By now if you regularly read our site you will have realised that I have an itch to rant. Various things annoy many people, usually different things, from lack of customer relations to lag. At points in our day to day lives I am sure things annoy you, why should a virtual world be any different?

I need to make you all aware of one thing, something that should be kept in mind at all times. I may complain, I may moan but I do love this game. People and things annoy me, causing me to ramble on, but through it all I continue to pay for this wonderful colourful experience that is second life. Everyone in second life is allowed their freedom of speech. I have the good fortune to be able to do it here on Rez, it’s my choice to do it, the same as it is your choice to read it. We may not always agree but if we all agreed on everything the world, both real and second would be a very boring place.

I found myself the other day actually shaking my head at my computer screen. Here I was wondering about the ¼ sim I live on. Minding my own business, as I often do, tidying up the land, playing with prims when in drops a….. normally I would say gentleman but he wasn’t. I gather he was excited and that the atmosphere was rather cold his xcite attachment out for the world to see and admire. Shame in this case he happened upon a lesbian. The first and only words out his mouth where “wanna fuck”. I thought to myself how rude. You arrive on my land, don’t even enquire after my wellbeing, don’t even dress for the occasion and presume I will take you up on your delightful offer. As tempting as this question was, even to the most gay of women, I simply retorted with “fuck this” and hit eject.

It made me think however. In what world is this accepted as normal behavior? If a man approached a woman in the street with his tackle showing and that question, she would call the police! Sure most of us have had the delight of walking past a building site… hot sweaty men with jeans too small for them shouting obscenities. We know how delightful an experience that is!

Whilst thinking over the complexities of this situation, I happened upon more ponders. I am a keen reader of classified adverts. Since I explore and shop a lot in this game a classified advert is second nature. I understand that in a digital world the want for shortening words is great so things like ‘u’, ‘nvr’ & ‘gr8’ creep in. As for the great typo… we all do them, in the heat of fast and furious conversations a typo will appear. I wonder in what world however some of these classified adverts are from. If someone has taken the time and care to produce something, then surely it takes 2 extra seconds to market it properly. I watch with keen interest some of the ‘big’ places in sl. Clubs etc…. I have been a few times to some places that have hosts with horrendous spelling. I am not about to get my big red marker out but if you sell something or represent something at least TRY to do it properly. The odd typo is one thing having a language all of your own is quite another!

One further progression in my thinking (and ranting) is to do with selling objects. This world allows endless possibilities. You can create and package anything you want. From glorious fantasy outfits to gothic cathedrals. The depth of knowledge and experience in second life can be truly awe inspiring at times. As I mentioned above being the keen shopper I am, I often look with bemusement upon objects for sale. I have in the past seen absolutely stunning designs of clothes, or a beautifully crafted high prim building boxed up and listed in slx or sold in world with a simple snapshot to sell it. Like I said above if you have taken the time to create these things you have followed a process. For example think of a building…. Firstly you need to think of what style of building and then you must build it, taking time to align and link pieces. You must select a texture to use, one in keeping with your building. If it’s a larger building then you must use a rezzer to package it up… then you take a snapshot and shove it onto a prim? If you have spent a few hours or a day or so creating this surely taking 5 minutes extra to make the most of your creation is advisable? Obviously not everyone has Photoshop (or similar), I accept that, but there are a few things you can do to show dedication to your build. With windlight available as First Look, and soon Main Grid I advise people use it to the best of its ability.

Christmas time is a time of tradition. Chestnuts on an open fire, carefully wrapped presents placed under the tree, kids singing carols at your door, and bare-knuckle fist-fights in the middle of shops between people who left their purchases really late. Here in the UK, one of our traditions is the Queen's Speech, where once a year, the unelected figurehead or our apparently democratic nation speaks to the people about the year gone by, and that which is to come in the year ahead. I couldn't help but think of this, when sitting down in from of my pc, to listen to Phllip Linden (or Rossdale in rl) in his first "Inside the Lab" Podcast, where Linden Lab's head honcho, and therefore defacto President of Second Life, discussed 2007 in Second life, and what next year seems to hold, in an interview with Linden Lab's Director of Marketing Catherine Linden (Smith).

