Wagner James Au / New World Notes
Author, strategist, virtual world reporter
recent posts
- Welcome to New World Notes’ 2006-2025 Archive!
- Virtual World Usage Stats from S&P Global Market Intelligence — Plus VRChat & Second Life Specifics!
- Top Five Posts Including: Huge Rec Room Layoff & Meta Boots Neal Stephenson Off Facebook (Briefly)
- Four Glorious Second Life Sims to Explore — After Watching Sabina Valeska’s Machinima Tributes to Them!
- Virtual World Usage Stats from S&P Global Market Intelligence — Plus VRChat & Second Life Specifics!
about
Category: Social Structures, Social Upheaval
-
Above: From my 2010 post, "Sexy Scarface: The Story Behind 'Broken Hearts Bleed', the Latest in Stylishly Brutalized Female Avatar Skins" Really interesting /SecondLife Reddit thread about the prevalence of avatars who are physically damaged in some way: My daughter, who does not play Second Life, asked me about the prevalence of avatars showing body…
-
So much social activity around virtual worlds now takes place on Discord, since the messaging platform is much easier to use in various everyday contexts (i.e. on the train, in the bathroom, etc.) But here's one solution in a virtual dance club that offers the best of both mediums: A bridge connecting public chat in…
-
Second Life Overwhelmed By Virtual Fashion Shopping Events & Consumerism, Argues Longtime SL Blogger
Longtime SL blogger Prisqua Newall of SLex in the City has a must-read blog post about how rampant virtual world shopping events are choking the creativity and originality from Second Life culture. It was inspired by her own personal moment of clarity as a rampant shopper: This journey through Second Life’s marketplace has led me…
-
If you’re on Instagram, @slgridmemes is definitely a fun follow — like the account name suggests, it’s a near-daily cascade of chuckle-worthy memes only active Second Life users are likely to find funny. (I.E, IYKYK) Created and run by Ryan Johnson in his spare time, now with nearly 9000 followers, Ryan joined the virtual world…
-
Above: The face of Dr. King shines from the virtual sun upon an anti-fascist protest against Front National in Second Life In early 2007, in the run-up to Martin Luther King Jr. day in the US, Second Life was wracked by protests against Front National, the leading far right party in France, which decided to…
-
Today's episode of The Pulse from National Public Radio, "Virtual Worlds, Virtual Lives", tells the story of two classic communities in Second Life: The Confederation of Democratic Simulators, which was shaken (but not destroyed) by a trademark dispute which challenged the group's idealism, and the Wasteland, the long-running post-apocalyptic community founded and run as by…
-
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting Loute Diesel is a great virtual photographer who has organized collaborations of French photogs in Second Life, giving us definitive evidence of how very individual virtual world photography is. Here you have the same group and yet every picture is wildly different.…
-
While trolls recently griefing a Second Life flag with a trans flag may have the new-ish twist of adding pro-Russia propaganda, reader "yup" notes that antit-trans trolling is a constantly occurring issue in the virtual world: Sadly these anti-trans trolls infiltrate everywhere in Second Life too and they target trans places since awhile. They are…
-
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting Teal Aurelia offers a powerful reminder of why Pride month exists. On Monday, Uganda's President Yoweri Museveni signed an anti-gay law that makes it a capital crime. Before anyone thinks Uganda is particularly backwards, this is the work of American evangelist Scott…
-
Here’s an interesting footnote to the story of Bonnie Bots, the web site that collects and displays Second Life user data gleaned from in-world bots — a practice so controversial and provoking so much outrage, Linden Lab had several internal conversations and debates about it, posted a new policy statement, and even added new tools…
Wagner James Au / New World Notes 