SLB23B Open To Applications For Volunteer Staff

 

Last week on April 14, Linden Lab announced they were accepting applications by residents wanting to be volunteer staff for the Second Life 23rd Birthday celebrations, or SL23B. 

 

 

We’re looking for volunteers to help bring the celebration to life. SL23B volunteers play an important role in welcoming visitors, assisting with events, and helping guests explore the birthday regions.

We’re seeking Residents with strong people skills, patience, and enthusiasm for sharing the best of Second Life with others. Volunteers help answer questions, guide visitors through the celebration regions, and support the many activities happening throughout the event.

If you enjoy helping others and want to be part of the team that makes SL23B run smoothly, we encourage you to submit a volunteer application ....

 

Those interested in submitting an application need to do so through this Google doc (here).  Besides being courteous, you need to keep your appearance appropriate for a General-audience sim, as well as wearing the group tag and team shirt. You must commit to shifts two hours long and be available for at least a minimum total of eight hours for the event, longer totals very much preferred. And volunteers *must* attend a pre-event training session, with those not showing up removed from the group. And as these are strictly volunteer positions, no compensation in Linden dollars will be offered. 

 

Volunteer applications need to be submitted by Monday May 18.  This is the same date as exhibitors and performers. The information for those wanting to take part in the Shop and Hop is currently pending. 

 

The SL23B will take place from Thursday June 18 to July 19.  The theme this year is The Golden Age of Hollywood. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

(sorry for the delay, lots of things happening) 

 

Last Day To Submit SLB Applications

 

For those still wanting to submit applications for exhibitors, volunteer staff, and performers , today Monday May 19 is your last chance. After Midnight, no more applications will be accepted. 

If past history is any guide, within several days the first exhibitors will get emails from Linden Lab saying they've been approved, where their plots are, and how to get into the exhibitor group. 

Stay tuned for further updates. 

EOTB: Applications Being Accepted For SL21B Volunteers

 

For those interested in volunteering for the Second Life Twenty-first Birthday celebrations, or SL21B, some good news. Earlier this week, Linden Lab announced they were accepting applications for those wishing to be volunteer staff. 

We’re looking for volunteers to assist during the celebrations. We are seeking Residents with great people skills and a passion for sharing the best of Second Life to help us make SL21B a huge success! 

If you have the Second Life spirit and stamina to promote SL21B events and serve as a guide for huge crowds, we’d love for you to fill out the volunteer application by May 12th!

As stated, those interested in volunteering need to fill out an application form on Google docs. Among the requirements, they need to be able to "to commit to at least two hour shifts at a time" and be available for multiple days during the month-long event. Those who are going to miss a shift need to let a coordinator or manager know ahead of time. Volunteers must be able to attend training sessions, otherwise they will be removed from the group. And they will need to wear the team shirt when on duty. As stated, people interested have until Sunday May 12 to fill out the form. 

The theme for this year's SLB is "Elements." And for those interested in setting up an exhibit, applications are currently being accepted, also until Sunday May 12. Applications for singers, DJs, and other performers have yet to be announced.

To read the blog post in full, Click Here. 

Bixyl Shuftan

Linden Lab Bringing Back Second Life Mentors

 

 Longtime residents of Second Life may remember when Linden Lab had an official Mentor group in it's early days. But in November 2009, the Lab announced it was retiring the program, saying, "While the official Mentor Volunteer Program has been an extremely valuable endeavor, its sheer size has made it increasingly difficult to support, and we need to reallocate our resources at the Lab for other Resident-focused programs." The move has long been criticized as another example of the Lab's shortsightedness, at least during this time.

After more than thirteen years, Linden Lab seems to have changed it's mind. Yesterday on June 8, it announced that it was calling for people to sign up to be part of "A New Generation of Second Life Mentors!"

To coincide with our 20th Birthday celebrations, we are excited to announce the introduction of a new generation of Second Life Mentors.

Second Life Mentors will be the first ripple in the pond of “Paying It Forward”. 

Paying it forward is an ancient concept but we are bringing it right up to date and beyond in our amazing Second Life Community and “Our Fantastic Future”!

There will be two teams of volunteer Mentors.
 
