Coffee with Indians...

Did you ever have a cup of coffee with the indians ?
Well I did - in Tux. And it was wonderfull to meet them and have a talk.
Thanx you all for the warm welcome.

Times of your (Second) Life : Dating

This big old virtual world can be a lonely place sometimes, as you fly across the grid, looking down at the houses where partners cuddle up together and talk until the early hours. And while many people will very clearly point out that they never came onto Second Life looking for anything other than a game to explore, a possible way to make money, or a way to express themselves creatively in a virtual environment; there comes a time for many of us, when we realise how much richer an experience SL can be when you have someone you care about to share it with. As such, there is a thriving dating scene in SL, with all the pitfalls and potential heartache that can potentially come with that.

To find out a little more about the Second Life Dating Scene, I travelled to Avadate, one of SL's biggest and most widely known Dating Agencies, to speak to the woman behind the company, Julianna Margetts, and see if she had any useful insight for people thinking about diving into the shark infested virtual waters:

Voodoo Buwan: So, what made you feel there was a need for Avadate?
Julianna Margetts: When I first became a SL resident I found a lot of sexually oriented venues...along with the regular offerings such as clubs...but I was not meeting anybody...and I wondered how likeminded people in SL could get together.... in a more controlled environment
Voodoo Buwan: So, a way of finding love, not just sex?
Julianna Margetts: Exactly. The sex is so easy to find here, .I wanted to create a way for people to find friendship and romance..
Voodoo Buwan: And how does Avadate work exactly?
Julianna Margetts: All new Avadate members fill out a personal profile questionnaire which asks questions about their SL likes, dislikes, what they are looking for and there is an area for a personal narrative and a photo. ANd all new members also receive a folder that contains the profiles of all of the other members in the group. Everyone is free to contact whoever's profile captures their attention to get to know them better and to arrange dates. There is a one time fee of 500L to join and that is for lifetime membership
Voodoo Buwan: So, what different challenges are there when trying to find a match on SL, as opposed to RL?
Julianna Margetts: I believe the challenges are actually quite similar. It is difficult to venture out on your own trying to find someone likeminded...I actually find the challenges to be less intimidating in SL than in RL...due to the fact that many people seem to feel more free when operating from behind the safety of an avatar.
Voodoo Buwan: Partially due to the anonymity from their rl?
Julianna Margetts: Not necessarily the anonymity of their rl...just the anonymity in general...here they are free to be whoever they want to be...they enter SL with a clean slate. I thinks its a great place for those who may be on the shy or intimidated side in RL, to really let themselves go and to build their confidence, when interacting with the opposite sex
Voodoo Buwan: Do you know if many sl relationships started through Avadate have crossed over to rl?
Julianna Margetts: I do know of at least one that either will be or already has crossed over to RL through AvaDate...and I have heard of many, many more
Voodoo Buwan: What advice would you give to anyone getting into an SL relationship?
Julianna Margetts: I would tell anyone getting into an SL relationship to proceed with caution...because a day in SL is like a week in RL...and the relationships that are formed here tend to get very intense very quickly..but it is so entirely possible to have a satisfying relationship here... people tend to get to know each other on a very personal and intimate level so beware of your boundaries when you begin and have fun with it

To get a slightly more "frontline" report on the struggle to find some love and affection in the virtual world, I spoke to a self confessed expert on the SL dating circuit and the kind of disastrous dates you can have, having only recently settled down after some time on the scene. She has asked to remain anonymous, to protect the identities of those involved, so I asked "Ms X" if she could offer any advice to those about to embark into the world of cyber-dating:

