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Strawberry Linden

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“Lab Gab” is a live-streamed variety show that showcases events, destinations, and different talents across Second Life. 

Join our host, Strawberry Linden, as she speaks with SuperSuz, along with M2 Burner, both are regional contacts for BURN2. BURN2 is an annual festival of community, art, and fire that brings the culture and cool of Burning Man to Second Life. They will be discussing the history of BURN2 and taking her on a tour of the region before it’s open to the public for the weekend, from May 1st to May 3rd.

Tune in on Friday, May 1st at 11am PT/SLT. Watch us live on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer, or Periscope!

For full episodes of Lab Gab, click over to the Lab Gab YouTube Playlist

Connect with Second Life on Social Media:
Instagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr | Pinterest | Tumblr | Plurk | TikTok | Reddit | LinkedIn

Strawberry Linden

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Pictured: Kolmannskuppe

Each week, the Second Life Destination Guide editorial team reviews dozens of new locations and events worth exploring. With all those beautiful destinations to check out, we thought we’d highlight a few of the entries that stood out to the editorial team. So in no particular order, here are a few locations on the Destination Guide that we recommend checking out this weekend:

 

 

Skyscrapers is a new art installation by Gem Preiz.

 

The Kultivate Spring Art Show is back for its 5th year and will only be on for a week, so visit soon!

 

Fantasy Faire 2020 returns with eighteen incredible regions of extraordinary beauty and magic, all in support of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society's goal of a world without cancer. It was featured in our Destination video this week, watch it on our YouTube channel: Second Life Destinations - Fantasy Faire 2020

 

Two new shopping events started this week that offer many gifts and discounts to encourage Residents to stay home, stay safe, and continue to explore their creativity in Second Life.

 

 

This week's Showcase Stream goes through the Spring Swaginator Hunt and gives out some spoilers! Watch it on our YouTube channel: Second Life Showcase Stream - Spring Swaginator Hunt

 

Got a spot that you’d like listed in the Destination Guide? Make sure to drop us a note at editor@lindenlab.com or submit your spot via web form.

Connect with Second Life at the following links:
CommunityInstagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr Account | Flickr Group | Pinterest | Tumblr | Plurk

Linden Lab

The biggest annual fantasy event in Second Life is back!

Now open through May 10, the Fantasy Faire 2020 features eighteen incredible regions of extraordinary beauty and magic -- all made from scratch by the residents of Second Life and in support of Relay for Life and the American Cancer Society's goal of a world without cancer. 

Watch the video preview of Fantasy Faire 2020 here.

For eighteen days become immersed in a world of enchantment where you can shop, enjoy fantasy art and performances, discover roleplay opportunities, and hear award-winning fantasy authors including author Fran Wilde.  While you explore you’ll hear a soundtrack provided by Fantasy Faire Radio, too 

You’ll also find fantasy avatars, clothing, furnishings, gadgets, and exclusive items available from almost 200 of Second Life’s top Fantasy Creators across thirteen stunning regions.  There are also five Faireland realms that include a wide variety of entertainment, events, and experiences including a Memorial Garden, the Literary Festival, Performance Stages, Art Galleries, and more. Don't forget to complete the epic story-based experience “The Fairelands Quest: The Bard Queen's Garden.” 

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Follow all the events at fantasyfairesl.wordpress.com or visit it inworld now.

CREDITS:
Video Production: Draxtor Despres

Strawberry Linden

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“Lab Gab” is a live-streamed variety show that showcases events, destinations, and different talents across Second Life. 

Join our host, Strawberry Linden, as she speaks with Senior Software Engineer Rider Linden,  Senior Graphics Engineer Ptolemy Linden, and Principal Software Engineer Euclid Linden. They will be discussing the Environmental Enhancement Project (EEP). 

Do you have any questions for Rider, Ptolemy, and Euclid about EEP that you’d like Strawberry to ask them on your behalf? Fill out the Google Form and submit your question today, and it may be selected!

Tune in on Friday, April 24th at 10am PT/SLT. Watch us live on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer, or Periscope!

P.S. Euclid and Rider decided to do the Yearbook Challenge, you can click over to our Flickr to see their images!
 

For full episodes of Lab Gab, click over to the Lab Gab YouTube Playlist

Linden Lab

SPRING PREMIUM GIFT

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Pictured: the latest gift set available exclusively to Premium Members.

Just in time for spring! Premium members can now claim the latest Premium-only Gift - a springtime gazebo with accompanying table, chairs, and stools. But, that’s not all!  This gift is jam-packed with over 50 items in total!

Enjoy a peaceful day outdoors in your own beautiful gazebo with matching table accessories including a tea and cake set, small candle lanterns, flowers, balloons and more.

