Whatever Happened To: The Dahlia Linden Flower Mountain

 

So what happened with the mountain at the New Bloom Mountain sim that had all of those mysterious blue flowers on the top that was the subject of Dahlia Linden's searches and supposed to return to "normality" on March 25? I had a heads up from Zada Bury that there were some changes, so went over. And there were a couple houses on the sides, though the flowers at the top were doing just fine. 

 

So what happens around the 16th? Time will tell. 

 

 Bixyl Shuftan

 

"Syndicats" At The River For Fundraiser Concert

 

 

Easter Sunday, April 5, was a little quieter in Second Life as some people had real life events to attend to. But there were still some, such as a performance by the Dinkie band "Syndicats" at The River, with donations to the Relay for Life accepted instead of tips. 

 

The River has gone WILD! Come join us for this feralfest! First up, it's the return of the SYNDICATS! Those crazy dinkies are swarming The River Rock Club for a tribute to the GORILLAZ! Then, at 5slt the culmination of our Bid me Feral and Bid me Bald Auctions. Our bidding auctions GO LIVE and it's not too late to lose that hair or get bid FERAL in the spirit of Wild for a Cure! 

 

The event went from 2 to 4PM SL time, with about 14,000 Linden dollars raised for teams Sugar Skols and Hope Floaters. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

RFL Announcement: The Great Beary Hunt (Mama Bears Scavenger Hunt) April 5 - 25th

 

The Great Beary Hunt is a grid-wide scavenger hunt inviting you to explore over 20 Relay teams’ lands across Second Life. Follow the paw prints, find the pot of honey, discover beary fun stops, and enjoy the adventure while supporting Relay For Life in Second Life. Complete the hunt and you’ll be rewarded with 6 delightful prizes at the end — all for a beary good cause! 

April 5 - 25th 

 

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Royier/77/187/80 

Happy Easter Part Two

 

 Taken at "The River." How this guy was on the shoulders of a bunny, we can only imagine. But I could think of a few ways.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

Happy Easter

 

 Originally posted in 2015, Valkyrie Ice was a choco bunny at the party one night, but someone bit off her hear.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

 

Free Rabbit Avatar by Jesris

 

Just in time for Easter, there's a free pair of rabbit avatars, or rather the parts for an avatar.

 

Jesris has made available for free the parts for two rabbit avies, the Moon Rabbit and the Chocobunny Moon Rabbit.

 

I am thrilled to announce a very special addition to my store: a 100% free furry avatar!

This initiative is a gesture of kindness and solidarity towards all members of our beloved furry community in Second Life. I understand that not everyone has access to lindens, but I believe everyone deserves to express their creativity and identity in the best possible way. With this in mind, I have created a furry skin using only free parts, allowing anyone to build a complete avatar at no cost. I hope this free skin will help many of you explore new possibilities and connect even more with other furries. 

The avatars are available in the SL Marketplace.

Moon Rabbit : https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/100-FREE-FURRY-Moon-Rabbit/26085931 

 

Chocobunny Moon Rabbit: https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/100-FREE-FURRY-Moon-Rabbit-ChocoBunny-Version/23493855

 

You can see them also at a store at the Kore Community Gateway at 

 Kore CommuniFur (220/101/35). Though instead of a buy option, you're given links to the Marketplace. 

 

DeniseUnicorn Toonie would try it out, and give it two carrots up.

 

Bixyl Shuftan (with a little help from Denise)

 

SL Video: Friends Tribute

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From Texy Fox on May 2013, "Sorry about, "SL Furry Dance: Who's That Fox" video gone, it's cause of YouTube putting it down. But anyways I have something a little special for my friends that I've made on SL, I hope you guys like it. And to those who unfortunately couldn't be in the video, you all know who you are as my friends. I love all of you guys."

