Linden Lab

Are you ready to celebrate Second Life’s 20th birthday with us? The festivities begin on June 22nd and will run through July 11th. During the celebrations, there will be a series of Lab Gab events, held live at SL20B, where you can meet the founder of Second Life, Philip Linden, and Executive Chairman, Oberwolf Linden - along with numerous other Lindens and Moles. Here’s your chance to interact and hear directly from Linden Lab leadership as we celebrate the past, present, and future of Second Life! Do you have questions you want to ask? Submit your questions at this link no later than June 21 to be considered for inclusion in the Q&A during these Lab Gab events. This year’s Birthday theme is Our Fantastic Future. The cornerstone of this idea is what we would define as eco-futurism including sustainability, a focus on our environment, and the next generation of our world. Some might call this science fiction, but what is science fiction except a dream for a possible future? In Second Life we build worlds. Our worlds, our way. Keep an eye on our blog and socials for all the announcements and teleport links next week!

Today we are shining a spotlight on Grant Valeska, a visionary artist that shapes high-fashion photography and art into visually stunning narratives. Grant is an embodiment of LGBTQ+ pride, celebrating his identity while inspiring others. How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? My gateway to the world of Second Life was The Sims Online, where I had met other Residents who were transitioning to the Second Life platform as Maxis shut down their own metaverse. I dabbled in Second Life on various accounts as a teenager (remember teen grid?! RIP) but it wasn't until I graduated high school in 2010 that I started using Second Life regularly. I was no longer just making friendships at a random hub or dancing in the corner of a club afraid to talk to someone. In fact, I met some of my closest friends, to this day, mere days after creating Grant Valeska! You are known for your sense of style and editorial photography in Second Life. Do you have a background in fashion or photography? I think many people are surprised to know that I have zero background in fashion, besides working retail for almost a decade. From the time I can remember, I have had an obsession with fashion - specifically when it came to popstars and the back pages of fashion magazines (that's where the editorials gather, in case you didn't know). I found fashion to be an escape from reality, it was otherworldly and perfect. In a place where I felt everything was so boring and mundane, fashion became my escape from the walls of a conservative Christian upbringing, to quote Andre Leon Talley, "It's a famine of beauty, honey! My eyes [were] starving for beauty!" How has Second Life impacted your creativity and are there any RL fashion influences that affect your work in Second Life? Without Second Life I would not have an outlet to rid my brain of its ideas and creative cloggination. Cloggination is not a word but let's pretend it is for today! Haha! Though there are many things I can't accomplish YET within Second Life, it does force some creativity in Photoshop to make my ideas come to life which in turn has forced me to become quite the wizard at Photoshop! When it comes to influences, I have a handful of fashion industry icons that I try my hardest to not copy but emulate in some form or fashion. I have been obsessed with Grace Coddington since seeing her in the documentary 'The September Issue' in 2009. I was familiar with her prior but her commentary about ways to create an image, specifically storytelling and emotion, is constantly on replay in my brain. Along with Grace, I love David LaChapelle's photography style - it's so vibrant, campy, and over the top yet still fashion-forward! There are so many iconic images that have come from his lens. A quick Google search will leave you breathless. Outside of fashion industry icons, I am overwhelmingly inspired by pop culture moments and music. There's something about a conceptual album rollout that gets my heart racing! In more recent memory, Dua Lipa's 'Future Nostalgia' album was a major source of inspiration for me - from her promotional imagery to the music to the music videos, it spoke to my love of disco in such a graphic way! What is your creative process when styling for a shoot and what tools do you use to get your photos to look polished and professional? Any advice for those looking to increase their skills in fashion photography? My creative process is chaotic, like most creative people I've encountered in my lifetime. It can start anywhere. When it comes to Second Life I have styled an entire outfit based on a pose, I've styled based on a color, I've styled based on a dead tree lying in some grass that I saw on a walk (true story!) - it can come from anywhere and anything! I believe inspiration can be found in anything if you are open to letting your mind lead you. Cliche saying alert: the brain is a powerful thing! As mentioned in the last paragraph, I use Photoshop for literally everything. Without Photoshop, no one would be impressed with my photos, I swear! My advice for anyone wanting to increase their skills would be START NOW. If you don't start somewhere, you won't get anywhere. My images from a decade ago compared to my images now look like a whole other person. Note: I do have a re-style of an image from 2011 reimagined to 2023's standards coming soon to a top-secret publication, then you can see for yourself how booger I used to be! Ha! Also - I can't go without saying these four syllables - EX-PER-I-MENT! Don't get stuck repeating the same thing, if someone "copies" you (I use that term very loosely, everything is a reference of a reference of a reference, in my opinion) create something new. When you do something over and over, not only do you lose the interest of the people viewing your work but your mind is on autopilot. Forceable creativity works! June is Pride month and in Second Life many members of the LGBTQ+ community find this to be a safe space to express themselves and feel empowered. Are there any activities or events that you’ll be taking part in or are looking forward to during this month? Pride in Second Life is incredibly important to me. My first introduction to queer people was through Second Life and has continued to be the primary source of my interactions with other LGBTQ+ people on a daily basis. Where I currently am living we don't have any Pride events, let alone any LGBT spaces, so to say we have a community would require enough of us existing from beyond the shadows. For this reason, Pride events in Second Life have always been a great way for me to celebrate in my own way! In previous years I've had the pleasure of doing some live tribute shows at Second Pride, a great non-profit LGBTQ+ organization within Second Life; most recently paying tribute to queer icons Britney Spears and Lady Gaga. Last year's tribute show was at max capacity and crashed an entire region! While I don't love the concept of crashing a region I was extremely excited to have so many people come together to enjoy a show I put my blood, sweat, and tears into all in the name of Pride! Are there any other projects, activities, and events you are involved with in Second Life? What can we expect from you in the future? Wow, this is quite a segway from my previous response because I do, in fact, have a few projects coming up soon! I have partnered with Smokefest to pay tribute to Rihanna this upcoming August and I am currently working on another live show to debut around Halloween at Second Pride since I was unable to do so for their official Pride season events. Beyond live entertainment, I was recently approached by Grab By The Horns to collaborate with them on an art installation located in their incredible region which is the home to other amazingly talented artists in Second Life. My debut exhibit, PRIMITIVE, opened on May 27th and is currently still open to the public. Creating this exhibit was one of my favorite things I've ever been a part of in Second Life! Make sure you grab some merch and if you like any of my pieces they are available for sale, profits not only support my art but they help support GBTH! Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that you find inspiring and whose work you admire. Creating a chosen family is something I never expected I would have but in the past 13 years, I've created a group of friends that have become my family. They are an insanely talented group of individuals so before I mention anyone else I must give a shout-out to each of them. Gianni Broda of David Heather, my co-designer at BlondeSushi Landscaping & Interior Design and former creator of Le Primitif - Bae Leaf, my insanely talented photographer nieces Krishna, Goldie, and Chai - along with two other creator nieces, Riley Yen of Pox and Oliver of Pare! Outside of my tiny but mighty chosen family, I have a handful of people who inspire me with their creations, their images, and sometimes both! Rowne probably takes up more inventory space than any other creator. Their pieces vary from high fashion to casual but I highly recommend anything they create goes straight to your inventory - Rowne is always in style. Timeless and iconic. When it comes to hair, this girl has been my go-to for years, not only to buy from but to send aggressive messages about creating a specific hair at my request - Nova Faerye of Nova - and she always delivers, I am a Nova Hair stan for life! P.S. The aggressive messages are my privilege so don't come at her crazy or I may have to amend this statement - haha! Jack Valentine of Boys to the Bone is a great example of someone who does it all - their creations are not only groundbreaking and outside the realm of the normal Second Life creations, but their photos are always a 10 out of 10. I have been known to admire their Flickr in a semi-stalkerish way and I have no shame about it. I did what I did and I said what I said! To continue my admiration of someone who can do it all, Keiko of Keikumu has been another obsession. She creates some of the most beautiful makeup Second Life has to offer - so many options for someone who wants a subtle look to those of us who enjoy a heavy-handed application! Beyond the amazing makeup, her photos are to die for. She is another resident whose Flickr feed I find myself getting lost in, every image is surreal and feels like a dream! Someone who is a newer find for me, Naomi Wong, can't go without being mentioned here. Not only are they an exceptional stylist and photographer, each image they produce feels like a high-concept fashion editorial, but they have now dipped into the world of creating and I am loving everything I'm seeing. I highly recommend taking a trip to their Flickr feed and in-world store, you won't regret that time spent! Now since it is Pride season I'd love to give a shout-out to some amazing LGBTQ+ creators who I have had the privilege of working with and blogging for over the past 13 years - Alexander Powell of Thirst, Danny Boo of Noche, Marco Nova of Clef de Peau, House Bunny of Shushu, and Tim Yung of Fake Society. Many of them have great Pride merchandise out right now, so give their stores a quick pop-in! Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. Blog Flickr Instagram Twitter Facebook GBTH Presents: PRIMITIVE by Grant Valeska - https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/GBTH/57/163/35 Thank you to Strawberry for reaching out with this opportunity (and for attending the opening of my exhibit), being recognized as a legitimate artist and creative by the Second Life/Linden Lab team has been incredibly affirming and exciting to have happened to me in all these years on the grid. I am particularly honored to be a part of the Pride Month Spotlights. As a very loud and proud gay man, and a lover of all things LGBTQ+, this was a great way to start the month of June! Happy Pride ya'll! 🌈 Thank you, Grant, we’re delighted and honored to have you as a part of the Pride Month Spotlights and appreciate the high-fashion photography and art you bring to the grid! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

To coincide with our 20th Birthday celebrations, we are excited to announce the introduction of a new generation of Second Life Mentors. Second Life Mentors will be the first ripple in the pond of “Paying It Forward”. Paying it forward is an ancient concept but we are bringing it right up to date and beyond in our amazing Second Life Community and “Our Fantastic Future”! There will be two teams of volunteer Mentors. -The Second Life Mentors, welcoming and guiding New Residents arriving at the Welcome areas and helping with ongoing assistance. -The Bellisseria Mentors, introducing people to the many themes and choices of Linden Homes and assisting people to settle into their Community across the Bellisseria Continent. We will welcome Mentors with all levels of knowledge and experience. The most important qualities will be patience, warmth, positivity, fun, and a focus on inclusion. Mentors will learn and develop new skills and information within our teams with ongoing skill-sharing, training, and Community development ideas to take forward and share with our wonderful fellow Residents. SECOND LIFE “OUR LIFE” O - Orienteering U - Universal R - Residents L - Learning with I - Inspiration F - Fun and E - Enthusiasm There will be many benefits for Mentors; new friends, social events, and gifts but most of all succeeding in the challenge of developing meaningful connections, inspiring a positive Community, and dedicating ourselves to happy, healthy fun. Helping others feeds the soul! If you would like to get involved in mentoring please click the link of your choice below to apply. Application to be a Second Life Mentor Application to be a Bellisseria Mentor

