Sixteen Years Of The Newser

 

In Spring 2010, the staff of the Second Life Newspaper faced a dilemma. It had not been a good past several months. A sponsor went under, forcing them to abandon their office and build a new smaller one elsewhere. The owner and founder JamesT Juno was facing real-life difficulties and had to take an indefinite break from Second Life. And Editor Dana Vanmoer was spending less and less time inworld due to real-life as well. Finally in their April meeting, Dana announced she was having to close the paper. It was news that shocked the rest of us, some having been writing for the "Gray Lady" of SL for most of it's three and a half year history.

So we talked amongst ourselves, and four of us, Gemma Cleanslate, Grey Lupindo, Shirley Sands, and Bixyl Shuftan (myself) made the decision to start a new newsletter. Since I was the one with the most experience, being Dana's assistant editor aka Office Manager, I would be the owner and editor. And so on June 5 2010, the day the Second Life Newspaper made it's last entry, the Second Life Newser would start. 

Sadly, our first topic was covering the retirement of the established paper. Following that were a few routine articles. Then came shocking news. Linden Lab was laying off a third of it's staff. This would include some popular Lindens. Then came news of then CEO M Linden stepping down and Philip Linden returning as interim CEO. We would cover a happy event as expected, the Second Life Birthday, the SL7B, though we also reported on the close of the classic Greenies sim which longtime residents from the early days still look back on fondly. And there was the office and land donated to us by Ranchan Wiedman of the Sunweaver/Angels community. It was an active first month. As the year went on, we would report on the Relay for Life, the Emeraldgate scandal, the decision to merge the teen grid and the older teens, Universal demanding Linden Lab shut down the Battlestar Galactica roleplay and then pulling back, Ozimal bunnies taking Amareto horses to real-life court, Philip stepping down and the new CEO Rod Humble stepping in, and the real-life news network CNN closing it's location in SL. To help us out, Breezes Babi and Any1 Gynoid would join the team. We would also get our first sponsor, the Podex Exchange owned by Jacek Shuftan (no relation). 2010 was a pretty active year. 

Since then the Newser team has continued to report the news, big and small, of the people, places, and events in this crazy and wonderful virtual world. There have been no shortage of problems, the occasional griefer, drama that can end a group or community, sims closing down, the occasional questionable move by Linden Lab (in the past this happened more often), and saddest of all people passing away. But there's also been plenty of good, memorials set up to honor soldiers and others who gave their all, support groups to help those with troubled thoughts, people tweaking the mechanics of this virtual world to explore it's possibilities, people who found friendships and comradery here, charities that help people in real life such as Team Diabetes, Homes For Our Troops, and the Relay for Life, and much more. 

Sadly, over time people have had to drop out of the Newser team due to real-life concerns. Grey Lupindo and Shelly Sands would drop out after a couple years. But we've had others step up to contribute to virtual journalism such as DrFran Babcock and Grease Coakes. Today, the Newser consists of three full time staff. Gemma Cleanslate (who is currently under medical leave) and myself remain from the original team, with Netera Landar having rejoined us and is productive as ever. 

Sixteen years later, Second Life is a very different place. The few sims owned by corporations and US Government agencies are gone. Mesh has changed the way people build. The people have themselves changed with the Boomers and Gen Xers slowly giving way to more Millenials and Zoomers. But what hasn't changed is people still want to know what's going on. And it's up to newsletters such as the Newser to deliver. We're not perfect and occasionally we miss something. But we're persistent. Every day we post something, even if it's just a video or cartoon. But we inform as well as entertain. Our mission as always is to report the news big and small on the people, places, and events of this virtual world. And we will continue to do so. 

Special thanks to JamesT Juno and Dana Vanmoer for showing us the ropes. Special thanks to Ranchan Wiedman and the Sunbeamer and Angels community for giving us our office. Special thanks to Linden Lab for giving us this virtual world to start with (but we still wonder about some of our strategies). And of course special thanks to you the readers without whom this newsletter would not be possible.

And that's the way it is. Good day from the Second Life Newser.

Bixyl Shuftan
Editor
SL Newser

 

Seventeen Years of Writing About Second Life

 

 

It was about seventeen years this month in which my Second Life took a change. For a few months since the person who talked me into coming here told me about the Relay Weekend, I'd been dropping by regularly, seeing more of what people made here. I would hang around a few places, make a few friends, replace my starter avatar with a Luskwood fox, and continue to drop by new places.

