Thursday, April 30, 2009

"Postcards from the Edge (of SL)" - A combination of Photography and Music in SL - Thursdays - 11am-1pm (slt)

Thursdays
11am-1pm(slt)

"Postcards from the Edge (of SL)"
A New Photography & Music Event on the Princeton University in Second Life sim presented by www.Koinup.com and Ravelong Productions.

A Virtual Photography
& Music Party
@ "ALEXANDER BEACH" ::
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Alexander Beach/128/128/28
in Second Life

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“Postcards from the Edge (of SL)”

is a weekly event enticing and inspiring us all to take virtual world snapshots in a group setting on the stunning, aesthetic Alexander Beach, a Princeton University (in SL) Sim designed by renowned architect & designer, Scope Cleaver.

People are encouraged to come to the event, and photograph the magnificent sim; the buildings, architecture, people, wildlife, while displaying our collective pics on Koinup.

Weekly photo themes.
Photo Contents.
The "Find-it from the photo" game.
Photoshop races
and more

DJ Doubledown Tandino mixes up the blend of electronica, house, fusion, broken beat, plus will give announcements over the mic AND the fabulous party girl Maryjoanne Sideways will be our event support.

KOINUP GROUP: http://www.koinup.com/group/PFTE/
Updates on the Blog: Second Life- Music, DJs, Nightlife, art, & Creativity
Twitter: @Doubledown_inSL
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Etherea/131/130/254
LISTEN STREAM: http://www.slmusic.info:8200

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Make music with Ableton Live [Demonstration Video]

From Ableton Live comes an excellent demonstration video on what the amazing program can do.



Ableton Live is about making music. When you're writing and composing, Live is quick and responsive. When you want to record and develop your ideas, Live has the depth and toolset for intricate production. It's got the features to take your DJ skills to the next level and it's stable and flexible on stage, whether you're playing in front of 10 or 10,000 people. However and wherever you make music, whatever music you make, Live will inspire you.

read more | digg story

In case you missed it:
ROLE Magazine had a great article on Live "Looping" Musicians in Second Life in their April 2009 issue.

Intelligence Community Embraces Virtual Collaboration

Intelligence Community Embraces Virtual Collaboration
by Robert K. Ackerman of AFCEA

The nature of intelligence community activities has been changed as increasing numbers of people adopt virtual collaboration tools and methodologies. A host of systems unleashed a handful of years ago has burgeoned into a new way of engaging in intelligence operations that is moving through the community.

Users set free to explore these new cyberspace systems have uncovered new capabilities and have driven the introduction of still more collaborative systems. The result is that finished intelligence reports now are richer than before virtual collaboration was adopted. An issue is viewed through more than one perspective; and the overall effect is timelier, more agile and more accurate intelligence reporting to decision makers, says an intelligence official.

read more | digg story

Thursday, April 23, 2009

Linden Lab Bans Camping and Traffic Bots | Linden Lab | Second Life

FINALLY!
Linden Lab Bans Camping and Traffic Bots

Conclusion to the Blog Post on Bots
Posted by Jack Linden

"...Camping or Traffic Bots

Almost everyone agrees that using Bots to manipulate traffic (and therefore Search rankings) is unfair. Not only with respect to Search itself but also due to the load on Mainland Region resources and how that can impact other Residents in the area. Therefore we are setting policy that attempting to gain an unfair Search advantage, by the use of Bots to inflate the Traffic for a parcel, will be considered a violation. This policy applies to both Mainland and Private Estates as both are represented in Search.Therefore we are setting policy that attempting to gain an unfair Search

How Will This Be Enforced?

This time next week we will begin to routinely look at the Search results and where we find clear use of Bots to gain an unfair Search advantage we will be handling it as an abuse issue. We will not need you to abuse report this, instead we will monitor the Search results. To begin with we will message the land owner to issue a warning, but this will escalate to an account suspension or removal from Search if it persists. The usual Abuse-appeals process will be available for anyone that feels that the decision is unfair.

We will not be banning or removing Bots from Second Life. There are many amazing and useful ways to use Bots and the fact that in some circumstances they can be misused should not impact the more constructive users of Bots. We wouldn't remove Scripting because it can sometimes be used in bad ways, and Bots are no different in that respect. Going forward we are going to look at ways to allow you to voluntarily identify to us that an account is a Bot, so that we can remove it from Traffic completely.

read more | digg story

Stay Current On Virtual Events and Virtual Worlds with Social Media

As a followup to my post about my current favorite web 2.0 and social networking services, here's a cool article.
[Thanks Mal Burns for the find]

How To Use Social Media To Stay Current On Virtual Events And Virtual Worlds
Written by Dennis Shiao from It's All Virtual

In 2009, I’ve seen a surge in the volume of content published around virtual events and virtual worlds - coverage in mainstream media, blog postings, videos, podcasts and even entirely new web sites developed to cover these specific industries. It’s all great - but with a rising volume of information comes the challenge of how to efficiently stay current. I’ll highlight a few social media services that I use to keep current on events, track emerging technologies and find relevant commentary on all things virtual....

read more | digg story

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

MURKU, the HUD to make comics in Second Life - Thursday April 23rd, 2009 - 12pm (slt)

Always wondering how to make comics within Second Life? This next session will be a good occasion to discover a great tool: the Murku Comic HUD. As you can see in the picture below, Deep Semaphore, the creator of Murku, did an amazing job gathering all the features you need to make a good looking comic book without leaving Second Life.

Contests are very exciting for photographers. Beside getting prizes, they are a great way to meet people and exchange about making artworks in SL. That’s why the Koinup Second Life Community is pleased to participate in the SL Comics Contest. (rules)

Join us Thursday 23rd of April at 12.00pm SLT on the Orange Island Photo Gallery.

The session will consist in a presentation of the rules, a “how to use the Murku HUD” class and some words about storytelling.

murku-hud

Behind this contest is Deep Semaphore, creator of the Murku HUD. It is a great tool that lets you create comics frames within Second Life.

You can view a tutorial for using the Murku HUD here. To grab the HUD inwolrd, please visit here.

[Thanks Koinup]

Tuesday, April 21, 2009

Photograph a Virtual Mushroom, Win a $2000L Gift Card to Ravelong

Virtual Worlds Mushroom Photography Contest

Funky and Psychedelia in Virtual Worlds
and the related contest called:
Best Inworld Mushroom Photography Contest

The rules are simple. I want to see the best inworld virtual mushroom photographed. ...or a toadstool... Winner(s) receive $2000L Gift Cards for Ravelong and quite possibly a prize-pack collection of Club/Raver visual goodies (yet to be determined). Winner(s) will be chosen at my RL birthday in SL on May 22nd, 2009 (more details on that soon).

