Kiana Writer of MadPea Productions

By Nazz Lane

I’d first become aware of MadPea Productions while working on a story where I’d come across a poster about a game created specifically for a grand opening event at a business related SIM. I’d taken the informational note card offered by the poster into my inventory and reviewed a little later. When I did, the concept fascinated me and I’d decided to find out more about a company that builds games within a game. So I contacted Kiana Writer, the founder and director of MadPea Productions. She graciously accepted my offer to meet and be interviewed for the SL Newspaper.

When the arranged date and time arrived, so too did a TP request from Ms Writer and I took the ride over to MadPeas Production Headquarters on Orange Island. We exchanged pleasantries before moving to the community area where she said she liked to be while working. She then warned me that we may have multiple interruptions from visitors, so we should do the interview in IM.

Nazz: What bought you into second life Kiana?

Kiana: hmm... I came here out of curiosity and got instantly addicted.

Nazz: What was it that caused the addiction?

Kiana: SL is what you make of it. The only limit is your imagination. I just loved meeting people from all over the world, and the possibilities in SL are endless, you can really lose yourself in here.

Nazz: I’m reading from your profile "We create fantasies that are beyond your imagination..." that and from what you'd just said, was that the inspiration for forming MadPea?

Kiana: Definitely, when I came into SL, I was really surprised how “little” there actually was going on … you can create anything here ... and yet people were choosing the same activities as in RL. I saw the potential to bring my stories alive in here and I absolutely love it.

Nazz: How did you come up with the name MadPea?

Kiana: *Laughs* … a moment of madness I guess. It just seemed to fit us perfectly. We wanted something cute and crazy to describe us.

Nazz: It is memorable. You've been in SL for nearly two years now ... have changes in SL changed your vision for MadPea?

Kiana: hmm... let me think about that one … From the technical point of view the engine has improved, which enables us to make the games more realistic. And of course more and more people are joining SL, which is great.

Nazz: I was recently at the Sigma-Aldrich SIM and saw that MadPea had developed a game for their opening last October ... did you approach them or did they approach you?

Kiana: They came to us. They saw what we had done here at Orange and wanted a fun little game for their opening.

Nazz: Was the idea for "Reaction" MadPea's?

Kiana: We sat down with Georgianna from Sigma-Aldrich and talked about what they would like and then proposed Reaction to her.

Nazz: How many other RL companies have done something similar?

Kiana: We just finished a game for MacMillan Publishers/ Nature Publishing group, and the game 'Notes from the Voyage' will come out on soon, and we're currently working on a game for Orange … which will be the biggest game we've ever done. We have several proposals at the moment, but since we are a small team, we usually carefully select the clients.

Nazz: Earlier you'd mentioned that SL has allowed your stories to come out, are you a writer?

Kiana: Like you, I'm a journalist … but I've been writing stories since I was little. Actually I came to SL when I started writing my first novel in English, because I wanted to learn more English ...that was nearly two years ago, and I only completed one chapter … I got so hooked on making games instead.

Nazz: Do you think you'll finish the novel eventually?

Kiana: I think it's going to turn into a game here.

Nazz: Which MadPea game has proven to be the most popular with SL'ers?

Kiana: Eek! That's a tough question. The games we have out at the moment are very different yet, we have the same players playing them all. “Within” and “Firefly” are more challenging and “Swamp Hotel” is currently on the Linden Showcase, it's a smaller game.

Nazz: Why do you think the games have gained so such popularity in SL when a number of people consider SL a "game"?

Kiana: I think everyone here reaches a point ... when the shopping and clubbing just aren't enough. We don't make just games, we provide a whole community. You get to meet like-minded people … and one thing I was thinking actually ... you get to play our games as yourself in a strange way. For example, if you play a game on a console, you have to choose a character, but in SL, you tend to spend a long time making your avatar into your persona and you truly get to live the story as yourself. We build the games from the player's point of view, to give the player a true experience. The feedback we get is so funny at times … some people have been really scared

Nazz: You'd mentioned "community", since the inception of MadPea how big has the community gotten?

Kiana: We’re at 1058 members at the moment and we have a Hippogroup for those that don't have group space. And now we have a problem, because the group is so big, the notices don't reach everyone and the group chat fails all the time, we need that for communication.

Nazz: Do the members of the community interact in SL and RL and in the "game"?

Kiana: I don't know about RL, although I've heard rumors that some members have met in RL after they met each other in MadPea games … but yes, we have events where they come to meet each other … we are also working on making our website more interactive www.madpea.com … and one thing I think is so fantastic, members that have completed a game, help out others that are just starting.

Nazz Lane: Any closing thoughts or comments you'd like to share with my readers?

Kiana: Stay tuned, as we'll be bringing out some really big games during the next couple of months, they will truly blow you away.

Conversation with Sand Castle Studios CEO Gianna Borgnine

By Nazz Lane

I’d become aware of Sand Castle Studios through my friendship with an associate of Sand Castle and through the Association of Virtual Worlds, where Gianna Borgnine and I first became acquainted. After exchanging wall postings there for several weeks and later in twitter, we were able to connect in Second Life recently for a conversation about her and Sand Castle Studios.

“Hello Nazz.” She said, as I rezzed into her office at the Sand Castle Studios headquarters. “Shall we sit?” She asked and then added, “It's nice to finally get together.”

We each took seats at the long glass conference table where we exchanged pleasantries and then I asked her, “Sand Castle is an interesting name for a company ...what's the genesis?”

“Actually, I would love to say we put lots and lots of thought in it, but ... really we liked the idea that SL is constantly changing and that what we develop here in this platform never stands still … where you can build anything … including fairy tales.”

“How long has Sand Castle been in operation?

“We started in October of 2007. I had recently left another company and decided to start my own. We barely had the building up and we had clients. It happened so fast, we never even had a grand opening party or an official launch date.” She replied and then laughed.

“What was it that bought you into SL and why did you stay?

