Commentary: Of RFL's Team Sunbeamer's Folding

 

"All good things must come to an end" so goes an old saying. And late last month, following the death of it's captain Rita Mariner, it was announced that the Relay for Life's Team Sunbeamers, after thirteen years of fun and fundraising, would be retired. Obviously the end of it's leader was the big reason. But there were others that led to this decision.

 

Read the commentary in Extra.  

My Time At Second Life Newspaper (2015)

 

Today, the SL Newser turns sixteen. But what did people read before it? While there were tablods such as The Herald, there was also the Second Life Newspaper, owned by JamesT Juno with Dana Vanmoer as editor. It started small, a blog with occasional glances at the virtual world, but soon grew into a respectable newsletter with a good sized staff. I would join it in October /November 2007, and become a respectable member of the team. This was a different time, the Golden Age of Second Life when it and not social media was talked about as the future of the online world and it would be mentioned on the news and even prime time TV, while we the residents made all content entirely inworld in these pre-mesh days with only a small amount of the content created by the Lindens. So what was covering the news in these times like?

 

Read the 2015 article in Extra. 

 

Looking Back At The Newser: The First Years, 2010-2013 (2022)

 

The Second Life Newser is a publication with quite a history, fifteen years. That's quite a lot to look back over. In 2022, Bixyl took a look at the Newser's first few years. Starting from a team of four reporters fresh from the recently closed Second Life Newspaper, the Newser would win the confidence of readers and advertisers alike and soon become a force in journalism covering the people, places, and events in Second Life (with occasional nods to our sponsors). But much of what it covered was a Linden Lab that seemed increasingly unable or unwilling to understand it's virtual world's users.

Read the 2022 overview of 2010 to 2013 in Extra. 

Some More April Foolery In, And Out, of Second Life

 

Wednesday was April Fools Day, and the posting of a yearly Newser tradition, the April Fool article. But it wasn't the only April Fool going around. Linden Lab would play one, and there were a couple others inworld I caught wind of. And there were a few in computer gaming as well.

 

Read the story in Extra.  

 

Latest On The Dahlia Linden Rocks

 

With everything else happening in Second Life, we almost forgot to check on one thing. Yours truly recalled the strange rocks Dahlia Linden was investigating, and went over to see what changed. 

 

Read the story in Extra. 

Update On The Mystery Rocks (Complete)

 

When we last wrote about the mystery rocks on three locations on the Second Life Mainland, we reported that what we found stated that something would happen on Monday February 16. Going back to check, there were a few changes. Plus we were also tipped on something else. After some delays due to real-life, we finally have the story.

 

Read more in Extra.

 

(sorry about the delays) 

 

TikTok Deal Finalized, Complaints About New TOS & Posts Being Censored

 

For fans of TikTok in America who have been somewhat worried about the lingering threat of a potential ban in the United States, they no longer have to worry about that as a deal was made with American investors that satisfied the demands of the current administration. But, it may have come with a price that some users are not willing to bear.

More on the story in Extra. 

 

(finally up, sorry about the delay). 

Tripp Foxtail and The Travelers Station

 

Last week, Tripp Foxtail announced he was closing his several locations in Second Life, including the main one, the Traveler's Station. This was soon followed by him saying the Traveler's Station would be staying. I ended up having a conversation with Tripp, and he would show me a few things.  

 

Read Bixyl's story in Extra.  

Update on The Travelers Station, Elsewhere Blog

 

 While it's neighboring areas are gone, the Traveler's Station just got a reprieve. 

 

A couple days ago, the Newser reported on the location, made by Tripp Foxtail, the man behind the "Elsewhere in Second Life" blog, was closing. The first hint something had changed when clicking on the link to the post about the closure had changed to a "does not exist" message. Checking the website, it was gone, and the latest entry was a simple three word message, "Please Stand By." 

 

Teleporting over, I saw that the neighboring places to Traveler's Station were gone, but it wasn't. What was gone was the sign about it's closing. I noticed Tripp was around, and we ended up talking for a while.  

 

"Yes - The Station remains," Tripp told me, "I have a few others properties to let go of still - but this is my heart and I could not bear to lose it. ... I thought long and hard about this place - and I just could not imagine myself in SL and not be running it. It has been my dream for so long and I fell in love so in love with it."

 

More on the story later. 