1) Join this Koinup group
2) Photograph the most amazing mushrooms from any virtual world.
3) Add your mushroom photos to the group
TAG YOUR ENTRIES WITH "CONTESTMUSHROOM"

A Suggestion: Postcards: you can send postcards directly from Second Life to your koinup gallery, without saving on HD. Tutorial HERE
http://blog.koinup.com/2008/08/postcards-from-second-life-tutorial.html

Thank you to Pier from Koinup for posting my contest into the Koinup Blog. PEACE LOVE AND BLOG! Here's a Doubledown comment:
...I've always enjoyed aesthetics and "trippy visuals". Virtual Worlds make that possible in real time, all the time! I know there's a wild subculture inworld of psychedelic landscapes, alice in wonderland tributes, grateful dead homages, Super Mario?!?... I'm hoping this group and this contest will pull together a wild crowd of artists and visuals, because, this sub-cyberculture and the art that comes from it isn't always paid attention to even though it's appreciated.

The Virtual Build Archive - Documenting the beautiful builds of Second Life.

Documenting the beautiful builds of Second Life.
Japan Kansai



Theme: Edo Period (1603 to 1868) Japan

Build created by: Amiryu Hosoi

Windlight settings used: Midday

Sounds: Recorded on location

Tips on visiting: This is actually part of a larger region of Asian themed Sims, all are worth exploring.

Film by: Lainy Voom

Narration: Gala Charron

Visit: Japan Kansai

-----
Good Solid Info Via IHeartSL:
The Virtual Build Archive

the-virtual-build-archive

The Virtual Build Archive documents through film and narrative some of the most beautiful and inspiring builds within the virtual world of Second Life.

We hope over time to build the site from a small acorn into quite an extensive catalogue of in-world created content.

We are pleased to present as the first video, Japan Kansai and the village of Hosoi Mura, an Edo Period (1603 to 1868) build created by Amiryu Hosoi.

To view the film and for further information please click: HERE
Look out for Mondays when there will be a new video release!

[Thanks tracechops of www.IHeartSL.com]

Monday, April 20, 2009

ProCaster - One-click live video streaming, powered by Mogulus

ProCaster One-click live streaming, powered by Mogulus

ProCaster is a new FREE desktop application that will dramatically and automatically boost your broadcasts to the absolute highest quality possible. It's also the simplest broadcasting application available, despite offering some great new features we think youʼre going to love. If you currently broadcast using the Mogulus Studio or Flash Media Encoder you really should check it out. ProCaster is fully integrated with Mogulus, including moderated control over your chat, Twitter, and 3D Effects that will turn any live presentation into an instant "Steve Jobs" keynote.

Learn more and download ProCaster for free today at www.procaster.com
Key Features

- Easiest to Use
This is the simplest broadcasting software to use, anywhere. With a single click you can be live on your channel!

- Highest Quality
Encode your broadcasts in the absolute highest quality possible, with automatic frame rate adjustment based on your connection speed. You'll see better results than Flash Media Encoder or any browser-based Flash application.

- Chat & Twitter Integration
Tweet to let everyone know you're live, and manage your channel's chat, all from right within the ProCaster application.

- Broadcast Anything
If you can see it, you can stream it. Cameras, Webcams, 3D games, Websites, PowerPoint, desktops... anything! All at full frame-rate.

- 2D & 3D Effects
Use picture-in-picture and real-time 3D layouts to combine your camera with your screen or game for incredible creative possibilities. Create your own "Steve Jobs" keynote presentation with the click of a button.

- Solid Desktop App
Get away from browser performance limitations and unleash the full power of your computer's processor.

If you want to do simple one-camera live broadcasting from your desktop, all you need is ProCaster (you can bypass the Mogulus Studio altogether). If you're already using FME, you'll enjoy the added simplicity and quality that ProCaster offers.. and the 3D Effects will blow you (and your audience) away!

ProCaster works in Windows, with a Mac version coming soon. It seamlessly supports both Mogulus Free and Mogulus Pro channels, and best of all, it's completely FREE!

digg story

Digital Marketing Speaker Series in Second Life

Digital Marketing Series in Second Life
via Joanna Scott's blog

This Wednesday, 22nd April, sees the first in a new series of live speaker events in Second Life. Organized in association with our colleagues at Palgrave Macmillan, Macmillan’s academic arm, we will feature a range of speakers all themed around the broad topic of Digital Marketing.

First up, Alycia de Mesa, the author of the new book Brand Avatar, will be speaking about virtual marketing and branding. Alycia will discuss what real life brand strategies to keep in mind when branding in-world as well as the burgeoning field of virtual branding.

We will be giving out a free sample chapter of the book to everyone who attends the event, and the book will be available to buy at a special 20% discount.

This is a departure from our previously purely scientific activities, specifically to introduce other parts of the Macmillan group to how great SL is, but I hope it will be very relevant to people in all genres, from multinationals to individuals.

All very welcome to attend: any questions, or if you would like to come but need some help getting started with Second Life, by all means email me at j.scott@nature.com or find me in SL as Joanna Wombat.

Title: Brand Avatar
Speaker: Alycia de Mesa
Date: Wednesday 22nd April
Time: 6pm BST / 10am PST/SLT
Venue: Khufu Conference Centre

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Doubledown Note: If you would like to see "Avatar Branding" in all of it's shining glory, check out Torley... and all that is Torley Lives. He's a walking, talking image of a branded avatar success story, and also he's a person, a Linden, and a very cool dude doing some amazing things in the world.

10 Excuses to Avoid DJ Requests

10 excuses to avoid DJ requests
Written by: Terry Church of Beatportal.com

Here are 10 ways a DJ can dodge having to play a request without resorting to a fist fight. These are tried and tested excuses from out in the field and Beatportal has tried every one (maybe).


No DJ wants to be seen as a jukebox

1. “I’m just the warm up”

The golden answer to any request from a complainer is “I’m just the warm up DJ”. It’s a blanket answer that can be used for any request, be it hip hop or classical music.

The reply suggests that you’re deliberately playing records they don’t want to hear, so that the DJ after you can come on and play what they really want. That should keep them away from the DJ booth for a bit. But the real beauty of the reply is that it keeps the complainer in the club listening to your set, because they will be waiting around for the next DJ. No one likes an empty dancefloor, even if it’s just full of whiners.

2. “How long have you been here? I played it just before you arrived.”

When asked for a particular style of track, immediately reply with “How long have you been here?” Then, regardless of their response say, “damn, I’m sorry I played that track or that sound just before you got here.”

Your answer shifts the guilt back onto the complainer who will think they should have come to the club sooner, and the wonderful thing about that is that the next time they’ll be the first through the door. Then you’ll be really screwed.

3. “The guy after me plays that.”

An alternative on the “I’m just the warm up” excuse, except this one can be used to screw over the next DJ quite nicely. Afterall, a little rivalry is healthy for the scene.

