Thursday, January 31, 2008

Thread disruption


My telephone line is broken and I am writing this post from my workplace.

Therefore I can't go anywhere on Internet from home and I have no idea when I will be able to come back in Second Life.

Don't worry if you don't see me, I am still alive, but very angry with France Télécom!


no time for a quotation:(

Wednesday, January 30, 2008

On the boat again



How I can lose my hair.
Actually, there is wind in Second Life...




...and some other very strange events.





It's easy, they sank my boat.
John F. Kennedy, When asked how he became a war hero
35th president of US 1961-1963 (1917 - 1963)

Clairement

(English version)


Le hasard fait parfois bien les choses.
Pas plus tard qu’hier Jopsy Pendragon publiait un article comme il en a le secret : court, clair, concis, au sujet de la façon d’écrire un blog.
Je me suis permis d’y ajouter un commentaire, histoire de le rendre plus long, pas tellement pour y ajouter du sens, car il est suffisamment imagé pour permettre à n’importe qui d’en comprendre le sens et (peut-être) de se reconnaître un peu dans le portrait qu’il trace du blogueur qui panique à l’idée de laisser passer quelques coquilles.
Et puis le même jour (en fait la nuit) je tombe sur un intéressant article de Prokofy Neva sur les Droits de l’Avatar comparés aux Droits de l’Homme —du moins c’est ce que j’en ai déduit de son titre.
Là aussi je me suis laissé aller à un petit commentaire, non pour le rallonger comme pour celui de Jopsy, mais pour suggérer à Prokofy de faire plus court dans ses explications.
Je vous laisse comparer les deux articles et en guise de cerise sur le gâteau je vous livre cette véritable pépite que je viens de découvrir à l’occasion de mes pérégrinations.
Dégustez-la bien, vous verrez, vous ne risquez pas l’indigestion et elle vous sera certainement très utile —à condition de maîtriser un minimum d’anglais bien entendu !


Pour bien communiquer, ne cherchez pas à faire de "belles phrases", mais efforcez-vous d'écrire avec clarté et concision. (Jacques Bojin)


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English version
Everything happens for a reason.
Just yesterday Jopsy Pendragon published one of his articles he has a knack for writing: short, clear and concise, about how to write a blog.
I took the liberty to add a comment, just to make it longer, not so much to add meaning, as it is colorful enough to allow anyone to find sense and (maybe) to identify a bit with the portrait it draws of the blogger who panic at the idea of letting slip a few typos.
And then on the same day (in fact the same night) I find an interesting article Prokofy Neva published on the Rights of the Avatar compared to Human Rights —at least that's what I inferred from its title.
Here again I took the freedom of a short comment, not really to lengthen the post like with Jopsy’s, but suggesting to Prokofy to do more concise in her explanation.
I let you compare the two articles and as an icing on the cake I give you this true nugget I just discovered on the occasion of my wanderings.
Enjoy it well, you will see, no risk of indigestion, and it will certainly be very useful to you, provided you master a minimum of English of course! (but if you can read this don't worry;)

Brevity is the soul of wit.
William Shakespeare, Hamlet
Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)


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Is second life a game?

For some people Second Life is definitely a game, they play at being dragons, Harry Potter, criminals, prostitutes, slaves, men, women, and furry animals, and then drop these roles as easily as the world of a film or a book is once finished. However I have not met many people like this.

A game is characterised by many things: by a specific goal; by a delimited range of actions; is somewhat separated from the rest of life; but most of all that one can not lose anything much more serious than the game itself. If what happens in the "game" has serious consequences in the rest of life then it ceases to be a game for the participants and becomes serious.

Many people start by intending to play SL but then get sucked in and it stops being a game. I came to SL initially to study it, I quickly got draw in to playing it, and now simply live part of my life here. If I stopped using SL I would lose close friends, intimate lovers, support and aspects of myself that get no expression in RL. I have no specific goal, but many goals and none (at different times). The joy of interacting in SL is there are an almost unlimited range of actions - one creates ones own possibilities and paths. The only aspect (for me) in which SL is a game is that it is allows for a separation from RL. However even then there are overlaps in terms of time, money, knowledge and our emotions.

SL is an electronic medium in the shape of a shared virtual world. Many things about SL are illusions, not real in any sense. However many things in SL are real. The interaction we have with other avatars is real if more indirect than in RL, causing real sensations and real emotions. We make real friends and sometimes we really fall in love. We pass on real information in the form of text, pictures and sounds. We can really provide some support and care for our friends. There are the begginnings of a real society in SL.

When I touch someone I love in RL, I have the intention to touch, electrical signals pass to my muscles which move and bring my hand into contact with them, their nerve cells detect this, send messages to their brain which constructs the sensation of being touched in their brain. When I touch someone I love in SL, I have the intention to touch, I feel how the movement would be in my imagination, I describe this in words which are transmitted to them, who read the words, imagine the touch, reconstruct how that would be in their brain and hence feel it. Yes the SL process is less direct that that in RL and requires more thought, but it is not less real, at least to me. Both allow the person I love to feel what I intended them to feel. Both processes can be disrupted - in RL by drubs that effect the nervous system or a simple barrier - in SL by a failure of communication or imagination (for example if our brain is telling us it can't be real).

Second Life is no more a game than the internet or the telephone. Sure it can be used by a game and may resemble some games in terms of its surface appearence and the technology it uses. Of course if one refuses to take what happens in SL seriously then you can make it into more of a game by not taking any relationships seriously, not emotionally engaging, not trying to communicate anything of RL value etc. Typically we all have some resistance to thinking of SL as real and of giving it the status of the real - and in some senses this is right. So far the value of what happens in SL is generally much less than the value of what happens in RL (not talking only of monetary value here), but that will change a bit over time.

This does not mean that SL is essentially the same as SL - it has different rules, physics, social norms, social structures, relationships etc. It is a different reality to RL allowing different possibilities and affordances - having different limitations.

Sofian (in the piece below) may be more hesitant, citing fringe benefits of being in SL in terms of the other skills and systems it has lead her into. I am more definite - I have people I really love here, real responsibilities, real decisions to make with real impacts on others - SL is now just part of my life - this is where I live some of what is my life, for better or worse. Leaving SL would now be like a little death for me, some part of me that has grown up and is connected with others around the world would be lost. I would be a lesser person.

Tuesday, January 29, 2008

Pourquoi une deuxième vie? - Why a second life?

(English version)


Presqu’un an que je suis née et j’en suis toujours à me demander ce que je fais là (j’ai failli écrire ce que je fuis là…)
Pour être claire (bien que je m’appelle Sofian) je me demande simplement si le jeu en vaut la chandelle.
Quand je suis arrivée je pensais que Second Life était une sorte de jeu vidéo —je suis fan de jeux vidéo depuis belle lurette, et même avant— mais j’ai vite compris la différence.
Quoique…
Second Life n’est pas un jeu à proprement parler, difficile de le comparer à Tomb Raider ou à Metal Gear Solid, cependant on peut considérer que l’on joue quand même à se construire une nouvelle identité, presqu’une nouvelle personnalité, que l’on s’amuse à créer des objets que d’aucuns se plaisent à croire artistiques dans certains cas, ou à s’habiller avec plus ou moins bon goût et presque toujours de manière futile.
On peut aussi estimer que l’on joue la comédie, le jeu de rôle (le jeu drôle comme j’aime à l’appeler) prenant une part plus ou moins importante de notre deuxième vie, même chez ceux que l’on nomme les plate-formistes (voir Mackenzie McArdle) et qui sont, quoiqu’ils en disent, en représentation par le biais de leur marionnette.
Et à qui va-t-on faire croire qu’un être humain doué de raison et d’une bonne connexion internet (les deux n’allant pas forcément toujours ensemble) ne s’amuse pas un minimum à manipuler son avatar et regarder sous les jupes des dames ?*
Bref, je dois admettre que je m’amuse dans Second Life, et dans d’autres metaverses par la même occasion, donc finalement je considère que nous sommes bien en présence d’un jeu.
Mais ce n’est pas que cela.
C’est aussi une formidable machine à consommer du temps libre en convertissant illico les balades en forêt ou les soirées entre amis en de longues séances pouvant commencer à neuf heures du soir et se terminer à cinq heures du matin.
Bon d’accord, ce n’est pas le moment le plus propice pour les balades en forêt, je vous l’accorde, mais vous avouerez que le dimanche après-midi peut facilement être consacré à cette addiction du virtuel (j’en vois qui regardent leurs chaussures)
En fait la majeure partie du temps que je consacre personnellement à Second Life n’est pas utilisée in-world, mais dans tout ce qui l’environne.
Second Life est comme un porte-avions qui a besoin de toute une armada autour de lui pour naviguer en paix.
En ce qui me concerne il y a bien sûr le blog (mais oui voyons, ce que vous avez sous les yeux en ce moment) et tout ce qui va avec lui : les photos (donc Flickr), les projecteurs de diapos (donc Vuvox), les projecteurs de films (donc WeGame) et tous les gadgets annexes—et il y en a toujours de nouveaux à découvrir.
Mais il n’y a pas que le blog !
Via Second Life et mon blog j’ai découvert (dans le désordre) Netvibes, onXiam, Facebook, RSS et Atom, Dailymotion, le langage HTML, gmail et bien d’autres choses encore qu’il serait trop fastidieux d’énumérer ici.
Ah ! Oui, j’allais oublier, j’ai bien sûr découvert les innombrables blogs plus ou moins en relation avec Second Life, et je pense que c’est avec eux que je passe le plus clair de mon temps, à admirer le travail de mes co-résidents virtuels.

