It has been over 2 years since I first
started my journey in Second Life. During my MBA classes, one of our professors
talked about virtual worlds in a digital marketing class. The ability and the
impact awed me when I was writing a thesis on the same lines. Although, the
time has passed and my thesis approved, I still can’t leave the place. Well,
this is how I came. What is your story?
Bianca
Xavorin
Photograph credits: Bianca Xavorin
Debby
Sharma: How did you come to know about Second
Life when you first joined?
Bianca Xavorin: I saw it on the local finance channel. I thought what a
great concept to do video. I had all intention to work with machinima but I had
to learn the basics first, hence the art.
Debby
Sharma: What is the most exciting or the
funniest moment you had in Second life?
Bianca Xavorin: Oh gosh! I might have to think about
this one. I think a few years back when there was a glitch. People thought they
were wearing clothes, but everyone else saw them naked, I called it (the
emperor's new clothes syndrome).
Debby
Sharma: How much influence does Second
Life have on your real life?
Bianca Xavorin: I was asked in the past two weeks to use
my art in an RL exhibit. I was also asked if I would do the illustrations in a
book for a published writer. So I would think yes it is influencing RL.
Debby
Sharma: How many years has it been for
you and what inspires you to come back in SL after all these years?
Bianca
Xavorin: I think 4 years. There
are so many things. The people, the people
are so wonderful, beautiful inside and out. The fact is that SL makes the world
a little smaller, is a gift. My best friend is from Norway. My Partner is from
Canada. Most of my SL family is from the UK. There is so much to see and do I could
never be bored.
Cali
Karsin
Photograph credits: Cali Karsin
Debby
Sharma: How did you come to know about
Second Life when you first joined?
Cali Karsin: I came to know about Second Life because
my friend told me about it form World of Warcraft, and told me to join it so I
could marry my online boyfriend. So you could say, we wanted to enhance our
experience together.
Debby
Sharma: What is the most exciting or the
funniest moment you had in Second life?
Cali Karsin: The most exciting one is the one I will
choose. The most exciting moment in my Second Life is when I came out with
issue one of “Cultured The Magazine”. I wanted to use SL as my playground for
my future career, so it meant the world to me and my business partner and I did
it! We dealt with so many challenges and obstacles we had to get past together,
but we did it. That defining moment in my life when I could say, I did it. I am
just a 22 year old college kid in real life, so this profound experience of
running the company is the most amazing experience that I am thankful for each
and every day.
Debby
Sharma: How much influence does Second
Life have on your real life?
Cali Karsin: Second Life shapes each and every thing
in my life as a productive thing that I carry into my RL like career wise,
personality wise, hobby wise and entertainment wise. It's a positive influence
that I don't know where I would be without.
Debby
Sharma: How many years has it been for
you and what inspires you to come back in SL after all these years?
Cali Karsin: 4 years and 9 months. My passion
inspires me to come back after all these years. I love writing, journalism,
photography, magazines, public relations, marketing, these are the things that
have kept me in SL after all this time. Of course, the pixel heels never hurt
anyone, I mean come on you can shake it at a club all night and wear 7 inch
heels if it pleases you without sore feet. It allows you to have a social life
any day of the week when you do not in RL.
Indea
Vaher
Photograph credits: Indea Vaher
Debby
Sharma: How did you come to know about
Second Life when you first joined?
Indea
Vaher: Actually a friend invited me to come to a
class on eastern religion that was being held in Second Life. I'd never been in
a virtual world before this. Well not religion, I should say mysticism and not
religion.
Debby
Sharma: What is the most exciting or the
funniest moment you had in Second life?
Indea
Vaher: Wow! Very hard to say there
has been so many. The first time I brought
my work into sl for a show at “The Catcher in the Pie Café”. I was very nervous
because I'd never saw any work like mine in in SL before and wasn't sure how it
would be received. It was a big success and I was so excited.
Debby
Sharma: How much influence does Second
Life have on your real life?