Of course, seeing as this is the head of the company being given a grilling by the head of marketing, this was never going to be the hard hitting, no holds barred, lets have some answers grilling that many of us would like, but to be fair, this is an interesting step in the direction of ore transparency from the company that controls many aspects of our virtual destinies, so I thought I really should hear him out.

They started off discussing the effects of big brands coming into SL, and how this was affecting the world and experience of the grid for us all. A big deal was made of how many new companies are coming in, and while they do discuss the companies who choose to stay, and how these are ultimately the one's that work with the residents to make a better experience for all, but neglects to discuss the companies who are leaving, or why they might be (which as long term readers will know is a concern of mine), and also neglects to mention the company on everyone's lips when it comes to rl business and it's difficulties with SL, Coca Cola. So, there's one issue brushed under the carpet.

To give credit where it's due, they do give some interesting information in the interview, and also put their hands up to some of their own limitations. Phillip explains that the number of unique residents in SL has gone up this year from 1.5 million to 6.2 million (although how they know that these are "unique" considering that I appear to be the only person on the grid without an alt, I do not know). Phillip readily admits that they as a company have struggled to cope with this meteoric increase in the popularity of our little virtual world. This is why, he says, that stability and reliability have become such a priority, which is nice to hear, although many would point out that it would be nice to actually SEE some of this prioritisation in action, rather than the continual bundling on of new toys into the grid. Oh, and it's at this point, I'd just like to briefly mention while listening to this interview, I had a vision of the offices of Linden Research Inc. On the wall, possibly in the lobby, there is motivational pictureframe. The photo in it is something like a bridge crossing a huge chasm, and the motto below reads "The are no problems, only challenges". The repeated use of the word challenge instead of headaches / nightmares / cock-ups / etc... made me smile again and again.

Phillip was then asked about the Gambling Ban, one of the big issues of the year. In response, he spoke about just how international the community has become, and the many "challenges" this presents. There's a discussion about "virtual world law" and how this is a truly interesting time, with discussions going on amongst people of various nationalities. This seems an unspoken nod towards the VAT charges placed on Europeans, but does not, however, actually address the fact that this ban is based exclusively on US law, which was the main cause for protest about it.

There is then talk about Second Life's competitors, and those who are incoming, for example the product being developed by Google. Phillip largely downplays their importance by looking down on their "efforts", and talks about the competition as being either imitatory or "not in direct competition". In fact, even goes so far to say that he "hopes to be challenged" by them. Careful Phil. It's when you rest on your laurels, and believe that you are king of the mountain, that someone comes along and show's you that you aren't the biggest dog in the yard. Be warned.

We then look to the future and the year to come. After pointing out that no ne could have predicted all the changes and challenges of 2007, Phillip once again talks about how they are REALLY gonna work on stability and reliability, on every front, be it server, client or support. Then talks about there being a lot more open source involvement, speaking with great pride about how the CSI:NY sims are a great example of what open source can do, with outside workers using the tools LL have given to completely turn SL on it's head, and custom make the world over.

They talk about upcoming trends, and once again the subject of RL business in SL is looked at. Here is the bit that worried me. They talk about how these businesses are putting so much money in and driving forward ideas that they need to work, such as HTML inworld to allow webpages to be viewed. However, after talking earlier about how the best businesses are working within the format, they are now stating that big name companies are walking in, making demands, and Linden Labs are promptly jumping to it. This could be potentially scary, if a big enough company drove enough money to SL's door, and demanded that, for example, they only wanted to provide the music streams, so that they could charge subscriptions to listen. What would happen? Who knows.....

Phillip then says that he thinks that in the future he can see consolidation of virtual worlds, with bigger companies swallowing smaller, to do away with the need to have accounts in various different worlds. Which beggars the question: Who does he have his eye on. I once saw a picture suggesting that most people's favourite Linden, Torley, has an account in Habbo Hotel.
Finally, Phillip was asked if he had a message to us lowly residents. His message was "We're all in this together." He points out that this is still "very early" in the lifeline of SL and virtul worlds in general, and that at the moment, everyone' input is relevant, assuring residents that all our input is shaping this young format. Those who put the hours in, will control the destiny of SL! Or alternatively... Don't give up on us. Everyone will think you're cool if you were here at the start!