To claim your Premium Gift, head over to one of the many Premium-only gift kiosks. Not Premium yet? Upgrade now to get several Premium-only benefits including a weekly L$300 stipend, increased group membership limits, expanded live-chat support, tier allotment for use with a Linden Home or a parcel on the Mainland, and much more! 

SPRING SWAGINATOR HUNT

The arrival of spring also means that it is time for an all-new Swaginator Hunt! Several flower-shaped kiosks have blossomed across the grid - and each kiosk holds a special surprise! Seek and find the kiosks to claim a total of five free gifts. 

Are you new to the Swaginator Hunt? Here’s how to play:

How to Begin the Hunt

Grab your free Swaginator HUD to get started. Look for the flower-shaped kiosk and touch it to add it to your inventory. You should be able to find it in your Recent inventory. 

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Next, select “Wear” to add the HUD to your Viewer screen. You will see a flower-shaped HUD appear on the upper left corner. Click the HUD to teleport to your first location to begin the hunt!

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As you travel from location to location, keep an eye out for the Swaginator gift kiosk. To claim your free gift, click the kiosk! Then, click “Keep” in the pop-up window to accept the free item. It will be waiting for you in your inventory.

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Use your HUD to keep track of all of the free items you collect. Don’t forget to click the HUD again after you collect each prize so that you can teleport to the next location in the hunt!

SPOILER ALERT! (Scroll down only if you want to learn about all gifts - revealed in the images below!)

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Shimmy, Paranormal, Spiffy, Quartz and Garden Gnome are waiting! Can you collect ‘em all?

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Linden Lab

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The big day is here!  The Environmental Enhancement Project has been released grid-wide.  As of today the default viewer download and all regions on the grid fully support EEP!

If you have not been following this exciting project, you can check out this wiki page and the community discussion.

EEP offers:

  • Environment objects that you can keep in your inventory and share with others
  • Parcel-level control of environments
  • Up to four different, independently controlled sky layers
  • More options for customization

New LSL functions rolling out as part of EEP allow scripts to interact with parcels’ environments:

  • llGetSunDirection and llGetMoonDirection allow scripts to accurately track both the sun and the moon as they move through the sky. 
  • llGetEnvironment gives a script access to all the parameters that go into generating the parcel's environment.  For example, flowers can change their color based on the ambient light color.
  • An experience script can set up a distinct environment for each visitor to the experience, using llReplaceAgentEnvironment and llSetAgentEnvironment.

Many thanks go to all the devoted Residents who have spent so much time and effort to help us test EEP and make it solid. Beta testing would not have been possible without those who participated in forums and at our inworld User Group Meetings.  

We’re excited to see the new environments you create, the experiences that feature dynamically changing environments, and the scripts that will read and react to the environment around them in real time.

As ever, we welcome your comments and bug reports in Jira.

Linden Lab

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video travels back in time to 1888 for a visit to Crossroads, a popular combat-based role-playing community in Second Life. Set in the fictional town of McCoy, Kansas during the civil war period, you’ll embark in a Western Victorian and Wild West Para RPG filled with suspense, natives, tribes, gangs, horse trails, and more!

Once you arrive, you’ll find several resources and shops that will help you get in character -- and don’t forget to pick up the WWM Wild West Meter from P3 Gaming (available near the landing point). You’ll also want to pick up the latest edition of the Shenadoah Times, a free local paper that is filled with the latest community gossip, job opportunities, recipes, and even a horoscope! 

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As one of the longest-running RPG communities in SL, Crossroads is filled with an active community worth exploring. Once you are properly dressed and in character, you’ll want to visit the many era-appropriate attractions here, including the local town square, bar, mine, and railroad.

CREDITS:
Video Production: Draxtor Despres

Strawberry Linden

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Pictured: Safari Park at LeLoo's World

Each week, the Second Life Destination Guide editorial team reviews dozens of new locations and events worth exploring. With all those beautiful destinations to check out, we thought we’d highlight a few of the entries that stood out to the editorial team. So in no particular order, here are a few locations on the Destination Guide that we recommend checking out this weekend:

Safari Park at LeLoo's World was featured in our Showcase Stream this week.

 

 

 

 

 

Got a spot that you’d like listed in the Destination Guide? Make sure to drop us a note at editor@lindenlab.com or submit your spot via web form.

Connect with Second Life at the following links:
CommunityInstagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr Account | Flickr Group | Pinterest | Tumblr | Plurk

Strawberry Linden

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“Lab Gab” is a live-streamed variety show that showcases events, destinations, and different talents across Second Life. 

