Monday, June 9, 2008

The Blogosphere: Communications in the 21st Century

Naomi Finesmith Portrait_3
By Naomi Finesmith

The other day I saw my first article up here… and it hit me. The significance of it. That I, someone who has never really aimed for anything more than mediocrity, have suddenly become heard. Something I typed on a whim and a spark of inspiration, has been read by hundreds, maybe even thousands… It’s a humbling experience.

In modern times, we take so many things for granted. Until wetware becomes practical, the Internet is the end-all be-all of data transfer. In more practical terms, the internet has given voice to millions. Anyone who has anything to say can say it and be heard. Whether people keep listening all depends on how well they say it, but it is a statistical certainty that someone, sooner or later, will stumble upon whatever is written and read it. The world has become a much smaller place, now that the means to reach millions are at your fingertips. Yes. You. The one on the other side of this screen. You’ve got a keyboard just the same as I do, you can write, just like I do. There’s nothing stopping you from doing so.

In the end, it all comes down to a matter of voice. Everyone can whisper, but can you yell it from the rooftops? Anyone can speak to 2 or 3, but can you talk to 2 or 3 thousand? That’s up to you, but if you think you’ve got something others should hear, then it’s your choice, your privilege, to make yourself heard. Welcome to the Blogosphere, we’re glad to have you.


P.S from Anna Avalanche: Yes you are right Naomi. I am glad you wrote another article. I want to extend this invitation to all other readers as well. If you like to give us your impressions about SL feel free to contact me.

Saturday, June 7, 2008

LifeSecond: First impressions of a newcomer to the world of Linden

I like when readers enjoy my writings and my blog. I like much more when they help making our blog better by giving impression about our Second Life World.

Like my great friend Wildstar Beaumont, that became one of my best contributors. Naomi Finesmith, a very intelligent friend, is giving me the satisfaction to publish her first article in our blog.
Hope you all enjoy. There is more to come I am sure.

Naomi's_portrait 01

LifeSecond: First impressions of a newcomer to the world of Linden.

By Naomi Finesmith


I am what most would call, a noob, a newbie. I have only recently entered the world of SecondLife, and have only glimpsed the smallest fraction of its residents and areas, and yet, here is a place I feel comfortable. I have a good bit of experience with communities of this sort, but only in pure text. To me, SecondLife is like taking a cartoon, pulling him up off the static reality of his life on paper, and setting him down in the real world. I find myself supremely grateful I had someone to show me the ropes, lest I become hopelessly lost in the digital ocean of SL.

I've known about Second Life for several years now... heard of it in forums, read articles about it in magazines, seen snippets of it on Television... but there's nothing quite like diving in with both feet, immersing yourself in another world... where who you are is who you want to be, no more, no less. Any reservations, any hesitancies, any hangups that exist in one's first life, are merely things of whim in one's Second. Everything is choice. It's a mind-boggling concept to begin with, but once the reality (virtual or otherwise), sinks in, there's a sense of incredible freedom that comes with it. The world is at your fingertips, and so long as you stay within the confines of politenesss, no one will stop you.

SecondLife has something for everyone, be you hippie, emo, goth, furry, punk, indie, street, professional, looking to escape life, or looking to make one. Second Life isn't just simulation... it's an entire virtual reality. All one needs to do is carve out a niche, and enjoy yourself. There are even those who make a living in Real Life off of transactions in SecondLife. it's incredible, the level of impact it can have... a virtual economy that affects the real economy. It's almost scary to think about.

Ultimately, it comes down to a question of identity. With so much freedom, one can get lost in the glamor of the scenery, but the core of Second Life is clear: your life is what you make it. You can look how you want, act as you'd like, and indulge in whatever suits your fancy. Second Life is your oyster, and the pearl of Freedom lies at your fingertips.

Tonight, Remember is going to Rock


Kiss Tribute on Remember Island at 2 PM SLT, that's in two hour's time.

Tonight, that pirate island that is going to ROCK and offer you the coolest gig on SL.


Don’t miss the show at Remember Island

Friday, June 6, 2008

Miss Liberty of Second Life

a beautiful view from the walkway of the sim hosting the Fashion Expo 2008

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Maja/150/85/29

Pictures examples

This is some examples took with the technique below. For photography tips please read the post below.

Unfortunately the blog is not the best place to publish a good quality picture. I will publish some semples, but if you wish to look at a good resolution picture please access my flickr or Orkut .

This pictures were took at Chouchou . This place is beautiful. Hopefully I will tell more about it other day.

Snapshot_001

Snapshot_002

Snapshot_003

Snapshot_004

Snapshot_005

Snapshot_007

Snapshot_009

If you a have any doubts leave your comment.

Tips for a good Picture –Anna Avalanche

Continuing the last article I would like to give some tips that might help photographers in SL.

I am planning to make a picture contest every week, so this tips and clues will help you when the time comes. So take your “camera” and practice with this tips. When I made the challenge you will be a professional. If you are already a professional photographer and would like to give us other tips please write a comment.

First you need to enable the ADVANCED menu: type Ctrl + Alt + D and a new menu with more options will open.

Go to ADVANCED and enable High-res Snapshot. This is one of the tricks for a good quality picture.

high res

Now Disable Camera Constrains if you want more detail picture, specially for landscape. This will permit bigger zoom.

disable camera

For big resolution picture adjust EDIT > PREFERENCE > GRAPHICS to the maximum, ULTRA. Take care, this can make you computer slow if you don’t have a good graphics card.

graphics

If you want to adjust the sky and water edit your preference at WORLD > ENVIRONMENTAL SETTINGS > ENVIRONMENTAL EDITOR.

emviromental editor

To make a personalize edition for the sky and water you will need to open the ADVANCED SKY or ADVANCED WATER window. Just like the illustration below. You can save your configuration if you wish.

advance sky

After this go to FILE menu and choose TAKE SNAPSHOT. This will open a new window.

take snapshot

This new window will give you picture size, color, and save on disk option. It is always good to remember that bigger pictures will create a bigger file.

custom size

The last clue is to enable VIEW > CAMARA CONTROL. A small windows will open. This window permits you to change zoom and the camera angle easier.

camera control

Ok, now you are ready. Don’t forget to use good poses and take care where the eyes are focusing.

Have a good shoot!!!!!!

Thursday, June 5, 2008

Friends Fighting Cancer team Relay For Life benefit Concert 3

My friend Music Hyun is helping to promote a benefit Concert and I would like to invite everyone to see the fantastic show.

We are fortunate to have three of SLs top live sim filling musicians joining us to help us raise funds to fight the horrible disease of cancer. Bring your friends and dance away at this amazing 3 hour concert which is an official fundraising event for RFL. Help us raise the roof and show how much we care!

Date: Friday June 6th
Time: 7pm to 10pm SLT
Location: Gwampa Kamp - Turquoise Planet, Gwampa Kamp (128, 128, 701)

Come and check out Dexter's amazing concert venue - special effects will abound in this spectacular site!

Our amazing artist line up:
* Dexter Ihnen - 7pm SLT
* Cylindrian Rutabaga - 8pm SLT
* JueL Resistance - 9pm SLT

Dexter Moore / Dexter Ihnen
Dexter Ihnen

Cylindrian Rutabaga
Cylindrian Rutabaga

JueL Resistance
JueL Resistance