Et l’amour dans tout ça ?
Ça ne vous regarde tout simplement pas :p

*que celui ou celle qui ne l’a jamais fait lève le doigt, je lui donnerai un pénis qui ne m’a jamais servi, du moins pour le moment.


Il n'y a pas moyen de contenter ceux qui veulent savoir le pourquoi des pourquoi.
(Leibniz)


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English version
Almost one year since I was born and I am still asking myself what I am doing there (I almost write what I flee there…)
To be clear I simply wonder if the game is worth it (in French we say is worth the candle).
When I arrived I thought that Second Life was a sort of video game —for a long time I have been a fan of video games— but I quickly understood the difference.
Although…
Second Life is not strictly speaking a game, it’s hard to compare it to Tomb Raider or Metal Gear Solid, however we can consider that one plays with building a new identity, almost a new personality, that one have fun creating objects that some people like to believe artistic in some cases, or dressing with more or less good taste and almost always in an idle way.
One can also find that you play comedy, role-playing (the jeu drôle as I like to call it) taking a more or less significant part of our second life, even for those so-called platformists (see Mackenzie McArdle ) who are, though what they can say, in performance through their puppet.
And whom will we make believe that a human being endowed with reason and good Internet connection (the two do not always go together) does not have a minimum fun in manipulating their avatar and looking under ladies’ skirts? *
In short, I must admit that I have fun in Second Life, and other metaverses at the same time, so finally I believe that we are dealing with a game.
But it's not only that.
It is also a formidable machine to consume free time by immediately converting walks in the woods or evenings with friends in lengthy sessions that may start at nine o'clock in the evening and end at five o'clock in the morning.
Okay, this is not the best time for hiking in the woods, I grant you, but you will admit that a Sunday afternoon can easily be devoted to this addiction of virtual (I can see some of you looking at their shoes)
In fact most of the time that I personally dedicate to Second Life is not used in-world, but in everything that environs it.
Second Life is like an aircraft carrier that needs an entire armada around her to navigate in peace.
As far as I am concerned there is of course the blog (yes, what you have before your eyes at this time) and all that goes with it: the photos (hence Flickr), the slide projectors (hence Vuvox), the movie projectors (hence WeGame) and all additional gadgets—and there are always new to discover.
But there is more than the blog!
Via Second Life and my blog I discovered (in any order) Netvibes, onXiam, Facebook, RSS and Atom, Dailymotion, HTML, gmail and many other things that would be too tedious to list here.
Ah! Yes, I nearly forgot, of course I discovered countless blogs more or less in conjunction with Second Life, and I think it is with them that I spend most of my time to admire the work of my virtual co-residents.

And love in all this?
It is simply none of your business :p

* Who has never done that may raise a finger, and I will give them a penis that I have never used, at least for the moment.

You see things; and you say, 'Why?' But I dream things that never were; and I say, "Why not?"
George Bernard Shaw, "Back to Methuselah" (1921), part 1, act 1
Irish dramatist & socialist (1856 - 1950)


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Monday, January 28, 2008

Another (really?) visual haiku






my inspiration

To do just the opposite is also a form of imitation.
Georg Christoph Lichtenberg
(1742 - 1799)

Sunday, January 27, 2008

Another haiku




A second self, I
feel strands between us, stretching...
Hope they will not break.

De l’Avatar

(English version)


Faisant suite à l'intéressant article de mon amie Arm (on a toujours besoin de revoir ses sources) voici quelques pistes de réflexion:

-On ne nait pas avatar : on le devient (Sofian de Beauvoir)*
-L'avatar nous ressemble, trop.
-J'aime mon avatar, est-ce de l'inceste Dr Freud?
-Quand mon avatar me regarde dans les yeux, j'ai presque envie de les baisser.
-l'Homme a créé les dieux à son image, et il fait la même erreur avec son avatar.
-Dis-moi quel est ton avatar, peut-être pourrais-je te dire ce que tu n'es pas.

*pour les incultes, extrait de « Le deuxième sexe » de Simone de Beauvoir (On ne naît pas femme : on le devient)

Le mensonge, le silence, la dissimulation sont des avatars nécessaires de l'union conjugale ; ils assurent la durée et la stabilité de la double infranchissable solitude. (Michèle Mailhot)
Extrait de Veuillez agréer...


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English version
Following the interesting post of my friend Arm (we still need to review our sources) here are some lines of thought:

-One is not born an avatar: one becomes one (Sofian de Beauvoir)*
-The avatar looks like us, too much.
-I like my avatar, is that incest Dr. Freud?
-When my avatar looks at me in the eyes, I nearly want to look down.
-Man created gods in his own image, and he made the same mistake with his avatar.
-Tell me what's your avatar, perhaps I might tell you what you are not.

* For the uneducated, excerpt from “The Second Sex” by Simone de Beauvoir ( One is not born a woman: one becomes one)


PHYSIOGNOMY, n. The art of determining the character of another by the resemblances and differences between his face and our own, which is the standard of excellence.

"There is no art," says Shakespeare, foolish man,
"To read the mind's construction in the face."
The physiognomists his portrait scan,
And say: "How little wisdom here we trace!
He knew his face disclosed his mind and heart,
So, in his own defence, denied our art."
Lavatar Shunk
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
US author & satirist (1842 - 1914)


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"Avatar", one definition

"Avatar. In Hinduism, an incarnation of Vishnu. Used more generally by occultists and theosophists to denote any divine incarnation".

"Vishnu. In Hinduism, one of the three major gods of the trimurti, the other two being Brahma and Shiva. Vishnu was originally a Vedic god who acquired prominence as a peaceful sky-god, protector of the universe. As a guide and friend of humankind, Vishnu was belived to have incarnated on several occasions (the number of incarnations varies from ten to thirtynine) in order to save the world in times of chrises. Among Vishnu's most famous incarnations were Rama (described in the Ramayana) and Krishna (described in the Bhagavad Gita). Many devotees also considered Gautama Buddha as an incarnation. Vishnu's final appearance as Kalki, at the end of the world, is still to come".

From "Dictionary of mysticism and the occult" by Nevill Drury, (1985).



Saturday, January 26, 2008

Rl-art in Sl?

Rl/Sl. Exhibition at Blacklibrary, Hyperborea!

Artwork by Mark Nicoll.



Slartwork

(English version)


SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartCherSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartM.SL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartMinskySLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartmerciSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artdeSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artretirerSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartvotreSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTmarqueSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artdeSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art

Il est plus facile de se contenir que de se retirer d'une querelle.
(Sénèque)


Et
Se retirer n'est pas fuir.
(Miguel de Cervantès)
Extrait de Don Quichotte


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English version
SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartDearSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartMr.SL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartMinskySLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartpleaseSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artwithdrawSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartyourSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art SlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTtrademarkSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artfromSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL artSlartSLARTSLartSL art

If we say a little it is easy to add, but having said too much it is hard to withdraw and never can it be done so quickly as to hinder the harm of our success.
Saint Francis de Sales
French saint & bishop of Geneva (1567 - 1622)


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Friday, January 25, 2008

Blog, blog, blog…

(English version)


Sur les blogs et les blogueurs
-L'Homme devint avatar, l'avatar devint blogueur, mais le blogueur redeviendra-t-il humain?
-Le SLblogueur est un avatar évoluant dans la vraie vie.
-Ne dites pas au SLblogueur que Second Life a moins d'importance qu'il ne le pense, vous lui gâcheriez la journée.
-Beaucoup de bruit pour rien est la pièce préférée du SLblogueur (moi je préfère L'Avatar apprivoisé)
-Certains disent qu'il n'y a pas de vent dans Second Life, ce n'est pas vrai, il y a les blogs sur Second Life.
-Un blog sur Second Life peut vous emmener très loin, et même nulle part, c'est pour dire.
-Il y a presque autant de blogs sur Second Life qu'il y a d'avatars dans Second Life, mais l'inverse est-il vrai?
-Quand un avatar tiendra un blog sur le monde réel... oui, et alors?