You could even take it further and ask the whiner to write down their requests onto a piece of paper which you swear you will pass onto the next DJ. Then when changeover happens, point at the next DJ whilst winking at the whiner and then run home before the fireworks begin.

Another excuse that uses ‘time stamping’ to hoodwink the complainer into staying for your entire set is to count how many tracks you will need to finish your set and then say, “After X tracks, I’ll play it.” (Thanks fballoni!).

4. “The manager won’t let me.”

Shifting blame elsewhere is an old schoolboy trick, and if you say the manager won’t let you play whatever the complainer wants that should satisfy them enough to leave you alone.

You could even be really sympathetic and say “Yeah I know, I have the new Beyonce and everything, but the guy is such an asshole he only wants this underground techno shit.”

Look out for the ones that have a big sense of entitlement though, as they might be savvy enough to go straight to the manager to complain and then you’ll be forced by the venue to play Beyonce’s new one and you’ll have to smile through gritted teeth pretending that you’re really happy to do so.


Blame it on technology

5. “The CDJs/turntables/laptops are broken”

Another rainbow excuse is to blame it all on technology, because everyone has experienced a computer crash, a skipping CD or a faulty wire at one time or another.

The great thing about today’s modern DJ booth is that there’s so much that can go wrong. In the old days, it would have been difficult to use the excuse “the turntables are broken” if you were banging out mixes on the 1210s as you were saying it.

But with CDJs, turntables and laptops frequently all having a place in the booth, you can isolate one of them to the requester’s music eg: “Have you got any hip hop?” “Yes I do, but only on CDs and the CD players are broken.”

6. “Sure, I’ll put it on in just a minute.”

This little beauty was by far the most popular excuse, and it is a favourite for many DJs including Jesse Rose and Paul Woolford (both have told us they use this one a lot). It’s short and sweet, and is likely to lead to very little confrontation.

By immediately submitting to the requester it will fill them with a sense of power and satisfaction. They will walk away feeling like they run the club, and might even buy you a drink (which is a bonus).

They’ll go back to their table or to their friends happy and content, and most likely they’ll forget they ever asked you for it. But on the rare occasion they realize you haven’t actually played what they asked for yet, you can just respond, “it’s coming up next” and then keep going as you are.

DJ Q-Burns told us that he’s a big fan of this excuse too, and favours the more direct “Coming right up!” line. “Nine times out of 10 that’s the last I hear of them,” he said.

Another, perhaps safer option, is to have a girlfriend, friend of retarded monkey take the requests enthusiastically for you thereby rendering you all but innocent (Thanks jessetelluss!).


Take the money and run

7. “I’ll play whatever you want, if you pay me $100/$50/however much they’ll give you.”

Requests tend to come most when the dancefloor isn’t busy, as club pretenders like to exercise control over their environment when they haven’t got anything better to do. But if the club really is lame, and your deep and dirty mix isn’t being appreciated in the slightest then why not take the money and run?

Every DJ should carry with them a mix CD of commercial hip hop and pop, so when the whiner requests you to play that type of music, you can demand $100 (after all they view you as a jukebox already) and then slap on the mix CD. Then you can either fake your DJing for the rest of the night, or even better, just leave the club. By leaving you’ll be silently sending a signal to the whiner that if they want shit music, they might as well just plug in their iPods.

8. Fein injury or illness

Basil from the 1970s British comedy Fawlty Towers used this trick a lot to escape all sorts of uncomfortable situations. The idea is to fake an injury that’s so concerning that the requester forgets all about the music and worries about you instead.

Fainting is a good one, puking is better. No one likes seeing somebody puke, and the smell should hopefully discourage anybody else from coming near the booth again.

If you’re really desperate you could pretend that you have cancer and only found out about it today (*sniff). No one likes to talk about cancer.


Think Frankie Wilde

9. “What was that? What was that?” (Twitterati’s favourite)

Nightclubs are loud environments and DJs are likely going deaf, so use these two facts to your advantage and pretend you can’t hear a damn word the complainer is saying.

If you keep shouting “What? Sorry. Can’t hear you!” to everything they say, eventually they will leave you alone. It might take 15 minutes, it might take half an hour, but in the end guaranteed, they will walk away.

10. “Do you know who I am? I’m Steve Angello.

The Steve Angello/Paris Hilton incident pricked up the ears of the entire tacky celeb world, so the story has traveled rather far. Hilton’s publicity machine did a good job of portraying the Swedish House Mafia man as an ogre who wouldn’t hesitate to glass a small child in the face for looking at him, but still very few people outside of the dance music scene know what he looks like. So you could actually be him, and that should probably be enough to scare most wannabes away from the booth.

THANK YOU Terry Church of Beatportal.com


Sunday, April 19, 2009

Congratulations to Koinup.com - One of Eleven Finalists of the Startup 2.0 Competition

Koinup-( www.Koinup.com ) happens to be one of my favorite web 2.0 social networks out there for us avatars from virtual worlds which is why I am excited to hear they are one of eleven startup web 2.0 companies in contention for this years "Startup 2.0" competition.

Koinup is a collection of people that either submit photos, machinima, or storyboards from virtual worlds, or are fans of the artistic works on display at the site. Just that alone blows Flickr out of the water. But wait, there's more. Koinup is a social network! Filled with groups of collaboration, creative networking possibilities, and just all around great artistic people from the virtual communities.

In my opinion, hellotxt is the only contender, but even still, all of the other services are just simple powertools for web 2.0... whereas Koinup is a group of like-minded artisans, on an excellent backbone of a social network site. Koinup has a great chance of winning this, so I'm rooting for em.

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Finalists announced (on Startup 2.0)

"After the deliberation of some of the jury members and the votes from Facebook users’, we can announce the names of the finalists. We had more than 200 projects competing, from which around 160 were approved. They come mainly from Italy and Spain, though there are projects from 15 different countries. There are many social gaming and twitter-based projects and also some very interesting business 2.0 apps. We were surprised not to find any Facebook apps.

This year we will have 11 projects at the final instead of 10, as the 5th and 6th were tied up in the online votes.

- CampusMovil, a home desktop
- Colnect, a collectors community
- Genoom, a family tree network
- Gli Affidabili , a yelp-like services 2.0 guide
- HelloTxt, a social networks and microblogging aggregator
- Koinup, a virtual world
- Mobnotes, a geo-aware social utility
- SocialWhale, a twitter utility
- Trourist, a social network for travellers
- Twidox, a file sharing utility based on twitter
- Yoolinkpro, a SaaS collaborative intelligence solution for companies

Good luck to all of them!!

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From the Koinup Blog:

Koinup is one of the finalists of the startup 2.0 competition

We're so glad to announce that Koinup is one of the 11 finalists of the startup 2.0 competition. You can read the announcement, here

There were more than 200 projects competing, from which around 160 were approved. They come mainly from Italy and Spain, though there are projects from 15 different countries. There are many social gaming and twitter-based projects and also some very interesting business 2.0 apps.