-The Second Life Mentors, welcoming and guiding New Residents arriving at the Welcome areas and helping with ongoing assistance. 

-The Bellisseria Mentors, introducing people to the many themes and choices of Linden Homes and assisting people to settle into their Community across the Bellisseria Continent.

We will welcome Mentors with all levels of knowledge and experience. The most important qualities will be patience, warmth, positivity, fun, and a focus on inclusion. Mentors will learn and develop new skills and information within our teams with ongoing skill-sharing, training, and Community development ideas to take forward and share with our wonderful fellow Residents. 

 

In the blog post were links to two separate applications, in Google docs. One was for the new regular Mentors group (here). The other was for a special Mentors group for the BelliHub in Bellissaria (link).  It stated there would be training sessions to attend, and that this was a volunteer position so there would be no pay. They would also need to list days of the week and times they could regularly be available. And, a detail that some residents will find annoying, Mentors must use the official, or Linden Lab, Second Life Viewer. 

In a thread in the official forums, reaction from commentators was skeptical. For some, having to use the official viewer was a dealbreaker. Others felt there were reasons the Lab discontinued the old Mentor program, such as drama and people abusing authority. There were also people recommending that the Lab not use volunteers, but make the Mentors paid workers, "You get what you pay for."

So Linden Lab has brought back a group whose removal people complained about for years. But with its return, different people are complaining.

Bixyl Shuftan

Relay Fundraising Levels For 2023 Season Announced

 

 Yesterday on Wednesday February 1, it was announced in the Relay for Life in Second Life Volunteers group the team fundraising levels for 2023.

I am your official Fundraising Club representative this year. I'm sending a notecard with the levels for your records. We will be gathering our information from Sasun's teams totals page for the badges. Good luck to you all for an amazing year!! 

 

The levels are:

 

Bronze       $50 usd / $12,500 Lindens        
            
Silver          $200 usd / $50,000 Lindens        
            
Gold            $500 usd / $125,000 Lindens        
            
Platinum    $1,000 usd / $250,000 Lindens        
            
Jade         $2,000 usd / $500,000 Lindens        
            
Sapphire    $3,000 usd / $750,000 Lindens        
            
Emerald    $4,000 usd / $1,000,000 Lindens        
            
Ruby    $5,000 usd / $1,250,000 Lindens        
            
Topaz    $6,000 usd / $1,500,000 Lindens        
            
Diamond    $7,000 usd / $1,750,000 Lindens        
            
Crimson    $10,000usd / $2,500,000 Lindens        
            
Purple    $15,000 usd / $3,750,000 Lindens        
            
All-Star    $20,000 usd / $5,000,000 Lindens        
            
Super Star    $25,000 usd / $6,250,000 Lindens        
            
Supernova    $30,000 usd / $7,500,000 Lindens        

 

 

There's been some levels added for this year. Crimson (2.5 million Lindens) was added as a step between Diamond (1.75 million L) and Purple (3.75 million L), and after them All-Star (5 million L), Super Star (6.25 million L) and Supernova (7.5 million). 

 

Can any team reach this new top level? We'll eventually find out.

SL19B Update: Exhibitor and Volunteer Applications Now Open

 

Yesterday, Thursday March 31, Linden Lab announced it would began accepting applications from those wishing to be among the exhibitors and of the volunteer staff of the SL19B anniversary event for Second Life. For exhibitors, while going with the theme, Steampunk, is encouraged, it is not necessary to build strictly within it.

The theme for SL19B is Steampunk, but don’t let that make you feel limited! Just like last year, your exhibit does not need to stay in theme. Share your Second Life passions with us. Your interests. Your communities. Your world! Every year we celebrate because of you, the amazing and creative Residents who have chosen to call Second Life home. What has drawn you into this world, and what keeps you here? These annual festivities are an opportunity to show us what fuels your Second Life. Let's celebrate that together!

Those wanting to be exhibitors are asked to fill out a Google docs form (link). There are rules such as no "promoting buying and selling of goods and services" (stores and businesses can still have an exhibit, but have to follow rules), and exhibits need to be within the guidelines of a general-rated sim (for example no adult furniture). Scripted bots are not allowed at exhibits. While having a party at one's exhibit is fine, exhibits cannot "be used as a performance/music/DJ venue for the entirety of the event." Nor can exhibits be political in nature. And as there are a finite number of exhibit parcels, there is no guarantee of being accepted. People can request a larger-sized parcel, but must explain why the size is needed. Exhibitors can have two co-builders with access to the plot.