Today we are shining a spotlight on Max (Cosmic Cat), a singer and songwriter, and the talent behind Cosmic Dust, a clothing and accessories brand in Second Life! How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I joined Second Life in 2013, so it has been about 10 years for me in Second Life. I first heard about it after looking for a new home when the virtual world I was in at the time, called vSide, had shut down. I guess it’s safe to say that Second Life became my new home in the past ten years. You have been a content creator in Second Life with your store Cosmic Dust for almost a decade! Tell us how you got started, where you get the inspiration for your creations, and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created. When I started Cosmic Dust, I genuinely didn’t know what I was doing. All I knew is that I wanted to make stuff and being someone who loves space, I immediately knew I wanted to name my brand Cosmic Dust. What I did have was an amazing support system of friends and family. With the help of some of my fellow creators, I was able to get started and learn the basics of creating/meshing as well as collaborate with friends on some more advanced projects. I get a lot of my inspiration from pop culture and everyday life. I tend to see things and think, “How cool would that be in Second Life?” My store has been on a bit of a hiatus since I have been focused on my music more recently, but some of my favorite items have been some of my sillier ones such as my backpack bra, as well as the fanny packs and boomboxes I made ages ago. You’re also a singer and songwriter in the real world. Tell us more about your singing career and do you also sing in Second Life? Where can people hear you sing? Growing up, I was very into pop music and pop culture. I was always interested in singing and songwriting but very shy about it. I had a notebook where I would write some songs and little tidbits of unfinished lyrics, but I never ended up doing anything with them. During the pandemic, I went through a bad breakup and never got any closure from the relationship. I ended up writing my first song Forever Goodbye, and showing a rough demo to some friends. Everyone was super supportive and told me I should release it. I ended up writing a few more songs, which really helped me heal and give myself the closure I didn’t get. When I finally released my first EP Heartbreak Hotel, I ended up sharing it with the SL community and having a virtual release party, and everyone was very supportive. I am currently working on writing and recording my second EP which should be out later this year. In Second Life, I am working on making my live singing debut at Smokefest in August, so be sure to catch me there! I am also planning on doing other shows this summer as well. You can keep up to date with me on my Flickr as I will be posting more details there. June is Pride month and in Second Life many members of the LGBTQ+ community find this to be a safe space to express themselves and feel empowered. Are there any activities or events that you’ll be taking part in or are looking forward to during this month? Pride month is very important to me as a member of the LGBTQ+ community. Growing up Indian and gay, I felt like I didn’t have the best support system, nor did I know how to navigate battling societal pressures to live life as my most authentic self. Second Life really gave me a safe space to be myself and meet many other people who have stories similar to mine. I am so grateful for all of the people I have met along the way. Although I do have a lot of RL commitments this month, I will be DJing at Pride At Home twice this month and have a free gift out at the Pride At Home sim as well and am definitely looking forward to attending as many Pride events as I can. If you see me around, feel free to say hi! My DJ dates for Pride at Home: Pride Prom - June 24th @ 8 PM SLT Pride at Home Closing Party - June 30th @ 4 PM SLT I’ll also be playing, show #1 live at Smokefest on Saturday, August 5th at 6 PM SLT. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. (Nokey) Kitty.Cat, Rikku (Bitey.Cat) & Glitch (Gae.Passion) are three creators I really admire. Glitch really helped me learn a lot in my early days when it came to creating in Maya for Second Life and she has come so far with her own brand, Quirky. Nokey and Rikku are the creators of HAZEL and STOIC. They create super fun high-quality items and animesh attachments that are super unique. Geena Carminucci is a wonderful blogger and photographer in Second Life and a great friend in real life. Her work completely blows me away and she often does my ad work for Cosmic Dust. She always inspires me to improve my skills and continue to learn new techniques every day. Jade (Chibi.Resident) & Jess (xoJessxo.Pexie) : Although these two are not content creators in SL, they have become my family and inspire me to do better and be more creative every day. They are my biggest supporters and always give me new ideas for my creations and music. I have known them for over 8 years and they are some of the people I have known the longest in SL that continue to inspire me. Sol (Cool.Cat) is an aspiring graphic designer and content creator who is super creative! I love her work and she actually directed my Heartbreak Hotel (Acoustic) music video used in this spotlight! Video production by Sol (Cool.Cat) Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. Cosmic Dust Flickr Facebook Destination My Music (Late Night Feelings): Spotify: Instagram Facebook YouTube Apple Music Thank you, Max, for adding your talent and voice to the Second Life creator community and live music scene! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

It’s Pride Month, a time when we embrace the beauty of diversity and equality, and commemorate the resilience of the LGBTQIA+ community. While traditional methods of celebration have been a staple, it's also a tradition to see the world of Second Life sharing the colors of Pride. Throughout the month of June, Second Life Residents will be attending parties, parades, talent shows, and art shows hosted in our beloved virtual world, here are just a few of the events that you can participate in. One event that has already kicked off is Pride At Home - watch our community video for some highlights and teleport over today! Check the LGBTQ+ category on the Destination Guide for more Pride-related destinations and events, including Second Pride and SeraPride! Celebrating Pride in Second Life is about embracing diversity, promoting equality, and forging global connections. It provides a unique platform where people can express their identities freely, engage in meaningful dialogue, and stand in solidarity with the LGBTQIA+ community. This Pride Month, whether you're donning your avatar's rainbow attire or marching in a virtual parade, remember the essence of the celebration: love is love, no matter the realm or reality. Happy Pride from all of us at Linden Lab! ️‍🌈

Happy Pride Month! Today we are shining a spotlight on Dash Huntsman, an innovative new content creator that considers Second Life to be a safe haven for the LGBTQIA+ and credits the community for their support in his transition journey. How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I joined Second Life in 2010. Wow, it’s been 13 years! I was playing a mass of other games with a friend. I was really into MMORPGs (Massively multiplayer online roleplaying games) back then, and they asked me if I wanted to join them on another game. I remember coming online and thinking it was basically a version of the Sims but with other people! She introduced me to a roleplaying sim where I could sword fight and shoot a bow and arrow. I wasn’t very good at it but I felt like I was Xena. I remember having a blast creating all sorts of storylines and getting into mischief. I became a transient on Second Life and have explored different types of communities, and the diversity and creativity in Second Life have always astounded me. You are new to content creation in Second Life, tell us how you got started and what kind of tools you use to create. Last summer, I took a leap of faith and saw Joey Macmoragh offering mesh classes tailored for Second Life on my Facebook. I enrolled and have had a blast making content ever since. I opened my store Aardvark right after the class ended on the first week of August. I’ve been hitting the ground running ever since. Honestly, I’m super excited about creating content and get antsy when I’m not making something. I use Blender to create my 3D items. I make everything from scratch, starting with a basic shape, usually a cube. After that, everything goes into substance painter, where I do the textures, and with some luck, patience, and little chaotic flailing, an Aardvark creation is rezzed into Second Life. Where do you get the inspiration for your creations and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created? I get a lot of my inspiration from random memes or jokes. I founded Aardvark on the mindset of food, fun, and decor. I’ll brainstorm randomly about how to make people smile or laugh. My partner also helps me brainstorm different ideas on things she finds on social media. She has just as an imaginative and witty brain. Other people will sometimes drop me random suggestions, and I’m always appreciative and honored when I receive recommendations. I’ll get tagged in the odd meme or random product someone sees in real life, and it’s so cool to think that someone thinks of Aardvark. My top 3 that I hold dear are Sassy Vases, Gingerbread Fighters, and Potatoes. This meme on my Facebook showed a vase that seemingly looks like it’s judging you. It inspired me to bring this to life. These vases are all personality and say quite a few things back at you when you click them. I also like to make everything interactive. So much of my stuff makes a funny sound, talks back, or animates the avatar somehow. For example, I made a set of Gingerbread Fighters over the holidays last year, and they were so fun to make that I couldn't help but laugh as they came to life. My partner offered to make sound effects for them, so she practiced “karate” in the hallway, and well, you’ll just have to come by the shop and hear them for yourself to see how that turned out! Lastly are my positive potatoes and tater family. For some reason putting a face on a potato makes them adorable, and I wanted to inject positivity into the world. So these little spuds were created; sometimes, a potato gift can bring smiles when we don’t have the right words to say. You credit Second Life for assisting in your journey of self-discovery. Can you share in what ways SL has impacted your life? I’ve met many amazing people on this platform and will always be in awe of the creativity and talent here. Second Life is a safe haven for a lot of the LGBTQIA+ community. It allows us to express ourselves with the grace of anonymity where we may not be able to express who we truly are in real life. Second Life was the first place people referred to me by he/him pronouns, which was comforting and validating. 2018 I found SL's Facebook community. I didn’t know it existed! It was another way to comfortably express my thoughts through words and photos. I started to blog and was able to express all these complex emotions about my gender identity through photography. I came out as a transgender man in 2019, and I started documenting my social transition on my SL Facebook. I wasn’t entirely confident with coming out in real life with people that knew me personally, but online I was open with all of it: the good, the bad, and the ugly. I didn’t feel alone anymore, nor did I want others. I talked with other transgender individuals, parents of children with questions, people questioning, and allies about their stories and struggles. Everyone wants to be seen and heard, and I finally felt that in who I was. Sharing my transition in such a raw way gave me the confidence to do it in real life. At the end of 2019, I started to seek options to transition medically, and in 2020 right at the start of the pandemic, I started hormone replacement therapy with testosterone. I continued to share the ups and downs of coming out to my family and workplace and how my body changed. In 2021, through the generosity of friends, family, creators, performers, and entertainers, we created a fundraiser called “From her to Me” to help me get top surgery. It’s a gender-affirming procedure that is a double mastectomy. Honestly, my mind is still blown. On February 14th, 2022, I had my top surgery. I wouldn’t have been able to have this surgery without the help of so many people from Second Life. I owe Second Life for so many things that have impacted my real life. I've built impactful relationships with many people who have touched my life, and I will forever be thankful. I hope my story can show others that you are not alone. There are a lot of transgender individuals on Second Life, and although the world can be scary, be proud of who you are. It took so long to accept myself finally, and I want you to know that you are just as valid in your journey of self-discovery. June is Pride month and in Second Life many members of the LGBTQ+ community find this to be a safe space to express themselves and feel empowered. Are there any activities or events that you’ll be taking part in or are looking forward to during this coming month? I’m proud to participate in a couple of events celebrating the LGBTQIA+ community. First, I’ll be participating in several events hosted by Pride at Home. The owners, Tink and Coral, have graciously let me create a Transgender Resource Hub at the Pride at Home Sim. There I’ve left some resources and information to help transgender people and allies. Pride at Home opens June 1st. In addition, I’ll be one of the judges at the Live Drag Race Competition hosted by SeraPride on June 18th at 5 pm SLT. During the event, Aardvark will match all donations up to L$20,000 to benefit Rainbow Railroad, a non-profit organization that assists LGBTQ+ individuals. I also have some fun plans and gifts for Pride with Aardvark and will spread some fun shenanigans all over the grid. So stay tuned; I hope to see you all around the grid! The Transgender Memorial is located at the Transgender Info Hub at the Pride at Home Sim. Each candle is named and represents a transgender or gender non-conforming person who was lost in the act of violence. There are 88 candles in total for the 45 lives lost 2021, 32 in 2022, and now 11 in 2023. We've also included a guestbook to leave messages and a small display of resources about Transgender people in history, basic terms and terminology, and words of kindness. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. So many people have inspired and helped me along this journey, and I could write a book about each of them. However, some of the residents and creators I admire the most are the ones you never know what they will create next, and I strive to be one of those content creators. Lundy Lovely from Hive has such a fantastic aesthetic, her eye for detail and how she lets customers customize her products are incredible. Kota Kirax at MoonRabbit is one of my favorite brands that create so many outside-the-box ideas and is so witty! I’ve been a long fan of Radio and Lattee Bixley, the creative geniuses behind Junk Food. They bring comforts and nostalgia from the real world into Second Life. Finally, Ikari Ichibara from Tardfish is a creator of the most kawaii things and, honestly, one of the best at cute Animesh! It’s always cool seeing what they all come up with! Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. Everyone is welcome to stop by the main store located at beautiful Peaceful Shore. Our marketplace and Flickr have our full catalog Also, you can view some fantastic work from others with Aardvark items in our Flickr Group Or our Facebook Thank you, Dash, for sharing your heartwarming journey with us! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Hello, Second Life creators and shoppers! In our constant efforts to enhance your shopping experience, we will be doing some infrastructure updates. While this is undoubtedly a positive step towards a more robust platform, it means there will be a brief period of downtime. We understand the inconvenience this may cause, and hope to minimize it! Scheduled Downtime: On Wednesday, May 31st, we will conduct a scheduled maintenance update that requires approximately one hour of downtime. During this period, the Second Life Marketplace will be temporarily inaccessible. Please note that during this downtime all shopping carts will be reset. This means that any items currently in your shopping cart will not be saved. We don’t want you to lose any items you had been keeping in your cart to purchase later, so please consider taking these steps below to keep track of them. Preparing for the Update: To mitigate any inconvenience caused by the shopping cart reset, we recommend taking the following steps: 1. Finalize Your Purchases: Before the scheduled maintenance, we advise completing any pending transactions in your shopping cart. This will ensure that you don't miss out on any items you intended to purchase. 2. Make a List: Consider keeping the items you aren’t ready to purchase in either your favorites or your wishlist (you could even share your wishlist with your friends if you’d like!). This way, you can come back to them whenever you’re ready. We know it’s disruptive and we appreciate your patience while we work to upgrade the marketplace. If you have any further questions or concerns, please don't hesitate to reach out to our support team. Stay tuned for more updates and happy shopping!