Startup 2.0 is one of the most authoritative competitions for the young internet startups. As you can read on the official website: "Startup2.0 is a competition of European web 2.0 sites whose objectives are to promote and reward the European startups (either created or willing to do so in the future) that work in the field of 2.0 technologies."

Saturday, April 18, 2009

Club Republik - Rebirth - April 18th - Starts at 2pm (slt)


Club Republik
( http://www.clubrepublik.com/ )

Saturday April 18th
SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/NuRepublik/136/130/24
Event Schedule (all times PST)

2-4pm Chipps Hartono playing Hard Dance, Hard Trance and Hardstyle

4-6pm Doubledown Tandino playing Hard Electro House

6-8pm Miss Cyberpink playing Electro, Breaks, Trance, Rave, Drum n' Bass, and Mashups.

On April 18th, 2009, Club Republik will be celebrating a new sim build and welcoming new owner Amanda Shinji into the Republik family by throwing a launch party featuring some of the biggest names in the Second Life music scene! Coinciding with the Second Life event will be the launch of the new clubrepublik.com, designed to take the Republik experience beyond the boundaries of Second Life and out onto the greater internet.

Club Republik was founded in April 2006 by Sable Sunset and Lina Pussycat on the Butler sim, and was one of the first clubs in Second Life to feature live electronica performances. In early 2007, Joseph Lian joined Sable and Lina as a club owner, and in September of that year, Republik moved to its own sim, the island of NuRepublik. Since the beginning, Club Republik has been focused on two things: music, and the people who love it. Fostering a sense of community has always been paramount for Republik, providing guests with a place that's all about the music - no spam, camping, or contests.

The new clubrepublik.com will take this one step further, providing a place for music lovers across the internet and around the world to connect, share ideas and create inspirations. Visitors can keep track of upcoming events, interact on the forums, listen to the club stream, and even chat with other club patrons via IRC without being logged in to Second Life. Bringing music lovers together is what Club Republik is all about.

Friday, April 17, 2009

The Second Life Resident Choice Awards are in - Was the contest gamed by Dance Island?

The Second Life Resident Choice Awards winners are in! Congratulations to the winners.

Congratulations especially to New World Notes for BEST NEWS SOURCE
and Favorite place for BUSINESS COLLEAGUES: Metanomics

Contests like these, you can never tell who votes, or how many votes they submit.
Dance Island is usually listed as one of the top "dj dance clubs" based on traffic, however common consensus inworld is that the numbers are fake. It is a facade of an actual club. Although some of the DJs are real, Dance Island is notorious for employing bots, using alt accounts, endless repeatitave spam in event search, suckering in newbs, and on and on.

Roxette Mabellon, owner of Dance Island, comes up winner of three categories.
Favorite place for LIVE MUSIC: Dance Island
Favorite place to DANCE: Dance Island
Favorite DJ: Roxette Mabellon

I am putting it right out there. I am saying that she rigged the contest and gamed it so she would win in those 3 categories.

Thursday, April 16, 2009

Inworld Crowd Recession? (Part 2) - A Round-Up of Insightful Thoughts and Brainstorms

UPDATE 4.21 : 4pm(slt)
:: Continuing with the conversation "Is there a current Music-Crowd Recession in Second Life?", The blog received some amazing insightful comments HERE.

Here are relevant links to add to the conversation:

Thanks Paisley Beebe:

- The SL Music Biz, Why isn't it Doing Better?
http://tonightlivewithpaisleybeebe.com/2009/04/15/the-music-biz-in-sl-why-isnt-it-doing-better/
- Music as a business in Second Life :
http://rezzable.com/blog/thinkerer-melville/music-business-second-life
- An Interview with Paisley Beebe :
http://www.your2ndplace.com/node/1466

Thanks Morris Vig:
- Music Crowds in SL, What to do about it :
http://morrisvig.wordpress.com/2009/04/14/music-crowds-down-in-sl-what-to-do-about-it/
- The Best Second Life Arts Event Ever :
http://secondarts.wordpress.com/2008/03/31/the-best-second-life-arts-event-ever/
- Vig’s Unified Theory of Second Life :
http://secondarts.wordpress.com/2008/10/09/vigs-unified-theory-of-second-life/
- The importance of a quality social experience in SL :
http://secondarts.wordpress.com/2008/10/11/the-importance-of-a-quality-social-experience-in-sl/

Thanks Bettina Tizzy:
- SL is Killing Me :
http://npirl.blogspot.com/2009/04/sl-is-killing-me.html

Thanks Crap Mariner:
- I Feel Like Butter that has been Spread over too Much Bread :
http://firstlife.isfullofcrap.com/2009/04/i_feel_like_butter_that_has_be.html
- Cheap Venue Owners
http://firstlife.isfullofcrap.com/2008/04/cheap.html
- Every event should be a spectacle
http://firstlife.isfullofcrap.com/2008/08/spectacle.html
- 100 via Ustream
http://firstlife.isfullofcrap.com/2009/03/100_plus.html
- Trash Talkin Tukso
http://firstlife.isfullofcrap.com/2009/03/talking_in_circles.html
--more contributions from Crap can be found:
HERE

Thanks Nexeus Fatale:
- Crowd Recession? Reasons why Crowds aren't Returning to Events
http://nexeusfatale.com/dj/crowd-recession-reasons-why-crowds-arent-returning-to-events/
- What's Missing from Second Life Events
http://nexeusfatale.com/metaverse/whats-missing-from-second-life-events/

Thanks ArmistasX Saiman:
- Falling Revenues Explained
http://www.secondeffects.com/2009/04/falling-revenues-explained.html

Thanks Homeless Martian:
- Is there current a music crowd recession ?
http://homelessmartian.wordpress.com/2009/04/15/is-there-current-a-music-crowd-recession/
- Part 2 (The Ego)
http://homelessmartian.wordpress.com/2009/04/19/is-there-current-a-music-crowd-recession-part-2/
- Part 3 (The Experience)
http://homelessmartian.wordpress.com/2009/04/21/is-there-current-a-music-crowd-recession-part-3/

Via GigaOM
http://gigaom.com/2009/04/15/exclusive-internal-second-life-data-shows-returning-growth/


Thanks Hamlet Au:
Why is Live Music in Second Life Suffering a Downturn:
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2009/04/live-music-downturn.html
For Second Life Entrepeneur, Revenue Declines As US Unemployment Rate Increases
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2009/04/us-unemployment.html
For SecoNew World Newsfeed: Second Life's Growth Plateau Ends
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2009/04/new-world-newsfeed.html
Second Life Musicians Losing Their Audiences Should Take A Tip (Or Two) From Ousama
http://nwn.blogs.com/nwn/2009/04/mixed-reality-ousama.html

Thanks Brthaue:
What's Wrong with the Music Biz in SL!
http://iheartsl.com/2009/04/15/whats-wrong-with-the-music-biz-in-sl/

... and from the Official Linden Lab/Second Life blog:
The Second Life Economy - First Quarter 2009 in Detail
(as you'll notice, Linden Lab seems to be the only ones with an entirely different conclusion than most everyone above.)