 

 

1890s Creede, Colorado

 

Netera Landar recently checked out a roleplay community, one with a Wild West theme: 1890s Creede, Colorado. It's been only a few years since the territory was officially made a state, and in Creed County, the discovery of silver has led to an influx of people, including some entertainers from Denver as the city has been cracking down on gambling and prostitution. The roleplay has been around for over ten years, has a few SL business in addition to those strictly for the roleplay, and has some lively characters. 

 

Read Netera's article in People. 

 

EOTB: Linden Lab to Introduce "Onboarding Experiences Built by Second Life Creators"

 

One problem Second Life has had to contend with over it's history is retaining newcomers, only a small fraction of those who log in for the first time keep coming back after the first few visits, many not even after the first. This virtual world has a steep learning curve, as well as it can be a challenge to find out where to go and what to do, and newcomers unless they have friends to guide them or extremely persistent, grow frustrated and lose interest in sticking around. 

 

Linden Lab has been trying various things over the years to try to keep new residents coming back, and encouraging other residents to help out.  On Monday March 30, Linden Lab announced on their blog "new onboarding experiences ... built by talented community creators." 

 

As part of our ongoing experimentation with improving the new user experience, we’ve recently launched a new set of onboarding destinations in Second Life designed to make Residents’ first moments more social, interactive, and fun.

Each experience has been independently built by a group of talented community creators and are currently among the first locations newly-registered community members will experience for a limited time as we continue to assess what types of experiences and locations retain and engage our newcomers.  

 

The blog entry would go on to say the work, "was part of a pilot New User Experience Working Group (NUXWG)," and it had finished up a week earlier, calling it, "an outgrowth of our ongoing Creator Partnership Program, where we work directly with the community for select partnerships across a variety of initiatives." The Lab stated the same group was behind "several new mobile-specific landing locations" in 2025. 

 

Over the next few weeks, we will be testing these and other starter locations as we continue our ongoing efforts to experiment, learn, and evolve the new user experience - with ongoing consideration for our Community Gateway partners and other collaborations. 

We invite the community to check these locations out for yourself and support these creators who put lots of love and labor into this project.  

 

Currently, there are six of these Onboarding Experiences:  

 

Madpea Scardey Cats,  in which the player rescues kittens from a playfully spooky funhouse.

 

Driving Dirty , described as "where you can play different games, grab free prizes, meet new people, and hang out with others."  

 

Rush Week, which looks like a college-themed dating area.

 

Brazil Tour, a place in the theme of the country Brazil where one can play a few games or interact with others, some of whom may be from the country.

 

Club Midnight Pulse, a newbie-oriented nightclub where besides dancing to the music, you can play a few quests and meet others.

 

The Learning Center,  a space-stationed theme place described as "an interactive destination designed to teach the basics through gameplay. Explore obstacle courses, collect hidden stars, and learn core skills while progressing through challenges."

 

To read the blogpost in full, Click Here.  

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

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.  

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

 Saturday April 4

 

    ~*~

 

At 10 AM PST  

 

Functional Morphology and Eye Evolution in The Trilobite

 

By Dr. William F. Schmachtenberg

 

Exact location in sim unknown

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

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

 

Cartoon of The Day: Mouse Approved

Taken at Bay City's Food Truck Festival. Among the trucks there was one with wheels of cheese. While real mice prefer grain over cheese, no doubt this much would get a furry mouse's day rolling.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

Fantasy Faire Opens In Three Weeks

 

For those who can't wait for the Fantasy Fair, just hold on a little longer. It will be opening three weeks from today, Thursday April 23. 

 

The Fantasy Faire is one of the major events of the Relay for Life fundraising season in Second Life, with many highly skilled performers and builders behind it, offering shopping, music events, roleplaying, story reading, the Fairelands Quest game, and lots of gorgeous scenery to explore across many sims. 

 

For more information, check the blog here: https://fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com/ 

Breaking News 2: Linden Lab Announces HOA For Bellisseria

 

 * * Update - Linden Lab April Fool's * * 

 

For residents with Linden Homes who dislike Home Owners Associations, or HOAs, a little bad news. Today, Linden Lab announced it was establishing one for Bellisseria, and looking for volunteers to report violations. 