Join our host, Strawberry Linden, as she speaks with Caledonia Skytower. Caledonia is a long time Resident, director of Seanchai Library in Second Life, and a theatre artist in the physical world, who brings much of her talent and creativity to our platform. She will also be giving Strawberry a tour of Seanchai Library and they will attend a literary event there together. 

Tune in on Friday, April 17th at 11am PT/SLT. Watch us live on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer, or Periscope!

For full episodes of Lab Gab, click over to the Lab Gab YouTube Playlist

Linden Lab

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Back by popular demand! After being gone for almost a decade, last names in Second Life are now available once again!

THE HISTORY OF LAST NAMES

So, what’s the big deal you say? Well, a bit of context might be helpful for newcomers and those who created an account at any time in the past decade or so.

Back in the day, Second Life Residents were given the option at registration of selecting from a variety of pre-determined “last name” options. The use of shared “last names” helped build community among Residents who found instant kinship and bonding amidst these newfound virtual family ties shared with strangers of the same lineage. Similar to the commodity of dot-com domains, some “last names” held a special status in the community. Some were extremely rare and, in some cases, there were perceived attributes and reputations associated with certain last name offerings. To make sense of it all, there was even a dedicated website put together by a third party to track the history and availability status of last names (which tended to rotate in and out of circulation quite quickly).

It all came to an end in 2010 when Linden Lab announced that “last names” would no longer be available amidst the roll-out of “display names,” which allow Residents the opportunity to use their real name, nickname, role-play name or social identity in Second Life. While display names do allow for a great deal of flexibility and freedom in expression, some Residents mourned the loss of the common shared “last name” options that helped people across the globe bond together across the metaverse. For those who are curious to learn even more about the sordid history of “last names,” there is an interesting thread that goes into more detail about “the very real panic over virtual surnames” on reddit.

THE RETURN OF LAST NAMES

Given the ongoing interest in “last names” among our community,  we’ve reinstated “last names” effective today as a new option for Second Life Premium Members. If you have a Premium account, you will be able to visit https://secondlife.com/my/account to change your first, last or both names. In the true spirit of the original “last names” option last seen in 2010, participating Residents will once again be able to choose from a rotating list of available last names. Some names may only be available for a limited time, so if you see one you like then you might want to claim it quickly! 

Already changed your name and want to go back to one of your old names?  You can do that too!  After you have changed your name once, you will see a list of your previous names below the list of available last names.  

Please note that “display names” are still available at no charge to everyone. However, “last names” is a new optional feature just for Premium members and a separate $39.99 fee applies when you change any part of your account name. 

In order to ensure your name changes proceed smoothly, please make sure you are logged out of the viewer before changing your name. There may be a delay of 24-48 hours for your new name to show across all services in Second Life.  

We know that many of you may have further questions about how this all works and that’s why we’ve put together a dedicated FAQ to help explain things in even more depth. 

 

This is the list of current available last names (as of April 13th, 2020). 

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Linden Lab

As health officials continue to warn against public gatherings amidst the current coronavirus outbreak, many people are seeking out online outlets that can serve as an adequate substitute for their in-person religious services and spiritual communities. 

Many are flocking to the virtual world Second Life, which is already home to many thriving religious and spiritual online communities that help people connect with others who share the same values and beliefs. In Second Life, the sense of presence is just much more powerful because of it being an actual place where communities can feel togetherness on a much deeper level than in other online platforms.

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video explores a good cross-section of the many places of worship and communities that span across all spiritual and religious denominations. In Second Life, you’ll find a diverse range of representations including Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, Judaism, Buddhism and even some free-form places of spirituality like Wicca.

Among the virtual world locations featured in this video are:

To see even more, visit the Spirituality & Belief category in the Second Life Destination Guide.

CREDITS:
Video production: Draxtor Despres

Strawberry Linden

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Pictured: Mediterraneo Coffee & Lounge Bar

Each week, the Second Life Destination Guide editorial team reviews dozens of new locations and events worth exploring. With all those beautiful destinations to check out, we thought we’d highlight a few of the entries that stood out to the editorial team. So in no particular order, here are a few locations on the Destination Guide that we recommend checking out this weekend:

 

"Le Cirque de la Nuit" is an hour-long program that features award-winning animated dance performances interspersed with colorful art installations. It was recently featured on a Showcase Stream, which you can watch on our YouTube channel: Second Life Showcase Stream - Le Cirque de la Nuit

 

 

 

 

 

 

Got a spot that you’d like listed in the Destination Guide? Make sure to drop us a note at editor@lindenlab.com or submit your spot via web form.

Connect with Second Life at the following links:
CommunityInstagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr Account | Flickr Group | Pinterest | Tumblr | Plurk

Linden Lab

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Do you love Second Life? Do you love to party? Do you love to help? Join the SL17B Volunteer staff and you can do all three! 