Ms X: Within about 5 seconds you will know who you’re with and you will catch on real quick if they are IMing behind your back. It gets very quiet and then that’s when you should go home, as it means they are lining someone up behind your back, just in case they wont get you to animate (animating both your avatars to have sex)
You: So some guys in here can be only after one thing? Like in real life?
Ms X: There are men here who are after one thing, like the guy who will take you to the nastiest place he can think of. It kinda bothers me, cause it means there are women who it actually works with. Some men don’t use their imaginations and it always bothered me a lot
Voodoo Buwan: So, what would your tips be to men? How would you impress?
Ms X: Well, someone recently took me to the fox atomic set and it blew me away. That was it he stole me. It’s nice for a man to remain innocent to an extent. It’s nice if sex isn’t mentioned for a while. I mean in rl, would u stay with a girl who animated on the first date within 5 mins of meeting her
Voodoo Buwan: so you show that you are interested in a relationship, no just a one night stand?
Ms X: Yeah exactly. And remember, if u wanna impress someone it doesn’t cost nothing, and some girls like myself don’t care how big your house is or how big your land is… Some men start with that kinda thing right from the word go. They assume that women have nothing here forgetting that in sl there is some women who don’t need a man to look after them. And then there is ones who have a rich male best friend ...coughs lol
Voodoo Buwan: So, to sum up (a) beware silence as is can indicate a possible two timer, (b) be aware of the location of the date, as it can be an indicator of the kind of person your out with, (c) if you want a relationship, take the time to get to know the person, before suggesting sex, and (d) no one likes a show off....

Good Luck, and Good Dating!

Previous articles in this series:
Times of your (Second) Life Part 1: Pregnancy
Times of your (Second) Life Part 2: Childhood
Times of your (Second) Life Part 3: Getting a Job

Times of your (Second) Life: Getting a Job

There comes a time in all of our Second Lives where we realise that either this virtual world is burning a major hole in our real life bank account, or we've picked up all the freebie items this world has to offer, and want to do some proper shopping. Either way, the solution is painfully clear: It's time to get a job. To join the legions of sl wageslaves, trading their time in for for that trickle of Linden Dollars, trying to get by in this harsh virtual world. Yet, how do you know what career is right for us? How can you tell if you're being paid a good wage? Is it worth your time in the first place?

To find out more, I spoke to Zeus Zetkin, the man behind http://www.sljobfinder.com/, Second Life's Largest JobSeekers' Database and Job Search Engine (who have a base in SL here).



Voodoo Buwan: So, how long have you been running sljobfinder?
Zeus Zetkin: For about 8 months now
Voodoo Buwan: Can you give us some background on what you do?
Zeus Zetkin: Sljobfinder.com is a service run by Indusgeeks Solutions P. Ltd ( LLC in the U.S.) We are primarily a virtual world development and marketing company based out of India. The first such company in India actually. What we are doing at Sljobfinder. com is creating a big inventory of temps for you to hire from on demand. We have also introduced a ranking system, which enable employers to rank employees. That way the quality of our database improves and you get credit for good work , if you are employee and your job prospects improve
Voodoo Buwan: Do you get a lot of people using your service?
Zeus Zetkin: I would say so. We definitely have the biggest database of applicants. It’s at 10677 now. About 1500-2000 applicants per month.
Voodoo Buwan: So, what kinda of things do you find that most applicants are looking for in a job?
Zeus Zetkin: Most applicants look for fun jobs.. dancers, strippers , models etc; but an increasing number are turning to more serious pursuits like writing etc.
Voodoo Buwan: On the flipside, what are the most common jobs out there? Does it reflect what people are looking for?
Zeus Zetkin: Most common jobs out there are dancers ,strippers etc too.There is a lot of demand for attendants and store managers etc. as well. But that is a "between job". It doesn't pay well enough to be a "job" and it's not fun enough. So its a bit iffy... Because start-up capital is so low, why should someone manage? Why not run their own store?
Voodoo Buwan: What is the most unusual job that have had listed on your site?
Zeus Zetkin: Nothing really out of the way, but one was for nurses for a virtual hospital. It was a medical training sim, that was interesting
Voodoo Buwan: So, the SL jobmarket is, primarily retail and services led?
Zeus Zetkin: Yes, almost completely. SL doesn't have a production economy. By default the production that takes places happens in a very unorganised , individual capacity or with big organised developers like us. Whereby you are mostly hiring people in RL to do the production.
Voodoo Buwan: What is the average kind of wage for a worker in SL?
Zeus Zetkin: It used to around 40 L$ per hour for unskilled work and around 150-200 for skilled. Now the economy has grown so much , that it's very difficult to generalise however. On an estimate, for skilled jobs around 500 L$ an hour max, and unskilled around 100 L$. For anything more than stripping ,dancing and camping, the money is too small to bother, except to share profits etc. or for the love of it.
Voodoo Buwan: So, we're still not really approaching the stage where you can jack in your rl job, and live off your sl?
Zeus Zetkin: Not unless you are an entrepreneur. Employment here is at least 5-6 years away from sustainable levels. But for that to happen the general productivity and utility of virtual worlds has to increase. It’s not an employment scenario in isolation. What would you employ people on here, that justifies the pay?
Voodoo Buwan: So, what advice would you give to anyone looking for SL work at the moment, about the sort of skills that would be most useful in today’s SL job market?
Zeus Zetkin: If you really want to make some money working in SL and not running your own business. Management is a good area. Management would include: store, game, estate management etc. And if you are working management negotiate a commission based or profit based wage. That way the owner should be comfortable as he is making money and then sharing it and you get paid better on proven results.
Voodoo Buwan: That's really helpful. Thank you.

