Wagner James Au / New World Notes

Author, strategist, virtual world reporter

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Hypnotic Romance, an SL sim with secluded spaces for couples. Click here to teleport.

The Virtual Worlds Museum. Click here to teleport to their Second Life hub with tribute to sunsetted worlds!

“TV POWWW!” by Tom Boellstorff & Braxton Soderman. Read about the first televised videogame here.

The Fitting Room: Try out new SL fits in a secure, private space. Click here to teleport.

Breedables CoOp, helping the SL pet community grow through shared resources. Go here to get started.

Fantastic Photos from Second Life Rugby Games — Yes, Second Life Has a Rugby League & Virtual Sports Photographers

June 29, 2022
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Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Stevo Kozlowski shoots Second Life rugby. Who knew Second Life rugby looked this real? It’s changed a lot since Miffyhoi Rosca, Hatchy Mills, and I went to a stadium in 2007. I am blown away by these action shots. Wow, wow, wow! But there’s more. He gives some color commentary for the three pics in the composite:
1. Bulldogs v Seagulls RD9 Jovi Jordan dots down after collecting a kick from Pj Havoc which iced the game for the Bulldogs.
2. Pirates v Pitbulls RD9 One of the Pitbulls best this year, Hynes Guerrero. The prop forward has run for over 1000 meters this season. Pictured here, slipping a ball to Chip Lemongrass who scored in their narrow victory over arch rivals the BayCity Pirates.
3. Tigers v Rhinos RD9 Rhinos lock forward Tolsen Piggins has been dangerous for his side this season. He's scored 5 tries and made 8 line breaks and 17 tackle busts. He was pivotal in the Rhinos win over the Tigers.
Stevo not only has play-by-play commentary like this, but includes links to all key fashion items in the image.

For more sports pics, click here:

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Why Are We Not Having Conferences About the Metaverse on Actual Metaverse Platforms?

June 28, 2022

Reuters is having a free webinar tomorrow on the future of the Metaverse featuring several esteemed panelists, which you can register for here.

But wait a minute: If we're so excited about the Metaverse, why are we talking about it… on the web? Especially when there are a number of metaverse platforms on the market which could easily host a hundred or more attendees, with an overflow crowd who could watch it streamed on YouTube and Twitch.

I put it to Reuters' event manager Pete Carkeek, who defends the use of webinars to talk about the Metaverse this way:

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Powerful Second Life Screenshots Protesting the End of Roe v Wade from Whiskey Monday & Other Community Creators

June 28, 2022

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

Second Life residents often stick to quotidian subjects, fashion, décor, and roleplay. At times, though, the events of the world break through and they respond with their art. On Friday, the US Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade, the right to abortion. The vast majority of Americans disapprove, but the Court is not accountable to anyone. Whiskey Monday’s “Futile Dissent” gets at that dilemma. The flowers make me think of masses of people out in the streets protesting with the certain knowledge that the Supreme Court does not care.

For more responses to the Supreme Court decision, click here:

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Angry Second Life Creator Offers Free “My Body My Choice” Tattoo to Feminist Avatars

June 27, 2022

Now available for free in Second Life thanks to Edyn Starlight — an abortion rights avatar tattoo. Edyn writes:

I don't typically like to get political, not on the best or even the worst of days, but Roe vs. Wade being overturned is fucking ridiculous… In support of those affected by this, I'm releasing this tattoo as a free gift, and it will remain free forever. I'm not a US resident, but I have so many friends whom have been there for my entire life that are affected by this decision.

Click here to teleport to Edyn's mainstore in Hamamura to get a copy.

Are there other abortion rights events and content in Second Life — especially those which benefit real life orgs and women/girls impacted by the end of Roe? Please post details in Comments, and I'll highlight some in another post.

By the way, I've also asked Linden Lab if the company plans to make any policy announcement around the gutting of Roe and the coming of anti-abortion laws throughout much of the US. Specifically:

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Second Life’s New Premium Plus Not Always a Good Deal — But Could Be Made Better (Reader Comments of the Week)

June 27, 2022

Lots of good reader feedback around the just-announced Premium Plus offering for Second Life. According to Luther Weymann, getting a Premium Plus in his specific scenario would not be a very good deal:

I have a free account.
I have a 2048 store in a private region for monthly rent.
I have product development that I upload textures at L$10 each.