We’re looking for volunteers to help people celebrate at the upcoming 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B), held June 19-July 10. We are seeking Residents with great people skills and a love and excitement for Second Life to help us make SL17B a huge success! If you like the idea of promoting Second Life in a positive way to thousands of people in a  celebratory atmosphere, we welcome you to apply today! The application will remain open through May 18.

CALLING ALL SECOND LIFE MUSICIANS & PERFORMERS!

Are you a DJ who can spin up a great party set? Maybe you’re a Live Musician who plays an instrument or sings! You might be one of the grid’s amazing Dance companies, or perhaps you’re a Particle Performer! Whatever your medium, we would love to hear from you. 

Fill out the official performer application form by May 18 and tell us a little about how you roll, and one of our Event Staff Leaders will contact you soon.

Don’t forget that we also have a separate form specifically for those who want to audition for our Music Fest event, which kicks off SL17B. We are seeking live music performers for this special event. Applications can be found here4/21/20 UPDATE: Due to popular demand, the application process for musician auditions is now closed.

APPLY NOW TO BE AN EXHIBITOR AT SL17B

Finally, we want to remind everyone that the applications for those interested in exhibiting at SL17B are now open. This year’s theme is “vacations and road trips,” but exhibits will not be limited to that topic. See our previous blog post for details, read our rules and policies and check out the official exhibitor application form for more information.

Linden Lab

Titmouse Event FAQ


Events

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Get ready for the Titmouse 5 Second Animation Night, screening 24/7 in a virtual cinema from April 24 through May 24 in Second Life.

PREPARING FOR THE EVENT

Do I need a Second Life account to participate?
Yes. If you are not already a member of Second Life, then sign up for free!

I am already a Second Life member. Do I need to sign up again?
No. You can use your existing Second Life account to participate!

What is Second Life?
Second Life is the Internet’s largest user-created virtual world already experienced by millions of people across the world. Participants can use text and voice chat to socialize, explore, and create together across thousands of unique virtual world experiences and communities. Almost everything you see in Second Life was created by the community! 

How do I get Second Life? Is it safe to download?
Second Life can be downloaded and installed on a PC, Mac or Linux. Once you register, you will automatically be prompted to download the Second Life Viewer. You can also manually download the Viewer directly from the official Second Life website.

Installing Second Life is safe and secure -- it does not contain any spyware. 

Does Second Life work on a mobile device or tablet?
Not officially. While there are some experimental third party Viewers, attendees of this event are strongly encouraged to use a desktop-based Viewer.

Are there any tutorial videos for getting started?
Yes! Check out our New User Video Tutorials on YouTube for tips on customizing your avatar and getting started in Second Life. These are available in English, Spanish, Portuguese, Russian, French, German, Italian, Japanese, Turkish, and Polish.

How do I change my look?

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The fastest way to change your look in Second Life is via the avatar button. A pop up will appear with several new looks to choose from. Just click any look to instantly transform your avatar. You can watch this tutorial to see how it works.

Feeling more ambitious? You can craft an even more complex avatar if you want to spend a bit of time and money. YouTube has several tutorials that can help. You can also shop for a complete avatar on the Second Life Marketplace.

How do I explore Second Life?

In addition to the special venue created for this event, Second Life is a huge virtual world filled with both public and private experiences including virtual nightclubs, fashion events, art exhibitions, social hangout spots, and much more. Check out the Destination Guide to see a directory of thousands of places. Once you see a virtual world destination you like, you can visit it “inworld” (inside Second Life). 

DURING THE EVENT

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Do I need to arrive exactly at showtime?
Once you arrive, head to the movie theater where the video presentation should automatically begin to play. If you don't see the video, make sure to toggle the play/pause icon in the upper right of the Second Life Viewer.

How do I join the screening or visit any location in Second Life?
Assuming you have already downloaded, installed, and logged in to Second Life then you should be ready to go! 

The virtual cinema will be open to the general public from April 24 to May 24. To attend any screening, click this link to get the directory listing with the correct virtual world event location. On this page, select “Teleport” or “Visit this Location”

From the web directory, click the “Teleport” button.

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Alternatively, you can choose “View on map” and then you will see a larger map that shows the location in the context of the entire virtual world. From this screen, you can click proceed by clicking “Visit this location.”

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Once clicked, your Second Life Viewer will auto-launch and a pop-up “Place Profile” window will appear inside your Viewer - Select the “Teleport” button to travel to your new destination.

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During your teleport, you will see an interstitial screen that looks something like this:

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After the teleport is complete, you should be at your new destination! 

My teleport is not working! What do I do?
Sometimes a teleport fails if the destination is offline, private, and/or already at full capacity. If so, you will see a message like this:

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In the case of a high-demand event with limited capacity, there is a good chance that the event is already at its maximum attendance.