If you have the Second Life spirit and stamina to promote SL19B events and serve as a guide for huge crowds, we’d love for you to fill out the volunteer application by May 8th, 2022!

Those wanting to be volunteers have another Google docs form to fill out (link). They are expected to be courteous to others and be able to work in shifts of at least two hours. They must wear assigned t-shirts and need to have an overall appearance and profile that fit within the General-rated maturity level theme of the SL Birthday. Applicants are asked if they want to be greeters or stage crew, and if one of the latter which position. Those applying are also asked which type of mesh body they usually wear so a crew shirt that properly fits will be available.

Like with performer applications, those desiring to be exhibitors and volunteers for the SL19B have until May 8 to apply. As a reminder, the SL19B takes place from June 16 to July 5.

To read the announcement on the Linden blog, Click Here.

Bixyl Shuftan
 

First RFL Team Sunbeamer Bid Me Events

 

Those in the Relay for Life in real-life may be familiar with "Bid Me Bald" in which someone offers to shave their head if so much is raised. Second Life also has "Bid Me Bald" events in which an avatar offers to go without hair for a while, how long depending on how much was raised. But with furry avatars, going without head hair doesn't seem so drastic when you're covered in fur. So the mostly furry Team Sunbeamers has had variations of the "Bid Me" theme. And this year will be no exception. This week, three volunteers have put their virtual looks on the line for charity.

Each of the bid me events involves a pair of kiosk. The one on the left serves as the "default" to keep the volunteer as is. To make them change, people donate to the kiosk on the right. If the left one is the highest at the end of the bidding period, the volunteer has to change their appearance for a while. All six of the kiosks are at Club Cutlass in the room behind the dance floor area.

Two of the events are "Bid Me Tiny." Team Captain Rita Mariner is offering to go as a pint-sized white rabbit for a while. For every 5000 Linden dollars, rounded down, donated into the tiny kiosk, she will be limited to the tiny white rabbit (and other tinies) for that many weeks. For example, if 14,999 is donated, she only has to spend two weeks looking at people's kneecaps while 15,000 means three.

Bixyl Shuftan is also doing a "Bid Me Tiny," offering to go as a dinkie fox, or one of a few other tiny avatars. For every 7500 Linden dollars, rounded down, he will be limited to them for that many weeks. He as two outs. One is when he is obviously working on something for the Newser, such as conducting an interview. As he also helps out in running the Happy Vixen beach club, he may change to another avatar to help fit with the theme. Otherwise, he goes about pint-sized.

Liska da'Lantros (LiskaDaLantros Resident) is the volunteer for the third bid me event, "Bid Me Deer." For every 4000 Linden dollars, rounded down, the vixen will be made "into venison, I mean a deer" for that many weeks.

People have until Saturday April 16, presumably when the party that evening ends at 8PM to make bids on these three. Then the totals will be made final and the winners announced.

Go Sunbeamers! Go Relay!

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunweaver%20Bay/114/118/757

Bixyl Shuftan
 

"SL18B Greeters and Hosts"

 

From the Second Life Flickr page, Gemma Cleanslate, and other volunteers of the SL18B whom did greeter and event host duty.
  

EOTB: Volunteers Can Now Apply to SL18B

 

A week after the Lab announced it was accepting applications for exhibitors for the Second Life Eighteenth Birthday event, it's now doing the same for those whom wish to be among the volunteers for the anniversary event of this virtual world. The announcement went up Monday March 29.

We’re looking for volunteers to help people celebrate at the upcoming 18th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL18B), held June 17th to July 1st, 2021. We are seeking Residents with great people skills and a love and excitement for Second Life to help us make SL18B a huge success! If you like the idea of promoting Second Life in a positive way to thousands of people in a celebratory atmosphere, we welcome you to apply today! The application will remain open through May 28th.

Those wishing to volunteer are asked to fill out a form (click here). Applications will be accepted until May 28, the same date as when exhibitor applications close. Of the Music Fest, the last day to turn in applications for their auditions was Saturday March 26.

