Geo Roulette: A Game of Random Explorations

By DrFran Babcock

There are a lot of times when I find myself alone in Second Life™, especially because I log in often, at 5:00 AM my time, which is 2 AM in SL. So, I have devised ways to keep myself amused while solitary. Geo Roulette is a game I made up that I based on my love for exploring the grid. SL is huge, and the only way to see things that I might not see is to depend upon luck.

The Rules of the Game

Geo Roulette is a game that relies upon that vastness of the grid. Here’s how to play:

1.      Open the map on your screen and zoom out as much as you can, so that as much of the map is on your screen as is possible.
2.      Click on the map until you get a red circle, which indicates that you have clicked on a valid parcel. (I generally try to do at least one mainland continent parcel and two estates each time I play.)
3.      Click the teleport button on the map.
4.      Once at your location:

a.       You can travel/fly anywhere within 300 meters or so of your landing point. Sometimes it’s necessary to go farther, because there’s a lot of abandoned land on some mainland continents.

b.      You can cross a sim boundary if it’s within the 100 meter limit.

c.       Oh, and no cheating. “You get what you get, and you don’t get upset.” More often than not, the landing place is a dud.

d.      Explore and have fun!

Now that you know the rules, I will share with you the different places I landed on during this round of Geo Roulette. The results are not always very exciting, and you will learn that there is a lot of abandoned land in SL. I was amazed at the luck I had this round, and almost felt as if readers wouldn’t believe me, but this is exactly how things worked for me this time.

Geo Roulette #1 Mainland Sim:  Sverdlovsk (Google Translate says that’s Romanian) http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Sverdlovsk/204/193/103

What is it with Romanians and the dead? Vampires are the claim to fame for these lovely people, and this area is not a disappointment. I am happy that I landed somewhere interesting for my first try.

If you look around you will find crypts, gravestones, and other macabre decorations. The gates and everything around are all for sale. Too bad that I found this a few days after Halloween. It would have made a great backdrop for scary photos.

Close to this location is a shop with a novel, but not new idea: Pay What You Want.

The owners explain that this is a “Viral Economic Environment,” and that they want to see what people will pay if they are given the choice. The viral part is their hope that you will spread the word. All of the items are created by a small group of friends who are trying a new marketing approach. The notecard I received was written by JubJub Forder. The items on sale, mostly home furnishings and foliage, seemed well-made.  I didn’t buy any, because I didn’t have a need at the moment. I am not sure how much I would have paid. Prices vary so much in Second Life™.

Geo Roulette #2: Les Terres d’Haelis: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Amalfi%20Coast/89/154/100

It took a few clicks on the map until I got a red circle, but as soon as I did, I TPed, and landed on what looked like a Viking ship! Coincidentally, I had been to this place before, when I researching Vikings in Second Life. Once again, I had been lucky in my teleporting.

As I looked around, and read the location on the top of my user interface, I realized I was in a French Gor Roleplay sim. Thankfully, the sim was empty, because I am not a proponent of Gor. However, I have always found Gor builders to be formidable, and this location was not a disappointment.

The welcome notecard is in French, and from what I could make out, it’s a real Gor Roleplay sim, stating that all of the play is based on the works of Norman, the writer who created the whole genre.

If you are fluent in French and like Gor, this is the place for you. As I said, I find Gor repugnant, but the snowy build, and quaint village look of the place was quite appealing, and would make a great backdrop for winter photos. It’s easy enough to go there at times when Francophones might not be about. The few times I landed there to take pictures, the sim was empty. If this seems like something you would like, contact the admins of the sim: evilsmoka viprer, anoyah resident, and omnyia resident, or the moderator: svenmorden resident.

Geo Roulette #3: Moscow Red Square

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Moscow%20Island/233/191/22

I could not believe my luck this round of Geo Roulette, because my third parcel turned out to be Moscow Red Square. This sim is the real thing in terms of being a locale where the majority of the avatars about were in voice, speaking Russian! I didn’t join in, because I was on a mission to complete the third phase of the game, and I, um, don’t speak Russian. However, you do not have to speak the language to feast on the visual delights of this sim.

Most likely, I will never get to see St. Basil’s storybook cathedral in Moscow (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saint_Basil%27s_Cathedral ). However, the recreated cathedral build here is a must see, Second Life™ destination. You can wander around and about outside the structure, and go inside to view the religious icons that at presented. I was overwhelmed by the beauty of this place. There is a mixture of built and textured prims that really fools the eye into believing in the complexity of the church.

St. Basil’s is not the only attraction on the sim. The huge plaza contains also a good replica of Lenin’s Tomb (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lenin%27s_Mausoleum ).

Conclusion

So, there it is…my new game. If you think this might be something you might want to do, please IM me to let me know how it worked out and the places you visited. The potential for amazing discoveries is one of the things that keeps me logging into SL all the time. Share your great finds with me.

DrFran Babcock

The First Sims – Clyde

By DrFran Babcock

After visiting Welsh for the previous First Sims article, I was excited and filled with history. It’s taken me a long time to complete this next article in The First Sim series, because Clyde is a sim that has lost most of its former glory and antiquity. In fact, most of it is for sale, and a small part of it has been abandoned. If you are looking for land in the original Second Life™ it might be a good idea to watch the abandoned land. In case you do not know, when abandoned land goes up for sale, it only costs one Linden per square meter.

History of Clyde

The sim of Clyde was originally part of the first sims that were used as combat sims, until it was announced that just Jessie would be a combat sim. The early residents wanted more lands for quiet living, and Linden Lab repurposed Federal, Hawthorne, Shipley, Stanford and Clyde.