“Originally someone recommended it to me … more as a social place. Then I saw an article about it in Time magazine. It made it sound very interesting ... a virtual world where you could explore places, meet people, create things.” She replied and then added. “Of course the first thing I wanted to do was buy everything! Then I thought, maybe Gianna needed a job.”

“What was your first job?”

“I looked for what was available and many of the posting were in the "adult" field. I wasn't too interested in that. I did eventually get my first job working as a live in landlord overseeing what the builder/owner referred to as a battered woman's shelter. He said he wanted to make a safe haven for woman to feel safe in SL when some did not at home. The position was slightly overwhelming, even given my RL experience, and I shortly after took a job with a man starting a graphic design studio. Then I got into this field, and have been here doing it ever since. It is now my full time RL job as well … completely changed my life.”

“What was your RL experience if I may ask?”

“I have a BA in psychology and one in criminal justice. I did some counseling and eventually took a job as a Probation/Parole officer for offenders on Home Confinement. It came with quite a bit of counseling as well as law enforcement.” She replied, than added. “It was nice to get to use a different piece of my psychology degree for marketing in SL. I wanted it to be lighter than RL … more upbeat.”

“Isn't psychology and marketing the same field?”

“It certainly hasn't hurt our company any.” She replied and laughed.

“Sand Castle is your full time job now ... how has business been in these uncertain economic times?

“Believe it or not, business has been better than ever. We hit a slow patch in December and I was worried that the economy was taking its toll ... but I think the holidays were stressful for many people. Since, it has been great and is full force! I think in these times where many people have to choose their brand strategy/marketing wisely, SL is a great way to advertise and build a community around your brand. It's very cost efficient when done correctly.”

“Reading through the SCS list of service offerings ... marketing and branding has been in the forefront of the surge then?” I asked

“Yes, very much so. With many of those, we get to do amazing building jobs and we have such a great team that has really been up to the challenge. In my opinion, the potential of virtual worlds is still largely untapped. But the opportunities to create emotional connections with brands through truly interactive experiences are there. We get to allow companies to build communities that tell their stories through interactive experiences based on the emotions underlying their brand which in turn allows them the opportunity to develop connections with their customers in a truly unique way that you just can't achieve by simply advertising at them.”

“I've always thought that was a component of SL most major corporations missed ... tell me a little about VESIM/NESIM technology, is it proprietary?”

“Almost all major brands have completely missed that. We are hoping to change that.” She replied and then continued. “Our VESIM/NESIM technology doesn't truly belong to just us. We were approached not long after opening by a long time friend and business associate of mine who happens to be a nursing instructor in RL. He was looking to develop something unique to use with his students in SL. He had also met another instructor looking for the same thing. They couldn't find anything truly interactive for their students in SL. We met and discussed his vision and how we might change that. We made it mostly as a BETA to test the concept which was very successful. We do have several schools trying NESIM and providing us feedback and we are still working on it with someone who is truly dedicated to Nursing Education in virtual worlds to take the concept further. NESIM stands for Nursing Education Simulation and VESIM is Virtual Education Simulation as we were approached by many fields looking to create something interactive and educational for their students as well. I can't say much about what we are currently working on in this area due to the NDAs involved but I will say we are trying to make it as easy as possible for students to come in world and use the technology without much exposure to SL.”

“Any closing thoughts you'd like to share with my readers?”

“Hmm ... Whether it’s with us, or with another company, or own your own, don't forget the imagination you had as a child. If you can dream it, you can create it.” She replied.

An Interview with JueL Resistance

By Nazz Lane

We’d become acquainted in Twitter, where I’d happened upon her profile while building on my list of people to follow. I’d heard her perform in SL and enjoyed it immensely, so I clicked to follow her tweets. It was a little later the same day that JueL replied with, “Thank You for the follow, if you get a chance check out one of my live acoustic performances ... and if you know of COOL SL things pass it on”, and she returned the follow. We next crossed paths at a concert, the opening of Tranquil Gardens, where we chatted in IM while listening to the performer. She agreed to an interview and we made the arrangements to do so in Skype.

Nazz: What bought you into SL and why did you stay?

JueL: I used to play sims on-line for a few years and a friend suggested I try SL, that was in 2004, and there was no music back then, just the U2 shows, so I quit. Another friend suggested coming back as the music scene has come along, so I came back in SL in November of 2005.

Nazz: You’ve been performing in SL for three years now, how much has the SL music scene changed in since then?

JueL: Rolling Stone, Wired and NPR all interviewed me about music in SL. I have to say it was a healthy competition a year ago ... now it’s a free for all. The music community is very loose knit … some will play for free and some are writing their own music. Most venues are unwilling to pay … I won’t play for free. So my impression of music scene ... It’s expanding, my visual is that it’s like a field of flowers spreading out … and competition that is so unnecessary … so few people who sing and play with an instrument.

Nazz: Do you perform in real life as well?

JueL: I’ve performed in RL since I was 15 or 16. I was very shy and it took me a long time to get over it.

Nazz: What performers have influenced your style and music the most?

JueL: Well, my music is not for everyone, I have smaller crowds. I’ve been influenced by the darker side. I like Nirvana ... I’m a big fan of Kurt Cobain and I feel like we have much in common. He was one of those rare artists who can take the music and the lyrics and blend them into something that we can feel. Other artists that I like and have inspired me … Lucinda Williams, John Prine, Bob Dylan, who’d influenced my song writing style … Patty Griffin, Mary Gauthier and Bonnie Raitt.

Nazz: What’s your favorite venue in SL?

JueL: My place is my favorite. There are no dance balls and exploders. You come in sit and listen to the music. The Living Room #13 started in early 2006 and it is centered around nothing but the most raw, down to earth, real live musicians and performers in SL. If it moves the soul, it's here.

Nazz: Any performances or special moments that stand out?

JueL: I’ve played so many over the years … iVillage, Elward, and at Dell last year at the opening. You do your own music and some covers, make new fans. Some think that getting a gig like that will make you famous. It doesn't, but it’s still nice getting recognized.

Nazz: I see from your profile that you’re and artist and have a gallery, how’s that going for you?

