Mm20050816

Tuesday, August 16, 2005

A Second Life Publication

Free

SLers can vote on all proposals

Inside

By SUNID GORKY Staff writer

Golgotha Gun Club - Page 5

Sports BURKE PREFECT VIEWS a user profile on his new website, ratemyav.com. The site allows users to view and rate photos of various Second Life users' avatars. - Photo by PHOENIX PSALTERY.

Sailboat races - Page 7

FYI Version 1.6.11(2) of Second Life is now available. According to a forum post by Karen Linden, the update included the following: * Dynamic time window for teleport based on attachment count * User can cancel teleport * Scripted gives/rez of no-copy objects out of attachments is forbidden A viewer update is required to use the new version.

Index Perspectives . . . . . . Page 2 Comics .. . . . . . . . . Page 2 Lifestyles. . . . . . . . . Page 5 Entertainment News . Page 5 Sports . .. . . . . . . . . Page 6 Classifieds . . .. . . . . Page 6

Web Poll

New fansite is a “Prefect” 10

By PHOENIX PSALTERY Staff writer Burke Prefect, a member of Second Life since October 2004, recently founded www.ratemyav.com, a website that allows users to "rate" photos of Second Life avatars.

There are a number of similar First Life sites, including hotornot.com and ratemenude.com, but Prefect's site is unique in that it includes not only choices to rate photos of men or women, but also "furries" and "nonhumanoid."

According to Prefect, he originated the idea for the site in an Internet Relay Chat (IRC) conversation where he thought it up as a joke.

"I figured it'd be easy to set up and run as a gag," he said. "I figured it was the kind of thing people would latch onto, what with 'best avatar' contests being a mainstay of [the] lame excuses for events" offered in SL. Instant message verification is now required after registration due to a recent incident in which a user from Indonesia attempted to register fictitious profiles. "I hope Indonesia doesn't have too many SL players,"laughed Prefect.

He initially had planned to have the site fully made over with custom, SL-themed graphics before making it public, but he made the mistake of putting the site address in his forum signature and watched the bandwidth usage go off the meter. "I now have enough bandwidth to host the Library Of Congress," he grinned.

When asked about the comments he has received about the site, Prefect laughed and said that they have generally fallen into one of three categories, "it rocks, you are my new god," "meh," or "it's teh suxxors LOL!!111" When asked about future plans for ratemyav.com, Prefect named better site engine and SL-side integration, extra features that would cost a small fee, and the ability to host advertising banners from SL sellers.

The site seems to have already become quite popular with SL residents. Longtime SL resident Blaze Spinnaker said in a post on the SL Forums, "I don't know Burke Prefect from a hole in the wall, but this has got to be one of the funniest things the Metaverse has ever produced." Prefect plans to bring the site fully live sometime in September.

Go to our website at www.1webspace.biz/metaversemessenger to participate in our online poll.

This week’s question: Do you have more than one By KATT KONGO Staff writer SL account?

Look for the results from While much of Second Life is a look into the possible future of the last week’s poll on Page 6. world, a new Second Life infrastructure is a look back at an old-fashioned

Second Life, better known as SL, originated from an earlier virtual world called "LindenWorld" in 2002. In 2003, a separate but similar game branched out; thus Second Life was born.

Over the course of time, many features have been added to enrich the experience of the game for the residents of SL. Perhaps the most important feature added to date is the "SL Feature Voting Tool," more commonly known as the "SL Voting System," which premiered on April 15th, 2005.

The concept is simple. SL residents make suggestions on what they would like to see added to the game next. All residents may use the voting system, regardless of account level. However, not all suggestions may be feasible for Linden Labs to develop at this time.

Residents are advised to keep requests simple, precise and reasonable for clarity.

To make a suggestion or vote on others' suggestions, log on to the Second Life Voting Tool web page at www.secondlife.com/vote. To vote, click on the name of the proposal desired and set the number of votes you wish to allocate to that proposal.