Je ne connais que quelques dizaines de blogs dont le thème est Second Life, sur les milliers ou dizaines de milliers qui doivent tisser leurs fils sur la toile, voici mon top 10 personnel (si vous voulez y figurer faites-vous connaître)

- mes préférés, à égalité : Daneel Ariantho’s 2nd life et La seconde vie du Web parce qu’ils me font voyager sans m’ennuyer, même si je ne comprends pas tout ce qu’ils racontent.

- le plus utile façon mode d’emploi : Unable To Connect – SuezanneC Baskerville parce qu’il contient souvent des liens intéressants même si je m’y perds parfois un peu.

- le plus fascinant : An Engine Fit For My Proceeding parce qu’il me ramène un siècle en arrière avec son style suranné.

- le plus ennuyeux : VIRTUALLY BLIND parce qu’il me rappelle trop le travail (mais je le lis quand même régulièrement)

- le plus polémique : Second Thoughts parce que Prokofy a le don de se mettre tout le monde à dos.

- le plus narcissique : Mermaid Diaries parce qu’il n’y a pas une seule photo sans Natalia Zelmanov (mais elle est si mignonne qu’on lui pardonne volontiers)

- le plus intéressant : VintFalken.com parce que c’est Vint Falken et que c’est bien foutu.

- la référence : The Insatiable Zoe Connolly parce que c’est peut-être le meilleur blog, même si le sujet peut lasser à la longue (mais peut-on se lasser de s’envoyer en l’air ?)

- le plus déjanté : Not Possible IRL parce que…bon vous n’avez qu’à aller voir.

Vivre, c'est se cogner au présent. (Max)
Extrait de Le Blog de Max


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English version
Blogs and bloggers

- The man became avatar, the avatar became blogger, but will the blogger become human again?
-The SLblogger is an avatar occurring in real life.
- Do not say to a SLblogger that Second Life is less important than he thinks, you would spoil his day.
- Much Ado About Nothing is the preferred play of the SLblogger (I prefer The Taming of the Avatar )
- Some say that there is no wind in Second Life, but it is not true, for there are blogs on Second Life.
- A blog on Second Life can take you very far, indeed anywhere, need I say more.
- There are almost as many blogs on Second Life as there are avatars in Second Life, but is the reverse true?
- When an avatar writes a blog IRL ... yes, so what?

I know only a few dozen blogs whose theme is Second Life, on the thousands or tens of thousands that must weave their threads on the web, and here's my personal top 10 (if you want to be included make yourself known)

- My favorites, to a draw: Daneel Ariantho's 2nd life and La seconde vie du Web because they make me travel without boring me, even though I do not understand all what they are telling.


- The most useful like a user guide Unable To Connect - SuezanneC Baskerville because it often contains interesting links even though sometimes I lose my way.


- The most fascinating: An Engine Fit For My Proceeding because it brings me a century back with his quaint style.


- The most boring: VIRTUALLY BLIND because it reminds me too much my workplace (but I read it regularly anyway)


- The most controversial: Second Thoughts because Prokofy has the knack of turning people against her.


- The most narcissistic: Mermaid Diaries because there is not a single photo without Natalia Zelmanov (but she is so cute that we gladly forgive her)


- The most interesting: VintFalken.com because it is Vint Falken and it is well done.


- The Reference: The Insatiable Zoe Connolly because it is perhaps the best blog, even though the subject may be boring in the long run (but can we be bored when we have a roll in the hay, sorry, in the plane?)


- The most special: Not Possible IRL because… well, you just have to go and see.


The first step in blogging is not writing them but reading them.
Jeff Jarvis, BuzzMachine, 07-10-2006


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Sl-video with "WeGame"

To Sofian.

Thank you for introducing me to the "WeGame". The WeGame client can record in Second life, and in some games.

Have a look at my first 5 films from Rezzable (Arm Strom in Second life 1-5).

Arm

Thursday, January 24, 2008

New Year’s resolutions

(English version)


Luciano-Z

Se proposer mystérieusement de se gargariser en rêve
Lui suggérer avec délice comment vivre avec des tongs
Cesser impunément de l’aguicher sans s’impliquer
Tâcher avec malice de respirer dans l’espace
Projeter inconsciemment de le faire sous une porte cochère
Penser avec brio à marchander de 5 à 7
Lui offrir sagement de tout oser sans en avoir l’air

Les résolutions sont comme les anguilles ; on les prend aisément. Le diable est de les tenir. (Alexandre Dumas, fils)


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English version
Google from French to English without any correction…

To propose mysteriously gargle of Hallucination
Suggest with delight how to live with tongs
Stop the impunity without getting involved aguicher
Try breathing with malice in space
Projecting unconsciously to do so under a porte cochère
Think brilliantly to bargain from 5 to 7
He wisely offer any dare without being obvious

Good resolutions are simply checks that men draw on a bank where they have no account.
Oscar Wilde
Irish dramatist, novelist, & poet (1854 - 1900)


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Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Secondliphorisms

(English version)


-Un perroquet est un oiseau qui répète tout ce qu'il vous a appris à lui dire (variante: un singe est un animal qui imite tous les gestes qu'il vous a appris à lui faire ; variante ultime: un avatar est un personnage qui imite et répète tout ce qu'il vous a appris)

-Second Life est une deuxième peau dont on a du mal à se défaire; et de plus, parfois, elle provoque des démangeaisons.

-Si Second Life est une vie virtuelle, alors pourquoi y importer tous nos défauts réels?

-La traduction de Second Life en français est Double Vie: c'est pratique pour tromper son partenaire et se tromper soi-même.

-Second Life est le cinq à sept du 21ème siècle, d'où l'équation 2L = (7-5) x21 => L = 21 = mon âge mental (vous voyez bien que j'ai raison)

-Une deuxième vie, cela veut-il dire que notre première n'est qu'un brouillon?

-Je suis venue dans Second Life pour échapper à la réalité, puis-je revenir dans la réalité pour échapper à Second Life?

-On appelle les nouveaux venus des noobs, comment appelle-t-on les vieux c... qui se moquent des noobs?

-Dès le premier jour L'Homme a créé l'avatar à son image; moralité: l'Homme est plus rapide que Dieu.

A vous de jouer maintenant.

Je perds le désir de ce que je cherche, en cherchant ce que je désire. (Antonio Porchia])
Extrait des Aphorismes


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English version
-A parrot is a bird that repeats everything he taught you to tell him (variant: a monkey is an animal that mimics all the gestures he taught you to show him; ultimate variant: an avatar is a character that mimics and repeats everything he taught you)

-Second Life is a second skin which is difficult to get rid of; and furthermore, sometimes, it causes itching.

-If Second Life is a virtual life, then why import all our real flaws?

- Second Life also means Double Life: it is useful to deceive your partner and deceive yourself.

- Second Life is the five-to-seven of the 21st century, hence the equation 2L = (7-5) x21 => L = 21 = my mental age (you can see that I am right) [I am afraid non-French speakers will not understand this one…]

- A second life, does this mean that our first is a draft?

- I came in Second Life to escape from reality, so may I go back into reality to escape Second Life?

- Newcomers are noobs, how do we name the old farts who flout noobs?

- From the first day Man created the avatar in his image; morality: Man is faster than God.

It’s your turn now.


APHORISM, n. Predigested wisdom.

The flabby wine-skin of his brain
Yields to some pathologic strain,
And voids from its unstored abysm
The driblet of an aphorism.
"The Mad Philosopher," 1697
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
US author & satirist (1842 - 1914)


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Sunday, January 20, 2008

Searching a new home


That's only a hover-view




A quote intended to an Irish lass:

Bricks and mortar make a house, but the laughter of children makes a home.
Irish Proverb

Cursed


Everybody able to see a video but me...

Video no longer available

The proof I am cursed (look at the comments)

But I get my hopes up:

Flaques sous les pas
La promeneuse est mouillée
Pourtant elle sourit

Women are cursed, and men are the proof.
Rosanne Barr

Saturday, January 19, 2008

Let's rest in peace for a moment in Tombstone



meditating

calm before the battle

it's warmer inside

looking for a room

time for a fight

maybe a shelter

indians are taking control





I was not scalped

You are fond of role playing?

