New Year's Eve 2025

 

Many people in Second Life, perhaps most, love a good party. And New Years Eve had a number. Some places had a special twist on regularly scheduled happenings, and others were open just for this special night. Yours truly dropped by a few from Wooburn, to Caledon, to Bay City, and his own home community the Sunweavers as they bade 2025 good bye, and hello to 2026. 

 

See the pictures in Events.  

 

(Almost) Forgotten Story: Linden Lab Accused of Using AI For Ads In Early 2025

 

Well, this news story could be called "better late than never."  

 

 In late February 2025, it was revealed on the SL forums that Linden Lab was using AI to make an ad. The reaction from the poster, "It looks like a bad ad for an AI chatbot app. SL has fantastic creators and content, why use AI generated video?" What followed were posts by upset and confused people, "Why would the Lab do this?  This isn't representative of SL AT ALL.  New users gonna log in with a default Ruth & duck walk & log right back out cause that video is bait & switch."especially since Linden Lab could, and was, doing proposed ads done entirely within Second Life. 

 

 Hamlet Au ended up talking to Linden Lab head Brad Oberwager. Oberwager responded that the intention was to use AI only for testing ads, and expressed surprised that they'd somehow leaked out and were seen by the residents. Hamlet would guess the Lab never asked residents for help thinking it would take too long to get permissions. 

 

Some people in the forums reacted with skepticism, "Good grief. Tell me you don't know how A/B testing works without telling me you don't know how A/B testing works, especially with FB ads." "They have no idea what the coffee they make tastes like. They will fail to find the magic bullet because they refuse to really taste the coffee." "As a marketer in RL I am sitting here shaking my head." But others were more hopeful, "Going by the article of Hamlet, it seems they did understand the mistake they made and hopefully will be correcting it." Later comments were a discussion about what kind of advertising might work. But there didn't seem to be any general agreement. 

 

Oberwager would admit of the controversy, "I f**ked this one up," and say to any residents reading, "Send me videos. Look at these bad ads [we made], and make them better."

 

* * * * *

 

On a personal note, sorry for missing this story. Thankfully it doesn't happen often. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Release: Bay City Prim Drop Dec 31st, 11 PM

 

BAY CITY'S "PRIM DROP" TO MARK END OF 2025

Bay City's New Year's fête coming 31st December
 

Bay City, Second Life's® city by the bay, is once again preparing to ring in the new year with their annual "Prim Drop" on the evening of the 31st of December. Festivities will commence at 11:00 pm SLT within the Bay city Fairgrounds in North Channel. 

The party will include a two-hour set of music presented by Marianne McCann to mark the occasion, as well as fireworks and other festive fun. Food, drink, and other party favors will be provided for all attendees.

All Second Life® Residents are welcome to attend and ring in the New Year with the Bay City community, but do note that the event is envisioned as an outdoor, high-class, wintertime soirée. As such, black tie attire and/or full dress is requested. 

This will also be the last event within Bay City this year for donating to Child's Play Charity (www.childsplaycharity.org) .  Child's Play is a 501c3 non profit organization offers online communities such as ours an opportunity to help seriously ill children around the globe during their hospital stays with the purchase of games and gaming equipment. 

Bay City is a mainland community, developed by Linden Lab® and home to the Bay City Alliance. The Bay City Alliance was founded in 2008 to promote the Bay City regions of Second Life and provide a venue for Bay City Residents and other interested parties to socialize and network. It is now the largest group for Residents of Bay City.

For more information,  please contact Marianne McCann. 

Who Should Be Second Life's Man of The Year?

 

A few days ago, Time Magazine named the people leading the development of AI as the Persons of The Year for 2025.  The "Man of the Year" edition of Time is something the magazine has done for almost a century, the person, group or persons, or thing that has made the news the most in the past year. Its not always awarded to a man, and like this year sometimes it's a group of people. The choices are occasionally controversial. One year, it was awarded to "The Computer" due to the impact of them on technology and lifestyle & entertainment. There have been time's it's been awarded to someone who did a lot of death and destruction or otherwise affected peoples' lives for the worse. 

 

So with this in mind, who would be the man, or woman, or people, of the year for Second Life in 2025?

 

The Second Life Newser has announced a "Man of the Year" every year for almost a decade. Over time, we've chosen a variety of people, We've chosen Lindens. One year the Moles got it as a group for their work on Bellisseria. Citizens and communities have gotten it. 

 

Should it be someone behind a noteworthy project? Should it be a group of people helping others, such as the Relay for Life Volunteers? Or maybe this was someone or something that had such a big impact on the Internet, it was clearly felt within Second Life?