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Please let me know if you have written a post about your perceptions on the current state of crowd attendance at SL events. Add your link in the comments, and I'll update this post.

"Multitasking Hell inSL" - Second Life basic sound effects used to create a new tune by Doubledown Tandino

Brad Reason
(Doubledown Tandino in Second Life | @Doubledown_inSL on Twitter)
presents

"Multitasking Hell inSL"
stream or download at:
http://www.reverbnation.com/tunepak/1452521

a beatplay arrangement made using the basic sound effects from Linden Lab's virtual world, Second Life. If you would like to share the tune, feel free to by click the share button on the widget.

Hopefully Linden Lab (tm) doesn't have a problem with me using their sound effects. All original sounds provided by Linden Lab and Second Life.

Ravelong SL & Doubledown's DJ & Club Shop - April 2009 Update



SLURL: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Amydria/60/153/503

The 2009 Ravelong Shop is on the grid at Sin City.

PERFORMER & DJ EQUIPMENT
-DJ Booths & Setups
-Pro Prim Turntables, Mixers
-Mobile Setups, Low Prim Turntables, Mixers, Speakers,
-Headphones
-DJ Animations

VENUE/CLUB SUPPLIES
-Stages
-Ballrooms
-Full Clubs
-3D Intelligent Lighting & Full Light Setups
-Dancefloors
-Dance Equipment, Personal Dancers, & Dance Animations
-Party Supplies, Club Furniture & Decorations
- Visuals Walls

PROMOTION SUPPLIES
-Auto Group Adders
-Search Result Systems
-Crowd Gathering Devices
-Event Tools
-Lucky Chairs, Rafflers, Giveaway Prize Games
-SL Humor T-Shirts

CUSTOM ORDERS
DJ Booths, Stages, Club & Event Builds, Performer & Club Info/Tip Boards
Graphic Design (for RL & SL): Signs, Posters, Flyers, Logos, Cards, Banners, Invitations, Business Cards

BROADCAST STREAMS
Shoutcast Stream Rentals + Support
1) 24/7 unlimited - 128kbps stereo - 100 listeners - $3800L a month / $10500 for 3 months
2) everything in #1 + AutoDJ + 2gb file storage + domain = $15000L for 3 months

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra

Following the heals of THRU YOU | Kutiman mixes YouTube comes

The YouTube Symphony Orchestra

Play your part in music history.

We called for professionals and amateur musicians of all ages, locations and instruments to audition for the YouTube Symphony Orchestra by submitting a video performance of a new piece written for the occasion by the renowned Chinese composer Tan Dun.

Finalists are selected by a judging panel comprised of the world's most renowned orchestras. Vote for your favorite instrumentalists on YouTube from February 14-22.

Winners are announced on March 2nd and will be invited to travel to New York in April 2009, to participate in the YouTube Symphony Orchestra summit, and play at Carnegie Hall under the direction of Michael Tilson Thomas.

All the Tan Dun submissions will be compiled into a mashup video which will be premiered on this channel on April 15th.

Website URL: http://www.youtube.com/symphony

What I found most interesting was this page which shows the orchestra, when you click on a section, you can play each individual's youtube submission which they used to mash up the symphony.

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

Quality social events in Second Life - The Morris Vig Experience

As we're continuing the conversation regarding perspectives as to why there might be a music-crowd recession, I asked Morris Vig to dig up some important thoughts about the qualitative experience at a Second Life event he had written in 2008.... and without further ado:
@ The Morris Vig Experience:
http://morrisvig.wordpress.com/

Monday, April 13, 2009

Is there a current Music Crowd Recession in Second Life?

Second Life is hopping! Anyone that is inworld knows this. Major news outlets are talking about the vibrancy within Second Life. When each of us logs on, we see there's an average of 60,000-80,000 people logged in at once.

While participating in a SL forum I frequent, the conversation came up about performers and venues not being able to pull a large crowd as well as what is expected (especially with MORE people logging into SL these days). Over the past month, many performers noticed and are noticing a dramatic drop-off in the crowd numbers. Musicians and DJs that were easily pulling in 30, 40, 50+ people to their shows, are seeing 5, 8, 10 people show up now.

The question is, why? Many of us are baffled. Could it be that people are just 'evented out'? Is the SL music crowd tired out with the SL music scene? Have they been to enough music shows in SL and are now doing other projects that keep them busy? Is it that Second Life just hasn't been working like it should, and when people can actually get in to SL, they have to complete the work they couldn't when SL was borked, preventing free time? Maybe it's that crowd members may have the notion that they must tip the performer and venue if they want to attend a show?

As we are all trying to put our finger on it, here are my thoughts.
(I decided to copy and paste my thoughts directly from the thread)

---
Doubledown Tandino post #1:
Since about mid-March, there has really been a dry spell [regarding the event attendance numbers]. And frankly , it's kind of annoying.

Since the same amount of people are generally logged in at the same time (between 40,000 and 80,000) that means they are inworld, and doing something else, and not attending music events.

The shows I did recently (the past two-three weeks) have been widely-varied events; including the Music Awareness 2009, an art/music show at Twilight's Peace, a few club DJ shows, a networking/marketing show with metaLIFE, a show (The Rendezvous at Muse Isle) where not only do I perform for 2 hours live, we also give away a $3800L animation equipment at every event. ... still nothing has been more of a crowd draw than the next.

The question I have been asking myself in the past weeks is:
Why has there been a dropoff in live music attendance??
And the answer I keep coming back to is: over inundated, unoriginal, same stuff day after day after day is not going to draw MORE of a fanbase.

I look at this situation from both sides. As a music lover in SL, I've been checking out SL music shows for 3 years. I am now down to hanging out at about 1 show a day, and maybe 2-4 popins.... I simply have no time or desire to see more shows, even if it's a performer I like (cause i've seen em plenty already). I am assuming many others, the ones that would normally be in the crowd, feel the same way.

As a performer I'm on stage thinking "where is everybody"
... and I reply to myself "they're not here, that much is true"

So what does all this mean?!?!?! nothing really. I guess SL is going through a phase where many people are burnt out on events? Hopefully it'll correct itsself.

In the meantime, I've always had the idea of an unofficial supporters union. A group of us that are willing to extend the support. The best way to get more people at a show is to have the people at the show spread the word and offer teleports over. My ONLY crowded shows these days are when my staff and crowd goes the extra mile for me.

I'm of the opinion that if we have a crew of devotees that want to pop-in for eachother, and help eachother get the word out, it'll make a major impact getting more people to shows, and faster.

