Setting up a blog is easy. Very easy. It's so easy that some individuals end up creating more blogs than actual blog postings. That being said, it is no surprise that the number of Second Life-related blogs appears to outnumber the number of residents who actually inhabit the virtual world.
Here's a wonderful quote from an article by Bruce Arnold of Caslon Analytics:
"Several studies indicate that most blogs are abandoned soon after creation (with 60% to 80% abandoned within one month, depending on whose figures you choose to believe) and that few are regularly updated.
"The 'average blog' thus has the lifespan of a fruit-fly. One cruel reader of this page commented that the average blog also has the intelligence of a fly."
Keeping up with Second Life activities via the blogs is now impossible. And my that I mean no-one can read and comment on these unless that is their life's work. The problem is that the proliferation of information has created an unfeasible amount of choice. In the world of data, there really is such a thing as "too much!"
Barry Schwarz wrote The Paradox of Choice: Why More Is Less back in 2004, but it is as true today as it was then. He uses the phrase "the tyranny of choice" to describe the phenomenon whereby too many options creates anxiety and paralysis: We can't decide.
The ease of creating a blog is now being paralleled by the ease of creating an online magazine. Sites such as Issuu and Scribd make is relatively simple to become your own publisher, an opportunity not lost on some Second Life residents.
For freelancers such as yours truly, there is now another paradox of choice: for which should I be aiming to write? And how much time could/should I spend researching this?
Clearly I want those that (a) pay well, (b) are read by many, and (c) suit my writing desires. The potential for longevity is probably also important - although if someones goes out of business, as long as they have paid my bill for the most recent article I guess I needn't worry. Mercenary, but true.
With so many choices of reading material for the Second Life resident, how can anyone make a decision on how to spend their time? And more importantly, how much time does anyone have to do this?
So what to do, what to so? So many choices, so little time. Sigh.
Jan 17, 2009
Learning to Take Pictures With Seikatsu Koba
I tell people repeatedly that I am not a photographer. I pretty convinced that my photography gene is recessive, if not completely excised from my DNA. Yet in my role as wandering hack, I often have to provide some visual support to my text. I could, of course, hire a real photographer, but that then eats into my profits. So I spend a little more time trying to get good pictures.
With the fashion pieces, it's fairly common for me to actually buy things and wear them before commenting on them. For illustration, I can either take pics of the items in the store or of me wearing them. Doubtless the latter option panders to my not-so-unconscious narcissism, but its also a good use of me as a resource - a sort of movable clothes hanger.
So to improve my skills, I asked my friend and photographer extraordinaire, Seikatsu Koba, where I could get so simple pose balls for modeling (yeah, I hear you snickering; "Oh, see, there goes Siggy wanting to be a model after all.) Instead, she gave me an afternoon of free tutoring in how to take a picture.
What she really wanted me to learn was how to angle my camera and manipulate light. And the latter was an eye-opening for me. I didn't realise that I could change the settings of the world so as to capitalize on different lighting possibilities. Using the "Environment Editor in the "World" settings, I could select from a whole list of preset lighting settings, and even manipulate within them. You do this my moving the sun!
The results of the tutorial are on my Flickr site as Seik's Tutorial. If you want to see some of the ways on which I learned how to manipulate angles and light, click the link to go take a peek.
Jan 16, 2009
Alphamale Article Published
After spending far too much on clothing from Alphamale, I did what any other Second Life hack would do - make up a story. In the world of fashion, the cool thing is that you don't have to make too many things up provided (a) the stuff is good and (b) you can take some photos. I suppose I could have tried to get a return-on-investment by entering the Alphamale Search competition - but I couldn't work up the enthusiasm.
So just before Christmas, I got myself into "Male Model Mode" and spent an hour looking at my oiled, muscular body in the mirror before having sex with my own alt. Just kidding... it was only half an hour.
I did spend some time at a snow-covered romantic log cabin on a wintery sim, which gave me the opportunity to wear a number of sweater-and-coat-based outfits and the opportunity to spend time with a rather attractive blonde avatar who shall remain nameless, enigmatic, and add a sense of mystery to this piece.
