Announcement: Registration For 2026 SL Living Expo Opens

 

🎉✨ The wait is over... Registration for the SL Living Expo 2026 is NOW OPEN! ✨🎉 

🌟 This year is BIGGER than ever — the SL Living Expo is combining with SL Fandom Con and the SL Renaissance Festival, creating a spectacular mega-event with a variety of themed regions for you to explore, design, and showcase your work in.

💜 Together we create.
💜 Together we inspire.
💜 Together we Relay.

👉 Ready to be part of something unforgettable? Register here: https://sl-living-expo.org/

 

Announcement: Join us at the SL Living Expo by being an Event Stage Sponsor!

 

 Clubs, Venues, Groups and Communities can sign up to be an Event Stage Sponsor, taking over 2 hours of our events for the day.

Visibility & Exposure: Your brand will be front and center on our stage, reaching a diverse audience during our events all day long and a radio ad played for 14 days during the event.
 

Networking Opportunities: Connect with residents that you may not normally have the chance to! 

Visit our website : https://sl-living-expo.org/

Thanks For The Support

 

 

 Some sad news about the Deathlands. Rebel Wolf (HermitBlue) announced that due to the troubled real-life economy and rising Linden dollar cashout fees, he can no longer continue the sponsorship of his post-apocalyptic sim. Those who wish to keep track of his events can join the community group.

Thanks for the support for all these years, Reb.

Looking Back at BNT and Podex

 
by Bixyl Shuftan

It was twelve years ago last week in October 2009 in which one of the major sponsors of our predecessor paper, BNT Holdings, a virtual real estate rental business owned byIntlibber Brautigan, went under. Intilibber was a controversial figure, for some of his opinions and as a defender of Woodbury University, which had a reputation for harboring griefers. But his sponsorship of Second Life Newspaper was long term and generous, with space for a large office and a private island for the owner and editor thrown in. All seemed well until in October 18 when editor Dana Vanmoer logged in to find she couldn't get to her home, and none of us could get to the office. Intlibber had defaulted on the sim payments, and no one knew anything until they were taken offline.

Dana asked Intlibber for an official statement, and eventually he made one, While he blamed the economy for his difficulties, he also blamed others for his troubles, and Dana would not publish the "outpouring of spite" in full. Dana would soon get another sponsor and a new office in a deal with Skybeam Estates. But the paper never did recover from the blow, and a few months later in April 2010 she made the decision to close the paper two months later. After his business folded, Intlibber had gotten banned by Linden Lab "for multiple breaches of the TOS." One can read more on the details in our May 2015 article on BNT going under.

When Second Life Newspaper folded, Second Life Newser rose to take it's place. It's first, and one of it's longest running, sponsor was the Podex Exchange, sometimes called the Podex Bank. Run by Jacek Shuftan, they were a Linden dollar exchange service, exchanging Linden dollars for several international currencies, as well as Bitcoin. The big attraction, people could sell Linden dollars to him and get real world currency faster than with Linden Lab. Although not asked to, the Newser would do monthly adverts of stories of either customers at the bank or the misadventures of a hard luck bank robber, "Clumsy Cooper," whose schemes to rob Podex failed every time, and were futile anyway as he couldn't have gotten to the money. My "Polish cousin" as he called himself renewed his sponsorship time and time again, for years.

Unfortunately, Linden Lab was less than happy with independent Linden dollar resellers, Podex included. In June 2013, they moved to shut them down, but partially relented after a public outcry, though putting restrictions on them. Two years later in June 2015, the Lab moved again to close them, saying after August they could sell no more Linden dollars. Although Jacek hoped the Lab could be persuaded to change their minds, this time the decision was final. And in late October 2015, the Podex Exchange building vanished from the Grid, and the Newser lost it's best sponsor. This was not the end for Jacek as he had expanded his business to InWorldz and other virtual worlds, but without Second Life he was making only a small percentage what he had been.

