Second Life: Interview with an insider
This is a recent in-world IM interview I had with Akela Talamasca who blogs for Weblogs, Inc's own Second Life Insider (SLI). Since Second Life is a free software download, an online world that is user-created, and is very much web-based social software and 3D tool, I thought an interview would be very interesting to those who haven't heard of SecondLife or experienced it. Please enjoy, and let me know what you think of the interview. While you're at it, check out SecondLife Insider as well.Ryan Carter: Akela, you blog over at Weblogs, inc's Second Life Insider (SLI), what is that all about?
Akela Talamasca: It's a blog designed solely to cover Second Life, in the same way that WoW Insider solely covers World
of Warcraft. I have a team of bloggers: Caliandris Pendragon, Mast Penguin, and Aimee Weber, who gets a ton of coverage for her own work in SL.
RC: You've got a great team, I enjoy reading everyone at SLI.
AT: Hey, thanks! I read DL Squad everyday!
RC: So, for anyone who hasn't heard, what is Second Life (SL)?
AT: Second Life is an online virtual world, created entirely by its residents. It has a working economy, with thousands of real world dollars being traded for goods every month. Currently, registration for an account is free, but to own land requires a paid monthly account. There are numerous benefits to owning land, including being able to build more objects, own a home, and stream music from your computer. SL is rapidly approaching one million residents, which many predict will occur between October and November.
RC: Why do you think DLS readers might be interested in SL? Is there something for everyone? Programmers, geeks, business people, students, corporations even?
AT: Good question! I'm tempted to just say "Go read Second Life Insider" but yes, there's definitely something here for everyone. Programmers can create scripts using LSL, the Linden Scripting Language. Business people will find a large opportunity here to develop an in-world business and transact real money. We also have many students here [in SL], taking courses in real world colleges and institutions (Like Harvard Law, Penn State, and Bradley University) both in-world and out. The only limit to what can be done in SL is your own imagination. Typically, though, what drives some potential residents away is the initial learning curve. What you'll hear all the time from new users is 'What do I do now?" There is no 'goal' in SL, so this is unlike any other online world you may be familiar with. One of the most interesting things about SL is that whatever you create belongs solely to you; you own the rights. This was demonstrated fairly recently by a resident who created a game called Slingo. He was able to develop it into a Nintendo DS game.RC: Cool, SL makes object creation and ownership very much like blogging, but with 3D objects and property instead of all text.
AT: Yeah, it's crazy.
RC: Speaking of newbies...Are there any tutorials or support areas in SL you recommend for newbies?
AT: Definitely. In-world, I'd recommend a new resident go to the New Citizens, Inc group for help. Hold on, let me do a search...Yeah, it's NCI. Just do a Search for New Citizens in the Groups tab of Search, and they'll pop right up. On the Internet also there are a ton of good resources, and I recommend Gwyneth Llewelyn's work especially.
RC: This illustrates the point that SL has a lot of advantages over first-life (FL). You can't really walk into a brick-and-mortar store and hit search to find out what the best BLANK is. The social-collaboration in SL is priceless.
AT: Exactly, and since starting to blog for SLI, I've gotten many of my articles from residents who write me to say 'hey, look at this!' As you say, the interaction is priceless. I'm also meeting people from around the world; people I might never have gotten to know in [real-life] RL.
RC: Are there any other advantages to SL over real-life (RL) that you can think of?
AT: Hmm... well no, other than the obvious stuff: No getting hungry or sleepy... I'd say the amazing networking opportunities are better, and the fact that there's always something going on somewhere, including live music.
RC: True, I like the fact that you can mentally "turn-off" your real life for a while and have fun in a world that is more customizable and varied than the first one. You can do many things that are impossible for you in real life or too expensive.
AT: Totally! I met someone once who said that they're remodeling their real life house and they're using SL's 3D tools to put it together before committing to anything. It saves time and money!
RC: In SL, you can pretty much be anything and anyone you want, including being in (or starting) your own group, clique, or cult even.
AT: Yes! You have the ability to create groups, and invite anyone to be a member, which is another fun way to organize. I should probably also mention the thriving fashion industry in SL, from which many residents make a comfortable second living.
RC: The learning curve for creating items in SL (clothes, objects, buildings) is nothing like AutoCAD or something similarly intense, so it saves you headaches in that regard as well. It does take some learning, but the curve isn't much harder than say Google SketchUp or Photoshop. A good place to learn about prims (3D primitives) and building techniques in-world is the Ivory Tower Library of Primitives.
AT: That's totally true; and I just did a post on Google SketchUp (Google's free 3D tool) now having the ability to have its models imported into SL (through a third-party script). It is still in the early stages, but it's happening.
RC: I have also seen several other ideas, such as Flickr integration with SL, which also worked well.
AT: Definitely, and the BlogHUD project, wherein you can attach a HUD that allows you to send comments to an
outside blog.
RC: Now that I haven't heard of, I will have to check that out.
AT: Yeah, I just listened to a podcast about it called SecondCast. Snapzilla is another, it's a website to which you can upload the photos you take from SL, much like Flickr.
RC: Are there resources, that a developer could use to jump in and start hacking code? APIs, or anything like that?
AT: Well, the programming side of things is not my forte, but Linden Labs keeps talking about making SL an open-source project, though of course that's going to be a while in development to make it at all safe, and of course there is LSL, the Linden Scripting Language. LSL is already widely-used and is well-documented. There are classes one can take to learn LSL in-world as well.