Previous articles in this series:
Times of your (Second) Life Part 1: Pregnancy
Times of your (Second) Life Part 2: Childhood

Who Has The Most Items In Their Inventory?

HOW MANY THINGS DO YOU HAVE in your inventory? I've just met a guy who has over 13,000 items!!!!!!

Jieux Shepherd, (pictured above), who runs the "Mitzvah Bar" out at Ir Shalom likes to make sure he has whatever it is that he may be asked for. "I have all sorts of strange stuff," he told me, "like today, someone wanted cheesecake, and I had a slice."

But I suppose an inventory of over 13,000 items does come in handy when you also involved in a satirical Jewish Mardi Gras parade group - Krewe du Jieux - based in New Orleans (check out http://krewedujieux.org.

"I'm sure there are folks with more drek than I have," speculated Jieux who is currently in the process of writing an Inventory Help Card to help other people control their inventories. But in words as in stuff, Jieux likes excess, referring to himself as "verbose".

What is that saying about "healer, heal thyself"? lol

Before we parted, he rummaged around and found this witty little gem in his gargantuan bag of tricks:

The Linden Lab's prayer by Myrilla:

"Our Lindens, who art in the Labs,
Hallowed by the prims,
They Grid-dom come, they will be done,
On sims, as it is in The Preview.
Give us this day our daily crash,
And forgive us our Spammery.
As we forgive those, who grief against us
And lead us not, into private parcels.
Amen."

So, how many items do you have in YOUR inventory? Our own Fashion Queen here at SL Newspaper, Dana Vanmoer has admitted to 11,619 items. Let us know in the comment section below.

Kevin Holehan (aka Barone DeCuir)

Kevin Holehan (aka Barone DeCuir)

A RL artist new to SL whose main aim in life is to find peace of mind, something very diifcult when suffering from mental health issues, namely as a diagnosed paranoid schizophrenic (non-violent). His condition was brought about as the result of a brutal attack in the street nearly 25 years ago, for which no-one was arrested, and which left both visible and mental scars to this day. He has always painted even as a child, and uses a canvas or paper as a means to express himself. As a 'mature' student, he studied at the Morley college in London and also at The Camberwell College of Art, also in London. Mainly abstract in style, his paintings are colourful and at times, thought provoking whilst never aimed to shock. He works on all sizes and types of media from small 3" square paper to six foot square canvasses, most of which he never considers as 'finished'. He will often reuse the same canvas over & over again unless it is taken away. Since being diagnosed, he has been unable to sell his work (due to benefit regulations) and is constantly frustrated because he sees no way out of the 'social trap' he finds himself in. Art is his only release.

Through the websites created by his friend, he has managed to 'put his work out there', quite a challenge as there are literally hundreds of drawings, sketches & paintings created over the years (and more being created every month) just sitting around unviewed by anyone. Using the websites, he also manages to address the mental health issues and is a strong supporter and member of various charities associated with the subject. He would be keen to find out if any other artist in SL has similar issues and if they too have found SL helpful as a means to get through the trials & tribulations of RL.

Kevin can be contacted through his websites and any info received from fellow artists/sufferers will remain strictly confidential and never revealed to a third party. Comments on his art are always welcome and encouraged.


REPOST GALLERY;

Originally set up three years ago as a means to allow fellow artists from around the world to show their work, free of charge, on the web. Some are well known artists, mainly from Pembrokeshire, Wales and even a few are award winners!! The SL version (location listed below), has only two artists at the moment, Baron DeSantis & Barone DeCuir although we would like to invite others to join in and help to create a huge gallery to show all their work.

