ROLE Magazine May 2009 by Rohal Schnyder

MAY 2009

COVER STORY IP RIGHTS PROTECT YOURSELF MUSIC THE ORIGINALS ART TIME PASSES... FASHION SPREAD BLUSHING BRIDAL WEAR

ROLE

STAFF Publisher Rohal Schnyder Executive Publisher Leeza Catteneo Editor in Chief Ofelia Laval Copy Editor Damon Dollinger Advertising & Promotions Coordinator Felicity Blumenthal Art Director Leeza Catteneo Fashion Coordinator Felicity Blumenthal Stylists Ana Lutetia Cayce Newell Felicity Blumenthal Keeley Huet Stacie Pryor Tomoyo Breitman Fashion Spread Photographer Zoe Demar

ROLE MAGA Z I N E

Contributors Aldwyn Zanzibar Express Zenovka Felicity Blumenthal Jura Shepherd Kee Llewellyn Keeley Huet Looker Lumet Paypabak Writer Shelby Ziskey Stacie Pryor Editorial Office Concetta (194/172/22) Contacts editorial@role-magazine.com advertising@role-magazine.com www.role-magazine.com All the published material has been provided by the mentioned brands. Therefore, ROLE Magazine cannot be responsible for copyright issues and assumes no responsibility for inaccurate content or changes in the products or prices displayed. Copyright by ROLE Magazine. Reproduction or use of the content in whole or in part without the written permission of the editor is strictly prohibited.

EDITOR’S NOTE For nearly as long as I have been a resident of SL I have heard the concerns of those affected by content theft. Stacie Pryor’s cover story walks us through the complicated landscape of copyright and trademark infringement in this virtual world and explains why it is so hard to go after individuals who are stealing from our designers. Our monthly fashion section showcases gorgeous wedding attire for the upcoming nuptial season. Stylings for male fashion are featured in Masculino and we glimpse outfits assembled for ROLE Magazine by Winter Jefferson and Lawless McBride. We return with our popular Mix & Match feature, Hot Finds, take a look at Sugar Mill poses and check out unisex offerings from Armoire Diversity. We’d like to take this opportunity to welcome Fashion Photographer Zoe Demar to our team. Those interested in the SL culture scene will be interested in reading about the events planned by The ORIGINALS, a group dedicated to showcasing original songwriters and musicians in-world, stroll through the Art Centre at Avignon and the Rhizome Gallery. For those wanting to have immersive experiences, check out our features on the Battlestar Galactica (BSG-21 sim) or explore the build of the Lost World (Beguile sim). Looking for a new home? Our article The Land Game will point you in the right direction and the home accessories found in Little Treasures will surely inspire you to add to your living space. Dear Felicity returns with fashion and etiquette advice along with an article featuring a closer look at SL relationships. This issue marks our 6th publication since our debut in December, 2008. We hope you’ll enjoy it! The team at ROLE Magazine thanks you, our readers, for the continued encouragement and support! Kind regards,

COVER STORY IP RIGHTS - PROTECT YOURSELF

BODY & MIND RELATIONSHIPS

HOT FINDS COCO DESIGNS

MIX & MATCH

DEAR FELICITY

HOUSE & LIVING URBAN LIVING IN THE SL WORLD

ART TIME PASSES...

ART LOST WORLD

9 16 22 29 36 42

COVER STORY HOT FINDS MIX & MATCH FASHION SPREAD MASCULINO FOR MEN

46 48 53 56 58 60

BODY & MIND DEAR FELICITY HOUSE & LIVING: URBAN LIVING HOUSE & LIVING: DORKS RULE MUSIC THE TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

29 36

FASHION SPREAD BLUSHING BRIDAL WEAR

FOR MEN WINTER JEFFERSON & LAWLESS MCBRIDE

MASCULINO YOUR BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING

HOUSE & LIVING SUGAR MILL POSES: WHERE DORKS RULE!

MUSIC THE ORIGINALS

74 GADGETS & “KNOW HOW” THE LAND GAME TRAVEL GUIDE SO SAY WE ALL!

62 66 70 74

ART: LOST WORLD ART: TIME PASSES... TRAVEL GUIDE GADGETS & “KNOW HOW”

FINAL CREDITS

COVER STORY IP RIGHTS AND COPYRIGHT INFRINGEMENT: PROTECT YOURSELF!

The rapid growth of Second Life® has afforded its residents additional opportunities for creating custom, virtual content and for advertising and selling both real world and virtual products and services. But, along with these opportunities come a number of unique and potentially complex and challenging legal issues that arise in establishing and enforcing intellectual property rights, including trademark and copyright. The capability of residents, who are often anonymous, to create and sell virtual goods has led to concerns regarding the unauthorized use of copyrighted materials, unauthorized content, and trademarks. At the same time, there are numerous additional legal issues concerning the governance of the online community, the extent of the responsibilities of Linden Lab®, jurisdictional boundaries, and the laws governing us all. By Stacie Pryor

Within a digital environment, copyright is the most frequently encountered type of IP protection. Copyright protects the skill and effort employed in the creations of new products. Unlike patents, copyrights are granted automatically —there is no application process. The Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) is a United States copyright law that implements two 1996 treaties of the World Intellectual Property Organization, heightening the penalties for copyright infringement on the internet. Passed in October 12, 1998 the DMCA extended the reach of copyright, while limiting the liability of online service providers for acts of copyright infringement conducted by their users.

The content of this article is for general informational purposes only and is not intended to constitute legal advice. The term Intellectual Property (IP) covers a range of legal protections for creations of the human mind. IP provides an incentive for creativity because the owner of the rights can use their IP rights to gain commercial benefit from third parties who wish to use their work. Thus, the unauthorized use of third party IP (infringement) entitles the rights-holder to sue for damages and can lead to the destruction of the offending items. Also, in certain extreme circumstances infringement of IP is a criminal act punishable by fines and/or prison.

Although some residents of SL might disagree, the 9

internet is not lawless, and IP laws apply to the internet. This is because all internet users are actual people living in countries around the globe, and all computers are in defined places and subject to local laws. Even though the law applies to many types of transactions, it is a huge challenge to personally identify online offenders, their exact location, and therefore which country’s laws IP laws should apply. The IP laws of each country differ substantially. Because of the ease virtual materials can be copied and re-distributed, and because of the difficulty in catching offenders and establishing which country’s laws apply, the internet poses major IP rights issues.

is one reason attorneys say trademark violations are as much of an issue online as in the real world. A significant variable in copyright issues is the fact that economic transactions in SL are real, distinguishing it from a video game. LL allows users to buy virtual property and create and sell objects that are protected by IP rights. The virtual currency (Linden dollars) that are purchased with, and cashed back out into, real world currency, has made SL the main stage for the development of virtual IP law. And SL continues to grow. Monthly transactions between users increased about 30 percent in the past year, to 25 million in March compared with 19 million a year ago. Many agree that SL has more copyright infringement issues than the real world. Residents own the IP rights to their SL creations but residents are unlikely to attempt to sue another resident who steals, copies or resells their creations. But if SL continues to grow, that sense of good faith will eventually diminish. LL says that although it will enforce its TOS, including its ban on violating other residents’ intellectual property, it cannot settle most disputes for residents and they have little power to resolve claims of copyright infringement.

A virtual environment can often be a more permissive one, with open communities engaged in learning activities co-existing with business models. However, as in the real world, IP rights need to be respected, identified and managed. Copyright issues range from individuals copying real world works in SL without permission, to the use of software that makes it easy to steal by allowing an individual to copy and sell in-world products designed by someone else. While some virtual worlds claim ownership and control of anything created in the game, Linden Lab (LL) acknowledges that residents have copyright control of their creations. For instance, players can sell (or refuse to sell) their in-world creations. However, any and all creations on SL are subject to the Terms of Service (TOS), which includes a ban on residents violating copyright laws.

Since the legal framework for virtual IP law is still developing and is, in certain situations, untested, seemingly straightforward and routine tasks can pose unanticipated risks and challenges. Currently, SL is primarily governed by the TOS and real world law. However, several factors provide unique challenges in enforcing IP rights.

As residents strive to design and sell popular items within SL, the most frequent legal disputes have involved online infringement of copyrights and trademarks. IP offenses are noteworthy in that even companies which attempt to avoid involvement with virtual economies have been forced into them to defend their real world interests.

Residents are able to mask their avatars’ identities through assumed names, and this anonymity, coupled with various privacy laws, can create obstacles in identifying and punishing offenders. Additionally, residents can introduce new illegal content into SL, such as stores, products, and events, for which LL claims no liability. As in real world activities, these virtual IP infringements can give rise to a full range of potential IP violations and defenses, including First Amendment and fair use defenses.

In SL, counterfeit goods can be found even in the most exclusive shopping malls and stores. When a resident creates designer goods, or when a virtual store imitates trademarked products or real life locations, this creates confusion as to the source of the merchandise or sponsorship of activities. Because virtual stores selling unauthorized items could sell low-quality products, these offending residents are effectively misrepresenting the rights holder, which

Because trademark infringement is against the law it is prohibited by the Linden Lab TOS agreement, which attempts to bind all residents entering SL. 10

When LL discovers unauthorized use of trademarks, the offending items are removed as a violation of the TOS. In addition, in an attempt to shield LL from liability for copyright infringement by SL residents, the TOS claims “service provider” status as protection for LL under the DMCA. The TOS also attempts to control dispute resolution and keep IP enforcement actions within the dispute resolution procedures specified by the TOS. Thus, LL attempts to function as an intermediary, a “service provider,” rather than an entity which should be responsible for handling trademark infringements. This re-establishes the idea that representatives from real world companies should be the ones enforcing their own copyrights in SL. However, infringed real world companies rarely seem to issue DMCA notices. That is, until recently.

