Spotlight on Families in SL - Areya Jewel Dragon Reporting

Are SL Families as real as RL families?

Family. What does that word suggest when you hear it? Is it a happy feeling? Is it an angry feeling? No matter who a person is or where they come from, it is certain that they at one point had a family in some shape or form, but what is a family? Is there only one definition? Are Second Life families the same as Real Life ones?

I have been in SL for 12 years and have experienced the power of family in SL many times and I also have many family members in RL as well. The major difference between SL family and RL is that SL is virtual, but does that difference get in the way of real bonds forming?

I don’t believe it does, for me the relationships I have made in SL are just as powerful as the ones in RL, if not more because they are chosen.

There are countless types of families in both RL and SL, we are all unique and different, so our relationships will all be unique and different.

I knew that every family was different in both RL and SL so to help with my point I decided to look up what it said about family in the dictionary:

1 a: the basic unit in society traditionally consisting of two parents rearing their children; also: any of various social units differing from but regarded as equivalent to the traditional family

2 : a group of individuals living under one roof and usually under one head :

3 a : a group of persons of common ancestry : clan

b : a people or group of peoples regarded as deriving from a common stock : race

4 a : a group of people united by certain convictions or a common affiliation

*source https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/family

What I have listed is just half of the list because they have to do with people and since that is my focus for this piece, that is all I will mention.

Webster’s dictionary is a RL dictionary, but I have come across each of the above list in SL as well.

1. Traditional family Unit:

This is the typical family you would see in RL. It comes in all sorts of shapes and sizes. Single parent, Two parent, same sex, single child, siblings. All of those are found in RL and they are also found in SL. They are as real as any RL family is. The way that most of these types of families are put together is through the many adoption places that are found throughout the grid or by going through the conceiving process. Speaking from my own experience the bonds formed with this type of family is completely authentic and valuable and, in some cases, more real than a RL family connection.

2) A group of individuals living under one roof and one head

The second type of family listed in the dictionary is also found in SL, the equivalent of this concept would be in the world of D/s and BDSM. It is an adult world which the focus is a power exchange of some form or another. There are many forms of relationship dynamics within the world of D/s but one I have experience with is one head of the household (or Master) and two people who are under the head (two submissives) This power exchange family has the potential to be just as real as one would be in RL.

3) A group of common ancestry (a clan)

This family group is slightly different than the first two because you can’t share real heritage or ancestry with avatars, however. You can find many groups in SL that have people who are very proud of their RL heritage and want to find others who have the same one. There are also people who seek out roleplay as things you wouldn’t typically find in RL, for example Vampires. There are many people who choose to live their lives as vampires and are part of a clan, and those groups chose to be bonded to one another and have the potential to form meaningful relationships just as you would in RL.

4) United by certain convictions or common affiliation

The last type of family I want to talk about is one who share a common belief system. There are many types of these types of families in RL but there are also many in SL as well. These typically would be the many churches that are available to attend. These people share a common RL belief and want to bring that belief to SL and because of the many amazing people that have made this platform what it is, the opportunity to share in that common belief is available in SL. All valid and authentic just as they would be in RL.  

To conclude, the point I want to make is that even though SL is a virtual world there are still real people that are part of it, and we as people crave relationship and belonging in the form of a family we all want to be part of something. No matter what it may look like.

In the words of Lilo, of Lilo and Stitch: “Lilo: "'Ohana" means "family." "Family" means "noone gets left behind."

Read More

GeekSpeak – what if you could completely change your DNA?

Now that DNA can be changed what will happen?  Will people choose to become mermaids?  Or centaurs?  Or will they choose that for their children? 

What other species will we see?  Will these new species still be considered human?  Will there be humans who can fly, or live underwater, or perhaps live in space?

Should we allow people to make these choices?  Or to make them on behalf of their children?  Will we create a new vision of what humanity is?  Come and talk about the new Homo sapiens in GeekSpeak.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have ideas for new subjects.