JueL: There’s a period of time now where I feel like painting and I'll do that and nothing else. I may pick up and write … mostly poetry and short stories. Filthy (Fluno) and Cyl (Cylindrian Rutabaga) were a big influence on getting me to sell my art work in SL and on Etsy.com … now I want to do so in RL. My style is "Folk art", I see colors and I want to throw them onto a canvas. I have synesthesia … it’s where the stimulation of one sense leads to automatic, involuntary experiences in a second sense … like sound and vision … so painting is like music to me.

Nazz: You’d mentioned earlier a commonality with Kurt Cobain, is the synesthesia?

JueL: Like him, I’m bipolar. I feel that I’d known I was bipolar since I was eight, but I wasn’t diagnosed with it until 1989. Since then I've studied … I want to know everything about it. Everything that has to do with the brain I want to know about it. Like did you know that musicians who play string instruments are more likely to be unfaithful in their lives … and that most musicians have more testosterone. I have so many books on the brain.

Nazz: Where do you see your musical career taking you?

JueL: I’d like more exposure, on radio stations like Radio Paradise and clearchannelmusic ... and I’d like to be known as a song writer not so much as a performer. Maybe in three years or in five … someone with a bigger recognition will do a cover of something I’ve written. Or maybe I will. I still perform in SL, but not as much. I’ve tired of it and monotony bores me to death, I like more variety.

Nazz: Is there anything else you’d like to share with my readers?

JueL: The biggest thing, and I tell this to everyone who wants to do music in SL, ask to be paid. If the venue owner says no, keep looking for one who will … and I’ve learned that it takes fifteen years to be an overnight success.

Speaking with Sigma-Aldrich's SL Representative Georgianna Blackburn

By Nazz Lane

I’d arrived early at the Aldrich Chemistry SIM for a scheduled appointment with Georgianna Blackburn and took the opportunity to look around while waiting for the start of our meeting. Having rezzed in at the entry point I scanned across the wide plaza admiring the design and layout of the build. Aldrich Chemistry is one of five SIM’s that Sigma-Aldrich, the life science and high technology company, owns as part of its SL complex and was the first complete in its build. I noted the presence of two buildings along the perimeter of spacious plazas, immediately to the left is the “new products pavilion” and across the way is the “art of science exhibit”. The latter facility is across form a second square which holds a pleasant fountain, a circular one which sits centered in the wide space. Both plazas are landscaped artfully with spaced areas for flowers and trees. The entire area is framed by rolling green hills to the south from which a pair of waterfalls on each side of the slopes cascade down into the lush green park like setting below.

Just shortly after I finished my tour of the two facilities, Ms Blackburn arrived. We exchanged greetings in text chat before moving into voice for the interview.

NL: What was it that bought you into SL and has kept you here?

GB: Curiosity, like most. I’d heard about it at a marketing conference. When I first came in … there was so much to learn that I gave up. It was about a week later, with a friend, that I came back in. The social networking is what kept me here. I like networking and hearing the thoughts and ideas of others. When I saw through doing a search, the “American Chemical Society”, I knew this was where I needed to be. I’ve been amazed at the creativity of people in here.

NL: I’m reading from your profile text, "And one man in his time plays many parts" What part do you play for Sigma-Aldrich and what part does Georgianna play?

GB: Well for Sigma-Aldrich I’m a pioneer, showing them the technology. Trying to show what can be done with the technology. I work mostly with PhD’s, in Chemistry, but my back ground is in marketing and advertising. I do eMarketing for the chemical division Aldrich brand. About 90% of what I do in SL is on my personal time. I do get some support from IT. We’re testing immersive workspace as a supplement to WebEx, I’m working with an associate in the UK. As for Georgianna, if I had known then what I know now, I might have actually used my real name. Georgianna has become well known.

NL: What does Sigma-Aldrich do in SL?

GB: We’re trying to take an educational approach, however we can attribute some potential sales that occurred because of our presence here in SL. But primarily we’re working with the universities, we have some ideas to try out and we would like to get them moving. As an example, right now we are collaborating with a university on a student project.

NL: How many people at Sigma-Aldrich have avatars and how often do they use them?

GB: There are five. One of the Product Manager’s comes in primarily and helps me out with the product information.

NL: How does Sigma-Aldrich plan to use SL?

GB: We would like to have seminars here and I’d love to do a mixed reality event. We’re also looking to do more collaboration with universities in SL. We’re planning on an open grid SIM, the Science SIM. I’ve been out there and the first person I met there was a customer of Sigma-Aldrich, she's also in SL. We’ve been getting more visitors now here, about 35 a day. But we need to do more events. Also, I’m getting my budget together for SL, it was at the chemistry division last year, this year it’s a corporate budget item. I keep the CIO in the loop on what we do here and on virtual worlds. Also, and this was just recently I sat on the Nokia panel for women in virtual worlds

NL: What are Georgeianna's plans for SL?

GB: I’ve gone to some building classes and I am looking at designing my own cloths. Also, I’m looking for a good French class. I took French in school and would like to expand the knowledge. Sometimes, I hang out in the French SIM’s just to listen in.

NL: Do you have any closing thoughts to share?

GB: I can’t wait to see what 2009 brings me. It’s been very exciting, I feel lucky to have been a part of this.

Virtual Ability Island Expansion

By Nazz Lane

In August of 2008 I wrote an article for this newspaper on the opening of a new SIM, Virtual Ability Island. I’d met and interviewed Gentle Heron, founder and president of Virtual Ability Inc. (VAI), a RL 501(c) 3 Corporation. Since then the VAI presence in SL has expanded. The first change occurred in November, when VAI partnered with Cap Able, a leading community that supports the hearing impaired. In the partnership, VAI became the owner of the Cape Able SIM and has plans to develop it to further enhance their capability in meeting its mission of providing an “orientation and training center for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses”. A second expansion came about when it was announced that VAI would become one of the Community Gateway choices available to all new residents who sign up for SL with Linden Lab.

I caught up with Ms Heron recently. We met in her skybox office, several hundred meters above the orientation center on the VAI SIM. We exchanged pleasantries while I waited for things to rezz. When they did, I took a seat across from Gentle and we began the interview.