The Concierge and Land User Group meeting is a monthly, public meeting for discussion and education on Second Life, useful to both Mainland Residents and Estate owners. Topics include any issues relating to Customer Relations/Support or concerning Land in general (mainland, islands, Linden Homes, estates, auctions, etc.). Join Wendi, Vix, and members of the Land team, on Wednesday at 12pm PT at Linden Estate Services. All are welcome. Keep up to date with all of our user group meetings on our wiki and public calendar.

Today, we are shining a spotlight on Iki Akiri, the talent behind Violent Seduction, a virtual fashion boutique specializing in elegant, Gothic, and Lolita styles. How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I've been in Second Life since 2005 and heard about it through some friends on a forum I was running at the time. My early days involved turning up unannounced to people's houses in a party hat and forcing people to party. It was always my birthday. Endless entertainment for me, maybe not so much for them. My friends can vouch the troll never left. You’ve been creating content in Second Life for many years, how and when did you get started? I started my store around December 2008 as a hobby right after finishing high school. I had not had an easy life prior to this point and I turned to art to regain my energy. I had been in and out of Second Life for a year or two, but I wasn't happy with a lot of the style of clothing Second Life had to offer in 2008, so I started making my own and never really stopped. It was just a drive to make things that don't exist yet and it became a hobby and a tool to help me destress. Over time this became a lifeline and learning tool that supported me through many other hardships and redundancies after. I am so grateful for it. 2011 vs 2023 Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content? I was originally an aspiring 2D artist working to become a concept artist. By the time I had started my degree in Game Art, I had decided that 3D had more freedom, more prospects, and an easier barrier to entry than concept art for my future, so I switched to the 3D electives early into the course and graduated in 2012. After that, I learned a lot about lighting and rendering during my time working in Archviz. This allowed me to learn the specifics of light and material properties early on before a lot of games had built the visual equivalents into their base engines. I taught game art (UE3-4) for 5-6 years while I was running my store on the side and this also gave me the added motivation to teach other SL creators using the curriculum I was already teaching, but with a pipeline more suited to Second Life. Since then I've been jumping into indie work specializing in high poly assets and skilling up using adapted game industry standards in parallel to my work in Second Life to keep me up to date. The main programs I use regularly are 3DSmax, Marvelous Designer, Substance Painter + Sampler, Zbrush, and Marmoset Toolbag. I add, remove or switch programs, pipelines, and plugins depending on the type of item I'm making or if something new seems interesting/applicable to test. I also do the majority of my quick reference sketches using Fashionary sketchbooks and lately; Procreate using a fashionary template. Imagine the satisfaction when I found out these were recorded, what a time to be alive: You create high-quality Gothic styles that are always efficiently using the latest technologies available on the grid, such as PBR. Do you have any tips and/or advice for creators looking to increase their content creation skills? Yes! My advice would be to start looking into alternative pipelines, programs, and engines, expanding your problem-solving skills with more than what you are used to. Learn what the industry is doing right now and see if you can learn those tools and techniques to improve your own quality. Focusing on efficient content allows you to work in a nonconstructive way alongside the gaming industry, meaning your portfolio and skills will transfer and you'll be able to pivot and adapt as a creator during things like the addition of PBR and future updates if you keep on top of your ongoing learning. Find Game Art 3D tutorials and watch them in your spare time. Dedicate an hour (30 mins even) every day to learning a new 3D skill, or alternatively, if you don't have time to learn; build those tests/skills into your work as you go. You'll get better very fast and it is absolutely worth the time even if it's not 1:1 applicable with Second Life. It might be valuable information later down the road. I'd highly suggest finding some local Game Dev Discord channels local to your area and sharing your work, asking for constructive criticism, and adapting on the feedback of peers with wider experience. You can make a lot of local friends in the industry and improve super fast this way! There are so many benefits to aligning yourself to a more efficient workflow, and it does wonders for networking in the real world too. Where do you get the inspiration for your designs and what are some of your favorite pieces that you have created? Fashion is definitely one of my major loves my whole life. I have been designing clothing well before I started in SL and had some real-world experience watching seamstresses work with patterns at an early age too. My love for fashion is the main driving force that keeps me creating here. My inspiration often comes from seeing certain cuts, wrinkles, or fabric types and building a design around the idea I'd like to test in 3D. As a result, I don't often use complete pieces of reference and will take snippets of many different references to create something new. I personally feel that Second Life is a research and development tool in a way so I enjoy pushing myself into different styles and testing to see if people think they're cool or not while I keep pretending to be a fashion designer. Perhaps it will be real-world applicable to me one day. I'm inspired stylistically by a combination of substyles namely Larme Kei, Gothic Lolita, Otome Fashion, Cyberwear, and Techwear as well as designers like Vivienne Westwood, Alexander McQueen, Rick Owens, and Iris Van Herpen. I will often be inspired by random objects I've seen while traveling or historical Victorian patterns I'm itching to translate into Marvelous Designer. I also really love to use SL to experiment with my designs by crossing different substyles and seeing if that will translate into the real world. Tying my real-life fashion style into my design process is so important for my creative motivation. My favorite works are generally the ones that were the most annoying to make. They act as my heavy-hitting portfolio pieces as some of the technical aspects are fiddly and need a lot of early problem-solving to achieve efficiently for Second Life. I hated doing it and didn't sleep for most of it, but now I love them: Nemissa Set - Regicide Set - Theia Set Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. I'm a bit of a hermit and honestly, I don't get out much, so my inspirations are people and friends I've followed for quite a long time: Hinadori Chang (ひなどりさん♡): I've followed Hinadori for many many years. The way she combines sub-styles together and presents them in an old "Street Snap" style really resonates with me. If you've ever collected any Japanese fashion magazines you'll understand immediately! Contraption: Walt builds some of the biggest, coolest, and most efficient builds in Second Life. They're beautiful and I'm so excited to see more from him - especially with the upcoming PBR updates as well as his work with world/sim building. Insomnia Angel: I don't know how to explain this, but whenever I see Insomnia Angel reference a tiny aspect of an outfit I've only seen on display in the basement of Laforet it makes me so happy, like an inside joke only 3 people get. She gets fashion in and out for the same styles I'm interested in. ♡ Tonktastic: Real OG, Tonktastic has been pushing efficient content longer than anybody I can think of. Highly recommend looking at his breakdowns over the years! Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. New Website: violentseduction.com Mainstore: https://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Violent%20Seduction/221/135/169 Entire Catalog on Flickr: https://www.flickr.com/photos/violentseduction Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/violentseduction.SL Twitter: https://twitter.com/violentseducti Thank you, Iki, for adding your style and expertise to the Second Life fashion community! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Class is back in session! Second Life University returns today with a pre-recorded video by Boston Blaisdale as he shows you how to create PBR Materials! Watch the premiere of the PBR Materials video at 9am PT: Here is a glimpse at the topics he will cover in this video: More info about PBR Materials on the Physically Based Rendering Wiki Log into the Second Life Beta grid to test PBR Materials. Visit the Accessing Aditi support page for more information on how to log into the Beta grid. Modelling furniture in Blender Working in Adobe Substance Painter Applying textures from Adobe Substance Painter Exporting textures from Adobe Substance Painter Importing model into Second Life Uploading PBR material textures into Second Life Applying PBR materials to the model Fixing transparency in the material Applying material and changing alpha mode to blend for a glass effect Modifying properties of a PBR material using the “Edit PBR Material” menu Searching the Second Life Marketplace for items that are modifiable Explaining and building reflection probes Download the latest GLTF PBR Materials Viewer (just released 05/16/23) and teleport to the Rumpus Room region on the Beta grid to test out materials. Stay tuned for future updates about Second Life University. Happy learning!