Stay tuned for more information about the SL18B.

Source: Linden blog.
 

Announcement: Help Wanted At Caledon Oxbridge University

 

Caledon Oxbridge University is looking for a few good professors and other interested people,in particular people able to develop and teach classes in Second Life skills.  Caledon Oxbridge University is a long-time new-user help area that is part of the steampunk nation-state of Caledon. 

Read more in Extra.

"Thank You SL Newser"

 Our decision to not just do a "Man of the Year" article, but look back at the previous decade and do one for the decade for the Relay for Life in Second Life's volunteers, had some positive reactions. In the Relay's Discord chat, Stingray Raymaker called it a great honor. "Thank you ... for recognizing the amazing work of the RFL of SL community." Bain Finch called it "nicely penned," adding, "A roller coaster ride I am delighted to have taken part in. If I hadn't, I would have never met our honored people, along the way."

Glad to be of help.

Bixyl Shuftan, SL Newser

 

Volunteers of the Decade

 

The past decade has seen many people, groups, and communities make the news. Some do so over and over again. Some make a deep impact. There is one particular group which has done both.

For a century, the American Cancer Society has worked to combat the disease of cancer. It's most successful and signature fundraiser is the Relay for Life. A community-based charity, soon after Second Life came to be the Relay came here, and grew. In it's centennial year 2016, the Relay for Life of Second Life ranked as the Relay's 19th largest team worldwide.

From February to July (formerly March to August) every year, with spinnoff events in the Fall and winter, the Relayers hold events to raise money to fund research to help find treatments and cures for cancer. While the disease is serious, the Relayers make the events a social occasion and have fun doing it. Since it started in the virtual world, it has raised a total of four million US dollars.

As mentioned before, this is one of the largest Relay groups worldwide, with people across many regions and communities, across Second Life of all kinds of avatars, and many nationalities and languages. The high point of the Relay season, the Relay Weekend, which has hundreds of avatars walking around a forty-plus sim track with exhibits around it, is one of the biggest, if not the biggest, yearly event in Second Life. Among the people whom are a part of it are the neighbors of the Second Life Newser, the Sunweavers, who take part through it's own  team, the Sunbeamers.

Not everything about the Relay has been fun times. As the group's numbers include people with cancer and family history's of, inevitably some people every year pass away from the disease. Over time, they have included Shady Fox, Artistic Fimicloud, Catt Gable, and others. With occasional scammers making news with fake charities, some people have come to mistrust every one of them, even one with a good record such as the Relay. And in an era of fake news, there are the occasional charges of global conspiracies. But despite the setbacks, the Relay continues on, helping to fund treatments and cures, and bringing closer the day all cancers have safe and economical cures.

For it's continued successes in aiding real-life medicine, and for involving many hundreds of Second Life residents, as well as being a prime example of the good that can be done with virtual worlds, it's the decision of the Second Life Newser editor to name Relay for Life in Second Life as Second Life's People of the Decade. In a decade that has seen the worst Pandemic in the past century end many hundreds of thousands of lives, it is fitting the title goes to a group dedicated to saving lives. 

Honorable mentions go to Ebbe Altberg/Ebbe Linden, Draxtor Despress, and the Second Life Birthday volunteer staff (2012-2018).

Bixyl Shuftan
Editor, SL Newser

SL17B Volunteer Staff Now Open For Applications

For those of you waiting to be one of the volunteers for the Second Life Birthday, good news. A few days ago, Linden Lab announced they were accepting applications to be part of the volunteer staff for the SL17B.

Do you love Second Life? Do you love to party? Do you love to help? Join the SL17B Volunteer staff and you can do all three!  

We’re looking for volunteers to help people celebrate at the upcoming 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B), held June 19-July 10. We are seeking Residents with great people skills and a love and excitement for Second Life to help us make SL17B a huge success! If you like the idea of promoting Second Life in a positive way to thousands of people in a  celebratory atmosphere, we welcome you ...

Those wanting to be volunteers are asked to fill out and send an online application (link). People have until May 18 to sign up.

The notice also had reminders that the Lab was also accepting applications for performers and exhibitors for the SL17B, and applications for the Music Fest auditions.