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If this is the case, then you can keep trying to teleport to the location. Once space opens up at the location, you should be able to teleport successfully. 

Please note that some events and locations are popular once they initially open up to the public - so keep trying if you can’t get in on your first try!

How do I smash things in the smash cage in Second Life?
When you enter through the door of the Smash Cage, a random weapon will be automatically attached to you. Simply walk over to the smashables in the center of the cage and click them -- you will hit the object and it will explode! When you leave the cage, the weapon will be automatically detached from you.

How do I control the volume within Second Life?
In the Second Life Viewer, look for the speaker icon in the upper right and hover your mouse over it to expand to a pop-up selector that allows you to change the volume on various audio sources in Second Life. 

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How do I claim my free virtual gifts?
As you enter the party, look for the white-tented booths on your right. Claim your free swag bag at these booths!

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How do I talk to other people in Second Life?
For many events, voice chat is disabled but you can chat with text either privately or publicly to other attendees. To chat, select the Chat button at the bottom of your Viewer. A pop-up will appear where you can type in your text chat.

Someone is harassing me! How do I get them to stop?
You can block anyone by simply right-clicking on any avatar and then select “Block.” 

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You can also block them by selecting their name in the chatbox and right-clicking to select “Block Voice” or “Block Text.”

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You can also report abuse inside the Viewer. See this video to learn more.

How do I take a picture in Second Life?
Taking pictures in Second Life is simple! Just click the snapshot button in the Second Life Viewer and then save. Don’t forget to share your favorite snapshots with your friends!

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What do I do after the event is over?
Return to your normal dismal life. Or get a vibrant Second Life by continuing to explore thousands of cool destinations and events across the metaverse. Happy! Happy!

Strawberry Linden

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“Lab Gab” is a live-streamed variety show that showcases events, destinations, and different talents across Second Life. 

Join our host, Strawberry Linden, as she speaks with Yorkie (VibeE11vn). Yorkie is a fun and informative vlogger, who creates very popular tutorials for Second Life. Yorkie will also be taking Strawberry on a field trip to some of his favorite Second Life destinations.  

Tune in on Friday, April 10th at 10am PT/SLT. Watch us live on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer, or Periscope!

For full episodes of Lab Gab, click over to the Lab Gab YouTube Playlist

Linden Lab

“Second Life Book Club” Debuts April 8 with Monthly Live Book Readings & Author Meetups

As book publishers adjust to coronavirus-era restrictions, Linden Lab is launching the Second Life Book Club, a new “virtual world book tour” initiative that enables authors to have real-time book readings, engage in meet-and-greets with their fans and promote their publications in front of a live audience within the Internet’s largest user-created virtual world.

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The Second Life Book Club, which debuts April 8 at 10 a.m. (Pacific), will kick off with a multi-author panel that will discuss the new reality of writing and selling books in the age of COVID-19. The event will feature a live Q&A with best-selling authors Matt Ruff (“Lovecraft Country”), Ken Liu (“The Paper Menagerie and Other Stories”), SL Huang (the Cas Russell series) and CB Lee (the Sidekick Squad series). 

Upcoming shows will feature guests such as Tad Williams, Christopher Brown, Qiufan Chen, Kelly Robson, Chana Porter and Premee Mohamed.

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Pictured: Author Matt Ruff joins host Draxtor Despres at Second Life Book Club Island

The Second Life Book Club is hosted by virtual world personality Draxtor Despres, who is also producing the series in partnership with Linden Lab.

“When I first reached out to authors, some of them very high profile, I was surprised to get super enthusiastic feedback like: ‘Of course I will come on the show. Can I be a tentacle monster? Can I be a parrot? Can I fly?’,” says Despres. “It’s a dream come true for a book nerd like me!”

Linden Lab CEO Ebbe Altberg adds, “Second Life offers a safe, fun retreat during a time of great anxiety, stress, and social isolation. Through the virtual world, people can stay connected and engage in friendly conversations and fun social activities such as visiting live music performances, virtual nightclubs and deejay events and now even book readings. Virtual world interactions offer a much deeper connection with other human beings than for example video conferencing: through the avatar and the shared space we feel as if we are fully present together.”

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Pictured: Author CB Lee at Second Life Book Club Island

To participate in the SL Book Club events, attendees can head to Second Life Book Club Island. Anybody with a Second Life avatar can join this event, mingle with fellow book lovers and get up close and personal with internationally bestselling authors. If the region is at maximum attendance capacity, you can also participate by watching the event as it is streamed live across all official Second Life social channels.