Kingdon, and John Zdanowski, all current or previous executives of LL, in the suit, shockingly omitting the names of the offending avatars. Instead, the apparent goal of the suit is to hold LL responsible for the actions of SL residents and to force LL to effectively end in -world trademark and copyright violations. This provides a peculiar situation for LL. Although, under the TOS, LL has attempted to claim a “service provider” status as protected under DMCA, they may still be held responsible for in-world copyright infringement. This proves to be an extremely “gray” legal area, and it will be interesting to see how the courts rule in this situation. However, as residents of SL, we will ultimately be affected by the ruling, as undoubtedly more rigid and strict policies will be instituted to prevent any and all types of infringement.

In April, Taser International Inc. filed a lawsuit against LL, XStreetSL, and VirtuaTrade, the former owners of XStreetSL. In the suit, Taser expressed extreme dissatisfaction with copyright and trademark infringement of their real world brand within the confines of SL. Surprisingly, Taser named Philip Rosedale, Mark

Prior to the Taser lawsuit, the American Bar Association held a conference on IP law in April in Washington, D.C., with much attention paid specifically to virtual worlds. The Second Life Bar Association and the Virtual Intellectual Property Organization coordi-

nated a simultaneous conference and reception in SL, broadcasting at the ABA event, where lawyers could participate as avatars. The result was increased awareness in the SL community regarding IP rights and copyright infringement. It was discussed that, surprisingly, most content creators, performers, and other users do not fully understand the risk they assume in violating IP rights in SL. Additionally, although residents are largely anonymous, most residents misconstrue their perceived anonymity, falsely believing that their communications in-world are private.

mented to realize benefits while reducing risk. Ideally, infringement would not exist in SL. However, it is rampant. The golden rule most certainly applies, so be sure you are doing everything you can to protect yourself from the legal consequences of IP and copyright infringement.

Sadly, most IP rights-holders have yet to see or experience SL or other virtual worlds, and are largely unaware of the extent to which their IP rights have been infringed. Because of this state of oblivion, rightsholders stand the risk of losing at least some of their IP rights and protections by not enforcing them in the virtual world. Ultimately, when working in a virtual world, it is important that the legal ramifications are understood so that suitable procedures and policies can be imple-

HOT FINDS

Cocoro Lemon combined part of her name and part of her soul to form COCO Designs. From Kyoto, Japan, the talented Cocoro has been a fashion designer in Second LifeÂŽ since last October, when she first tried to do something in SL she canâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;t do in real life: create a fashion collection, build store and experience a bit of fame. Her story is part of the recent SL fashion history: COCO Designs is one of the most promising and ingenious stores inworld. Featuring well-crafted party dresses, sculpted accessories, inventive shoes and trendy casual outfits, COCO Designs offers a complete selection of items in a beautifully designed environment that looks like a real world store. If you want to be fashionable for a reasonable price, this is the place to go! Take a look at the outfits we put together which combine very different items by COCO Designs while having fun with styling! By Cayce Newell and Tomoyo Breitman

COCO Designs COCO DESIGNS (88/127/35) COCO Designs blog cocorolemon.blogspot.com

Skin: Alyssa in natural 9 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: Yoshino in chestnut by 0 Style Glasses: Dumpster frames by [twee] Jacket & shirt: *COCO* jacket&shirt brown-white Dress: *COCO* knitdress_brown&stripe Boots: *COCO* suede bootie in brown Socks: socks warm brown by .::Miss Lily::. 16

Skin: Alyssa in light 6 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: *W&Y Bunny Hop GIFT*TEX Ladyâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Top with hat: *COCO* tulipHemdress_beige (part of outfit) Pants: *COCO* anklepants_nougat Jewels: Kamoana bracelet and necklace by Earthtones (Lucas Lameth) Shoes: Chloe in gold by Lassitude&Ennui

Skin: Alyssa in light 7 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: Camellia in black coffee by HTD (no band version) Sunglasses: Cato II by Role Optic Nails: [ Love Soul ] Nail*Dark Color*(Red) Jacket & shirt: *COCO* jacket&shirt navy-white Jeans: *COCO* LooseStyleDenim_Midnight Boots: *COCO* suede bootie in black Belt: *COCO* V-Shaped Belt in red

Hair: [Aden] WindBlown Skin: Redgrave - Ashley Undershirt + Skirt: *COCO*_PartyDress_Black Vest: {Gisaci} Cambridge Knit Vest - Black Jacket: (Part of ) *COCO*_Combinaison_Black Tie: [Kyoot] - Kitschy Neck Tie - Red Bangle: ~*FBG*~ Bright Sprinkle Donut Bangle Socks: (Part of ) =IZUMIYA=Fashion Set NO.18 Shoes:*COCO*_SuedeBootie_Pink

Hair: MMS Hera Skin: Beauty Avatar - Thabita Jacket: *COCO*_DenimJacket_Midnight Top: (Part of ) *COCO*_PartyDress_Silver Pants: *COCO*_AnklePants_White Belt: (Part of ) *Beauty Avatar Couture* A&A Inaya PRONTO Sunglasses: [elysion optic] ~ratnasambhava~ Brown Fan: Hanami - Golden Sea Shoes: [KA] DESIGNS Shoes *Maika* GOLD

Hair: ::69:: GiRLO Skin: Beauty Avatar - Alyssa Jacket + Shirt: *COCO*_Jacket&Shirt_Black-White Pants: *COCO*_PumpkinPants_Black Tights: .:: Miss Lily ::. Tights - Green Brown Bag: [PRADO outfitters] hepburn lunchy Glasses: Solar Eyewear ~ Nash Shoes: *COCO*_SuedeBootie_Black

MIX & MATCH By Tomoyo Breitman & Cayce Newell

K1 O LO + E A

Hair: >TRUTH< Sehra Skin: Lelutka - London Revolution Clutch: ::: B@R ::: Clutch Bag Black Shoes: (Shiny Things) Tuli Pumps - black Necklace: *nManMa*Haruwosan_Necklace Sunglasses: [elysion optic] ~sahasrabhuja~

LOOK 2 D + G Hair: * 0 Style *Prissy* Skin: Beauty Avatar - Alyssa Tights: !Doux Petit Dahl Crochet Tights White Bag: P.C; Shopping Bag Shoes: R2 “Nani” Black&Gold

C Skin Flicks Mary ann flair black

Dollita midnight dress in green 22

D Skin Flicks High society

LOO

C + G

Hair: [Aden] Rihanna Skin: Beauty Avatar - Alyssa Belt:*COCO*_WideBelt(Embossing)_Black Flowers: ::: B@R ::: Flower Bouquet : White Roses Bangles: ::MEZZO::lines Style* Bracelet&bangle Shoes: (Shiny Things) Tuli Pumps - black

LOO

F + H Hair: (HTD) Caroline Skin: Beauty Avatar - Nelly Bangle: ::MEZZO::lines Style* Bracelet&bangle Necklace: .:MALT:. Fashions - Loveable Necklace Shoes: ELAN - Brown Moccasin

L`Abel Mya in black

Modern Gypsy Lush spring

G 23

H **nikukyu** Chiffon_skirt(brown) Modern Gypsy Diva Jacketsuit

Skin: Alyssa in light 7 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: Bang bang by !lamb Bangle: triple pearl bracelet in black by Armidi Gisaci Jewels: Chakra earrings and neclace by Earthtone (Lucas Lameth) Shoes: Akamai in black by R2

LOOK 3 G + D + C

C +

Skin: Alyssa in light 6 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: The Introvert in black tones by VintageWear Earrings: black pearls earring by Paper Couture Shoes: Enamel buckle gladiator in white by Aoharu

OK F

LOOK 1 A + D Skin: Alyssa in natural 9 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: The Introvert in black tones by VintageWear Nails: Nails in white by Naive Socks: soccer/schoolgirl socks in grey by LeLutka Shoes: kahakai in white by R2 Jewels by LeLutka (VG)

Dollita midnight dress in green

Dela Trousers and cropped pants â&#x20AC;&#x153;Marniâ&#x20AC;? in moss 24

C Skin Flicks Mary ann flair black

D Skin Flicks High society

Skin: Alyssa in light 6 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: The Extrovert in brown tones by VintageWear Hat: SinSin hat by Leezu! Belt: Leather belt by Maitreya Pashmina: pashmina shawl almost black by Zaara Shirt: Valerie in white by Leezu! Socks: socks mit suspenders in lilac by Pig Shoes: Frenzy in black by Maitreya

K OO

5 +

LOO

K4 A + B + D Skin: Alyssa in light 6 by Beauty Avatar Couture Hair: Samara in pitch black by LeLutka Necklace: Pearl strand necklace by Paper Couture Shoes: Enamel buckle gladiator in white by Aoharu