Remember to vote wisely; each resident only has ten votes to apply toward all the proposals listed. To make a suggestion, select "Propose Feature" and follow the instructions given. When a proposal is created, one vote is used.

Once a proposal is passed or marked "can't do", "acknowledged", or is deleted, the votes allocated to that proposal will be returned to those who voted on it.

Take advantage of the voting system and decide what the next great SL feature will be! Try to be reasonable with all requests, but always remember: Keep dreaming!

One final note: Without all residents’ participation, there would be no Second Life.

Send us your news stories!

The Train’s A’coming!

About Us Volume 1, No. 2 Second Life The Metaverse Messenger Sido (169, 195)

Rose from Ash Publishing

transportation source.

Linden Lab is creating a railway system with the moniker of Second Life Railroad in the Northern Continent. It will travel across eleven of the 50 sims in that continent.

Though the train is working, LL has decided to give Second Life residents the opportunity to help build the system. The railway has five stops planned, and residents are encouraged to submit proposals for train stations at those stops.

Pathfinder Linden, a member of LL’s community management team, said that bid submissions will be accepted from now until Aug. 19. The submitted bids will then be reviewed by a panel of Lindens, and the winner will be announced in the Second Life forums Aug. 19 by 5 pm, he said.

Linden said the construction bids should be unique and memorable to residents and have builds that enhance and complement the local community. After the winning bids are announced, builders will have until Aug. 22 to complete the final construction of the train stations, he added.

See TRAIN, Page 7

NIGEL LINDEN HAS set out two trains and a section of track for residents’ viewing pleasure in Ambleside (240,74) - Photo by KATT KONGO

Perspectives Page 2 The Metaverse Messenger Sido (169, 195) August 16, 2005 A Bird’s Eye View Observations on Second Life and its denizens

By Phoenix Psaltery Monster-S Shouters And A Sense Of Community Have you ever stopped to consider the fact that Second Life residents have a tendency to gravitate into communities? Just as there are communities in First Life that reflect the culture of their inhabitants - for example, neighborhoods that are predominantly Latino, Asian, or some other ethnic group - so SLers tend to fellowship according to the sort of avatar they prefer to display.

But unlike First Life’s racial rainbow of “red and yellow, black and white,” SLers come in a plethora of avie types - humans, vampires, lycans, furries (including the “tinies” that have recently become so popular), mechanicals/robots, etc.

Now, the lines can very easily blur or even be obliterated by the fact that each resident of SL has the power to store multiple avatars and switch between them at the drag of a mouse. But, nonetheless, there is a clear tendency for furries to hang out with other furries, vampires with vampires, etc.

This seems, at first glance, to be a sort of self-imposed social segregation. But, in truth, it appears that SL is no different than any other community in that people are comfortable with what they’re familiar with.

In the world of telling tales, whether in print or visually, there is a popular plot device known as a “fish out of water story,” usually used to great comic effect. The idea is simple: take someone out of their familiar environment - their “natural habitat,” if you like - put them in an unfamiliar setting, and see what sort of hijinks ensue.

A classic story that uses this device is “A Connecticut Yankee In King Arthur’s Court,” by Mark Twain. In it, a modern day American finds himself in medieval times, and has to deal with the unfamiliarity of the setting, the people, and the customs of the time, which are, of course, radically different than his own.

There are many films as well as television shows that would fall into this category as well. In recent years, movies like “Crocodile Dundee” (a man from the outback of Australia in New York), “Austin Powers” (a man from the 1960’s is put into suspended animation and wakes up in the 1990’s), and “Mr. Deeds” (Adam Sandler as a small-town guy who inherits a billion-dollar corporation) made good use of this technique.

But back to Second Life.

Have you ever noticed that nine times out of ten, if you’re at a gathering that is predominantly attended by human avies, and then someone walks, flies, or TP’s in that is radically non-human, the humans will tend to stop what they’re doing for a moment and react? “Whoa, cool avie.”

There’s nothing wrong with that, of course. But I have a dream.