RC: A lot of people wonder what there is to do in SL, especially those who don't know a thing about programming or scripting. What would you tell them? Do you just walk around all the time, or are there things that you can do that are more interesting?
AT: There's always something to do, but there's definitely a little bit of effort required to seek it out.
RC: The search features in SL make finding things easy, but I suppose figuring out which events you will enjoy is another thing. What are some examples of your favorite things to do in SL?
AT: There's dancing in clubs; live music streams; there's game playing and gambling; you can take building classes; a ton of sightseeing, of course... my favorite things to do are to go to the Shelter and play some of the fun games there like Payment Podium, which is like "Who Wants to be a Millionaire", and Second Fortune, which is like "Wheel of Fortune." I'd have to say, though, that is what has kept me coming back is the social aspect, just meeting and talking with people from all different sections of life.
RC: How do you connect with other players in the game? Is it as easy as searching for someone?
AT: It can be... but the best way is just to wander around and talk to people who seem interesting, or to do a search for a group that's interested in the same things you are and get to know people that way. Residents as a whole don't usually care to be pinged out of the blue by people they don't know.
RC: That is understandable, however, everyone I have met has been more than helpful. There seems to be a general goodwill here in SL, especially to newbies.
AT: That's definitely true, though I've found that the level of help varies, depending on where you go.
RC: The Shelter is particularly good for those just starting out in SL, wouldn't you say?
AT: Yes, newbies are welcome in the Shelter... there's even a adjoining teleporter that connects the Shelter with a Welcome Area, which is where most newbies first start out. I think everyone remembers what it's like to be new, and want to help new people transition smoothly; it can be confusing.
RC: Since the shelter is a newbie hang-out, most of the regulars don't mind helping out at least a little bit.
AT: Totally; they're a great bunch of folks!
RC: I understand you are having your first SLI contest, right?
AT: We're getting a lot of comments (entries) now for our first contest, yes. As mentioned, SL is coming up on their one millionth user. SLI is running a contest where the resident who predicts a date and time closest to the actual registration of the millionth user will win some cool prizes.
RC: Sweet, are there any specific requirements to win?
AT: The only real requirement is that the winner be an actual SL resident, with a live account; we'll be notifying them by IM (in-world). Technically, even a Linden could win if they entered!
RC: Speaking of, who are these mysterious figures known as Lindens?
AT: 'Linden' is the surname of the employees of Linden Labs, the creators and hosts of SL. When you see someone in-world with a last name of 'Linden', you know they work for Linden Labs. People get excited when they have a 'Linden Sighting.' They're rare, mysterious creatures!
RC: Much like seeing Batman or Bill Gates on the street for a geek right?
AT: Pretty much. In the same way, there are people who have a lot of criticism and ill-will towards the Lindens, i.e. Lindens are always blamed for when things go wrong, but rarely praised for when things go right.
RC: See, it is like Bill Gates.
AT: (laughs) Exactly! I don't think I've ever heard of a Linden being attacked, but it's bound to happen sooner or later, even with the Terms of Service (that forbids such behavior).
RC: Does all the hostility have anything to do with Second Life security and database breaches lately?
AT: Yes, though that's merely more of the same kind of thing that SL residents have experienced before. A lot of times, it's more to do with LL's policies regarding infractions of the TOS, like personal spamming, griefing, etc. People think that the Lindens aren't taking enough of a stand on this issue, or are too hard-line on that issue, or simply absent altogether
RC: Now to change the subject, I know you must get this all the time, but where did you get your "wolfie" avatar? Did you create your characters unique appearance? It looks rather hard to do. Is it?
AT: It sounds difficult, but as with anything, the more you do something, the more you get used to it. This avatar, however, was bought from Jakkal Dingo, of The Werehouse. I interviewed her recently. I knew from day one what I wanted to be, and it took a long time to be able to save up for this avatar.
RC: It is one of the most unique I have seen anywhere.
AT: I love this av (avatar), but I'm definitely tempted by Jakkal Dingo's other creations.
RC: So you're a "wolfie" in SL, referred to as a "furry" avatar by some. What exactly is a "furry?"
AT: Well, that's a topic of some debate, but a facile description is 'A Furry is anyone who identifies as a human/animal hybrid.'
RC: Cool and...weird.
AT: For instance, many see me as a Furry, though I don't personally identify myself as one. There are Furry enclaves all over SL, one of the most famous being Luskwood, where Furry avatars are sold. FurNation is another such enclave. In my experience, Furries are fun and friendly and generally don't shun non-Furries.
RC: The first time I met you, I wasn't sure if you were just going to gobble me up or not. Your wolf-like appearance is quite intimidating at first glance.
AT: hahaha. Sooner or later, you'll get a furry av (avatar). Everyone does and it's fun!
RC: Like the borg, is it? You know, "don't fight the feeling, you know you want to?"
AT: Yes. You will be assimilated into the Big Furball.
RC: One of these days, I'll learn to script myself into a big walking pancake or something...in my spare time.
AT: Wow, that would be something to see. I swear, just when I think I've seen it all, someone comes along to surprise me. I hope that continues.
RC: Me too. So, if this all sounds enticing to them, how can DLS readers get started in SL?
AT: Just go to www.secondlife.com, download the application and create an account (it's free)!
RC: Ahh yes, "download"...that is sweet music to my decidedly non-furry ears. Akela, one last thing...would you mind howling for us? Nice.
P.S. Second Life is available for Windows, Mac, and even a Linux client (currently in Alpha).