Four of the outfits can be seen on my Flickr pages - a resource I have had for many months but haven't used for the same amount of time. This year I'm going to try to add some of the fashion pics from the articles I write. Either that or steal some from someone else.
The article and pictures are now available in this month's edition of FreeLife Magazine (Issue 32), which is also a collector's edition. After this issue, FreeLife will no longer be available as a PDF magazine but a web-based blog, which I sort of like. For the time being, it'll still be update once or twice a month, but hopefully at a later stage the editors will allow me the luxury of daily blogging - sort of like what I do hear but (a) on fashion and (b) for money. My blogs are free, but anything else I write has a price tag ;)
I'm thinking of writing a "shoe-off" between the ankle boots from Bax Coen and Stiletto Moody. I love the Coen boots (hi Miss Bonde!) but the Moody's look pretty damn cool too. Lucky I'm a guy and don't have to make a choice - because I wouldn't make a choice; I'd buy both.
Check out the Alphamale piece, even of you're not a dude - maybe you can take your guy shopping!
So just before Christmas, I got myself into "Male Model Mode" and spent an hour looking at my oiled, muscular body in the mirror before having sex with my own alt. Just kidding... it was only half an hour.
I did spend some time at a snow-covered romantic log cabin on a wintery sim, which gave me the opportunity to wear a number of sweater-and-coat-based outfits and the opportunity to spend time with a rather attractive blonde avatar who shall remain nameless, enigmatic, and add a sense of mystery to this piece.
Four of the outfits can be seen on my Flickr pages - a resource I have had for many months but haven't used for the same amount of time. This year I'm going to try to add some of the fashion pics from the articles I write. Either that or steal some from someone else.
The article and pictures are now available in this month's edition of FreeLife Magazine (Issue 32), which is also a collector's edition. After this issue, FreeLife will no longer be available as a PDF magazine but a web-based blog, which I sort of like. For the time being, it'll still be update once or twice a month, but hopefully at a later stage the editors will allow me the luxury of daily blogging - sort of like what I do hear but (a) on fashion and (b) for money. My blogs are free, but anything else I write has a price tag ;)
I'm thinking of writing a "shoe-off" between the ankle boots from Bax Coen and Stiletto Moody. I love the Coen boots (hi Miss Bonde!) but the Moody's look pretty damn cool too. Lucky I'm a guy and don't have to make a choice - because I wouldn't make a choice; I'd buy both.
Check out the Alphamale piece, even of you're not a dude - maybe you can take your guy shopping!
Seven Reasons Why Prim Babies Are Better Than Real Babies
I don't understand why people have prim babies. Mind you, I don't understand why real people have real babies. Sure, I know HOW - but not WHY. And of all the real-life behaviors to carry over into Second Life, having babies strikes me as one of the lower priority ones.
However, if there's one thing, I can't stand it's intolerance. Oh, and someone using a preposition to end a sentence with. So I sat down with a large cup of tea, a medium-sized pencil, and a small doll with a removable head, and wrote down the seven top reasons why prim babies are better than real ones.
7. Short pregnancy. None of this nine-months of looking like a small planetoid shit, but a six-eight week gestation period and - plop! - there it is.
6. Pain free. I'm sure that for most women in real life, there's nothing more satisfying than feeling every little kick, each retching stomach, and every insertion of the needle during the post-birth episiotomy. But in Second Life, you can get by with second best and skip the pleasure of pain
However, if there's one thing, I can't stand it's intolerance. Oh, and someone using a preposition to end a sentence with. So I sat down with a large cup of tea, a medium-sized pencil, and a small doll with a removable head, and wrote down the seven top reasons why prim babies are better than real ones.
7. Short pregnancy. None of this nine-months of looking like a small planetoid shit, but a six-eight week gestation period and - plop! - there it is.
6. Pain free. I'm sure that for most women in real life, there's nothing more satisfying than feeling every little kick, each retching stomach, and every insertion of the needle during the post-birth episiotomy. But in Second Life, you can get by with second best and skip the pleasure of pain
5. Choice of gender - or even species. Misogynists and misandrists alike can avoid the need for abortion if the fetus turns out to be the wrong sex. No need to suffocate girls or dump baby boys on Mt. Tayegatus.