Textures Unlimited and the The Lily Pad Lounge live music venue occupied the sim for many years. The store and lounge were owned by Drift Monde (11/03), who was one of the first and biggest supporters of live music in Second Life™. The lounge remained open until June of 2010, and hosted some of SL’s most famous peformers  such as Astrin Few, Frogg and Jaycatt, and Flaming Moe. The frog-themed décor was one of the drawing points for the place. When it closed, many residents mourned the loss, and it seems the sim of Clyde has never recovered its former glory.

Who Lives Here?

I could only find one resident on this sim. Strider Stirling’s build is a gigantic mountain that has a small opening in its eastern side. Strider was born in July of 2004, making him a genuine Second Life™ oldbie. Despite his age, his footprint in the grid is rather small. All of the searches I conducted for him came up empty, and his in-world profile is pretty vague. The only clue I have to go by is the giant monolithic build that marks his land. I have to work very hard not to comment on this build, as you might guess when you look at the picture of it here.

Inside the mountain there are a few walkways and objects that date from 2005 to 2012. I have to assume that’s he’s been around, and is still in world, but evidence of recent visits is lacking.

Tango In Second Life™

 Adolfh Gustafson owns a lot of land on Clyde for Tango in Second Life™ whose purpose is to promote the UNESCO World Heritage dance, and provide a venue for dancing the Tango. I visited the area several times during the writing of this article, and did not find anyone dancing or even hanging around, but I hope that it does happen while I sleep.

The area is worth a visit, because it is pretty and very romantic, with spots to dance sprinkled about. I particularly liked the red footbridge on the land.

Remnants of the Early Days

Only the bare minimum of artifacts from the early days remain on Clyde, not counting Strider Stirling’s build. A few rocks and a strange sculpture made by Eric Linden are located on a small hill of protected land. Next to these rocks is a danger sign created in 2003 by Catapult Grimm—one of the Beta Contributers. I got the feeling that much of Clyde had been abandoned, and only few parcels were still active.

For Sale – Most of  Clyde

The land here is prime, original, historic Second Life™, but seems to be mostly for sale. The land does not seem so empty because the agency selling the land has placed pleasing builds on the parcels. The land for sale by agencies is expensive, but there is abandoned land, and it bears watching if you want to own a piece of lost history.

Visit Clyde: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Clyde/128/128/38

Watch Astin Few and Flaming Moe perform the first “duet” in Second Life™ at the Lillypad Lounge in 2005: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MDcNoBcY_TE

DrFran Babcock

The First Sims – Welsh

DrFran Babcock

Although there is little that I will say about Welsh that may not have been said before by the late Lalo Telling or Alex Hayden (see  links below), I still went to Welsh. I did this because of all the sixteen original sims of the original post-Beta Second Life™, Welsh is the one that retains more antiquity than any other place on the grid.  Welsh also seems bigger than most sims, maybe because it has a lot of parcels on it, and a lot of water between them. Each time I thought I had finished my explorations I found something else I hadn’t seen before, even builds by the resident avatars of Linden Lab employees! It seems that back in 2005 it was permissible to have an alternative account that was known to other residents, even though its owner was actually working for Second Life™. Imagine interacting with someone on the grid in a social way, and knowing they ran the show. I am sure some of you remember those days, but most of you will read this in disbelief. Please read on for more, because Welsh holds more secrets than I could unearth.

History of Welsh

As always, in preparation for these articles on the early sims, I conduct “research” on their history. This is not always easy to find, and in the case of the Welsh, I really had a difficult time digging up information. I always check the photos on Snapzilla, but these only go back to 2005. However, the views of Welsh depicted in the photos there show a sim that is barely changed from its origins. Here is the reason why: The majority landholders on this land are the same as they have always been, and include the very first public, non-Linden resident—Steller Sunshine.

Who Lives Here?

Steller Sunshine, born March 1^st, 2002, was a Beta tester, and has left a mark on Second Life™ that persists to this day, with prim builds scattered throughout the grid, but focused primarily on Welsh. I have never seen her in world, but I have been told that she still logs in occasionally. Somehow, Welsh has managed to remain mostly in the hands of the original members. Some of the Welsh Land group members are very early adopters:

Buhbuhcuh Fairchild 10/09/02
buTTONpUSHER Jones 10/10/02
Zebulon Lynch (aka starseeker) 12/12/02
Tweke Underhill 1/23/03
Maggie Miller 5/17/03
Dawson Murphy: 5/21/03
Saaz Roentgen 8/30/03

What is so astonishing, is that many of them are still around, and still have builds that date from 2002 through the present, comprising some of the oldest builds in Second Life™. Some of these builds were actually saved from the Beta Grid and rezzed in the first sims when they came on line.

The Climbable Beanstalk and Steller Sunshine

Steller Sunshine’s masterpiece of building and gaming is the Climbable Beanstalk built in July of 2003 (NOTE: Actually it was built in 2002 in Linden World, and re-rezzed when Second Life™ went into Beta), and still standing and taunting those who would try to make it to the top. I have met many residents who have tried to climb to the top of the beanstalk, but none who said they had done it. If climbing and failing is not for you; trying to play tic-tac-toe might work. Whatever you decide, please remember that this build was completed without mesh or sculpties, and it still has a sophisticated look. Did I mention it’s a real challenge to climb it without flying?

There are many other objects on the island that were created by the first resident. My favorite is a giant View Master that is for sale on the sim. I remember this object from my childhood, when it seemed so futuristic. Back then I dreamed of virtual worlds, but they were the stuff of science fiction, and not something of which one day I would be a part.