Curious where to find new and interesting places, I started checking out blogs and newsletters about the virtual world. Among the most interesting was "Second Life Newspaper." After some time reading it, there was an announcement for reader submissions, either articles or pictures. So I sent in a few. I soon got the attention of it's owner JamesT Juno and it's editor Dana Vanmoer as they asked me for a job interview.

And so began my path into virtual journalism. With my first payment, I got a fedora and overcoat for a classic reporter's outfit, which with my avatar got me called "fox reporter" or "fox news," which got both chuckles from both fans and critics alike of the real-life News network. Once or twice a week, I would write articles on the people, places and events across Second Life. I would also do the cartoons. I was part of an accomplished team of writers that covered the Grid. And eventually I would be make the "office manager" of SL Newspaper, which meant updating the paper when Dana wasn't able.

Sadly, my time there would be only about two and a half years. James would depart Second Life for personal reasons, and Dana would tell the staff she would be shutting down, it's closing taking place in June 2010. By this time, three of the other reporters and I came to a decision, and as SL Newspaper closed, SL Newser would begin, with me as the owner and editor.

And we would continue the work of our predecessor paper, and I would continue to write articles, in addition to editing and posting the stories of the other writers, as well as posting shorts, cartoons, and videos on the main page. It would go on for month after month, year after year.

Second Life has changed much in the time I've been around. When I first started writing about it, we were still the darling of tech media, and mentioned on TV. But in just a few years, the shine had faded, the masses preferring Facebook and other social media. Second Life media would also change as live programing, once easy to find, would become a rarity, limited to special events. Many favorite locations have also faded away over time. Mesh wasn't even conceived of when I first appeared. Today, most avatars and their clothes are mesh. There's Bellisseria, the Linden Home continent, which has emerged as it's own community. And then there's the Lab. Numerous Lindens have come and gone, and we've reported on a few CEOs coming and going.

But while much has changed, much has remained the same. The Relay for Life continues to hold fundraising seasons, and many fun events. People continue to show their talents, either as builders, musicians, and more. And people continue to build and maintain interesting places, some of which have stood the test of time.

So what does the future hold. I've gotten a couple requests to write more political articles. But American politics has gotten more toxic in recent years, so as interesting as it is I write about it only sparingly for the Newser, usually around election time (just one, maybe two more articles on it this year). Those interested in what I have to say can check out my "Food on The Table" blog which I update only every so often. I've also had a lifetime interest in writing fiction, some of which can be read on my DeviantArt page. And I plan to get a novel published once I figure out how.

But I'll still be writing the news about this virtual world for quite some time to come. There's plenty here that keeps me interested. And as long as real-life permits, I won't stop writing.

Bixyl Shuftan

Fourteen Years of The Second Life Newser

 

It was fourteen years ago today that one newsletter in Second Life closed down, and another began. Over three years earlier, JamesT Juno had started the Second Life Newspaper, and over time others joined him in writing stories about Second Life. Among them was Dana Vanmoer, who as editor helped it grow to the best paper covering the virtual world. We would cover the detailed and exciting places of Second Life, numerous events that were happening, the people that helped make Second Life what it is, and the goings-on of Linden Lab. 

Unfortunately, events in real life would catch up to James and Dana. And eventually the decision was made to close the Second Life Newspaper. For four of us, Gemma Cleanslate, Grey Lupindo, Shelly Sands, and myself, Bixyl Shuftan, we made the decision to carry on as journalist. But it would be under a new newsletter, our own. Since I was the Office Manager in James' and Dana's paper, posting when they couldn't, I would be the editor. And so on June 5 2010, James and Dana would hold a farewell party in which they announced the Second Life Newspaper's closing and would be departing Second Life indefinitely. And I announced the opening of the new one. Our first story covered would be a sad one, that of our predecessor shutting it's doors. 

We ended up hitting the ground running. After just a few routine articles came news of Linden Lab laying off a third of it's staff. This was soon followed by Linden Lab's CEO stepping down. It would be an eventful year, with Philip Linden coming back to temporarily lead for a few months and some controversial moves such as the Teen Grid merger and the Emeraldgate controversy in which the most popular third party viewer at the time was shut down due to actions by it's team. But not everything was controversy, and there was plenty of happy news such as the Relay for Life and the Second Life Birthday. Eventually, sponsors such as the Podex Excnage came forward to support the paper, and people came forward offering to join our team. And of course the Sunweaver community supported us from the start, offering us both land and an office as our headquarters. 