The Second Life Book Club is just one of many recurring events that might be of interest to literature lovers. Other popular community-run event venues can be found in the Discussions & Communities category in Second Life Destination Guide,  including the Seanchai Library, Book Island and the Cape Serenity Library.

Linden Lab

Can real people find true love in a virtual world? It is happening each and every day in Second Life and our limited-run “Love Made in Second Life” series explores how romance and long-distance relationships can thrive in the metaverse.

Meet Suite and Danny Bourne, a Netherlands-based married couple that first met in Second Life over twelve years ago.

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It all started around 2007, when they first met on a virtual beach in Second Life. Danny, who sells prefab houses under his brand name reBourne in Second Life, was moving rocks along the shoreline. Suite was nearby relaxing on the beach before she noticed that her sunbed she was laying on was playfully lifted up high above the sand.

“She was in the way, so I moved her,” jokes Danny.

That flirtatious encounter led to conversation and a day of exploration as the two got to know each other better and they toured various parts of the virtual world together. They kept meeting each other on the same beach over subsequent days and weeks.

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While Danny initially expressed some concerns over the age difference between the two, they both continued to grow closer.

“You can’t turn off attraction,” says Suite.

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Both eventually moved their virtual relationship to the physical world where they were married and now have a child.

“There’s no way we would ever meet each other in real life,” says Suite. “It’s magic. That’s what I really love about Second Life. There’s no prejudice, no judgments.”

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It “feels like home,” adds Danny.

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VIDEO CREDITS:
Production: Draxtor Despres
Logo: Marianne McCann

Strawberry Linden

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Pictured: Mystical Dreams

Each week, the Second Life Destination Guide editorial team reviews dozens of new locations and events worth exploring. With all those beautiful destinations to check out, we thought we’d highlight a few of the entries that stood out to the editorial team. So in no particular order, here are a few locations on the Destination Guide that we recommend checking out this weekend.

 

 

 

 

A new art installation by Fiona Fei just opened at the GBTH Project.

 

The Second Life Book Club is a new series of literary-minded events. The region is currently open to explore and the first show will be on Wednesday, April 8th at 10am SLT. Teleport there early and watch the live show!

 

There are many more events going on such as egg hunts and festivals! Check our Featured Events category for more places to explore and socialize.

 

Got a spot that you’d like listed in the Destination Guide? Make sure to drop us a note at editor@lindenlab.com or submit your spot via web form.

Connect with Second Life at the following links:
CommunityInstagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr Account | Flickr Group | Pinterest | Tumblr | Plurk

Strawberry Linden

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Lab Gab is a live-streamed variety show that showcases events, destinations, and different talents across Second Life. 

Join our host, Strawberry Linden, as she speaks with the VP of Engineering Oz Linden, Systems Engineering Manager April Linden, and Director of Web Engineering Ekim Linden. Oz, April, and Ekim are heading the uplift team, the team that is moving Second Life to the cloud. They will be discussing all aspects of uplift and giving us an update on it.      

Do you have any questions for the uplift team that you’d like Strawberry to ask them on your behalf? Fill out the Google Form and submit your question today, and it may be selected!

Tune in on Friday, April 3rd at 10am PT/SLT. Watch us live on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer, or Periscope!

For full episodes of Lab Gab, click over to the Lab Gab YouTube Playlist

Linden Lab

This week’s “Second Life Destinations” video visits Citta Bhavana, an ashram run by Chraeloos Aristotelous

Citta Bhavana, which in Sanskrit means "cultivating heart/mind," is a peaceful ashram for meditation, yoga, discussion, philosophy, spirituality, music and art. It also showcases teachings from Asia (India, Japan, China, Buddhism, Hinduism, Taoism) and Africa. It was originally opened in 2014 with the help of Sunshine Szavanna, Rhiannon Dragoone, and Swami Luminos

“We wanted a place where anybody can come together to talk and get to know each other’s philosophies,” says Aristotelous. “People want to be able to learn from everybody - bridging heart and mind. We tend to meditate when we think we need to - but really we should be meditating every day.”

Participants come from all over the world and from various different beliefs and backgrounds, but share a common desire: to connect in a respectful and open-hearted manner. 

The venue offers guided meditations and instruction, yoga sessions, philosophy and science discussions, dances and live music, and poetry and storytelling events. 

These unifying and calming social experiences are more important now than ever during these difficult times, says Aristotelous.

“People are all of the sudden isolated, like a lot of chronically-ill people have been for their whole lives,” she adds. “It’s kind of an awakening in a way for a lot of the general population.”

According to Aristotelous, the main focus of the venue is to make discussions and events accessible for people with all forms and abilities.

“Second Life offers accessibility. It also offers a community. In Second Life, you can be as embodied in it as you choose to be,” she adds. “The people who find video games to be a separation from themselves can control their avatars in ways that they definitely can’t elsewhere and that adds a level of embodiment to it that is unique.”