Today, we are shining a spotlight on VWEC, an innovative Eduverse in Second Life designed to provide educators with support and advocacy for educational initiatives in virtual worlds. Learn more from coordinators Valibrarian Gregg, Elli Pinion, and Dodge Threebeards. What is VWEC, how did it get started, and which communities are involved? VWEC stands for the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium, and it began in January of 2021 when many educators realized we had been working for years in isolation and we saw a need to meet to share best practices, ways to advocate for education in virtual worlds, and tips for overcoming obstacles. We moved to the newly created VWEC Eduverse in May 2022. We have 48 groups that have regions located in the Eduverse and almost 400 members in the VWEC Group. First Meeting of VWEC Jan 2021 What are some of the goals of VWEC? Initially, our intention was to meet quarterly to discuss and brainstorm about the future of education in Second Life and support educators. We gathered the educational groups that we knew about together and wanted to highlight them, as there was no need to reinvent the amazing “wheel” of work that was already being done here. And it took off! And we have a Welcome Center and Eduverse Reserve. Now we have formal Vision and Mission Statements: Vision: The goal of the Virtual Worlds Education Consortium (VWEC) is to bring educators together to share what practices have been successful and to tackle obstacles across virtual platforms and communities. Mission: The Virtual Worlds Education Consortium connects educators, learners, digital citizens, and virtual communities of learning to share and develop best practices for teaching and learning in virtual spaces. VWEC Eduverse Tell us more about the frequent events that happen and how Second Life Residents can get involved. In addition to our Quarterly Meetings, we have five weekly Fireside Chats where educators in both formal education and non-profits who also teach, can share their experiences and tips, as well as talk about research and approaches. The VWEC Fireside Chats are held in English, Spanish, and Polish at various times of the day to bring in time zones across the globe. VWEC also presents a bi-monthly Expert Series that showcases successful teaching and learning in Second Life. There are monthly tours of educational communities, as well. All events are on the website at vweconsortium.org, as well as InWorld. We encourage members to help at our Info Center and through our Instructor Development Projects. VWEC Expert Series - Photo by PI.Illios How can educators not yet in Second Life join VWEC? New educators can find more information on our website at vweconsortium.org. If email is a preference, we have a Google group at metaverselibraries@googlegroups.com. We are happy for them to email us directly for information. As a Community Gateway, instructors or their students can join Second Life on our website at https://www.vweconsortium.org/sign-in/secondlife.php. They will land at the VWEC Welcome Plaza to find teleporters to orientation gateways. All three of you also have individual educational projects related to the VWEC, tell us about some of those. Valibrarian Gregg (Dr. Valerie Hill in RL), a professor of Library and Information Science has a background as an educator and librarian. Currently, Val is the Co-Coordinator for the VWEC and is responsible for the VWEC Info Center. She serves as the director of the Community Virtual Library which is a real library run by information professionals in a virtual world. In addition to supporting VWEC, the library holds programs, shares exhibits, provides classes on information literacy (metaliteracy in digital culture), and provides traditional library services alongside innovative metaverse resources such as databases, holodeck read-alouds, and tours of immersive educational simulations. Val’s research on changing literacy led to the adoption of the term metamodernism (our current philosophical moment) in her book Metamodernism and Changing Literacy and numerous research articles, webinars, and presentations on digital citizenship, metaliteracy, and virtual learning environments. Elli Pinion (Dr. Becky Adams in RL) was the Director of Online Course Development and teaches Educational Technology and Virtual Worlds at the University of New Mexico. She is the Co-Coordinator for the VWEC. Presently, she is working to complete the Welcome Center since the initial build Opening Ceremonies, develop our Models for Teaching exhibit hosting seven instructors who teach in Virtual Worlds, expand the Educational Resources area, is establishing the Eduverse Representative Assembly, and support our teams who are part of the VWEC including our first Student Challenge-athon coming this fall. Elli’s research is in Online Professional Development for Educators. Dodge Threebeards (Dr. Greg Perrier in RL) has managed the Second Life program for the Northern Virginia Community College (NOVA) since December 2012. He taught biology at NOVA for many years and incorporated interactive activities in Second Life into his classes. As manager of the program for NOVA, he developed workshops to increase faculty and staff interest in using Second Life with students. Pre-pandemic, NOVA averaged about 400 students a year using Second Life. Use declined drastically during the pandemic as NOVA required all faculty to use Zoom and commercial online labs, but it has climbed to over 90 students using Second Life in the spring semester of 2023. During his initial year in Second Life, he benefited greatly from the support and advice from more experienced educators. Thus, he was excited to see VWEC emerge as a program to provide such support and advice as well as encourage collaboration among educators. VWEC Quarterly Meetings - Photo by PI.Illios Where can people learn more about VWEC? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. The best place to learn about VWEC is at our website vweconsortium.org and InWorld. VWEC EduversePlaza VWEC Eduverse Plaza Welcome Center VWEC Eduverse Plaza Deck and Fireside Chat VWEC Eduverse Plaza Info Center SOCIAL MEDIA Linktree Twitter Facebook Linkedin Instagram Mastodon Flickr Group VWEC YouTube channel has curated playlists across educational communities For more information contact: Becky Adams: reada321@unm.edu Valerie Hill: valibrarian@gmail.com Greg Perrier: gperrier@nvcc.edu Thank you, Val, Elli, and Dodge for your inspirational work at VWEC. We’re looking forward to attending VWEC’s first anniversary on Saturday, May 20, 2023 at 11:00 am PT! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Meet Diavkha, a set designer and storyteller who has taken their passion for world-building to the next level by creating a unique and immersive series of comics using Second Life. Learn more about Diavkha from this short interview and video as the next installment in our Made in Second Life series! What is your name and how long have you been in SL? My name is Diavkha, people have told me it sounds Slavic but it's an original name that I came up with. I like to have something unique and catchy! I've been in Second Life since 2018. How did you get started making comics? In the beginning, I just did photography, sometimes I would write short stories or descriptions of what the picture was about to give it a bit of context even though the picture might not show it. Last year I thought it would be an interesting project to create a deeper and expansive narrative and flesh out my writing skills. SL is perfect for that because of the sheer amount of content available within the platform to build worlds and characters. There was also another reason that inspired me to create Beyond Star and that is my nephew, he loves things about outer space and adventures. Where do you get the avatars and the sets from? Most of our avatars wear the mesh heads from the store BeSpoke, they are wonderfully designed, unique, and different from what's available. Because I wanted to have non-human characters I specifically saw a lot of potential in their options. We also use other outfits, poses, and building kits from stores like: Process of Elimination, Contraption, SKNK, Unholy Duality, Fanatik, and more. I’m very thankful for these creators and their work that allow us to build imaginative worlds and characters. How many episodes of Beyond Star are there? At the moment we have 6 Episodes completed and are working on number 7 right now which is almost finished. The idea is to have 9 Episodes total for the first chapter/season of the project. It was important to build the characters, themes, and worlds with a sense of pace and to let the story grow. Each Episode can take a few months to be completed as there is a process: beginning with a script, then building sets and characters, taking the photos, and finally editing. Can SL comics compete with “real” comics made the “traditional” way, in terms of visual fidelity and storytelling? I don’t see a reason why they couldn’t. While some people might think illustrating traditional comics is a more valuable endeavor, the items used in SL were also created by real humans who put a lot of love and effort into making them. The tools might be different, what's important is to have a good imagination and use the potential of the platform to create a compelling story. Are you self-taught? What is your background? Since I was little, I always loved creating my own worlds and stories, sometimes I would write these stories for school and plays. I studied Graphic Design and Animation and I have a lot of interest in history, politics, science, and religion. My RL job allows me a certain amount of flexibility to devote to the arts and to other projects like Beyond Star. What tools outside of SL do you use for making the comics? Primarily a web-based editor called Pixlr, it's similar to other picture editing software and has enough tools to work with. I always try to do everything within SL, so that the editing process is less outside of it. We are using Blurb at the moment for the printed comic, if you’d like to support us you can purchase a copy here: Beyond Star on Blurb What does SL mean to you? Second Life means a lot of things, to start, it feels like an open canvas for creators of all types. It also means connections with other people, even though the boundaries of reality prevent you from seeing them. In SL, you can share moments that feel just as real and unique as they would be in real life. Sometimes those moments are more powerful just because you don’t have the weight of the real world upon you. Do you have a place that you call home? Rent/own? My partner and I rent a small piece of land, we’ve had it for over a year now and it's our happy corner. We use it as our home and work area for the comic and other projects. Please mention your collaborators. The project started originally with my partner Elarik Nokturne and myself, later our friend Ayumi Suki joined in. They both have contributed to the project with ideas, sets, and even the title of the story. Any final thoughts? My hopes are that with this project, people can see SL in a positive light and see its potential. Video Production by Draxtor Despres Logo by Marianne McCann