Over time, we've had our share of challenges. There would be more controversies to cover, such as the rights of content creators when Linden Lab changed it's terms of service to some questionable language for several months. There have also been new developments, such as mesh and mobile viewers. There have been places to cover, such as Bellisseria. There have been many events, such as the Relay or Life and Second Life Birthday. And of course writing about some of the people who make them possible.

Sadly, we've had to say goodbye to people over time. Grey Lupindo and Shellie Sands would eventually depart the paper. The Podex Exchange would close down after a few years following the Lab ordering all third-party Linden exchangers to cease operations. But other reporters would step in, and other sponsors would come forward. 

So where do we go from here? We've had our ups and downs. And real-life can sometimes butt in into our writing time. But unless there's some calamity that shuts down the Internet, Second Life will be around for years to come. And we at the Newser will be around to cover it.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Farshore Radio, Montecito Bay, the Safe Waters Foundation, and the Sunweaver community that has been the home of our office for all these years, to Linden Lab which created this virtual world to begin with, to James and Dana to showing us the way in how to report the news here, and of course you the readers.

Bixyl Shuftan
Editor, Second Life Newser

Commentary: Second Life Turns 20

 

It was twenty years go, June 2003, in which Linden Lab officially started Second Life. It had already been in development for a few years, and for months people had joined while it was in beta. Originally called "Linden World," it wasn't the first virtual place online, and few others also came out soon afterwards. It was also not an instant success. For it's first few years, it's userbase was small compared to that of today, and it was relatively unknown to the computer and tech world. But it did have a combination that other places didn't. Not only could people interact with the environment and own a piece of it, but they could build more or less anything they wanted to with prims and scripts, and with the inworld economy they could buy and sell with one another and be able to convert whatever made into real-world money. It was a place like no other online.

Then around 2006, it began to catch on, and it started to grow fast both in population and land area. It was also getting noticed, first by computer and tech circles. And soon it was getting attention in mainstream media. Eventually it would get mentioned on prime-time television, notably on an episode of CSI in which detectives went into the virtual world to catch a killer. And along with the attention came still more people coming in, as well as businesses. Numerous companies such as Circuit City and Honda would get places here, and IBM would sponsor many sims. That people could make money through virtual real-estate also got attention, millionaire Anshe Chung making the cover of one business magazine. Charities such as veterans groups and the Relay for Life would come here. Former Speaker of the House Newt Gingrich and other politicians would come here for discussions. By 2008, people were calling Second Life the next stage of the Internet, and it's future. It seemed like in just a few years, everyone online would be in virtual reality.

But, this would not be the case. While millions would come for a peak, Second Life had a learning curve that confused many. For every ten people who logged on, only one or less would stick around after one or two days. People often had to figure out things like Instant Messaging, teleporting, joining groups, etc. on their own. With so many on the Internet having been used to games with clear winning conditions, the open-endedness of the virtual world confused many "How do you play this game, how do you win?" Where you have people, you eventually get troublemakers and people otherwise disagreeing. Some came here just to troll and/or bully, and others would end up causing drama. And of course there was the lag, which could be particularly bad on older computers. When social media such as Twitter and Facebook came around, the masses found them much easier to use, and they would get the millions Linden Lab thought awaited it in the future.

Then came the bad press. There came tales of virtual child abuse. And then came the tales of "cyber noogie." People were taking advantage of Second Life's freedom to not just make places of learning and socializing, but also to engage with others sexually. This creeped out some, and became fodder for more sensational stories that were soon pushing aside tales of veterans being aided by the virtual world. It even got to the point Gingrich's visit here was used to attack his opinions. One friend called it a sad fact of modern media, "It is so easier to sell to the public when there is controversy than when the story is constructive."

Linden Lab itself was also seemingly becoming detached from it's users. In the Second Life Fifth Birthday Celebrations, CEO Mark Kingdom made a speech that sounded like the Lab felt the virtual world's first residents would basically have to move aside for future users. There came incidents like the Openspace controversy in which huge price increases were announced. There was the new "Viewer 2" that older residents found awkward to use. Many established residents began feeling alienated, and some began dropping out.