 

We are looking for a few good residents interested in running for positions in the new Home Owners Association (HOA). 

Members of the HOA help the Lindens and Moles keep Second Life safe and beautiful by identifying and reporting violations of the Linden Homes Covenant. To be considered, applicants must be homeowners. A demonstrated record of vigilance and a willingness to help your fellow residents is preferred, but trainee positions are also open. Conflict resolution experience is a plus. Members are not paid, but do have influence through the HOA Policies & Planning Committee, which recommends covenant enhancements to the LDPW.

Assist residents in understanding and following the rules to maintain peace and tranquility.  Be part of the HOA’s long-range vision for grid-wide stability!

 

Linden Lab would have a short video with the announcement, with Magellan Linden and "Punky." Apparently some avatars in violation of the rules are subject to taser shocks and "purple nurples."

 

There's a short thread in the forums about the new HOA already. 

 

Stay tuned for more information about this development, and be sure to watch the video to the end.  

 

 

BREAKING NEWS: Second Life Hacked, Iranian "Cyberwarriors" Claim Responsibility

 

 ** Update : April Fool's! **

 

If you had trouble staying online yesterday, or couldn't access the website, you were not alone. The website was down for a short time, and for some time afterwards hard to access. People were also crashing more often and having trouble getting back online. 

 

But that wasn't the only trouble. Whole sims were hacked and covered with Iranian flags. There were also signs with pictures of hot dogs & ham and pictures of dogs, with the international "not allowed" sign over them. 

 

*Addition*: There are stories of a few women whom when knocked offline and finally able to log back in found themselves wearing a burka and found themselves unable to remove it until they relogged using another viewer. 

 

A group of self-proclaimed Iranian "cyberwarriors" took responsibility, saying this was part of their fight against America. 

 

There has been no official comment from Linden Lab, though there were some comments from individual Lindens. To read them, head to the forum thread here.  

 

 

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Club Scorn

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver, Montecito Bay, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Scorn clubs.

Club Cutlass: MTV Night, Wings, TBA

Happy Vixen: DJ Scratch, TBA, TBA, DJ Khyra

Club Zero Gravity: Snowy - Bunnies, Cats, and Foxes

 

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club:  DJ Snowy - Easter

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

 

Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Club Scorn: Th 8-12, Sat 2-12

 

Furry Fashion: TBA, TBA, Bunnies

 

Urban Furry :  DJ Juana, DJ Charlee, DJ Whiskey, DJ Vantox

 

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'

 

 

RFL Purple Tears Steam Key Raffles

 

For anyone looking for a game at a discount, Team Purple Tears is doing a Steam key raffle fundraiser. Currently there are six games up to get tickets for, three of which today is their last day. 

 

Just a reminder that the March Purple Tears Steam Key Raffles are ending! Only 1 has any chances sold. Great odds to win!

Tickets are set at 1/10th the value of the game. Buy 4 chances and get a 5th one free!

Come on down to the Purple Tears HQ, raffles are in the back. 

 

 

The three games of which the raffle ends today are, Simulacra and Simulacra2, Hotel Renovator, and Settlement Survival. Three others, Resident Evil: Village, Bus Simulator 21, and Call of Duty: WW2, are available to buy tickets for until the end of April. 

 

Head to http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Choa%20Nu/184/171/37

 

Top Ten Relay Teams In Fundraising

 

 

The various teams for the Relay for Life in Second Life have been busy raising money from events to casual donations. And here's the top ten list for this morning (which is very much subject to change).