Nazz Lane: It seems that SL is rather slow today.

Gentle Heron: We had a whole bunch of new arrivals come in for the Stepping into Science Conference, which slows things down.

Nazz Lane: I had just read a press announcement about Virtual Ability becoming one of the Community Gateway choices. I thought you had one of the best orientation programs around ... congratulations Gentle. How’s it going?

Gentle Heron: Yes, since January 26^th, still a few kinks to work out. We used a research-based approach, with community development input in developing our orientation. It makes it a bit slower, but we like our results.

Nazz Lane: I also saw information about the partnership with Cape Able, was it a partnership or an acquisition?

Gentle Heron: It was an acquisition, as we announced it in November. They were an existing community for D/deaf and hard of hearing people. They were very socially isolated and by acquiring them, we can integrate them into SL society, which after all is a major goal of the Virtual Ability group.

Nazz Lane: How did the acquisition come about?

Gentle Heron: Interestingly Treasure Ballinger approached us. The former owner had a RL health crisis and couldn't continue. Treasure knew of our group and came over for a chat.

Nazz Lane: How long did it take to work out the details?

Gentle Heron: Less than a month. We had to move fast or they would have lost the SIM.

Nazz Lane: Is the integration complete?

Gentle Heron: Yes, it is. It was a residential SIM and we kept the estate manager, Treasure Ballinger. She now is a member of the Virtual Ability, Inc. RL Board. She is in charge of the rental property on Cape Able. But there are two other facilities there of interest, one is a Service Center with tons of resources both for the D/deaf community and the community of the disabled in general. The other is an art gallery run by an RL art curator, Nicolo Anthony. The gallery features works by deaf and other disabled artists. It will reopen the SIM in February with a Grand Opening celebration, featuring two SL artists. The opening will take place on Feb 22nd from 2-6 pm SLT,

Nazz Lane: So the transition has gone well?

Gentle Heron: Folks from the Cape Able community have begun to come to Virtual Ability social events, and mingle, and our folks have gone to their events, and a few have moved over to Cape Able. So it's working well. Treasure is going to make a presentation to our folks about speaking with someone whose native language is ASL not English, the words are similar, but the grammar isn't and sometimes people who speak ASL are taken for stupid by those who don't understand but they truly speak a different language. Treasure's presentation on ASL will also be given at the Dreams Community Fair in February. We always participate in that, it’s a great way to support the community at large.

Nazz Lane: ASL is the American Sign Language?

Gentle Heron: Yes, but typed out instead of signing. There is a display about the grammar differences in the Service Center.

Nazz Lane: So now with two SIMs ... and with this being one of the communities of choice for new avatars ... what else is in the plans for VAI?

Gentle Heron: Oh my, well we've been working with the SecondAbility Mentors group. They serve as helpers for our newcomers. There are bells along the newcomer orientation trail that anyone can ring for assistance and that sends a message to any SAM wearing their HUD the first SAM to respond then is given the SLURL and can TP directly to the person needing assistance. Those bells are now used at the Autism Society of America here in SL, and at the London SIMs. We had a volunteer scripter who created the bell/HUD system. What else we are doing is providing a wiki of resources in SL that the SAMs can use to refer people to for additional specialized assistance.

Author Nasus Dumart (aka Susan Mahar)

By Nazz Lane

I'd been introduced to Nasus Dumart by a mutual friend several weeks ago at a party. We spoke briefly that evening and she'd informed me of the impending release of her first book, "The Unofficial Guide to Building Your Business in the Second Life Virtual World". The book is being published by the American Management Association and is soon to be released. We spoke briefly after the holidays and she readily agreed to meet for an interview. So, having arranged a date and time, we met at her newly established shop front in SL from which she is planning to promote the book.

"Good morning. We're dressed well for so early in the morning." I said seeing how her avatar was attired in a sleeveless red cocktail dress.

"Yes, well a girl has to look her virtual best, no matter the time of day." She said and then added, "So, this is my little shop to promote the book, the revised book cover is behind you. I am still setting things up. I have to load the website and the endorsements."

"If you're ready we can get started, what was it that brought you into SL?"

"Apple MacKay (Jay Mahar in RL) is my husband. He is a tech guru, always on the cutting edge. When he started in SL, he got very excited. It got my attention. He said it was the biggest new thing to come along in a long time. So, I started to observe and then I saw how he interacted with others. I got a little jealous and decided there was nothing stopping me from joining so, I did. I had never played online games, never even been in chat rooms so, SL was a huge step for me. Apple asked me, as I created my avatar, 'what do you want to do with your second life?' That was a HUGE question. So, I made a few decisions about the track I wanted to take. I have a degree in Media, and my journalistic training kicked in. This was a big topic on which to explore and write about." She replied.

"What was your most memorable moment in SL?"

"So many … well, I think I can say the first was hearing live music. I don't recall the performer but when they spoke to the room, mentioning my name, it was a big deal. That's when I realized this was a largely undiscovered medium. That's when I realized we were experiencing something special and we were one of the first to do so."

"Let's talk about the book ... I think you'd mentioned to me it was your first, right?"

"Yes, it is my first book. I have been writing since I was a teenager and educated in media and journalism. After the big question from my husband, what do you want to do with your SL, I answered I want to be a writer again. So, that Christmas, he gave me a website."

"I've been out to your Sensible Sue Blog." I commented.

"Actually, Sensible Sue launched my career as a writer. Sensible Sue got a following and it gave me the confidence to do it professionally."

"How was it you'd come up with the idea for the book?"

"When I had enough material, I pursued Joelle Delbourgo, Literary Management, with the idea to bring SL mainstream in a book, a great topic. She loved it, and so did the American Management Association. They are now my publisher. I decided to write about SL to a mainstream audience, bringing it out of the underground. Being that I am a 'regular' person, with no previous online interest and Jay with his expertise, I wanted to write about the ability for everyday people with any interest in SL to try it."

"You're being a 'regular' person allowed you to be more objective?"

