To Spin a Second Web

Ignoring the fact that I first found Second Life in June of 2004, yet suffered from the can't-run-this-how-do-I-get-this-tree-outta-my-ear syndrome so common with new users, my first real experience in Second Life began in September 2005. Immediately, I saw the opportunity and couldn't wait to share it with my world.

But my world wasn't ready. And *I* wasn't ready to clearly explain it.

I hail from the tech blogosphere, podcasting and vlogging-- oh yes, terms, terms, terms. Not crazy about them, but hey-- it's a point of reference. And I knew how people would react when introduced to this metaversian concept. In fact, we see it today as the pro-/anti- hype machine churns about our beloved grid.

So, I kept quiet for a few months while I hashed out the concept of SL and how to explain it to the people of my planet.

And speaking of planets, that was the first analogy I used. People knew I was involved in Second Life, they didn't know what it was, and I so desperately wanted to tell them! So I fell back on the notion that asking what Second Life was, was about as complex as a question to answer than if an alien came to Planet Earth and asked, "So what do you people do here?"

Around January of 2006, I started to figure it out, doing contrasting and comparing, finding the good, the bad, the ugly, and eventually getting at least the very basic points across. People running wild with their own interpretations? Well that's just the new user experience talking. (I did, for the record, get that tree out of my ear when my 2004 account was unlocked. My alt is older than me!)

And that brings us here to SLOG.

I've read SLOG on and off over the past year-- and lots of my good pals are here-- and talked to Frans about writing here. See, I don't want some gig writing about SL to be all expert-y. I just have ideas and observations and questions in my head that I want to get out. Like, all the time-kinda get out. And I don't want to deluge my own readership with too much All-SL-All-the-time. Moderation, even when being a cheerleader, is a Good Thing.

I'm stoked to be here, and hope I can contribute as well as everyone who has graced these pages since the SLOGging began.

Much thanks to Frans and Giff and everyone else for having me! :)

Spin