From: jfusion@xs4all.nl   
      
   Sweet Poly  wrote:   
      
      
      
   : And I'd like to ask you about Second Life over tea.   
   :   
   : I've always been curious but I've never been there; never known anyone who   
   participates. What does it feel   
   : like? Is it like being here at the Rancho, where the shared reality is   
   maintained in text? Or does it feel   
   : more "real"?   
      
   It seems a bit more real to me, but where the Rancho on alt.cp is painted   
   with text, if we were to migrate to Second Life it would be a shared   
   reality painted with 3d interactive objects. The interaction is in   
   real-time as oppossed to the time-shifted nature of USENET.  Where here the   
   Rancho   
   is painted in our minds, in SL it would be painted on the screen.   
      
   It really is Stephenson's Metaverse from _Snow Crash_ realized, but like I said   
   with better physics.   
      
   :   
   : All I know about Second Life is that I've seen articles about people who are   
   making a decent   
   : living by designing fashions for SL - what? characters? avatars? Also   
   something about people being charged   
   : for committing "crimes" in the virtual space. Interesting issues.   
      
   There are many ways to make a living in second life.  But it breaks down to   
   three   
   basic categories.   Service, Content Creation, and Land.   I kind of straddle   
   the   
   line between service and Content Creation as I both teach, do public service   
   work   
   and write scripts (software).  The thing to understand about Second Life is   
   that   
   most of the content there is Resident Created.   
      
   As to "crimes"  about the only punishment Linden Labs can dish out is to ban   
   you.   
   And there are third party clients designed to get around such bans. So in many   
   ways its a game of cat and mouse.  Even the policing system is somewhat   
   dependent   
   on the residents using a system of "Abuse Reports" filed by residents that are   
   then actd upon by the powers-that-be, the "Lindens".   
      
   :   
   : Now I have to get ready for a conference call. I'll be needing tea by the   
   time that's over with.   
   :   
   : Best,   
   :   
   : Poly   
      
   I would love to chat more about this with you.  Maybe even give you a tour of   
   the   
   grid.  My SL name is ZenMondo Wormser. IF you do create an Avatar I suggesst   
   you   
   begin in the community gateway of Caledon. That is my "home base" of   
   operations, a   
   19th Century Victorian Steampunk Themed Micronation.  Yes Johnny Fusion the   
   Cyberpunk has grown up to ZenMondo the Steampunk.   
      
    -- johnny   
      
   --   
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