WEBSITES;

http://www.kevinholehan.co.uk

http://www.kevinholehan.com

http://www.repostgallery.co.uk

http://www.ianaparker.co.uk

Location of Repost Gallery within SL: Palulop 114,206,26

The man behind the Wheelies

Simon Walsh is has been in Second Life since early 2006, and as such, is quite well grounded in the world. He owns an island, which homes his hugely popular club, Wheelies (which you can find here). Simon is slightly different to other SL users, describing himself as a "SL wheelchair user with ambition!", and that ambition has not only led to his success with the club, and island, but also has brought him international media attention, and in fact, he will be featured in Newsweek this week. Not bad for a British guy with cerebal palsey. I caught up with this unique person to find out more about the him, Wheelies, and his SL experience:

Voodoo Buwan: So, can you explain the inspiration behind "Wheelies"?
Simon Walsh: It was a bit of fun to be honest and everyone had clubs back them, and so what does a disabled man calls his club...but its grow and grow
Voodoo Buwan: So, was your intention to make somewhere for other disabled people to come and party, or is the title more to do with where you are coming from?
Simon Walsh: Always be an inclusive club. Wheelies is a disability theme club
not a club for disabled people. All are welcome.
Voodoo Buwan: But a place that, while all are welcome, people with disabilities can come without feeling their disability is an issue? is that fair?
Simon Walsh: Yes
Voodoo Buwan: If I can say, without coming across the wrong way, I notice you are in a wheelchair in SL. Many people with impairments in SL choose to embrace the opportunity to not have not have it. May I ask why you chose to be in a wheelchair here too?
Simon Walsh: Ok, you are a man in rl?
Voodoo Buwan: Yes
Simon Walsh: Why are you a man in sl?
Voodoo Buwan: Right... so you are being true to yourself?
Simon Walsh: Yep, I’ve got no time to pretend. I do walk in rl with helmet, and use wheelchair often, but its true me, only I am slimmer and younger here and I’ve worn wetsuit shorts for 6 weeks :)
Voodoo Buwan: How have you found people's reaction to you as a person in a wheelchair in SL?
Simon Walsh: In the early days... and this was when there were 200000 users, it was hard at times as a newbie. Now, I am not 'a wheelchair user'. I am 'owner of wheelies' because I’ve been seen on TV and people track me down. I am the famous git I always wanted to me
Voodoo Buwan: So SL has brought the attention of the RL media?
Simon Walsh: omg yes. It started with Canada news, over the youtube video (which can be seen at http://www.simonstevens.com/), then bbc radio 4, UK Times, UK disability now and now newsweek. Oh, and blog after blog after blog in many languages.
Voodoo Buwan: So, how has your newfound fame affected you?
Simon Walsh: It’s made me calmer, but it’s still about helping the newbies. i think being a role model is important. Fame is a job for me.
Voodoo Buwan: So, you've kind of become an elder statesman on SL?
Simon Walsh: Hehe, wheelies has its place
Voodoo Buwan: Is it true to say that SL has opened up opportunities to you that were denied you in rl?
Simon Walsh: Yes, and that’s sounds sad. i have a lot of opportunities in rl. i achieved 10 times more than most in rl. in sl, i achieve 100 times
Voodoo Buwan: So SL is just another way to push your drive and ambition
Simon Walsh: Yes, the big leap to real success
Voodoo Buwan: And what next for Simon Walsh?
Simon Walsh: Stevens centre, a place for disability equality training for rl in sl
Voodoo Buwan: Still looking to give something back?
Simon Walsh: And make a lot of rl money
Voodoo Buwan: Well, thank you for speaking to me, and best of luck

Times of your (Second) Life: Childhood

There are few more thorny issues in Second Life at the moment, than the presence of people with child-like avatars, in our 18+ rated world. These are all adults, who enter SL, and decide that they wish to appear to look like children, as if they were not over 18, they can be on "Teen Second Life" and where the content is generally less explicit. The presence of these adults playing as children has led to much confusion, concern, and official announcements in SL, due to the occurrences of "age play", where an apparently paedophile adult avatar, will engage in sexual relations with a child avatar. So, with all the hysteria and panic over the subject, I wandered down to the home base of a group called the Goonies, a group of people with child avatars, (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Sunrise/152/37/25) to discuss why they chose the avatars they did, and what life is like as a child in Second Life.