 

Ulyanovsk Oblast (174/116/92) 

 

My Time At Second Life Newspaper (2015)

 

It was Fifteen years ago this Wednesday that the Newser came to be. But who was reporting the news of Second Life before that? In 2006, JamesT Juno would start the Second Life Newspaper, and others would join him in covering the news about this virtual world. This included Dana Vanmoer who would take over as editor, as well as Gemma Cleanslate and Bixyl Shuftan, who would go on to write for the Newser. So what went on during this earlier time of Second Life? Bixyl Shuftan would describe how things went from his point of view.

Read the article from 2015 in Extra. 

 

More On ABC's Downfall

 

So what's new in the story of the troubles at Awesome Breed Creations?  Various bits and pieces. One was an invitation from another breedable company. The other were further signs that the downfall of ABC isn't going to have a happy ending.

 

Read the story in Extra. 

Reader Submitted: Letter to The Editor - The Death of SL

 

Magnus (Magnustemporal Resident), recently sent in a commentary about the state of Second Life, which is based on observations he has had over time. So what future does he see for the Grid. From his point of view, it depends. It depends on what we the residents, from DJs to content creators to viewer teams, can do to spread the word and make things a little easier for newcommers.

Read Magnus' commentary in Extra. 

A Very Unexpected Thanksgiving Dinner (2016)

 

As we get ready to sit down for Thanksgiving dinner, or perhaps lie down after chowing down, we reflect on the fun times, and perhaps the jokes about anything Thanksgiving. In 2016, Mylie Foxclaw did an amusing little tale about a Thanksgiving dinner gone wrong, one with a happy ending. 

Read Mylie's story here. 

Looking Back At The Newser: The First Years, 2010-2013 (2022)

 

In a few days, the Newser will have an anniversary party to celebrate 14 years of reporting the news across Second Life. But one might ask how did things go when it first started? Well, we hit the ground running. Within a week, we had some BIG stories to report on, and the news kept coming. In 2022, we wrote on how it was for our first few years. Quite a bit had happened.

 

Read the article from 2022 in Extra. 

My Time At Second Life Newspaper (2015)

 

It was fourteen years ago this Wednesday that the Newser came to be. But who was reporting the news of Second Life before that? In 2006, JamesT Juno would start the Second Life Newspaper, and others would join him in covering the news about this virtual world. This included Dana Vanmoer who would take over as editor, as well as Gemma Cleanslate and Bixyl Shuftan, who would go on to write for the Newser. So what went on during this earlier time of Second Life? Bixyl Shuftan would describe how things went from his point of view.

Read the article from 2010 in Extra.

Reader Submitted Commentary: Community Roundtalbe for May 20

 

Last month, Linden Lab held a Community Roundtable to discuss with the residents issues such as the recent changes in the Terms of Service regarding child avatars. The Newser wasn't able to make it over. But others were, including Zada Bury, known for her "Drivers of SL" videos. She overheard just part of it, but heard enough to write down some comments about what she did hear.

Read Zada's reader submitted commentary in Extra.

 

 

The Circle Mental Health

 

After being sidelined briefly due to real life, Gemma Cleanslate is back to writing for the Newser. Her article for today is about an event in Bellisseria: The Circle Mental Health. Done in cooperation with Virtual Ability, this event is taking place from today May 10 to Sunday May 12 for Mental Health Awareness Weekend. She took a look at the event area, and there was much information to pick up even before the conferences.

Read Gemma's story in Extra. 

Opinion: The Kids are Alright

 

In real life American news, one of the top stories are the students at a number of college campuses engaging in anti-Israeli protests, often speaking out in support of the Hamas terrorists despite their brutality. Any1 Gynoid, who wrote for the Newser regularly in the past and sends an occasional article, recently had a few things to say about the matter after going about for about a week in Palestinian fashion. Just what are the students really after?

Read Any1's commentary in Extra.  

Commentary: The Staying Power of Second Life

 

Second Life recently celebrated the twentieth anniversary of it's official launching. When you think about it, that's a long time for a product to be on the market, especially a computer one. And it remains the number one open-ended (or sandbox) virtual world for the public. So what's the reason for it's continuing appeal? Yours truly has a few opinions as to why.

 

 Read the commentary in Extra.

Steampunk At The Bellisseria Fairgrounds

 

Gemma Cleanslate was recently at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds for their latest display, the Whimsical Steampunk Third Annual Golf Around. By Gracie (GracieAustinn Resident) and the Bellisseria Bike Drive & Scoot Group, this exhibit will only be up for a few more days until it vanishes. Gemma took a look around to see what it offers.

 

Read Gemma's story in Extra.