Today we are shining a spotlight on Cain Maven of Maven Homes. For over a decade, Cain has been at the forefront of virtual home design for the Second Life community - learn more about his journey! How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I first set foot in SL about 14 years ago. Some online friends of mine had migrated here after the game we were playing was shut down. Needless to say, I stayed longer than I planned to -- which was every bit as much about making new friends as reconnecting with old ones. Then there's of course that certain magic that SL possesses, and that we all keep coming back for more of. You’ve been creating content in Second Life for many years, how and when did you get started? The plan was not in any way to start creating content. I had bought myself a nice modern villa and had fun furnishing and landscaping. Then, one fateful day, I decided that one of the rooms was too small, so I set out to modify it. I soon realized that I could maybe build whole houses, maybe put them up for sale, maybe... you see where this is going. In those early days, most of the revenue stream stemmed from my friends' pity purchases; fortunately, things got a little bit better over time. In 2010, I acquired one of my competitors and early this year I expanded with a third region. Do you have a background in 3D content creation and what kind of tools do you use to create your content? Sadly, I don't have a background in 3D content creation. My formal education is as an architect, but I somehow got sidetracked and ended up in journalism, software development, and graphic design. While I had tinkered a bit with various (now discontinued) tools, it wasn't until SL gained support for mesh upload in 2011 that I sat down and taught myself some new and useful tricks. My current toolbox includes Blender, Substance Painter, Photoshop, and copious amounts of coffee. How would you describe your virtual architectural style and what are some of your favorite builds that you have created? I'm not sure I have an architectural style per se... but if forced to choose I would probably say modern/contemporary. However, I do dabble in many different styles, with a possible fondness for Mediterranean Revival; it's hard not to love the old masters of the Italian Renaissance and their impact on today's designs. That said, I think it's challenging to do good work in a style that you don't personally like, which probably is why you will see some stylistic omissions in my portfolio. In terms of favorite builds, I would pick the Cosimo mansion (because every home should have a dome) and the modern Pacific, because its entire being centers on the collision and cooperation of weird angles. Are there any other projects or events that you are working on? The main focus for 2023 is creating a collection of smaller homes -- and hopefully, being able to get into some of the bigger events. If they will have me. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. Looking back, Robert Galland pretty much owned the architecture market when I first started out. He, therefore, became the reference, the benchmark, and the competitor I measured myself against. Robert is still active and remains an inspiration. I'm also a fan of Danny Bourne of reBourne fame -- his treatment of light is second to none. And when it comes to daring concepts and outside-the-box thinking, Sergio Botha is the master. Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. My current selection of homes is available at the regions Maven Homes, Maven Homes 2, and Quantum Luxury Homes. Marketplace Flickr Instagram Thank you Cain, for helping Second Life Residents create a virtual home away from home. Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Happy Friday everyone! Spring is in the air and it’s time to sweep out some clutter to make room for new things to bloom. We’ve had many of you give us feedback on absentee store owners who don’t offer sales support for their products. You also told us about older products or spam that is creating clutter. In the past, there have been clean-ups of the marketplace to address these concerns that yielded a very positive response. Keeping all this in mind we will be making the following changes: If the Merchant hasn’t logged in in two years *and* a specific product hasn’t sold in 1 year (03/01/2022), the product will be unlisted. If the Merchant hasn’t logged in in two years *and* the store hasn’t sold anything in 1 year, their store will be disabled. This means that if a product has sold within the past year or has not sold but the seller has logged in within the last two years, that product listing will remain available on the marketplace. If a store has products, which have sold within the past year, it will remain enabled. We are confident that a more lean selection of products and search results will benefit the shoppers as well as active creators on the SL Marketplace. Happy Shopping!

Save the date! On June 23rd, Second Life will be turning 20! The 20th annual Second Life birthday celebration (SL20B) will be held from June 22nd to July 11th. Get ready for 20 fun-filled days of live music, performances, shopping, and amazing community exhibits! This year’s Birthday theme is Our Fantastic Future. The cornerstone of this idea is what we would define as eco-futurism including sustainability, a focus on our environment, and the next generation of our world. Some might call this science fiction, but what is science fiction except a dream for a possible future? In Second Life we build worlds. Our worlds, our way. For SL20B, we invite you to show us your worlds of the future! The SL20B Shop & Hop event is the official multi-region shopping event of the 20th annual Second Life birthday celebration. This event brings together many of the top merchants across SL for exclusive items and discounts on some of the best creations in Second Life. New this year we are offering two types of Shop & Hop regions, Moderate rated regions and Adult rated regions. Are you a merchant or creator that wants to participate? If so, then please fill out this form by May 14th. We will be filling in stores as we receive applications so please apply sooner rather than later. Some important details for participating merchants: The set-up for participating merchants will be held June 9-14 and all participating merchants are required to have at least a 20% discount on all items. All merchants must provide a new and exclusive, for the duration of the event, non-group gift. Items need to be appropriate for a moderate audience. Over the next month, keep an eye on our blog for more information about the SL20B celebrations! CURRENT APPLICATIONS FOR SL20B: Shop & Hop Application - Applications close on May 14th, 2023 Volunteer Application - Applications close on May 14th, 2023 Exhibitors Application - Applications close on May 14th, 2023 Performer Application - Applications close on May 14th, 2023 Music Fest Application - Applications close on April 9th, 2023

Happy Wednesday! We’re writing to remind everyone that we’ll be holding our monthly Web User Group meeting today at 14:00 SLT in our usual meeting place, where we’ll be discussing our status with ongoing projects and our near future plans for our web properties. As always, we’ll leave plenty of time for Q&A from the community. We look forward to seeing you there. Keep up to date with all of our user group meetings on our wiki and public calendar.

Today we are shining a spotlight on Anu Papp, an artist, musician, dancer, and kundalini yoga instructor who has brought her skills into Second Life with her own dance company, Muse Dance Co. How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I joined Second Life in April of 2007. A friend of mine from Oregon who was already a resident told me about Second Life. At the time I was the CEO of a non-profit, In Gaia’s Lap, and its division Artist4Mercy. Through means of internet radio, our tag was to “connect the Globe through the power of music to bring awareness to the needs of children in orphanages”. He told me it would be a great platform to promote the non-profit. Telling him I was not a gamer lol, I created Anu Papp, and one day while exploring Lost Gardens of Apollo, I hear “This is Anu. You are listening to the Artist4Mercy.” Little did I know I was already reaching Second Life through music. Nor did I realize that Dane Zander was one of my biggest donators in the physical world. From there I went on in the hope of creating a better world virtually. In the physical world, you are an artist, a photographer, a musician, a dancer, and more! How does your background inform and shape your work in Second Life? I am a licensed Kundalini Yoga Instructor. In addition, I am an artist of many mediums. In my early days of Second Life, as a folk vocalist, I performed live around the grid. You can hear my music here: Featherbed by Anu (soundcloud.com) I believe that its all inclusive and ever evolving. As I grow in the physical world, my virtual world is a reflection of that growth. Second Life is my arm that connects both worlds. It allows me to run communities and organize events, teach, make friends and confidants when the time is needed. In Second Life, you have a dance company called Muse. Can you tell us more about your experience founding and managing it, and when and where is the next show? I began dancing in Second Life by hosting a small sacred dance circle. One day I was told by one of my guests that she was wheelchair-bound. The dance circles brought her alive because she could actually move! Sadly she has since left this realm, but it was the seed that fueled my continuum in dance. I manage all shows solely on my own. From set design to streaming music to laying out the choreography, I am a one-woman show. With a multitude of HUDS on my screen, I move people, change sets, and manage the entire production. We have over 40 dancers with Muse Dance from all parts of the globe and as I often say, it takes a village. I am grateful for each dancer who dedicates their time to be a part of the team and visions of Muse Dance. On Sunday 7 May at 9 am SLT Muse Dance will be presenting Mystic India. A dance performance created around the colors of the chakras and culture of the Punjab region of India. Chakras are one of the many lenses through which we view the energetics of the world. Everything from yoga asana, meditation, colors, and how we interact - has a charge behind it. The subtle body, or energetics, are part of our experience of living just like our physical bodies. Join us as we travel the journey of the soul through dance. Mystic India 2023 - Official Trailer: You currently have a destination in Second Life that is a real-life replica of the iconic Taj Mahal. What inspired you to create this, and do you have any plans to expand on it? As my personal life has always been involved in yogic and meditation practices, the culture of India is strong in my heart. Ironically my region Ravenhart was the same theme in 2008, so I have returned full circle 16 years later. Future plans include meditation and tai chi areas, and Swami Café for social connections. The theater of Muse Dance is also located in the same region, so continual dance performances, including but not limited to, cultural, ballet, modern dance, and even some musicals. With the events of our World over the past 10 years, it's important for me to offer everyone regardless of your religious beliefs, a place within Second Life to find your Nirvana. Visit the virtual Taj Mahal in Second Life! How has Second Life impacted your life and what do you enjoy most about being a Resident? I laugh when I say this, but like many, I grew up in Second Life. It allowed me as an artist to expand beyond anything I could have imagined. It's been my canvas. It allowed me to “put smiles on sad faces” as said by Paramahansa Yogananda. There is such joy when I present a dance production or design on my region Ravenhart where others can experience things they may not be able to do in RL. Muse Dance Co. is poetry in motion and I have no intention of stopping as long as I have breath. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. Each dancer of Muse Dance Co. is amazing and continues to be the fuel that keeps me creating. They are all my heroes. Oriolus Oliva from region Verdigris - amazing sim and human. Catherine Nikolaidis for her intricate photography. Jojo Deed who has since left Second Life was the push that got me into blogging. China & Goodies and all the builders that create such beautiful historical work. Ulysses Cabaret, my dearest and oldest friend in Second Life, who was my inspiration in learning how to build. Last but not least, my Second Life partner who is also my physical world husband of 20 years. He is who keeps me going in all worlds. Too many to list but the journey to now has been an amazing ride. Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. Muse Dance: www.musedancesl.com Blog: www.anupapp.com Flickr: Anu Papp | Flickr YouTube: | muse | dance company - YouTube Our cinemaphotographer: Glynola Productions - YouTube Facebook: Anu Papp | Facebook Soundcloud: Stream Anu music | Listen to songs, albums, playlists for free on SoundCloud Watch this mesmerizing video submitted by Anu for her Spotlight feature. It is the official trailer for Anu Papp's original production "State of Grace" choreographed for Muse Dance Co. of Second Life. Video by Glynola Productions Thank you, Anu, for bringing your artistic mind and endeavors to Second Life. Attend Muse Dance Company’s next show, Mystic India, on Sunday, May 7th at 9am PT! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

We have been very pleased to see the response and feedback for last names. Thank you for all the suggestions sent in for future last names through our Last Name Suggestion Form. Today we are celebrating our mermaid community during MerMay with the release of the following mermaid-themed names, only available for a limited time: Mermaid Merrow Seafarer Fishtail The following is a screenshot of the full list of current last names available: We will continue to make additional updates to the available last name pool, so if these options aren’t for you, stay tuned for future updates. You can also continue to suggest your favorite name on our suggestion form, all new names are chosen from there! For more information about the costs and how-tos involved in name changes, read the Changing your username FAQ. Click to change your name now!