Considering his blaming others for his troubles and not telling my former boss what was about to happen until after the axe fell, it's hard to sympathize with Intlibber. Jacek in contrast was an ethical businessman, and it's easy to see Linden Lab at the time as feeling embarrassed by him beating them at their own game. One certainly remembers their best sponsor being told he has to shut his doors. In any event, we thank Jacek for his long period of support.

Reprint from 2017 article

Bixyl Shuftan

Returning Sponsor: Safe Waters Foundation

   

A sponsor of Second Life Newser has returned just in time for the Fantasy Faire, the Safe Waters Foundation.

"Come and explore the largest underwater community in Second Life. Meet mermaids and mermen in their natural environment. You might decide to stay." 

Safe Waters Foundation is a "Not for profit group supporting the development of harmony and safety for merfolk and aquatics of Second Life, Bringing together designers, retailers, sims, merrow, mermen, mermaids, siren, aquatics and lovers of same."

Grace (Graceswf Wrigglesworth) is the head and founder of the group, and can answer any questions one has about them.

More information can be read about them on the Safe Water's webpage (link).

  Union Passage (233/227/1)
  

New Sponsor: Coral Estates

 

Coral Estates is born in 2007 renting private islands in Second Life. We love to manage our estate where you will find full prim islands, homesteads, commercial, or residential even light residential or even land parcel from 1024sqms to 65536sqm.

All days we are on Second Life to provide the best land to our new customers or a good daily help to our continued residents which trust in Coral Estates.

Come in and visit us at :
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Coral%20Estates%20Islands/109/160/2

We be happy to find you the best land in Second Life for your second life for the best prices in market.

Website: https://www.coralestates.net/welcome

Kristaki Hudson

RFL Press Release: Walk-a-Thon Sponsors Wanted!

The walk is set, walkers are warming up, and now its up to you!!!  If you would like to sponsor on of our walkers for this year's STRIDES WALK-A-THON just follow the link below.   Walkers are still being add if you have not signed up to be a walker also, so it's not to late.

Information on both is listed below.  Look forward to seeing you then as we put our best foot forward to fight Breast Cancer.

TO BE A WALKER: https://forms.gle/FVdoXcDPpA7p3H3F6

TO BE A SPONSOR:https://forms.gle/FBDhM8K9Sz4tGGfX8

Lela Spire

"After Dark" At Montecito Bay

On Saturday night, I dropped by Montecito Bay at Studio 86 (224/79/23) for their music and dance party with DJ Moff. Months ago, the Newser would have plenty to say about our sponsor with it's schedule of events, and occasional shenanigans. Lately however, things have quieted down, aside from some rebuilding. And the place no longer runs a weekly event schedule. But the "After Dark" party at Studio 86 goes on almost every week, so the Newser is including it in "SL Clubbin'," at least for now.

As for writing about the rebuilding in detail, we'll have something soon.

Bixyl Shuftan

New Sponsor: The Deathlands

The Newser has a new sponsor today: The Deathlands. The place is a roleplay area described as "an isolated post-apocalyptic island community where a handful of hardy survivors desperately cling to what passes for life after the nuclear winter." The place is run by Rebel Wolf (HermitBlue).

All species of visitors are welcomed, though please mind the rules, notably no flying, no laggy gestures and light shows, and above all no child avatars.

For more information, check out the article in Places (August 2019).

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Paradise%20Kingdom/88/35/22

New Sponsor: Steelhead Bay

Great news. The Steelhead community is once more sponsoring the Second Life Newser. What made them stop? To begin with, Steelhead for several years was one of the more notable steampunk/Victorian communities. While not the largest, it certainly enjoyed high visibility due to it's award-winning Relay for Life team and the antics and events of it's residents, such as it's yearly eruption of Mount Saint Hellens. But in September 2015, the owner of the sims at the time announced he had to leave Second Life for a while due to real-life difficulties, and the estate closed a few months later. Although it's residents were able to move to other sims, they missed their old home. Finally in March 2017, Fuzzball Ortega, the sheriff of the old community, announced he would be rebuilding Steelhead. And in a short time, the sim of Steelhead Bay was full of buildings.

