Challenge #3 Response

Like many of the other people who have already responded, I've been burnt out on some particular part of SL at once time or another. And I know for certain that I have felt burnt out while in SL. But I'm not sure if I was burnt out on SL, or burnt out about something else while I happened to be in SL.

You see, I'm a creature of change, and I have to move from project to project quickly or I become bored and apathetic—not just with that one project, but with other things in my life, too. So if I get burnt out on something in RL, my mood tends to carry over into SL, and vice versa. As I've come to know this about myself over the years, I have been careful to monitor my mood, identify anything that is bothering me, and make a change to fix it.

I can distinctly remember, when I was merely a wee newblet crawling my way around the Grid as I drew sustenance from the Shelter, that I had concerns that I was spending too much time in SL. Like many other new Residents, I got hooked, and wanted to spend as much time as possible exploring this marvelous new world! I knew that if I kept it up, I would burn out and get sick of SL.

When I (inevitably) started to get tired of SL, and couldn't think of anything to do, I cut back on the hours I was spending in SL, and paid more attention to the things that interested me in RL.

I have, from time to time since then, noticed myself spending too much time in SL. When that happens, I take a little bit of time off, or just cut back my hours for a while. So far, I've always come back to SL, and always found it more enjoyable and interesting than it had seemed before.

Challenge #3: Have you ever burned out on Second Life?

The question for consideration this round:

Have you ever burned out on Second Life?

By "burn out", I mean "experience fatigue, frustration, or apathy resulting from prolonged stress, overwork, or intense activity."

Basically, have you ever just got sick and tired from too much SL? What happened? How did you deal with it?

I'll post my own response soon.

Challenge #2: What You Like Most About Second Life

Mera poses the challenge: Tell us what you like most about Second Life.

Dolmere wrote in his response to the challenge:

I still remember Mera exclaiming something like "I love this place. It's good to know that the skills I have spent my life learning are appreciated somewhere".

That reflects much of the appeal of Second Life to me: the sense of efficacy and satisfaction that I derive from it. The things that I love are things that matter in Second Life. And I love what things matter in Second Life.

Consider a game such as, say, World of Warcraft, the massively multiplayer online stupefacient that held my attention prior to joining Second Life. I could perform decently in such a game, but the things that mattered—the things around which the hierarchy of reputation was formed—were the ability to kill things quickly, and the ability to kill other things quickly. Rarely was there reverance for a great healer; appreciation, of course, because they helped the other people continue to kill things; but not reverance.

I was never very competetive by nature, nor was I destructive. I found more satisfaction in cooperation and creation. I did not care to organize a group of other players to attack the enemy's home cities and kill their citizens. I would rather (and did, on several occasions) organize a dance-raid: march into the enemy city and have a peaceful dance party with the enemy! (For some reason, the enemy did not usually appreciate my efforts.)

Second Life was different.

Many people take great pains to stress that Second Life is not a game. But for me, it always has been a game—of sorts—and one that I was good at (and more, enjoyed!). In this amazing new game, instead of killing things, people created things. Instead of smacking each other with swords, they joined hands and made the world better. The people who were most widely-known and respected were renowned for their creative ability or friendliness! What a marvelous thing to find!

Of course, the "rules" to this "game" aren't as concretely established as in Warcraft, and everybody "plays" a different way. But for me, every time I create a new sculpture or enjoy an activity with my friends, it's more satisfying and rewarding than killing monsters or running around from place to place ever was.

So, what do I like most about Second Life?

It's not the amazing and wonderful people I've met. It's not the dynamic environment. It's not even the building.

It's the attitude and spirit.

Create, not destroy.
Help, not harm.
Join together, not tear apart.

Everything worthwhile in Second Life is a branch on this tree.

Challenge #2: What U Lieking Most Aboot Second Lief??

Mera demands: Tell us what you like most about Second Life.

Oooh, that's a toughie. Well, after thinking it over for a while, I decided that what I like most about Second Life is...

TEH BLING, BABY!. AWWWW YAEH!!!1

Hoo-ha-ha! Just kidding, gentle reader! The thing that I actually like the most about Second Life is...


...



...

TEH PEOAPLE, BAYBEE!. AWWWW YAEH!!!!!!11!1

Ah-ha-ha! I kill me with my own humor! I am truly slain with laughing!

Tune in again later for less silliness!

Challenge: Two Newbie Locations

If I were to name two locations in Second Life to show a new Resident, what would they be?

Well, if I'm going to be giving a newbie the ultra-premium tour de luxe of Second Life, that newbie is probably a clever one, bursting with raw creative will!! I want to expose that Resident to the amazing possibilities in Second Life, and get them started on the path to supreme excellence!

First stop: Jopsy Pendragon's Particle Laboratory!

Jopsy Pendragon's Particle Laboratory

Jopsy Pendragon is amazing. He is like a deity that reaches his hand out into the cosmos and gathers up the stars and nebulae and puts them on display for us mere mortals to gaze upon in awe. And he is a kindly god, too: his Particle Laboratory includes a free, first-rate self-guided tutorial about particle systems! How neat is that?

Jopsy's place is huge, with so many different particle-related things to see. I haven't even seen half of it, and there's more being added all the time! But there's one part in particular you definitely have to check out: the Cloud Chateau!

The Cloud Chateau

A still image cannot hope to capture the beautiful moving designs you will find in the Chateau; you'll have to see it for yourself. It's a great place to relax and get inspired, and I love to visit it! One note: if you try to teleport there (like from the link above), you'll be placed on the ground level. The Chateau is many hundred meters in the air, but luckily there's a handy elevator bubble that will take you directly there. Enjoy!

Next stop: The Photography Studio in Grignano!

The Photography Studio in Grignano

The Studio is headed by Osprey Therian, a very cool gal with a very cool hat and a very cool gallery! There is a loosely-themed photography contest just about every month, with cash prizes (yay, money!). I've even entered a few of them myself!

There is a lot to see at the Studio. Downstairs is the studio proper, with backdrops for snapshots and a collection of "old-timey" snapshots. On the second floor to the right are a collection of books and other entertaining things. But my favorite part is the gallery, where the monthly photo contests entries hang in all their snapshot glory. Second Life has some very unique and talented artists among its population, and the Photography Studio in Grignano is a fantastic place to see the works of established as well as up-and-coming Resident photographers!