 

At number 10, the Free Spirit Hippie Brigade at 625,000 Linden dollars and Jade level.
Number 9 was the Debauche Dance Group with 748,000 Linden dollars, also at Jade level, but 2K shy of leveling.
For number 8, the Sunbeamers at 879,000 Linden dollars and Sapphire level.
At number 7, Team ACTS (Aether Chononauts Tiny Steps) with 898,000 Linden dollars, also at Sapphire level.
Number 6 was Camping For A Cure having raised 936,000 Linden dollars, at Sapphire level.
For number five, Alpha Hope Force at 938,000 Linden dollars, at Sapphire level.
Harmony for Hope was number four with 1,094,000 Linden dollars, and Emerald level.
Number three was Seekers of Hope having raised 1,227,000 Linden dollars or over $4,900 USD at Emerald level.
The number two team was Quest For A Cure at 1,503,000 Linden dollars or over $6,000 USD at Topaz level.
And number one team was The Sugar Skols at 2,776,000 Linden dollars or #11,100 USD at Crimson level.

 

Some well-known teams are further down the list, such as the Cure Chasers at 404,000 L, Roos With A Dream at 278,000 L, Purple Tears at 179,000 L, Ponies For Life at 135,000 L, SLCS at 98,000 L, Giant Snail Racers at 78,000 L, Meli's Maniacs at 68,000 and others. 

And as time goes on, the numbers and levels will continue to go up for the teams. Stay tuned for news about upcoming events such as the Relaystock and Fantasy Faire, and others.
 

To read the complete list: https://sasun.info/rfl_teams?s=total_desc 

 

Go Relay! 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Weekend in Brief

 

 

There were a number of happenings this week. This included several Relay for Life fundraising ones. Among them was the seven hours of four DJs playing music at Woodland Groves Theme Park on Saturday March 28, including DJ Cynthia for Team Sunbeamers. The first two DJs raised a total of 44,000 Linden dollars, with the amount the second two raised pending. Sadly the sim the event took place on, Woodland Waves Adventure, may be closing soon.

 

 

Among the events on Sunday March 29 was the Bay City Food Truck Festival (which took me by surprise as I never got a press release or saw a mention of it in the Bay City Discord, and only found out when one of the city's gryphon friends told me). For two hours, there was music by DJ GoSpeed Racer while people danced the conga, played with the foam machine, sampled the foods, and voted for the best food truck, the prize going to TJ Hooker's "Adam's Ribs." The trucks stay up to April 15, that is those whose owners aren't worried about "Ever's Night."

 

More on these events later.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Cartoon of The Day: Sunken Dance

 

 

 Taken at Club Balance. When one steps on things in SL, your avatar's height usually adjusts, but not always, resulting in feet that look like they're sunken in holes or soft ground. But with this guy having a lady friend on his shoulders, it looked less like a glitch and more like his feet really sunk in.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan

 

 

SL Video: "Forever"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From Kazzdude1 on Jan 2010, "so i got bored again... decided to make a lil music video and test out the stuff on second life. song is breaking benjamin- forever. If u didnt notice, i cut the song to make it easier to edit.(didnt have enough footage). so yea Enjoy"

 

SL23B Announced: "The Golden Age of Hollywood," Applications For Exhibitors, Performers, Being Accepted

 

 Earlier today, Linden Lab announced it was planning for the Second Life 23rd Birthday, or SL23B. The theme this year is "The Golden Age of Hollywood."

 

Save the date! On June 23rd, Second Life turns 23. The 23rd annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL23B) will take place from June 18th through July 19th, 2026. Get ready for a full month of live music, performances, community exhibits, and celebrations across the grid.

This year’s theme is The Golden Age of Hollywood. Think classic cinema, red carpets, vintage glamour, and the magic of the silver screen. 

 

Linden Lab would also announce they were accepting applications for Exhibitors and Performers.

 

We are inviting Residents from across the community to create non-commercial exhibits that reflect the depth and diversity of Second Life. From art and roleplay to communities, nonprofits, and interactive experiences, exhibits highlight the many ways people connect and create together.