L`Abel Mya in black

Modern Gypsy Lush spring

G 25

H **nikukyu** Chiffon_skirt(brown) Modern Gypsy Diva Jacketsuit

Photographer: Zoe Demar www.flickr.com/photos/zoedemar 28

FASHION SPREAD BLUSHING BRIDAL WEAR

Looking for something a bit different for your wedding? Toned down accessories, polished beautiful looks, simple love stories.... This issue we are offering up a selection of bridal gowns, some that weren’t intended for the big day...but will no doubt win over the Fiances heart. Shot at Serendipita Eventi, every pixel girls dream wedding come true. By Felicity Blumenthal

Felicity Blumenthal Wedding Gown: Paper Couture - Winter Magic Shoes: J’s - Real Toe Cross Belt Pumps(SILVER) Hair: TRUTH - Sehra (Cherry) Bracelet: Bonita’s - Antique Pearl Double Wrap Bracelet Skin: Free Spirit - Kimberly (Aquamarine)

Bri Bellic Tux: Alphamale - Formal Tux Boots: Redgrave - Boots /Black-Leather/ Sculpties Hair: Armidi - The Poynter - Midnight II Skin: Belleza - Mathieu sk 7-E 29

Twisted Vendetta

Sophia Harlow

Tux: Hoorenbeek - Tux Lip piercings: Punk store Moller- Lips002 Earrings: TSS-Lethal Earrings Shoes: *i-Candy* Hi-Hi Mens Converse Boots Hair: +BM+ Ruby - Black Skin: Belleza- Mathieu med 7-E(hair)(chest hair)

Wedding Gown: * Deviance * - Fairy Princess (Cream) Eyes: LeLutka Absolute green3 Shoes: Armidi - Barcelona Slingback White Lashes: Deviant Kitties Dress: Deviance Fairy Princess (Cream) Hair: LeLutka Magdalena - pitch Skin: Bebae Deliah - Cinna 0b

Tenshi Vielle Wedding Gown: Baiastice - Snow Storm Hair: ETD - Sofia (Blonde) Earrings: Kess Kreations - AnnMarie Pearl Earrings Shoes: Tesla - Vixen II (White) Skin: Gala - Moonbeam Sunny skin in Light Buttermilk 31

Zoe Demar

Mainit Hellman

Wedding Gown: SYSYâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s - Wedding gown Hair: Novocaine - Antoineette in Blondes.v2 Shoes: Maitreya - Slinky Stilettos (White) Earrings: Skin Flicks - Drop Pearl Earrings in White Skin: The Abyss - Opium XP_Aesthetics ([3A] Shimmer steel moonlight eye, frosty pink glossed lip)

Tux: Blaze* Black Columbia Tux Hair: MADesigns hair ~BERNAD~ DB III Skin: (Damiani) Angel Sunkissed FullBeard Shoes: HOC Apparel - Mens Formal Dress Shoes

TallyHo Shawbridge Wedding Gown: DP Serendipity - La Vie en Rose & veil Hair: Maitreya - Amy (Beach Blond) Shoes: Shiny Things - Party Pumps (White) Bouquet: Lapointe & Bastchild - Evocative Floral “Pearl & Satin” Blush Bridal Bouquet v1 Skin: MMSPale - makeup1a

MASCULINO YOUR BEST FRIEND’S WEDDING

Weddings are important in the Second Life® community. If you search by entering “weddings” as a key word and hitting the search button you will understand how big the wedding industry is in SL. Whether or not you are planning on getting partnered in SL, chances are when you are making new friends and meeting new people from all over the world, you will eventually end up attending a virtual wedding. The odds are high that at one point you’ll be attending the wedding of your best friend, or a girlfriend asks you to be her date at the wedding of a dear friend of hers and, let’s face it; you probably want to look your best to impress this girl! By Ana Lutetia

For a wedding, you will need two looks: a casual and fun outfit in which to party all night and formal attire for the ceremony.

variety of casual and fun tees. Don’t be afraid of color! I picked up an orange tee and matched the shoes with it. You could wear sneakers and ditch the stole but the days aren’t that warm yet to leave your neck exposed. Since the shoes come with several colors (orange is the dominant color) you could combine and wear earth tones with them perfectly. The pants are a bargain and include prim attachments. The guitar can be found in the folder the Musician Guy by Nylon Pinkney -- you will find it in the clothing section of your inventory Library.

For the casual look, I picked up some colors and incorporated some items that aren’t marked for males - including some interesting items in found in the Library folder of my inventory. This time I added some prim attachment accessories. To reproduce this look you will need to grid hop a bit but you will find amazing places! The main components for this look are the tee, the casual jeans and the shoes. The tee is from HeartAttack & Vine where you will find a fine

Shape: [M] m.Mauro - Shape 2 | Mauro by Manifest Shapes (modified) SKIN: [PXL] Jude Spring Face00 HH0 BHN Hair (with hat): Gritty Kitty: Barista - red Eyes: *Kookie* Editorial eyes V1 - Grey thunder Stole: !_Ce Cubic effect stole(Brown) Tee: H&V: you cannot dance with me [HeartAttack & Vine] Gloves: *SL* Fingerless Gloves Brown [Shit Luck] Jean: * a.C Jeans Forever.*Clr -Modern_*Painted* Shoes: (Shiny Things) Tritones - autumn Guitar: music Guy acoustic guitar (Library ~ Musician Guy by Nylon Pinkney) Poses: [LP] Anime Boy Pose Pack 1

The day of the ceremony has arrived and you want to impress. Weddings can be laggy because of the number of people attending and their various prim attachments. To help your friends who are getting married to have a great experience, my suggestion is that you choose a “low lag suit” with a low ARC look. The main items are, obviously, the suit and the shoes. This pinstriped suit is available in more colors but I selected burgundy as it is a classic color and you will stand out against everyone else whil will probably be wearing black or blue. This is a very complete suit and will allow you to wear it to other occasions thanks to the many options offered. The jacket can be worn open or closed, choose from the 10 possible tie colors or

go with the prim tie. The colors available for the ties in clothing layers are thoughtfully sized so you won’t need to edit attachments. Because it is a wedding, I won’t recommend wearing the black or the purple tie but it’s entirely up to you. As for the shoes, I went for a pair from Shiny Things once again. Their small selection of male shoes is one of my favorites in SL and these classy shoes make a difference to any outfit.

Shape: [M] m.Mauro - Shape 2 | Mauro by Manifest Shapes (modified) SKIN: [PXL] Jude Spring Face00 HH0 BHN Hair: Armidi Hair - The Grammar – Sangria Eyes: *Kookie* Editorial eyes V1 - Grey thunder Suit: !!Cattivo - Perfectly Pinstriped Mens Suit in Burgundy Shoes: (Shiny Things) City Walk shoes – brown Poses: [LAP] 39

FOR MEN WINTER JEFFERSON & LAWLESS MCBRIDE

Winter’s outfit describes his current “headspace.” Partially inspired by the Bradbury novel, Something Wicked This Way Comes, and partially inspired by My Chemical Romance’s The Black Parade album, he really is going “out of [his] way to make the rainbow [his] bitch.” Winter finds it hard to stick to any one style, but always puts quite a bit of careful consideration into whatever costume he wears. This outfit is no exception. Every part of this outfit was added to make his “psychadelic Ringmaster” seem taller and more mysterious, distracting you from the fact “that something is not quite right...” Lawless chose this outfit because it resembles the type of clothes he’d wear in real life around this time of year -- comfortably casual in jeans and a jacket. When shopping, he keeps his eyes open for clean sculpts and lots of little detail work. Lawless chose the specific designers in his outfit because he feels they are among the best at what they do. As for the colors and theme, he put it best: “If you’re looking for personal style, and [the outfit] wasn’t black, leather and skullish (I made that last word up, trés chic, don’t you think?) well, It really wouldn’t be the SL me.” By Express Zenovka

Winter Jefferson (right)

Lawless McBride

The Stringer Mausoleum Anemone Mohawks in Grass and Snow *Aefae* Danae Violet Eyes Aitui Septum Piercing - Tinted Gold Bitter Thorns Ear Studs - Tinted Gold Chaos Engine Parade Jacket in Purple [Gauze] Stained Fingerless Gloves in Purple Dark Eden Human Skulls Belt SN@TCH Circus Pants in Gold UBU Drunks Shoes Spiam Topaz belt - Modded

Zaara – Classic Jeans for Men (Ash) Belleza – Mathieu Skin 1-E UBU – Drunks Sneakers Genesis – Au Naturel Eyes (Green) MRM – Leather Jacket (Black) AD – Skull Belt Love Soul – Mens Nails (Cross Black) Gritty Kitty – Deadline Hair (Black) Yabusaka – 09 Flare Ring FNKY – Bullring Nose & Lip SF Design – Autumn Outfit Plain White Tshirt

Blog incoldbloodsl.blogspot.com

Blog halfarsedsl.blogspot.com

BODY & MIND RELATIONSHIPS

LUST IS EASY. LOVE IS HARD. LIKE IS MOST IMPORTANT. -CARL REINER Have you ever tried explaining Second Life® to anyone in real life, let alone the relationship aspect in Second Life? Where do you even begin? I have a very good friend in real life that met his wife in an IRC chat room in the late 90’s. I thought he had completely and utterly lost his engineering mind. I started thinking about it as he was floundering in his explanation. I’m sure the look on my face didn’t make it easier for him. He said, “Think about it, I look like an unattractive Marty Feldman with a toupee. None of your friends are going to say yes if I asked them out.” A couple things he did have going for him are the voice of a golden-throated pitch man and his eloquent use of the language. This translated very well in the IRC and VoIP environment. His wife fell in love with the person, not the image. They spent hours and hours getting to know each other before they even knew what the other one looked like. Even after his explanation I still couldn’t get my head around the concept back then. I was even more shocked when I met her, she’s stunningly beautiful. By Shelby Ziskey

Second Life brings the IRC chat room to a whole new level. My unsightly friend could give George Clooney a run for his money if he was adept at pixel management and had the pixel cash to do it. There are thousands of people that pursue the relationship aspect in Second Life and even more that don’t. We’re going to look at the peculiarities of those who do have relationships just because the whole concept is fascinating. Here are my thoughts on SL relationships!

people partnering other RL marrieds, RL singles partnering RL marrieds and all the combinations you can think of. Could it be that wanting to partner means keeping the other person from being with someone else? If you’re married in RL, why would you want to partner in SL other than to keep other contenders away…and for what? Your fragile ego? If you’re single in RL, partnering makes total sense. Then again, I know this is provocative, but if you’re single in RL, why aren’t you out RL’ing? As always, more questions than answers because every person is completely different and every person is a new door to a different world.