"I turned to the big name companies in SL, the entrepreneurs, etc., to tell about how they are using SL. I spoke with Dr. Colin Parris and Grady Booch of IBM, Dr. Larry Johnson of The NMC, Susan Tenby of the NPC, and Sibley Verbeck of ESheep. I included different sectors; corporate, education, entrepreneurial, and entertainment."

"When you approached the AMA how receptive were they to the idea?"

"Our manager, Joelle Delbourgo presented us to the AMA. They'd heard of SL, but didn't realize how much there was to it. They were very excited to have us write this for them and now they know more about it. Some of the editors have created avatars and will attend the release party at Molaskey's Pub."

"There were several notable SL'ers you'd mentioned in your Linkedin profile ... was there anyone you wanted to chat with but didn't connect?"

"Most everyone I approached was more than happy to participate. But there was one that stays in my mind for passing me up. I cannot disclose who, but they were with a major University. Anyway, most everyone was very cooperative. I turned to the movers and shakers of SL for the book most notably, Philip Rosedale, Mitch Kapor, Dr, Colin Parris, Grady Booch, Steve Prentice, Princeton U, to name a few.

"Was there any one notable person who you'd interviewed that was the most helpful with your project?

"Well they all were really, surprisingly so. They're all behind me in bringing this topic mainstream. The people I spoke with all agreed I was writing an important work for the mainstream audience and fully and whole-heartedly cooperated."

"In your LinkenIn profile you mention that SL as a new media is misunderstood by RL business. What is it that they misunderstand?"

"Well I am referring to the notion that SL is a game, a 'get rich quick' medium, etc. So many businesses came to SL looking to use traditional marketing methods and then bailed out because it wasn't a fast enough ROI. They didn't understand the complexity and simplicity of SL … SL has a community that interacts, no one here wants a hard sell. Grady Booch, of IBM gave me a great understanding of SL. He said SL introduces the 4th dimension that is the HUMAN factor. They want to connect, it's personal, it has personality and it is a near face to face interaction that is unmatched anywhere except for RL." She replied and then added, "SL is still pretty far out there for most people. I just hope I can take the fear out of it for the uncertain mainstream audience."

"Besides this site … what other plans do you have to promote the book within SL?"

"Well, we are using Molaskey's Pub for the interactive part of it. We have http://Molaskeys-Pub.com , plus some RL appearances, a podcast with the AMA, social networks, book signings, etc."

"When is the release party?"

"We are planning the release party during Molaskey's Pub 2nd anniversary event, the week of St. Patrick's, March 13-18. I hope you can make it Nazz."

Second Life Residents Participate in a Health Care Community Discussion.....Continued

I arrived at the café minutes prior to the 7:00 PM PST start time to find several people already there, including the award winning Machinama Creator and journalist Draxtor Despres who was there to film the meeting. Ms Vita, stylishly attired in a grey skirted business suit, sat on a stool on stage where she exchanged greetings with early arrivals and those that were soon to arrive. Shortly after the scheduled start time, she opened the session by asking everyone to introduce themselves and to say why they were there. The conversation occurred primarily in spatial voice along with text chat. Ms Vita, with the able assistance of Perplexity Peccable who transcribed voice into text chat and Cotton Thorne who gave voice to text chat, served as the moderator for the discussion.

The range of attendees is broad based, from first life health care givers to those who have or are actively engaged in receiving care for either themselves or loved ones in real life and those who were there simply because they are concerned and interested in the issue. Each are active and engaged residents of second life. Avatars such as Gentle Heron, president of Virtual Ability, Inc, or Jonah Zenovka Founder of Twilight's Peace an interfaith group and Perplexity Peccable, founder of SLHealthy and Healthcare Education in SL who is a medical librarian in her first life. All had a common desire, to have their voices heard, recorded and presented to the incoming administration.

"Our goal here is to discuss the questions provided by the transition team and draft a submission based on our findings and conclusions which I will submit to the Health Policy team. The questions were sent to you all via email but I have them here in-world on a slide show for easy reference." Vita said as the introductions were completed. She then added. "I really want to encourage everyone's active participation in this process. Although we will strive to find common ground, if our consensus is that there is a lack of consensus we will submit that as part of our findings. I encourage you all to a healthy and respectful debate on this complex issue. Let your voice be heard. This is your forum."

"We will review the questions one at a time and discuss each one. The decision on whether to focus our submission on all questions or focus on a specific area is ours to make. I would suggest that we get through the questions and decide at that time which, if any, area provided material we want to focus on for our submission. We'll decide that with a group vote. After the discussion questions and our vote, I'll ask you to create a note card with your avatar name, your RL name if you choose to disclose it and your answers to the survey questions. There are slides prepared with the questions for your reference. As your moderator for the evening, I will not actively participate in the debate. My role is to keep the discussion moving and I may on occasion ask that we move on to the next person or topic." She said and then asked the attendees if there were any questions.

No questions were asked so the process began and the seven questions were presented beginning with the first, which asked session attendees to state, "Briefly, from your own experience, what do you perceive is the biggest problem in the health system?"

It began and continued for the next two hours, an event that was being replicated in many places of the United States. Only this one occurred in a virtual world. And they were engaged, these avatars, engaged and passionate, and ably facilitated by Ms Vita who deftly drew each into a productive discourse. It was a remarkable process to observe this virtual meeting. A meeting where attendee's could not see each other, only the virtual representations of themselves, avatars engaged in a civil and open discourse on an issue that has perplexed and vexed the United States for many years now. At the session conclusion, note cards were distributed for participants in gathering additional responses for the final report. The dialog complete all were invited to the front of the café for a group photograph.

In a post script to the session, Siri informed me that Draxtor Despres and Nonny Writer were working on a documentary of the meeting and it would be completed in early January. She also said that Drax had spoken to "Globalvision"in New York. They had contacted him and wanted to interview us regarding this project for a real life documentary on President-Elect Obama's administration grassroots organizer efforts. She then added, "It's an awesome opportunity to get the word out about the power of second life"

By Nazz Lane

An Interview with Author Isabel Runningbear

By Nazz Lane

The internationally celebrated author Isabel Losada, known in second life as Isabel Runningbear, had graciously accepted my invitation to meet and be interviewed. Ms Losada has published five books in her distinguished career and had recently returned to second life when she appeared on the SLCN TV broadcast, "Meet an Author Show" with Adele Ward. We met at my office to chat about second life, her work and plans.

