Kate Amdahl

Adding to the questions, for me, is my own behavior with wings. I adopted wings and wore one pair or another out of the dozens and dozens I own constantly since very early in my Second Life until fairly recently. Now I wear them sometimes, and sometimes not. I used to wonder why everyone didn't wear wings: they embody the freedom of flight, personal power and joy! Now I seem to be more interested in making sure I don't accidentally whack people with them. I don't feel any less joy in my Second Life existence, and I don't think it's even changed very much, but I have to wonder what is changing my attitude toward wings.

In another discussion, Vanilla Sunsets said this: "Back when SL started the residents wanted their world to be as different for RL as it could be. Remember we all had fantastic pink and purple prim hair...? We created things that were literally out of this world (all we had were basic prims). The possibilities were endless! Today we want SL to be a very realistic world, as much as RL as it can be." What do you think about that? Have we gotten more realistic? If so, why? Were the early days of Second Life populated more by cutitng-edge experimental people? Or did we always want as much realism as possible and are just grabbing it as technologies like Windlight and mesh and so on made it more possible? The Lindens always seem to have imagined that Second Life was for wild experimentation with reality, but most resis I meet -- including me! -- seem more interested in mostly-realistic experiences: houses and beaches, surfing, sailing, vehicles, dance clubs, beautiful clothes, flirting, socializing, sex, conversation, and all the rest. Many of our houses have bathrooms and kitchens, for instance, which are not really useful in Second Life except for role play and to provide a little variety in our environments.

Vanilla, that was an interesting point about going from wilder imaginative things years ago to a more realistic world now. I'm going to go start a discussion about that, because there are all kinds of possible explanations, and I'm curious. ^^^\ Kate /^^^

Phil, did you start this thread in the interest of having a conversation and everyone broadening their understanding, or to have an opportunity to shout down and insult people who disagree with you? I haven't spent much time in these forums in the past, though I've been enthusiastic about Second Life for a decade now, and posts like your most recent one make me rethink participating at all. I'm interested in your point of view. There are a lot of things you've said that I wouldn't agree with, but it's worth hearing the perspective of "Hey, you can get around and talk pretty easily; people make too much out of all the other stuff." That's not my point of view, but that's exactly why it's interesting. What isn't interesting is rude commentary about Theresa, who has been spirited but not unkind, and who has done a really good job of explaining the other perspective, the one you don't have and might learn from. If you want to have a real conversation, please don't debate every point that doesn't reflect your precise thinking: just add what you have to add and trust that we're listening. If you just want to try to win the thread with bluster and prejudice, then, ugh, either you can go someplace else or I will. I'm not sticking around for that. I don't expect this message to do any good, because I don't think you're here to share ideas or learn anything, but I hope you show me up and prove I've underestimated you. ^^^\ Kate /^^^ kateamdahl.wordpress.com

Theresa, I think your examples do a great job of answering the question Phil brought up, even down to the first thing someone might want to do in Second Life (though someone should tell that guy he needs to learn to walk before he tries to run!). Phil, I agree that if all you want to do is walk around and talk to people in whatever places you happen to stumble on, using a default avatar, that it's not hard to learn how to do those things. I just don't think people are satisfied with just those things for very long, though. Second Life seems to me to be set up for people who are willing and able to use very technical interfaces to do very not-technical things. Calling something an "alpha" makes perfect sense if you're creating textures, but next to no sense if you're just trying to use them. There's no easy way to identify things that are incompatible or incomplete. Doing human things like dancing and kissing and shaking hands and putting on clothes requires a bunch of extra knowledge. I think that sooner or later someone will come up with a virtual reality that has most of Second Life's advantages but is designed to be easy to use, even though it will still have to have a lot more features hidden away for advanced users. Maybe one of the new virtual worlds coming up is like this already. Right now, though, using Second Life is like using the Internet used to be before the World Wide Web (yes, I'm a forty-something): hard to understand, irritating to fail at, and not something most people want to bother with. ^^^\ Kate /^^^ kateamdahl.wordpress.com

(moving this discussion here from where I originally tried it off in Art and Music) I'm hoping to hire a DJ for my upcoming combination-housewarming-and-10th-rez-day party, but I haven't had much luck finding information to compare. I was hoping there would be a common place online where DJ's advertised their services, maybe with sample playlists, but I haven't found one so far. I'm looking for someone who can spin a couple of hours of alternative and classic rock (and not hard rock, metal, blues, or pop). Any suggestions? Are there any listings out there I could look at? If you're a DJ and think you might be a good fit, definitely say something. Thank you! ^^^\ Kate /^^^

Thanks Rolig: I'll try that!

Thanks, Alwin. That would be a fun and smart way to do it, but unfortunately I won't have very much time in Second Life between now and when I hope to have the party, so it may not be possible. I'll try if I have enough time, though!

I'm hoping to hire a DJ for my upcoming combination-housewarming-and-10th-rez-day party, but I haven't had much luck finding information to compare. I was hoping there would be a common place online where DJ's advertised their services, maybe with sample playlists, but I haven't found one so far. I'm looking for someone who can spin a couple of hours of alternative and classic rock (and not really hard rock, blues, or pop). Any suggestions? Are there any listings out there I could look at? If you're a DJ and think you might be a good fit, definitely say something. Thank you! ^^^\ Kate /^^^ PS - I think it's hysterical that the forum is labelling me "New Resident" :)