I say to you today, my friends, that in spite of the difficulties and frusSee BIRD EYE, Page 7

Notecards from the Grid Hello, avatars! Satai back with another column on different happenings in Second Life. This week I would like to talk about advertising.

I will do an advertising segment once in a while and will have interviews from famous designers and retailers in Second Life. This week: Stacey Sugar of Barbie Girls.

I went to go meet Stacey, after a few days of IM tag, in her office at her club. Seated behind a large mahogany desk sat a very pretty Our policy pertaining to letters: The Metaverse Messenger accepts letters to the editor/publisher from our readers. Letters must include a valid SL name and an e-mail address. All letters will be verified before being published, and only letters that address SL matters will be accepted. To submit your letter, either send it via a notecard in-world, with “Letter to editor” in the file name or e-mail it to the newspaper.

The Metaverse Messenger Sido (169, 195) E-mail: metaverse_messenger@yahoo.com Website: http://www.1webspace.biz/metaversemessenger Publisher: Katt Kongo Associate Publisher: Phoenix Psaltery Publishing Assistant: Aluria Quatro Composition: Katt Kongo Phoenix Psaltery Account Executive: Phoenix Psaltery Office Manager: George Backbite Distribution: Lola Rosebud

Staff Writers: Katt Kongo Aluria Quatro Satai Diaz Phoenix Psaltery Sunid Gorky Katier Reitveld Namons Extraordinaire Orion Jarrico

The Metaverse Messenger is published once each week on Tuesday for $L0 per year in Second Life.

Subscribers send notecard or instant message to publishers. Any erroneous reflection upon the character, standing or reputation of any person, firm or corporation, which may occur in the columns of The Metaverse Messenger, will be gladly corrected upon being brought to the attention of the publisher(s). The publisher is not responsible for copy ommissions or typographical errors which may occur other than to correct them in the nearest issue after it is brought to the publisher’s attention and in no case does the publisher hold him/herself liable for damages further than the amount received by him for actual space covering the error.

Copright © 2005.The entire contents of this publication are copyrighted by The Metaverse Messenger and the Rose from Ash Publishing Company. No material may be reproduced without the expressed written permission of the publisher.

blonde woman. It was obvious that she was the owner of the club, and definitely in charge. I began this conversation intending to discuss advertising in Second Life, but to be honest there was something else on my mind.

In the last few weeks there has been a lot of criticism from certain residents about mature-style advertisements being displayed on the telehub advertising vendors. I wanted to find out more information about this from the source.

By Satai Daiz Satai Diaz: Basically, my main reason for speaking with you today is that I have been seeing your ads around the world, at the telehubs mostly.

Stacey Sugar: I am in MetaAdverse, too.

SD: The first thing that you note on your advertisements is that all of your DVDs are licensed. I was just wondering how does one go about doing that?

Stacey Sugar: That’s a private agreement between my boyfriend See NOTECARDS, Page 7

August 16, 2005 The Metaverse Messenger Page 3

THE GOLGOTHA GUN CLUB is the site of many fun activities and events of all types, from Tringo to archery. - Photo

by PHOENIX PSALTERY.

By ORION JARRICO Staff writer The Golgotha Gun Club, headquartered in Slosser (239, 45), has events such as Tringo, shooting competitions, "Capture the Flag" and "Deathmatch."

Aerin Rosebud, club co-founder, said that they currently renovating their new arena. When this project is complete at the end of the month, they will

also start archery events and several high score events that will supply prizes.

The Golgotha Gun Club, established in late May, has been open for approximately three months. Although they welcome weapons, they require confinement of all push weapons.

The club also includes a firing range, casino, GOM, boxing, bowling and many other amenities.

Coming soon to The Metaverse Messenger The Best of Second Life Your favorite stores, products, people and more!

Subscribe today and ensure that you don’t miss this special section of The Metaverse Messenger

BIRD’S EYE

FROM PAGE 2

Lifestyles Page 5 The Metaverse Messenger Sido (169, 195) August 16, 2005 The Scene

By Aluria Quatro

RADIO PHOENIX DJ Jewel Dalek poses in front of a photo of the RP staff at the Flight Crew Club. - Photo by PHOENIX PSALTERY.