4. Optional skins and faces. Many real babies have faces that look like a deformed toad sucking a lemon. Of course, social etiquette demands we should make no mention of this, avoid throwing up, and not suggest the name of a good plastic surgeon. With primmy babies, your little bundle of joy can be as pretty as you can afford.
3. De-scriptable. Although primmy babies make demands of their parents, such behavior is scripted and a right click will let you go in and rip out the little squawker's programing for good. Less risk of child abuse. With a real life baby, you have to use duct tape to keep them quiet.
2. They fit nicely in your inventory. In RL, there are times you want to pawn your brat off with someone else or flush it down a toilet. Doing the latter is typically frowned upon so is rarely a recommended option. However, as SL babies are cute little bundles of prims, they can be treated like any other object and popped back in the inventory any time you like. Sweet!
1. De-rezzable. For most of we real parents, having to wait 20+ years to get the little horrors off our hands, out of our houses, and away from our bank accounts, is a soul-destroying, morale-crushing brutal slog that makes us yearn for death or a lobotomy. But primmy babies can be dropped in the trash can without suffering the wrath of child services or an expensive law suit.
It would seem that neither the drugs nor the sensitivity training is working out for me.
Jan 15, 2009
Media Merger in Second Life: SL Enquirer and Toll Entertainment
In an exclusive interview with Tammy Toll, the owner of the Toll Entertainment empire, she revealed that she and Lanai Jarrico, proprietor of the SL Enquirer, have merged to form Spotlight Entertainment. Although the individual businesses will continue as before, Toll and Jarrico will join forces to marker and promote musicians in Second Life.
With SL Enquirer's press penetration and Toll's expertise in streaming audio and event planning, the aim is to provide residents with more opportunities to enjoy live music from the many artistes now playing in-world.The partnership will officially start next week and more details of Spotlight Entertainment will be forthcoming.
Jan 14, 2009
Sixteen Random Facts About Siggy You May Not Know
A serendipitous virtual encounter with Moggs Oceanlane ended in my adding her blog to my list of "places to visit when I'm feeling like avoiding real work." She issued a Plurk challenge to "Post your RL pic and 16 random facts about your person."
Well, an appeal to my ego always works simply because;
1. I am far more shallow than I may seem. The concept of "depth" doesn't apply. If I appear to be deep in thought about, say, the vicissitudes of the Manichean heresy against the backdrop of postmodern revisionism, I'm actually more likely to be thinking of large breasted women. Naked.
Having addressed the first random fact, here are the rest:
2. I firmly believe that shit happens; that shit happens all the time; that shit happens to everyone; and that shit always happens with a vengeance. This is so true that when anyone asks you any question, simply answering with the word "shit" is going to work 99% of the time. (Q: "Hey, Sig, how are you feeling" A: "Shit.")
3. I'm absolutely sure that Chaos is the natural order of things. This is a corollary of 2, and the only way to explain the perversity of the universe. In a vain, pointless attempt to dissuade us from committing suicide, Mother Nature ensured that our brains are wired to assume that there is order and purpose in our existence. This, however, is shit. Order and purpose are pure illusions - only there to stop us from (a) realizing that life is meaningless and (b) sticking our heads down toilets and repeatedly flushing until we drown.
4. I always buy belts so they fasten on the third hole.
5. I prefer the window seat on a plane. That way if there is an horrendous crash, I can at least see it rather than sit wondering what the fuck is happening.
6. Like all men, I am driven by the desire for three things: Sex, Food, and Money. And money is just a way of getting to food and sex. And I'd rather have sex than steak.
7. My cute British accent is only cute if you are not British. Otherwise I don't actually have an accent.
8. I have taken a piss out of the door of a moving locomotive while traveling at 70 miles per hour. I'm not necessarily proud of that but I was (a) drunk, (b) young, and (c) unable to find sex, food, or money on the train.
9. My "stripper name" would be Candy Levant. For those who don't know, your stripper name is (a) the name of your first pet and (b) the name of the first street on which you lived.