"Hello Isabel." I called out as she rezzed into the courtyard at the headquarters of this newspaper. SL was being a little quirky and it took her a few minutes to rezz complete and move the short distance to the office. "Please, have a seat." I said.

"Hello Nazz, thank you, lovely office by the way." She said and then clicked on a chair to sit.

"What bought you into second life?" I asked after taking my seat.

"I came into SL nearly a year ago originally. Friends who work at a university, they have some innovative approaches to teaching and wanted to show me." She replied and then added. "They've done some marvelous work with teenagers ... disaffected youngsters. I've found that some of the best aspects of SL have been in the education field." She replied.

"When we talked briefly before, you'd mentioned not having 'played' SL much, even though your avatar has been around for nearly a year, why were you away from SL?" I asked her.

"I was attempting at having a first life. It was my friends who'd mentioned my having been an author and having an SL account. That resulted in my being invited into the Written Word group, and then the appearance with Adele." Isabel replied.

"Who has been the most extraordinary resident of SL you've met so far?" I asked.

"My friend Elsa, she's a builder at the university She does some amazing things and she works so hard there." She responded.

"Is there anyone in SL you'd love to meet and why?"

"No one in particular, I don't feel the need to meet any of the Lindens for example ... I would however like meeting anyone who is in a publishing house and is in SL and from the UK. I'm reminded of a having met someone from an editing house once who had said why bother with the internet. That was years ago. I would have liked to have met someone with imagination then."

"I saw your appearance on the 'Meet Author Show' it was highly entertaining and I enjoyed it greatly, was that your first promotional appearance in SL?"

"I did a talk at the university at the invitation of my friends there. I had a difficulty doing a talk from SL, I missed the audience connection."

"In your book 'Men' you set out with question 'Where are all the interesting and available men' are you thinking of asking that question in second life?"

"No, because I wouldn't imagine ... extending it into SL. A man of fifty will go out with a woman of thirty. Women in their forties who have reached the height of the careers and are single … ask where the available men are. We've all heard horror stories about internet dating, the risk of projecting what you want onto them without knowing it. What's missing is the personal chemistry of a relationship."

"What were your impressions of "Isabel" being represented by an avatar?"

"I like my avatar … I had an experienced person sitting beside me when I created her. I'm curious though about the psychology of designing an avatar to look to like you in RL or not. However I do like my ears and tail."

"Do you think SL a viable platform for marketing and promotions?" I asked.

"I don't know … I don't have a sense of the potential. But I suppose it would depend on what your book is about. If I chose to enter into it, there is a group of writers here ... a community. I would like to know them in RL, it would be strange for me having a community that is only virtual." She replied

"In the "about you" page on Bloomsbury.com, one of your five favorite books was "Three Sisters" a play by Chekov. Your commentary said 'This is a play but in my former incarnation as an actress I was once Olga and actually lived there. I still remember my life as Olga and the longing to get to Moscow. "What are the similarities between 'Isobel' and 'Olga'? I asked.

"In many ways my life has been easier then Olga ... She had two sisters and all are unhappy. Olga is the oldest and feels the responsibilities. She lives in a small town and feels trapped … despair I suppose ... fatalism ... Chekov portrays. She is limited by circumstance. I don't feel trapped the way Olga felt ... I can make choices ... even if I chose to make my life as an author ... so the similarities ... I would like things to be different then how they are." She replied.

An Interview with SuzyYue Machinima Director

RL had been hectic and needing a bit of relaxation, I decide to go exploring after logging into SL.
Opening my inventory folder I scanned through the LM's. Finding one that seemed interesting, I double clicked on it and arrived quickly with a whoosh.
There were several people at the site when I rezzed in. I was pleasantly surprised by the presence of a few acquaintances and we began to chat. As we did, I noticed a dark haired woman who had begun in chat giving directions to several people, commenting about the area and what needed to be done to prep it for filming.
Intrigued by the conversation, I opened Suzy Yue's profile and read it. "Work with talented folks creating Machinima...the best in SL..." I smiled realizing I'd found my next story and readily introduced myself to her. We chatted for several minutes and she agreed to do an interview so we arranged for a date and time to meet a few days later.
Nazz: How was it that you'd come into SL?
Suzy: Well, I was introduced to it by a friend, who is no longer here very much. Read my profile. I came to play, but now I work.
Nazz: How come the change from play to work?
Suzy: It's a long story. Suzy is an alt. My primary avatar came into the world partnered with my RL spouse. Suzy was created to be a much more carefree version of me. But, after partying and playing, Suzy got curious about what else there was to do in SL. I did the usual things in SL that girls do. All the while, I was dancing around an idea that I didn't think was possible in SL.
My RL background is in theatre as a director and actress. So one day I got curious and decided to find out if there were actors in SL … and I did a search and found there were.
Nazz: How did that lead to being a director of Machinima?
Suzy: Well, I auditioned for a Machinima piece, advertised in one of the groups. I got cast in the lead. While I was waiting for that to begin I answered another ad from Popcha, looking for an actor to run Avs for a demonstration. I was hired and then Adonis Bussy, the CEO of Popcha, asked if I would like to try my hand at designing an avatar for the same client, I said sure and then, he asked if I could get more actors for another demo and I said sure. Next thing I knew we were talking about me being a production assistant.
Nazz: So you went from actress to production assistant to Machinima Director?
Suzy: The evolution from actress to director happened over a couple of months. I have directed in RL, for several years.
Nazz: How many Machinima have you directed?
Suzy: At this point 8 in the last 7 months.
Nazz: What is the role of a Machinima Director?
Suzy: I was not sure that there was a role for a director in Machinima initially. Traditionally, it seemed from my standpoint that the Machinimatographer (the cameraperson and editor) was the director, by necessity. But as we worked on the first IBM episode, I started to see that there needed to be a single artistic vision even for an industrial short. So I just started applying my process to the Machinima process. Clear roles for everyone involved; Director, Cinematographer, Production Assistant, Actor and Producer.
I started setting up call times, necessary, just as it is on a real production. By the same token I wanted to approach hiring actors in a more traditional way as well. I wanted to make sure they were paid. I thought it made more sense to engender some loyalty by offering decent SL wages and instilling a sense of purpose. We were a company in the theatrical sense, an ensemble and the actors as a result, feel a part of the production.
Someone suggested to me that we should move more towards scripted robot type acting. But honestly I think that though actors are in many ways puppeteers, that they give actual performances many times. It brings humanity to the process, Machinima with human spirit.
Nazz: Do you feel your approach to directing Machinima is unique?
Suzy: It's fairly unique because it mimics RL ...more structured in how we do it. My process is one that makes sense for me. So I do, but like I said, I've been doing this only a short time.
I know the idea of paying the actors is above the norm in SL, that is not traditionally a part of this medium, I don't think.
RL is a part of SL in so many ways this is just one more, you rarely make a movie with a bunch of volunteers. What I mean to say is a good movie, play, commercial in RL is made up of people who do their jobs and care about what they are doing, all to serve the work. Well that's all I want to bring to the process not just the Machinimatography, filming people doing things and editing it together.
I am not saying that that is how it is done generally but I do want to make this more like RL.
Nazz: Do you have a favorite that you've directed?
Suzy: Well I think that the piece we did for Flashpoint Academy is special to me because I helped to script it. I had more artistic freedom. It was also longer than the other pieces we did and it was fairly dynamic, I think.
Also, the fourth episode we did for IBM was a lot of fun, challenging and lots of effects. The climax of a four episode story arc, by then the actors and crew had things down pat. We had really funny material in it and the particle effects. Also the music, we worked with Ariella Languish for episodes one – three and for episode four, Mewsic Bing.
Interview By Nazz Lane