Radio Phoenix details why they are on fire

By NAMONS EXTRAORDINAIRE Staff writer The widespread availability of broadband internet has caused a surge in popularity of streaming music and video over the web for multiple users to experience. As Second Life has grown and expanded, it too has moved in this logical direction.

Many dance clubs in SL now either create and sponsor their own radio stations complete with DJs, or seek out established talent to stream to their sim. Radio Phoenix is one of the latter.

Having risen from the ashes of its beginnings in The Sims Online, it can now be linked to through many NEO coNEunities, including Second Life. I had the privilege of sitting down with the Promotions Director of R-P to find out more about the ins and outs of internet radio.

Namons Extraordinaire: Thanks for taking the time to talk with us today. Tell us who you are and what your job is here?

Radio Phoenix: I am Angelica Marie Dougall and I am the

Promotions Director at Radio Phoenix. I also take care of scheduling and assist the DJs when they are on the air.

NE: Who is the owner of Radio Phoenix and how was it originally created?

RP: Radio Phoenix started out 2 years ago as KROC. The founders of KROC were Rob and Sapphy and the station originated in The Sims Online. Occasionally you will still hear them on the air.

NE: How has the station grown from its original roots in TSO? RP: Radio Phoenix has grown quite a bit; we don't consider ourselves just any radio station. We are a family now. Two years ago, we only catered to TSO; now we have listeners from many online games, such as WoW (World of Warcraft), Guild Wars, A Tale In The Desert, Star Wars Galaxies and, of course, SL. We have been online for two years without a break -- 24/7 constant music.

NE: Is there anything about your station that makes it different from a typical online radio station, in your eyes?

RP: Yes, we listen to our listeners.

We play what they want to hear. We See RADIO, Pg. 8

Well, events this week have limited my chances of reviewing what my last column said I would be covering. So I have changed my plans a bit, and my review of Fetish Clubs will be in a later column.

Now, on to what I have had a chance to review... shopping malls.

First on my list is EN NOMINE, in Osterout (183,174).

It's a well laid out mall, having three levels of shopping, and is accessed from the air only. EN NOMINE showcases Munchflower Zaius' line of skins, as well as clothing from many designers, skins from several designers, and accessories of many types from shoes to jewelry.

EN NOMINE has a definite Goth/Fetish feel to its style and wares. There are literally hundreds of items for sale, displayed in a way that is appealing and not difficult to navigate. I give EN NOMINE 4-1/2 stars, and a definite recommendation for visiting.

Next I wandered through PHOBOS DESIGNS, in Chaos (38,214).

Its design resembles an Aztec temple complex, with several levels of shopping and displays. One warning: This is an adult (mature) mall, with displays of things of an adult nature.

That being said, I have to say that this mall is reasonably well laid out, with a few exceptions, mainly that some vendor displays against the temple wall reach far too high into the air, requiring a person to fly in order to check them all.

Some people wouldn't mind that, but others may find that quite annoying. Phobos carries an extensive array of bondage toys, torture devices, clothing, animations, accessories, and even magazines.

Not for the faint of heart, I give Phobos Designs 3-1/2 stars (that

If your club or group is having an event, spread the news! Just e-mail the information to metaverse_messenger@yahoo.com, and it will appear in the next issue.

August 16, 2005 The Metaverse Messenger Page 6

NOTECARDS and the distributor.

SD: Oh, I see.

Stacey Sugar: Don’t want everyone knowing that info. (laughs) SD: Well, I can understand that. So basically, he made all the legal arrangements to have you distribute the DVDs in Second Life?

Stacey Sugar: Not just SL, via the web. (It's a) blanket license from (an) existing web distributor.

SD: What kind of return on investment do you get on your advertisements around SL? I know that the telehub (ads) are free, but do you have a high overhead from all of your ads?

