[Note: Hover over the photos for captions via alt-text.]
The initial plan was to host an event offering a bunch of free stuff and to advertise via word-of-mouth within Second Life, something similar to flyering and canvassing for an event in the real world (or "first life," hahaha). Of course, beneath all of this was the truth: we own next to nothing in Second Life and are merely trying to convince other people that these free objects and upgrades are on us. Unfortunately, the promotion fell flat because nearly every user we spoke to already knew about the "free bazaar" in Stillman, and were not at all convinced that the free stuff had anything to do with us.
Somewhere along the way, Texas Lemon touched an object that instantly gave him $40000 in Linden-money. We tried to use the newfound wealth to convince others of our authority, but quickly realized that $40000 isn't really that much in Linden-money.
[Note: Unfortunately we both experienced a lot of problems with crashes and disconnects, and there is no automatic archiving of local chat transcripts, so our conversations and interactions with other members of the SL universe have been essentially lost.]
Despite the seeming lack of success in the area of promotion for the event of "selling tshirts" listed below, people still frequented the bazaar, and Texas Lemon tried his hardest to be a salesman/charlatan. Asking questions like "Do you like all of my FREE STUFF?" received equally mundane or silly replies, or no reply at all. At this point, the avatar was wearing a box on his head, which led most other users to not take him seriously at all.
At one point, Texas tried to convince another user not to take advantage of the free tattoos at the bazaar, because a Second Life avatar's body is a temple, and one should not desecrate a being created in the image of the lord and saviour. This prompted the user to reply "don't care [sic] I like to defile myself" and then "like i tell the people who come to my door, i already have a God now leave me alone". Obviously Texas needed to try some new tactics in salesmanship.
Thus we began our tour of several areas in Second Life...
Stopping first at a Christmas event, which turned out to be almost completely sealed off and totally empty.
One consistently surprising thing about Second Life is the absence of people in most areas, in contrast to the infinity of the Second Life universe. Sure, it seems obvious that if people have limitless places to visit, and the usership isn't that large, then it might be hard to find large groups of avatars since everything is so spread out. But then where the hell are the "hot spots"? In most islands, one might be lucky to encounter five avatars in the same general area.
Luckily Texas ran into others when visiting the Sistine Chapel...
Upon entering the chapel, the user immediately receives the following note, which must be accepted in order to be granted admission to the chapel:
We have re-created the Sistine Chapel as a proof-of-concept for how the technology of virtual worlds can augment or enhance a tradtional liberal arts education.
TO VISIT THE SISTINE CHAPEL ON VASSAR ISLAND, YOU MUST AGREE TO THE FOLLOWING "CODE OF CONDUCT." You will only be asked to do this once.
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CODE OF CONDUCT
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Visiting the Sistine Chapel creates a deeply moving experience for many people for a variety of reasons, including religious, artistic and educational.
To preserve this same experience for those visiting the Sistine Chapel in Second Life, we expect all visitors to conduct themselves here as they would in real life: with respect for the environment as well as for those visiting the environment. Further, the Sistine Chapel was created for non-profit, educational use. You may not use it, or images of it, for any commercial purpose.
Any misconduct will result in banishment from Vassar Island as well as in a report to Linden Labs. Please contact Bret Rydell or Stan Frangible to report any such misconduct.
YOU MUST AGREE TO CONDUCT YOURSELF BY THIS CODE OF CONDUCT IN ORDER TO CONTINUE.
If you elect to disagree, you will be removed from the Sistine Chapel area of our island. However, you will still be free to visit other parts of our island. Note: the system that is used to remove you from the Sistine Chapel is one built-in to Second Life ("eject from parcel"). It is not the most graceful system, and we apologize in advance for the way that it may "drop" you on another part of the island.
Please use the blue menu on the upper right side of the screen to indicate your agreement with our Code of Conduct.
--Bret Rydell
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Images are used with permission.
Perhaps the most ironic aspect of this code of conduct is the last line: "Images are used with permission."
Does this mean that the "creator" of this digital recreation of the Sistine Chapel obtained permission from Michelangelo? Does the owner have any right to reproduce images of the Sistine Chapel (and the paintings within) while simultaneously forbidding others from recreating or reproducing images of this reproduction? It's not like there's a Creative Commons license in the corner of the actual Sistine Chapel, something that would dictate the digital "fair use" of such images.
Meanwhile, Zabrina Sweetwater headed to an interactive dance party with user-friendly instruments...
This is in the Vassar Castle at the top, where the first dance party jam session event was held. The instruments pulled me to the room and it was awesome because users get to "play" them. Next to the stage was a "dance orb", and when an avatar touches it the character begins dancing all over the place, it takes a little while to figure out how to make it stop, but the avatar dancing is entertaining in itself.
Zabrina searched for mountain ranges under the places tab and the Bonaire Private Island came up as an option to port too. As she teleported there she realized this island was empty, but still very nice looking. Zabrina decided to check it out anyways in case she was missing something. She hoped for a dinosaur sighting.
Zabrina decided to check the island out still and found that it was for sale, although no particular price was listed for this spacious area.
Next up for Texas, a site for weddings in the sky:
Not much here... Just an aisle and an altar on a floating island in the middle of Twister (the island). Upon entrance, Texas was invited to set up a wedding on the island, "complete with guests!" for only $1000. It was easier to ignore the invite and carry on the ceremony alone.
Unfortunately no witnesses were present... this virtual self-marriage just wasn't meant to be...
Meanwhile Zabrina joined a group called "peace & love", and was immediately invited to base jump with a parachute on the virtual version of Liberty Island. Zabrina arrived on the Island and in the center was a circle which could teleport users all over the island, including to the parachute jump.
Zabrina jumped without a parachute though and plummeted to the ground...
Of course, Second Life avatars don't really have a constitution, or can suffer any sort of wounds from falls from really tall heights...
After researching some "hot spots" on the Internet, Texas decided to hit up a "dance club" located within a volcano. When the avatar arrived, however, all to be found was a trio of snowy sinkholes...
This was an initial experience with inclimate virtual weather in second life, but it wasn't exactly the bumpin' virtual dance experience one might anticipate. Maybe the party was overhead, but even some high-altitude exploring couldn't reveal where the volcano was, and all he found was a bunch of weird, empty, toothpick spheres.
Then Zabrina decided to explore a Christmas-y island...
Zabrina participated in the event "Celebrate Christmas at Eternal Cove." The avatar was denied entrance to all of the houses in the area, but could interact with a number of snowmen and witnessed numerous avatars praying, and, as seen above, a virtual nativity scene.
And so it was time for Texas to head to a final destination. According to the area's description, Texas was promised second life fishing and "polygonal beer." He was about to be (unsurprisingly) disappointed.
Texas looked around the area for a place to sign up for fishing or to purchase fishing equipment or virtual beers. Basically everything was closed, except for an "erotic photography studio"... it was as weird as it sounds.
Virtually sober, virtually rich, with no new friends and virtually exhausted, the avatars were ready to turn it in for the evening.
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