Journalist looking for veteran Second Life residents for a game article

[Fastrez]

I absolutely understand where you're coming from, it's like if someone did an article on how terrible beards are for society. I have a beard, I've lived with it for years, it's a part of me, just like second life is a part of your lives. This article will in no way pass judgement, it is to celebrate the anniversary and to give people a window into this world. I am fascinated to know more and I aim to make this an insightful piece, and to do that I need to be as transparent as possible in the process.

 

Also I have no qualms running my article past the community before it goes live - but we're talking months down the line still, as I need a proper understanding of the world and the way it works.

 

Dave

[Fastrez]

Excellent thank you

 

Indeed. I am earnest about it and as I just replied a second ago, this piece won't exist to pass judgement in any way, it is an insightful pitch geared to smashing presumptions about this world and to tell your personal stories. I won't be able to use them all in the end, but all contributions will be helpful.

 

I'll DM you my email address in a second. Thanks again,

 

Dave

[Perrie Juran]

You can send me your E Mail too.

Sometimes I'm a little slow to respond but I do respond.

Thanks.

[Melita Magic]

Why don't you interview them in Second Life?

Many residents do not trust it when people ask for email addresses. If they send you an email then you have theirs.

If you want to understand Second Life what better place to conduct your interviews? You can also photograph their avatars during it, which I'd  think you'd want to do.

[Mora Eldritch]

I've been a resident with SL for over 7 years and I would be happy to answer some questions.

However, I would prefer a method that didn't involve e-mails or twitter.

Melita makes a very good point, especially since a person's avatar often says a great deal about them.

[Perrie Juran]

---

Why don't you interview them in Second Life?

Many residents do not trust it when people ask for email addresses. If they send you an email then you have theirs.

---

Really responding in general to Fastrez.

You could send a note card In World with your questions.

But be ware.  Only send it to people who request it.

People In World do not take kindly to anything that they perceive as SPAM.

If you want to get flamed and abuse reported, sending unsolicited stuff is a sure fire way to make it happen.

 

I am also going to suggest that you look up on line  the 1,000 Avatar Project.

You can do your own search on that. 

 

[Perrie Juran]

 

And while this is not specifically SL, this is one of my all time favorite videos.  Always brings tears to my eyes.

 

I would also suggest you do a search for a You Tube of New Babbage Fleet Week.

 

ETA, one of the reasons for my posting that video is beause it really reflects the kind of thought processes that go into building "Your World, Your Imagination."

 

[Solaria Goldshark]

---

Fastrez wrote:

Hi guys, I've just signed up to Second Life to experienc it and to better understand it in the run up to the its tenth anniversary next year, and I'm looking for veteran users who have been registers and active for five years-plus who wouldn't mind being interviewed for a big article onthe subject for my site VG24.com.

 

If this sounds like something you'd be interested in, I'd love to speak with you about your personal stories within Second Life, your love for it and why you've decided to stay as a resident for so long.

You can get me on Twitter at @davescook - give me a shout there and I can DM you my email address, or just DM me here.

 

Thanks guys, looking forward to hearing from some of you soon

 

Dave

---

Most of the posts like this feel to many here (if I dare to paraphrase) as if we are rats in a lab, to be poked and prodded to see what makes us tick.  Having said that my first reaction was that you are genuine in you search for discovery.  But I would suggest you withhold your article for a great long time, and commit to a bit of immersion reporting.   You could be right in seeking users 5 plus years in, but you'd be limiting yourself in actual experience..Veteran users and age in world is deceiving.

I would also like to suggest that rather that having people contact you by something like twitter...you might instead conduct your inquiries by meeting people in world...travel with them, talk to them at the places they go to, doing the things they like to do.....the people here that have been residents for so long, the ones that you are looking for have lives in virtual that you'll only be able to properly report about when having traveled with them...or, dare I say, having traveled your own road.

[Maryanne Solo]

Interesting to see someone willing to reveal their credentials for once.

>Email me when someone replies: (to this thread).

Why don't you log in and meet with people inworld?

It's excellent fun and you will encounter the entire range of human emotion.

From overwhelming elation to deepest despair, SL delivers like no other online experience.

You can send me a private forum message questions if you want to.

[Dillon Levenque]

---

Melita Magic wrote:

Why don't you interview them in Second Life?

Many residents do not trust it when people ask for email addresses. If they send you an email then you have theirs.

If you want to understand Second Life what better place to conduct your interviews? You can also photograph their avatars during it, which I'd  think you'd want to do.

---

 

I was thinking that he might want to slightly speed up the process of getting around inworld because, as you pointed out, nothing but being there can teach him a thing.

It would be great if he could find someone with a lot of helpful knowledge on getting an avatar looking good, dressing properly, and all those kinds of things. I was thinking it would be best if that person was someone who knows a lot about Second Life, just seems to be naturally helpful, has a sweet disposition (if you're not mistreating her meeroos), and has a long history of helping newcomers with never so much as a HINT of wanting to take any credit for it. Someone with no shop/sim/group/mall to promote. No agenda.

Of course, people like that are rare :-).

[Mora Eldritch]

@Fastrez, If you need any help getting in-world and setting up an avatar, I'd be happy to help.

Send a PM my way if that's the case.