Read More

Elite SL Music Magazine is a vibrant source of timely information about music in Second Life

Elite SL Music Magazine wishes to thank the following performers, in no particular order, for enriching our summertime with their awesome music at the Elite SL Music Venue: Amberle Janniah, Dallas Winslet, Jossef Forcela, Josie Anderton, LaidBack Celt, Mikeoo Carnell, Jack Slade, Chris London, TalonHawks, ChocolatBlack, Katia Portugal, Milan Zepp, and Amforte Clarity. We’ve had a blast! We do apologize if we’ve forgotten anyone. However, with summer officially behind us, we are shutting down the music venue but will continue publishing our reviews of musicians, DJs, and venues in the months ahead, so keep reading and keep following us on social media.

Elite SL Music Magazine is a vibrant source of timely information about music in Second Life. Elite SL reporters comb the Metaverse to bring you up-to-the minute reports on musicians and the venues they play in and stories of performers’ Real and Second Life careers. Constantly growing, changing, and reshaping itself like the music and the venues it describes, Elite SL Music Magazine is the go-to WebZine for all music lovers. Join us on these pages and in Second Life to learn about the must hear performers, the hottest as well as the undiscovered venues, and the behind the scenes stories of music in Second Life.

We cover live performances, venues, and SL’s top DJs, and provide a close up view of Second Life’s richly textured music world through candid interviews, reviews, and photography.

You can find us on social media here:

Facebook : https://www.facebook.com/EliteSLMusic/

Twitter : https://twitter.com/EliteSLMusicMag

Pinterest : https://www.pinterest.fr/byronmcmackin

VK : https://vk.com/id498910114

And you can advertise on our web site at the following rates:

180x180 texture for 1 month @ 1000 L$ / 2 months @ 1500 LS
Banner: texture 460x80, minimum 2 months @ 2000 L$

Read More

Spotlight on Copacabana County Campgrounds- A Family Friendly Virtual Camping Adventure

Copacabana County Campgrounds is a PG friendly outdoors escape from city life and into the mountains, valleys and coasts of Serena Copacabana. With Summer winding down and fall approaching, Second Life lights up with activity.  With so much to do, avatars are teleporting all over the grid in search of new and exciting past times with family and friends.

There is something about feeling one with nature when you can take a deep breath and smell  trees, flowers and crisp air. In Second Life, we get to experience the outdoors without the threat of mosquitos, spiders and bears and snakes! CopaCabana County Campgrounds is a creative and accurate interpretation of the Appalachian Mountains along the North Carolina and Tennessee border.

Blanketed with lush foliage, beautiful scenic views and a relaxing lake, there is plenty to do and see. When you first arrive, close your eyes and listen to the crackling of nearby campfires, birds and crickets chirping and maybe even the laughter of children. Absorb the nature that surrounds you.  If you listen close enough you may hear an owl hooting, a horse approaching or the call of an eagle overhead. CCC is abundant with wildlife and guests who love the outdoors.

Along the beaten path visitors are encouraged to interact with others at one of the 19 campsites with tents and some luxury cabins. During the day guests can go on excursions like hiking up a mountain and gliding all the way back down on a zipline.  For the real thrill seekers, go bungee jumping or grab a parachute and skydive over the breathtaking landscape. As the sun begins to settle, indulge in a horseback ride into the sunset, explore a hidden cave or participate in weekly events like Monday Movie night,  bingo, fishing and campfire stories. You'll also find group activities including paintball, bumper boats, archery and more. There have even been rumors that bigfoot has been spotted in the woods!

There is an element of roleplay at Copacabana County Campground to interactively immerse yourself into the environment.  With a fully functioning fire and rescue department, you can even be part of a team combatting a forest fire and other man vs nature situations that may occur. Just be mindful of the sign that indicates the threat level.

The SL Enquirer sat down with Pen and Jadey Dragon for an inside look at CCC and what inspired this great adventure.

Interview with Pen and Jadey Dragon

SLE: As I sat on a fold out chair at a campsite while absorbing my surrounding,  I felt a sense of calm. I can tell you two have put a lot of time into the details and activities at Copacabana County Campground. You truly captured the essence of nature and all its beauty. Can you tell me what inspired you to bring a virtual camping experience into SL?

Pen: We had looked all over the grid for a good, family friendly camping experience and were left sorely wanting. The old adage is, If you want something done and done right, do it yourself. So we did!

