Mainland community building

[Female Winslet]

I’m wondering if others feel like I do that one big advantage of mainland is the opportunity to build community? If so, then how to go about building that community and promoting a feeling of togetherness among land owners and renters?

Some things I like to do:

• When I have a party at my land, invite the neighbors even if I don’t know them. 
• Invite friends to buy up land and become my neighbors.
• Right now I have a large chunk of my own land setup as an open community holiday celebration. Again, I invited anyone who owns land anywhere near mine. And I set out notecard givers near the public road and other spots where people enter with invitations for all to participate.
• My land has no security orbs and no ban lines. Visitors, when seen, are greeted and welcomed. I also opt for PG furniture to discourage certain misuses of my land, if you get my drift.
• I try not to create ugly stuff that would ruin the experience for others.

I’m looking for other suggestions and hoping to maybe start a conversation about how to promote a sense of community. Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

[ChinRey]

2 hours ago, Female Winslet said:

I’m wondering if others feel like I do that one big advantage of mainland is the opportunity to build community?

Yes but it's extremely difficult. Generally SL'ers don't tend to be big on cooperation and a community project on mainland will have no support whatsoever from the estate owner.

It is possible though. I can think of at least three fairly large areas - Bay City, East River and Northeast Hidden Lake District - that have managed to keep reasonably consistent communities over several years and also many smaller areas like Boardman and Iris.

 

2 hours ago, Female Winslet said:

Some things I like to do:

To add to the list:

• Say hello to the neighbours. Yes, I know that's not how things are done in SL but it's amazing how well it works
• Do not ask Linden Lab for help unless it's the absolutely only way to solve a problem or it's a very simple straight-forward one. They always mean well but good intention aren't enough and most of the time they end up doing more harm than good.

And maybe:

• Get some serious land griefers to attack the area... (I'm only half joking. It's amazing how good friends neighbours can become after they've spent a day working together to fend off a massive griefer attack)

Edited December 10, 2018 by ChinRey

[Zero Starchild]

I have tried for years with no luck. People just don't care anymore. It used to be a great community in Second Norway but that died right off to ghost town status. I am lucky enough to have found a wonderful spot on Mainland with nothing ugly for miles around but again, noone around and a ghost town.

[Alyona Su]

I believe SL "communities" aren't so much tied to a place, but more to activities. For example the sailing community is *huge*. So is the SL RailRoad community (it is seeing a massive resurgence) and now the Driving community - there is a group who create weekly driving events.

So how does all that tie into *places*? Through the GTFO game (Get The Freight Out) - using a supported vehicle on land, sea, and air. The way actual parcels become involved is by creating a GTFO "Hub" - your place can be a mansion or a truck depot, it doesn't matter. If your place is a GTFO HUB then people will come there to either deliver or pickup (or both) virtual cargo.

Bedstraw region (on Heterocera Atoll) was only a few weeks ago rebuilt (entire region) into a full-blown mini town supporting a massive GTFO depot for trains, trucks, and helicopters with an airport nearby. I've ripped out the beautiful house I rarely *ever* spend time in and converted my 2049 into a truck depot (now waiting for my GTFO HUB status) - and it's open to everyone and anyone (I even have all vehicles, including helicopter unlocks so anyone can fly or drive them and rerezzers in case they don't return).

Thus, if I had the time and were so inclined, I could now create inviting events, invite all those felloe GTFO fans over for a party or whatever, make new friends, share my place.

Though it all comes back to the idea that SL communities tend to be more based on ideas (activities, like-minded role-plays or ideas) that on virtual places on some continent.

I am no expert in any of this, just sharing my own observation and hypothesis on the subject.

[Female Winslet]

Communities can be very loose and don't really need to come together for projects and such. I certainly do get how being surrounded by vast amounts of abandoned land would make community hard to find. But . . . I dunno. I guess I am just hopeful. 

I can say that I expected my invitation to decorate some of my land for the holidays to produce very little participation and perhaps some accusations of just being too lazy and/or cheap to decorate my own land for the season. But the reaction has been quite the opposite. Lots of people leaving items and telling me stories behind them. People building some big things. People just coming and walking around to look at it. And lots of people saying that this exercise means something to them. It's not based on a region. I suppose it's an example of Alyona Su's point about interests being what brings people together instead of geography. But I dare say there are some community building possibilities here. 

I don't think I'm breaking any community norms by saying you're welcome to check it out and see. It's here. http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Koss/87/89/119 -- and, in keeping with the idea behind it, all are welcome to participate as well. Instructions are on the parcel.