 

 

Performances are a major part of the SL birthday celebrations, bringing energy and entertainment to stages throughout the event. We are looking for a wide range of performers to join the festivities. DJs, live musicians, singers, dance troupes, theater groups, particle performers, lecturers, workshop hosts, and community storytellers are all welcome to apply. Performances help create the lively atmosphere that makes the birthday celebration memorable for visitors from around the world. 

 

Those interested in being an exhibitor for the SL23B need to fill out this form on Google docs.  Exhibitors are not required to follow the theme, though "We encourage you to share what makes your Second Life experience meaningful. Your interests. Your communities. Your creativity." Some exhibition sims will be Adult-rated, and you can apply to be in one. It's pointed out an exhibit cannot be commercial and one cannot sell anything there (you can offer gifts) or be blatantly advertising (simple mentions of sponsors are okay). Political messages are considered not appropriate for the celebration, and what is considered hateful content is prohibited. People are asked if they want a small, medium, or large plot, and will need to explain why if they want medium or large, and if it's water or land. As there are a finite number of plots, applying does not guarantee a spot. 

 

For performers, they need to fill out this form on Google docs.  While DJs and live musicians certainly come to mind, there can be others such as comedians, particle show makers, script class teachers, and more. They are also required to show up at least an hour before their sloted time and if late a replacement will be found to fill in the slot. They are also required to bring in their own audio stream. For events in Gemeral-rated sims, the clean versions of songs must be the ones used. 

 

Both those wishing to be exhibitors or performers have until May 18 to apply. Applications for SL23B volunteer staff and shops for the SL23B Shop and Hop will be offered at a later date. 

 

For the blog post in full: Click Here. 

 

Bixyl Shuftan

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday March 28

 

    ~*~

 

At 10 AM PST  

 

Life Cycle of Stars: From Birth To Death

 

By George Djorgovski (SL: Curious George)  

 

More info here: https://www.vwbpe.org/event/ie-moon-base-selene-lunar-space-elevator-hub 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/71/128/30

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

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

 

RFL Sunbeamers: The Bicycle Blimp Challenge

 

 Remember the Sunbeamers' Air Show? For the event, some activities for the residents were set up, which are still up for the moment. Among them is the Bicycle Blimp Challenge, a three-dimensional race course  at the edge of Farshore Field in Sunlight Bay.

 

A bike blimp giver is at the start and finish part of the course. Just touch the giver, and a package will appear in your inventory. Rezz the box and open it, and the blimp will appear in your inventory. Just click and select "add," and after waiting for 20 seconds for scripts to load, you're ready to race. 

 

To start, go to just behind the start position (don't forget to press fly), and press the panel in front of you.  After a few seconds, the panel turns transparent, and there's a starting horn sound. Rush forward immediately and follow the course, going through the rings. If you miss a ring, you'll be penalized a few seconds. Try to complete it as fast as you can, though some may go up again after the race just to admire the scenery. 

The best time is by Journey Texan at 56.34 seconds. How fast can you go?

 

SURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sunlight%20Bay/165/193/23 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

RFL Announcement: Roos With A Dream's "Party at the Theme Park"

 

Roos' 'Party at the Theme Park' event on Saturday, March 28. We are raising money for 4 RFL teams, Cure Chasers, Sunbeamers, Warblood City Cancer Kickers (hoping to get Lia to SILVER) and the Roos.

Here is the schedule:

12-1pm Vic Mornington - representing Cure Chasers

1-3pm Cynthia Farshore - Sunbeamers

3-5pm Lia Suramowadu - Warblood City

5-7pm Autumn Grace Gardner Bliss - Roos


This DJ event is being held at the Woodland Grove sim sized theme park, so families with SL kids, and even SL kid based RFL teams can come over and try the rides while they are tuned into the stream.

We require no particular theme for your music, just keep it 'kid friendly' please.

Here is the slurl:
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Woodland%20Waves%20Adventure/40/51/22
There is a teleporter from there to the event.

Please invite all your friends to come have fun with us.

Thank you for helping us raise money to eliminate cancer as a health issue, everywhere in the world. 