Jadey: The things our family needed just weren’t being met at the time we went camping. We travel as a pack, finding large spaces of just tents was not available where we looked. The activities, though pretty cool, again didn’t fit the theme. We wanted more than just a concert in the park.

SLE: You did a fantastic job creating CCC! Thank you for the tour, and my first SL zipline experience. That was exciting! While roaming around and taking in such a beautiful sim. I thought a hot air balloon ride would really put a birds eye view over the sim.

Pen: We actually had considered a Hot Air balloon in the beginning, and may yet add one as we are always looking to upgrade the experience we give our campers. We do take into consideration how scripted something might be as we try hard to keep the lag at Copacabana to a minimum.

Jadey:I am all about the realistic aspect of things, so I based the sim off personal experience.

I keep telling Pen, I have yet to find a hot air balloon ride camping, but maybe it’s just where I’ve been camping.

SLE: OH yes! That’s true lag and getting tangled in trees can cause problems. Lol

Do you offer any other activities I didn’t mention?

Pen/Jadey: We do have pottery as well as arts and crafts. We recently did a pine cone turkey where everyone hunted in the woods for the pieces such as feathers, the pine cones, acorns, fruit etc. assembled them to their pine cones, glued (linked) them together and took them home for show and tell. It was all done as an activity and a RP. Those are the kinds of activities that we looked for before we opened Copacabana Country. It’s our goal to make camping with us as fun and interactive as possible!

SLE:I will definately be back! Can I still make a cone turkey? That sounds creative and fun. You mentioned RPing. I heard there was a forest fire? What happened?

Pen: Yes! As I’d mentioned before, we like to keep things realistic and fun, plus we love to roleplay. In that spirit I notified the camp that the weather conditions were very dry and suitable for a forest fire. In response to that a few of our campers contacted me, asking if they could start a fire. Of course I said yes! As you said above, we have a fully functioning Fire/Rescue department for just such scenes. There is even a giant ‘Smokey the Bear’ sign next to our Ranger station that will alert campers to the fire danger that particular day. It’s all about having fun! Oh yeah! You can certainly get a pine cone turkey..you’ll just have to search the woods for all the pieces like everyone else!

SLE: lol fine!  I love the realism of the environment.  With 19 campsites, there are a lot of choices! Can you describe some of the various campsites and the Cabins. Are they available for rent?

Jadey: Our goal for the campsites are really quite simple, you need it, we’ll get it! All of our tents, and cabins are just an example. In fact recently some campers decided to swap out their tents to adjust for RP winter. So we removed their tents, got them better fire, and set up a cozy little cottage.

SLE: Ohhh I can wait to see the winter activities! I’ve seen many campgrounds scattered around the grid. What is the competition like?

Pen: Yeah, there’s competition out there and we try to keep improving to stay on top of the game. Our goal is more to have a fun, safe place for families to camp than it is really to beat other campgrounds.

Jadey:Recently our competitors have been spotted copying our sim down to the cliffs, and literally the events we schedule. At first I was felt the same as our loyal visitors. Violated, angry, eager to set their place on fire! However, I decided that instead of feeling slighted or robbed, I wish to send a challenge out to them. Let’s keep the important things in sight, the families. Let’s work together, do field trips to each other’s campgrounds, and find a way to be friends not enemies.

SLE: Shame on them. That is an amazing challenge that I fully endorse. Not just amongst campgrounds but in other feuding genres.

Pen: I know, right? Lol We had a TON of people coming in telling us about this other campground. They even closed for a week to remodel and look like us. But we decided that was okay because if they want to be like us, then we must be doing something right. Our core values, such as the safety of the kids here, are more important than some feud. If they want to copy us, copy that part as well.

SLE: Great attitude. If someone wanted to rent a cottage? How can they go about getting information on what’s available?

Pen: We’ve tried to make that as easy as possible! We have our rentals listed on our website and facebook, we have rental cards available at our welcome center and if nothing else, there is always either a Park Ranger or Jadey and myself on the sim to answer questions.