The first child I bumped into was willing to speak to me, but would rather not give his SL name because, in his words, "I will have fun here and no discussions and so on... That is what I got in rl more than enough". I asked "JS", as we will call him, why he chose to be a child in SL:

JS: It’s just fun. Hanging around on the beach instead of working at the office. Like the times I was a boy that preferred to have fun with his mates instead of sitting in the class room
Voodoo: So, there's an element of recapturing lost childhood?
JS: That’s exactly the point. And what’s interesting is, that most of us perfectly can remember behaviour and how to interact as a child
Voodoo: So, it all comes flooding back?
JS: Yep, so to say. Sl as a time - machine
Voodoo: Do you have any SL parents? Or are you out on your own?
JS: On my own. Participating in a family background here would take way too much time
Voodoo: Have you found that anyone has tried to get involved in improper situations with you as a child here?
JS: Only once. And all u need to do is, even though a boy should not use such kind of words, say "piss off or I report you dickhead...”

After speaking to "JS", I bumped into a couple of other children, Travis Yue and Pais Kidd, and asked them about their experiences:

Voodoo: So, what made you want to be a children in SL?
Travis Yue: It’s just the way I choose to express myself, everyone picks something that suits themselves. I choose to be a child. That’s not really something I can explain to someone who doesn’t understand. Its just who I feel I am. I can’t ask how it feels to be a certain type of person if I do not understand what it is. I really cant say much more than being a kid is just who I am
Pais Kidd:For me childhood was a penultimate time of fun and learning. When I chose this av, I asked myself, if I could be anyone or anything, what would I want to be? A boy was an obvious answer to me: full of life, excited about the world, still hopeful....
Voodoo: So, is either one of you part of families in SL? Do you have SL parents?
Pais Kidd: No. That stuff doesn't attract me. I have friends that are part of families, and I can see they get a lot out of it, but I just like being a free agent
Travis Yue: I have a few people that are close to me I could consider parents, but nothing solid, however the people I meet and consider close friends would be my SL family to me. There are people here I would consider as close as my RL family
Voodoo: Have you found that other people in SL react badly towards you, living in SL as a child?
Pais Kidd: Yes. First, some are just dumbfounded, and will ask point blank why? Usually once I explain, they seem to be ok. Then, there are "griefers", who go out of their way to be mean. The griefers seem to think it is their duty to teach us a lesson. There are what seem to be a certain quotient of what I estimate are like drunken frat boys on their first night on campus syndrome.
Voodoo: Have you had anyone make improper sexual advance towards you?
Pais Kidd: Yes, but I bet that happens to everyone
Travis Yue: Yes, it’s not something that can be avoided, we can’t control other peoples actions. However, we're not intolerant to them, they can be and do what they want. We just make it clear we are a separate group of people and that we want nothing to do with it
Voodoo: So, you just point out that you're not interested, and that's that?
Pais Kidd: Yea, around here, someone will normally make a comment like "put some pants on, dude" and let it go at that. Fortunately, in SL you can't be forcibly kidnapped....
Voodoo: Is there anything else you'd like to share with our readers?
Pais Kidd: To me, nothing represents the epitome of potential, curiosity, and joy as a kid. Being an adult can crush so many beautiful elements of being human.

I'll give the final word to Neo Rebus, who turned up towards the end of my discussion with Travis and Pais:

Neo Rebus: Being a kid gives you some more freedoms than an adult. You can say what you want a bit more, act foolishly or just have fun without people thinking you're weird. You lose some of the "adult" freedoms, but that's not why most of us are here anyway. (Most of us kids, that is)

Previous articles in this series:
Times of your (Second) Life: Pregnancy

Stick Bellman's Service

Stick Bellman’s RL controller passed away on the 12^th May. A RL service was held on the 18^th

May and a week later we decided to have a service in SL.

Since I knew Stick in RL I also knew how important second life was to her and to our partnership. We often spent many hours each day playing. Friends and loved ones gathered at 12 noon to say bye to their friend Stick and more importantly try to celebrate her life.