We look forward to covering the Steelhead community's Relay events, plus other antics of this interesting steampunk area.

Looking Back: The Podex Exchange

As the Newser looks back in it's eight years of covering the news, we take a look at the first and longest-running of the cash sponsors who helped us along the way: The Podex Exchange. Owned by Jacek Shuftan, this Linden dollar exchanger bought and sold Lindens for various real-life currencies, many residents finding them much more convenient than the official Lindex. Unfortunately, changes in Linden Lab's Terms of Service would put them out of business.

Read the story in Extra.

New Sponsor: The Confederation of Democratic Simulators

The Second Life Newser has a new sponsor: the Confederation of Democratic Simulators.

The Confederation of Democratic Simulators, or CDS, is a community in Second Life in which ownership of land entitles a resident a say in how things are run. Established in 2004, the CDS brands itself Second Life's oldest democracy, and holds elections twice a year to determine the makeup of it's government. It's current leader is Chancellor Rosie Gray.

For more information, go to their website at https://cdsdemocracy.org/ , or head over to the location and talk to the people.

New Sponsor: Montecito Bay

Good News: Montecito Bay has just agreed to become a sponsor of the Second Life Newser. For those less than familiar with the area, the Newser wrote about the place in December. It's an active location with many events every week. Be sure to stop by and check it out.

Montecito Bay (31/128/26)

Looking Back: BNT and Podex

by Bixyl Shuftan

It was eight years ago last week in October 2009 in which one of the major sponsors of our predecessor paper, BNT Holdings, a virtual real estate rental business owned byIntlibber Brautigan, went under. Intilibber was a controversial figure, for some of his opinions and as a defender of Woodbury University, which had a reputation for harboring griefers. But his sponsorship of Second Life Newspaper was long term and generous, with space for a large office and a private island for the owner and editor thrown in. All seemed well until in October 18 when editor Dana Vanmoer logged in to find she couldn't get to her home, and none of us could get to the office. Intlibber had defaulted on the sim payments, and no one knew anything until they were taken offline.

Dana asked Intlibber for an official statement, and eventually he made one, While he blamed the economy for his difficulties, he also blamed others for his troubles, and Dana would not publish the "outpouring of spite" in full. Dana would soon get another sponsor and a new office in a deal with Skybeam Estates. But the paper never did recover from the blow, and a few months later in April 2010 she made the decision to close the paper two months later. After his business folded, Intlibber had gotten banned by Linden Lab "for multiple breaches of the TOS." One can read more on the details in our May 2015 article on BNT going under.

When Second Life Newspaper folded, Second Life Newser rose to take it's place. It's first, and longest running, sponsor was the Podex Exchange, sometimes called the Podex Bank. Run by Jacek Shuftan, they were a Linden dollar exchange service, exchanging Linden dollars for several international currencies, as well as Bitcoin. The big attraction, people could sell Linden dollars to him and get real world currency faster than with Linden Lab. Although not asked to, the Newser would do monthly adverts of stories of either customers at the bank or the misadventures of a hard luck bank robber, "Clumsy Cooper," whose schemes to rob Podex failed every time, and were futile anyway as he couldn't have gotten to the money. My "Polish cousin" as he called himself renewed his sponsorship time and time again, for years.

Unfortunately, Linden Lab was less than happy with independent Linden dollar resellers, Podex included. In June 2013, they moved to shut them down, but partially relented after a public outcry, though putting restrictions on them. Two years later in June 2015, the Lab moved again to close them, saying after August they could sell no more Linden dollars. Although Jacek hoped the Lab could be persuaded to change their minds, this time the decision was final. And in late October 2015, the Podex Exchange building vanished from the Grid, and the Newser lost it's best sponsor. This was not the end for Jacek as he had expanded his business to InWorldz and other virtual worlds, but without Second Life he was making only a small percentage what he had been.