I have my largest parcels in the Snow Lands suncontinent. I like it partly because there seems to still be a fair sized number of active users there instead of being surrounded by only abandoned land. And people seem to have done a fair job of keeping it free of too much visual pollution, at least in the areas I frequent. 

But I'd like to do more of this sort of thing. I'm already thinking of doing the Christmas thing again next year. And my long term plans include acquiring more land in the snow lands. I don't think I have the right parcel for this yet, but I am thinking maybe a community center of some sort? As a free space for people to hold parties and events? And, of course, I would probably donate some of my own DJing to the cause for some events to help it get going. Gotta think about how best to do this to make griefers and such manageable. 

 

 

 

 

[Persephone Emerald]

When I move into a new neighborhood (as a land owner) I always make a habit of sending a little IM to my neighbors to let them know I like to be friendly. I tell them that if they have any problems (such as my prims overhanging into their parcel), let me know. It's much easier to address problems on friendly terms than as strangers or adversaries. If I like my neighbor's build or I'm interested by something in their profile, I'll tell them that too. If they're friendly back - or even if they're not obnoxious - I'll give them useful advice, such as how to add more land to their parcel without paying more in monthly tier payments.

Where I'm living currently, one neighbor has a pretty walled garden on her property while another has a nice Japanese-style tea house. From my perspective they improve my neighborhood, so I want them to be happy there. I never put up ban lines and only set security orbs after I have a problem or if a tenant wants one. I try not to play loud sounds, have flashing items or have big obtrusive items that might mar their view. In the past I had a Christmas party and invited friends and neighbors. Then I had gift boxes of No Copy/Transferable items under the tree & invited everyone to take one. More recently I had a Fairy gifter with items in it that people could randomly get.

[Prokofy Neva]

I salute you for trying. SL depends on newer people coming in with these ideals and trying, despite the long history in SL of everything that discourages this.

I was such a dewy-eyed naif once that I even *put land for sale* on Mainland sims, around a commons that I maintained, and "zoned" for stores and residences etc -- well, reality disabused me of these ideals but you know, it is still possible at least to *rent* with these ideals.
I try to do all those things you say, too. That is, I don't IM my neighbours for parties because I don't have time for that but I do put out party palaces. What happens is that people come and raid them for the free dances. Or they hang out for a few moments, or they TP in a friend, but they don't stay for long. They don't become "community centers" in the sense you are thinking.

Still, I maintain them. I think they make the world a better place. If no one ever comes or I get feedback they don't like a place, I sell it off or change it.

I have a LOT of these sites out now in the SL Public Land Preserve. Some of them attract more visitors than others and people "hanging-out," but I think "hang-outs" come about by activities rather than scenery as others said here in this thread. 

I think to make a community in SL, you have to do things other people want to do, not what you want to do. This is a very, very hard lesson to learn. The hardest. It means self-sacrifice. This does not come naturally to youth in our day and age.

Even so, one (scenery) can beget the other (activity) if you  yourself put time in it, by putting things on the events calendar, IMing friends etc. Good luck!
 

Edited January 19, 2019 by Prokofy Neva

[iamyourneighbour]

On 12/10/2018 at 3:03 PM, Female Winslet said:

I’m wondering if others feel like I do that one big advantage of mainland is the opportunity to build community? If so, then how to go about building that community and promoting a feeling of togetherness among land owners and renters?

Some things I like to do:

• When I have a party at my land, invite the neighbors even if I don’t know them. 
• Invite friends to buy up land and become my neighbors.
• Right now I have a large chunk of my own land setup as an open community holiday celebration. Again, I invited anyone who owns land anywhere near mine. And I set out notecard givers near the public road and other spots where people enter with invitations for all to participate.
• My land has no security orbs and no ban lines. Visitors, when seen, are greeted and welcomed. I also opt for PG furniture to discourage certain misuses of my land, if you get my drift.
• I try not to create ugly stuff that would ruin the experience for others.

I’m looking for other suggestions and hoping to maybe start a conversation about how to promote a sense of community. Thoughts?

 

 

 

 

You don't. Not with with other land owners. 

You can amongst renters they are usually quite respectful to land rules. Nearby owners is totally different cup of tea, if the guy or girl vanishes or sell the land for 0.5L per sqm and someone moves in to rez ugly trees before going away for two years you are stuck. I have one sitting right in the middle of my city. Also beware if you do community sales there will always be people looking to buy your land for the sole purpose of reselling it. 

Seriously, don't sell it, you will regret it. Just have them donate tiers to your land group instead. 

 

Edited January 21, 2019 by iamyourneighbour