Frontier's Horizon

Has it been two years? Wow.

I decided to revisit, dust-off, and revamp this old journal this morning. Why is that? Well, it's because my most wonderful partner looked at me this morning after I was going off about a virtual event I attended last night. She said, "So, write about it."

She says this to me alot. It might be because she is tired of listening to me go on and on and on about the subject of the "virtual experience." Since she herself does not play computer games, I am willing to entertain the idea that this is, in truth, the matter at hand. It may also be because she likes my writing. Regardless, the more I thought about it, the more I realized she was right. I am enamoured with the idea of the "virtual world" or the multi-player game experience. Below are posted two or three entries from when I was exploring Second Life. After two years of several experiences and watching things evolve in the online gaming world, I had a lot to rant on. This was unfortunately unleashed on several of my friends and family members.

What is it, exactly, I am ranting about? The simple fact that when I look at what is going on with virtual worlds/online gaming I say to myself, "Something is happening here." Its why I initially chose the username I did because I feel that right now, under our very noses and disguised as a game, there is a new frontier opening up. And not just one! Most are willing to call it a game, a pasttime, a way to relax, and leave it at that. However, I think there is something much more powerful going on. I've had these thoughts and theories for two years now and it took my amazing partner to look at me from inside the towel she was using to dry her showered hair this morning and say, "Write about it."

That frontier is what I will be exploring and commenting on in this journal.

Call it a game, call it an experience, or call it a distraction, I'm setting off to take a closer look at these other worlds and the way they are impacting our "real" world.

Join me?

After one simple encounter I can know easily explain to friends and folks why I love Second Life so much. Last night I had decided to do some exploring. I wandered around from dance party to dance party, cruised over architecture, and was, for the most part, simply seeing the sights.

As I hovered near one building and deciding if I should wander into its shops or not, a bit of movement caught my eye, something coming in from above and moving past me. It didn't *look* like someone flying...

What, to my amazement, should I see but two women flying along on the edge of a spinning teacup. This is what will keep it all fresh for me. Because the program allows for the creation of dreams into digital reality, you never know what you might see next. Its like walking in a magical world. One day its an amazing avatar, the next its a flying teacup.




I love this place.

I took some time yesterday from laying out my parcel of land to wander about the world. The event board was full of celebratory happenings and I was curious to see what folks were doing for the 4th of July. Avatar contests, fireworks displays and even a Mr. and Mrs. Americana contest all seemed to be in the works. Time was short so I bounced from teleporter to teleporter, seeing what I could see. The sim for the Americana contest was full so I finally came to land over at the Dragon's Lair where owners Zared and Itty Zander were busy blowing things up, filling the sky with red, white, and blue explosions.



( Read onward! )

Others have come before me and for many, this is nothing new.

The original settlers have long since arrived and built up the land I am standing upon. My portal, an older vessel with a 1/2 gig processor creaks and groans. But, it gets me here. It gets me to this place that I call a new frontier. One of many...

On June 16th, 2004 I arrived. I did very little. It was more of an experiment to see if my computer could even handle the strain. Surprisingly enough, it did. I was happy with that and after walking around a bit, I logged off. I wanted more time to explore, to really immerse myself in it and, well, to really see if my computer could take a crowded room full of avatars or streets full of buildings.

I waited a few days for my vacation from real world work. On the fleeting edge of Summer Solsitce, June 22nd, I took my first few steps into the world. It took quite a bit of time playing with the settings but I discovered I could move about quite well. It was an exercise in patience as my screen would slowly fill but it was well worth it.

I did all the things that beginners do. I moved around, explored, and interacted. I made some friends, danced, and I gambled. I made my first bit of clothing, a kilt, to show my love of Celtic culture. I met a vampire named Chalice Mysterio and we talked about tarot. She showed me where someone had made a replica of Stonehenge. She took me to her vampiric castle. It gave me one of the first experiences of how someone could shape this world to their liking. I bought a painting I found in a store in the eventuality that I might own land one day and have a house. At a nightclub, I danced with a dragon. Finally, at the end of the week, I managed to acquire a modest plot of land. As I did all of this an awareness of the enormity of it all began to sink in. I won't bore you with my amazement, you would not be here if you did not feel at least some of the same.

This was something other then a game. There were no levels. There were no required quests. There was no structure except what you decided to upon. This was.... something else. Something started to come forward, the sense that *something* was happening here in this tucked away other world. Something involving community, creativity, magic, and dreams all rolling up together and interacting, spilling over, into the real world. From downloading what I thought was a *game* I stumbled upon a new frontier. A frontier that is being explored and redefined every day.

In many ways, it can be compared to a dream-state. Have you ever had a dream where you are just positive, upon waking, that you've visited another world, another time? The feelings stick with you for the entirety of the day after you awaken. But, the memories start to fade and you wish, just wish, that you had a way to get back to that dream, if only for a little while?

Sound familiar?

There is time enough for me to write on that later and I will. It is, after all, the purpose of the journal. For the meantime, I'm settling in. I've got a little beginner cabin placed on my small bit of land. I'm learning how to build. I'll be hanging the picture soon, placing furniture. Of course, I'll be reporting and commentating. But for now, I'm happy because from the front door, I can see the sunrise as it comes up and over the horizon.