Second Life: Why I Don't Hang Out Much On Second Life Anymore

I was one of those who sang Second Life's praises in the beginning and tried to get creative types, especially writers, to join SL. I was a premium user, owned and rented virtual land, created and gave items away for free as well as selling them on the Marketplace.

While I still think that the idea behind Second Life is a good one and I still do visit from time to time, I ended up dumping my premium membership and abandoning my land because:

1. Even as a Premium User, I got very little customer support. Tech issues would crop up which would keep me from being able to fully use my land, yet I'd get "will get back to you eventually" tickets which went for weeks and sometimes months without answer.

2. Lag was frustrating and inescapable.

3. As much as I loved exploring creations made by other people, most places were ghost towns unless someone held (and heavily promoted) an event.

4. I got tired of the frequent software updates. I think this would have been easier if the software auto-updated, but each time I'd have to download the next update, get rid of my old version, install the new version, change my alias pointer in my dock. Doesn't sound like much, I know, but I've been spoiled by every other piece of software I own that DOES auto-update for me.

5. Regular and frequent loss of inventory.

But the truth is that even if all the above had been fixed, the SL interface still seems to be too complicated for most people to learn, or at least the group (kidlit/YA writers, illustrators and other industry types) I was hoping to get onto SL.

I'll still drop in on SL while it's still around, but the past few times I've visited my favourite places, it's seemed even more like a ghost town than before.

Beautiful and fascinating to look at it, but almost always empty.

Shannon Oherlihy / Shannon McMahon at the Tranquil Cafe

Despite having a cold, Shannon sounded great. :-)

URL: http://www.shannonmcmahonmusic.com/

Genre: folk acoustic

Sings covers (has songlist for request) & originals.

Her blog: http://www.shannonmcmahonmusic.com/blog/

Artist biography:

Shannon McMahon got her first guitar at the age of nine, and wrote her first song when she was ten years old. She started performing publicly when she was 12, at church, coffeehouses and other functions. At the age of 17, Shannon auditioned for and was accepted into a vocal performance class at The New School in New York City, taught by Brown Bradley.

In 1996, Shannon recorded her debut CD, Some of My Years, an independent release produced by Eric Garrison at China Moon Studios. The CD features 12 original songs in a contemporary folk style with a hint of country flavor. Shannon’s rich vocals are reminiscent of Joan Baez and Natalie Merchant.

Since 2008, Shannon has been performing daily for worldwide audiences in Second Life an online virtual world that offers a place to explore, socialize and participate in a host of activities, including live music. In May 2009, Shannon’s song “The Test,” was the winning song in a songwriting contest for Amnesty International. A recording of “The Test” will also appear on a benefit CD featuring New Haven, CT area musicians.

In November 2009 and May 2010, Shannon appeared at FODfest (Friends of Daniel Pearl) at Infinity Hall in Norfolk, CT.

Milk Wood's Annual March Poetry Fest: March 25th-27th

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Milk%20Wood/63/123/25

Event description:

"The second annual March Poetry Fest features the work of some of Second Life's best-loved poets. Venture forth about the sim between performances and read the beautiful poems on display. Each easel holds several pieces of work.  Simply click on the easel and the display will automatically change screen.
To begin the festivities, follow the poetry trail of fallen leaves and read some of the work of our members."

If you haven't visited the Milk Wood Writers' Colony before, do take the opportunity to visit now! It's lovely to stroll through such a beautiful setting, reading poetry. I have a few poems in the display as well. :-)

Below: June Stormcrow's poetry display, and an opportunity to buy her e-book.

Storyfest 2011: March 19-20th

Event: STORYFEST SL 2011 - March 19th and 20th

For more info, including a schedule: http://storyfestsl2011.blogspot.com/

Brief description: Two days of stories & storytellers from around the virtual world

Venues: various (see URL above)

Art Show (Mar. 1-31st): Musical Sculptures by Nessuno Myoo

Venue: DNA: **Art and Music Fusion**

SLURL: http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Captive%20Oasis/206/199/50

See more of the artist's work in his Flickr account: http://www.flickr.com/photos/27823218@N03/

Blog: http://toctoccenessuno.myblog.it/ (not in English)