Stacey Sugar: Before talking about that, did you see the post on "Hotline To Lindens" about my advertisements?

SD: I’ve seen a few on there about advertisements, yes.

Stacey Sugar: About mine in particular?

SD: One in particular about mature elements being displayed on the telehubs... I don't think it named you in particular.

Stacey Sugar: Well, I've had a discussion with Michael Linden about Mature content at telehubs. He says basically [that] if the [anatomical parts] are covered up there is no problem with advertising at mature

FROM PAGE 2

telehubs.

SD: Have you received much backlash because of [the ads] from the residents, besides the "Hotline To Lindens" post?

Stacey Sugar: If a resident complains, they get the full force of my wrath... (laughs) I don’t advertise in PG areas... I have no vendors in mature areas. If they don’t like it, get out of mature areas. Any vendor spot that is outside has an "over 18" cover over it.

SD: Right, I have seen those.

Stacey Sugar: So, unless they go inside the vendor spot, they shouldn’t see what’s inside clearly.

SD: Ok, let’s get more into advertising. Did you start off your business by advertising from the very beginning?

Stacey Sugar: Yeah, using the "Find Places" section of the SL Client.

SD: What kind of media do you use for advertisements?

Stacey Sugar: Everything that’s currently available within SL. Magazines, newspapers, radio [and] posters.

SD: So you haven't done any kind of banner advertisements on SLExchange or anything like that?

Stacey Sugar: Nope.

SD: Do you plan to in the future?

Stacey Sugar: Only [in] category

sections on SLExchange. I may in [the] future put banner ads on SLExchange & SL Boutique.

You: What other kinds of products do you sell?

Stacey Sugar: I operate a mentoring service. I mentor new girls into becoming advanced avatars, then give them jobs. I operate an erotic sounds business, I operate this club, I help girls sell stuff like clothes and shapes, and I am about to launch my own magazine. Oh, and [we] do SL porn videos.

You: That's interesting. Do you ever feel you are taking advantage of these new players by doing this mentoring service and offering them jobs? That may not sound right, but what I mean is, what kind of jobs do these girls get with you?

Stacey Sugar: The girls can either work in the club as dancers or escorts. Whatever their wishes... they don’t have to work here. I have 80 plus members and only 3040 of them work here.

There you have it, folks, interesting information from Stacey Sugar about advertising, business and SL DVD’s. She has a lot to do for just one person to handle. We wish her well in her endeavors and hope to chat with her soon. Take care, fellow avatars!

Advertising WORKS! Contact Phoenix Psaltery for ad rates.

THE METAVERSE MESSENGER is seeking one or more sports writers. Pay is dependent on experience. Apply by messaging Katt Kongo.

THE METAVERSE MESSENGER is seeking staff writers to pen news and feature stories. Pay is dependent on experience. Apply by messaging Katt Kongo.

Sports Page 7 The Metaverse Messenger Sido (169, 195) August 16, 2005 BIRD’S EYE

SAILBOAT RACING IN Second Life has recently enjoyed more populariety, thanks to a new sailboat created by Kanker Greenacre and an automated start line created by Jamie Marlin. - Photo courtesy of KANKER GREENACRE.

SL sailboating catches the wind in its sails

By KATIER REITVELD Staff writer

ply.

One of the many sports available throughout the world became a reality recently with the creation of the Flying Tako by Kanker Greenacre. His creation, closely modeled on the workings of a real sailing boat, was made available to the public recently with the aim of creating a racing series. At the princely sum of $1L, these boats are within the reach of anyone who has sailing in their blood.

Since then, racing has indeed started in fleet utilizing the Flying Tako and aided by an automated starting line created by Jamie Marlin. The initial racing was done in the FairChang Island sim. Races are usually three laps around the main island. Since then there have been races from Takes (around Baffin and Celebes), Zouk City, Gualala, and Destiny.

Currently the races usually consist of between 5 and 10 boats competing, although the membership is up to 50 members and expanding. During the course of these early races, the rules under which they sail have been constantly evolving and MarkTwain White is currently developing the rules. They are based on the Olympics course for their sailing at Destiny.