 

Facebook/Meta's Horizons Planned to Shut Down VR Option, Then Changed

 

Some Second Life users may remember Horizons, the virtual world created by Meta, the company behind Facebook. Announced in 2021 as the effort of Mark Zuckerberg's company to "build the Metaverse." But there was skepticism from the start as it's avatars had nothing below the waist, which was fodder for a number of jokes, including a few from Linden Lab and others in Second Life. As time went on, it became clear it was not attracting many people, and Meta netted only a fraction of the money it put in. Among the signs things weren't right, unlike Second Life, the people who worked on it did not spend time in the virtual world when off the clock. 

 

Earlier this month on March 17, it was announced that the software to use Horizons on VR headsets would no longer be available at the end of the month, and in June it would be taken offline. “We are separating the two platforms so each can grow with greater focus, and the Horizon Worlds platform will become a mobile-only experience,” the company stated on a community blog. The move came just weeks after Meta laid of a thousand workers from Reality Labs in January, the part of the company that works on it's virtual world. Besides VR, the virtual world can be accessed through a mobile app, which was remaining up. 

But a few days later, Meta backtracked, it's CEO announcing, “We have decided, just today in fact, that we will keep Horizon Worlds working in VR for existing games to support the fans who’ve reached out.” But, VR won't be the main focus, "Most of our energy is going towards mobile and the Meta Horizon Engine there."

Commentary: In Second Life, and Discord channels with SL users, yours truly heard several residents bring up Meta's decision to close Horizon's VR option, and react with smugness. The feeling was a multi-billion dollar company had gone up against the much smaller Linden Lab and the people behind VR Chat, and it couldn't even begin to compete with them, the company Mark Zuckerberg created losing big. Second Life, for all of it's Linden blunders over time, remains the champion virtual world. And a startup like Resonite can do more with a few people, a few dollars, and a little elbow grease and imagination, than a billion dollar megacorp that is all dollars and no brains and bare-bones effort. 

 

Image from Techcrunch 

 

Sources: Wired, Meta, PC Gamer, CNBC 

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

RFL Announcement: Sakura Fest Sign-Ups (Few Spots Left)

 

Sakura Fest: Warblood City 

Join us for a week-long celebration of cherry blossoms and community! 

We are officially recruiting teams to fill our festival grounds in support of Relay For Life of Second Life and the American Cancer Society.

This is a free event and all are welcome!

 Dates: April 6th – April 12th

 Location: Warblood City, Second Life
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Warblood%20Isle/107/180/21

Events This Week at the Sunweaver and Montecito Bay Clubs, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Club Scorn

 

Here's what's going on at the Sunweaver, Montecito Bay, Furry Fashion, Urban Furry, and Scorn clubs.

Club Cutlass: Royalty, Sports, TBA

Happy Vixen: DJ Scratch, TBA, TBA, DJ Khyra

Club Zero Gravity: Snowy - Best in Spring

 

Bouncing Bunny Beach Club:  DJ Snowy - Wildlife

Xanadu: DJ Jesse 

 

Montecito Bay:  CAYA, After Dark

Club Scorn: Th 8-12, Sat 2-12

 

Furry Fashion: TBA

 

Urban Furry :  DJ Juana, DJ Charlee, DJ Whiskey, DJ Vantox

 

Read the schedules in SL Clubbin'

 

SL Video: "Relay For Life Cross Contry Race Abitibi to Noyo"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From RacerX Gullwing on March 21, "The Giant Snails are racing across 40 sims Across the SL mainland down the streets of second life It's Relay season again and time for the longest race we do. The theme is cartoons"

 

It was a close race, with Tintillia Soothsayer winning by seconds. 

 

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. 

Drama Libre

 

In her latest story, reporter Netera Landar checked out the Drama Libre club. Having been around for almost 20 years and this September will have hosted it's 1000th party, what sets this venue apart is it has a different set for each one. Netera talked to Xerxes Sismondi, a co-founder of the club how it came to be, and some of what's happened over time. 