Stick always was someone who didn’t like things to become maudlin, she wanted to see the funny side and as our minister, Tangletwigs Fairymeadow, pointed out if you didn’t join her in her wicked adventure you got the backhand from a rather stickie and large lollipop. Lord Leafblower stood up and spoke some rather special and touching words. I, her partner finished off the service and talked about our life together, the adventures, the mischief, the fun and the love we shared.

She was seen regularly messing about with toys, she regularly managed to persuade me to stand on a rotating board while she fired knifes at me! Regulars at Kiva Island’s Lava Pit will have no doubt seen her whiz past on her unicycle trying to jump the dance floor and land on the main bar with perfect aim (although anyone who ever saw Stick fly will know if she managed that or not!)

During her service we raised $77USD which I will send RL to The Sealyham Breeders Association here in the UK. Stick was an active dog breeder and she had a show kennel. During her career she built a well established kennel in the UK and abroad for Sealyham Terriers, very often doing rather well at Crufts (UK’s premier dog show). The money that was raised will go to the club and a memorial trophy in her honour will be purchased. Thanks to everyone who added to this fund and thank you to everyone who attended the service.

The Meaning of (Second) Life

In a recent conversation in the sl-newspaper offices, a certain colleague of mine kept pointing out that SL is "just a game" and as always in these occasions, it sent the old mind cogs inside spinning around at odd angles. You see, SL may be a game, but unlike every other game, there are no objectives. No end line to cross. No time limit you have to run out. You don't have to catch em all, get the girl, or kill the baddies. In fact.. when you enter the game of Second Life, there is no purpose. This bothered me slightly, so I decided to go on a quest for enlightenment, to see if anyone could tell me comprehensively what the Meaning of Life was... or at least the Meaning of Second Life.


As in real life, the logical places to look for some form of meaning in the world surrounding me seemed to be religion. However, not wanting to limit my quest, I chose 5 religions, and sought out prominent representatives of each, to chat about this existential quandary. First stop: Christianity. I traveled to the CG-Church, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Talyn/204/233/40, where I met Pastor Bamaisin, and put my question to him:


Voodoo: I'm looking for the meaning of Second Life?
Pastor Bamaisin: the new life...
Voodoo: How so?
Pastor Bamaisin: People live a life in reality = RL, and here many try to live what they have dreamed always about.
Voodoo: that’s a reason to be here.... but is it the meaning of life here?
Pastor Bamaisin: yes for many... everybody does what he thinks is best for him
Voodoo: and as a Christian... does this freedom fit with your beliefs?
Pastor Bamaisin: no not really - it’s in this way like the real life. You cannot hinder sexshops and gambling etc...
Voodoo: So if God creates man... and man creates SL... Is God in SL?
Pastor Bamaisin: I experience HIM here as in RL. its always people talking with people, no matter the avatar, so GOD talk to mankind here as well. He reaches out to people through me and other Christians.
Voodoo: and that is what God would feel is the meaning of SL is?
Pastor Bamaisin: You have to ask HIM...

Next stop on my quest was the beautifully built, Chebi Mosque, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Chebi/177/208/87, where I met Muslim council member muhammedyussif Wikinger, to see if he could give some further insight:

Voodoo: As a Muslim, what do you think is the meaning of Second Life?
muhammedyussif Wikinger: Connecting with people from all over the world
Voodoo: Is that a reason people come on, or the meaning of life in SL?
muhammedyussif Wikinger: I don't understand the meaning of the question - could Voodoo part it in two
Voodoo: People come on here to meet and play... but does your position as a muslim give you any perspective on what we should be here for?
muhammedyussif Wikinger: You mean the purpose of God to allow this adventure?
Voodoo: sure
muhammedyussif Wikinger: I think God uses this as always to test us and depending of how we use this opportunity we pass the test or not. For example... I use the time here to inform about Islam and to encourage people to change their way of life to reduce the damage of global warming
Voodoo: So it's a way of spreading the word about what you believe in?
muhammedyussif Wikinger: Yes really - on opportunity I could not get anywhere else. For example I have been interviewed in USA Today... would never had happened any other place
Voodoo: Right... you mentioned that this was a test.. so are people failing?
muhammedyussif Wikinger: It is up to God to decide that but all these griefers and immoral behaviour I think is a failure