Jadey: We are not just here to rent campsites. We live here, we interact with everyone, we’re always available in some capacity or another. We are not just notecard and warning senders when tier is do. We have had one on one conversations with each and every renter. If not me, then Pen or our other rangers. Not one person has gotten by without at the very least, a personal greeting. The hope is to always stay approachable to our campers for any questions, comments or concerns.

We also like to cater to special family events. Just recently a family of 3 informed us of their recent nuptials, So we put together a beautiful little reception and they were gracious enough to invite the entire sim to celebrate with them. A recent family reunion has been booked, and our onstaff DJ’s, photographer, videographer are on hand if needed to make it as special and memorable as possible.

SLE: Now that’s a community! Do you have a group discussions about activities and events?

Jadey: So here is how we operate, as I stated we’re family-owned. Each member of the family has a major role. I’m the bank, and I have final say over everything but the input comes from everyone and every where. If someone has an idea, they put it on the table, and everyone takes a vote. I have only had to override a few ideas. For example, my husband and brother wanted to set the ENTIRE sim on fire. This was not going to fly! Boys and their toys can get carried away.

Pen is the voice of reason, most of the time. He’ll play devil's advocate when we all are eager about something that could potentially blow up in our face. Nefertiti works behind the scenes, she comes in as a closer to verify things are actually making sense from an outside perspective.

Nick, is our social media, salesman, prankster, firefighter, and nosey neighbor. The kids, all of them, mine, his, hers the whole kit kaboodle are our welcoming committee. This is how events are created, discussed, argued about, and designed with possibly more arguing!   

Pen: Yeah, what she said! With that said, we also take into consideration event ideas that our campers suggest, and there have been a few. For example, one camper recently asked if she could help around the sim which had led to the creation of our jr Rangers. That will also be an avenue to teach the kids fire safety, first aid and more.

SLE:oooo I have a few ideas!  Relay races and obstacle courses dressed in costumes (Halloween).  It sounds like you have a great team and community, we should all roast  s'mores sometime. I once accidentally set a sim on fire using a spellcaster and it took the owner a couple hours to come find every particle. It was a nightmare!  A good friend but she slapped my hand and took my rezz rights away. Anyway, you both have done such an awesome job on CCC. Is there anything else you would like to share with our readers?

Pen: Well, the obstacle course, races and the like...that was a secret project we were working on. Thanks for letting the cat out of the bag! We are also looking forward to making everything extra spooky for Halloween. Okay, well I’m looking forward to that, Jadey is always watching the prim and lag so she has me on a tight leash! And if ya want to roast some s’mores, come join us on Friday night for our campfire stories! We always has s’more room!

As far as something we’d like to share? We want our campground to be a safe, fun environment for families. We’re very vigilant about that, over all else. It’s important to us all that families, especially kids, have a place where they can just be, without the worries of the outside world.

Jadey: haha Rezz rights, that’s another topic all in itself. We’re very careful about who gets them. We don’t want floating adult toys landing on our campers! Or accidental explosions, so you don’t get a tag just for stopping by. It’s for your safety and ours. We do have a tag so people can keep up with the events, however rezzing is only for paid renters.

SLE: LOL Jadey you make a good idea lol.  Thank you both for sitting down with me for an inside look at Copacabana County Campground. I had a great time.

Experience Virtual Camping at its best. Teleport to Copacabana County Campground

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Copacabana/83/181/23

Additional Information:

URL: https://copacabana-country.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/copacabanacountrycampground

Group: secondlife:///app/group/2545eaab-814b-289d-a06a-8725da4309ba/about

Read More

Copacabana Country Campground Grand Opening!

Copacabana Country Campground are officially opening our doors!

Come join us on Saturday, September 8th for a fun filled, family friendly day of live music, contests and cookouts. The fun starts at 2pm SLT with a free cook-out and a chance to meet the owners and Park Rangers. From there we have a Bull Riding Competition, 7seas fishing contest, a Ghost hunt, a live performance by AMFORTE at 6p and a fireworks display to end the day! We have a lot of prizes to give away as well! Including a 2000L for KiX Creations, a 2000L gift card to Rebel Outfitters, a free week campsite rental and more! You won’t want to miss out!