The 2008 recession didn't help matters either. When people are unsure about their money, they cut back on expenses, and entertainment expenses are usually the first to go. So people were less able to pay for sims and virtual goods to begin with. But the bad press and many residents getting frustrated with Linden Lab encouraged people to cut back further, and the Lab began to feel it where it hurt: their bottom line. By 2009, it was becoming clear the virtual world had past it's peak. And in 2010, the Lab finally reacted with cutbacks, notably laying off a third of it's staff. There were other moves as well that hurt people's confidence such as the Teen Grid merger and ending educational sim discounts. It was a time when the virtual world's future was in doubt, some feeling it was doomed.

But Second Life didn't die. Many residents despite the difficulties such as Linden Lab's blunders continued to enjoy living here and interacting with one another virtually. The world despite it's flaws was still the creative and social space it had been. While some places online eventually closed, such as There, The Sims Online, Haboo Hotel, and others, Second Life endured. Indeed when the Pandemic hit in 2020, Second Life had a second wind as both former and new users flocked over here to enjoy virtually what they couldn't in real life. Facebook would try to get in on the action with it's own virtual world, but it only ended up mocked and loosing money while tech media once again began noticing our virtual world.

Second Life has also changed much over time. When it started, people couldn't teleport except at "hubs," and people were charged money for rezzing prims (which they got back when deleted). Both were soon corrected. The way people communicate has changed some with the introduction of Voice. The introduction of mesh and it's improvements has also changed the way things are made here. Some makers have adapted to the new methods. Others have dropped out. The way avatar appearances has also changed. While people can, and do, still get complete packages, more often people are getting heads, bodies, hands, and other body parts for avatars separately to make their own custom look. Shopping has also changed from only buying from people inworld to being able to get from Marketplace and have your items delivered within seconds (usually). In a sense, this reflects the ability of people in real-life to buy from Amazon and other places online in the past generation. But not unlike real-life, the result has been some stores and malls inworld closing down. The number of groups residents could belong to has grown over time, from ten in the early days to 42 for basic accounts, and more for Premium.

The way people are named has also changed over time. When Second Life first started, one could pick more or less whatever first name they wanted (that wasn't a profanity or slur) and pick from a list of last names that was slowly changed over time. The idea was that people with the same last name would have something in common, having came inworld around the same time and having the name would make them something of a "family." But when people didn't like any of the names when making a new account, their options were to either be stuck with a name they hated of not sign up, or were confused by not being able to use their real names. So eventually the Lab changed the system, new users choosing just one account name while having a "display name" that looked larger over their avatars. But with all new people having the default surname "Resident," they stood out and some felt like second-class citizens, and wondered why they couldn't have a last account name. After several years, Linden Lab would bring back last names for new residents, but only as an option that one had to pay a fee for.

Who could go to Second Life and where on it has also changed. It used to be a strict 18 and over only could come here while teenagers could only go to a separate Teen Grid. This would be changed in 2010-11 when the Teen Grid was closed and teenagers could go to General Audience, or be limited to certain General Audience sims where they had permission depending on their age. For a time, Adult sims were limited to only those who provided some real-life ID to the Lab such as a drivers license. But this would be dropped after a short time. But to buy Linden Dollars, one still needs their credit card, and some places such as Linden Realms require a transaction history to fully work well.

The way Linden Lab has interacted with the residents has changed over time. At first, there weren't many restrictions. As long as people didn't grief, cheat, or otherwise misbehave, no worries. But over time came more rules, such as the gambling ban, then the banking ban and other rules such as no buying Linden dollars from anyone but the Lab, no selling gachas, and others. In the early days of the virtual world, the Lindens interacted with the residents a lot, but this would slow down as the grid became larger. In the days of CEO Rod Humble in the early 2010s, events in which the Lindens interacted with the Lindens were closed and there seemed to be a policy of "no fraternization." But it didn't last very long, and after Ebbe Altberg assumed command of the Lab, Lindens slowly began to meet and talk to residents once more. Over time, the Lab would also become more involved with the homes of some of it's residents. In 2008, Linden Moles were involved in the construction of Bay CIty. Then came Linden Homes, a bonus for Premium account holders, which grew in popularity when the Lab began offering then on a new continent in the middle of the Second Life mainland in 2019: Bellisseria. Bellisseria would grow in size, and population, on land, and homes, made all by the Linden Moles, and in the Bellisseria group chat one can frequently talk to the Lindens and Moles. This doesn't mean the Lindens are so involved with all residents, most still live in either private sims and estates outside the mainland or mainland areas outside Bellisseria where the only thing made by the Lindens and Moles around is the occasional Linden bear souvenir, and hear from them only when there's a problem or glitch to fix. But Bellisseria demonstrates just how big a change there's been between the Lindens and residents over the past several years.