Broken Rose in Tombstone

That would be a good thing for them to cut on my tombstone: Wherever she went, including here, it was against her better judgment.
Dorothy Parker, 'But the One on the Right,' in New Yorker, 1929
US author, humorist, poet, & wit (1893 - 1967)

SLART – Stupid Laws Albeit Real Trends

(English version)


Second Life serait-il en train de devenir aussi pourri par l’argent que la vie réelle ?

Bien sûr l’argent a sa place dans notre petit monde (petit comparé à celui des personnes physiques), nous avons une économie en gestation, sans réel régulateur comme le FMI ou la Banque Mondiale, mais c’est ce qui fait son charme et peut même s’avérer intéressant à étudier si l’on veut voir fonctionner un système vraiment libre de toute entrave, sans aucune contrainte légale ou institutionnelle.

Il est évident qu’un minimum de règles est nécessaire afin notamment d’éviter à des personnes crédules (il y en a beaucoup ici comme ailleurs) de se faire gruger par des escrocs (là où il y a des crédules, il y a forcément des escrocs)

C’est un travail difficile pour la société Linden Labs qui n’est pas particulièrement spécialisée dans la finance et le droit, à chacun son métier et le sien est déjà assez difficile.

Mais je suis abasourdie d’apprendre qu’un type du nom de Richard Minsky a fait enregistrer comme marque déposée le nom SLART, avec toutes les formes possibles comme SLart ou SLArt…(voir l’article de Vint Falken)

C’est un peu comme si l’on faisait breveter Cubisme ou Popart

Le malheur est que cet individu semble avoir le droit avec lui, il a fait enregistrer ce nom mais n’étant pas une spécialiste je ne sais pas quelle valeur donner à ce parchemin.

Par ailleurs quand on cherche slart sur Google on obtient 36400 réponses, le malheur (encore !) est que le premier résultat renvoie sur Welcome to SLART qui est justement le site de Richard Minsky…

Bon l’un des sites suivants donne la définition du mot slart qui parait aussi nauséabonde que le site de Richard Minsky.

J’ai également trouvé un article de Daneel datant d’août 2007 : SLart à la conserverie faisant référence à de superbes photos de Vint Falken.

Attention Daneel, tu vas devoir payer des royalties à monsieur Richard Minsky!

Il ne faut être redevable qu'à sa conscience.
Geneviève de Gaulle-Anthonioz


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English version
Is Second Life now becoming as rotted by money as real life is?

Of course money has its place in our own little world (small compared to that of physical people), we have an in-progress economy, with no real regulator like the IMF or the World Bank, but that's its charm and may even be interesting to explore if we want to see a system function truly free of any interference, without any legal or institutional constraint.

It is obvious that a minimum set of rules is necessary in particular to avoid to gullible people (there are many here as elsewhere) to be duped by crooks (where there are gullible, there are inevitably crooks)

This is a challenging task for company Linden Labs, which is not particularly specialized in finance and law, and its activity is difficult enough.

But I am astonished to learn that a guy named Richard Minsky has registered as a trademark the name SLART, with all possible forms as SLart or SLArt… (see article from Vint Falken)

It's a bit like patenting Cubism or Popart

Unfortunately this individual seems to have the law with him, he has registered this name, but as I am not a specialist I do not know what weight to give this piece of parchment.

At the same time when we seek slart on Google we get 36400 responses, unfortunately (again!) the first result leads to Welcome to SLART which is precisely the site of Richard Minsky…

Well, one of the following sites gives the definition of the word slart which seems as nauseating as the site of Richard Minsky.

I also found an article of Daneel dating from August 2007: SLart à la conserverie referring to Vint Falken's beautiful photos.

Be careful Daneel, you will have to pay royalties to Mr. Richard Minsky!

I've always believed in writing without a collaborator, because where two people are writing the same book, each believes he gets all the worries and only half the royalties.
Agatha Christie
English mystery author (1890 - 1976)


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My new (I)QDOS

Ha-ha!

During the night I gained 8442 points at Q9515...

You don't trust me and think that I arranged the image to my convenience?

Check at QDOS and search Sofian Mannonen


QDOS must stand for Que Doit-On Supposer?

Or in English Quality Deficiency On System...


Better a diamond with a flaw than a pebble without.
Confucius, Analects
Chinese philosopher & reformer (551 BC - 479 BC)

Friday, January 18, 2008

My (I)QDOS

It is a disillusion, my score is one fifth of the best blogger on the planet, somebody named Frank Warren, whose secret is...well better you have a look at wikinews



You can try to beat me (not so difficult, you will see) at QDOS.

Vint Falken made me aware of my smallness with her post.

What I don't understand is that she has a score of 5393, more important than Frank Warren's who competed in the category Bloggers...

Hey Vint, in which category did you apply?

Dancers or Miss World Contestants?


If the aborigine drafted an IQ test, all of Western civilization would presumably flunk it.
Stanley Garn

We game Ono and me

Today for the price of one you will have two from me.

I do not guarantee the quality of what I will offer you, you certainly will find more interesting elsewhere, but be understanding with me, I am only an amateur who do her best not to look too foolish to you guys (though sticks and stones...)

First I wanted to share with you what I discovered with a recent tip of the week from Torley Linden on how to run multiple viewers at the same time.

I made the test and to show you that it works (and if it works for me be sure that it will work for you) I recorded a movie with my sister-alt Ono.

I guess you will recognize who is who, even for those that do not know me, as our names are shown on the screen.

The movie was taken at Callahans Isle with WeGame.

You can watch a very good tutorial of WeGame that Torley (always Torley, what would we do without Torley!) posted on his blog.



I have warned you, quality is terrible!

I firstly tried to make the movie with Windlight, but obviously my computer is not powerful enough to support two SL sessions, even with one being a normal one, and I continuously crashed, above all when adding WeGame...

Furthermore I used the Web Recording that [...gives the best balance between quality and performance...] so you can imagine how my computer needs a good upgrade.

Contributions can be given at any moment, I accept L$.


The movies are the only business where you can go out front and applaud yourself.
Will Rogers
US humorist & showman (1879 - 1935)

Tuesday, January 15, 2008

Authentic Avatars?

Portrait: Rotpaulette Carter the sweetest vampire in cyberspace

I heard an interesting radio programme last weekend (CBC at the Calgary Institute broadcasting highlights of the seminar ‘Second Life and First’). It was exploring what it described as the ‘confusions and contradictions of online identity’ and it pondered ‘how the virtual world may be altering our sense of community and ourselves’.

The panellists suggested that in RL we have a 'body truth' that cannot be changed, cannot lie. When we look at each other in RL our body truth gives information about our gender, race, age, weight, fitness etc. But how do we decide we ‘know’ each other in RL? For one thing we compile abstract lists of data. We can know another’s job, habits, favourite music and what makes them happy or sad etc. We gather lists of personal information, and filter out who is a friend and who is to be avoided based upon our internal database. We then claim we ‘know’ each other and fancy that the passage of time itself adds a further measure of knowledge.

Yet, body truth, knowledge lists and duration of friendship do not necessarily mean we do ‘know’ each other at all! How much do we really know about another’s inner life? Just how ‘real’ or ‘authentic’ are we to each other in Real Life? Is it even possible? How much of our idea of each other is manufactured according to skin deep body truths, data lists and the adding up of calendars?

The programme posed this question: 'What is the authentic self?' It asked if we can discover more of our authentic self by how we express ourselves in SL? After all, we are free (because of our anonymity) to express things we cannot express in RL due to social conventions or simple shyness! Does that mean we are closer to expressing our true selves in SL?

In RL we have a work self, a home self, a daughter self etc. An observation is that each ‘self’ is defined by our relationships with others. Now, the intriguing question: what self (or selves) do we chose in SL? What are we saying about ourselves with our avi? What relationships do we seek to have in SL? We can make our avatars look as weird and wonderful as we like. We can act out some crazy fantasies with each other if we have the inclination. Yet, however our avatar looks or behaves; which ever avi we use (I help skew Linden stats with 3 avatars. Sorry Sofian!) there is still the same individual operating the avi from their keyboard back in RL.

Perhaps SL is simply a ‘playground’ where our shy, authentic selves can come out to play with each other? We have moments of sensing the real person sitting at that distant keyboard operating our avatar friend. Perhaps this is why SL ‘hooks’ us in such a powerful fashion? It gives us a glimpse of each other’s true selves! Usually such a unique and intense experience comes just seconds before SL lag and crash ‘gets us’ and we are sucked back to being our RL avatar!