Dawson Murphy – Beta to Now

Dawson Murphy was an early adopter of Second Life™, but not as early as many of the residents on the list above. However, his footprint is large and remains on the sim. Dawson’s home, Dawson’s Dive, is a museum of old prim builds, and a few political references. A large Republican elephant flag and American flag fly over the simple cabin on stilts, and the inside contains items that range from 2002 to 2006. There is a portrait of Dawson and first resident Steller Sunshine (who provided the 2002 chair in Dawson’s dining room), and a THiNC book with an autograph of Newt Gingrich. A textbook on dynamic HTML shares shelf space with leather bound classic volumes like Anna Karenina. You can also view Alberto Linden’s October 2002 glass and chrome coffee table in the living room.

Below, I talk about how nice it was in the days when the Lindens interacted with residents, and you could call upon them for help. At the time of my visit there was an alpha megaprim rezzed over much of Dawson’s land, that I abuse-reported, but upon last check it was still there. Sigh.

Pete Fats – Jokester and Charter Member

Pete, a Charter Member born April of 2003, has some prims on Welsh that were created in 2010. They seem to be the makings of a waterslide, but remain unfinished. There are many of his prims littered about the parcel. I found this very funny as one of his claims to fame was a test of the Linden’s anti-griefing attempts, that took place in 2003. I came upon an archived forum stream ( http://forums-archive.secondlife.com/120/f4/8110/1.html )on the subject. Apparently, Pete rezzed some self-replicating ants, logged off, and waited for the fun to begin. Early residents, such as Maggie Miller (May 2003), delighted in recounting how two Lindens had to come and clean up the ants one-by-one. Reading this made me nostalgic for the days when you could enlist the aid of a Linden in real time.

Pete’s influence is seen subtly throughout Welsh in the chairs from 2003, and other items on the sim. I spent some time sitting on one of his rocking chairs atop a new, for this sim, water tower created in 2007 by Steller Sunshine.

Saaz Roentgen – Early Games and Teleports

Saaz was born in August of 2003, and two of his builds endure on Welsh. One is the Sand Castle, and the other is a Whack-a-Mole game, at which I failed. The Sand Castle is a simple build, with great historic value. If you find the two bright green arrows just over the door to the castle, you can teleport up to a sandbox platform, that is filled with items from many residents, or to a “particle-thingie” which seems to be a control panel that has yet to work for me.

Saaz also has a tropical home on the sim, but my favorite part of Saaz’s parcel is the lounging tree he has. You can bask in the shadow of the beanstalk, and listen to the birds, and feel good about doing nothing.

Twerke Underhill – The Merchant of Welsh

The Hat Tree stands on Welsh where it has stood since the earliest days of Second Life™. Twerke Underhill has never wavered from his commitment to provide classy chapeaux to the fine residents of SL, and to do it in a build that I found delightful and fantastic when I was a newbie. The tree that houses the shop shares the skyline of Welsh with, and adds a nice counterpoint to, the Climbable Beanstalk. It sits atop a small island accessible from a charming, legacy prim footbridge. The most recent hat dates from 2006, with most of them from 2003. Thus, if you buy a hat—most of which cost less than 15 Lindens, you have bought a piece of history. The tree itself seems to have been renovated in 2006, but the upper branches are from 2004. This leads me to believe that a different Hat Tree stood here, before Twerke rebuilt it. A little research on Snapzilla shows a store that is a bit different, and more isolated on the sim: http://www.sluniverse.com/pics/pic.aspx?id=13938 . (Thanks, Torley)

buTTONpUSHER Jones and The Secret Labs

I stumbled upon the ominous-looking laboratory of buTTONpUSHER Jones (2002) as I wandered Welsh. It is nothing more than a pile of black boxes climbing into the air. I walked around it until I found a small door, and walked into a mess of projects and moving items. Obviously, buTTON is a mad scientist, and his work is all around. Historically, he is famous for his XYChess game, which is available free in his lab.

I would have never known about another part of this parcel had it not been for my attempt to return to the lab, and an inpatient rush to be inside it. I couldn’t find the door quickly, so I cammed into the lab, and saw the seat icon pop up near a small tree stump amongst the many prims. I clicked to sit, and found myself up in the air at 286 meters, on a lovely suspended island filled with more moving parts. This was a happy accident that I recommend.

For a look into some of the earliest days in Second Life™ you can browse  buTTONpUSHER’s Flicker stream. Sadly, many of the pictures lack descriptions, but there are some from Christmas of 2003: http://www.flickr.com/photos/buttonpusher/with/42921773/

BuhbuhCuh Fairchild – Living A Double Life

Just as I was about to wrap up my explorations, I realized that the ethereal cathedral-like build that was in the background of many of my photos was actually located on Welsh. The builder BuhbuhCuh Fairchild, or BBC, was a name that seemed familiar. The build itself, seems to be a FIC temple. FIC, or Feted Inner Core is a name given to those residents who seemed to have a very close connection to the Lindens, and were granted special favors.

There is an odd sort of irony to this build, as my research seems to indicate that BBC is actually a Linden himself. Seems that in the early days of SL it was fine to mingle with the residents, and to have an alt that was known to be a Linden by other residents. This entry in Buhbuhcuh’s profile was the first thing that made me wonder about him:

“I’ve seen things you people wouldn’t believe. Attack hippos on fire off the shoulder of Ahern. I watched Lindens glitter in the dark near the Heteroceran wall. All those moments will be lost in time, like scripts in the asset server.”

Buhbuhcuh even had a blog of his own in which he spoke candidly about the lab, astonishing now for its transparency. Here is a small piece:

“I plan to use this blog as a place to publish some of my thoughts about LL and SL, but I also want to use it to help people understand how and why we Lindens do what we do.  I’ll be happy to answer any questions I can here, and if I can't answer them, I will tell you why.”

Oh, and by the way, Buhbuhcuh is actually Ben Linden. Surprise!