And then there are the alternatives to Second Life. This virtual world was soon leaving others in the dust, and in it's early days it seemed like the only real competition was the popular MMO "World of Warcraft," which not unlike Second Life was a ground-breaker in it's field. Eventually would come the OpenSim worlds, but most of these grids would remain very very small compared to Second Life, only a few such as InWorldz gaining somewhat large numbers. With new technology being developed over time, Linden Lab itself would eventually develop an alternative of it's own, Sansar. But it would gain only a small following. So would the virtual space created by Second Life's founder "High Fidelity." Eventually Sansar would be sold off and High Fidelity closing down. Eventually came a next-generation virtual world that did attract larger numbers, VRChat. But while more successful than Sansar it still attracts smaller numbers than Second Life, and has mostly younger users.

Finally, there's that twenty years later, there's that there's a literal new generation of Second Life users. There are people signing up who weren't even born when the Grid first came online. And with this new generation comes new attitudes and ideas. Early on, residents were mostly Boomers and Gen-X, and had certain attitudes about the Internet such as highly valuing privacy. But over time, they would slowly drop in number and there would be growing numbers of Millennials, and lately Gen-Z/Zoomers, who were more used to displaying their real-life identities online. 

 

How does Linden Lab perceive how new residents have changed? In his recent interview at the SL20B, Patch Linden would say that when Second Life was new, residents seemed mainly interested in building. Residents coming in around 2010, he felt were mainly interested in socializing. Residents entering in the past few years, Patch felt were interested in a combination of the two, thinking many had spent a few years in simpler virtual space like Roblox and now were wanting something more detailed.

I could go on and on with how much has changed from how real-life politics is handled, to some more of Linden Lab's questionable and downright boneheaded moves, to the move to the Cloud Servers a few years ago. But this would require more time, and pencil space. But Second Life and Linden Lab is enjoying an accomplishment that wasn't available to forms of entertainment such as Atari in my younger days, being very much alive and well and kicking twenty years later. As much as we oldbies sometimes call Linden Lab out for mistakes, we have to hand it to them for being able to last, and deliver, for so long.

So what does the future hold for Second Life? Right now, Second Life and Linden Lab are doing quite well. And while there have been a few moves by the Lab that raised some eyebrows lately, the residents are fairly content and happy. It's a safe bet that our virtual world will be around for at least the next several years. There is no reason to believe there won't be a SL25B, and little to believe there won't be a SL30B. Yes,  eventually somebody will make a virtual world that appeals to the masses better. And no company lasts forever. But unless there's a worldwide calamity far greater than the recent Pandemic, we'll still be going about the Mainland, Bellisseria, and the private estates for many years to come.

Twenty years later, it's still our Second Life, so let's make the most of it.

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Thirteen Years of The SL Newser

 

 In 2010, the leading newsletter in Second Life was the Second Life Newspaper, run by JamesT Juno and Dana Vanmoer. For over three years, it had been reporting the news around Second Life. It had grown from a small blog, to a well-staffed online publication bringing out the news from around the virtual world. From people who made Second Life more interesting, to noteworthy places one could see and go about in, to notable events one could go to, we reported on the news big and small.

 

But on June 5 2010, James and Dana announced it's closure. Sadly events in real-life had taken difficult turns and it was time for them to leave in order to focus on them. They had let the staff know ahead of time, and four of the reporters, Gemma Cleanslate, Grey Lupindo, Shellie Sands, and Bixyl Shuftan (myself) took it upon themselves to start a new newsletter: The Second Life Newser. 