To see the blog post in full, Click Here.

Fearless Nation PTSD Support Virtual Community

Second Life can help people in many ways. One way it can is allowing people to reach out to a person or persons for help. For those with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, or PTSD, one group they can contact is Fearless Nation. The Newser recently met up with it's director Anya Iborm who had much to say about the group. She also had a request, volunteers for a study on PTSD,

Read the story in People.

The Last SL16B Party

The Second Life Sixteenth Birthday was a great event, but sadly all good things must come to an end. As the virtual clock was winding down, the volunteers threw a couple unofficial parties late last week. Friday had the larger one, and the Newser was there to get a few pictures of the fun.

Read the story in Events.

Behind The Scenes of the Second Life Birthday

As the Relay Weekend fades into Second Life history, attention turns to the next big event: the Second Life Sixteenth Birthday celebration, also known as the SL16B. Behind the scenes, the moles have been busily making the infrastructure, the exhibitors and their crews making the builds, and the volunteers have been training. Gemma Cleanslate, whom is one of the volunteers, had an inside look at things.

Read Gemma's story in Design.

VWBPE Behind The Scenes: Elli Pinion From The Volunteers Committee

A few days ago, the  Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference took place. For three days, there were a number of discussions and other events. While the event itself is over, the exhibits will be up for another few weeks. During the event, Newser reporter Marcel Mosswood talked to Elli Pinion, one of the women behind the VWBPE. Elli answered a few questions about the event, and her motivations for taking part.

Read the interview in Extra.

Relay Kickoff Saturday Feb 16 at 10 AM

In what may take some as a pleasant surprise, the Relay for Life fundraising season is starting early this year. In September 2018, the Relay Committee came to the conclusion that an earlier season would bring in more people, and donations. So this means a season that begins in February instead of March. And so tomorrow is the Kickoff event, the season start.

The theme for this season is "All Aboard for a Cure." And the various teams have been setting things up in the Eternal Hope and Reflections of Life sims. The event starts at 10AM.

The Relay for Life is the largest fundraising group in Second Life in terms of volunteers and money raised, donating money to the American Cancer Society.

"Go Relay!"

Persons of the Year: The Second Life Birthday Volunteers

Second Life had it's share of people making the news this year, as well as people behind places and events making the news, and those making an impact behind the scenes. Finding someone who both stood out and made a difference was less than easy. But we did find someone.

Every year since it's first, there has been an anniversary celebration of some kind within Second Life, the Second Life Birthday. With one exception, the first eight were handled by Linden Lab. But in 2012, the Lab announced it would no longer be organizing one. What happened was that a number of residents took it into their own hands to organize the event, and these volunteers saved "The Birthday." Had the Newser been giving out it's "Man of the Year" award then, it would have gone to them.

This year came a milestone birthday, Second Life's fifteenth. It would me more than just the usual crowd of Second Life residents, but people coming back after taking a break for a few years as well as a few from tech blogs and magazines whom would be seeing the event as an example of the best of what Second Life has to offer, and giving their critical eye of what they saw. While Linden Lab has been taking a role in anniversary celebrations lately, such as the Musicfest and the "Meet and Greet" with noted Lindens, "The Birthday" is still up to a group of hardworking, and mostly overlooked volunteers.

Any Second Life Birthday is a challenge to undertake, the planning, the exhibit inspections, greeting and guiding visitors, watching out for griefers, finding people to fill in for musicians who can't make it, and more. And occasionally mistakes are made. But as always the Second Life Birthday volunteers rose to the challenge, and they tackled it well.

Many of the SLB volunteers have been mentioned in the Newser a number of times, such as Marianne McCann, Faust Steamer, Treacle Darlandes, and others. Our own Gemma Cleanslate was an SLB greeter for a few years. But many others have done their (unpaid) jobs practically unnoticed outside the volunteer group.

So for their hard work this year, as well as previous years, for this high-profile event, the Second Life Newser names the Second Life Birthday volunteers as it's Persons of the Year.

Stand by for our runner-up on Monday.

Bixyl Shuftan
Editor, Second Life Newser

Reader Submitted: Greeters Pic SL15B

From Treacle Darlandes, of the greeter volunteers of the SL15B