So, what is the deal with SL partnering? I’ve done it and I’m through with it. I suppose partnering shows the SL community that this is the person you’re devoted to in game. It requires a little bit of moral gymnastics to be faithful to your SL partner when you’re basically cheating on your RL partner. Most of the time the partner box is reserved for the romantic aspect of a relationship, but sometimes it’s for friends to keep the over-zealous, mismatched-penored, noobs at bay. And sometimes it’s for pathetic, insecure losers that partner their alts because they can’t bear the idea of being alone in SL. I personally think it should be called the Significant Other box, but that’s just me. There are so many dynamics to this phenomenon. RL married

Then there are all types of combinations represented by partnerships in SL and swinging. Two types of this flavor, swinging together and having an open sexual relationship. Do tell, if you have an open relationship, why the partner? It’s totally mind-boggling. I hang out at a swingers club quite often and I have to say it’s the best group of people I’ve ever met on line. Hardly any drama which totally fascinates me, considering the genre. The fashion world is rife with daily drama compared to the low-key swingers. It defies all logic…I don’t know, maybe the drama mongers 46

just need to get laid. Each swinger has their unwritten code which is as diverse as the entire group, and yet they all cohabitate with harmonious ease.

one that happens to hit you on all levels and you get in a bit more emotionally deep than you intended. Another interesting type is the outwardly public person that mocks partnerships and and all SL intimacy whatsoever and is spreading their virtual seed across the grid in private. Aren’t you deceiving yourself while you think you’re deceiving us? Second Life is a petri dish into the social ins and outs of life. It gives you a very good view of yourself if you’re willing to look.

I know a couple at my local swinger’s hangout, I love these people. They are partnered and only swing in the same vicinity of each other. I grabbed the chance to talk with one of them for a glimpse into their relationship. They’ve been together for 14 months and partnered for 3. My hunch was that she might be selling herself short in the relationship, but after talking to her, I’m convinced she’s very secure, enjoys all the frolicking and always goes home with her partner no matter what happens. She attributes this to the fact that her partner is a very special person and it totally works for them. Bravo.

It boils down to what you want and how you want to experience the game. My husband, the quintessential Xbox Live player, walks past my office when I’m in game and asks, “did you win yet?” We’re all in this together and each of us is a different place with a unique perspective. Just when you’re ready to hang it up a door opens that makes all the difference for you to stay is this crazy, whacked place we call Second Life.

Then there’s the single swinger. Some of them here just for the sex, some for the rush of an intellectual hook up with some hot sex, some that are looking for friends with benefits. I joke with one of my more prolific friends that he needs to develop some scheduling software to manage his harem. Seriously. I think that plan is theoretically perfect until you meet some47

You may have noticed there is a bit of a theme to the magazine this month: WEDDINGS! I think everyone has some degree of the “get hitched” bug this time of year. I may be immune to all of that although I do love a pretty dress and an enormous diamond ring as much as the next gal. So what advice do we have for you this month? Well, where to find THE gown of your dreams and a bit of Second Life® “wedding etiquette for dummies!” By Felicity Blumenthal

Dear Felicity,

Keep the invite list small, so the lag is not overwhelming when everyone shows primed to the nines.

Is there such a thing as a list of SL wedding etiquette? If so, do you have any thoughts on what are some of the most important tips? I am wondering because I am about to start planning my wedding and I could really use some pointers.

Write you own vows (not a novel mind you, but a meaningful enough compilation of a few sentences on why your betrothed is the one)

Sincerely, Needs Direction

Something borrowed. Something new. Something blue. Keep your attire simple - While the veil, tiara, flowers, jewelry, and dress with 5,000 prims are gorgeous the subsequent lag could mean you will never make it to the altar.

Dear Needs Direction, I am not entirely sure that there is a list of SL wedding etiquette. We are, after all, talking about a place where you can live by your own rules. You create the life you want, and live it the way you want to. But if you are talking about expectations guests might have when attending a standard SL wedding, or things you might want for your special day, that is another story. I am more then happy to give you a list to consider:

Try and pick a date and time that will accommodate as many people as possible but know it will be nearly impossible to find a time that works for everyone -- don’t hate anyone for missing your big day! Send invitations giving people enough time to plan ahead, and be prepared to send a reminder, because not everyone will have it on their calendar.

Do… Take the time to be sure the person you are going to spend your forever second life with is someone who will last more then 3 months.

Have fun!

Ask only your closest friends to participate, and be prepared to purchase their wedding attire if they are in the bridal party. 48

Dear Felicity, I found the guy and I’ve got the ring but I have not found the dress. I am getting married midMay and I haven’t seen a single dress that I even like yet. I am having nightmares of walking down the aisle naked on my wedding day. Help! Sincerely, Naked Bride

Dear Naked Bride, many to choose from. Keep in mind that you might want to check at your favorite designers’ shops. Sometimes designers create beautiful all-occasion gowns, which may be offered in white, and you could also consider wearing a gown like this for your wedding.

Let’s face it, you are lucky to not have to worry about ordering a dress, and there are no need for fittings, so you still have time. Rest easy girl, we can work this out. Unless you want a custom designed dress, in which case yes, you do need to make some decisions quickly. But from what you are saying, it sounds as if you are looking to walk into a store, grab a dress and go. Luckily for you, I do have a list of lovely shops where you can certainly find a gown. The list isn’t in any particular order, because I don’t really know your taste, nor what look you are going for: Rebel Hope Designs, Nicky Ree, Bliss Couture, Lapointe & Bastchild are great places to start your search as they each have

Thanks again for the interesting questions and keep them coming! You can submit questions to me via notecard in-world or e-mail felicity@role-magazine.com

HOUSE & LIVING URBAN LIVING IN THE SL WORLD

Urban design is something that has always caught my eye, be it in fashion or in interior design. I know most people may think urban means “dirty” and “street” but really that’s not the case at all. The urban way of life can be something rather beautiful. I love the way urban design has all these elements thrown in from sleek and modern, grunge, retro to trashy and dark. You can experiment with different textures to get something pretty amazing. Second Life® has no shortage of furniture stores that offer items which can help you achieve the perfect urban city look for your home. By Keeley Huet

The Loft is a store that has been on the grid as long as I can remember. They offer an extensive range of furniture and prefabs. The textures are shaded perfectly and the selection is extensive. One of the best things about The Loft is that they understand that you need little accessories to complete a look. As I have written in previous articles, little items dotted around your home can really pull a room together and The Loft is a leader in those special items. One of the items that screamed urban living to me was the beautifully crafted Tenny Fireplace. The white and black detailing, the cement mantlepiece with the black brick backing would be a prefect edition to anyone’s urban crib. It’s sleek, it’s simple and with the animated roaring fire it’s incredibly realistic. Another versatile item that The Loft offers is the Pusa crate. It can double up as a side table or just stack a few together and put it in the corner as a shelf unit. I love idea of using things that would just be sitting around your house for another purpose and I also feel that ties in with the urban theme as it has an arty element to it. Haven’t we all fantasized about being an artist in an amazing loft in the city? I know I have. I stumbled across the tiny shop ::OBF:: one night when I was randomly looking for a bed and I was so

surprised that this little virtually unknown shop had so much to offer. It has a varied selection of couches, beds, chairs and even full living room sets. When I saw the :OBF::: Couch - TYPE A I knew I needed it. It’s lovely and puffy looking like you want to just kick off your shoes and just relax after a hard day at work. The couch has lovely pillow detailing and built in poses. One of the poses is a really cute laying-on-yourtummy-while-reading-a-book pose. It’s only 13 prims and, to top it off, the cushions are texture changing to suit everyone’s room colors. Oh yeah, and did I mention this couch itself is also color changing? It has tons of colors to choose from. I really can’t stress enough how much of a bargain this couch is. Also if you are looking for a dining table take a look at the amazing Dining table set that ::OBF:: offers. It has a table cloth that is color changing, 4 chairs that are color changing and a complimentary cup of coffee that’s copiable so everyone can have one. It also has a cute candle for the middle. I love this set because not only is it affordable, you don’t have to pay extra for the chairs, which you have to do in a lot of stores. It’s all included. If you are after a funky urban couch or dining area then head on over to ::OBF:: you will not be disappointed! I can’t wait to see how this little store grows. 53

Now when I think of variety in the SL furniture world one store comes to mind. The not -so-small store of Del Sol has so many items you can get lost when you wander around the sim. It has been on the grid for many years getting bigger and bigger offering every type of furniture you could possibly need. I came across the urban rack book shelf and knew it was the perfect edition to the little urban sky box I was crafting. It’s everything that something urban should be. Steel, big and pretty to look at. It’s the perfect unit to store all your knick knacks or just the right spot to stack some books. Also, even though it’s big, it’s not one of those SL items that takes over a room. It actually fits against a wall beautifully so you wont look like an ant standing next to it. The cartoon chest also jumped out at me I love the idea of having a chest decoupaged with my favorite cartoon strip just to brighten up a room. It’s unusual, quirky and of course practical for placing things on top. Del Sol offers so many items you

can easily spend a few hours just browsing through everything and it’s really worth it because you will find some of the most creative builds on the grid. Urban style is one that you shouldn’t shy away from. It can be inventive, beautiful and most of all, homey. It can pretty much be whatever you want it to be in regards to design. So get out there and start urba-fying your SLife.