Odds and Ends: Newbies on the Sim

With all of these oldbies on the sim, it’s strange that residents from 2006 are considered newbies. That said, Chloe Mineff’s Water Gallery is a worthy place to park your avatar. There are works from several SL artists, among them Bryn Oh, and the simple seating in the center of the build allows one to look at the work and rest those weary feet. I really liked the way the semi-transparent curtains that surround the build waft delicately, adding a nice feel to the whole place.

The End?

I could go on forever about this sim, but if you are a history buff like me, you will make sure it is part of your travels. Come live the early days of Second Life™ on Welsh.

Visit Welsh: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Welsh/187/212/22

Alex Hayden on Welsh:

http://walkingwithavatars.wordpress.com/2013/02/01/a-deep-map-revisited-welsh/

The Late Lalo Telling on Welsh: http://lalotelling.wordpress.com/2010/06/23/seconderth-a-deep-map-sl-8-25-b/


Buhbuhcuh Fairchild’s early SL blog: http://secondlife.blogs.com/bulkupload/

DrFran Babcock

The First Sims – Taber

By DrFran Babcock

It has been a long time since I have explored the original sims, but the tenth birthday of Second Life™, and the annual Relay for Life both kept me very busy. Once all of that was over, I felt a letdown that was like the post-holiday blues, but I knew that I would find the spark again by going back to the past, and Taber is just the sim for memories, as you will read.

History of Taber

Taber is famous for being the home of Robin Linden—who joined Linden Lab in 2002, and for being the site of the first casino in Second Life™.  Ama Omega was the creator of this establishment, and his excellent scripting skills led him to go on to create a particle script that I still use to this day to make down and dirty effects. Ama Omega became a Linden, even though his casinos have left the mainland (well, at least they are supposed to be gone).

There is one historical piece of architecture on the island: The D’Ni Restoration, with prims that date from 2003. I believe it is from the game of Myst. It was built by Piprrr Godel, and it is owned by Avi Arrow, previously interviewed in these pages. She is a fan of Second Life™ history, and has done much to preserve its antiquities.

Who Lives Here? Justice League Unlimited (JLU) – League of Heroes

The Justice League has a parcel of land on Taber just to the west of the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives.

The JLU claims they are a benevolent organization designed to protect and help newcomers. They are influenced clearly by Superman, as their leader is named Kalel, and the radio station they operate is called Krypton Radio. However, I have never recently run into anyone from this group, nor do they seem to have had a team in the recent Relay for Life, although they have a Relay flag flying on their parcel.

Something about their Group Profile disturbed me: “We are a public service organization, helping those in need of aid, keeping a watchful eye while closely observing the Terms of Service.” I felt myself wondering if a group of residents had the right to take it upon themselves to protect the Terms of Service. Oh well, maybe I am being paranoid, but it seemed a little strange to me. If anyone knows anything about this, please contact the SL Newser.

There isn’t much to see at this build beyond an outside auditorium, that I have never seen occupied.

Who Lives Here? Odds and Ends

Taber from the air looks mostly unpopulated, and at sea level that seems to be the case. There are several parcels that make up the sim, but many of them are devoid of objects. There is a nice island for sale if you would like to own a piece of history. I would buy it myself, but don’t want to bump up to another tier level.

The Banana Land parcel sports a nice Japanese home and a sparse wooden dock, but barely anything else. Upon inspection, Will Guisse, whose profile is empty, owns it. There isn’t even furniture in the house. The parcel is large, and I wonder who would pay that kind of tier for a piece of land that is never used. Then it hit me, and I flew up until I found a skybox about 300 meters in the air.

The only other sizeable property on the land is the Fate Garden, a web of tree house-like structures that house a 7 Seas fishing area. It’s a pretty place, but otherwise unremarkable.

Who Lives Here? The Story of the FairChangs

The story of the FairChangs has everything: Love, history, tragedy, and staying power.  Pituca Chang and Garth Fairlight met in 2003 in  Second Life™, and quickly became a couple. They built a real estate and freebie empire together, married in Second Life™, and despite great geographic odds married in First Life. In fact, according to Pie Psaltary (thanks for the help, Pie!), the Lindens actually changed their last names to Fairchang, combining their two names into one.

This story, not an uncommon on in SL, has unfortunately a sad ending, in that Garth died of pancreatic cancer in September of 2009, leaving behind a mourning Pituca, and many other people whose lives he had touched. You can go to Taber and visit the memorial to Garth, which still stands. It is on a piece of land that holds some very old objects. The Tudor houses are from 2004, and were built by Jai Nomad. Residents from my era will remember the freebie Jai medieval textures, that I still use to this day, because they are that good. The memorial park also holds a windmill that was constructed by Garth himself. Two stone benches  are provided so that you can sit and meditate on love, Second Life™, and the meaning of life.

FREEBIES !!!!!

Of course, one can’t dwell in sadness forever, and free goodies are always an antidote for the realities of our daily existence. Close to the Taber memorial benches is a sign that provides a teleport to a whole area of free items provided by the FairChangs. Garth was still alive when he and Pituca decided to make all of their previously sold items free.  If you touch the sign in the memorial area, you can teleport to the sim of Calypso, enter the lighthouse and help yourself to many freebies. I suppose there have been no new creations in several years, but there are still items that bring a nostalgic joy, and are worth collecting, including houses and vehicles. I used their fly and return crows and bats on most of my builds over the years, because they add sound and interest.

Conclusion

Taber is worth a visit. It holds some of the oldest objects in Second Life™, and certainly its oldest love story.


Visit Taber: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Taber/112/139/30
 
DrFran Babcock

The First Sims – Natoma

By DrFran Babcock

Natoma is a sim that I have visited many, many times, and if you are a content creator, you may have been there often yourself. I was a bit concerned about completing this article, because, of all the first 16 first sims, Natoma is the only one that is always full of residents.