 

We have a few people in mind, but we certainly can use some suggestions. Who do you think should be Second Life's Man, Woman, or Persons of the Year?

 

Source: Time Magazine, Wikipedia

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Ringing In The New Year

 

 

 On the evening of Tuesday December 31, Second Life was getting ready to ring in the new year. Among the more noted celebrations was the one at Bay City, which started at 11PM SL time. But many residents couldn't be up that late, and at best would see only the set before the event.

Thankfully, there were other locations where one could celebrate the arrival of the new year. Among them was at the Goblin Cave in Caledon Downs. 

Cynthia Farshore, the owner of the location, would play the songs for the party. 

When the clock struck nine, or Midnight on the East Coast, the dance ball would ring in the new year for that part of the country.

And outside, there were fireworks.

There were of course other New Year's Eve parties. If anyone has pictures of them, please send them in. 

And so not only is it a new year, but a new quarter century. Let's hope it brings good times. 

Happy 2025 Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan

Announcement: New Year's At Caledon Downs

 

Greetings to all! You are invited to the yearly New Years Eve Party at the Goblin Cave! The Duchy of Downs will throw a party starting at 8 PM and will last till at least 1 AM. Music will be provided by Her Grace Cynthia Farshore and will play region wide so you can enjoy the Christmas rides and sights before they are taken down. A ball will drop for each time zone of the continental U.S. followed with 2 minutes of fireworks till the last zone you get a full 5 minutes. Besides the dance you can enjoy riding the Christmas Express around the region and even pay a visit to Santa on his hidden aerial abode. The Caledon wide sleigh ride awaits there too to take you on a 30 minute round trip tour of every region of Caledon! So come enjoy and if you can't stay long who cares just drop in and say Hi!!
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Caledon%20Downs/105/36/42

Their Grace, the Duke and Duchess of Downs
Shockwave Yareach & Cynthia Farshore
 

"Our Holiday Gift To You" Linden Lab Announces All Residents Get Six Months Free of Madpea Unlimited

 

Madpea has long been providing games for the residents of Second Life to play. Years ago, one could play them for free, such as Virtual Medical Doctor from 2011. In more recent times, they've been making more detailed and challenging games that they've been charging fees to play. They've operated independently from Linden Lab. But a few days ago, the Lab would announce they had made a deal with them, and the result being every resident from basic accounts to Premium Plus would be getting a free six month subscription to Madpea's Unlimited game package.

Get ready for an amazing treat, Second Life community! We’re thrilled to announce that all Second Life residents are receiving six months free access to MadPea Unlimited - the acclaimed and popular subscription service from MadPea Productions. Valued at an incredible L$12,000, this gift unlocks a world of engaging Second Life content and surprises including exciting story-driven games and hunts, exclusive gifts, and fun experiences to play alone or with friends. 

 

The Lab would go on to say that the free service doesn't start right away, but takes effect on Wednesday January 1st.  Also, residents don't need to do anything to activate it. 

For more information, check out the Lab's blog entry (here), and the page on the Madpea website:

https://madpeagames.com/unlimited-2025/

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Press Release: Bay City's Prim Drop New Year's Eve Party

 

BAY CITY’S “PRIM DROP” CELEBRATES THE END OF THE YEAR

 

31st December gala event in the City by the Bay

BAY CITY, SL (29th December, 20234) - Citizens of Bay City, Second Life's® city by the bay, will be marking the end of the year in fine fashion, attending the annual "Prim Drop" in the Bay City Fairgrounds in North Channel on the evening of the 31st of December.

The festivities will feature a two-hour set of music presented by Marianne McCann, as well as fireworks and other festive entertainment. Complimentary food and beverages will be provided for all attendees.

The event is presented as an outdoor, high-class, wintertime soirée, and black tie attire and/or full dress is requested. All Second Life® Residents are welcome to attend and ring in the New Year with the Bay City community.

This will also be the last event within Bay City this year for donating to Child's Play Charity (www.childsplaycharity.org. Child’s Play is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that provides online communities like ours with the opportunity to support seriously ill children globally during their hospital stays through the purchase of games and gaming equipment.

Bay City is a mainland community developed by Linden Lab® and home to the Bay City Alliance. Founded in 2008, the Bay City Alliance promotes the Bay City regions of Second Life and provides a venue for Bay City Residents and interested parties to socialize and network.

For further information, please contact Marianne McCann.

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday November 16

    ~*~

 

    At 10 AM PST   

    Renewed Hope Ahead For 2025

    https://www.sciencecircle.org/event/renewed-hope-ahead-for-2025/

    Moderator: Stephen R. Van Hook

    Auditorium

      

    ~*~

 

    

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

╚══════════════════════════════ The Science Circle (72,129,30) ═╝