Considering his blaming others for his troubles and not telling my former boss what was about to happen until after the axe fell, it's hard to sympathize with Intlibber. Jacek in contrast was an ethical businessman, and it's easy to see Linden Lab as feeling embarrassed by him beating them at their own game. One certainly remembers their best sponsor being told he has to shut his doors. In any event, we thank Jacek for his long period of support.

Bixyl Shuftan

Press Release: Get Ready for Relay Weekend

Are you ready? 

Relay Weekend, set for July 15 and 16, is almost here and just wait until you see what’s been planned this year! From the Opening Ceremony to the Closing Ceremony, Relay Weekend is an exciting and special time, one that you don’t want to miss.

Make sure you keep up-to-date on all Relay happenings with relayforlifeofsecondlife.org.

One way to get involved is to become a sponsor of Relay Weekend. There are many different levels of sponsorships available -- both in-world and non-virtual real world opportunities -- and all designed to benefit not only Relay For Life of Second Life but for you as the sponsor as well.. Check out relayforlifeofsecondlife.org/get-involved/sponsorship/ for details and be a part of this fun event that attracts thousands.

Our bags are packed and our passports are ready for Relay Weekend. Won’t you come along with us?

About Relay For Life of Second Life

Relay For Life is the signature event of the American Cancer Society and has been active, and continually growing in Second Life for 13 years. In 2005, the first Relay For Life of Second Life (RFL of SL) was attended by a few hundred avatars and raised almost $5,000 US dollars for the American Cancer Society. As of July 2014 RFL of SL ranked number 17th in donations received among more than 5,600 relay events held worldwide. As of January, 2017 RFL of SL celebrated raising 3 million US dollars to support the mission of the Society to 'Save Lives, Celebrate Lives and Lead The Fight for A World Without Cancer!

About the American Cancer Society

For more than 100 years, the American Cancer Society has been working to create a world with less cancer and more birthdays and is the world leader in the fight to end cancer. Together with our global partners and millions of supporters, the American Cancer Society carries out its mission to Save Lives, Celebrate Lives, and Lead the Fight for a World Without Cancer.

For More Information:

www.relayforlifeofsecondlife.org

www.cancer.org/involved/participate/relayforlife/second-life

Returning Sponsor: Safe Waters Foundation

A sponsor of Second Life Newser has returned just in time for the paper's seventh anniversary, the Safe Waters Foundation.

"Come and explore the largest underwater community in Second Life. Meet mermaids and mermen in their natural environment. You might decide to stay." 

Safe Waters Foundation is a "Not for profit group supporting the development of harmony and safety for merfolk and aquatics of Second Life, Bringing together designers, retailers, sims, merrow, mermen, mermaids, siren, aquatics and lovers of same."

Grace (Graceswf Wrigglesworth) is the head and founder of the group, and can answer any questions one has about them.

More information can be read about them on the Safe Water's webpage (link).

The location of Safe Waters' HQ is at Union Passage (163/232/3).

The Wild West Roleplay: Part Three - The Outlaws

By Bixyl Shuftan

Since January, the Newser has been looking at the Wild West Roleplay. The region is a twenty-three sim area of varying terrains from desert to forest to mountain, but all are in the theme of the American Old West  Our first article was about getting started and making some cash. The second was about the Native American/Indian tribes. But while dealing with the Indians could be a little complex for the cowboys and settlers, there was no doubt about where they stood with another classic character of a Western story: the outlaw. Called by other names such as bandit and badman, he was out to rob you plain and simple.

In the Wild West Roleplay, there are some outlaw players. Some are in gangs. Others are usually alone, though may temporarily team up. One I ran into at a saloon was Spin (Spin Stooge). He had first heard about the Wild West Roleplay "'bout three 'n a half years ago. (I) started out in Tombstone (another western roleplay area), I was a lawman of some sorts as an Arizona ranger, then some outlaws from there asked me to come here and be a outlaw with them. So I did and been here ever since." Asking him about his character, he told me, "Well, I decided to be a preacher outlaw, using being a preacher as a front, my character is a conman and wears mask and robs banks. Being a traveling preacher, I can rob banks in every territory." The preacher act was purely just that, an act, "to earn peoples trust before I rob them, or their town I should say."