History of Natoma

Natoma has an illustrious history that is marked by several prominent landmarks that have been on the sim since the Alpha days of 2002. The Statue of the Man and the Alberto Linden Gate (October, 2002)

The Man Statue dates back to July of 2002, making it the oldest structure in Second Life™. It is a remnant of the Alpha stage of development when SL was called Linden World. Over the years, the face of Natoma has changed a lot. It once was home to the Welcome Area (The Newbie Corral) and Avatar Central. Avatar Central was owned by the Lindens, and provided a space that allowed any residents to drop items for sale.  Avatar Central is long gone, and the Welcome Area has been moved to other sims. All that remains of that build is the Arch D’Linden, which is the build by Alberto Linden that sits in front of the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives.

The Ivory Tower Library of Primitives

My first days in Second Life™ were characterized by “newbiness” of historic proportions. I had not been a gamer, and I came in with the podcaster rush of early 2006. The minute I saw that I could create content I was hooked. However, I had no idea what to do or how to do it. Someone told me that there was a place I could go to learn how to build, and that’s when I paid my first visit to the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives (ITLP). At that time it was on the sim of Noyo. It moved in June of 2006, shortly after my first visit.

I will never forget that it took me a whole long day to complete the tutorial on building a chair. Completed, the chair looked a bit more like a broken table than a chair, but I was very proud. However, the proudest moment at the Ivory Tower was when I met Lumiere Noir, the creator of the ILTP. His avatar was like the old Spy vs. Spy character from Mad magazine. He was friendly, encouraging, and committed to making sure that all residents knew how to build. Although he doesn’t spend much time here, he drops in from time to time to say hello. Much of his duties are handled by an avatar named Avi Arrow.

Who Lives Here?

Actually, there are no residents living on Natoma. That is, except for Luke Lorentz, who is 9 years and 9 months old, and has a small parcel on the western edge of the sim. According to the denizens of the ITLP Sandbox he has not been around in many years, despite messages left on his profile. The Ivory Tower regulars…the Dwellers, would love to see this parcel come up for sale, but it remains untouched.

The Ivory Tower Dwellers are a group of people who seem to be at the Sandbox on Natoma at all hours. I know they do leave for a bit, because I have met them at Linden and Sculpt Studio Office Hours , but they really prefer hanging out in the shadow of the exquisite Ivory Tower, socializing, playing, but above all building, building, building. Most of them are friendly to newbies and oldbies alike. When I wrote about Minna you met Kennylex Luckless, who spends most of his time on Natoma. Another person who is usually fiddling with prims on the sim is Jack42 Meredith. Jack has always been so friendly to me that I knew he would talk to me about Natoma. I asked him how he came to spend most of his time here:

“I first came to Natoma to go through the self-paced lessons in the Tower. I did not know anything about building, and I started at the bottom of the Tower and worked my way up to the top. It took me about two weeks to complete, working a few hours a day. It is a must if you don't know anything about building. After that, I just used the sandbox next to the Tower and I have hung out here every since.  The best thing I learned was building tricks that make building easier with short cuts. I have always directed newbies to the Tower; if they never have done any building. They always seem amazed. Also, I have donated my premium tier for land to Minna with ANSI (Soderstrom) to  try to keep Minna looking nice. I come back to Ivory Tower because it has information in the Tower if you need it while you are building. The people that run it are very good at building, and are usually here for advice. And…it’s a good hangout spot when it’s not laggy.”

Another denizen of Natoma is Marcov Carter. You can see his work all over the place on Natoma, and he is very generous with his freebies. I especially love his Toony Throne, which he will give you gladly, if you ask. His version of the Statue of Liberty, lofting a box prim on high, stands in one corner of Natoma, greeting residents from all lands.

Avi Arrow

Throughout Natoma, and Minna, Clementina and Zoe for that matter, the name that is mentioned most often is Avi Arrow. Avi is the point person for the maintenance of these sims, and I was able to track her down for a short interview:

SLNewser: As I traveled around Natoma, Zoe, and Clementina many residents mention your name. How is it that you came to be the administrator for these areas?

Avi Arrow: Lumiere Noir, creator of The Ivory Tower Library of Primitives (ITLP), befriended me my second day on the mainland here in Natoma and I’ve been here ever since.  Five weeks later Lumiere sold me my first parcel in Zoe. Literally, 15 minutes prior to this I purchased a first land parcel elsewhere and sold it three hours later.  Thus began my land business.  Eventually, I acquired most of Zoe and Taber, and a substantial part of Clementina.  These properties I considered my “home” properties.  Some of these properties, including parcels in Natoma have been, subsequently, donated to the ITLP land group which now manages the majority of these properties among others in Minna and Tehama.  My relationship with Lumiere is being one of close, dear friends, and partners.  We are partners in that we share most everything with each other as it relates to the properties I mentioned above.  Lumiere donated the bulk of the Natoma property to IToP group when he first formed this group with Ryan Linden.  Lumiere's natural inclination is towards creating and teaching.  I am also creative and I enjoy instructing, however I have a natural talent for managing people and property, so it just progressed that I ended up managing the properties and the group while Lumiere focused primarily on curating, teaching, and creating.

SLNewser:  Please tell me a little about how you learned about SL, what it was like for you when you were new, and what was it that kept you here?

Avi Arrow: I began building in virtual environments in 1996 in Active Worlds.  A friend I met in 2004/2005 in Active Worlds brought me to Second Life™.  I basically came here to continue with my building, but soon found other interests (as mentioned above), which are mostly what have kept me here.  

SLNewser: sense that you have a commitment to keep SL beautiful. Can you tell me about that? 