If you’re an adrenaline junkie, you’ll love our bungee jumping platform, skydiving rocket and zipline. For a more relaxing day we have 7seas fishing, horseback riding and swimming. We have movie nights and campfire stories that the whole family will enjoy as well. For the sportsman in you we have archery, clay pigeon shooting and paintball games. There’s always something happening at Copacabana Country!

Copacabana Country Campground is a beautifully landscaped, perfect place to bring the whole family for a get-away in the great outdoors! There’s so much to do and see we have something for everyone. It’s even been said that Bigfoot wanders our forest! Our very reasonable rental prices and friendly staff make it even easier to feel at home. With over 20 sites available, including some luxury cabins, you're sure to find just what you and your family need! Stop by, say Hi and spend some family time at Copacabana Country!

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Serena%20Copacabana/175/63/22

Website: https://copacabana-country.weebly.com/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/copacabanacountrycampground

Read More

FREE BOOK OFFER EXTENDED!

The Kindle mystery novel, “Femme Fatale Online,”whose unknown villain appears only as a sexy avatar, will continue to be offered free to SL participants through Sunday, September 9.

To get your complimentary of the enovel by Eugene Rodgers, email a request to rodgersmystery@gmail.com (your SL anonymity is safe since you don’t have to disclose your avatar or RL names). Include the letters “SLE” in the email.

You will receive a PDF copy, the same as we send to professional reviewers. (Amazon doesn’t allow authors to give out free copies in the same form as books ordered from them). You can read the book on Kindles, tablets, computers, and phones.

The book captivates readers with its story of an avatar who blackmails the hero, Rick, into industrial espionage and threatens the lives of him and his family. Detailed information on the book and author can be found on the book’s Amazon page (go to Amazon.com, search for “Femme Fatale Online,” and click on the title when it comes up) and on the book’s Facebook page (facebook.com/rodgersmystery).

Enjoy the challenge of following the clues, identifying the red herrings, and trying to figure out the real person behind the terrifying “Joan” avatar. As an anonymous reviewer posted on Amazon, “Who is the Femme Fatale Online? Read the book to find out. You may never use the internet again!” Have fun reading a story that’s part thriller and a subplot that has elements of romances, where a suspect tries to seduce the hero. Anyone who has ever wondered about the real person behind an SL friend, or suspected they weren’t who they pretended to be, will find the novel particularly engaging.

“Femme Fatale Online” was featured on the cable TV program, “America Trends.” Eugene Rodgers was named Virginia Author of the Year for an earlier book. He researched the background for the novel in SL, where his avatar is “Adolphe Menjou.”

Get your free copy if you appreciate mysteries and don’t object to some racy parts and raw language. And please post a review—even a one-sentence review—on Amazon.

Read More

GeekSpeak – in the future, will virtual currencies become real life currencies?

Will it be possible in the future to go to the supermarket and buy eggs and milk with WOW gold?  Or linden dollars? Maybe it will be possible in the east, where the exchange rate will give virtual currencies greater buying power.  

Are people playing games now (apart from child slaves in sweatshops) just for the in-game money?  How much would you have to earn in a game to make it worth playing?

If you owned a RL store would you ever accept game money?  Will there be WOW banks in the future?

Would you feel safe trusting game creators and their currencies, whatever promises they made?

Come and discuss this new field of economics in our new digital age.

IM Vulcan Viper if you have any ideas for new subjects.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Danmu/143/127/51

Read More

The Lost Gardens of Apollo is an Official Historical Landmark in Second Life(c) - Lanai Jarrico Reporting…

In the beginning of virtual worlds, Second Life quickly became a popular online platform for VR enthusiasts  from all over the world. In Second Life’s infancy, the building tools and options were primitive but the most exciting part about it was free will on a global platform.  By 2005, the community was flourishing. Creators filled the grid with lush foliage, parks, beautiful beaches, role play communities, shops, products, services and venues of every genre. It was a time of exploration and creativity.

Dane Zander was a new resident at this time. While exploring, he realized the adult industry was starting to taint the landscape. He wanted a virtual home away from sex venues that he could call his sanctuary; a place of love.  It inspired him to create a relaxing escape, away from the busy side of SL and based on the story of Apollo and Hyacinth.