---
Doubledown Tandino post #2:
There is a big illusion going on here.... The best performers in SL are not getting the biggest crowds anymore. It's the musicians that have a strong support team that get the crowd to turn up. The musicians that can focus on their music and show, while they have staff to cover promotions, tps, word spreading, more promotion.... those are the performers that seem to have the biggest crowds. When the promotion team + the venue + the performer + the crowd all work together, that's when a packed sim happens.

----
Doubledown Tandino post #3:
(in a response to another performer that has found group notices and IMs to be ineffective.)
Sending out group notices and IMs may not have a direct effect ....but the spam has a long lasting residual effect.

Having your name sent out to people is a good thing and if you spam (within the confines of the loose SL spam etiquette), it can never be something that hurts; only something that helps in the long run.

The question remains though: For the amount of time spent promoting in SL, is the result worth the effort? Currently, it seems like it's not worth the effort, but being a marketing & promotion professional, I still refer to old cliches about advertising. (A perfect example is Coca-cola. I've had a coke less than 10 times in my life. I think it is vile and disgusting. Yet, as a human, living on Earth, I know Coke. I know the name, the brand, the logo, and what it does.)

Putting that into the SL equation, I think even if people don't make it to the current show, advertising yourself anyway puts your name in their minds for the future. There's quite a few people in my daily SL travels that know of me, and know I'm a DJ, but haven't seen a show. Because of my previous ad placement in their mind, we can jump into a conversation which could lead to gaining a devoted fan.... but i digress.

Something is currently "off" about second life music events (and perhaps events and get-togethers in general). The people are simply not coming out to the events.

So...in the meantime, while we all try to figure this out... What do we do?

I think the best method is the Doubledown: "pay it forward pop in" approach.
We all know eachother, we all support eachother.... why not stick your avatar at someone else's show when you're not doing anything? Or just a pop in... it takes a minute to pop in and say hi, maybe listen to one tune. I think if we do this for eachother, we'll have the feeling of abundance of support.

FOOTNOTE: I really hope that last years push about how important it is to tip the performer and the venue hasn't caused a sense that people should tip when they go to a show. I know as a performer, I remember who tips, but I don't remember who doesn't. The musician and the venue don't care if some people can't tip.. Lets hope the SL community understands that we were never demanding tips and donations to show up to a music event.

-----
There are my thoughts. I wanted to point out that I, and many others in SL are feeling this 'evented-out' (thanks Maryjoanne for the term). Is there something to be done that can "fix" anything? Getting a sense of what's happening is the first step. Group discussion will lead to a turnaround in this current performance event slump in Second Life.

Are you currently feeling 'evented-out'? Do you sense that events aren't pulling crowds like they used to? If you're a performer, have you noticed any of this yourself?
Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas about how to turn around the current SL event slump?

Sunday, April 12, 2009

Fantopia Magazine (ToonTopia Dance Club)

Fantopia Magazine
(ToonTopia Dance Club)

We at FanTopia publishing has just launched a new magazine. Our mission is to explore pop culture beyond the scope of the mainstream, thereby illustrating for our readers the groundbreaking ideas that will influence the trends of tomorrow in the global dance music business within second life. Fantopia is an indispensable style guide, cultural reference and source of entertainment for a highly influential audience. Geared to drive the music and fashion industry in sl. Pick it up for free on XStreetSL

Saturday, April 11, 2009

Musiq Love and Life 09 - Mega Event at JusMusiq inSL - Saturday, April 11th, 2009

MUSIQ, LOVE, LIFE '09 : MEGA EVENT @ JUSMUSIQ

THIS SATURDAY APRIL 11TH 2009 2-8PMSLT!

PARTY SPOT#1: INSIDE JUSMUSIQ LOUNGE
HIP HOP/ DANCEHALL DJ'S:

DJ BROCKIE SPICER ( LONDON UK) 3-4pm
DJ BIG MIKE ( Michael929 Jefferson )(USA)4-5pm
DJ BLADE UNSUSTAINABLE**( LONDON UK)5-6pm
DJ ALEXI NAIDOO 6-7pm (PORTUGAL,LISBON)

************************************************************
PARTY SPOT# 2: JUSMUSIQ BEACHSIDE
HI FIDELITY/ DEFECTED HOUSE MUSIC DJ'S:

DJ DOUBLEDOWN TANDINO(USA)3-4pm
DJ DECKARD EAMES( JAPAN) 4-5pm
DJ SENSEI MILENA ( PORTUGAL, LISBON)5-6pm
DJ BLADE UNSUSTAINABLE** (LONDON UK)6-7pm

Friday, April 10, 2009

She’s the BEST Employee I’ve NEVER Met (via Mashable)

While Digging through the king of all media sites about media sites, Mashable, I found a must-bookmark page of How-To's. One of the articles, "She’s the BEST Employee I’ve NEVER Met" is a gem.

As a Second Lifer reading this, and as any Second Lifer reading would think; 'This is common in SL'. How often in SL do you do business with people you don't know in the real world? All the time, right?! How often do you refer a SL associate to another inworld? All the time, right?!

Personally, working with people I haven't met in the real world (but feel comfortable with in Second Life, or online) is my cup of tea. I am glad Second Life has been offering this form of business relationships for some time now.

-----

She’s the BEST Employee I’ve NEVER Met
J.T. O’Donnell is a nationally syndicated career strategist, corporate trainer and founder of Careerealism.com. You can follow her on Twitter

Would you refer a stranger to a job? I guess that all depends on what your definition of ‘stranger’ is these days. Let me explain… Last week, I sent an email to an HR Director introducing a candidate. Seems normal, right? Well, the catch is that I’ve never met the person I referred, or the HR Director - in person, that is. I met them on LinkedIn

The virtual referral


I actually became connected with the candidate a few months ago. Ironically, yet another ‘online colleague’ (a person I’ve become acquainted with online, but have never met), referred her to me. The candidate sent me an e-mail with some questions and we started an interesting conversation, which indirectly led me to learn all about her strengths as an employee.

Eventually, I offered my help introducing her to a writer she admired. She was both grateful and was quite professional throughout the process. Her credibility continued to increase in my mind. So, when she mentioned a company in her area that she was trying to get an interview with, but had had no luck reaching the HR Director, I decided to check my online networking sources and sent an e-mail introduction request on her behalf. I simply explained the reason for my contact, mentioned the candidate’s name and provided a link to her online resume.


Why would I go to such lengths to help a stranger?


local1Here are a few reasons:

1. In my mind, she’s not a stranger. While it is true that 93% of effective communication between two people is done face-to-face (i.e. voice tone and pace, eye contact, body language, facial expressions, etc.), the reality is that she only got to use 7% of her communication skills (the words and style of her writing) by e-mail to connect with me. I had multiple dialogs with her online – and all of them were consistently professional and enjoyable.