Avi Arrow: I was most effective at improving or restoring certain areas of SL back when I was buying and selling land. I could absorb smaller parcels—often ad parcels into larger ones and consolidate properties, often at considerable added expense.  (ED note: If you don’t remember the blight of ad farms look at this link: http://15timez.blogspot.com/2007/04/ad-farms.html ) My motivation for doing this was not always altruistic, though, as it was often the case I did it to protect or improve my own investments.  More to the point, and try not to roll your eyes, but I believe the land in here has soul just as it does in real life, mother earth and all that.  There are living memories here that are associated with the land and I believe these memories carry over and linger.  The old beta sims are sacred.  I love legacy.  What most people do not really think about is that what has transpired virtually here in SL is actual human history.  I think it important to protect as much of this as possible.

Well, I am not rolling my eyes at all. I believe that the old sims are hallowed ground, or I would not be doing this series. Thanks, Avi, for your thoughtful words, and dear readers, do take the time to visit these sims. Second Life™ is about to become ten years old, and that is history.

Visit Natoma: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Natoma/128/128/26

DrFran Babcock

The First Sims: Minna

by DrFran Babcock

I couldn’t wait to visit Minna, because if you look at it on the map, it is the most colorful of the original sims. I was not disappointed. Minna is one of the first sims that has an active population, and lots to see and enjoy.

History of Minna

Minna began as a mostly commercial sim back in 2002. It was dominated by Divivity, a store that sold gifts, food, and nursery items. Divivity still has a presence on the sim, but it is dotted throughout the sim. What I loved about Minna is that is seems to be populated by old members and new members who have a love for and appreciation of the rich history of Second Life™.

Who Lives Here?

Paula Dix owns the land that has all the colorful trees on it. I knew immediately that they were the work of Second Life™ artist and queen of wild trees: soror Nishi. Paula’s land—she calls her parcel Paula’s Ploting (sic) Plan—is covered with the trees and particles, and is just a delight to visit. From Paula’s profile comes this statement with which I have always agreed: “There is no Second Life as opposed to First Life. SL is as real as FL We may be just pixels, but we  are  as real as anything. So live fully and be sure to assure that all can also live.” Nice.

Kennylex Luckless is someone I know, because he seems to be always around the Ivory Tower of Primitives on Natoma, building and giving away freebies, or at Linden Office Hours. He has a darling castle on Minna, that he told me he wanted to remove, but ANSI Soderstrom told him he could not. I was able to ask him a very, very few questions before his Natoma fan club distracted him:

SL Newser: Kenny, how did you find out about Second Life™?

KennyLex: Oh, newspaper, it was a article about Second House of Sweden. (Kenny is from Sweden) The sim closed because there were complaints. 

When I did log in, I found Natoma and the Ivory tower, and fell in love with building things. So, I stayed. I am mostly here (Ivory Tower), Luskwood, Bay City and at Torley’s Place. Although, Torley’s old place here was much funnier.

Kennylex gave me a vehicle made out of old barrels that he made, we rode around Natoma for a while. I returned to my explorations.

ANSI Soderstrom has a lot of land on Minna, and a sense of humor. Her cel-shaded ANSI-wood build, a play on the Hollywood Hills, is like an anime hobbit village. However, she is also the creator of Port Ansi, a complex-looking brick building that holds tons of freebies built by Kennylex Luckless. Kennylex’s freebies are fun, and often he includes the textures he used in them so that you can mod what you take.

Blogging acquaintance and SL Universe forum member Elysium Hynes owns 736 square meters of land, and purple trunked trees. It hugs a water edge, and is filled with pretty chairs and tables for hanging out. I wonder if she ever spends time there?

These three residents hail from 2007 or later, but there are also members who are much older with parcels on Minna. Dave Zeeman has a not very pretty build, of which he seems very proud:  “This is Dave Zeeman's original home!  He's had it ever since Beta v0.3.2!  Check out the classic "Matrix Box" and world renowned Plinko game!  Also the site of any "Match Game SL" shows!” So, Dave is one of the original members, but from the look of his parcel he has not been around for some time.

Emmaly Baxton (2008) has the Minna Sky Complex, a poured concrete series of elevated lookouts that provide a place to view the original sims. Her land seems to be part of Dave Zeeman’s, and is a somewhat modern and grungy structure. Although I didn’t speak with her, I did see her on the sim during one of my research visits.

Another oldbie is Div Epoch, a Charter Member, who will become 10 years old around the time that Second Life™ does. Has an old-school house, very minimally furnished on northwest corner of Minna.

And, then there’s Vivianne OFlynn, who is almost ten years old, and owns Divivity’s food and celebrations supplies. I suppose she is still around, because there were prims from 2013 with Mother’s day items. According to the Second Life™ Wiki, Divivity was most of the sim of Minna at one time. Now, there was only the celebration shop, and another parcel with garden items.

Of interest to me, from a historical standpoint was the Sacred Ground Druid Circle that Simon Metalhead, a Beta Member established in  September 2003 I imagine it was meant to hold larger crowds as it spans the corners of Minna, Ritch, Zoe, and Natoma. Again, I have to wonder if people still use it. I hope it remains, because it is from the earliest days of Second Life™.

A very new addition to the sim is from four year old Carol Pixelmaid. Virtually Gorgeous is a tiny shop with some pretty old-school lingerie and dresses for ladies. It has a nice grass covered lookout on the property with free binoculars and pose balls for viewing the beauty of Minna.

For Sale
Would you like to live on Minna? There is one tiny landlocked plot, L-shaped and narrow that is for sale for 35,998 Lindens. Sounds a bit steep for me, but you may be a lover of history.

Visit Minna: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Minna/127/127/79

DrFran Babcock

Tales From the Ghost Forest – LEA14

By DrFran Babcock

I had seen the Linden Endowment for the Art’s Tales From the Ghost Forest mentioned on the log in screen several times. Usually, that means it’s a build about which I won’t write, because I figure that promoted sims get a lot of coverage. I decided to visit anyway, with a friend, and decided to tell you about it.