Spin knew another outlaw whom went about openly while planning robberies in secret, "We have another outlaw. Believe it or not he is a dress maker, and that's his front. He also starts a lot of conspiracy, he will use false documents and post it on mines and such claiming the mine belongs to him. He and I pull off a lot of bank jobs together. When there's a job that takes more then one person to do we team up (A) little of that. (A) little of conning people like selling them property to homestead that someone else already owns. I even tried selling a burning house once that belonged to the district attorney here in Bear River. ... we do 'bout anything to make coins. Then you have just the average scum of outlaws and gangs that ride in as a group and rob banks then return to their hideouts."

When I asked him about any close calls, Spin answered, "Oh I always get found out one way or another there is a witness, that's what makes the RP fun, and adds to it so others can roleplay, because then courts involved and judges, attorneys, and juries. (I) think when I first started here, I was fairy new to RP, and I shot a Federal judge. He wanted to kill his character off, so he decided to die. Then I had a posse of a marshal and five deputies come after me.We had a good shoot out. I got a couple of them, but at the end they shot me down, then healed me up in jail and was going to hang me. Then my old gang back then came and busted me out of jail before they could hang me. (I) think that was one the funnest." I asked what was the funny part. Spin answered, "Oh, I guess the fact they let the marshal and new judge almost hang me before they reacted to free me. They made me sweat it out a bit. (It) was one them last minute rescues. Was funny to them, but not funny at my end."

On another occasion, "I even had talked an Indian maiden into sneaking me a gun threw the jail house bars. She was sweet on me, and I asked her to get me a gun and she did." Other than these, he had never been caught, though there had been close calls, "Marshals and deputies and sheriffs had tried. But except for that one time they have never brought me in unless I let them so they could RP court for a minor charge. Like the time I was cleaning my gun and it discharged, and shot a fancy lady that just got off the stage for a lay over. But they decided it was a accident in court and charges was dismissed. Lady wasn't happy bout it , but so be it."

I asked if his character ever tried to justify his robberies, or just flat out admitted he was a bandit, Spin answered, "Oh when I steal from banks it's justified. I tell folks im just collecting donations from the bank to build a church. That basically that the Wells Fargo money bags on my saddle wasn't stoled they was donated. Just a little fib you know."

Spin concluded, "(I) just hope lot folks read your paper and can see the fun and humor in RPing on a Western sim. It's not always serious. We have lot fun, and hope more people will want come and try it out , and fill up these sims so we can have a lot more roleplay."

Earlier on, Goneigh, the equine owner of Titingham took me to see the "Whiskey Riders," a bandit gang. The one we talked to was Škÿlér (skylercloud), a woman in the gang whom appeared to us in a bunny mask, in front of the gang's hangout. "We mess around RP-ing capturing people and setting things on fire," she told us, saying the group had been around for five years, "I've been off and on here around five years too, and my friends are what keep me around. I love 'em, they family." When asked if while roleplaying she made friends and associates, she agreed, "and enemies (laughter). Rival gangs. We capture and steal from 'em." Leilyna Delvor (Leilyna Resident), whom overheard us from the building, added, "We also rob banks." "Looooots of money." Skyler told us.

I asked Skyler about her mask. She answered, "It's my gang mask, so (the) law can't tell who I am. But I also go by 'Bunny.'" Goneigh remarked he heard a story, "I think she had the name of her last boyfriend tattooed across her forehead. But after she killed him for cheating, she wears a mask to cover his name and her shame." Skyler burst out laughing, complementing the equine on his imagination, then saying "Well I'm adorable and so are bunnies."