Almost right away, we had some big stories to tell. Just a few days later came news of Linden Lab laying off almost a third of its staff. Later on came the closure of one of the more popular sims, a scandal that led to the shutting down of the most popular third-party viewer, the resignation of Linden Lab's CEO and Philip Linden (Philip Rosedale) temporarily taking over as intirem CEO, there was the decision to merge the Teen Grid with the main one, and of course the Relay for Life and the Second Life Birthday.

 

We had our work cut out for us, but we also had support. Just after our start, the Sunweaver community gave us a home, providing an office for us. We soon had a sponsor, the Podex Exchange, which was soon followed by others, as well as people paying us to advertise. More reporters would join the ranks of our team, which meant more stories we could cover. And of course readers came to see us as a reliable and useful source of news about this virtual world as we continued to bring news stories to them, big and small. And before long, the team once again were the number one source of news in Second Life. 

We've entertained as well as informed. There are the cartoons that appear twice a week, and there are the music videos that we show most Saturdays. But foremost on our minds is bringing you "news you can use" from what's going on with Linden Lab to interesting events and places. Unlike some other publications, the Newser has never gone out of it's way to create controversy for it's own sake. There has been occasional trouble, and troublemakers, that we felt needed a story. But we have sought to make the coverage of our virtual world an overall positive one, to report it not as full of griefers, but as an enjoyable place where one can find all kinds of interesting and fun sights, activities, and people. Over time, we would occasionally write about games and other virtual worlds. But Second Life has always been, and will remain, our main focus. 

Sadly, over time we've had to say goodbye to some teammates and old friends. Shellie Sands and Gray Lupindo would end up having to leave to take care of things in real life. Breezes Babii, our coworker from the old SLN would pass away. The Podex Exchange would shut down after Linden Lab changed it's terms of service and made it's continued operation no longer possible. But over time, we've had more talent come in to join the team. And more sponsors have stepped up to support the paper.

Thirteen years later, much in Second Life has changed. Sims have come and gone. Mesh has changed the way objects and avatars are made. Linden Lab would be purchased by investors. But Second Life goes on. It's safe to assume that unless there's some economic catastrophe of some kind, this virtual world will be around for many years to come. And as long as events in our real-lives remain smooth, we'll be around to cover it.

 

Special thanks to our sponsors, Farshore Radio, Lorena Chung Estates, Montecito Bay, the Safe Water Foundation, and the Sunweaver community which has been the home to our office all these years. Thanks to to Linden Lab which created this virtual world to begin with. Thanks to James and Dana to showing us the way in how to report the news here. And of course our thanks to you the readers.

 

"And that's the way it is." Good day from the Second Life Newser.

 

Bixyl Shuftan

Editor

Second Life Newser

 

"The Man" Statue Turns 20

 

July 19, 2022 was the anniversary of one of the oldest objects in Second Life and possibly the oldest one more detailed than a single prim: "The Man." People came by the Ivory Tower of Primitives where the statue is located where they danced away to music provided by GoSpeed Racer. This included several Lindens and Moles such as Oatmeal Linden. The Newser was there, and took a number of pictures. 

 

Read more in Events.
 

"The Man" Statue Turns 20

 *

Yesterday, July 19, 2022 was the anniversary of one of the oldest objects in Second Life and possibly the oldest one more detailed than a single prim: "The Man." 

This statue, created by Oldjohn Linden, was created on July 19 2002, twenty years ago.  This would be almost a year before Second Life was officially open.

 

People came by the Ivory Tower of Primitives where the statue is located where they danced away to music provided by GoSpeed Racer. This included several Lindens and Moles such as Oatmeal Linden. At one point, someone in a HUGE mega-macro showed up. made 

Happy anniversary to "The Man"

 

Addition: Check out more pictures of the event (here). 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

Nine Years of The Second Life Newser

It was nine years ago today that for four Second Life journalists, a chapter of their time online came to a close and a new one began. For quite some time, two and a half years in my case, we had been reporting the news about the virtual world as reporters of JamesT Juno's Second Life Newspaper. Under the guidence of the editor Dana Vanmoer, we reported on all aspects of the virtual world, both big and small, from the various people who made virtual lives here, to interesting places, to the noteworthy events, to the interesting things one could use here, and of course breaking news such as Linden Lab making changes here, notably some that didn't seem to make much sense.