The Concierge and Land User Group meeting is a monthly, public meeting for discussion and education on Second Life, useful to both Mainland Residents and Estate owners. Topics include any issues relating to Customer Relations/Support or concerning Land in general (mainland, islands, Linden Homes, estates, auctions, etc.). Join Wendi, Vix, and members of the Land team, on Wednesday at 12pm PT at Linden Estate Services. All are welcome. Keep up to date with all of our user group meetings on our wiki and public calendar.

Today we are shining a spotlight on Yu Zhu (Jamaicasianbaby), a multi-talented Resident with an impressive array of skills, from photography to vlogging to styling, and even landscaping! How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I have been in Second Life since 2011. Actually, I can't quite recall the website where I first saw the ad for Second Life, but I do remember that it immediately caught my interest because I’ve always enjoyed playing life-simulation games, like the Sims, since I was quite young. Your Second Life photos are amazing, do you have a background in photography, and what are some of the tools you use to enhance your images? Thank you, and unfortunately, I do not have any background in photography. I was raised by very traditional, well-intentioned parents who preferred that I attended dental school instead of art school. My late older brother, who passed away in 2020, was actually able to become a photographer/videographer. He was always very skilled with computers and gadgets from a really young age. He was the one who introduced me to the program Adobe Photoshop when I was around 12 years old and he taught me how to select objects in an image to remove the background. When I was under a tremendous amount of pressure during dental school, I was able to use SL photography as an escape and an outlet for some of the frustrations I felt at the time. As much as I hate to admit it, I am sort of a pushover by nature so I found some satisfaction in portraying a more assertive and endearing character through photos of my avatar. My aim when editing snapshots was to enhance the realism of this character and the scenes as much as I could. I started with the old skills that my brother had taught me and I continued to polish those skills, learning mostly by trial and error since I didn’t know of many SL photo editing tutorials at the time. Around 2013 I was introduced to Flickr and that was where I started sharing my work. I soon started blogging and enjoyed it for a few years. This experience pushed me to experiment with different ideas and concepts, which then in turn helped me to further develop my skills with SL photography. After some time I started receiving requests for portraits and store advertisements. In the past, I used to be more active with accepting clients and have done ads for various stores like Addams, Bad Unicorn, Cold Ash, The Forge, and others. I have drastically reduced my client intake since then because my hobby started feeling too much like ‘work’ rather than something fun and creative. In any case, I have no regrets about the experiences as I was able to learn a lot through them and met some really great folks along the way. Recently, my partner upgraded me to a custom gaming pc so I was finally able to start playing around with Black Dragon viewer. After having used Firestorm viewer for years on my laptop, I was blown away by the quality of graphics on Black Dragon and how it’s able to significantly augment the overall aesthetics in Second Life. This viewer definitely helps to enhance images and make them more realistic with less requirement for post-editing of snapshots in Photoshop. It does take some time to become familiar with all of the settings. I am still in the process of learning myself, but I have really grown to enjoy using this viewer to capture my raw images. You have your own YouTube channel, can you tell us how you got into creating videos, what kind of content you focus on, and what are some of the tools you use? I think the moment that triggered the chain of events that led me to start my channel was around the end of 2022, when I logged into SL after a long time and was going through my inventory with an intense feeling of guilt. I couldn't believe the embarrassing amount of unused items that were just sitting in my inventory, some that have not even been unboxed yet. Around this time as well, I was watching various architectural and home decor videos on Youtube because I had just married my SL partner in RL and we were attempting to design our first official home together. I felt spontaneously inspired to attempt a little virtual home tour video with a skybox that I had set up at the time and that was the very first video I uploaded to Youtube. There are so many things I enjoy doing on SL that I personally can’t always capture through a snapshot, like decorating and landscaping. Even when it comes to fashion. I play dress-up with my avatar on a regular basis and I go through tons of outfits that I often don’t get the chance to take pictures of. I take a decent amount of time to edit each image and I have my limits when it comes to tastefully capturing an entire outfit from head to toe in a single photo. I figured videos would be a nice way to showcase many full outfits and pretty much all the rest of the things I like to get into on SL. I wanted to create fun and aesthetically pleasing videos that I could look back on and perhaps others would enjoy watching them as well. So far it has also been a nice way to share in more detail about what I do on SL with my RL friends and family. I guess you can describe my content as 'vlogs' as I focus on the things I do on SL/how I spend my time on SL. The topics range from fashion to creating shapes to landscaping and interior design to photography and photo editing plus more. I use a free screen recorder from ScreenRec.com to capture my scenes. The first video editing program I tried out was Shotcut, which is free and pretty straightforward to use. But then I learned about Filmora shortly after and tried the demo version of it. I had so much fun using this video editor and learning all the features that I went ahead and got the full version. You also co-own the Bamboo destination in Second Life. What inspired it and what can Residents expect when they visit? Bamboo originally started off as a homestead and my private home with my partner, Jin Zhu. We’re both Asians living in the Western part of the world, so we wanted to design our SL home in a way that would represent our traditional cultures. Jin has roots in China, while mine are in Myanmar (a country in Southeast Asia). We wanted to create a home where we could feel nostalgic and relive familiar experiences from our childhoods. As we worked on materializing our vision, our passion quickly grew for this personal project and soon we expanded our homestead to a full sim and made it open to the public on March 18, 2022. Although we are both quite aware of the many unique differences between each Asian country, we can also appreciate the vast similarities that the majority of Asian cultures share. An often humid atmosphere, the rich smell of earth after the rain, the intense singing of insects and wildlife that thrive in lush vegetation, dense forests of ancient bamboo trees, and the sizzling sounds of fragrant foods cooking around street market vendors, are just a few examples of the similarities among Asian countries. Buddhism is also a prevalent religion in most of Asia. In many towns, one can find Buddhist temples and it is common for homes and places of business to have shrines and statues of Buddha. From our own personal recollections, we found that most countries in Asia are also especially similar when it comes to rural landscapes and villages. We pulled inspiration from memories of our travels back to our motherlands in order to create a place on SL that, in our perspective, showcased the essence of a rural far-eastern environment. Visitors may also stumble upon a hidden memorial on our sim that Jin kindly helped me to curate. This memorial was set up to pay tribute to the thousands of heroes that have fallen at the hands of the Myanmar military since 2021 - some as young as 1 year old, some even younger. Not very many are aware of what has been happening in Myanmar as these events have been overshadowed by the major war between Ukraine and Russia. Nevertheless, the crimes that have been committed against humanity are equally abhorrent. We wish to promote awareness of the current events that are still unfolding in Myanmar and the resilience of its civilians in their resistance against a well-established dictatorship. A cruel dictatorship that confiscated and withheld oxygen, medical supplies, and services from civilians during the peak of Covid-19 outbreaks. My own paternal uncle and cousin, who were both residing in Myanmar during this time, were not able to get access to the oxygen they needed and eventually lost their battles with the virus along with thousands of others. I am now constantly worried about losing more loved ones. Those who are resisting the military are mostly young high school students, nurses, doctors, teachers, farmers, and activists among many others. Innocent human beings, most of whom have never seen a weapon in their lives before these events. They are fighting for the freedom to hold onto their dignity and dreams, things that we often take for granted in democratic countries. The only thing that is keeping this current revolution alive is the conviction of those fighting for peace and their hope for a brighter future. The story of Myanmar is full of beauty, inspiration, tragedy, and heartbreak. I sincerely implore anyone who may be curious, to dive into its rich history and learn more about it. Needless to say, our Bamboo sim holds much sentimental value for both me and Jin. It is a space to honor those who stood for peace during their lives and it further serves as a place to nurture and find peace within one’s own current life. This is what Residents can expect if they do decide to visit the Bamboo Destination in Second Life. How has Second Life impacted your life? Perhaps this may be considered taboo for most people to say but I have to admit, Second Life has been more than just ‘a game’ for me. It somehow evolved into something bigger and has integrated into my life where it will forever serve as a historic foundation for the person I am today. When I signed up with the most uncreative username that I could come up with in two seconds, I was not expecting that SL would pretty much change my entire life. Second Life gave me the creative outlet I didn’t really have growing up. Through this platform, I was able to explore my creativity and get through difficult times by being able to express myself in a variety of ways that would not have been possible in reality. 2020 was an especially tough year and with the travel restrictions, it was nice to be able to do things on SL like building places to escape to or taking pictures at beautiful locations that you can get to with the click of a mouse. I usually would never share any of my artwork with anyone I knew in RL but the warmth and encouragement I received from the Second Life community for my work really helped me to start believing in my own creative abilities. I am sincerely grateful to those who have been so kind and supportive to me over the years because it helped me to open up more in RL. My brother was the first person in my life with whom I shared my SL photography and landscaping work and it is now one of my most cherished memories with him. Since his passing, I finally gathered enough courage to share my work with my parents as well. I think many people who have grown up around western culture but under strict traditionalist, Asian parents can relate when I say, opening up to our parents is one of the hardest things to do. I’m pretty sure my parents didn’t understand much of what I was showing them but their acceptance and support for me that day has also become one of my most cherished memories in life. In a way, SL helped me to break many boundaries with my family. Last but not least, I met my now real-life partner in Second Life. I actually already knew about Jin Zhu before we even spoke for the first time in 2018. Dynasty was one of the very first stores I discovered and loved on SL as the items invoked feelings of nostalgia for me and especially because in my early days on SL I did not come across many items with Asian themes. At the time I would have never expected that one day the creator would personally reach out to me, much less that I would end up marrying this amazing, talented, and kind individual. Jin and I were really able to connect and learn about each other through our creative endeavors on Second Life. We were able to talk a great deal and got to know each other while working on different projects and over time, precisely three years of long distance and a lot of traveling later, we both had the profound realization that there could be none more compatible than we were for each other. Jin proposed to me in Jamaica, where I grew up since I was 2 years old, on November 18, 2021. We have been married as of September 28, 2022, and I am now living in a whole new country and have a totally different life than what I could have ever imagined before I signed up to Second Life with a silly username. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. This question is the most difficult to answer as there are many talented and inspiring residents in SL. A few of my favorite stores that I can list off the top of my head, other than Dynasty, of course, are .Shi, BBQQ and [SAU] Motors. The creators behind these stores are all amazing individuals who are always so humble and supportive. I also admire artwork by Petra Messioptra (PM), who is one of the first artists/bloggers that I started following when I joined Flickr in 2013. William Weaver was also a great inspiration to me in my early days on Flickr, but unfortunately, I can no longer find his work on the platform. Some of his videos can still be found on Youtube. I've also enjoyed videos/blogs by Strawberry Singh, which I find to be quite detailed and informative. There are so many amazing residents in SL and I could fill many pages if I were to list them all here. Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. Flickr Youtube Instagram Watch this fantastic video submitted by Yu Zhu for this Spotlight feature. Thank you, Yu Zhu, for sharing your life-changing experiences with us. Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