10. I have been officially reprimanded by guards at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Prado Museum in Madrid, and the South Australian Museum in Adelaide; each time for nothing worse than trying to take photos. I failed to get ejected from the National Palace Museum in Taipei so my "Bad Boy of Culture" status is waning.
11. I actually helped oust the Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian by taking part in a protest in 2006. This wasn't a political choice but I wanted the cool T-shirt the people were all wearing, and once I'd bought the shirt, people came up to me, shaking my hand, hugging me, and taking pictures! Once I was recognized as "an international protester" supporting the People, I couldn't just walk away so ended up on the front line waving my fist with all the other protesters. I still have the cool T-shirt but Chen Shui-ban doesn't have his job.
12. When I was 14-years-old, I made money at my old school by selling pornography from the Tuck Shop. It was an all-boys Catholic Grammar School (those who went to such an establishment know what I mean) and so there was a demand for porn that I felt I could meet. A friend would steal the porn from a newsagents and I would then sell it. Capitalism at its finest, I think.
13. My three favorite books are The Metamorphoses by Ovid, Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, and The Magus by John Fowles. I have many other "favorites" but these are the ones I re-read at least annually. I actually travel with Ovid (the title of my yet-to-be-written book - Traveling With Ovid.)
14. When terrorists crashed into the twin towers on September 11th, 2001, I was stranded in South Beach, Miami, FL. Stranded. I had to stay there for three days, trapped by the beach, stuck in the bars, and forced to eat out at expensive restaurants. Shit happens - but sometimes your shit isn't as bad as other people's shit.
15. I can go from being outrageously arrogant to irritatingly depressed. This, of course, is fairly normal for human beings but I mention it because I like to feel normal.
16. My favorite fruit is the banana. It looks good, tastes good, and has a really really cool name. In fact, I suspect banana is one of my favorite words. Well, that and sex, food, and money.
So there you have it: Sixteen glimpses into the soul of an avatar. Now go away and make your own list and remember to send me the link. Hey, I'll show you mine if you show me yours!
Well, an appeal to my ego always works simply because;
1. I am far more shallow than I may seem. The concept of "depth" doesn't apply. If I appear to be deep in thought about, say, the vicissitudes of the Manichean heresy against the backdrop of postmodern revisionism, I'm actually more likely to be thinking of large breasted women. Naked.
Having addressed the first random fact, here are the rest:
2. I firmly believe that shit happens; that shit happens all the time; that shit happens to everyone; and that shit always happens with a vengeance. This is so true that when anyone asks you any question, simply answering with the word "shit" is going to work 99% of the time. (Q: "Hey, Sig, how are you feeling" A: "Shit.")
3. I'm absolutely sure that Chaos is the natural order of things. This is a corollary of 2, and the only way to explain the perversity of the universe. In a vain, pointless attempt to dissuade us from committing suicide, Mother Nature ensured that our brains are wired to assume that there is order and purpose in our existence. This, however, is shit. Order and purpose are pure illusions - only there to stop us from (a) realizing that life is meaningless and (b) sticking our heads down toilets and repeatedly flushing until we drown.
4. I always buy belts so they fasten on the third hole.
5. I prefer the window seat on a plane. That way if there is an horrendous crash, I can at least see it rather than sit wondering what the fuck is happening.
6. Like all men, I am driven by the desire for three things: Sex, Food, and Money. And money is just a way of getting to food and sex. And I'd rather have sex than steak.
7. My cute British accent is only cute if you are not British. Otherwise I don't actually have an accent.
8. I have taken a piss out of the door of a moving locomotive while traveling at 70 miles per hour. I'm not necessarily proud of that but I was (a) drunk, (b) young, and (c) unable to find sex, food, or money on the train.
9. My "stripper name" would be Candy Levant. For those who don't know, your stripper name is (a) the name of your first pet and (b) the name of the first street on which you lived.
10. I have been officially reprimanded by guards at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art, the Prado Museum in Madrid, and the South Australian Museum in Adelaide; each time for nothing worse than trying to take photos. I failed to get ejected from the National Palace Museum in Taipei so my "Bad Boy of Culture" status is waning.