The Loft The Loft (169/128/28) ::OBF:: Coders Cove (91/90/24) Del Sol Del Sol (116/115/28)

HOUSE & LIVING SUGAR MILL POSES: WHERE DORKS RULE!

If you enjoy photography in Second Life®, then you are probably always on the watch for fun and unique poses on the grid. I personally have a few pose shops which I frequent, and one of my favorites, by far, is Sugar Mill Poses. By Stacie Pryor

I have had the pleasure of knowing Anicia Medici, the owner and creator behind Sugar Mill, for several months now. She has always been a great friend to me, and I can honestly say that she is one of the sweetest, most genuine people I have ever met in SL.

very reasonably priced. For those on a lower budget, Anicia even offers a wall full of high-quality freebies and dollarbies. She even participates in a large number of hunts, creating fantastic new items to include as limited-time-only freebies to every participant.

Knowing Anicia and her silly, fun personality, it is so easy for me to see every bit of her quirky originality in her poses. She prides herself on being a dork, and her creations at Sugar Mill mirror her by focusing on being dorky and having fun. If good old-fashioned fun and silliness mixed with a dash of dorkdom are your style, then you will feel right at home using her poses. All of her wonderful, fun-loving qualities are so inherent in her poses, allowing you to have so much more fun in your photography, giving your photos added character and personality and a competitive edge.

Adding to the beauty of the Sugar Mill Grove sim, Anicia recently opened a new fishing lagoon which uses the 7 Seas Fishing System. The new lagoon is absolutely beautiful, and it is sure to provide hours of fun for residents interested in a fun time fishing with friends.

Sugar Mill recently celebrated its one-year anniversary in March, with a new mainstore opening in Anicia’s own sim, Sugar Mill Grove, back in December. The mainstore is exceptional, with walls filled with a wide variety of poses from individual posesets to sweet, romantic couple poses and silly posesets sure to make you laugh. The floors are covered in poseballs for you to try, allowing you to sample her handiwork right there in the store. This is a great way for you to see if a pose will work well for you before you purchase it, and it truly makes the poseshopping experience that much more enjoyable. Considering the great amount of thought Anicia puts into her poses, Sugar Mill’s poses and posesets are

Dorkdom Rules!

Dorks Rule! At least they do at Sugar Mill! Be sure to check out her mainstore in Sugar Mill Grove and add your favorite photos using Sugar Mill poses to the Sugar Mill Shots! Flickr group.

Sugar Mill Sugar Mill Grove (64/144/23) Blog sugarmill.wordpress.com Flickr www.flickr.com/groups/sugarmill 56

MUSIC THE ORIGINALS

In local music scenes everywhere there is an undercurrent of discord among two types of musicians: those who perform covers, and those who perform original works of their own creation. The rift is mostly constrained to idle squabble but the battle for audience headcounts can be serious business for relatively unknown musicians. People will generally be more comfortable with what they already know so cover bands are naturally the low hanging fruit of these two groups. For unknown musicians performing originals, there’s the burden of asking venue owners, and eventually audiences, to take a chance on hearing something new. The Second Life® live music scene is very much like a local music scene so, although slightly less risk adverse, the cover vs. original dilemma is still an issue. This basic scenario is the inspiration behind The ORIGINALS. By Jura Shepherd

The ORIGINALS is not a band. The ORIGINALS is a group created by POL Arida & The Shippe for the purpose of raising awareness about original musicians in SL. POL Arida, an accomplished mixed-reality performer, has been performing his very unique originals in SL since late 2007. In mid-summer 2008, POL and the elusive promoter the Shippe created the first showcase that would be the beginning of the larger project of “The ORIGINALS”. The show, staged at POL Arida’s WAMTv, was regarded as a massive success and this interest provided the confirmation that the duo needed to push the project forward.

ment for musicians who craft their own music.

There is no shortage of musicians in sl that write their own music but some choose not to perform it. Wrong or not, there is an impression among some musicians that audiences in SL prefer popular songs that they already know and it is true that some of SL’s top performers do shows that are either exclusively, or heavily weighted with covers. The ORIGINALS really takes no position on covers but choose to encourage artist who have original material to share it with audiences. The over-all idea is to not only provide a platform for original music through showcases, but to provide a supportive environ-

The second showcase at Pixel Hill was even bigger than the first and made an impression on purplehaired Pixel Hill proprietor and SL music insider, Harrie Skjellerup. “I had two events at Pixel Hill for them, there was some at the Artic Cricle and also at The VIBE, and then I got roped in to it properly” says Harrie and “got roped in” is right. Skjellerup quickly became the organization’s producer and its public face. POL, realizing Harrie’s talent for communication, decided to push The ORIGINALS in a more public way by creating a brand. Harrie continued not only to promote The ORIGINALS in-world but took the brand externally

Following its successful debut showcase, The ORIGINALS began planning their second event that would take place at Pixel Hill in September of 2008. An official group was formed initially to simply give the artist a group tag of “♫ The ORIGINAL ♫” to wear proudly as they traveled or perform in SL. The group was invitation only for a short time but then expanded the roles to allow “fans”. It also gave the artist the ability to send group notices for their shows regardless of whether it was an official showcase or not.

with social networking tool like MySpace, Facebook and Twitter. The ORIGINALS would also develop a relationship with Fox Reinsch’s IndieSpectrum Radio which only plays original music from independent artists that are performing live in Second Life.

spect among the SL music community by supporting original artists and giving fans a reliable go-to source for quality music. It has taken a great deal of organizational work to provide the support and the monthly showcases, but The ORIGINALS promise more showcases and to bring original music to the forefront of SL music in bigger and better ways.

The ORIGINALS, through the volunteer efforts of staff and supporters, now presents a monthly traveling showcase of SL’s finest live music performers. Their April 26 line up featured the likes of Evamoon Ember, Grace McDunnough, Jaggpro McCann, Maximillion Kleene, Mimi Carpenter, Noma Falta, Pilgrim75 Swashbuckler, POL Arida, Raspbury Rearwin, Strum Diesel, Winston Ackland, Zak Claxton adding to their ever-expanding roster of talent. Their efforts have put The ORIGINALS brand in a position of re-

Watch out for the next showcase in late May. You may join their group by seaching “The O R I G I N A L S” inworld or see more information at: www.myspace.com/theoriginals_sl

THE TRUTH IN ADVERTISING

In the past few months, consumers and potential advertisers have responded to the economic down-turn by expecting a high-level of credibility and transparency in advertising. With this thought in mind, ROLE Magazine has decided to publish our true, verifiable readership numbers to allow potential advertisers the opportunity to clearly see the value in advertising with ROLE. It is important for business owners to maximize their advertising budget and we understand that everyone is best served when substance is offered in place of hype. ROLE Magazine is a monthly publication available both in-world and online. Our online format uses the Issuu â&#x20AC;&#x201C; You Publish platform which provides detailed data on the number of times a single publication was read. Issuu plans to upgrade their service allowing site visitors to see the number of times a specific page has been viewed. In the meantime, we have begun posting our readership data on the ROLE Magazine website and we commit to updating our data regularly. ROLE Magazine advertisers are able to receive detailed statistics outlining how many times their purchased ad was viewed, and they can request specific information, such as which ad placement positions tend to receive the most attention. Business owners have expressed their frustrations in accessing verifiable readership information from in-world publications. Online readership numbers are easy to prove but the in-world readership numbers are nearly impossible to substantiate. How can an advertiser be sure that an in-world magazine, featuring their double-page ad, and delivered through an automated system (such as Subscribe-O-Matic) will be read or even opened? The same question is raised every time a magazine kiosk is clicked and that click is counted as a reader. There is no way to know that a magazine delivered in-world was actually read. Furthermore, it is far too easy to artificially inflate in-world readership statistics by clicking multiple times on a magazine kiosk. ROLE Magazine is choosing to ignore our in-world readership numbers and will stick to those we can verify online. Click here to learn how to verify the published data on your own. We hope youâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;ll find our approach to truth in advertising refreshing! ROLE Magazine webpage: www.role-magazine.com

We take you seriously.

