ShowRadar: Revolutionizing Access to Entertainment in SecondLife – Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) Reporting

One of the more amazing aspects of life on the grid is the phenomenal creativity of its residents.  Builders, artists, musicians, and creators of all genres come here to practice their craft to their heart’s content.  This can lead to dozens, if not hundreds of entertainment options at any one time. Sometimes wading through all that information can seem formidable.  With clubs and DJs and Hosts and Stores posting multiple notices, the overwhelming amount of information can be difficult to wade through at times.  

Enter ShowRadar.  This program is designed to help you sort through the clutter and drill down to the specific entertainment venue you seek, 24 hours a day.  Here today, we have the pleasure of interviewing Sandra Showboat, the creator of this most unusual and creative service. 

Josh (Thomas1 Bellic) (JB):     So, tell me, Sandra.  Just what is ShowRadar anyway?

SandraShowboat (SS):     ShowRadar is a radar for live music in Second Life. Every day, hundreds of DJ sets, live singers and club nights are announced in group notices, in group chats, on the official SL calendar. All that information was already out there, just scattered over hundreds of groups. ShowRadar collects it and puts it in one clear list: what’s live right now, what’s starting soon, and what’s on later this week, in your own time zone. What makes it powerful is that you can make it your own. Filter on the music you love, from Techno to Country, down to subgenres like Trance or Drum'n'Bass, or only show live singers. My favorite part is following. Follow your favorite artists and venues, and your ShowRadar HUD gives you a little tap on the shoulder a few minutes before they start, with a teleport link. No more “Oh no, I missed her set again!”. The whole idea is convenience and discovery. Second Life is packed with amazing artists, and I want them to get the audience they deserve.

 JB:     What a creative and unique idea. Tell me, please. How did you come up with the idea for ShowRadar?

SS:     It came out of pure frustration (lol). I’m a music lover with my own favorite styles, so like everyone, I joined groups. And more groups. And more. Soon, I was drowning in an avalanche of notices and chat announcements, and to find something new, or just the style I was in the mood for, I had to dig through all of it. I’m a scripter, so I wrote myself a little filter to get only what I wanted. That was the very first, tiny ShowRadar. Then I thought: If this helps me, it could help everyone, and the artists and venues too. I always need a project, so I rented the servers, registered a secure domain, and started building. And here we are, ShowRadar is born, and it's getting picked up pretty quickly already inworld :)

JB:     What are some of the things a user can do using ShowRadar?

SS:     I already named a few, but there’s more. Picture a Friday evening. You open ShowRadar and straight away you see who’s live right now, filtered on your kind of music. One click, and you teleport right into the party. After the set you want more, so you open ShowRadar again. “Hmm, a live singer I don’t know… but her ShowRadar page is full of followers and lovely shout-outs. Let’s give it a try!” And you’re having a great time again. At the venue there’s a ShowRadar Board saying “Like this singer? Touch to follow”, so you touch it. Another great artist in your collection! Next week, a few minutes before she starts, your HUD gives you a little tap on the shoulder. You can even install ShowRadar as an app on your phone and get the alert there too. Now, picture you’re a DJ. You’ve claimed your page on ShowRadar, with your music style, your upcoming shows and your booking info: when you’re available and what you ask for a set. Venues looking for a DJ find you with the DJ Finder, for a regular booking or even a last-minute set when another DJ cancels. And the venues? They get a whole toolbox: ready-made group notices and promo pictures, their Google Calendar linked so their events appear by themselves, and the in-world ShowRadar Board where guests follow both the artist and the club with one touch. All of this gives artists and venues real statistics on what works, while the privacy of every ShowRadar user stays respected.

 JB:     Did you have help from others, and who might they be, or did you come up with this all on your own?