As distant as stars
are the avatars we meet,
yet we touch their fire.

Osaka Dante - SL poet


Sunday, January 13, 2008

First (uneasy) steps with wegame

Before going to bed I wanted as always to try something Daneel showed me recently.

He always show me tremendous things that never work at the first try, and this time it didn't work...as I expected!

Actually I recorded with the camera when I thought the camera was off, and all that I thought I recorded is of course...missing!

There must be a flaw with this system, as you can see the little red square in the top-left corner, it shows normally that the camera is off...

Of course it should be green as you can imagine.

And I spent half an hour loading that...

Well, it's my first try, so take it as it is.



By the way I am in Basle again next week up to next Thursday evening.


The game is up.
William Shakespeare, "Cymbeline", Act 3 scene 3
Greatest English dramatist & poet (1564 - 1616)

Luna Bliss tour

I am not fond of advertising and would be a terrible advertiser (don't even think of hiring me to promote your products!) but when I see Luna's artworks I can't help trying to have people know them.

Of course she surely creates for money as much as for mere pleasure, but she is so skilled that she deserves the money she earns.

I would not personally live behind a waterfall, I prefer open spaces, but if it is up your alley go and have a look at her island at Bliss Gardens, you can even go with your children, the place is PG:)




If there is another world, he lives in bliss. If there is none, he made the best of this.
Robert Burns
Scottish national poet (1759 - 1796)

Saturday, January 12, 2008

Music and calm


Last night finally I met Celeste and her boyfriend Brave.

We have been friends for several weeks in SLProfiles but we never had the chance to see each other in Second Life.

When I arrived at ACTIV8 Nightlife Complex it was difficult to see something and Celeste was totally invisible to me.

She rezzed progressively but remained grey during some minutes while Brave was perfectly visible.

Get together

Dancing

Celeste

Brave Celeste!

Later my friend rotpaulette invited me at Meincassel to keep company with her before going to bed.

Maybe I should have refused...

I promised her I would show everything.

With wildpaulette

Pole dance

As I was pretty excited I preferred, before sleeping, go and calm down at Converseon's Second Chance Trees.



I specially recommend you the swing made by Luna Bliss, you won't regret the trip!

You can also watch the slide show here.

Don't think there are no crocodiles because the water is calm.
Malayan Proverb

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Second Life of Luxury

(English version)


Il y a quelques fois des coïncidences amusantes.

Hier j’écrivais un article sur le nombre d’avatars dans Second Life, afin de comparer celui-ci à la population mondiale, et aujourd’hui je tombe sur un article de L’Express Style (n° 2949), que vous pouvez également consulter ici, dans lequel j’apprends qu’il y a en fait, je cite, « 3 millions de visiteurs inscrits, dont 500.000 navigateurs réguliers »

L’article fait aussi état d’une superficie de 25.000 hectares qui seraient « vierges de panneaux publicitaires », tout cela pour dire que Second Life serait donc le paradis des marques, et notamment des marques de luxe.

Cela me désole à plus d’un titre.

D’abord le nombre de visiteurs inscrits, établi par la journaliste à 3 millions, que représente-t-il ?

Mon chiffre à moi, provenant des statistiques Second Life, donne une population de plus de 9 millions, 9 millions de quoi en fait?

Est-ce tous ceux qui se sont inscrits, y compris ceux, nombreux, qui ne sont plus dans Second Life depuis belle lurette ?

Et puis s’agit-il des avatars, ou des personnes réellement inscrites, sachant que certains ont deux avatars voire plus pour certains collectionneurs ?

Les statistiques donnent également quelques 1 million et demi « Last 60 days », j’imagine alors que l’on parle ici des connections, donc des avatars présents in-world, donc que le nombre de 9 millions fait aussi référence au total des avatars créés par des humains depuis la création de Second Life ; et « Current » donne le nombre d’avatars présents à un instant donné, soit en moyenne 50.000 comme je l’ai mentionné dans mon précédent article.

Alors que penser des données de L’Express ?

3 millions de visiteurs inscrits, cela voudrait dire que le visiteur inscrit serait en fait la personne réelle et non l’avatar, et qu’en moyenne il y aurait 3 avatars par personne (9/3) ?

Par ailleurs le nombre de 500.000 navigateurs réguliers me paraît cohérent, en effet il y a en permanence 50.000 avatars présents, et à cause de la rotation de la terre il y en a en permanence qui se connectent et d’autres qui se déconnectent ; un facteur 10 me semble tenir la route : il y a 24 fuseaux horaires sur terre, mais aussi de nombreuses zones blanches (océans, déserts, montagnes, forêts) pas ou peu peuplées, ou peuplées de gens qui vont majoritairement ailleurs que sur Second Life (Chine) et qui font baisser la moyenne alors que la Californie sans aucun doute la fait exploser.

Bon tout cela ce ne sont que des suppositions sorties de mon imagination débridée qui demanderaient à être confirmées par des experts (et il y en a !)

Le plus important pour moi, et qui me désole le plus, est le fait que Second Life soit considéré comme un autre monde réel dans lequel on cherche à singer le plus possible notre réalité quotidienne.

25.000 hectares d’espaces vierges de panneaux publicitaires, cela veut dire un potentiel de 25.000 hectares à conquérir par les publicitaires !

Par ailleurs on apprend dans l’article (mais certains d’entre vous le savaient peut-être déjà) que L’Oréal Paris a organisé l’élection de Miss Second Life…

Donc ici aussi seule l’apparence extérieure compte, et cette façade exposable aux regards des cerveaux disponibles (seuls les français vont comprendre là…) est la proie des artistes du vent, comme j’appelle les publicitaires, qui vont tapisser nos murs d’affiches virtuelles représentant des avatars parfaitement travaillés sur Photoshop et ne présentant aucun défaut.

Qui plus est tout cela est sensé faire vendre des produits (ici des produits de luxe) alors que je ne suis pas certaine que celui ou celle qui porte un jean Armani coûtant quelques centimes d’euros dans Second Life ira s’acheter l’équivalent dans la réalité, même le jour des soldes.

Adidas aurait vendu (in-world) 25.000 paires de baskets en un an, oui mais qui nous dit que les acheteurs virtuels ne chaussent pas des Nike tangibles pour aller frimer en ville ?

Dernière information de L’Express, il y aurait 57% de mâles dans Second Life…

Je ne sais pas d’où vient cette donnée, si elle a été fournie par Linden Labs d’après leurs fichiers, mais apparemment la journaliste est formelle, disant « 57% des résidents sont des hommes », en employant donc l’indicatif et non le conditionnel…

Mais là aussi, de quoi parle-t-on, des avatars males ou bien des hommes derrière les avatars… ?

Question à creuser dans un prochain article, qui veut s’y coller ?

Le rêve, c'est le luxe de la pensée.
[Jules Renard]
Extrait de son Journal


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English version
There are sometimes amusing coincidences.

Yesterday I wrote an article about the number of avatars in Second Life, in order to compare it to the world's population, and this morning I came across an article in L'Express Style (No. 2949), which you can also view here , in which I learn that there is in fact, I quote, "3 million of registered visitors, including 500,000 regular navigators.

The article also reports an area of 25,000 hectares which would be without any billboards, all of this to say that Second Life would be a paradise for brands, such as luxury brands.

It saddens me for several reasons.

Firstly, the number of registered visitors, compiled by the journalist to 3 million, what does it represent?

My own figure, coming from Second Life statistics, gives a population of over 9 million, actually 9 million of what?

Is that all those who have registered, including many who left Second Life long time ago?

And are they avatars or people actually registered, knowing that some collectors have two or even more avatars?

The statistics also give some 1 million and a half "Last 60 days," thus I guess we are talking here of connections, hence avatars present in-world, so that the number of 9 million also refers to the total avatars created by humans since the creation of Second Life; and "Current" gives the number of avatars present at any given time, i.e. an average of 50,000 as I mentioned in my previous article.

Therefore, what about data from L'Express?

3 million of registered visitors, it would mean that the registered visitor would actually be the real person rather than the avatar, and that on average there would be 3 avatars per person (9/3)?

At the same time the number of 500,000 regular browsers seems consistent, in fact there are 50,000 permanently present avatars, and due to the rotation of the earth there are always people that connect and others who log out; a factor of 10 seems correct to me: there are 24 time zones on earth, but also many blank areas (oceans, deserts , mountains, forests) not (or sparsely) populated or populated by people who go mostly elsewhere than Second Life (China), which reduces the average, while undoubtedly California makes it soar.

Well all that is only suppositions extracted from my unbridled imagination that would need to be confirmed by experts (and there are some!)