First, after a few visits, and some photography, I am not really sure I understand Uan Ceriaptrix’s build. However, the mood he creates, and the post-apocalyptic feel made me feel immersed in another dimension. I believe that’s what art is supposed to do.

The build is composed of four different parts. You are greeted by a giant spider when you teleport into the sim. Be careful or you may end up in her web. Instead, follow the colored balls over the long bridge, up a ladder, and enter Junk City, which is just what it sounds like. According to Ceriaptrix, this area, which is a barren path studded with garbage and pollution is the point at which things started to transform through a change and restructuring of technology. Humans have been transformed into avatars and holograms, and homo sapiens are extinct.

Leaving Junk City, you enter the Ghost Forest, which the artist labels as Mother Earth. This region is filled with science, technology, and devices that have been left to the trees and fishes, to provide them with energy. In place of the machines, odd vegetation sprouts along the canyon path. Twisted, odd vegetation, that is tended by alien creatures. Boggy greens submerge your feet in tiny plants as you walk along and tiny bubbles float up through the ooze, hinting at the possibility of new life.

When you leave Mother Earth you will find yourself in Election (or die trying), which is the hope for the regeneration of the world. The luminous beings have kept collections of biology so that the ecosystem can be regenerated.  UFOs, chairs with teeth in their seats, aliens, and giant insects hold court, bringing the damaged land back to life.

At the end of the path the land ends, and the water beckons. Under the water in the unconscious that contains a carousel, a sand castle, a display of Uan Ceriaptrix’s, and other items.

I loved the build for it’s look and the builds that were on it. The terraforming created a land that was at once familiar and alien. Uan is a skilled creator, and his palette of sandy-colored ground, and green toxic or leavy touches. The windlight setting creates a smoggy sky that reminds one that this is a dying land, trying to regenerate.

I have always believed that despite what the artist or the art is trying to say, once the public views it, what is perceived becomes their truth. As I said, I don’t think I understood what was intended, but I liked it, and it made me feel strong emotions of loss.

You can come and visit The Tales From the Ghost Forest at LEA14: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/LEA14/128/128/15 and decide for yourself.

DrFran Babcock

The First Sims: Freelon

By DrFran Babcock

I keep continuing to explore the original Second Life™ sims, because I love history, and I love this virtual world. So often we forget to preserve the past, and then it’s lost before we realize what value it had. Freelon is the sixth sim to come on line in Second Life™. It is another sim that I have spent little time exploring until now.

History of Freelon


Freelon is believed to be one of the first mature sims on the grid. In its early days it hosted The Black Sun, a 2003 night club based on the Snow Crash book venue. Those who remember will recognize that this book is believed to be what inspired Philip Rosedale to create SL. Sadly; it is no longer on the grid. Another lost parcel is the Amazon Nations, the land of which seems to have been bought by Erwin Solo, who leveled the Freelon volcano in the process of creating his builds.

Who Lives Here?

The largest landholders on Freelon are Erwin Solo and Del Lykin, both relatively new to the sim.  However, there is someone on Freelon who was there from the very beginning, and this is Chip Midnight, owner of CMFF–Chip Midnight’s Fine Fashions. Chip and I have the same rez day, but he’s three years older than me, and a beta member of SL. He says on his profile that he dates from “when dinosaurs roamed the grid.”

When I was a noobie, I used to visit his shop, and drool over the items there. Back then, I had no conception of the worth of Lindens, and my ability to make them and buy things with them. Chip’s most durable contribution to Second Life™ is the templates for the system clothing that were used by almost every content creator until the advent of mesh, and even now. Freelon is worth the trip just to pay homage to this great resident, and his multi-leveled, Danish modern shop.

Del Lykin’s land is a sprawling marina, country club-like building and mansion. It is a pleasant build, but very old-school looking with nary a sculpt or mesh object, even though the inspected prims date from March of 2013. It seems I just missed the Amazon World’s disappearance. The late, and dearly missed Lalo Telling chronicled some of these older places on his blog, and I urge you historians to take a look: http://lalotelling.wordpress.com/2010/06/13/seconderth-a-deep-map-freelon/ .

Most of the rest of Freelon is owned by Erwin Solo, who seems to be a self-appointed historian/archivist of Second Life™. His land contains two statues of The Man statue, created by Oldjohn Linden in July of 2002! One of them holds Philip’s old beachball, which is a bit older.

The big surprise here is the “oldest prim in SL” which sits at the base of one of the man statues. Accordning to Erwin Solo:

Oldest Object in SL. 25-Jan-2002.   Creator Unknown.  Software apparently didn’t store creator name back then. From the pre-SL alpha period.  A gift from an Oldbie, who wishes to remain anonymous.  It is just a cube, but it is copy/mod so I can make things with it. I gave a copy to the Ivory Tower of Prims for museum use.

I IMed Erwin to ask him how he came into possession of this prim, but I didn’t hear from him. Erwin has also a Mayan Temple, and a small collection of Linden Bears. For newer readers, Linden Bears were once created by and carried by all Lindens. If you ran into a Linden on the grid, you could ask for one, and would be rewarded with an object that represented that particular Linden Lab employee. Believe it or not, but Lindens used to be quite evident at events and even held some for our benefit. I have a huge collection of bears that would require a sim’s worth of Land Impact to display.

Erwin’s bears border a really nice dance floor and outdoor sitting place. It’s a shame that these places are never occupied when I come to visit. The dance floor is the nicest part of his parcel.