Future plans are to include two classes for the Expert and Casual racer. The Expert class will use rules taken directly from the International Sailing Federation, as well as other rules and principles that experienced sailors would be familiar with. The casual class will use a much more relaxed set of rules and be aimed at allowing anyone to run their own races easily and sim-

TRAIN The train itself is already scripted to automatically stop at each of these stations to pick up and let off passengers. Each plot is 512 sq meters, giving builders 117 available prims to build with. The train stations will be located in Tuliptree, Calleta, Neumoegen, Achemon and Obscure.

Linden said, “LL is always interested in building ‘infrastructure’ that could help make sims

FROM PAGE 1

more enjoyable.” He added that when the Northern continent was set up, it seemed like a good place to put a train, since it's such a large area and also has few telehubs.

The railroad system could eventually cover more territory. “We'll probably see how popular the railroad is over time, and if residents like the idea we can think about extending it onto new sims,” said

SCENE could increase if the problem I pointed out is fixed).

Onward to KITCHEN KORNER (Karamel Korner & Kitchen Kreations' Showroom), Kitchen Korner (204,68). This is by far one of the most interesting shops/malls I've been to thus far in SL. As you may guess from the name, this mall specializes in kitchen appliances, meals (animated), furniture for the kitchen/dining area, beverages, and other things related to food. It is laid out in a well thought out manner, allowing you to browse from

As can be expected with any new sport, the boats themselves are under constant development. The mechanisms that run the boat are designed to produce speed, heeling, and turn rates that are rough approximations of real sailboat motion.

This includes development of the wind used to propel the boats, which began as a default wind but now is being gradually replaced by a scripted wind that more closely replicates how wind should appear during a sailboat race.

On the non-race side there are two non-race legal boats also available. The first is a fixed wind training Tako which allows new helmspersons to get used to working with the controls without having to read the wind. The second of these boats has an outboard motor so the helmsman can take the easy non-sail option if they just want to putter around.

Here’s another exciting Second Life event. Second Life is hosting a virtual fundraiser for the American Cancer Society. Jade Lily is the main coordinator.

Avatars will walk a course in a specially designated area from Saturday afternoon to Sunday morning, the weekend of Aug. 27 and 28, in order to raise money for the ACS and raise awareness about cancer. There will also be a sailing relay on a special water course next to the walking course.

In addition to having teams sail around the clock, players will have the chance to race against the clock for a minimum donation. The racers with the fastest times at the end of the event will be awarded prizes.

Boat rides will also be available.

Linden.

To enter construction bids, residents should submit a mock-up up the proposed design, snapshots and descriptions of previous builds and the number (1-5) of the station being bidded on. These entries should go to Nigel Linden, said Pathfinder Linden.

Each winning bid will receive $L15,000 Lindens as payment for the completion of the station.

FROM PAGE 5

one area to the next without any bottlenecks.

The displays are unique, including animated dinner tables, and FREE silverware attachments. I must say this store is worth stopping by, even if you don't think you need kitchen items. I never thought about it until I was shown the shop, now it's one of my favorite places to browse. Kitchen Korner gets 4-1/2 stars, and my recommendation to visit and see what is possible in SL. Finally, I had a chance to visit for a short time SOUTH I MALL,

South I (219,203). The mall there is well laid out, being built around a square including a basketball court.

The shops were nice, with little clutter.

The people were friendly, and the atmosphere was much like a typical strip mall in RL. I can't provide too detailed a review, since I only had a chance to glance around briefly and jot a few notes, so I give the South I Mall 3 stars, and definitely plan to check it out again.

See you next week!

FROM PAGE 2 trations of the moment, I still have The DaimlerChrysler corporaa dream. It is a dream deeply rooted tion has recently begun referring in the Second Life dream. back to something that its former I have a dream that one day this chairman, Lee Iacocca, used to say: virtual world will rise up and live “If you can find a better car, buy out the true meaning of the saying it!” that “all avatars are created equal.”