The most important thing for me, and that I regret the most, is the fact that Second Life is regarded as another real world in which we seek to mock as much as possible our everyday reality.

25,000 hectares of space without billboards, it means a potential of 25,000 hectares to be conquered by advertisers!

We also learn in the article (although some of you may know already) that L'Oréal Paris hosted the election of Miss Second Life…

So here also only the outward appearance is relevant, and this facade displayed to eyes of available brains (only the French will understand this…) is the prey of hot air artists, as I name advertisers, that will cover our walls with posters representing virtual avatars perfectly worked on Photoshop and showing no default.

Moreover all that is supposed to have products sold (here luxury goods) while I am not sure that the person who wear Armani jeans costing a few euro cents in Second Life will buy the equivalent in reality, even the day of discount sales.

Adidas is supposed to have sold (in-world) 25,000 pairs of shoes in one year, yes, but who tells us that virtual buyers don’t put tangible Nike on to go and show off downtown?

Latest information from L'Express, there would be 57% of males in Second Life…

I do not know where this information comes from, if it has been provided by Linden Labs according to their files, but apparently the journalist is categorical, writing "57% of the residents are male", thus using the declarative modality and not the conditional one…

But again, what does this mean, avatars males or men behind the avatars…?


A topic to look into in a forthcoming article, who wants to get stuck with it?

We act as though comfort and luxury were the chief requirements of life, when all that we need to make us happy is something to be enthusiastic about.
Charles Kingsley
English Anglican clergyman & novelist (1819 - 1875)


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Friday, January 11, 2008

Count which world?


(English version)


Il y a quelque temps de cela j’ai ajouté dans mon blog deux repères, un sur le nombre de résidents dans Second Life, l’autre donnant quelques informations sur l’économie de notre monde préféré.

J’ai utilisé pour cela le site http://www.counttheworld.com/ qui fournit bien d’autres données intéressantes.

Cela m’a fait quelque peu réfléchir…

A l’heure actuelle la population mondiale est de 6.643.383.651 personnes alors que le nombre de résidents inscrits dans Second Life s’élève à 9.147.149 avatars.

En fait les résidents réellement présents au même moment sont de nos jours 50.000 en moyenne pour avoir un compte rond.

Si je fais mes calculs, la population totale de Second Life représente 0,1377% du total de la population réelle de la planète.

Si l’on prend en compte le fait que de nombreuses personnes réelles sont représentées par plusieurs avatars, ce pourcentage doit être révisé à la baisse ; comme je n’ai aucune idée du nombre d’avatars frères et sœurs générés par un même créateur, je ne peux faire qu’une vague hypothèse qui n’engage que moi : si en moyenne il y a deux avatars par personne, on arrive à un taux d’environ 0,07% de terriens jouant à Second Life.

J’assume le mot jouant même si je considère moi-même que Second Life n’est pas un jeu en lui-même, cependant il y a manifestement une dimension ludique dans le fait de se travestir/transformer en marionnette que l’on contrôle (ça dépend des moments…) selon son bon plaisir.

Si maintenant nous prenons le nombre de résidents présents à un instant donné, et en assumant que ces résidents n’utilisent alors qu’un seul de leurs multiples avatars (il y en a bien qui ont plusieurs ordinateurs et font camper l’un pendant qu’ils forniquent avec l’autre, mais ils doivent être minoritaires) nous arrivons à un pourcentage de 0,00075% de la population mondiale présente dans Second Life en permanence.

Cela ne fait vraiment pas beaucoup de monde…

Par ailleurs, quand je regarde autour de moi (dans la vraie vie) je ne vois personne intéressé par les mondes virtuels.

Bien sûr je ne suis pas une référence, bien sûr il y a sûrement certaines personnes qui se cachent, et je ne crie pas moi-même sur tous les toits que je suis résidente de Second Life et que je passe mon temps libre à me balader du bout des doigts, par clavier et souris interposés, mais enfin, j’ai beau parler avec mes voisins (de travail ou ailleurs) je n’ai vraiment pas le sentiment qu’ils sont du genre à faire le pitre comme moi sur internet.

Ils vont bien sur la toile pour écouter de la musique, pour télécharger des films, pour consulter les cours de la bourse, pour faire des achats de livres ou de vacances, etc. mais jamais aucun ne m’a donné le sentiment d’appartenir à notre monde.

Pourquoi, alors qu’il y a tellement peu de monde intéressé par la vie virtuelle, avons-nous l’impression parfois que notre joujou est l’avenir de la communication, des réunions entre personnes partageant les mêmes intérêts, etc. bref comment ce que nous appelons le Web3D peut-il avoir un jour un quelconque impact social, culturel et économique suffisamment significatif pour bouleverser la face de la planète ?

J’ai plutôt l’impression que c’est la face d’un microcosme de fanatiques qui peut se trouver chatouillée (agréablement) par le buzz généré autour des metaverses.

Serions-nous une secte qui s’ignorerait ?

Une secte sympathique cependant, de laquelle il est aussi facile de s’extraire que d’arrêter de fumer pour un fumeur ou de boire pour un alcoolique.

Bon il y en a qui arrivent sans problème à quitter Second Life, il s’agit de ceux qui n’y sont jamais réellement entrés, qui se sont inscrits et ont visité une ou deux fois et ont décidé que c’était trop compliqué, donc inintéressant, et font donc partie des quelques 4 à 5 millions de personnes (voir plus haut pour le calcul…) inscrites que l’on ne reverra pas de sitôt in-world, et c’est tant mieux (autrement bonjour le lag !)

Je m’aperçois que Count The World m’a amenée dans des contrées éloignées, peuplées de nombres et de points d’interrogation, mais après tout c’est mon plaisir de voyager par l’esprit et de parfois m’égarer un peu.

Je manque certainement de vision à long terme, ne voyant dans Second Life qu’un passe-temps réservé à une élite à laquelle je me (com)plais d’appartenir, mais qu’est-ce que je m’amuse !

Alors le reste…

Ce qui compte ne peut pas toujours être compté, et ce qui peut être compté ne compte pas forcément. [Albert Einstein]


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English version
Some time ago I added in my blog two marks, one on the number of residents in Second Life, the second giving some information about the economy of our favorite World.

I used http://www.counttheworld.com/, which provides much more interesting data.

It made me think a little …

At the present time the world population is 6,643,383,651 persons while the number of residents enrolled in Second Life is 9,147,149 avatars.

In fact residents actually present at the same time these days is an average of 50,000.

If I do my calculations, the total population of Second Life is 0.1377% of the actual population of the planet.

If we take into account the fact that many real people are represented by several avatars, the percentage should be revised downward; as I have no idea of how many brothers and sisters avatars are generated by a same creator, I can only make a vague assumption that if there is an average of two avatars per real person, we arrive at a rate of about 0.07% of earthlings playing Second Life.

I take responsibility of the word playing even though I consider myself that Second Life is not a game in itself, however there is clearly a playful dimension in the fact to disguise / transform into puppet that we control ( it depends moments…) according to our own pleasure.

Now if we take the number of residents present at a given time, and assuming that these residents are only using one of their many avatars (there are some who have multiple computers and have one avatar camping while they are fornicating with the other, but they must be a minority) we arrive at a figure of 0.00075% of the world population being in Second Life at every moment.

It really does not make lot of people …

On the other hand, when I look around me (in real life) I see nobody interested in virtual worlds.

Of course I am not a reference, of course there are certainly some people who hide, and I do not shout myself from all the rooftops that I am a resident of Second Life, and that I spend my spare time walking with my fingertips, via keyboard and mouse, but finally, when I talk with my neighbors (at work or elsewhere) I do not really feel that they are the kind of person who make the buffoon like me on the internet.

Yet they go on the web to listen to music, to download movies, to view stock quotes, to make purchases of books or holidays, and so on. But none of them ever gave me a sense of belonging to our world.

Why, when there are so few people interested in virtual life, we sometimes feel that our toy is the future of communication, meetings between people who share common interests, etc. in short how what we call the Web3D may one day have any impact significant enough on social, cultural and economical levels to change the face of the planet?

Instead, I get the impression that this is the face of a microcosm of fanatics who may be (pleasantly) tickled by the buzz generated around metaverses.

Would we be a sect unaware of its existence?

A likeable sect however, from which you can easily escape like a smoker can quit smoking or an alcoholic can stop drinking.