Leaving the Mosque, I organised to meet Enchantress Sao, a respected member of the SL pagan community, at her land, Spirit Rising (http://slurl.com/secondlife/Serenity/74/16/42). Be this point, I changed the question slightly, feeling that people weren't quite understanding what I was asking:

Voodoo: I am looking for the meaning of second life, and wondered if being a pagan gave you any perspective?
Enchantress Sao: well for me it is a chance to connect with other pagans all over the world in a setting that we can both teach and learn
Voodoo: So... that is what you feel is our purpose here?
Enchantress Sao: that is part of what my purpose is here that and being creative. I can't speak for everyone else. We all have our own agendas
Voodoo: How does being a pagan inform what you feel you should be doing? and does it give you any opinion on what others do here?
Enchantress Sao: As far as what others do here I do not judge anyone, after all this is a game and everyone plays it differently. It isn't so much what I feel I should be doing it is what I really enjoy doing
Voodoo: Is it just a game?
Enchantress Sao: It’s an extension and an enhancement to my real life
Voodoo: so we should just do what we enjoy?
Enchantress Sao: yes I think so as long as you don't harm yourself or others

I flew out of the nature and wonder of the pagan forest, to fly to the skyborn Skeptical Buddhists Sangha, http://slurl.com/secondlife/Toowoomba/114/208/391, to meet with Starsitter Quality, a Buddhist, and get her thoughts:


Voodoo: I am looking for the meaning of Second Life, and I wondered, as a Buddhist... what you feel is our purpose here?
Starsitter Quality: As a Buddhist, I don't worry about the meaning of Second Life. I just enjoy being here.
Voodoo: so... you don't feel there is a purpose here?
Starsitter Quality: If there is a purpose, it's not one I can know the whole of. It seems a little limiting, don't you think, to try to pick just one purpose?
Voodoo: so, you feel there are many?
Starsitter Quality: As many as there are participants, and then some!
Voodoo: And how should we determine what these purposes would be?
Starsitter Quality: Observation, of what's around you and your reaction to it.
Voodoo: so... see what we find, and do what we feel?
Starsitter Quality: Mostly, but be thoughtful. Not so much feeling, as being conscious.
Voodoo: Contemplation is the key? So we're here for experience?
Starsitter Quality laughs. I don't know what *you're* here for! I can't speak for anyone else. I do recommend employing the brain while here though. :)

Last stop on my tour was the Jewish sim of IR Shalom, where I met with Carter Giacobini, a community leader there, and asked what he thought:


Voodoo: Ok.... I'm looking for the meaning of Second Life.... as a Jew, what do you feel is our purpose here?
Carter Giacobini: well... as a Jew, our purpose in SL is to continuously educate ourselves and non-Jews, build a sense of community and to reach out to other faiths to help build bridges. I think that making SL a place where people understand Jews better is something that can reach out into RL and have a real impact there
Voodoo: And the purpose for the non-Jewish?
Carter Giacobini: LOL - depends on what they're here to get out of it... for someone of faith, I think that the best thing they could do is to reach out to others w/in their own community and outside of their community, as well however if someone is here for strictly fun or rp'ing then that's a different story
Voodoo: So.... people may have come here for fun or rping... but is that their purpose? is that what they should do?
Carter Giacobini: I think that people should do whatever is that they want to do, as long as they're respectful of others and follow the Terms Of Service. This place, like the rest of the Internet, is so pregnant w/ possibilities, and to narrow what someone should do because I think they should do it. It is unfair and restrictive. I choose to run a couple of sims, it's what I choose to do, but you choose to be a reporter.
Voodoo: So people should do whatever they want?
Carter Giacobini: I think as long as it's in line with the Terms Of Service, then yes. why not? I think a lot of people miss some wonderful opportunities for personal growth but that's not my decision to make for them


So... what have we learned. Well, for me, I think the general message is that Second Life seems to be what you make of it. You do what you think is right, what you feel in your heart to be right, and what you believe is the best, while all the while respecting those around you. And we have also learned that if you find that you are losing your way on your own personal quest, there are plenty of people willing to help you with guidance and advice to help you find what you are looking for.