ART LOST WORLD: NOT AN ORDINARY SIM

The first time I visited “Lost World,” on the Beguile sim, I did not know where I had landed. Just turning my camera did not make it more clear to me. So I started to fly and then I saw the different spots, not exactly linked or connected, yet together it makes a total concept of a lost world. By Looker Lumet

lolmac Shan, the owner and builder of the sim wanted nice places to take pictures with colors, lights and shadows. He started back in 2007, when he first registered on Second Life, to buy the land. He bought 16,000 sqm to begin with, and with the help of a friend he started to build the castle, his first build. He spent more time on that first build than he did on the whole island. But, being a long time alone, he had the time to evolve, to improve his skills and to learn.

Techno Organic is a perfect view on the imagination of lolmac Shan, and how he sees his definition of a lost world. The details and perfection of this image reflect his style of work. When lolmac feels passionately for something he is creating he has to complete it perfectly or not at all. One could say that stubbornness is not always a bad characteristic. Kiya McMahon, lolmac’s business partner in SL, started her SL life in 2007 after reading an article about the virtual world. When she first joined SL she played “Tiny Empires,”, a multi-player HUD based game. Along the way she stopped playing Tiny Empires and was encouraged to try her hand at photography and postprocessing. At first she focused on unedited photos but once discovering Photoshop she has learned how to post-process her photos and turn them into pieces of art. Photoshop became a kind of playground to her adn a way to clear her head after a busy real world workday. Inspired by images she found on Flickr she worked to improve her Photoshop skills but never considered herself a real artist. To her a real artist to her is someone who dedicates their life to art.

Some spots are now ready to be modified so that there will always be something new to see on the sim. It is the passion of lolmac to build, and to improve as he is, a self-described stubborn man and a perfectionist. lolmac is a photographer and artist, and in my point of view, he also tries to reach perfection in his pictures. He told me that he has worked one whole month just to complete one picture. I think there may not be a lot of photographers in-world who are spending that long to complete one piece of art, yet one must admit that his work is indeed wonderful. When studying lolmac’s latest picture, Techno Organic, we understand why it took so long to produce the one image. This piece is carefully built with lots of details. lolmac’s inspiration is of a person he knows who is very ill. lolmac created an opportunity to support that person with a special piece of art. Most of the elements in the piece are either from his “Lost World” sim, other locations in SL, or were created in Photoshop. lolmac made his own custom brushes to complete this work.

Kiya McMahon’s Water Phoenix is both thoughtful and detailed and leaves an impression on your mind. It is obvious that Kiya McMahon is partially inspired by lolmac and that she also pays attention to the details. Kiya updates her images on her Flickr photostream as frequently as her high standards for postprocessing and her real world time restrictions allow. When Kiya met lolmac, they talked about their common interests those interests turned into the 62

concept of a gallery. While lolmac transformed the Beguile sim into “Lost World”, she began to build the gallery. In retrospect, it was perhaps an insane idea to build something without having any experience. Kiya started with a single prim and a general idea of how the finished gallery would look.

In the future lolmac and Kiya will continue to search for people creating what they they consider the best art in SL for the gallery. Kiya mentioned that she is working on a new show but the content is a surprise. I’m sure the project will be intriguing!

The idea behind the gallery was to show the works of people that Kiya and lolmac felt deserved more attention and exposure -- show works of people with a lot of talent, and people doing great things for SL art. They invited people to attend the first show, which turned out to be a huge success - something they never expected to happen. Uniting older SL artists with newer and unknown talents helped close a gap in the art community and provided a platform from which people could learn from one another.

Lost World Beguile (64/64/22) The Gallery Beguile (230/160/658) www.flickr.com/people/kiyamm www.flickr.com/photos/lolmacshan 63

ART TIME PASSES...

In Second Life®, time passes very quickly. A few months here is akin to many years in the real world. Things change here, things vanish, places replace other places. Little here remains static for very long. So when you find locations that remain, unchanged, for long periods it’s like looking into the deep past. Like archaeology. Archaeology in-world in which epochs flit past in a matter of months. By Kee Llewellyn

This month we’re going to explore a gallery which has remained static since 2007 (That’s since 1843 in SL years!) In the process we’re going to discover a gallery that exists as a time capsule of the days when Second Life was seen as a wildly experimental place where artists could present their work in unique and formerly impossible ways (well, it still is, but now it’s a kind of boring old cutting-edge).

sion,” “Show and Tell,” and “Revolver.” The minimalist lines and washes in Invisible Persuiasion combine with a confident hand and polished sense of composition to make these simple drawings engaging and delightful. The third level is dedicated to the photography of Cheryl Dunn. Her exhibit includes “Lost Golden Earring,” and “Sleeping Men,” two collections of stark and gritty pieces shot on the streets of cities around the world. The photos are nearly vernacular in style and that accentuates their power and realism. No pretty, staged shots, they represent a clear-eyed and honest look at moments in the lives of her subjects in a stark and viscerally engaging manner. Several of the photos are, however, rather lighter in tone, but they seem to fade in significance with the darker imagery of the bulk of the show and I rather wonder why they were included.

And then we’ll look at someplace new. A gallery so new it’s not even officially open yet! But some day, if it survives, it may well be considered a bit quaint. As time continues to pass... Art Centre at Avignon Back in the middle of 2007, a group of New York artists decided to create a gallery in Second Life. Here they would present their works within the exciting, new, context of a virtual world in a group show entitled, “You Are Here.” The gallery itself would be a stack of large translucent boxes floating in the sky (remember when sky boxes were cool?). The distantly placed levels would be accessed via TP pads in one corner of each floor (again, this was made back when TP had a Wow! factor).

The seventh and final level is dedicated to the work of Annie Ok (Xantherus Halberd in SL). She depicts blank books opened and threaded through with black thread creating patterns and crosshatching across the otherwise empty pages. The impression is of a mad spider armed with a ruler scuttling across the pages in frantic abandon. Ok’s sense of composition and the whimsical nature of the works save them from being merely facile and render them appealing and magnetic.

This ancient gallery still exists. And while the Second Life aspects of the show are now rendered less than stellar, and hover on the brink of be trite, many of the artworks in the show retain their beauty and power. I found myself particularly fond of the drawings by gallery co-curator Derek Lerner (Rhizome Szydlowska in SL). The presentation features pieces from several collections including “Documents,” “Invisible Persua-

Among the many pieces presented is “Destroy Television,” a “mixed reality interactive virtual installation by futurist Jerry Paffendorf and metaverse architect Christian Westbrook, curated by and in collaboration 66

with artist Annie Ok.” The exhibition may appeal to both long and short-term residents of Second Life as it occurred simultaneously in Second Life and New York’s Fuse Gallery. To watch a video of the event held on May 26, 2007, go to: http://www.youtube.com/ watch?v=__kKYBe2mPU. Part of the fun of this exhibit is that the SL clients being used, and the avatars you see, are just really, really old (though you can still visit some of the locations!).

though they are only a couple of pages long, they hint at the existence of, and left me desperately hoping for, more. It’s also worth taking a side trip to the artist’s personal gallery (it’s just next door on the next plot of land) to see more of her work and get a nice raventhemed calendar for free. The third gallery space presents work by Ino Jie. There are only three pieces here but their quality leaves me wanting to see more. I did visit her personal gallery and found an artist who has not yet discovered her own voice. Her work is a scattershot pastiche of styles and technique, some quite lovely, some suggesting a talent that is still very young. The pieces found at Rhizome are definitely among her best.

The art centre at Avignon is enjoyable on many levels (pun possibly intended). As a look at some real, serious art here in Second Life, it’s a lovely way to while away an hour or two. And as a small reminder of the world we have largely left behind as Second Life continues its inexorable march forward to... well, wherever the heck we’re going, it stands as a monument to the hope that each of us can make a small mark here and be remembered as time goes by.

I certainly hope the Rhizome gallery owners continue to develop the space and bring a proper curator’s eye to the organization and presentation of the work. They have already shown a fine eye for quality. I look forward to the proposition that that same competent eye will bring even more interesting and exciting work to fill the remaining floors and courtyards of this new and excellent gallery.

Rhizome Gallery This gallery is so new it’s not even finished. Only a few works are hung on the walls and much of it remains empty. But those pieces that do appear within its walls are well worth a visit. Not to mention that the gallery itself is a treat for the eyes as well. Based on an old Japanese stone and timber castle, the rooms, corridors, balconies, courtyards and stairwells present a diverting maze of possibilities including a rooftop garden and a towering observatory (which you have to fly up to visit since it lacks a stairway).

Time, and its passage, is the inevitable consequence of life. Without the passage of time we cannot hope for nor anticipate the pleasures and discoveries of the future. And without our history, our firm anchor to the past, we are lost without a foundation for our present. As Second Life continues to expand, as virtual worlds become more and more a part of our first lives and the collective history and experience of all our lives, I wonder what portions of our present will remain and how our future will be shaped by our now. Only time (as ever) will tell.

The gallery itself occupies two rooms on the first floor, and it is divided into three areas. Each area includes a handful of works and a landmark-giver that will send you to the artist’s personal gallery or shop. Unfortunately, we are provided nothing in the way of artist’s statement, no descriptions of the works at hand. Some of the works are for sale, some are not. For now the gallery and the works remain an enigma. In the Kalevinka gallery, caca Drevenerussky’s illustrations of a fantasy world of libraries that look like giant vegetables, dignified white elks and ethereal faces invite you into a fully realized fantasy world. I only wish there was more to the exhibit; links to the book (if any) in which these illustrations might be found in real life, perhaps. On a table in the gallery there are two virtual books which can be opened and browsed,

Art Centre Avignon (140/180/491) www.virb.com/artcenter Rhizome Gallery Rhizome (164/115/41) 67

TRAVEL GUIDE SO SAY WE ALL!