 

Read Netera's story in Places.  

 

VWPBE Conference Ends (Officially)

 

 After three days of discussions, the Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education conference, the VWBPE officially ended on Saturday evening. The closing ceremony was at 5PM and an evening dance from 6 to 8 PM. But there were a few events on the program afterwards, including March 27 and 31. There's also one on April Fools Day. 

 

While the Newser could not be at all of the Discussions, it was at some, such as "Catching Up With The Lindens." We'll report more when time permits.

 

For those who want to visit the grounds, including some activity areas, https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/VWBPE%20Grasslands%20Gateway/128/123/23 .

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Cartoon of The Day: Dragon Orca

 

 Taken at the VWBPE conference. There was a dragon-sized avatar in the audience who looked a lot like an orca. So how could that have happened? I thought of one possibility.

 

By Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Alien at RFL Roos Saturday

 

In our "better late than never" category, on Saturday March 7, one of the Relay events was "Roos Saturday." It was a BYOK (Bring Your Own Kiosk) event, and if someone from another team showed up, a kiosk for their team would be rezzed. 

 

Roos Saturday BYOK

Come join the Roos and friends at our NEW Saturday BYOK.

We're hanging out at Electric Avenue listening to DJ Vic Mornington and having fun from 12-2pm.

We'll put out a kiosk for every team that brings their wild spirit to help make cancer a thing of the past

King County (177,91,22) 

 

There was the usual funnery and puns, this being a Roos event some funny Aussie songs included. And one resident was running around in an obviously inflatable "alien abjuction" costume. 

 

[13:29] Ealwen Tenwe (Ealwen Resident): I think Melina likes being an alien
[13:29] Ealwen Tenwe (Ealwen Resident): Martian even
[13:29] Liandra Aries: Melina is being abducted by the worst alien abducter ever :D LMAO
[13:29] Bixyl Shuftan: *chuckles*
[13:29] Ealwen Tenwe (Ealwen Resident): `*•✿ ĢϊɠɠԼƐՏ ✿•*`
[13:30] Ninja Chef Lady Ren Flow (Ren Float): Hey - Kayla's not here...
[13:30] Vic Mornington: I think i hjavew that alein abducter attachment buried in this inventory somewhere lol 

 

No word if there was a probing or not.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

A Clue To A Future Story

 

 There's a lot going on, and just a little time to write about it. And for one subject, there's a possible time limit. So what's going on here? If you can't wait until Monday, head to Hau Koda (98/9/31) . 

 

 Bixyl Shuftan

 

SL Video: "About You"

 

 (click here if the video does not play)

 

 From Zieb Zen in Sept 2021, "This is a gift for my RL/SL significant other. It is our absolute favorite theme song for our RP characters. This video was a real labor of love that I had been planning for a while. It features sass, romance, drama, and dancing. It's corny AF! Hope you all love it as much as I do..."

 

Commercial District Sims Open in Bellisseria's Ridgewood Area

 

 At one of the Meet the Lindens events at the SL22B, Patch Linden stated that there were plans for "a foray into the commercial" for Bellisseria. Today, the Commercial District sims in Bellisseria's Ridgewood community area were open.

The Ridgewood Enclave Commercial Districts are places to shop for clothing, home furnishings, plants, decor items for your patio and yard … you name it.

Are you a merchant? Any Premium Plus member can claim a 1024 sq m parcel and use its permanent building for a shop. Use simple controls to choose a style and color scheme, then add your own lighting, displays, and signage. There’s no purchase price and no monthly fee.

While the announcement was Tuesday, when yours truly dropped by then, the sims were not yet open. Checking the Bellisseria group today, it had been announced they finally were.

 

The commercial sims are:  Scherzo, Highlight, Yellow Brick, Brubeck, Big Toque, Greenbush Hill, Broadstreet, West Martinet, Fortune Hills, Sidewall, and Downbeat. Readers might remember when the Ridgewood sims were first on the map in September 2025, Scherzo was among them, but was closed. 