2. Networking online is easy an efficient. These days, it is estimated that over 80% of jobs are gotten by referral. FACT: The ‘Six Degrees of Separation Theory’ truly applies when it comes to job search. Just look at the evidence: it took me all of three minutes to learn that I was only two contacts away from the HR Director she wanted to meet, and just another five minutes of my time to send the e-mail recommending her.

3. Being helpful is good for your business-of-one. Leveraging our contacts online to help someone find a job in this economy is thoughtful and much needed. Not to mention, it boosts your own credibility as a professional. Besides, you just never know when you might need the favor returned. The reality is that anyone you refer still has to get the job, the assignment, or the sale on their own. So, it’s not a big investment on your part. I actually think the returns are greater for the person who does the referring.


The social media advantage


Here’s another example of how social media tools can be used to help people we’ve never met

read more | digg story

Chillin with Snoop Dogg on his live Wake and Bake webcam show


Friday early morning made it to Twitter,
Snoop is tweetin' that he's gonna deliver
the live stream chill sesh in beamed from his office
so your boy Doubledown's sayin' ya gotta peep dis:

The wake and bake show, Snoop's latest invention
It comes from another world, another dimension
broadcast live and one more thing to mention
Twitter with Snoop, and the link below needs pressin':

http://www.ustream.tv/channel/snoop-dogg-live

DIGG IT

-----
TWITTER ACTION:

snoopdogg) we readin all ur comment!@snoopdogg - Snoop Dogg live http://bit.ly/14X7qK

Doubledown_inSL) @snoopdogg RT RT Snoop dogg live on the chill cam NOW!
Doubledown_inSLHey @snoopdogg GIN AND JUICE !! LAID BACK - Snoop Dogg live http://bit.ly/14X7qK

Doubledown_inSL)
Hey @snoopdogg snoop. give a wave to the cam so i can screen capture and blog it u

Doubledown_inSL
Hey @snoopdogg you ever use www.secondlife.com ? virtual world? perform inworld ?

Wednesday, April 8, 2009

Liquid Electric | Eureka - The SL Travel Blog


Liquid Electric
Posted by Blue Linden on Eureka - The SL Travel Blog (official LL community blog)

During a recent office hour, a number of fine folks joined me on an excursion to a Region that gets much deserved praise, but that most of us had only seen in pictures. And I must insist... although they give you a taste of the neon adventure that awaits, pictures do little justice to Spiral Walcher's work.

You start your voyage in a realistic environment and perpetual darkness, I suspect as contrast to what comes next. Following the glowing footsteps leads you to the start of your magical journey (or a souvenir shop depending on which way you go) where it's down the acid-trippy rabbit hole you go! Briefly separated as we plunge one at a time through the electric entryway, we arrive at the start of what turns out to be a familiar preface - the traditional amusement park lineup where you wait for the next car to arrive. Or in this case, the next teacup.

While waiting for our whole crew's descent, a couple rushes by us like excited kids who just finished their first go and are running back to the start for a second, while a more reserved couple stands by, hesitant about which might be the appropriate vehicle...are they simply Friends or is a Couples teacup more appropriate? Leaving the two to giggle and flirt a bit, and hoping they make the right decision, we split up by fours and cup by cup are immersed in the Glow!

GLOW, a feature enabled in Second Life specifically by your GPU, really powers the wow factor in the Tunnel of Light. It's a fun ride regardless, but having Glow turns this digital landscape into a neon nirvana. So be sure you've enabled Shaders to really get the most out of the experience.

READ THE FULL ARTICLE HERE

----
Here is a Torley Tutorial on Graphic Settings:

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

"Second-Life and the future of the Music Industry" Exhibition - April 10-12, 2009

Second-Life and the future of the Music Industry

April 10-12, 2009
Temple University, Japan Campus, 2009

With a fantastic group of students, I am conducting field work and experimental research in the virtual world of SecondLife, to identify future business opportunities for the music industry - something it's well in need of. Watch this space for more, very soon.
Joint work with: Scott Lockman (Temple University, Japan Campus)

Exhibition:
Aucouturier explains:
"The music industry is in crisis — you’ve heard the news. But in the virtual world of Second Life, an alternative music economy is emerging. Already, real musicians are making a living by playing exclusively in Second Life, and music labels and clubs of a new kind are created every week. We have spent months researching the new musical trends in Second Life, and we’re bringing them to you in the form of snapshots, sounds, videos, interviews, and more. Come discover what music could become in the next 10 years."

Place: Harajuku Design Festa Gallery 2F, Tokyo (Japan)
Date: April 10-12, 2009
Hours: 11am-7pm
Info: aucouturier@gmail.com

(Thanks Morris Vig for the lead)

MUSIC NOT POLITICS, Money Island and Trax Music Resource Center present MUSIC AWARENESS 2009

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

MUSIC NOT POLITICS, Money Island and Trax Music Resource Center present
MUSIC AWARENESS 2009

Music Awareness 2009 takes flight this Friday, April 10th as Washington, DC rocker Kevin M. Thomas (http://kevinsl.com) kicks off 100 hours of live music concerts set in the virtual platform known as Second Life. If you are not a resident of Second Life you can still catch all or portions of this historical event via streaming technology. Butterflies Radio will simulcast the entire 100 hours at http://butterfliesradio.com . You can listen live from the MUSIC NOT POLITICS website at http://musicnotpolitics.com . BZoO Radio will be simulcasting portions of the event at http://bzoo.org and you can listen directly in to the stream at http://TheStreamteam2.serverroom.us:8894

Although the initial intent for Music Awareness is to help reach new audiences within the world of Second Life it is also meant to bring the music community together and begin building bonds between musicians, ultimately strengthening the community. Additionally with the streaming technology, it is hoped this year’s Music Awareness event will reach well beyond Second Life and into the real world where fans can see they have a choice and musicians can see that there is a platform for exposure for them.

The traditional music industry has long held control over what artists get air play and what do not. We believe every musician has a right to be heard and that fans do have a choice. During Music Awareness we try to bring this all together in a party that continues to ring in everyone’s ears long after the event is over.

There are over 90 musicians coming together for this event, all performing from their home studios via streaming technology and coming directly to you. If you are in second life, the musicians are fully interactive with the fans that are represented by virtual avatars. Efforts are underway to ensure that all residents of Second Life can enjoy the event. If the Money Island sims are full there are several venues available for audio simulcast. The entire 100 hour event will be simulcast at Z’s Music Club http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mahteria%20I/221/36/404 . Additionally, other venues will be simulcasting portions of the event including but not limited to: Bay Vista, Cuddler’s Cove, Blueberry Hill, Sicily, and Anthology. If you are not in Second Life you can still tune in and support indie music and your right to choose.