To you naysayers out there, I I have a dream that all avatars say that if you can do better, let’s will one day live in a world where see the results. If you can find a they will not be judged by the type better virtual world, move there of avie they choose, but by the con- and let the rest of us enjoy our sectent of their character. I have a ond lives. dream today.

There are some residents of (I will now step down off my Second Life that seem to thrive on soapbox. I also apologize to the late screaming about perceived injusDr. Martin Luther King, Jr. for tices done to them, or how this is stealing his rhetoric.) broken or that is broken, or how soBut it’s true. As you and I spring and-so was mean to them. Give me forth from the Great Linden’s well- a break. spring of creation, we are all equal.

In Stephen King’s classic it’sAnd yet there still is division. As I the-end-of-the-world-as-we-knowsaid in last week’s column, “Can’t it-and-I-feel-fine story, “The we all just get along?”

Stand,” there is a minor character (Funny - last week when I used known only as the “MonsterShouter.” that phrase I was quoting another man named King, but this week He’s a man who has become what springs to my mind is its use deranged by the experience of witby Jack Nicholson’s character in nessing the end of civilization “Mars Attacks!”) through a virulent flu epidemic, Over 2,500 years ago, the Greek who spends his days wandering the author Aesop said “United we empty streets of New York City, stand, divided we fall.” This adage screaming “Monsters coming!” But has proven to be true down through there are no monsters. the ages.

Another classic tale is that of In 1776, Benjamin Franklin, Chicken Little, who of course proregarding the Continental Congress, claimed that the sky was falling, which had just declared independwhich wasn’t the case either. The ence from Great Britain, said with sky is staying right where it is. his usual wit, “We must all hang There are no monsters in SL - well, together, or we will most assuredly none that can actually cause you all hang separately.” physical harm, anyway.

In 1858, Abraham Lincoln, then Every project has plateaus, and a candidate for the American presi- growing pains. For all its problems, dency, said, “A house divided issues, and limitations, Second Life against itself cannot stand.” is still a remarkable place, chock All of these sayings are true of full of wonder. Look how far it’s our present situation in Second come in just two years. Imagine Life. Yes, there are issues. But tele- where we’ll be in another two, or porting has become markedly better five, or even ten. in the last couple of weeks.

Look, the Metaverse is just Progress is being made. ahead. Race you!

BEAUTIFUL 1024 sq/m plot for sale in Monema (50,83). This has been flattened and is ready for you to build your new home, in a quiet, peaceful area, $5999 OBO.

August 16, 2005 The Metaverse Messenger Page 8 RADIO can also cater to a listener who has a private affair going on by offering them their own special feed with music of their choice.

NE: In that same vein, there are obvious differences and similarities between online and traditional radio stations. Is there any one thing different about running an online radio station that maybe the general listener might not know about?

RP: An online radio station that caters to such games as Second life allows the listener to be informed of upcoming events in game, as well as make personal dedications. Offline radio stations do not allow you to do that.

NE: I was speaking more about things behind the scenes... was there anything you didn't know, before getting into [internet radio] that you found was unique to the experience of working for an online radio station?

RP: For one, it takes time for a DJ to prepare his/her show, depending on the theme they pick. Also, making sure [the] broadcast comes through clear to the listeners. Not just plug and play, [it] takes a lot of time to get a dj set up so that they are heard clearly on the air. NE: What advice would you give to someone who has a listener's interest in becoming a DJ for your station or even in general?

RP: I would tell them to first listen to the station, to be sure that they enjoy the music format we play.

Then I would suggest that they visit our website and look around. If what they hear and see is to their liking, then they are welcome to fill out a DJ application.

NE: How about what they can do to make themselves appealing as a DJ?

Obviously having a good voice helps, but anything else they should be thinking about before they go on the air?

RP: Before going on the air, they should make sure that their system will handle being on the air and being in game at the same time.

