Interview

Second Life Retrospective – Interview From Past Members No. 4 Bluegum Lunasea

Why did you originally start in SL and did you have any specific goals or hopes for your experience?

I originally started in SL out of curiosity. It was a free download at a time when “free-to-play” was a rarity and games were expensive.

Were you role playing a character or was your avatar the real you?

A bit of both. My avatar has never looked like me – he’s way more handsome. I added some cat-ears to my avatar after a little while just to be a bit different from the cookie-cutter hordes but I didn’t consciously adopt a different persona.

Looking back now, do you think there was another reason you went in and stayed as long as you did?

Not really. Because there wasn’t an ongoing cost to stay in, there also wasn’t an imperative to get out if I wasn’t getting my money’s worth.

How did SL help you?

I met a few interesting people who helped me with Photoshop.

Did SL harm you in any way, if so how?

It could be a bit of a time waster that lead to a few late nights but that’s all.

What was the best experience you had?» View author and full post…

Second Life Retrospective – Interviews from Past Members No.3 Bella Gutierrez.

I had originally thought I might not share this interview as Bella is still sometimes in SL. Had this been an anonymous posting I might have stuck with that decision. I am trying not to censor these in any way and as I thought about it, I find it interesting that she considers herself as having left SL. Her character that she played is clearly no longer at the table but she (the person behind the avatar) still checks in at times.

Recently the subject of people who leave, some even faking their RL death, or an illness, only to come back as some other avatar has come up. I find it interesting again, that people do that. Some are involved in scandal, some have other reasons, but to do so would mean they would most likely not be involved with the same people. I recently discovered someone I know, who has been away, has returned, removed all trace of her past “qualifications” and replaced them with new ones. Again, interesting. So here is Bella’s interview:

Why did you originally start in SL and did you have any specific goals or hopes for your experience?

I started in 2007 and I didn’t have any goals or hopes i was just curious about Second Life and wanted to see what it was about.» View author and full post…

Second Life Retrospective – Interviews From Past Members No.2 Anonymous Male.

Why did you originally start in SL and did you have any specific goals or hopes for your experience?

I was dragged to SL by a friend from a chat room, and my 1st impression was not extremely good. I must say it was in 2006, and SL had nothing to do then with what it does now. Avatars were simply ugly, the possibilities were very limited, and most people were very “on guard”. I had no specific goals then, and I just gave it a try out of curiosity.

Were you role playing a character or was your avatar the real you?

I was not, I never was, role playing a character in the sense of being a neko, some vampire, an animal or whatever. My avatar has always been “human” in all aspects, and a male, like me. Now, as to say if my avatar was the real me, I am not sure how this could be achieved. After SL made some improvements, I must say my avatar was a bit like me when I was 25. OK, a bit more handsome lol.

Looking back now, do you think there was another reason you went in and stayed as long as you did?» View author and full post…

Second Life Retrospective – Interviews from Past Members. Colby Pevensey.

We have all heard the rumours, we have all been part of the discussions about the cliques, about the nastiness, the scheming . . . but there is not always proof and often those who dare to raise the question, or dare to take on established personalities … pay for it. Being as Second Life is a choice we make on how to spend our time, most are not willing to draw the same lines in the sand that they might in the real world. We look the other way and mind our own business and hope to move through our virtual reality without a target on our back. You play the game the way it is played or don’t play at all.

Most public squabbles are played out with a flurry of “he said, she said” without any real view of the outcome or the real truth. Many squabbles are played out quietly and wiser people choose to minimize the damage by keeping their mouths shut.

So what is the truth of Second Life and the time and experience here?? Clearly every person will have a different interpretation of that, and somewhere, in the collective gathering of all of those summations, lies the answer.» View author and full post…

Exclusive Interview with the Flatterbot Scam Artist

The Mind Behind the Scam

To many in SL, the scenario is frustratingly familiar.

You TP to a new location, usually a shop, and immediately your IM box is flashing. A woman, having complimented you on your wonderful avatar, is spinning a yarn that has it all: anger, betrayal, heartbreak, jealousy and Linden poverty. Eventually, you must choose between putting your hand in your pocket and helping this poor waif get back on her feet, or brushing yourself down and walking on.

Of course, there is no woman. You’ve been speaking to a bot that churns out a scripted sob story. And if you did put your hand in your pocket, you’ve just been scammed.

These bots have become the plague of SL. Signs have been put up warning about them, notices flash up in local chat exhorting the public to be aware of their wiles, and whole blogs have been started, dedicated to tracking down these bots and the person or persons controlling them.

Now, Every Second Man brings you an exclusive interview with the person that claims to be behind this entire operation. Speaking to ESM using the bot Nanyea, an insight is provided both into the workings of the scam and mindset behind it.