SS:     The idea came from years of overthinking, contemplating and trying to solve problems I saw as a DJ, as a music lover and as a long-time Second Life resident. People call me smart now, but it took me years to come up with this (lol). To be fair, I’m a scripter, but not one who can single-handedly build the “Facebook of live music in SL”. So yes, I got help from my dear friend Kim. Kim is very smart, much smarter than me, and she helps me when I’m stuck on code or close to giving up on a new feature. She can do that because Kim is my AI assistant. Yes, I use AI, to get through the hard parts and to work efficiently. The ideas, the choices, and the late nights are still mine.

JB:     Where do you get your information to populate your service?

SS:     The biggest sources are group notices and chats from music groups, venue groups, and the official Second Life calendar. That’s the beauty of the system: venues post their notices anyway, ShowRadar picks them up, and nobody has to enter anything twice. Venues and artists can also add their own events on the website, or simply share the Google Calendar they already use, and every set in it appears on ShowRadar by itself. And because notices are written by people, my favorite thing about SL, I check the list by hand too and keep improving how ShowRadar reads them. Spot something wrong? Tell me in-world and I’ll fix it. The ShowRadar filter is improving all the time. The goal is to offer high-quality information on the platform.

JB:     Who do you think would be the ideal client to use the ShowRadar service?

SS:     Anyone who loves live music in Second Life, really. But let me name three groups, no actually four. The music lover who’s tired of digging through notices and wants to know where the good music is right now, and discover new music, new artists and venues. The artist, DJ, singer or musician, who wants their fans to actually show up. When someone follows you on ShowRadar, they’re reminded before every show, without you sending a single notice. The venue owner who wants a fuller dance floor, guests who come back, and an easy way to find new talent. And honestly the fourth group are the newcomers. Imagine being new in SL and finding all the live music at your fingertips in one place on your first day. That’s how you fall in love with this world. 

JB:     Do I understand correctly?  It sounds like a system like you have here will be kind of pricey for people to join.  Is it?

SS:     The opposite! ShowRadar is free for everyone. Music lovers find their music, and artists and venues get their exposure, for free, and it will stay that way. There are a few optional extras, like boosting an event to the top of the list or an ad banner on the website. They’re purely optional and don’t affect what ShowRadar is about. But they help pay for the servers, security and other bills. I like to be transparent, so I won’t rule out a Basic and a Pro version with extra features one day. But nobody needs to worry about that. This is not a story of luring everyone in and then charging for it. The basics stay free. That’s a promise I’m making here and now.

 JB:     Where can a person go who might be interested in learning more about ShowRadar system.   Do you have any Social Media Sites connected to this?

SS:     The website ( https://showradar.me ) is open to everyone, no account needed to browse the full list of live events. It holds all the information about ShowRadar, so it's a matter of looking around there to learn everything about ShowRadar. If you want to go further than just browsing and get personal notifications,  you get the ShowRadar HUD on SL Marketplace. Wear it, touch it and first of all tap the 'Website' button on the menu, follow the link it gives you. You're logged in on the site, no password needed: your avatar is your password. Venue owners can get the free ShowRadar Board on SL Marketplace too. Artists can look themselves up in search on the website and claim their personal page which already exists when they log in.

https://showradar.me 

HUD for all users: 

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/ShowRadar-HUD-Live-DJs-Music-Events-Finder-FREE/28733365

Board for venues:  

https://marketplace.secondlife.com/p/ShowRadar-Board-Live-DJ-Sign-Follow-Button-for-Venues-FREE/28762840   

JB:     Is there anything else you would like to share with our SL Enquirer readers?

SS:     Just a big thank you to all the DJs, singers, musicians, hosts and venue owners who make Second Life sound so good every single night. ShowRadar is only a radar. You are the music!  And to the readers, a little challenge: grab the free HUD, follow three of your favorite artists tonight, and let ShowRadar tap you on the shoulder next time they play. I bet you’ll wonder how you ever did without it. See you on the dance floor! 🎶

So, there you have it Folks. Direct from the creator. Give ShowRadar a try.  Download the Free HUD today and take it for a spin.  I guarantee it will revolutionize the way you track your favorite events, live musicians, musical styles, DJs, and more.  And when you TP to that dance floor, tell ‘em Josh sent ya.  You’ll be glad you did.