For more information, check out an interview about Music Awareness at http://slcn.tv/programs/tonight-live
Check out articles about Music Awareness at http://thinkerer.org/Studios/StuBLISatwild.htm and at the SL Enquirer http://www.slenquirer.com/ (click on the music tab)

Wheelerwood Films has created an awesome promo video you can check out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=l5kmnojv6B4 to see some footage from last years Music Awareness event you can search Music Awareness at http://youtube.com

Updates for the event can be found at http://musicnotpolitics.com

Artists visit virtual Second Life for real-world cash | CNN



Artists visit virtual Second Life for real-world cash
By John D. Sutter | CNN

It's 9 a.m. when Cylindrian Rutabaga takes the microphone at a familiar bar.

The funny-named musician with crinkled red hair, a white blouse and flowing skirt picks up her custom-made guitar and looks across the audience with a blank stare.

Her fans already are rocking out: Some breakdance on the bar's tile floor. Others flail about with the vigor of '70s disco dancers. One man with a towering afro and 3-D glasses looks like he's swimming the backstroke to some nonexistent beat. Read full article »

digg story

Monday, April 6, 2009

A Bridge between Worlds: Metaplace and Second Life

I have been following along with the news about Metaplace, a new virtual world currently in between beta and alpha phases. For me, my time is too invested in Second Life to delve into another virtual world, but if I were to try another, I would check out Metaplace. It's not quite my style, and not what I am personally looking for in a virtual world, however, I can tell that many people are going to love it's style and "gameplay" (for lack of a better word). It has a combination of Populus, Plurk's karma, and even a little bit of IMVU and Yoville. It really does feel like a fun world. What is intriguing is that Metaplace also has the potential to have an inworld economy and other elements that only Second Life (and open grids) currently offers.

------

Post and Picture below by DIP's Dispatches from the Imagination Age blog.


A Bridge between Worlds: Metaplace and Second Life

In a fascinating discovery tonight, I learned that Second Life builder Miki Gymnast who is known in Metaplace simply as "Miki," has built a dialog tool for her world in Metaplace that allows a person to send instant messages from Miki's Metaplace world to a user in Second Life. In the image above, Eureka Dejavu (DIP's Rita J. King) sends me an IM.

Connectivity between virtual worlds is an ongoing issue. And a critically important one as people find their lives, both virtual and physical, to be increasingly distributed.

-----

UPDATE: Wagner James Au at New World Notes goes into a much more in-depth look including technical detail about the new innovations.

Sunday, April 5, 2009

ROLE Magazine April 2009 Issue of Out Now

ROLE Magazine is pleased to announce the publication of our April, 2009 issue. This month’s cover story addresses the announcement by Linden Lab that adult content will be relocated to a new continent named Ursula.

This publication includes an exploration of the steampunk artistry of Bryn Oh, a visit to the extensive Caledon library and the mysterious sim INSILICO, the auditory delights of live looping and look at the options offered by resident-created alternate SL client viewers. April’s fashion section holds a colorful and artistic spread showcasing the latest spring-time trends; hot finds and kawaii; fashion tips for men from the woman’s perspective and fresh, spring styles for men and women. ROLE Magazine blog posts can now be shared by linking directly to your Plurk or Twitter page.

Last, but not least, we announce the start of the ROLE Magazine Complete Wedding Package Contest valued at $L30,000! See our new April issue for details and enter today.

read more | digg story

Doubledown Note: Check out the article on performing live loop-based music in Second Life on page 52. Also a great article on Steampunk art on page 56.

Twilight's Peace Gallery Art Show - Sunday April 5th, 2009 - 7pm (slt)

Twilight's Peace Gallery & Cultural Center in Second Life

Exhibition Reception: Sunday April 5th, 2009 - 7pm (slt) with five artists on display and Doubledown Tandino on the tunes.

Current Artists @ Twilight's Peace Gallery & Cultural Center:
Nicolasa Bonetto, Winter Nightfire, Pop Handrick, Ragamuffin Kips, & Tricia Aferdita

Nicolasa Bonetto: a painter and sculptor, whether in Second Life or the real world, artful expression can be achieved in every conceivable medium. Her latest passion is abstracts on linen, sewn professionally into skirts for California, USA fashion boutiques. Nicolasa invites you to enjoy the ready-for-framing images on display. Beside each abstract piece is an ensemble containing a skirt and color-coordinated halter top - truly wearable art for your SL enjoyment. The garments can be modified, so have fun experimenting from floor length to mini skirt, side or back slits, tight or rounded. These linen creations are for real. If the designs entice you on SL, why not visit Nicolasa’a blog: http://nibeauconcepts.blogspot.com

Winter Nightfire: a self-taught painter from San Francisco, California. Her exposure to Abstract Expressionism began at age 16 in the North Beach neighborhood at Caffe Trieste, where she befriended her mentors, the noted Beat artists Jack Hirschman and George Long. She displayed her first painting at a group show with her mentors in 2001 at age 24, and has been showing solo at venues across San Francisco ever since. These are digital works by Nightfire, inspired by the mission of Twilight's Peace. Colorful images of doves, olive branches and the lotus flower feel to Nightfire as though they each whisper the prayer, "Uplift." It is Nightfire's hope that these works will do just that for all who view them.

Pop Handrick: liker of big hats and cheese and apple pie and writing and making stuff people call art and making people happy, laughing, loving... He likes naked people too and lovely thick paint, candle light, colour, his camera, if it's well behaved, music (from classical to funk), life, kindness, helping people. He is a college student in Wales, He is often busy with school and creating. He does a mixture of oil painting, ink and brush, drawing, photography, calligraphy, and digital, AND combines them all.

Ragamuffin Kips: To me art is a very physical act. I use mainly chalk pastels to create my drawings because they're easily manipulated with my hands, and heavy stock paper because it stands up well to the abuse I tend to give it....The finished work is secondary to the energy that creates it. The true art, its expression, is always in doing for me. My current work continues on themes of organic form. My hands follow memories of the surfaces of petals and leaves, the bodies of lovers, the cool hardness of smooth river rocks and a hundred different moments of my life. Stepping back from it as viewer, I'm often surprised by some of the imagery it conjures. These images appear, to me as viewer, deeply personal but also universally human.

Tricia Aferdita (aka Tricia Griffith) has been drawing since she was 5 years old, drawing stick horses on any surface she could find. She did eventually graduate from stick figures, majoring in Art and Theater in High School, and receiving an Associates Degree in Advertising & Commercial Art. Featured at this show is a selection of her visionary and impressionism inspired acrylic paintings, the original paintings are 16x20 stretched canvas. They play with subtle textures and light, painted with energy and inspiration. Inspired by a friend's work in egg tempera painting, Tricia picked up the medium for the first time this year, and her first paintings are included in the exhibit. Egg tempera is an ancient medium, using ground earth pigments mixed with egg yolk as a binder, it has a durable and luminous finish that are quite unique. If you like what you see, more of Tricia's drawings, paintings and photography can be found at http://triciagriffith.com