Social Networking within the Social Network of Second Life

The lead for this story had come into my editor and she'd asked me to chase it down. So, in following up on it, I IM'ed and made an appointment to meet with the MetaLife CEO and founder Robbie Kiama.
We met at the Nokia SIM and Robbie was there to greet me when I arrived.
"Hello Nazz." He called out as I rezzed in. "Welcome to MetaLife. I hope my English is good for you. I'm from Lithuania in RL." He said.
I replied telling him that I thought his English was very good. We were planning to talk using voice chat, however we were forced into a text chat for a few minute while I connected my headset in order to use it and SL was being well, it was being SL.
Finally having straightened out and when plugged in and ready, I asked him, "Is this MetaLife's headquarters Robbie?"
He replied, "This is yes, we have another office as well. But MetaLife isn't about this location. It's about building a platform for other developers, land owners, business owners, and organizations ... Anyone who is doing anything in SL being able to connect using the MetaHUD flagship product. Using the MetaHUD, our members can travel to and tag favorite places, meet interesting people, shop and share their experiences ... making that information available to the MetaLife community ... they can comment on anything in the metaverse of SL. Once they do, it's available to their friends or the entire network of MetaLife users."
I commented on the uniqueness of that within SL and asked, "How does it work?"
"Well it's a HUD, so you wear it and it will position itself on the screen. You can of course move it around to your comfort level. Try it Nazz." Kiama suggested.
I wore the HUD I'd picked up and it rezzed on my screen, on center and to the right side. Robbie offered to be my friend and talked me through accepting the offer. In the center of the HUD, I could see comments posted by members, much like what I'd become accustomed to seeing in Twitter. He then walked me through the search function, asking me if there were any particular items I might be shopping for at this time. I told him that I'd been looking for a leather jacket and so we did a search and a list of the most popular ones appeared on the HUD. The most popular items first and the information included designer, location and price.
"This is really great Robbie." I said then continued: "How did this concept evolve?"
"We'd been planning for this for some time. A good friend had introduced me to SL and when I arrived and began to look around for opportunities, this concept was something we started working on. We tried several different models and it evolved to what you see. MetaLife has received backing from a venture capital firm in Europe. We've several projects in the pipeline now. I'd like to show you our soon to be released kiosk." Kiama said in reply.
We moved over to a display he had rezzed while we talked. "How does the kiosk work?" I asked.
"The MetaKIOSK, which we will launch on September 23rd, provide SL entrepreneurs a means to sell their items grid-wide. We also believe that for landowners, the system will provide an innovative way to resell items that are pertinent to their parcels. For SL residents, metaKIOSK will provide the ability to teleport to chosen locations, review, and leave comments about any displayed content on the parcel and all services are powered by metaLIFE search." He said and then continued: "We've already introduced our Metalife Partnership Program where the referring partner, who is the one who owns the kiosks and when sales are generated by the Kiosk, 97% goes to the developer, and the other 3 % is split between the kiosk owner and Metalife."
"It sounds to be an awesome concept Robbie, are there any plans to take it to other virtual worlds?" I asked.
"Only for SL, we have no plans for any other particular Virtual World now. Our goal is to build a strong platform in SL and look at other VW's and see what the need may be." Kiama replied.
I thanked Robbie for his time and headed back to my office to begin reviewing my notes. Along the way, I stopped off and using the MetaHUD, rated a few of my favorite places.
By Nazz Lane