Well there are some who can leave Second Life without problem, i.e. those who have never really entered, which were registered and visited once or twice and decided that it was too complicated, therefore uninteresting, and are therefore part of the 4 to 5 million people (see above for the calculation…) recorded that won’t soon come back in-world, and so much the better (the lag otherwise hello! )

I realize that Count The World brought me in distant regions, populated with figures and question marks, but after all it's my pleasure to travel by the spirit and sometimes get astray a little.

I certainly lack of long-term vision, only seeing in Second Life a hobby reserved for an elite to which I bask in to belong, but what the fun I have!

Then for the rest…

There's no business like show business, but there are several businesses like accounting.
David Letterman
US comedian & television host (1947 - )


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Thursday, January 10, 2008

Not so open this life...

It was rather promising at the beginning, weather is fine, no cloud, dawn or dusk I don't know but doesn't matter, three guys chatting not far from me, one of them named Sakai Openlife, looks like the Lord of the place, I think I won't bother them because I can see with the chat history that they are talking about serious matters, so I decide to sit down on a bench and...


I had to log off to get away from OpenLife.

Conclusion of the story: don't be lazy and don't sit on any bench in OpenLife, walk, fly but be careful with teleport, you never know where you will land.

It is better to keep your mouth closed and let people think you are a fool than to open it and remove all doubt.
Mark Twain
US humorist, novelist, short story author, & wit (1835 - 1910)

Tuesday, January 8, 2008

Tourist in AW

Here are my postcards I actively send you from my current world, please help yourself.




By the way, the first one shows me in prison because I didn't say hello when I arrived.

Actually I was waiting for my avatar to rez completely and was not able to see other people, but this didn't prevent them from throwing me in jail.

As I complained, saying that it was not fair to welcome newbies like that, someone, the chief I guess, ejected me from the region and made me crash.

When I came back I was in another region and could see in the chat zone that I had been ejected, and on the following line that I was very welcome in Active Worlds.

I don't know if I will warmly recommend my pals to come and see me in this friendly place.

If you are feisty enough you can try here.

The camera makes everyone a tourist in other people's reality, and eventually in one's own.
Susan Sontag, New York Review of Books 18 Apr. 1974
US author & critic (1933 - 2004)

Hair, why Pigtails in Second Life


Text and snapshots: Arm Strom













Pigtails: antennas for communication, interpretation, dreaming, imagination and navigation.

The hair make me feel like Pippi Longstocking, the girl from the books of Astrid Lindgren. Pippi carried her horse, sailed the seven seas etc.

Listen to the Pippi songs.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7R2KUHLczP0&feature=related

Monday, January 7, 2008

Vuvox test (thank you Daneel!)

Saturday, January 5, 2008

My friends, my worlds


Summary


My_friends
My best ones
Alysa
Arm
BarceDona
Mana
rotpaulette
San
Suke
My buddies
Angie1
Carin
Chill3
Daneel
ElScotto
naninesita
paty
Precious
Sammi
ShaneLee


My worlds
Active Worlds
HiPiHi
IMVU
I-Voyager
Novoking
OpenLife
Red Light Center
Second Life
There
Twinity

****************************************************************
My_friends


Suke
My First Lady
First minutes…
[13:05] Sofian: hi Suke:)
[13:05] Sofian: are you lost?
[13:06] Sofian: do you know the button Search?
[13:07] Sofian: do not use chat, use IM instead
[13:08] Sofian: do you see IM at the bottom left?
[13:08] Suke: Ah I found the chat!
[13:08] Sofian: yeahhh!
[13:08] Suke: Yeah!
[13:08] Sofian: please sit on the bench
[13:09] Suke: I am trying to! This is embarrassing

at home =>

Well, what can I say about Suke?
So many things...
Not enough room here, anyway none of your business!
Oh yes, she is a great photographer, I will ask her permission to put here a link to her picks.
She is contributor to my blog, see her posts about Visit to the Underworld and View from the Abyss...





Alysa
In the trees at Aly's
First minutes…
2007/09/16 6:04] Sofian: hello Alysa
[2007/09/16 6:12] Sofian: thank you for having accepted my friendship offer:)
[2007/09/16 11:03] Alysa: (Saved Sun Sep 16 19:57:00 2007) Aw, you are welcome. I'm sorry I wasn't near my computer. Last night I fell asleep and just now I was doing some things around the house. Hope we can talk soon
[2007/09/16 11:09] Sofian: LOL it happens to me too, falling asleep is rather common when getting too much into SL!
[2007/09/16 11:10] Alysa: yeah I went out last night and when I came home and got online and must of passed out soon after that
[2007/09/16 11:11] Sofian: maybe see you in one hour? I have to go now:(
[2007/09/16 11:12] Alysa: oh I should still be here, if not I will be back at some point probably

<= somewhere with Aly...


Young American student, fond of poetry and southern litterature, it's always nice to spend time with her, even if she is claustrophobic!







Angie1
sleeping Angel =>

First minutes…
[2007/09/03 13:24] Sofian: hello Angie!
[2007/09/03 13:26] Sofian: are you sleeping and dancing at the same time?
[2007/09/03 13:32] Angie1: sorry,...afk,..yes, all at the same time:-))
[2007/09/03 13:32] Sofian: lol
[2007/09/03 13:33] Sofian: it happens to me sometimes
[2007/09/03 13:33] Sofian: German?
[2007/09/03 13:33] Angie1: +yes, I am German





Arm
Arm at Montevideo Island

First minutes…
[2007/10/17 10:13] Sofian: Hi!
[2007/10/17 10:14] Sofian: sorry I was afk
[2007/10/17 10:14] Sofian: can I help you?
[2007/10/17 10:15] Sofian: hello!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
[2007/10/17 10:22] Sofian: are you resting a little?
[2007/10/17 10:22] Second Life: User not online - message will be stored and delivered later.
[2007/10/17 10:34] Sofian: hello Arm, welcome back:)
[2007/10/17 10:35] Sofian: Can you see me meditating by the pool?
[2007/10/17 11:49] Arm Strom: Hello Sofian I was resting in your sofa. I do like your Gallery. Is it your Paintings/Artworks?
[2007/10/17 15:10] Arm Strom: Hello Sofian
[2007/10/17 15:10] Arm Strom: How are you?
[2007/10/17 15:15] Sofian Mannonen: problem with the computer?

at Blarney Stone's =>


Lovely Norwegian gal who is another great photographer!
When visiting Montevideo island she took a photo of me that I use in all my profiles now;)
Thank you so much Arm (please forget the royalties...)






BarceDona
Prima Dona

First minutes…
[12:12] Sofian: hola!
[12:12] The Resident you messaged is in 'busy mode' which means they have requested not to be disturbed. Your message will still be shown in their IM panel for later viewing.
[12:12] BarceDona: hola
[12:12] Sofian: eres la dueña del lugar?
[12:13] BarceDona: quieres entrar?
[12:14] Sofian: estoy un poco perdida en este mundo, no puedo rechazar la oferta
[12:14] BarceDona: espera q te envio invitacion
[12:14] Sofian: gracias:)


Barce simpsonized =>


BarceDona lives in Barcelona, but I guess you found that without my help.
We share some secrets, because secrets are to be shared, but they also are to be kept hidden so you won't know more so far.

If you want to simpsonize your best friends, go right ahead, it's free and funny.





Carin
<= purrrr

First minutes…
[12:04] Sofian: are you waiting for somebody?
[12:04] Carin: no
[12:04] Carin: hahaha and you
[12:04] Sofian: yes, I am waiting for a friend
[12:05] Sofian: I don't know if she will come
[12:05] Carin: ooooo
[12:05] Carin: so you have to wait





Chill3
at Chill3's

First minutes…
[17:37] Chill3: you like to dance a slow
[17:37] Sofian: why not:)
[17:38] Sofian: I suppose you take the place of the man
[17:38] Chill3: hihi, no problem
[17:38] Sofian: sorry
[17:38] Chill3: no problem
[17:39] Sofian: I always forget to stop the anim

Women in black =>


I could say a lot of nice things about Chill3...
She mesmerized me at our first encounter and we had a short but tense interesting period.
But too many diffences between us...
And she is so busy!


<= Chill3's domain

Always building and creating amusement centers like this maze of eroticism.









