I miss it...

[Avinami]

I'm going to be totally honest - I use SL mostly to form /adult/ relationships and act out /spicy/ roleplays. But it's been about a year since I've logged on and I've noticed that all of my old haunts, including G/M/ and A ratings, are either entirely gone, or no one is ever there. There are 2 in particular (A ratings) that have been completely abandoned or changed AND abandoned despite being the most high-traffic areas. I used to have trouble even getting into the spaces because of the traffic being so high, but now, I'm the only one that ever pops in there, no matter what time of day I try. 

 

SL has clearly lost most of its audience and it makes me a bit sad to realize. Does anyone have any destinations they can recommend or perhaps a similar VR?

[Stephanie Misfit]

I don't think SL has lost most of its audience. This is just what happens with venues. Owners give up on running them for whatever reason, and people stop going because they move on to the next big thing or because a change in management or rules at the venue means it loses its appeal. I can think of a couple of fairly high-profile adult venues that underwent some major changes and lost nearly all their traffic as a result. I can't suggest anywhere for you to go as I mainly just build at the moment, but if you are looking for adult roleplay venues in particular, you could try asking in the Adult Content Forum section here.

[Ina Fairport]

I remember the times with almost 90.000 residents online and tribute concerts and events where you had to go to early otherwise the sim was full and you could not enter.
SL definitely lost quite some residents.

Edited April 11, 2023 by Ian Mercury

[Phil Deakins]

1 hour ago, Ian Mercury said:

I remember the times with almost 90.000 residents online and tribute concerts and events where you had to go to early otherwise the sim was full and you could not enter.
SL definitely lost quite some residents.

But that was a long time ago. The OP is talking about SL losing most of its residents in the last year which, of course, simply is't true.

[Ina Fairport]

1 hour ago, Phil Deakins said:

But that was a long time ago. The OP is talking about SL losing most of its residents in the last year which, of course, simply is't true.

oops, my bad. I should read more carefully 😁

[Paul Hexem]

So you stopped supporting/frequenting a venue for a year and wonder why it might have closed?

[Alwin Alcott]

5 hours ago, Avinami said:

 SL has clearly lost most of its audience and it makes me a bit sad to realize
Does anyone have any destinations they can recommend

if i had to make a list of places that disappeared in the time i been here(18 yrs) i'd not be able to do it, so many i forgot already
when they close it's sometimes sad, but feeling sad for clearly lag fests or not even being able to get in.. as you self describe, what for loss is that?

Go travel, find places of your liking again, use the events or events section here on the forums?

[Love Zhaoying]

I miss the malls with a large number of sellers. 

They were empty of other avatars, it was supposedly just all the textures that created the heavy lag.

The reason I miss them is, they were fun to explore. You never knew what you would find.

[Sid Nagy]

I miss my SL mother in law, but I get closer with every shot.

/I show myself out.

[Ina Fairport]

There are some sims I miss. Like Reflections and the Lost Gardens of Apollo.
The Gardens are a historical build now. I just went there and I was the only visitor.
I found the spot where I used to go dance. There was always salsa music but not anymore.
Often you could not go there when  the region was full.

Some things are much better now in SL. Flying and sailing and explore the old mainland roads for instance.
In the early years the lag was horrible when driving a car on mainland roads. You went flying on every simcrossing.

It is just like RL. Everything is always changing. Nothing stays the same.
The trick is to change with it. Always look around you with new eyes and an open mind.

[Randall Ahren]

20 hours ago, Avinami said:

Does anyone have any destinations they can recommend or perhaps a similar VR?

Evidently, not. However, I can suggest some destinations with 30 or 40 avatars present and they all stand around or dance AFK and it it is boring AF.

[Ina Fairport]

5 hours ago, Randall Ahren said:

Evidently, not. However, I can suggest some destinations with 30 or 40 avatars present and they all stand around or dance AFK and it it is boring AF.

That was exactly the situation the last time I went to a club more than a year ago
People don't socialize anymore

[BelindaN]

I'm only coming up to five years,  and some of my favourite places have vanished. Clubs vanish suddenly. Even popular beaches vanish. Photo sims vanish. Let's face it, running a location is expensive. People come and go. Many on my friends list are hardly on when I am. People are fickle. Venues will only survive if people go. And a lot of places are deserted. I miss Franks in particular. The original. The ViP Frank's (big group charge) I haven't joined because every time I drop by its empty. It takes a bit of commitment to explore successfully!

[Missy Starchild]

When you been here for one year, five years, a decade, you see a lot of places come and go. It's just a fact of life that nothing lasts forever, even in the virtual world. You just find a new comfort place, you move on, and that's that.

[Marigold Devin]

On 4/11/2023 at 6:48 AM, Avinami said:

I'm going to be totally honest - I use SL mostly to form /adult/ relationships and act out /spicy/ roleplays. But it's been about a year since I've logged on and I've noticed that all of my old haunts, including G/M/ and A ratings, are either entirely gone, or no one is ever there. There are 2 in particular (A ratings) that have been completely abandoned or changed AND abandoned despite being the most high-traffic areas. I used to have trouble even getting into the spaces because of the traffic being so high, but now, I'm the only one that ever pops in there, no matter what time of day I try. 

 

SL has clearly lost most of its audience and it makes me a bit sad to realize. Does anyone have any destinations they can recommend or perhaps a similar VR?

Honestly, Second Life has not lost most of its audience/residents. People come and go, and new accounts are being created all the time. There are a lot of people who were here from right at the beginning, and others who have left or died, just like happens in jobs and towns in real life. Real life evolves, Second Life evolves, but really there are always plenty of people logged into Second Life at any one time.

Wayyy back, probably earlier than when I started in 2007, there used to be a sign up, on Calleta I think it was, created I think because there was always "the sky is falling in" mentality. 

And yet Second Life is still here.

Also, what I have noticed, is with the success of the newest Linden Homes regions, interest has picked up a lot, and in spite of a culture akin to the real life rat race springing up from the creation of mesh avatars, these features have brought a way for Linden Lab and the creators within to make money and a financially successful environment. 

Second Life is a long way from dying.

Destination Guide has a Popular Now feature, and there is also currently a Fantasy Fayre taking place. Those regions will be full to bursting. 

 

[Perrie Juran]

One of the first things I learned when I started SL is that the one constant of Second Life is change.

[cunomar]

I have no idea who the lindens are but the way i see it they are 90% of everybody , so when they make a group decision to try to pretend sl has something to offer other than adult rated activity then  it only takes a few people to shift a few thousand alts to give the impression ballroom dancing is more popular than pole dancing .

[Lancewae Barrowstone]

Let me add a different perspective.  Behind all those good venues and places we loved were always key people, owners and those they drew around them by their vision and will and attractive natures.  THAT is what makes the good places work, and well, sometimes they too must move on, undertake other challenges elsewhere.  SO, one can't really deduce much about population swings by this, and where others may try to step up and take their place but that never seems quite to work out. 

Each of those were like, say, a Lily in the heavens, year after year and you get used to visiting, and their permanence seems a thing, and then.... well, even the flowers will pass on, shrink away and eventually leave a dark spot in the heavens again.  Many, many dark spots we each acculumate in our memories.  It says nothing more really, than a testament to specialness.  What a neat thing that. 

The title of your post... yess... most poignant.  We all miss them.  Gives you a hug.