As we were talking, the other two bandits inside the building, Harley Buu (HastaLaVista555 Resident) and Twist (sweetsiner99 Resident), had been talking. Suddenly Harley got down on one knee in front of the lady, "Twist, you are the most amazng woman I've ever met., and I want you badly. So....will you make me the happiest man alive and be my wife?" The woman was surprised, stammering a little in her answer, "Ummm, will you be faithful to me, catch me dinner, take care for my girls?" Harley answered, "Of course. You're all the woman I need." She then answered "Yes." Harley went, "Oh my God, I'm so happy." So there was more to being an outlaw than stealing cash, but also sometimes stealing hearts.

That's it for now about the Wild West Roleplay. Until next time, happy trails.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Colorado/190/105/944

Third picture credit: Shyshammie

Bixyl Shuftan

New Sponsor: Indiana Wilds Wild West Roleplay

The Second Life Newser has a new sponsor, the Indiana Wilds Wild West Roleplay. The region consists of 23 sims representing various places of the late 1860s western US. One can play as a cowboy, lawman, trader, badman, American Indian, or one of the animals that makes the place their home, such as horses. We'll have an article about the place soon. If you can't wait to get there, head on over to Colorado (190/105/944) to learn more about the roleplay (and pick up a few freebie clothes, weapons, and combat and RP HUD).

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Colorado/190/105/944

“Apocalypse Canceled," Insilico Roleplay Sims Saved By Last-Minute

Good news for fans of the sci-fi Insilico roleplay area. The sims have been saved, and it appears money is no longer an issue, at least for the forseeable future.

The region and roleplay community, founded in 2008, has had a rough year, with the sims being taken offline after it's owner, Skills Hak, was banned from Second Life. But thanks to some negotiations behind the scenes, Linden Lab was willing to transfer the sims to administrator Abeus Madruga. But unfortunately it was proving more and more difficult for the community to keep their sims financed. And it October, it was announced that the region would soon be closing. As time went on, the roleplay began to prepare for the end, but still hoping for a last-minute reprieve.

And in what can only be called a Second Life Christmas miracle, one arrived. Abeus wrote the following in the community blog:

I had planned to make this announcement through some rousing “Apocalypse Canceled” type of post, but that would certainly be anticlimactic at this point.  Anyhoo, yeah…SURPRISE and Merry Giftmas! INSILICO is here to stay (again)! It just took a while to get all these ducks lined up. Suffice to say though, it’s pretty much official. We live on.  

So what does this mean to you, as players? Well, it simply means that you and your characters get to live on too! This world won’t be ripped out from under your feet, and there won’t be any major shakeups/downs/outs. The Southeast AI arc was put in place as a potential catalyst for the city’s evacuation if it came to that, however we also intentionally left it open ended. It will now continue on however it naturally will ...

Although Abeus didn't mention all the details, what he stated next means it looks like whoever sent the cash will be continuing to do so, and enough so they they don't have to worry about raising money.

The biggest change coming through is that we can now strive be nearly 100% RP focused. Without the need to continually generate revenue from rentals/sales/donations, we have been freed to divert our energies into more important things. Traditional rentals will be replaced with residential/RP locations made available to active players...BUT more on that later as we actually work out those details.

For the players of Insilico, this is certainly good news. Exactly the nature of the help was speculated about by Hamlet Au, who thought it could have been someone donating the cash no questions asked, or possibly an investor hoping to get money from the roleplayers through playing fees.

While the last word has yet to be revealed, it looks like this noted roleplay and region, once considered among the top ten places in Second Life to photograph, will be sticking around for it's tenth year. And for those keeping up with gridwide news, it looks like 2016 will be ending on a high note.

Hat Tip: New World Notes.

Bixyl Shuftan

Reader Submitted: Sandi Glas: A Quiet Hero of SL

Jadyn Firehawk, whom made news in the recent past as the creator of Virtual Yosemite sim and was recently interviewed by Deaflegacy, recently sent the Newser an article of her own. She wanted to highlight Sandi Glas, the owner of Clairehaven Estates, whom four years ago helped out the Pixel to Pixel Foundation when they suddenly found themselves without a home. To Jadyn, the incident was a reminder that sometimes the people who help out the most are the quiet ones.

Read Jaydn's reader submission in People.