Today we are shining a spotlight on Soull Starlight, an inclusive Experience Creator in Second Life who has a passion for traveling and creating interactive destinations across mainland. Photography by Caroline Danger How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I've been in Second Life since 2007 and first learned about it from a professor in college, who introduced SL as a community history project. I spent my first few months in SL engaged in research, learning about various communities present at that time, and have been around off and on ever since! You are an Experience Creator in Second Life. Can you tell us more about what that is and how you got into that? When I began curating land in 2019, I was impassioned to first create spaces that were uniquely me and exuded the warmth and coziness that I like my homes to have, as a respite from my travels across the continents. My first home was in Heterocera - after traveling along the mountain road leading to the Great Wall, I discovered a parcel that faced a resident-created Stonehenge and had a beautiful vantage point, purchased it, and settled in. As I continued my travels, I started to find even more parcels with beautiful views, accessible travel points (like roads, waterways, and mountain paths), and interesting Linden landmarks around and created more homes that I soon realized I couldn't inhabit myself as frequently as I'd like. AscendBnB, my travel-based rental company, was born from this. I had too many homes at that point to live in and wanted to share my travel-friendly, fully furnished homes with others. After creating a bunch of homes all around mainland that I felt good about, I started to hone in my ability to create public spaces that evoke a feeling, sentiment, or pure joy. I realized that my passion was in creating and finding spaces that shared an experience of some kind - in my travels, these were the spaces that really stuck with me and kept me coming back, and I wanted to extend that love at interesting places around mainland to further encourage travel. I've created the term 'Experience Creator' as my role because it encapsulates the energy that is felt when you visit one of my spaces. I create and curate to evoke a memory, or thought, or to encourage joy, fun, and freedom. You seem to have an affinity towards mainland as most of your destinations are there. Why is that? I'm an avid SL traveler and spend a lot of my time finding and enjoying engaging spaces in my travels that share a sentiment, a memory, an interest, or just a sense of joy. I deeply appreciate the creativity I find as I traverse the continents, and mainland to me is the best place to discover and explore for as long as I'd like, via publicly accessible spaces. Much like real life, taking a ride, sail, or flight along mainland routes is an adventure, and one that I feel expresses the deepest intent of SL- to allow humans from all parts of the world to live, work, and play in a space they've co-created. The ability to hop in a vehicle and explore the wonderfully varied experiences that you could have on mainland is what keeps me both exploring and creating on the continents, and it's my hope that more people discover and contribute to mainland in a way that keeps exploration and creativity accessible and alive. Can you tell us about some of your current destinations/experiences and what Residents can expect when visiting them? I've now curated a number of experiences that are open to enjoy and find on mainland right now and am excited to share more about them! In Corsica I've created Wonderpark Theme Park with Autumn Yap (and Janessa Westwood Neil with Lifestyle Inc destinations who created a Wonderpark Resort in 2020), featuring over 20 interactive rides and experiences, a water park, a food court, and more. Eatonville Living History Museum, an interactive exhibit featuring culturally-affirming literature that shares the Black experience during the US Reconstruction era, is also located in Corsica, along with a relaxing spa, brewery, fine dining restaurant, and community garden in Corsica South Coast. In Heterocera, you can find Ascension Park, off High Mountain Road with picturesque views from the mountain and a public train that takes you sightseeing across regions, and an adjoining glamping resort with finely appointed tents, hot springs, and an outdoor bar. In Bay City, my Bay City Activity Center allows residents to work out, learn new skills like cooking or painting, take a yoga class, and more! I encourage folks to travel the mainland, check the destination guide to find more of my spaces, or visit https://ascendbnb.live/fun-experiences. Are there any upcoming projects, destinations, or events you are working on that you can tell us about? What can we expect from you in the future? My latest experience is the Dulla Centre Community, located off the Circuit la Corse in Corsica, a live-work-play space where visitors and residents can find creative, restorative, social, and professional spaces to meet, interact, collaborate, and play. The community features a rooftop mini golf area, coworking space, a flower market, breweries, a yoga studio, an eco-conscious coffee shop, and more! it is a project I'm working on with other community builders, artists, and creative contributors. I'm also working with Yukiko Yeshto to plan and build this year's NatureCon 2023, a large-scale nature conference featuring nature creators, organizations, and groups to collectively encourage more exploration and discovery on mainland and in Bellisseria, and am working with Ayame (stable.mum), creator of the Moorcroft Community in Sansara and the Show Society to create a mountain retreat in Heterocera. I'm always open to collaborating with other creatives to add experiences to mainland to inspire, engage, and delight residents! Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. I am deeply inspired by so many creative residents in SL, and the unique experiences, products, and ideas that they bring to the grid. Ayame, Marianne McCann, and Georgina Rowley of the Moorcroft, Bay City, and Seogyeoshire communities have contributed amazingly beautiful builds and experiences for residents of Sansara and Jeogeot, and are always open to sharing what they've learned with others. Latte Bixley of Junk Food brings SO many fun, engaging items that evoke a sense of nostalgia and joy, and inspires me to add that element of interactivity and fun to my builds. Emmalee Evergarden, creator of The Nature Collective and co-creator of the Mainland Community Alliance creates the most inspired landscapes. The content created by Aurora Mercury, TheAriellXO, Ashiko Mi, Jaira Che, and Vrutega is always entertaining and shows how varied SL experiences can be and what sort of things you can find to engage in, visit, chat about, and/or share. There are so many more residents, mentors, and friends who have helped in or inspired my builds and the things I share. I wish I could name them all but I share a deep appreciation for all who add to my SL experience. Watch this video submitted by Soull for her Spotlight feature Video Production by Lozza Weymann Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. To learn more about me, my travels, and the things I contribute to the grid, you can follow me: on my website: https://soulstarlight.life on my Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/soullstarlight.sl on the AscendBnB site: https://ascendbnb.live Thank you, Soul, for adding your creativity to mainland. Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

One day you are in Second Life, minding your own business while you walk through your favorite store when all of the sudden you get a private message from someone with a link to an item on the marketplace. Without thinking about it, and curious what the item might be, you give it a click. The page loads up looking just like the marketplace, except you need to log in so you happily enter your username and password. Next thing you know, your linden dollar balance is suddenly gone, and you can no longer access your account. You just fell victim to a popular scam known as Phishing. Phishing scams are a common form of online fraud that targets unsuspecting individuals by tricking them into revealing their sensitive information. The goal of these scams is to steal your passwords, credit card information, or other personal details. Phishing scams often take the form of emails, or in the case of our example, websites that look identical to the site you are used to browsing. To help protect yourself from these scams, it is important to know how to recognize and avoid them. Fear not though, we have some tips to share on how to keep your online accounts safe from phishing scams: Be wary of unsolicited messages or emails. If you receive a message from an unknown sender, or really even a friend (you never know if their account was compromised), be cautious before clicking on any links. It’s always best to err on the side of caution. Check the website’s URL. Before logging into the website, make sure you’re on a legitimate site. A phishing website will often have a similar looking URL, but with slight variations. Check for spelling errors, or subtle changes in the website’s address. Look for security indicators. Legitimate websites will often have security indicators, such as a padlock icon or “https” in the URL, this indicates that your information is being transmitted securely. If you are not sure if a URL is legitimate, you can always send in a support ticket and ask for clarification. Use strong passwords. A strong password is one that is at least 8 characters long and contains a combination of uppercase and lowercase letters, numbers, and symbols. You should also use a different password for each of your online accounts to reduce the risk of multiple accounts being compromised if one password is stolen. Enable Multi-Factor Authentication (MFA). This will add an extra layer of security to your account by requiring a second form of identification in order to access your account to make account changes. The important thing to remember is to be vigilant. Phishing scams are constantly evolving, so always remember to take a moment, think about what you are going to be clicking on and do not let a sense or urgency rush you to do something until you are certain it is safe to do so. By following these tips, you can reduce your risk of falling victim to a phishing scam and protect your account, and your linden dollars.