There is a section that explains the system requirements for being a DJ. Also they should have a nice library of music to offer the listeners. [A] good voice and personality is always a plus, [but] they should realize that while Radio Phoenix does cater to the listener, we are mainly a Rock format station. And most importantly, they should be a team player.

NE: Good advice. You can be all that and a bag of chips and still bomb if your music playlist is too selective or chaotic.

RP: Yeah! Since we are a family, we all work well together. We assist each other when we see the need is there, without blinking an eye. But we are always happy to expand our family when a new DJ comes along to join.

NE: What direction do you see Radio Phoenix taking in the next few years? Will you continue to grow or are you looking to fill a specific niche and dominate it?

RP: I can only see Radio Phoenix growing in the future. We are not looking to fill a niche or dominate.

We just want people who do listen to our station to have a good time and enjoy the music we offer.

NE: Something that has been a hot topic of late is music copyrights.

Would you say you skirt this issue with your station or do you deal with it head on?

RP: We follow all rules and regula-

tions [of] the FCC for being an online station. All the DJ's are aware of them, so we don't have to worry about that at all. We are inviting people to listen to what we play.

NE: The internet is becoming oversaturated with online radio stations of late. We've touched on this already but what other steps are you taking to overcome getting "lost in the crowd"?

RP: Every station has their dedicated listeners, and that is who we cater to. As long as they are happy with what we offer, they will continue to listen.

NE: Who would you say are your most popular DJs, and what makes people enjoy them so much, in your opinion?

RP: It's not just one DJ that makes the station work; it is the combination of all of them together that makes the station so special. So I would have to say that all of our DJ's are very popular. They all compliment each other quite nicely, making Radio Phoenix as special as it is.

NE: Well, if you had to pick one, maybe just because of their unique situation, or what they bring to the Radio Phoenix family, who would you single out?

RP: That would be hard, because they each have their unique style of DJ'ing that makes them special.

Now, if you want to talk about dedication to station, and [being] the one who has kept us together for the past two years, that would have to be Miss Wendy Divine. She is the one who has held the station together, and has given us the opportunity to continue to grow after two years.

NE: This is the current owner of the station? RP: Yes. Miss Wendy along

FROM PAGE 2 with Captain Morgan Flystrap are our current managers.

NE: Let's talk about you personally.

What would you say is the most difficult part of your job as Promotions Director?

RP: Actually, I don't see any aspect of being Promotions Director [as] difficult. Most properties are more than willing to listen or give [the station] a try, and the DJs I work with are great -- always willing to share and try new ideas.

NE: What would you say to someone looking to tackle the task of starting their own radio station? Any hurdles that you could think of that they should think about before starting? RP: First they need to have the time and dedication it takes to get a station going. Also, a good team of players to help get [the] station going -- [you] can't do it alone.

Make sure they have a format that they think listeners would enjoy. [It] took a lot of time and dedication to make Radio Phoenix what it is today. [It] didn't happen overnight.

NE: Shifting gears, why don't you enlighten us and your listeners by telling us what happens in a typical day of running an internet radio station.

RP: Not being management, for me [a] typical day would be making sure all [the] DJ's are ready for their shows, that [the] show switches over from one DJ to the next smoothly, that they are heard clearly from the listeners' end, and that they get the assistance they need if the need be there, [like] leaving [the] show early if [a] real life [situation] pops up [or] finding a DJ to replace them.

NE: How can those that aren't regular listeners tune in to your radio

station?

RP: They can visit our website at www.radio-phoenix.com and press the listen button. If they have a property [on SL] they can type: "http://radio-phoenix.com:8000" into the "media options" tab on their "About Land" stats page and listen that way.

NE: Good luck with things in the future. I'm sure your radio station will continue to flourish in these busy times.

RP: Thank you.

I began this interview looking to get an inside glimpse of what work is involved in making an internet radio station what it is. What has become quite obvious to me instead is that by emphasizing family and making sure that those that become regular listeners stay that way, Radio Phoenix has discovered the perfect formula to ensure that while trends will spark and fade, they will continue to rock on into the future.

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