it's really an unexpected collaboration of its own—the fruit of the collective labors of exhibitors, volunteers, and Lindens.

The gates open on Monday at 10:00am PDT, but we'll be kicking things off officially with Philip, who will be joining us at the Main Stage on Monday at 11:00. Second Life will be seven years old on Wednesday, June 23—and M will be joining us for cake and birthday wishes at 9:00am PDT on the Main Stage.


Somehow, the part about "expect the Unexpected" seems a little ominous this time.

This time, the birthday bash has a cloud overhead: the recent “Restructuring” that resulted in about a third of the Linden Lab staff being shown the door, and a shakeup in the confidence about many residents about their confidence in the future of the Metaverse. This was reflected last week when the Linden Dollar began fluctuating in value. Linden Labs claims the cause of the fluctuation as both the Restructuring *and* more residents coming in earlier this year over the publicity over the movie “Avatar.” However, this instability didn’t happen until after the layoffs. Some people are a bit reluctant to buy Lindens or as many Lindens.

So will the recent turmoil result in a small turnout, much like the numbers of SL6B were a disappointment to some compared to “the big 5?” Time will tell.

In the meantime, we at Second Life Newser will cover the big event, and other people, places, and happenings, in the Metaverse.


Links: SLB7 wiki - http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/SL7B

SLB7 Destination Guide - http://secondlife.com/destinations/birthday

Bixyl Shuftan