 

There are seven styles of shops:  Bridgecrest, Cityview, Edgeworks, Gridline, Overlook, Seamstone, and Vault.  They come in either long, 16 x 64, or 32 x 32. They are arranged around a central square, with roads passing through north and south, east and west, with a decorative island with trees in the middle. Around there are signs one can click with information on the sims, as well as a map of Bellisseria and benches to sit on. The tops of the stores are green with grass, and have decorative vents poking through. 

 

Oh, and you need to have a Premium-Plus account to claim one, not just Premium.  

 

No shop that had been claimed was yet complete in the sim I looked at, but were in various states of setup. Some had only a single sign. One had a few vendors. There was one place that wasn't a store to buy something, but an arcade people could play games for free with a tip jar for those feeling generous.  

 

There is a thread in the official Second Life forums about the commercial districts (I admit I haven't read very far). 

 

There may be more on the topic later if details warrant. For now, those who love to shop have several more places to go to.

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

Philip Linden Gives VWBPE Keynote Speech, Takes Questions

 

Yesterday, Thursday March 19 at 12 Noon, The Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education held it's Keynote. The man giving it was someone familiar to every longtime Second Life resident: Philip Linden, aka Philip Rosedale, the founder of Linden Lab, the company behind this virtual world.

 

Today, we have the distinct honor of hearing from a man who actually made gatherings like this one possible. Our keynote speaker is a physicist turned coder turned visionary,  someone who looked at the early internet and saw not just a network, but a world waiting to be built.
 

 He founded Linden Lab and created Second Life, the virtual world that has been home to educators, artists, researchers, and dreamers for over two decades. He has since explored spatial audio, open-source VR platforms, digital currency, and even the frontiers of machine consciousness. And in October 2024, he returned to Second Life as CTO, bringing fresh energy and new ideas to a platform many of us call home.

Someone was saying close to a hundred people were in the area the event took place, an intersection of four sims, Philip on a small cliff overlooking the crowd, "I feel like a king standing on a high rooftop *laughs* I see people I recognize, it's the magical things about Second Life." He thanked the educators for their work in this virtual world. He would talk about AI and how it was impacting society, saying at one point a comparison could be made to the Industrial area when machines did the work of the muscle power of many men, "Now we have gone much father with replicating how our mind works. ... the progress was very quick lately ... we are living in strange times- there are tremendous risks, there are more bad than good impacts at the moment."

After the keynote, Philip took questions, and there was talk about not just AI, but other topics such as Second Life, "It's interesting to reflect on the fact that SL hasn't grown as rapidly as we thought or liked." One subject was about how people often rely on facial expressions, hand movements, and other cues in real life but that was absent in Second Life and other virtual worlds. It was also brought up that being hired to correct an AI could be a roundabout way to do the job of a programmer for a fraction of the cost. Someone also joked it AI had an alignment, it would be "Chaotic Neutral." It was also brought up that there hasn't been a real-life Second Life Community Convention since 2011. Philip Linden did wonder if the possibility of doing another deserved some thinking about. 

 

The conference was broadcast live, and may be available to see later on the VWBPE Youtube channel later.  

 

*Addition*: It's available now.  

 

Bixyl Shuftan 

 

This Saturday at The Science Circle

 

Saturday March 21

 

    ~*~

 

At 9 AM PST  (2 hours)

 

Moon Base Selene

 

Lead Presenter: Vic Michalak / Phil Youngblood, PhD
Co-presenter: Sumo Itano / Natalie Foster, PhD

 

More info here: https://www.vwbpe.org/event/ie-moon-base-selene-lunar-space-elevator-hub 

 

https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/The%20Science%20Circle/71/128/30

 

    ~*~

 

    NOTE: Non-members required to register once

    IM Jes Cobalt or Nymf Hathaway

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