Daneel
Man or woman? =>

First minutes…
I am still waiting for them…


I only met Daneel in OpenLife, which is kind of Second Life bis if you like.
Maybe he is another man wanting to appear like a woman...?
Or a woman pretending to be a man...?
Look at his profile to have your own opinion.
You will see that he is a mine of information about our dear world (and some others too)







ElScotto
Clowning at Mana's =>

First minutes…
[2007/09/22 14:03] Sofian: Hello Elscotto:)
[2007/09/22 14:03] Second Life: User not online - message will be stored and delivered later.
[2007/09/22 14:10] ElScotto: Hi, Sofi!
[2007/09/22 14:11] Sofian: hi again, you come back:)
[2007/09/22 14:11] Sofian: thanks for the tip:)
[2007/09/22 14:11] ElScotto: Yes, was lagged, crashing.
[2007/09/22 14:11] ElScotto: You're welcome, hon.
[2007/09/22 14:11] ElScotto: I'm a friend of Mana's.
[2007/09/22 14:11] Sofian: yes she told me

At first I thought Scottie (as I name him) was Scottish, but no, he is Texan.
I never asked him if he voted Bush, but I prefer not to know, it would sadden me to break a so recent friendship.
No, of course I am joking, I would forgive anything bad, even the worst sin ever committed since Napoléon sold Louisiana.





Mana
Dragoon tamer

First minutes…
You: hi Mana
Mana: Hi Sofian!
Mana: Nice to meet you!
You: what is this place?
Mana: This is a server room :-)
Mana: You are on the sim Virtuosity.
Mana: It’s the home of VanSant Properties-
Mana: They sell land in SL.
You: their business is real estate?
Mana: Yes.
You: I am a neighbor, I rent in the L Word
Mana: OK.

Mana could be my Second Lady, but I don't want to be thrown to the sharks by her friend Jeanine...
Jeanine the shark tamer =>

Mana is also nicknamed Bugwoman by Suke and me, because she got us out of a mess so many times!

We could find other pet names, like Bugkiller or Bugbuster, contest is open, please take part here.

<= from Mercury

Dragoons, sharks, Mana loves dangerous animals, maybe she is a dangerous animal herself, who knows, I should be careful...
Sometimes she can take the appearance of a strange creature





naninesita
The girl from Caracas =>

First minutes…
[22:18] naninesita: Hey Sofian hola soy Naninesita si necesitas ayuda solo dime!! estaré aki un rato!!!
[22:18] naninesita: Hey sofian Hi I'm Naninesita, if u need help just let me know!! i'll be here for a while!!!
[12:30] Sofian: hola nani
[12:31] naninesita: Hola Sofian!!! q tal mi niña??? ayer no nos conocimos de hablar, pero pasamos muxo rato viendo tu avatar!! XD
[12:31] naninesita: un placer conocerte!! XD
[12:31] Sofian: creo que estaba durmiendo...
[12:31] naninesita: si nos imaginamos ^^





paty
First minutes…
[2007/09/22 12:30] Sofian: bonjour Paty:)
[2007/09/22 12:30] paty: bonjour
[2007/09/22 12:30] paty: comment vas-tu ?
[2007/09/22 12:31] Sofian: super bien!
[2007/09/22 12:31] paty: content de le savoir
[2007/09/22 12:31] Sofian: je commence ici en tant que danseuse!
[2007/09/22 12:31] paty: bonne chance
[2007/09/22 12:31] Sofian: merci, mais pourquoi aurais-je besoin de chance...?
[2007/09/22 12:32] paty: disons je connais les club

No photo from paty, I just realize that we met only twice in Second Life, but we chatted several times and he helped me with the Babbler translator, and I am grateful when someone helps me, so he deserves to be listed here.





Precious
First minutes…
[2007/09/23 12:12] Sofian: finally you prefer dancing near a devil;)
[2007/09/23 12:12] Precious: I thought it would look better
[2007/09/23 12:13] Sofian: I agree, we are a very nice couple:)
[2007/09/23 12:13] Sofian: LOL
[2007/09/23 12:13] Precious: the contrast is great
[2007/09/23 12:13] Sofian: exactly!
[2007/09/23 12:14] Sofian: I hope it will pay back!
[2007/09/23 12:14] Precious: hey... I have a devil halo if you want it

No photo from Precious, a nice American girl that I met at Poison Ivy when I danced for the first (and last) time as a professional.
I was invited at her wedding but it was cancelled.
I hope it was only postponed, I love friends' weddings!






rotpaulette
Wild exotic child

First minutes…
[2007/07/20 8:45] rotpaulette: really pretty Sofian
[2007/07/20 8:45] You: thanks Paulette:)
[2007/07/20 8:45] rotpaulette: yw
[2007/07/20 8:46] rotpaulette: how come nice looking like you is alone?
[2007/07/20 8:47] Sofian: are you flirting me...;)?
[2007/07/20 8:47] rotpaulette: yes maam ,
[2007/07/20 8:47] Sofian: please in IM;)
[2007/07/20 8:47] rotpaulette: yes
[2007/07/20 8:47] rotpaulette: sorry

the fierce animal is tamed =>




A French girl living in Germany, this can be a high-explosive blend, don't you believe it?




But I know how to appease the volcano, at least during some minutes...



<= before leaving to Morocco



I was in Morocco in August for pleasure and relaxation, rotpaulette went to Safi for two months in September; maybe one day she will post something here about her enriching experience.







Sammi
at TLG =>

First minutes…
[2007/07/20 8:37] Sofian: Hi sammi:)
[2007/07/20 8:37] Sammi: hi
[2007/07/20 8:38] Sofian: who is connor, does he deserve to be known? LOL
[2007/07/20 8:39] Sammi: yes he does
[2007/07/20 8:39] Sofian: funny your 2nd life pic;)
[2007/07/20 8:39] Sofian: you look really amazed
[2007/07/20 8:40] Sammi: ah yeh
[2007/07/20 8:41] Sammi: well its connor





ShaneLee
Que guapa!

First minutes…
[15:14] ShaneLee: tia como te gastas la pasta
[15:15] Sofian: jajaja
[15:15] Sofian: 10L$
[15:15] ShaneLee: ya tia
[15:15] ShaneLee: pero eso es algo
[15:15] ShaneLee: xD
[15:15] Sofian: vales mucho mas
[15:16] ShaneLee: anda que maja
[15:16] ShaneLee: ^^

relax =>



Shane is an itinerant tattoo showcase.


<= ready to play

Unless she advertises for a spectacle manufacturer...


at Tombstone =>




Sometimes she can even interrupt an Indian ceremony.

She is an easy rider.





San
How on Earth!

First minutes…
[2007/09/27 15:08] San: oh gone!
[2007/09/27 15:09] Sofian: yes...?
[2007/09/27 15:09] San: well you were on the dance floor....
[2007/09/27 15:10] Sofian: ah! and I just left...
[2007/09/27 15:10] San: yes
[2007/09/27 15:10] Sofian: you wanted to chat with me?

Fuzzy San =>




Difficult to figure her out, above all when the lag is in for it...
To have a better idea you can read her Confessions of a Loving Domme



<= good dancer






What I can say is that with me she only leads the dance.




very good dancer =>





But I could give in to temptation some day.




Knock-down-drag-out



Astounding isn't it?







My_worlds



Active Worlds

Here I am Sofian.

But you have several other names according to the world you visit (I started as a Barbara...)
Deserves some more visits.



HiPiHi
Here I am Ono, Sofia and Sofian.

The wild, wild East.
Always a pleasure to discover this strange and remote world, even if your house and furniture is stolen when you turn your back...



IMVU
Here I am Guest_SofianMannonen.

Enhanced Chat system, nothing more.



I-Voyager
Here I am Sofian.

I went once in this skimpy world, that was enough...



Novoking
Here I could be Sofian, SofianM, SofianMannonen or OnoKumaki, but I never was able to enter this world.
Do not count on the help desk, I am still waiting for an answer to my questions.
And they make no effort to non-Chinese speakers, their Internet English page is a sick joke.



OpenLife
Here I am Sofian Haiku.

Deserves some more visits.



RLC
Here I am Sofian_Mannonen.

Three interesting things in this world: sex, sex and sex.
But of course you have to pay if you want to really enjoy.
Unfortunately I had not my credit card with me when I visited...



Second Life
Here I am Ono Kumaki and Sofian Mannonen.

May I say that it's my prefered world?



There
Here I am SofianMannonen.

Funny and joyful, deserves more visits to discover its hideaways.



Twinity

Here I am Sofian.

Dull, tedious and boring, maybe with some hidden qualities.




OLYMPIAN, adj. Relating to a mountain in Thessaly, once inhabited by gods, now a repository of yellowing newspapers, beer bottles and mutilated sardine cans, attesting the presence of the tourist and his appetite.

His name the smirking tourist scrawls
Upon Minerva's temple walls,
Where thundered once Olympian Zeus,
And marks his appetite's abuse.
Averil Joop
Ambrose Bierce, The Devil's Dictionary
US author & satirist (1842 - 1914)


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