Today we are shining a spotlight on KaidenTray, a virtual landscaper in Second Life whose landscaping skills have become renowned for their realistic detail and stunning visual appeal. How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? Officially I have been in Second Life for eight years and seven months. However, I have taken long breaks in between that time. I was brought to Second Life by the recommendation of my real-life friend who told me about all the artistic and unlimited possibilities within the game. You are an award-winning landscape artist. How did you get into landscaping in Second Life and where do you get your inspiration? I have always been interested in art as a type of expression and used to draw when I was younger. When I came to Second Life initially, I explored many sims and was inspired to create different cities and locations from my mind’s eye. I was able to do so with the creative freedom that I was provided. After I completed some of the projects I worked on as practice, word of mouth created my landscaping business. I find heavy inspiration from real-life cities that I become fascinated with, especially those that I would enjoy visiting or living in. The majority of my life has been spent in the United Kingdom, but I am heavily inspired by countries outside of my own, including the United States and Spain. My ability to generate these cities with as much realism and detail as possible allows myself and others to be transported to those areas in a virtual world. What kind of detail do you look for when designing your landscapes and what are your favorite kinds of landscapes to design? I look for small details that can immerse the person into the environment to feel like it is real, such as dirt over a road or slanted trees. It is interesting to me because so many of my clients prefer things to be perfectly aligned, clean, and straight. My mentality is very different. It is these types of imperfections of the real world that make the mind feel you aren’t in a virtual setting. However, my main concern is client satisfaction, so I make sure to provide whatever style they would like. My absolute favorites are forests, woodlands, farms, and rainforests. However, what I adore more than anything are simply landscape challenges. I enjoy expanding my skills as much as possible with complexity. Tell us more about some of the destinations you have designed previously and any current or future projects you are working on. I have completed many destinations over the years, so there are a lot to list. However, my main pride and joys are those that I have opened for Halloween events, such as The Bates Motel (2020), The Freakshow: A Halloween Experience (2021), and Nightmare in New Orleans (2022). Some of the popular destinations that I have completed upon commission are: The Atlantis Pemba Resort, Koyo Kyoto Resort, and the Dare to Bare Nude Beach Community. My main current and future personal projects are my own community/destination that I co-own with my partner, which is Wandering, New York. We are expanding into the second sim, and it is our intention to keep the sims very active with events, performances, and activities. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. I have respect for all of Second Life’s landscapers because it is a unique niche that can often be stressful. I encourage and appreciate all of the art that can be brought into Second Life. There isn’t anyone I can name specifically and, I wouldn’t want to single anyone out from the hard work of others, per se. I can tell you that my favorite location and landscaped work in Second Life is the Elysion Sim. Where can people see your work? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. I have had many clients over the years where my work can be visible, but quite a few of them are on private sims and therefore not available for viewing. However, some of the easily accessible places where my work can be viewed are the following stores and locations: Rosary (Moderate) Canape (Adult) Mila (Moderate) Alme (General) Dare to Bare Nude (Adult) Wandering, New York (Moderate) Facebook Facebook Portfolio Instagram Thank you, Kaiden, for adding realistic beauty to virtual destinations. Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup

We recently made changes to the Marketplace that had some results that our community was not expecting. So we want to clear up confusion about the Marketplace and go over our current and upcoming changes. Recently we made a change to the default sort for merchant stores to "newest first" instead of "relevance." This was done to prevent old or outdated products from being the first thing shoppers see when visiting a merchant store, and we have seen increased sales across the Marketplace as a result. This is just one of the tweaks we have made to the Marketplace and we have plans for further updates in the near future that we hope will continue to improve the Marketplace experience for both shoppers and creators. To clear up some of the confusion around how the Marketplace works and give more insight on how to best use the Marketplace, we have put together some answers to frequently asked questions. When using product search Your product may not be appearing in the same position as it used to in relevance sort for product search for a number of reasons. Titles matter. The title of your product needs to contain the search terms that have been entered into search. How well it sells matters. This looks at the number of sales over a given period of time. Keywords included in the product listing. Keywords need to contain the search terms that have been entered into search. What features you have matters. Features need to contain the search terms that have been entered into search. We have adjusted the weighting of each of these factors with the last search upgrade. This is something we actively monitor and adjust and your product may have ranked higher in relevance under the previous weighting. When viewing a merchant store Relevance sort requires a search term to really function in the way it is intended. When viewing a Marketplace store page or the product search with relevance sort enabled and no search term, you will get unexpected results. Prior to the Marketplace search upgrade, when viewing a merchant store with no search term, relevance sort used to take into account the number of sales of your items over periods of time. So high selling items used to sort to the top even if there was no search term applied. Now when viewing a merchant store with no search term the relevance sort will function the same as best selling sort (not the best selling merchant report). Since best selling only indexes the top 50k best selling items across the entire Marketplace, best selling sort will only look up data from that index. If your items do not fall into the top 50k they will all be ranked the same. This is why your best selling sort may not match your best selling reports. In short, your items will only have a sales rank if they fall into the top 50k. Best selling sort has always functioned this way and has not changed. With that in mind, we are currently working on a change to allow best selling to now index each merchant’s store individually instead of just the top 50k items. This will allow shoppers to see any creator’s best selling items when viewing a store page. We hope this will be a better long-term solution than the previous relevance sort and clearly communicate to shoppers what are the most popular products in a creator’s store. As always, we are also continuing maintenance and have a planned release Monday April 10th to fix a bug impacting merchant product listing enhancements. We have seen good sales results with our current changes and are very excited for our upcoming improvements. As is the industry standard for online marketplaces we will continue to improve and make changes based on our own internal data and community feedback. Our top priority is the best experience for our Marketplace creators and shoppers and we hope these changes will bring us closer to that goal. As always, if you find that Marketplace isn’t working the way you’d expect, please let us know! Happy shopping and selling!

Today we are shining a spotlight on Severus7 XOXO, an open-format DJ who has been wowing Second Life and Twitch audiences with his infectious energy. How long have you been in Second Life and how did you first hear about it? I found Second Life randomly through a YouTube ad while on bedrest from a foot injury I got in a basketball game. Since you can't do much with an injured foot, I was just bored and looking for stuff to do so I clicked the ad and here we are. I have been around for 5 years now! How did you get into DJing in Second Life? About a month in Second Life, I was casually hanging at a club one day and they had job openings for hosts and DJs. At the moment, I had no clue how the whole DJ thing even worked so I put in an app for a host spot. I started hosting for different DJs and working with them triggered my curiosity to dive deeper into the art of DJing. So I started researching and educating myself about the basic stuff. Like what software to use, how to match beats, how to stream music in SL, etc. Eventually, I got the hang of it and ended up applying for the DJ position to give my first and only DJ audition. The DJ manager loved me and I was accepted as a DJ. Since then I just fell in love with DJing more and more and never stopped. I ended up being invited to different events around the grid and slowly became addicted to it. You also stream your sets on Twitch, how did you get into that and what are some of the advantages or challenges of DJing in SL versus Twitch? I had no clue what Twitch was until a friend shared some DJ's stream with me. I was so amazed that the first thought was "Wow...I wanna do that too!". The idea of streaming simultaneously in SL and on Twitch, where virtual people can watch me DJ at the same time was so fascinating that I started researching how to stream and what hardware software I need. Still remember streaming my first DJ set on the study table with a very bad camera at the time lol. Personally, starting out as a DJ on SL gave me a huge advantage on Twitch compared to people who just started from Twitch. I have met so many people that took them more than a month to be Twitch affiliates when they started. Whereas, my channel got affiliated within a week because I was getting good viewership due to my SL following. Twitch has its own advantages too. It has helped me connect and meet with many DJs and music artists outside of SL. You can make a lot of connections through Twitch and I'm blessed to have made some myself. Last but not least, Twitch is definitely another good platform to expand your following and make an extra income. What are your favorite genres of music, and what mood do you usually go for when you DJ? I'm an open format DJ, which means I love exploring and playing all kinds of music, from EDM genres to Hip Hop, and from Heavy Bass and Dubstep, which are my favs, to even kpop as of lately. But my first love will always be Dubstep. It's what I'm mostly known for, which is why my SL DJ group is called 'Severus Seven's Headbangers' cause we definitely love to turn it up, breaking rails and go hard. As far as it concerns my mood, one day you can find me playing some chill House vibes and the next day you will see me throwing down heavy bass and headbanging on my stream. I love to make it a musical journey for my crowd and even mix everything up in a set sometimes cause why not. Which venues do you regularly play at in Second Life and are there any upcoming shows Residents can see you at? I DJ 3 times a week (Wednesday-Friday-Saturday) at a place called "The Dumpster". That is definitely the place to be if you want great music and to party hard. On Saturdays, there's a different themed event, at 8 pm SLT, with amazing giveaways sponsored by some of SL's hottest Brands/Creators for those best in theme. There are some more future events I'll be performing at. One of them that I'm really looking forward to is Smokefest 2! I was the closing DJ at Smokefest and that was an amazing experience so I know the next one is gonna be even better, so I am excited for that and I am sure you will be too! How has Second Life impacted your life? Well, where do I even start? lol. SL has impacted my life in ways nothing else has. I can start with my passion for DJing and performing in front of people. Before SL, I had no clue what a DJ was, no knowledge about any DJ equipment or even EDM in general. I was just a nerdy Mechanical Engineer and then through my experiences, I learned about all these things that I'm doing right now. SL helped me find my calling! A year back I was working for an HVAC company in my city and now SL and Twitch DJing is my full-time job. Because of SL, I don't have to worry about missing my alarms in the morning and sleep whenever I want. Making a living through something I'm passionate about was always my goal growing up. There are many goals that I am working on every day but I am truly blessed in that regard. Besides DJing, I have met so many amazing and talented individuals here. I wouldn't be where I am without my small circle of friends, who have stuck around from day one. These bonds have helped me through thick and thin and I'm forever grateful for it. The best thing I like about SL is you can be whoever you want to be without the influence of any RL social standards. Connecting with people from different sides of the world and accepting each other for who we are is amazing in my opinion. Tell us about some of the other Residents in SL that inspire you and whose work you admire. It's hard to name individuals but I would say a big thank you to the people who I had hosted for when I was basically an SL newbie. All of them plus the people who have collaborated with me over the years inspired me to learn new things and always helped me push past my limits. Most of my inspiration for the way I DJ comes from some RL artists like Excision, Virtual Riot, Subtronics, and Kompany. Also, I get inspired every day by all of SL's creative individuals no matter if they are DJs, bloggers, or creators. I appreciate and get inspired by their art, hard work, dedication, and passion! Where can people follow you to know more about your next shows? Please share links to your sites and social media accounts. You can find all my links here: https://linktr.ee/itsSeverus7 and I do encourage everyone to join my discord community to stay updated about future sets and events and also come hang with us! Thank you Severus7, for the addictive energy you add to the live DJ scene in Second Life! Each of our Spotlight posts features a different Resident to showcase the spectrum of experiences and personalities found in our virtual world. If you have created something inworld that you’re proud of, or have had a deeply meaningful experience that could brighten someone else’s day, please sign up! More info here: https://second.life/spotlight-signup