So, ultimately, no huge revelations. As I said at the beginning, this seems to be ultimately an exercise in telling us what they want us to know, or even what they want us to hear, and of course admitting things that they can't deny, because they are so painfully obvious anyone who's inworld for 5 minutes can spot them. But marks for effort, and at least we get to hear his voice, and arm ourselves with a whole new set of questions. So, Phil, when are you going to subject yourself to a Voodoo Buwan interview?

To listen to the podcast in it's entirety, check the Linden Blog or click here to download the podcast directly.

Nightclubs. Love em or hate em, you kind of can't avoid them in the hazy crazy rock and roll world of SL. However, if like me you've been to, or even worked in, a few clubs in your time, you'll notice that certain things are a repeated again and again in almost every dance club in SL. From the annoying prim spotlights that get in your way when you're trying to click a dance anim, to the dancing girls trying to chat you up in exchange for tips, to the same old "Best in Certain Colour/Wings/retro decade fashion/etc" competitions, and the "apparently not gambling" sploders and rows upon rows of camping opportunities. All of the above are 'necessary to get people in and make the place a success'. The DJ's (if they have their own) are all people dreaming they were on rl radio, even down to occasional shout outs and even little contests of their own. If anything, the only live DJ's I've seen that behave that way work Weddings and Bahmitzvahs, events that the hip kids in town fairly head down to in order to hear the latest hippest tunes, and get their grooves on to. (And yes, I'm aware of my own limitations, and my own forays into DJing fall under this category. But I never claimed to be a professional DJ. I just like playing songs).

For some time I've accepted that this is just the way things are. You need half naked women and camping to lure in the horny and the naive cash strapped newbies. These crowds will attract others, and they stay because of "fun" contests, and interactive DJ's who let you feel involved with your requests. Oh, and of course, you need the contests to fund the half naked women and camping you used to get the people there in the first place. This is the Law of the SL nightclub.

Fortunately, I have seen that this is all a load of rubbish, and that you can run a successful club based on one thing.... the music! The FAC has no strippers, no paid dancers, no adverts, no attached shopping mall, no camping, no contest boards... none of it. What they do have is superb DJ's mixing tracks, throwing down fierce beats, and making you feel like you're ACTUALLY in a professional nightclub. AND they regularly have large crowds that many of the cheap conformist clubs simply dream of. So, how did they manage it? To find out, I met up with Bowyer Hawks, Founder, owner and occasional DJ at the FAC:

Voodoo Buwan: So, how did the FAC come about?
Bowyer Hawks: Well, when I started to DJ in SL it pretty soon started to look like DJing in RL. What I mean by that is I had to adapt to certain crowds.. and was asked to do this and that from club owners. And that wasn’t really what I was up to. I have done my years in RL clubs.. and it was time for something real with no commercial interests involved. I don’t wanna play music so somebody can sell something. So that’s when the idea about FAC came about.
Voodoo Buwan: Yes, the FAC is very different to other clubs like that.... proper DJing as opposed to radio DJing, no ads and no strippers.
Bowyer Hawks: haha.. yes totally. FAC is a commercial free zone. No games.. nothin for sale, nothing costs anything and nobody makes any money...apart from tips which is up to people to pay if they want. We still have a tip jar but have been thinking about taking it away, as people can tip anyway.
Voodoo Buwan: How do you finance the place?
Bowyer Hawks: I just pay it myself. Its only about 50 US dollars a month and that's very cheap for all that it has given me.
Voodoo Buwan: So, it's not a money making venture?
Bowyer Hawks: Oh no, not at all. I don’t sell anything.
Voodoo Buwan: The choice to not have any dancing girls... what was the thinking behind that?
Bowyer Hawks: Well dancing girls never even entered my mind actually.
Voodoo Buwan: Many clubs claim they are a necessity to get the punters in
Bowyer Hawks: Yes.. I understand that they may see it that way, and when we started FAC we didnt know if it was going to work. But if we weren’t able to do it our way we could see very little point in doing it at all.
Voodoo Buwan: How have you managed to attract such large crowds without the use of things like camping, sploders and strippers?
Bowyer Hawks: I think it’s all about a great team of people with great love for music. When I think about all the people who has helped making FAC what it is I really get tears in my eyes...it’s such a great group of people. If you gather a group of people and do your thing and have fun.. it soon spreads to others who like that very same thing. It’s about patience I guess. It’s also important to think about why you do something and not just try to do it as big as possible. I didn’t open FAC because I wanted a successful club, I opened it because I wanted to hang out with a group of people with about the same taste in music as me and have a good time. In the beginning we thought 8-11 people was huge.. and we had great fun. I remember nights with just 3 avatars and a DJ...for like 4-5 hors..
Voodoo Buwan: So, at the end of the day, the music was the driving force first and foremost, and if anyone else wanted to come along, they were more than welcome?
Bowyer Hawks: and open-minded people who don’t judge others.. so its not a music elite we are talking about here either. But we don’t do trance and hard style.. or breakbeat because its just not what we are about. People like Oda Swain and Aresta Woodget and GW Raymaker should be mentioned here. They have done huge amounts of work to make this a reality.
Voodoo Buwan: What would you categorise they typical FAC playlist as then? What should people expect to hear if they wander along?
Bowyer Hawks: Well, people have very different ideas about what is what in dance music. Some people feel that Vocal house is commercial and some think that minimal and electro is a hype. At the end of the day that’s all just words anyway.
I have been into dance music since the end of the 80s and I have my idea of what I feel is right, and GW and Aresta have theirs.... and others have yet a different view but to make it easy...We do House of all kinds!.. and techno of a softer more artistic kind and we try to stay away from things that sound too much MTV
Voodoo Buwan: The place has a very definitely look to it as well.... what was the inspiration behind the design?
Bowyer Hawks: Well, I wanted to make something that was a bit New Yorkish.. that’s where I have had my best clubbing experiences. There was an illegal after hours place on the lower east side called Save the Robots that I used to hang out at when I was studying in NY.. I got quite a bit of inspiration from that. I wanted a realistic look and feel. So that's why I even had to put in that ventilation in the ceiling
Voodoo Buwan: Finally, is there any advice you would give to anyone thinking about starting up their own club?

Bowyer Hawks: Well. People are different but I think they should think about what it is that they really enjoy. To just have a club full of campers or people who come there to win some lottery is probably not very fun in the long run. Make the exact club that you yourself would want to hang out in and others like you will show up sooner or later. That's when the magic begins.

In this capitalistic metaverse, we all love to shop. Because of this demand for places to fritter away our hard earned Linden Dollars, shopping malls are a dime a dozen. Anyone with any land, seems to throw together big blocky square buildings, divided into regimented cubicles, rent out the spaces to sl entrepreneurs eager to get their wares seen in as many places as possible, and sit back to let the money roll in. Many have clubs attached, in order to attract people to these rectangular towers of uncreative materialism, and maintain some form of flow of curious residents who might purchase the products held within, but as with the construction of the building in the first place, the bare minimum is done. Fortunately, there are still places in SL that show things don't have to be this way.

I first discovered Plunder because it has an outpost of one of my favourite stores there, and having seen before that they are quite good at placing their stores near one's of a similar style, I decided to pop by, and see what other wondrous things were on offer. When I arrived, I was completely distracted from my quest for grubby clothes and battle worn attachments. Plunder is located high, high in the air, unusual for a mall, since it means it doesn't get much browsing traffic, when people are wandering by, happen to notice it, and have to go in for a better look. Which is almost a shame, since if you were lowflying over the grid, and spotted this, that is EXACTLY what you'd do. However, there's a reason Plunder is in the air. The place themed as an floating airship hub, a place for flying craft to gather to trade and meet. Unlike many skystructures, this isn't just, there, high in the air, with no apparent means of support. Each structure, every ship, house, platform or shed is held aloft by balloons, thrusters, propellers, or in some cases, flying robots or giant insects that have been lashed to the build. Here, there is thought, variety and imagination in abundance. This is not a simple money making enterprise, but a labour of love, which makes the customer go "ooOOoo... look at that" as much as "must buy that, gotta have that".