Indea
Vaher: I think it has a lot of effect; certainty
takes up a lot of my free time. Things I could be doing in First Life when I
have down time, I put aside to log on. If I didn't put these things aside I
would probably never be in sl. Oh you said influence. It has an influence
because I think SL absorbs a lot of creative energy and I have to be careful on
how much I spend in here. I mean, there has to
be a balance. The good influence I think it has helped me to become more daring
in the way I dress.
Debby
Sharma: How many years has it been for
you and what inspires you to come back in SL after all these years?
Indea
Vaher: Six. I love SL, it's an escape for me and
each time I've tried to quit I always come back. Second Life is my drug of choice,
and I've made so many great friends.
Facebook:
Sera
Bellic
Photograph credits: Sera Bellic
Debby
Sharma: How did you come to know about
Second Life when you first joined?
Sera Bellic: I was watching the news one night and
saw a piece. I was curious so I joined and 7 years later I am still here.
Debby
Sharma: What is the most exciting or the
funniest moment you had in Second life?
Sera Bellic: It excites me to witness the creativity;
there are so many people with such real talents. I am still awed when I see
their work. As far as funny goes, there are too many things to come up with
just one, but I love the times that I would be hanging with friends and we
would be doing stupid stuff really just silly stuff that I would be doubled
over in laughter. To the point at times my now grown daughter would yell for me
to stop laughing she was trying to sleep. oOops
Debby
Sharma: How much influence does Second
Life have on your real life?
Sera Bellic: Second Life has influenced me in a
couple of ways. It has taught me to be more open to all cultures, to understand
deep down we really are all the same. We hurt, we love, and we laugh all the same.
It has also influenced my creative side. Helped me to realize more potential
than I ever knew I had.
Debby
Sharma: How many years has it been for
you and what inspires you to come back in SL after all these years?
Sera Bellic: 7 years. Hands down the creating, it’s so much
cheaper to create in SL then in RL. I should add a small handful of people as
well.
Alpha
Adonis Prime
Photograph credits: Alpha Adonis Prime
Debby
Sharma: How did you come to know about
Second Life when you first joined?
Alpha Adonis Prime: I used to do video chats. My friends found a place called
“rlc”. it was another virtual world but very limited. I was a builder there.
Few of my friends told me to expand our horizon. And tada! Second Life, I loved
it all. After the initial learning curve, I was diving, riding and was a member
of a clan. Few people taught me about avatar styling. I loved the mix and match
customization. The challenge to find the individuality of our virtual selves
was mind blowing. I felt that if one did not invest in their virtual persona,
then it is not worthwhile making friends. What we immerse in, we are
accountable for our own actions. And who are not vested in their avatars, can
create more chaos with impunity. At least, this is what I observed.
Debby
Sharma: What is the most exciting or the
funniest moment you had in Second life?
Alpha
Adonis Prime: At one time, while I was chatting in a mesh body group chat, I
was approached for some pointers. I like to be helpful if I can. Well it took a
long time to get the right shape and skin to work. Anyways, I asked if we could
talk because it takes a lot of effort writing the whole thing again. She agreed
saying, “I might sound like a pirate”. When we spoke, we knew that we were two
men sitting at the ends. But I am not judging, since I have 2 female
mannequins, which I use for makeover. We both thought it was funny. Laughs. Many of my friends think I
know way too much about dressing a female avatar than a male one. I blame my
real life sisters for not letting me play with their Barbie dolls.
Debby
Sharma: How much influence does Second Life
have on your real life?
Alpha Adonis Prime: I come
at nights and weekends. It influences me a lot. It’s a great social outlet. SL
is my escape and not my prison. It’s an addition to my real life and not a
replacement. It makes us richer. This is true for all who understand the
culture of this place, where anything can be possible.
Debby Sharma: How
many years has it been for you and what inspires you to come back in SL after
all these years?
Alpha Adonis Prime: I have
enjoyed Second Life for over 2 years now. We see a lot in other’ profiles, “sl is
sl and rl is rl”. But the reality is
different. It’s the people sitting behind their avatars that make it all worth
it. It is the few dynamic people that inspires me a lot and helps me come back.
Designers, friends, scenery and events all have a hand in pulling me back here.
It is the dream that keeps us dreaming.
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