Day in and day out he worked tirelessly to bring his vision to life after discovering he could create anything he wanted. It became an obsession. His friends were so impressed they suggested he open it up to the public and that’s when The Lost Gardens of Apollo was born.

For over a decade, explorers and lovers from near and far have visited The Lost Gardens of Apollo, even getting married there.  Today it is a Historical Landmark, reopened by Linden Lab to protect its history.

Interview with LGOA creator Dane Zander

SLE: What was your inspiration for The Gardens of Apollo? I've been here so many times through the years. What a peaceful and beautiful place.

Dane Zander: Apollo and Hyacinth... the story at least inspired the naming some of the places on Apollo. I had a full sim on the mainland. The Tuvan sim, well ... all the land on it. I had that fully built up, but lacked the controls and ban opportunities etc. Anshe Chung was getting big at that time and she had a few of the new, still rare private islands so I asked her. I knew she was hot for my mainland sim and we traded. She got Tuvan, I got "sex palms...whatever island"... a flat, utterly empty sand bank.

SLE: Were you a builder starting out here?

Dane Zander: Just small time. I realized I might be in over my head... it was  completely overwhelming. I then started building, trial and error... once I realized I could make anything exactly how I wanted it to be, it became an obsession. I was online three weeks building and hardly slept at all. It was madness! But very rewarding.

SLE: The Gardens of Apollo is a beautiful place to visit. The details show your hard work and dedication.  I see it as an escape from the busy world of sl and rl.

Dane Zander: Thank you! I believe that love is stronger than any other emotion and I wanted to create a place to enable love and serenity to flourish.

SLE: It is.  If more people allowed that to be their guiding light, the world would be a better place.

Dane Zander: I agree.  At the time, SL was far smaller, less regulated and you often came across porn and whatnot all over. I found that taxing so I thought we needed a place free from that. Somewhere to just explore, meditate, date and dance.

SLE: Did you have a partner to enjoy all this with over the years?  I only ask because every long time lovers in SL have touched these grounds at one point or another.

Dane Zander: I had Sean Hadlee as a Second Life partner - also personal assistant, Senior Estate Manager and my rescue line in all cases. He is German and lives in Berlin. We are still close friends IRL.

SLE: Did you build all this together?

Dane Zander: No, I built this.  He was my very capable assistant and scripter, in all manners of logistics and everything else practical.

SLE: How did you get people to visit LGOP?

Dane Zander: I didn't.  Originally it was simply my own place but friends wanted me to open it to the public so I did and people came - I suppose by word of mouth. I never thought this place could become so popular but somehow people liked it enough to tell their friends and to come back themselves :)

SLE: Rightfully so! Has anyone gotten married here? This is a perfect setting for celebrating love

Dane Zander: I eventually did many marriages, yes. It’s a lot of work setting that up. I still have the whole wedding scenarios in inventory! :)

SLE: What about other events?

Dane Zander: Quite a few - R. R. Martin did readings here and at a number of other sims through Bantam Books before he got all GOT famous. He was kind and generous with his limited time here..

SLE: that’s very cool! With the popularity of The Gardens of Apollo has Linden Labs taken interest in it?

Dane Zander: LL had kept a full backup and reopened the sim as a Historic Sim. Now I am under contract with them and gladly so. The sim simply hadn't reopened without them!

SLE: What does that mean for you?

Dane Zander: It means I supervise the sim,  and it means the sim is open for now. I don't decide for how long, but I will service it for as long as I can, which is for as long as LL decide to keep it open.

SLE:  What a wonderful story of a vision turning into a virtual world historical site. Is there anything you’d like to share with our readers?

Dane Zander: No.  nothing except they are welcome as always - and well... that is it a G-rated region/sim for dating, meeting friends, meditating, dancing and relaxing. Not a place for sex - there is a whole Adult continent for that! ;)

SLE: congratulations to you Dane on such a great accomplishment in SL.  We understand that you are a busy man and we thank you so much for taking the time to give us the backstory and also for your sacrifice in giving us this beautiful place to share with love.

The Lost Gardens of Apollo

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Lost%20Gardens%20of%20Apollo/130/32/38

Read More