“Politics... Drama.....Romance....Combat... Robot Death Machines... FUN!!!!!!” That’s the “come on” in the notecard for this role-playing sim, based on the Battlestar Galactica (“BSG”) series which recently ended a four year run enjoying both popularity and critical acclaim on the Sci-Fi channel. You can join the 130-plus membership of this wonderfully rendered world and create your own adventures aboard Battlestar Mercury, the Elysian Fields or Colonial One. Or you can opt to be a Cylon and plot against humanity, either incognito aboard said ships, or aboard a Cylon Basestar. By Paypabak Writer

There are two other ships, a freighter and mining ship, on which to play out your scenarios as well. Nathaniel Flores, one of the architects of the BSG-21 Mercury ship and Basestar, took me on several tours of the sim’s main features. I was able to watch players in dogfights as well as activities in the Combat Information Center (“CIC’) and even an assassination attempt during a press conference on the Elysian Fields (“EF”). It all looks like great fun and follows the principle I mentioned last month in April’s article on INSILICO: great sets inspire great role-playing opportunities!

among other things, a vendor selling fully functional BSG vehicles: Colonial Viper Mk IV ($800L), Colonial Viper Mk VII ($1000L), Raptor ($1000L), and Cylon Raider ($1000L). You supply your own ride unless you want to serve aboard the other ships of the fleet. Let’s start with the fleet, shall we? The Colonial One is more fully realized in the sim than in the series! I don’t recall seeing residences and the docking bay on DVD, but in order for people to really live their roles, it’s obvious the architects needed to bring the whole ship to life and the details are wonderful – true to the press room and council area we’ve all seen and extrapolating the unseen but obviously necessary areas of a “working” executive liner. The upper level of the ship has windows running up to the roofline departing a bit from the Boeing 747 on which the series ship is modeled.

I had hoped to provide some comparisons with the two main BSG-type* sims in SL but I was unable to get in touch with the owners of the BSG-47 sim based on the original 1978 BSG series. I respect role-playing enough that I wouldn’t try to sneak in and do things without some kind of authorization, so I’m left with merely comparing the entrance zones for the two sims -- I have to say, BSG-47 has a nice feel to it and provides information about the various “factions” and opportunities being offered. On the other hand, the entry zone for BSG-21, the new series sim, has some nice giveaways in terms of avatars of the various Cylon characters. Or at least the potential is there, since some of the shapes still need work. Both sims offer,

The Elysian Fields is the striking model with the ring around its main body. The length of that body is covered with glass domes allowing spectacular views of space and other ships. A residential section is much like a cruise ship, smallish rooms for rent with strict limitations on prims. I asked about whether it was possible for a resident (assuming membership in the 70

BSG-21 group) could set the room as “home position” for their avatar and Flores said they would take that idea under consideration. Just like a cruise ship you can find meeting rooms, a bar with dance floor under a dome, and a medical facility in the bowels. And, of course, there is a landing bay. While there are teleporters between ships (this is not Star Trek!) most people will taxi between destinations with Raptors as the vehicle of choice.

using the Faster Than Light (“FTL”) system, which allows the copilot to set coordinates for an SL teleport-like jump. (Best to be securely seated when any of this action takes place or you’ll discover yourself left behind without a spacesuit!) Raptor - Diverting power from engines. Raptor - Throttle 80% FTL Drive spooling up. Raptor - Throttle 50% FTL Drive ready for jump. Raptor jumping!

I had actually attempted to fly a Raptor owned by a friend of mine before I ventured into this sim and it’s not as easy as the guys who flew me around the sim made it look! While there are various “makes” of Raptor out there, the ones created by Ta Moxie are equipped with flight scripts by Julian Slade. This scripting adds Newtonian physics to flight creating the realistic drift and float of space. Yes, in real space there is no up and down but in sim space you run out of room quickly if you aren’t oriented to the much larger “vertical” space above ground. The pilots have to take into account that the space above the “ground” of the sim is much larger than the normal sim boundaries. Furthermore, Slade’s scripts adapt the Vehicle and Infantry Combat Environment (“VICE”) system which allows the Vipers, Raptors, and Cylon Raiders to fight in this sim and actually damage each other as well as the Battlestar.

On approaching the Basestar, I remarked to my guide that my real world grin was starting to hurt my face. As with all the ships I’d seen, it was big and looked just like you would expect it to. The scale is not perfect, but my goodness, these are still very big builds to house dozens of avatars if a sim could hold them without crashing. As we approached the docking bay, Flores casually hoped we wouldn’t be fired upon! Once the Raptor powered down, we emerged and were greeted by a Centurion who guided us around the Cylon command vessel. The main control room had those weird troughs that the Cylons dip their hands into to control the ship -- just as you would expect, as were residential apartments, meeting rooms, and a mess. Yes, we even visited the Hybrid pilot, who was offering weird commentary like: “Such is the nature of the world; such is the measure of days” and “They’ll start going ripe on us pretty soon.” If you’re not in the Cylon group of the sim, you cannot call up a Cylon Heavy Raider, one item I have not yet seen.

The great treat in writing this article was the tour. In the CIC, I watched the commanders read the onset of an attack by a Cylon Raider using their DRADIS radar system. Vipers were scrambled. I joined Flores in a Raptor to observe a real dogfight: Vipers launching from “Merc” as their Battlestar is affectionately called. A turret directed fire at the pesky Cylon Raider. As I watched one Viper after another billowing black smoke, Flores remarked: “That’s one of the best raider pilots in the sim. She’s a tough kill!” We moved to rescue one of the Viper pilots (following standard BSG role-play procedures) as the Cylon seemed to loom up on us. I guess she was told not to blow up the reporter from ROLE Magazine! As many as ten Vipers, Raptors, and Raiders are able to simultaneously fight, which is pretty amazing considering all the real estate, scripts, and limitations of the sim boundaries.

Yes, the Fleet ships, fighters, and Cylon Basestar are terrific attractions, but Battlestar Mercury is more than just a setting for role-playing. She’s a character in her own right. With the damage control board system (designed by Anna Frazer), the VICE “bullets” emitted in battles by Raiders (as well as Vipers, so one must be careful!) actually set off alarms in the ship. Thus, the crew needs to react to a real-time situation. As the boards change from yellow alerts to red, debris begins to pile up in the hallways where the damage is being registered. Using special cutting tools, the engineering crew can remove the debris and cause repairs—sometimes this means External Vehicular Activity (“EVA”) while dogfights are still going on!

After rescuing the hapless Viper pilot and returning him to Merc, we flew off to view the fleet and make our way to the Cylon Basestar. This involved 72

“Gets pretty hectic in here during an attack,” says Flores. “It certainly raises the stakes. If we lose all the reactors the power goes out. Can’t launch vipers, DRADIS goes dead.” The hull of Merc can distinguish between accidental collisions of spacecraft against it and the enemy fire—no kamikaze actions allowed!

role-player’s dream: there’s always something going on, whether it’s Flores and other builders retexturing the floors and remodeling parts of the ship, all pointing to the actual life of a working Battlestar or hearing the claxons readying the ship for battle. BSG-21 is definitely a labor of love by fans of the series. And the love shows in all the great little details spread across the fleet. It’s obvious that anything that happened during the run of the series can be recreated in this sim, and what can’t be done isn’t worth doing. If you’re interested in joining the fleet, contact a member of the Player Experience Team.

The Battlestar is huge! It’s not an exact replica of the ship on the series in terms of scale and detail, but it has working launch bays and launch tubes and turret batteries. The Merc’s briefing room is a must-see part of the ship and includes a built-in presentation screen. I also visited the detention center; a firing range; mess hall; the CIC, of course; engineering areas, including working FTL reactors; a medical center, and pilot barracks. For $75L week, the pilots get a bunk very similar to what they have on the show. The concept is you have to pay to play (fly your Viper) contributing to tier. (You do get a pilot outfit for free, for what it’s worth.) Elsewhere onboard, you can rent cabins for $150L per week but don’t expect to stash a lot of prims with that rent. But living on board has to be a

BSG-21 BSG21 (222/217/155) www.bsg21.org 73

GADGETS & “KNOW HOW” THE LAND GAME

SPRING IS IN THE AIR... …which means nesting time! You have finally decided to settle down in SL. Either you have found that perfect partner, or you are just tired of logging into the same place you logged out of (or Welcome Island). You have decided to build a homestead, a place to hang your hat, a place to cuddle with your loved one, play with the kids, pets, friends, etc. You have decided to create a home. By Aldwyn Zanzibar

This means more than just buying or building a house, this means you have to have a place to put said house. This means, just like in the Real World, buying or renting “land”. And with that said, let’s get this journey started.

because you won’t have the prims available. I have debates with my friends all the time, because many people tend to put the cart before the horse. I always recommend finding the house and the furniture you want before you shop for land. This gives you a much better idea on how many prims and what size of lot you will need to build that dream home.