A Conversation with Gentle Heron about Virtual Ability Island

I found out about Virtual Ability Island through a friend.
She had left me an offline IM and a LM. Her IM was brief and read,
"OMG! Nazz … You have to check this out."
Knowing she rarely overstated things, I decided to take a look.
I arrived at the site and waited a bit for it to rezz before moving. I had apparently joined in on the tail end of a tour so waited until the tour completed before introducing myself to Gentle Heron, the tour leader.
I explained to her that I was a freelance reporter and would be interested in possibly doing a story.
She agreed, but needed a little time before she could meet and she asked me to look around for a bit.
While waiting, I wandered over to the TP point and began reading the signs that surround an arriving visitor. "Virtual Ability Island has been developed through a partnership between the Alliance Library System and Virtual Ability Inc. (VAI).
The goal of the partnership is to develop and island with an orientation and training center for people with disabilities and chronic illnesses." The welcome sign read.
I pulled out a blank note card and started writing out some questions in preparing for our chat.
"Hello Nazz, I'm free now if you're ready." Gentle called out as she approached me. "So how can I help you? And should we do this in IM?" She asked.
I replied that IM would be fine and begin with my first question.
NL: Tell me a little about Gentle Heron?
GH: I'm a Mom of three from Colorado. I have MS and work part time from home. I am president of the RL 501(c) 3 Corporation Virtual Ability, Inc. The Virtual Ability group and this island are two projects of that corporation in second life. We are an all volunteer / donation group.
NL: How was it that VAI discovered SL?
GH: Two friends, SuperQuiet Heron and Sodapop Heron and I checked out virtual worlds because we wanted to find a community where we could "live" virtually since we were all pretty much affected by our impairments. Second life was the most fully developed at that time. We came in here June of 2007, which was before the corporation (VAI). We founded The Heron Sanctuary (THS). It is a group, not just a place. The group is a support community for people with any kind of disability. The two groups, THS and VAI have a hangout island, called VAI Sanctuary. The groups work together.
NL: An Interesting choice for a name, any significance beside the obvious of you three having the last SL Surname?
GH: Of course, a sanctuary is a safe place, where those who are alike can come together for mutual support and can be among those who understand your situation. On our website you will see a summary of the research showing the benefits to people with disabilities of coming into and interacting in virtual worlds. In real life I can't stand unaided, but here I can walk, swim and dance ... anything. Because of that, for me, and for many others, this is far more than a game. It IS a second life.
NL: How many hours a day do you put in SL?
GH: Uh oh! A dangerous question, some days none at all, if I am too worn out or have too much work for my real life employer. Other days, well, let's just say it's more than eight. Working on this island project really is a full time job. I also work part time work for an educational research firm from home and I have three children to support, remember. MS really limits the energy you have, so that limits what you can accomplish. You really have to prioritize.
NL: What has been your most interesting experience in SL so far?
GH: Interesting? Gosh so many. Would you believe I have been bull riding in here? There are so many fun things to do in SL that I can't in RL, even simple things like going to a concert or seeing an art gallery or simply walking in a forest. Those are things I used to be able to do, and I missed them, but I *can* do them now in SL.
NL: Tell me about some about your plans for VAI and this SIM?
GH: The reason to do this island is to bring more people into SL, to support their learning to use the computer here, and to get them integrated into SL society. We have other ideas we'd like to try, but need to plan carefully and make sure this is successful first. One thing we are experimenting with is a form of housing that reinforces the feeling of community. We'd like to do more experiments along those lines. We're also exploring ideas about enabling meaningful paying employment.
NL: How will you know when you've been successful here?
GH: Success isn't how many people we keep in the group, but how many move into SL and they begin to interact and take advantage of what goes on in SL. But surprisingly, many stay or come back to the group to help others.

Drive by Agony Group Establishes Presence in Second Life

By Nazz Lane

Through a friend, I had recently been introduced to Carmen Gray of the Drive by Agony group in second life. Both of our schedules had been full but we'd finally been able to connect setting up a date and time when we'd both be on-line. We met at her place, the Life Learning Center along with Hope McAlpine and Hiliary Grant for this interview.

"Hello Nazz, I'm so glad we could finally catch up with each other." Carmen said in greeting as I arrived at the center. "My pleasure Carmen, and my apologies for having had this take as long as it has, real life has been hectic of late." I replied and then continued: "I know you've been busy as well, getting organized for the group's activities. I won't take up too much of your time." She smiled and replied, "We can take as long as you need Nazz. It's important that we get the word out about our plans. Why don't you have a seat and we can get started."

NL: Carmen can you tell me, what is your role in Drive by Agony?

CG: Nazz, I'm the Founder of the organization "Drive by Agony". The group has been in SL for nearly eight months now and in real life since 1988, our web site is www.drivebyagony.net .This is the Life Learning Center where the groups SL programs will come from.

NL: What is the group's mission?

CG: Our group's mission to increase awareness about the impact of crime in the US and to honor the victims of crime. Our activities culminate in a yearly event, bringing communities into action through a March and Demonstration for the legislators in Washington to take action. We need to increase awareness about the cost of crime it brings upon victims, the medical bills and education about how to bring the harmony in our nation and create a safe place for our children. This year's March will occur on April 19th and we have a full program planned for that day in second life.

NL: The real life group has been in existence for nearly 20 years now, what has been the focus of the group in SL?

CG: My focus has been to figure out how to bring the materials, the set up, the focus and the mission of the group into SL. When you come into SL you are like a baby and it is difficult. So I had to learn first then force myself to get involved in the community of the virtual world and learn to balance the two.

NL: How successful do you feel you've been in doing so Carmen?

CG: I feel good about it. The ups and downs and mistakes like in RL help you to grow.

NL: What have you learned about running a group in SL that is different than in RL?

CG: Wow! Where do I start *smiles* Well you learn how to deal with different cultures up close and personal. It's like you do not see each other but you can feel each other's hearts which I think is better. You can connect with people a lot faster from around the world that share a common cause of helping others. Working with others in various ways, you can share and support each other no matter what your cause is and feel free doing so *smiles* comfortable.

NL: What other activities is the group planning for the next few months?

CG: A grand opening of this facility is one that is in the planning stages, HIliary just finished most of it and people will be able to come and meditate, receive counseling and support. We'll offer anger management services and parenting classes. We also have a natural health care store next door to help. This facility will offers the SL resident an opportunity to come and speak with me about personal feelings of pain associated with tragedies in their lives, also learn how to control their anger and be a part of change in preventing violence. They will also have the opportunity to come and learn from the information about our purpose, and what we will be providing for victims of any crime.