To learn more, watch the video, visit the ashram’s Facebook page or check it out in Second Life.

VIDEO CREDITS:
Production: Draxtor Despres

Strawberry Linden

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Pictured: Soul2Soul Mediterranean

Each week, the Second Life Destination Guide editorial team reviews dozens of new locations and events worth exploring. With all those beautiful destinations to check out, we thought we’d highlight a few of the entries that stood out to the editorial team. So in no particular order, here are a few locations on the Destination Guide that we recommend checking out this weekend:

 

 

 

 

AbTeC Island was featured in an article on CBC today: You don't have to dress up for meetings in this virtual, Indigenous space

 

There is only one more day left for the VWBPE 2020 Conference in Second Life, so make sure to visit this weekend!

 

Check out this special concert happening on Sunday at 2pm in Second Life!

 

Got a spot that you’d like listed in the Destination Guide? Make sure to drop us a note at editor@lindenlab.com or submit your spot via web form.

Connect with Second Life at the following links:
CommunityInstagram | Facebook | Twitter | YouTube | Flickr Account | Flickr Group | Pinterest | Tumblr | Plurk

Linden Lab

These are strange times indeed: With the current public health crisis sweeping across the globe, many of us are finding it more difficult to go out and physically do the things that comfort us and bring us joy. Socializing. Shopping. Dancing. We can’t wait to get out and explore in the physical world again - but, fortunately, you can do these things virtually right now in Second Life.

During this time of great anxiety, stress and social isolation, we’ve seen a spike in interest and activity in Second Life as people seek online outlets for comfort and social connections. Many are discovering for the first time how Second Life can bring people together for friendly conversations and fun social activities - such as live music performances, virtual nightclubs and deejay events and even book readings.

That’s why we’re excited to introduce two new initiatives that will help bring people closer together in Second Life.

SECOND LIFE BOOK CLUB TO DEBUT APRIL 8

As book publishers scramble to adjust to new social distancing protocols and other coronavirus-era restrictions, Second Life offers a safe, synchronous way for authors to hold real-time book readings, engage in meet-and-greets with their fans and promote their publications in an immersive person-to-person setting.

We’re proud to partner with Draxtor Despres for the introduction of the Second Life Book Club, a new series of literary-minded events. Drax has lined up many established authors for a series of recurring in-world "virtual book tours" that will be kicked off in April with a multi-author panel that will discuss their thoughts on writing and selling books in the age of COVID-19.

Scheduled for the kick-off event, which will happen on April 8 at 10 a.m. (SLT) in Second Life, are a slate of best-selling authors: Matt Ruff (“Lovecraft Country”), Ken Liu (“The Paper Menagerie”), SL Huang (“Zero Sum Game”) and CB Lee (the Sidekick Squad series). This premiere event will also feature a yet to be confirmed guest from the publishing end of the book business. Stay tuned for further announcements.

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Anybody with a Second Life avatar can join this event, ask questions, mingle with fellow book lovers and the authors. These events will also be streamed live across our social channels and will be promoted to both mainstream and specialized media. 

We also want to help promote and expand the audience for other inworld book events, too! If you have a literary event that you'd like us to be aware of, then reach out to us at editor@lindenlab.com. 

SHOWCASE STREAMS: SPOTLIGHTING SECOND LIFE MUSIC, ART & CULTURE

We’re also pleased to introduce “Showcase Streams,” a new recurring series of live spontaneous videos that will aim to spotlight the many music, art and cultural events in Second Life. We think that there’s a lot of cool and creative energy in Second Life that deserves broader exposure. With “Showcase Streams,” we hope to bring great attention and audiences to some of these marquee experiences as we better educate the general public about the wide variety of creativity and events in our virtual world.

This means that you’ll start to see more unscheduled live video streams of Second Life hot spots on our social media accounts including Facebook, Twitter/Periscope, Mixer...and, yes, YouTube. We’re working on Twitch, too!

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Pictured: Bryn Oh’s Hand exhibit in Second Life

Examples of future “Showcase Streams” might include live video tours of popular shopping events such as the current Skin Fair, walk-throughs of art exhibitions such as the latest work by Bryn Oh, or a quick drop-in of a live music performance such as this weekend’s event from musician Mankind Tracer. Expect the unexpected! 

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Pictured: Mankind Tracer gets ready for his upcoming Second Life performance

Do you want to have your event or experience featured on a future “Showcase Stream”? Reach out to us at editor@lindenlab.com  You may also want to make sure that you are listed in the Destination Guide using the official submission form, as we’ll be using this as a source for scouting out locations for some of our streams.

COMING SOON: SL17B!