Tiny Properties and Premiums Only

There are a few small plots dotting Freelon. Thunder Electric’s build dates from 2003, and is still on the sim, although mostly empty. Its purple and black gothic look are worth a visit for their historical value. Just by accident, I came upon a “secret grotto,” under Thunder’s dome, that housed some interesting items, among them a prim model of oldbie Torrid Midnight. I was unable to get into the grotto, the door was locked, but I could see inside. I wonder if this spot is still in use?

 Aminom’s ultra-small Pad (“who needs more than 29 prims?”) is filled with two very bizarre billboards, one of which is depicted here.

The strangest thing I found, and only because I rezzed an alt to do some exploring, is that a small piece of the sim is off-limits to non-premium members. When DrFran returned to visit, there was no apparent reason for the banlines. The parcel contains an odd, imaginary machine, and nothing else.

The last bit of strangeness is that there is a parcel in the Northeast corner of the sim that is empty, but is named Luskwood Freelon! This 5056 square meter parcel was claimed in 2012 by the Luskwood Residents group. If anyone has any ideas what this is about, please let me know. I love these mysteries.

Second Life™ sims are a palimpsest. This ancient word relates to the old practice of scraping a parchment clean of its writings so it could be reused. Parchment was expensive back then. Thus, any old manuscript may contain layers and layers of documents, just as the sims of this beloved virtual world contain layers and layers of builds and memories.

Visit Freelon: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Freelon/160/68/32

DrFran Babcock

The First Sims: Federal

By DrFran Babcock

Federal is the fifth sim to come on line in Second Life™. It is another sim that I have ignored largely during my many explorations of the mainland. As usual, the history and details of a sim can be uncovered to some extent by exploring and inspecting. Join me as I reveal what I found out about this largely forgotten territory.

History of Federal

Same as for Stanford, the week before, Federal was one of the weapons sims, or the Outlands as they were called. Aside from this bit of information, all the material on the Second Life Wikia is incorrect now. Federal used to be the home of the Second Life Botanical Gardens, which are now housed on their own sim, and the Club Elite, which is not in existence any longer. I had hoped to find the Federal drawbridge still around, but I couldn’t locate it. The bridge was built by longtime resident, and creator of the SL Universe Forums and Snapzilla picture sites, Cristiano Midnight.

For Rent

It seems that about half of Federal is for rent. There is a huge, flat portion of the sim that is empty of everything, except a map of old Second Life™.  The landlord for this piece of property is the same person who owns the parklands on Federal: Deltango Vale, who is not nearly seven years old—a veritable newbie in this territory of a world that began in 2002. The land title says that Cinnamon Beach is for rent, but right clicking the land gives you the information that the land is for sale for one million Lindens. Any takers? I am sure Podex will do the Linden transaction for you.

Who Lives Here?

The aforementioned Deltango Vale has created a minimalist parkland on much of the sim. The trees are all autumnal, have falling leaves, and are nicely complemented by the elfy lanterns dotted here and there. I believe that this is another attempt to preserve open space on the mainland and prevent the uglification of Second Life™, and I applaud this endeavor.

There are two oldbies who still have land on Federal. Sturm Valen, over ten years old, has a piece of land, and there is a house up in the air a few meters. There are a few untextured, plywood prims in the build, so I assumed that he was busy still building. However, an inspection of the prims revealed that they were created  in March of 2003, making them some of the oldest prims in Second Life™!

When I do these reports, I always send an IM to the inhabitants who are old-times, asking them for input. I have been unsuccessful in getting a response so far.

Simon Metalhead is the owner of MetalHead Stables and the supposedly very old Über Mall on Federal. The stables are a newer addition to the sim, as they are meant to house Amaretto Horses. Sadly, the two horses I found in the stables had turned green and were sick without food and water.

The Über Mall is a bunch of blocky cubes that rise out of a small hill that is surrounded by the Federal Park. Robert Jung, SL historian, has described it as one of the oldest malls in Second Life™
( http://www.sluniverse.com/pics/pic.aspx?id=547141 ), but unless it has been rebuilt, most of the prims date from 2007. There is very little in the mall. Basically two stores: Bowulf and Altered Visions make up the inhabitants of the mall. Altered Visions has two signs and no stock at all. Bowulf, which is the work of Simon Metalhead, has only a series of goggles, a kitchen set, and a fireplace for sale. This is one gigantic mall with only a few items for sale. This is one of the drawbacks of having Lifetime Members. They let their horses die, along with their malls.

The only item of interest that I found, by perving into the basement of the mall, was a sign for the FICs. FICs are the Feted Inner Core—a conspiracy theory that certain avatars had an advantage with the Linden Lab employees that favored them in business and other product placements. It became somewhat of a joke over time, so the sign was a fun find for me.

Second Life Art Gallery

For the most part, the mall is not worth a visit. There are other things to see on the sim. The Second Life Art Gallery being one of them. You will not see a single picture from the works in the gallery here in this article, because they are all erotic in nature, and many of them extreme in nature. Of course, you may go and see for yourself. The gallery is owned by Tony Tigereye, and many of his works are there. Each display in the four stories of the gallery has a notecard to tell you about the artist. Tony’s is worth repeating:

Tony uses Yahoo! Doodle to create his colorful works of art.  A lot of his inspiration is drawn from his good friend, Porscha, and many of the works are a collaborative effort.  Many people notice the stunning over-use of male genitalia in Tony's works, perhaps leading them to believe he has a fixation on the black male penis.  Later works suggest, however, that Tony is simply out of his mind crazy and has no rhyme or reason to anything he does.

Tony’s art work is, um, infantile, to say the least. I guess he’s just having fun. Isn’t that what Second Life™ is about? Well, it is for me. Come visit Federal. Maybe you want to rent the beach.

Visit Federal: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Federal/154/202/28

DrFran Bakcock