11. I actually helped oust the Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian by taking part in a protest in 2006. This wasn't a political choice but I wanted the cool T-shirt the people were all wearing, and once I'd bought the shirt, people came up to me, shaking my hand, hugging me, and taking pictures! Once I was recognized as "an international protester" supporting the People, I couldn't just walk away so ended up on the front line waving my fist with all the other protesters. I still have the cool T-shirt but Chen Shui-ban doesn't have his job.
12. When I was 14-years-old, I made money at my old school by selling pornography from the Tuck Shop. It was an all-boys Catholic Grammar School (those who went to such an establishment know what I mean) and so there was a demand for porn that I felt I could meet. A friend would steal the porn from a newsagents and I would then sell it. Capitalism at its finest, I think.
13. My three favorite books are The Metamorphoses by Ovid, Zorba the Greek by Nikos Kazantzakis, and The Magus by John Fowles. I have many other "favorites" but these are the ones I re-read at least annually. I actually travel with Ovid (the title of my yet-to-be-written book - Traveling With Ovid.)
14. When terrorists crashed into the twin towers on September 11th, 2001, I was stranded in South Beach, Miami, FL. Stranded. I had to stay there for three days, trapped by the beach, stuck in the bars, and forced to eat out at expensive restaurants. Shit happens - but sometimes your shit isn't as bad as other people's shit.
15. I can go from being outrageously arrogant to irritatingly depressed. This, of course, is fairly normal for human beings but I mention it because I like to feel normal.
16. My favorite fruit is the banana. It looks good, tastes good, and has a really really cool name. In fact, I suspect banana is one of my favorite words. Well, that and sex, food, and money.
So there you have it: Sixteen glimpses into the soul of an avatar. Now go away and make your own list and remember to send me the link. Hey, I'll show you mine if you show me yours!
Jan 12, 2009
Another Dormant Second Life Press Organ?
The glossy Second Life-orientated magazine, Altamoda, appears to be taking a rest. The last issue of the Ewing Fashion Agency's glam mag appeared in July 2008, with editor Sienna Fredriksson signing off her editorial with "see you again in one month." She didn't say which month was the one though.
SLNN is still exactly as it was two months ago and no reply has yet arrived from editor, Garret Bakalava. The Metaverse Tribune is still very quiet, with just the automatic feeds changing on a daily basis. I know the Trib is potentially still a player because I was offered the editorship and am still wondering whether or not I can do it. Still, I did get an article in there on January 7th - it just didn't make the front page ;(
The Looking Glass Magazine has now officially gone offline. Only last week I stopped by and it was still accessible, all be it closed, but now you can't even get any of the back articles. I guess I can now take it off my bookmark list.
There's a new fashion mag in the offing - shh, no names no pack drill - and FreeLife goes blog this month. As yet, the final PDF version has not been published, which is a shame because I have an article in their about Alphamale, a copy of which I promised Belle Lefevre; and I hate to break promises.
I'd love to do an annual State of the Press report but methinks that would be tough. On the other hand, maybe some ad hoc pieces here on the blog would be OK. Like this one ;)
SLNN is still exactly as it was two months ago and no reply has yet arrived from editor, Garret Bakalava. The Metaverse Tribune is still very quiet, with just the automatic feeds changing on a daily basis. I know the Trib is potentially still a player because I was offered the editorship and am still wondering whether or not I can do it. Still, I did get an article in there on January 7th - it just didn't make the front page ;(
The Looking Glass Magazine has now officially gone offline. Only last week I stopped by and it was still accessible, all be it closed, but now you can't even get any of the back articles. I guess I can now take it off my bookmark list.
There's a new fashion mag in the offing - shh, no names no pack drill - and FreeLife goes blog this month. As yet, the final PDF version has not been published, which is a shame because I have an article in their about Alphamale, a copy of which I promised Belle Lefevre; and I hate to break promises.
I'd love to do an annual State of the Press report but methinks that would be tough. On the other hand, maybe some ad hoc pieces here on the blog would be OK. Like this one ;)
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