I then noticed one thing, that, to be honest, made my heart sink a little. "Click here to teleport to Plunder Lounge". Even this place, it seemed, is not safe from the club/mall partnership. When I teleported up to the "lounge", I looked around, and was completely amazed. There was no dancefloor. No DJ booth. No podium with half naked dancing girls. No Sploder, no swirling textures, and no comp boards. As described in it's name, it's a comfortable, relaxing lounge, located in the passenger area of a giant zeppelin, where you can chill out and chat with interesting people, while occasionally gazing out at the gorgeous build below you. Which is exactly what I did, with the owner of Plunder, Posy Trudeau:


Voodoo: So, what was the inspiration behind the build here?
Posy Trudeau: Well, my boyfriend Donovan Brennen introduced me to anime... and we watched Laputa Castle in the Sky. It’s a wonderful movie with lots of airships... Steamboy was also an inspiration. I just thought it would be a unique idea in SL and I wanted to do it for a really long time so I finally bought the land and did it. It's truly my pet project. Vendors are here by invite only... rent free... and most are close friends. I'm very fortunate to have very talented designers who are friends ^^
Voodoo: Now each of the vendors areas are very unique, but all keep with the theme.... Did the vendors themselves make those, or did you make the spaces ready to be used?
Posy Trudeau: Well, I know how difficult and time-consuming it is to set up a store, much less building the store itself...so I gave everyone a choice...they could build their own airship, or I would build one for them.
Voodoo: How many of them took the plunge, and made their own?
Posy Trudeau: Several built their own, like Disembodied Hand, Vas Legend and Tyreak Takashi... all incredible builders. I surprised some who were close friends, like Zabitan Assia... he's a HUGE fan of Japanese toys, so I made his store held aloft by a giant Japanese toy robot; and Keishii Roo...who's a Neko...I gave his a gothic cat theme. It was really fun for me ^^. I also purchased a couple of the airships. The one we're in now was a present for me from Donovan :-)
Voodoo: There's a really personal feel throughout the whole project.... do you feel that helps give a warmth to the place, or is there a danger of making it too cliquey and alienating potential customers?
Posy Trudeau: Hmmm... well if the positive comments from customers are any indication, that's not the case. I've gotten wonderful feedback :D and to be honest...my whole purpose in SL is to have fun and do things that I like...and hopefully others will like it too.
Voodoo: So, make something you want first and foremost, and hope that other people will enjoy it too. Not a bad philosophy.
Posy Trudeau: Exactly...otherwise it wouldn’t be fun for me, and would seem too much like work, and I already have a RL job for that, where I have to answer to a boss and please other people. This place is my true creative outlet, where I do things for me. I know that it may sound selfish, but that's how I view Second Life and why I spend hours of my free time here.
Voodoo: Have you had any problems running Plunder, either from customers or from your vendors?
Posy Trudeau: No problems at all...the vendors are all good friends of mine... definitely one of the benefits
Voodoo: Superb.... we should all be so lucky :)
Posy Trudeau: :-)
Voodoo: Finally, what is next for you? Do you have any future plans, either with Plunder or with other projects?
Posy Trudeau: Well... I'm absolutely dying to own my own island...with Plunder in the sky, and my other store Miau Haus on the ground. It would be nice to have Plunder without the neighbouring structures floating around and I have a few friends I'd like to add as vendors. I think it'll be a few more months before I'm ready for that move
Voodoo: Well, best of luck with that, and congratulations on such a great place.

Christmas is coming, the goose is getting… well, decidedly worried. It’s at this time of year that you need to ask yourself that important question: What are you going to get all your loved ones to show them how much you care at this special time of year. Well, we here at Rez, as part of our commitment to you, have put together a list of helpful suggestions. All of the below are available to purchase at the listed locations, and because they are transferable, will be able to be passed on to your friend, when you’re curled up by the tree.