Suppose I buy the $249/yr premium plus, move my 2048 store to the mainland, get the weekly stipend and sign-up bonus, and stop paying for texture upload. In that case, I spend about $100 a year for the premium. I already pay about $100 a year for the SL Market sales commission. So I would go from paying SL $100 a year to $200 a year, and I only gain more groups.

Yikes. I imagine many SLers are in a situation like his. Speaking of product development, Dee has a very good idea of improving Premium Plus for content creators:

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Top 5 Posts Last Week Including a New Pricing Plan for Second Life, Another Odd NFT Integration & Why We Need to Define the Metaverse Apart from Corporate Interests

June 27, 2022
Tomorrow: Visit a Second Life Sim Devoted to David Lynch, Attend an Immersive Extravaganza as a Character from His Works!

June 24, 2022

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Click here to teleport to a place where the birds sing a pretty song, and there's always music in the air. That's right: There's a whole Second Life sim devoted to dream world genius David Lynch, and there's a grand 7 hour event happening there tomorrow starting at 2pm PT. (All the details here.)

"Lynchland is not about roleplay," group leader Myrdin Sommer tells me, "but we do like to dress up as characters from a Lynch movie; LynchLand is a cool place to indulge David Lynch's eccentric persona so to say! And as a dress code we ask this from our visitors at events, but it is certainly not mandatory." But if you had the chance to turn your avatar into a character from a Lynch movie or TV show, why would you not?

"And that goes for everything in LynchLand," says Sommer, "The Bang Bang bar, The little church, the Blue Velvet Diner, The Mulholland Drive-in Cinema or the Lost Highway Motel, where we even have a room specially for David, so he can stay over when he is in ' town."

And you never know when Lynch will be in the neighborhood: He just made a visit the Metaverse just a couple years ago.

More on LynchLand next week, meantime, here's some images from the LynchLand group on Flickr. (Warning, not all of them are worksafe viewing, not even when it's the Log Lady.)

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Fashion Friday: SL Style & Houseware Choices from Mrs. Sassypants

June 24, 2022
Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

I like warm, colorful kitchens like the one in Mrs. Sasypant's post Groove Is In the Heart in her blog Layers upon Layas. The name is a pun on her old avatar name Laya Felisimo, something I learned in her About page. Every blogger should have one. This kitchen is wonderful and I like everything. I decided to focus on the foundation pieces, the Mediterranean Kitchen pieces. They were for Happy Weekend, but they will be still be available at full price.
- KOPFKINO – Mediterranean Kitchen – Counter blue LI:10
- KOPFKINO – Mediterranean Kitchen – Her stool blue LI:1
- KOPFKINO – Mediterranean Kitchen – His Stool blue LI:1
- KOPFKINO – Mediterranean Kitchen – Shelf long blue LI:1
- KOPFKINO – Mediterranean Kitchen – Wall Cabinet blue LI:4
- KOPFKINO – Mediterranean Kitchen – Wine Island blue LI:4
For a look at her fashion style, click here:

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Linden Lab Unveils $25/Month Second Life Subscription to Replace Eroding Revenue of Virtual Land

June 23, 2022

As hinted at in a recent in-world Q&A, Linden Lab just announced Second Life's new "Premium Plus" subscription plan, with greatly enhanced content and features for $24.99/month or $249.99 a year — see above, with a helpful compare/contrast with the existing Premium Plan. As my heated reader commentary suggests (some choice samples below), this new offering is sure to cause controversy. But it's a necessary move by the company, nudging players toward a sustainable revenue base built on user subscriptions, versus unsustainable sim tier. (Also reflected in the new event region offerings, high capacity sims designed for short term use.)

Or to put it another way on this day, which happens to be Second Life's official 19th birthday: If you want Second Life to be around and still active for SL30B, better consider getting Premium or Premium Plus.

Reader feedback below:

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Cajsa’s Choices: Favorite Photos from Second Life’s 19th Birthday Bash

June 23, 2022

Cajsa Lilliehook covers the best in virtual world screenshot art and digital painting

I thought after a week of celebrating Second Life’s 19th birthday, it was time to look at the pictures being tagged on Flickr with "sl19b". And wow! This pic from Kiva is amazing. Someone get her a job at NASA. This is such a powerful picture. This is exciting! [Click here to visit the location yourself]

For more from SL1919B, click here:

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