Sadly, events in James' and Dana's real lives would make it so they could no longer run the SL Newspaper, and she would make the decision to close it. So for Gemma Cleanslate, Grey Lupindo, Shellie Sands, and me, Bixyl Shuftan, we made the decision to continue on under our own paper. As I was the old paper's Office Manager, the person whom had been posting articles when Dana couldn't, I would be the new newsletter's editor and owner. And so, on June 5, 2010, James and Dana held their farewell party, Dana making the old SL Newspaper's final statement that night. And on that date, I would announce the start of a new paper, the Second Life Newser.

Writing for a newsletter is one thing. Starting one, organizing it, and keeping it going is another. And from the start, we as a team were tested. A few days after our beginning, Linden Lab laid off a third of their staff. Not long afterwards, the most popular of the third-party viewers fell into scandal as one of the team misused his power to use the computers of their software's users to hack a rival. There was the resignation of Linden Lab's CEO followed by the return of it's founder Philip Rosedale for several months as interim. And of course the usual major events such as the Relay for Life and the Second Life Birthday.

While we certainly had our challenges, we've also had supporters. From the start, the Sunweaver community was happy to give us a home, notably Ranchan Weidman whom both provided the land and made an office for us. After a few months, Jacek Shuftan's (no relation) Podex Exchange became our first sponsor. And of course readers began looking to us as a source of reliable news as we updated daily. Before long, the Newser was the number one source of news of Second Life.

While we would always entertain, offering cartoons about twice a week, and soon have music videos about every week, first and foremost was doing what we had always done, provide the news larger and small about the people, places, events, and things around Second Life. Unlike a few certain tabloids, the Newser has never gone out of it's way to create controversy. What has happened is the rare troublemaker creating their own controversy, such as Redzone and Voodoo, and the occasional Linden blunder. But overall, we sought to make our coverage of the virtual world as mainly positive, to report it not as full of griefers, but as the enjoyable place where one can find all kinds of enjoyable sights, activities, and people that it is. Over time, we would expand somewhat to offer occassional gaming reviews and reports from other virtual worlds such as Inworldz. But Second Life has always remained our focus, and always will.

Sadly, over time we've had to say goodbye to some teammates and old friends. Shellie and later Gray would step down as real life demanded their time. Breezes Babii, our former coworker from the old SLN whom remained a friend and supporter would pass away. Our first sponsor Podex would close as Linden Lab changed it's Terms of Service to make their business impossible. But over time, we've had new talent come in, such as Deaflegacy, Klaus Klaus Bereznyak, Marcel Mosswood, and Cyfir. And of course Gemma and I have continued to stick around. And others have stepped forward to sponsor the paper.

So nine years later, where do we go from here? Despite Linden Lab's bumps, stumbles, and falls over the years, it's safe to assume that unless there's a catastrophe such as an economic depression or shutdown of the Internet, Second Life will be around for many years to come. And as long as events in real life stay smooth, we'll continue to report the news of the people, places, and events that this virtual world has to offer.

Special thanks to our sponsors, Farshore Radio, Lorena Chung, Montecito Bay, Steelhead, and the Sunweaver community that has been the home of our office for all these years, to Linden Lab which created this virtual world to begin with, to James and Dana to showing us the way in how to report the news here, and of course you the readers.

Bixyl Shuftan
Editor, Second Life Newser

Commentary: Ten Years of Writing About Second Life

It was ten years ago this month that I officially got started in virtual journalism with my joining the staff of JamesT Juno and Dana Vanmoer's Second Life Newspaper. With this milestone, yours truly has been looking back at what has happened, with my virtual career here, personally with my friends, and of course this virtual world.

Read the story in Extra.

Ten Years Later

It was a few days and ten years ago that yours truly first came to Second Life. Ten years ... that's a total of 3653 days, and a lot of people and places seen. But all of that lay in the future when I first came to this virtual world. With only a few screenshots and a few paragraphs of description from a friend, I made an account and logged in with little idea what to expect. For those curious about my first days here, a year ago I wrote a story about them.

My tenth rezzday went much like any other, going about looking for stories around the virtual world, and spending a little time with friends. Baring some unexpected disaster, there's not much chance of this changing anytime soon. I've found personal success here in writing about the news here, and have every intention of keeping on going. Yes, there's always the chance of a Linden blunder that will finally send Second Life fading to black, but they've kept things going for over thirteen years. The place will most likely continue on for quite some time, and chances are so will I.

Bixyl Shuftan.