[Thinkerer Melville]

The best lead on games is MadPea.   Mad Pea has run many games-- does it regularly.  Has a contact list--people who play the games.

http://madpea.blogspot.com/

Some games I have reported on
http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2012/10/media-halloween-hunt-madpea-legend-of.html
http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2012/04/game-sanity-falls-new-madpea-mystery.html
http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2011/11/media-peatonville-mystery-hunt.html

annabelle.fanshaw has build games in SL -- Myst style.  She cam probably point you to others

Here is my collection of wnat people do in SL:

http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2012/01/kif-what-do-we-do-in-second-life-2012.html

Most of the people I know are musicians, artists, writers, actors, makers of machinima, builders-- that sort of thing. I could invite you into some groups with such interests, if that would be useful to you.  You could find people who would be happy to talk with you.  But I don't think any of them play games. 

 

[Melita Magic]

LOL!

*hug*

[Tateru Nino]

I've been around for a while, and I'm happy to talk. Best if you avoid any mention of SL as a game. It's a contentious topic, and those few who refer to it as a game haven't, so far, been able to provide any non-circular reeasoning for the stance.

[Maryanne Solo]

Yes I agree.

You is that person

We mightn't be around all the time to know it's your birthday

but.. well... you know..

And Perrie, thank you so much for the reminder of the ultimate explanation of what SL can mean.

World Builder.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

FIrst, welcome to Second Life.  You are in for a great adventure on a personal level as well as a journalist. Who knows, you may find yourself to be a long term resident one day.

I personally want to thank you for taking the time to do the research right and for coming in with an open mind.  There are so many hit and run articles about Second Life that just talk about the sensational side of it to sell their publication or get ratings.

I don't do twitter.  I sent you a private message here on the forum with my email.

[Fastrez]

Hi

 

I am planning on diving into SL and meeting with people eventually, but I'd like to get these base questions out of the way first so I can grasp the core fundamentals. Would it be OK to friend you guys?

 

Dave

[Fastrez]

Thank you all of this is awesome and it's just what I'm looking for to better understand SL.

[Fastrez]

That's be brilliant actually. I plan on going inworld once the holiday rush of video games dies down as I have to report on and review them for my job at VG247. Then I plan on spending time researching the SL experience properly, but yes I would love to meet all of you inworld and see it all for myself.

 

These initial email questions are purely to give me a measure of base knowledge before I get properly involved. I will be asking questions even when I go inworld to make sure my piece is as accurate as possible.

 

Thanks again for your patience and time guys

 

Dave

[Fastrez]

Yeah that was the first thing I learned since starting this thread. I seriously do want people to correct me calmly and fairly because I am trying to learn, I'll make no secret that I will undoubtedly say r ask some stupid things along the way, but I'll get there in the end hopefully.

[Thinkerer Melville]

I don't find you via inworld search--you may not have marked your profile "Show in search."   You can look me up in search (ctrl+f)  and send me a friend invite if you want.  You may see my name as ThinkererSelbyEvans.

 

[Syo Emerald]

Isn't that normal for new accounts? I noticed that it takes some time until a profil can be found with the search.

[namssab1nad Piers]

I would be glad to interviewed.  However, one reason I stay in SL has to be seen and appreciated inworld rather than from just an interview.  And for that to happen, you will have to be quick about it.  The sim is going away at the end of the month.  Hopefully it will be rebuilt one day.

[Alicia Sautereau]

If your going to dive into sl to learn every aspect of it, i would suggest to put on your tin foil hat for the amount of drama that will be thrown at you, lol

I`d talk, but to honest to qualify, already banned from some survey`s...

 

But got do admit, your the first one that is actually looking to learn what this mess is all about instead of shuving down a survey link down our throats

[VRprofessor]

For background on ethnographic research in SL you can't do much better than Tom Boellstorff's book.   I have heard something about materials discussing ethnographic techniques for research in virtual worlds originating with him and a some others--not an ethnographic researcher myself, so I didn't really pay attention.

While I am a relative newb, you may want to spend a few minutes with me during the next few days.  Two times per year I teach a course unit which looks at the psychology of the self extended into virtual worlds.  The academic work is, for academic work, fairly straight forward, but students struggle unless they have some first hand experience in a virtual world.  I need to get them in and as experienced as possible in 7 weeks.  I have a short series of exercises for students that are aimed at maximizing their SL experience in the short time we have.  

My current session started Oct 18th so I have an entire "flock" of 1, 2, and 3 day old newbies running around -- if you like you you can join them for a bit and get a running start on your SL experience.  You would also be to see SL through the eyes of a newbie who is being required to use SL for University work.  (I watch threads like this for useful links and either post them to a website or stick them in notecards for my students.)  If that like of work is interesting I can tell you where to find educators who've been in SL for 5+ years. 

Whether or not you join my students I recommend putting relevant information in your profile and seeking out all sorts of places where people gather.  That's what I did in an effort to get some help with my students and their SL experience.  Folks will look at my profile and initiate a conversation with me fairly often.  I am now in the delightfully problematic situation of having way more help than I can use.  (At one event two young women were introduced to me because a third person felt that working with my students would be good for the women.) 

The bonus is that all the walking around and exploring gave me a lot of information and let me talk to a lot of different people.  Some of those people love to act as guides and show you around-I get invited to way more activities than I could possibly attend.  And a broader range of activities than I was ever likely to experience on my own.  (And, I would like to point out early in your story development, all at around the PG-13 level.  I have not needed to seek out any adult themed regions for my professional, or personal, needs.)

Check my sig line for the location where I meet my students after they arrive in SL.  You can also search for me and leave an IM to contact you when I am in world.