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Another opportunity to showcase the best of Second Life is to participate in our upcoming 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B), held June 19-July 10. Applications are now open for exhibitors, musicians and performers

Full details of the event will be announced soon, but we’ve already revealed that this year’s theme is “vacations and road trips.” 

 

Linden Lab

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Calling all performers! Second Life is seeking talent for our upcoming 17th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL17B), held June 19-July 10.  Get ready for a fun-filled week of live music and deejay performances, shopping exclusives, and amazing community exhibits. 

One of the things that makes Second Life so vibrant and exciting is the wide range of Performers who share their talent with our Residents. Are you a DJ who can spin up a great party set? Maybe you’re a Live Musician who plays an instrument or sings! You might be one of the grid’s amazing Dance companies, or perhaps you’re a Particle Performer! Whatever your medium, we would love to hear from you. 

Fill out the official performer application form by May 18 and tell us a little about how you roll, and one of our Event Staff Leaders will contact you soon.

MUSIC FEST APPLICATIONS

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Don’t forget that we also have a separate form specifically for those who want to audition for our Music Fest event, which kicks off SL17B. We are seeking live music performers for this special event. Applications can be found here4/21/20 UPDATE: Due to popular demand, the application process for musician auditions is now closed.

EXHIBITOR APPLICATIONS NOW OPEN THROUGH MAY 22

Finally, we want to remind everyone that the applications for those interested in exhibiting at SL17B are now open. This year’s theme is “vacations and road trips,” but exhibits will not be limited to that topic. See our previous blog post for details, read our rules and policies and check out the official exhibitor application form for more information.

 

Linden Lab

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Educators from across the globe are gathering together in Second Life for the 13th annual Virtual Worlds Best Practices in Education (VWBPE) Conference, held March 26-28.

In this time of a global public health crisis and as many educators and conference organizers are looking for online alternatives to replace their in-person meet-ups, Second Life is offering a unique alternative: a sense of presence and community that can not simply be replicated via screen sharing or webinars.

For example, another high-profile conference, MuseWeb, recently opted to quickly relocate some of its sessions to Second Life after its 24th annual event in Los Angeles had to be canceled because of concerns over the coronavirus outbreak.

In Second Life, conference attendees can experience events through virtual conference rooms, theatres, exposition halls, meeting spaces, and other types of venues similar to a brick and mortar type conference. Many different styles of avatars are ready-made for immediate use and customization options - as you can see in today's video - are limitless to express yourself as you wish.

This week’s “Made in Second Life” video takes a closer look at the VWBPE Conference including an interview with Executive Director Kevin Feenan, known in Second Life as Phelan Corrimal.

“We want to challenge educators to think beyond a two-dimensional space,” says Feenan. “What are you going to do in this environment if there is no ground beneath your feet? How can you truly leverage a three-dimensional space?” 

“It’s a much more dynamic environment than simply going to a webinar,” he adds. “It’s about making those personal connections with other people who can relate to the challenges you are going through in trying to understand something new.”

“People can get together - they can talk, dance, and party (so to speak). As long as their avatar is online, they can pop in and connect with friends [and] new people,” he says. 

Feenan has been a long-time advocate for use of virtual worlds in education through his work with VWBPE and also his role at Rockcliffe University Consortium, an online organization dedicated to the advancement of technology in education.

“Second Life is the most utilitarian application that is out there,” says Feenan. “Second Life is part of the educator toolbox to allow students to experience how to resolve problems by focusing on those particular things that you might not be able to do inside a classroom.

Among the academics presenting at this year’s event are Dr. Michael Thomas, Daniel Dyboski-Bryant, Lorelle VanFossen, and Dr. Robert Furman

MORE RESOURCES

CREDITS:
Video: Draxtor Despres
Learning Made in Second Life Logo: Marianne McCann

Linden Lab

As we blogged back in the Summer of 2014, gambling is strictly prohibited in Second Life and operating or participating in a game of chance that provides a Linden Dollar Token payouts is a violation of our Terms of Service.

However, games of skill are legally permitted in many jurisdictions, and we’ve seen that many Second Life users are interested in playing such games for Linden Dollar Tokens. We updated our gaming policy in Second Life at that time and opened applications for Skill Gaming. Skill Gaming applications are now open as of today, March 24, 2020, for those who wish to become authorized creators and/or operators of Skill Games in Second Life.

The details of the Skill Gaming policy can be found here, and the Skill Gaming FAQ is available on our wiki.

In summary, skill games that offer Linden Dollar Token payouts are allowed in Second Life, but each game, its creator, its operator, and the region on which it is operated must be approved by Linden Lab.

Applications for creators and operators will be available on the FAQ page as of today, March 24, 2020.

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