There are many ways to approach this, and everybody has their own tastes when it comes to living space. Style of house, furniture, how many rooms, how much “yard,” do you want to be on the ground or on a platform up in the air? A million little details to consider. I plan on giving you a few fundamentals to start with, and you can build your personal space on top of them.

Most of the information published about land, seems to be centered on square meters (sqm). I don’t really understand this, because while surface area is important (especially if you have a grandiose house you are going to put down), but once again it’s the prims that are key; however, there is a relationship between sqm and prim count.

When you first search for land or a rental, whether it be in the “Land Sales” search, or just the classifieds, looking at that list can be overwhelming. There is a lot of land available out there and also a lot of rentals. Let’s talk about a few fundamental things you will need.

On standard Linden land, for each 512 sqm you get 117 prims. And the more sqm you own in a sim, the more prims you are allotted. Even if they are not “connected” plots of land, if the lots are in the same sim, your prim allotment is pooled, so you can own lots on opposite sides of a sim and still use all your prims on just one lot. Just remember, that this only works within a sim. I’ve heard that estate managers can combine prim allocations across multiple sims but I have not been able to confirm this.

First of all, no matter if you are looking to buy land, or rent, you need to look at the number of prims that will be available to you. Most rental systems tell you up front how many prims a rental has, and that will tell you how much “stuff” you can have in your place. Once again, prim is king. If you get a place that has a low prim count, you may find yourself unable to decorate as you wanted,

There have been many, many things written about Linden land, and as a new avatar, you can get a 74

piece of “first land” for free, with your premium account. I know several people that have kept this little piece of land for years, even though they own several private estate lots. I never did exercise my “first land” option, having always opted for private land.

addressed? This is a big reason why I have only owned private estate land. If I have a question or problem, I want someone to talk to in pretty short order. I also look at what else is in the sim. If there is a club or other venue that seems to get a lot of traffic, I will stay away. A lot of avatars in your sim on a regular basis will cause lag, and make your home life that much less desirable. I tend to look for land for a home only in residential sims.

Now if you start looking at private estates, you may find land that is 1.2, 1.5 or even 2.0 prim factor, which means you get more prims per sqm. I personally have owned mostly 2.0 prim factor land (referred to as double prim land). I personally am a prim whore and I cannot stand the thought of running out of prims. But that is just me, and your situation may be different.

If you are renting, you want to determine if you will have your own radio and tv settings. Some people put multiple houses or skyboxes on a piece of land, which means all the tenants will be sharing the audio and video streams. If your schedule fits with the other tenants, this might not be a problem, but its something to keep in mind

One of the methods that estate owners use to create these “enhanced” prim counts, is by creating “open space” on a sim. This is not the same as the “open space” sims that were all over the SL news and blogs a while back. This technique is to use less space on the sim for actual lots, leaving much of the sim “open,” and usually landscaped nicely, much like RL developers will build a park or walking trails to enhance the area they are building homes in.

Also, part of your process might be looking for a particular theme for your new land. Many people love the “tropical” theme, palm trees, beach front, etc. These lots do tend to fetch a premium price, but if that is what you want, go for it.

When I look at land, I create a spreadsheet that uses the following basic formulas. When I am looking to buy a piece of land, I calculate how many lindens I am paying per prim by dividing the sale price by the number of prims on the lot ($lindens/ prims). Tier costs are pretty consistent, so I don’t factor those into my analysis usually. If I am looking to rent something, I calculate what I am paying per prim, both weekly and monthly ($Lindens/prim per week, then X 4 for per month)

If you think you have found a lot you like, and you are “buying” the land, this is what I do. I ask the seller, if they would take the lot off the market for a week, and I pay the tier for that week. Then I monitor the lot, pop onto it often and see how the sim is performing. I stop in during the week and especially on the weekend. This way, I get a feel for the overall speed I will see on my system, if this is going to be my new home. Instead of just relying on random luck in your searches, I would start by asking your friends and co-workers if they own or rent, and what they think about where they live. Many times the people who own one particular sim, will own several, thus giving you a good recommendation on management styles and customer service.

Using the above formula I can see pretty quickly who is selling their land for a premium, and who is trying to sell quickly. I have found some fantastic deals, by keeping an eye on price per prim. I also tend to keep an eye on the land around me, and if land is placed for sale, and I need more prims (remember… /me prim whore), I know what a fair price is for those extra prims.

Depending on what you like to do with your time in this world, you may want to consider whether or not your sim is connected to other sims, either via water, or land access. I know I have enjoyed being able to throw my boat in the water, and motor around from sim to sim for hours. I have also been known to change into one of my many “flying” ava-

Now, armed with this information, there are other factors to take into consideration. My biggest consideration is service. Who is the sim manager or owner? How available are they? If you have questions or issues, how quickly are your concerns going to be 75

tars (birds, dragons, etc) and fly from sim to sim. I can remember one time, I wanted to visit a friend, and I mapped out the route on the map, and flew from my house to hers, as a very large dragon. It was interesting, to see the different sims from that perspective! It made the”journey” much more interesting than just teleporting. Check to see if the estate you are looking at is “alone” on the grid, or if you will have access to neighboring sims.

how my computer will perform when I am in this new “space”. There are many “performance monitors” available, which will basically tell you the FPS (frames per second) of a sim. This “performance” rating is based on a few things such as number of textures that have to be downloaded, and how many scripts are running on that particular sim. I know that since MONO has been released, the affect of scripts on sim performance has been dramatically improved, but if your neighbor has tons of animated creatures or toys on their land, it could prove to affect the performance on your lot.

Another little handy trick when searching for land to buy is by starting in the classifieds (or “Land Search”, and as you are looking at different lots, made sure the “Land For Sale” box is check in the upper right hand corner of your “MAP”. When this option is turned on, all land that is for sale will have a yellow box overlaid on it. This little trick is very handy if you find a sim you think you like toget a quick view of what else might be available in the immediate area.

I have not found any particular tool that I felt gave a good reading on this factor, which is why I recommend just spending time on your potential new place. You want your land to be a place you want to come to, and to bring your friends and loved ones, so taking a little extra time to really find the perfect place will pay big dividends in the end.

One last area I pay attention to is sim performance. As I mentioned earlier, before I lay down hard-earned Lindens for a place to call my own, I want to get a feel for

Now, get out there and find that home! Happy Spring!

ADVERTISING ROLE Magazine wants you to advertise with us. Our advertising rates are outlined below and we do offer custom ad dimensions on request. Please send your ad as a high resolution JPG or PNG. Ad submission deadline is the 25th of each month. Submit your ads or questions to: advertising@role-magazine.com or Felicity Blumenthal in-world. Payments in-world to: Rohal Schnyder

Ad rates are: 12,000 L$ Double Page Spread 7,000 L$ One Full Page 4,000 L$ One Half Page 2,500 L$ One Quarter 2,500 L$ One Column

Ad Dimensions (in pixel) Double Page Spread One Full Page One Half Page

(2600W * 1800H) (1300W * 1800H) (1300W * 900H)

One Quarter One Column

(650W * 900H) (400W * 1800H)

FINAL CREDITS PEOPLE & LOCATIONS

ALL BLOGS, WEBPAGES AND SLURLS ARE CLICKABLE IN THIS DOCUMENT. THE IN-WORLD MAGAZINE CONTAINS A NOTECARD WITH LANDMARKS. PEOPLE AND PLACES ARE LISTED IN ORDER OF APPEARANCE. COCO DESIGNS

ART CENTRE

COCO DESIGNS (88/127/35) cocorolemon.blogspot.com

Avignon (140/180/491) www.virb.com/artcenter

PHOTOGRAPHER: ZOE DEMAR

RHIZOME GALLERY

www.flickr.com/photos/zoedemar

Rhizome (164/115/41)

WINTER JEFFERSON

BSG-21

incoldbloodsl.blogspot.com

BSG21 (222/217/155) www.bsg21.org

LAWLESS MCBRIDE halfarsedsl.blogspot.com THE LOFT The Loft (169/128/28)

::OBF:: Coders Cove (91/90/24)

DEL SOL Del Sol (116/115/28)

SUGAR MILL Sugar Mill Grove (64/144/23) sugarmill.wordpress.com www.flickr.com/groups/sugarmill

“THE O R I G I N A L S” www.myspace.com/theoriginals_sl

LOST WORLD Beguile (64/64/22)

THE GALLERY Beguile (230/160/658) www.flickr.com/people/kiyamm www.flickr.com/photos/lolmacshan

ADVERTISERS :: 2XTREME :: Pride Isles (163/227/22)

SHIKI DESIGNS Shiki (110/160/21)

MICHAMI SQUARE Nacon (60/68/27)

ROLE OPTIC Concetta (123/92/301)

INSPIRATION COVE Inspiration Cove (128/128/21) ::ELDEE:: Braer (73/243/22) REACH ISLES www.reachisles.com ALPHAMALE & BLACKLACE Alphamale (127/124/41) SEMOTION SEmotion (51/56/33) NIKITA FRIDE Nikita Fride (208/168/30) A.C STORE Glox City (125/92/22) ::HH:: HOUSE OF HUCCI Penrose (193/142/21) 􀀊 SKIN FLICKS Skin Flicks (147/72/29) ERIE ISLE Erie Isle (249/190/461) CASA DEL SHAI casa del shai (150/100/691)

HAPPY SPRING!

ROLE MAGA Z I N E