For that Special Swashbuckler:
They may think that they’re Captain Jack Sparrow, but unfortunately, but just like Jack at the beginning of the Pirate’s Trilogy, they lack a ship. Make their life complete, with one of the most gorgeous, painstakingly built and complete Pirate Ships I’ve seen in SL. Plenty of room for counting your booty, but make sure they have plenty of land, as something this big and constructed in this detail isn’t exactly low on prims.
Murdock’s Maritimes Pirate Ship (6000$L)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Inari/151/225/28

For the Shoe Addict:
Constructed using flawless textures, and the very latest in carefully constructed sculpty prims, these shoes are guaranteed to raise the heart rate of any footwear aficionado.
Photorealistic shoes by Tesla (from 359$L a pair)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Dreamworld%20South/228/224/22

For the Inked Up Punk:
If your friend is well into their tattoos, it’s no doubt that they will already have every celtic band and tribal pattern known to man. So, widen their collection with these fine tats, ranging from some classics, like their sailor style work, to pop culture inspired designs, like their perfect Elvis and Sex Pistols themed inkpacks.
13 Needles Tattoos (from 50$L)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Earp/196/235/501

For the Bedroom Rockstar:
Help make every word they type hit out like the like a slamming lyric, with this Elvis Microphone typing overider! Every time they type on their keyboard, everyone will gasp as your friend dramtically grabs the mic, strikes a pose like the King, and has the crowd that gathers waiting to see what thought they are gonna rock them with!
Elvis Mic Typing Overider by Remnant (250$L)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Varado/111/181/31

If Your Partner is being All Work and No Play:
Is your partner spending too much time working on putting together their SL Empire, and not enough on conquering you? Are they chasing the almighty Linden Dollar, when they should be chasing your tail? Well, here’s your answer. Simply give them this professional office desk, and whenever you want them to put aside the spreadsheets and interface with you, click the desk, hop on a poseball, and indulge in dipping the pen in the company ink.
Computer Sex Desk by Pluxor Hax (499$L)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Edgecumbe/236/53/42

To that Special Someone:
What better gift to give, than a simple heart key on a chain, that let’s your lover know that they have access to you in a way that no-one else does, and your heart is their home forever.
Key to My Heart Necklace by Xessories (250$L)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Urbane/185/102/22

For the Person Who Has Everything:
The eternal difficult question: What to get someone who seems to have everything they need? Try something extravagant and luxurious, but something that they would not think of getting for themselves and is hard to get,. Personally, I think this beautifully built Christmas Carousel seems to tick all those boxes, and will not only look fabulous in the garden of even the most expensive mansion, but will be the talking point and amusement for all those Christmas parties they have. It doesn’t come cheap, but then if it did, your friend would probably have it already.
Limited Edition Christmas Carousel by Jinxing Creations (6000$L)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/WindHaven%20Isle/130/37/22

For a Grinch:
So your friend hates Christmas, huh? Spend the whole time talking about how commercial it’s gotten, muttering “Humbug”, and chucking cold water over carol singers? Well, that doesn’t mean you still can’t get them a present. This little bundle includes a chalk outline of Father Christmas, sprayed with blood, a discarded Santa hat, and a burning sleigh, for them to place outside their home as a message to any other jolly obese flying OAP’s, to show what’s in store for them if they try to impose their festive jollity on the Mistletoe Challenged!
Santa’s Slain (Chalk outline, hat and crashed sligh) by Numinous (61$L all together)
http://slurl.com/secondlife/Kress/181/83/149


REMEMBER, IF YOU ARE OUT LOOKING FOR PRESENTS, ALWAYS CHECK THE ITEM IS TRANSFERABLE, OR YOU WILL END UP WITH AN INVENTORY FULL OF ITEMS PERFECT FOR YOUR FRIENDS, BUT IMPOSSIBLE TO BE PASSED ON, WHICH CAN BE REALLY, REALLY ANNOYING. DON’T SAY I DIDN’T WARN YOU!

Second Life is a world designed to be shaped by the ideas and imaginations of the many and varied people who call it their second home. However, in order to express your ideas or create and build the designs that you have rattling around in your head, most residents find that they need money, meaning that to an extent, you could be fooled into thinking that the world of SL is only really available to those fortunate enough to be able to afford to finance their own ideas coming to fruition, meaning the wealthy are the only ones able to afford providing content.

Fortunately, there are organisations in existence such as the Foundation for Rich Content (FFRC), a non for profit group set up by sl residents with the goal of “foster diversity and richness in content and events in Second Life”, acting as a kind of arts council within our virtual community, to aid the those who have ideas that would be beneficial, inspiring or entertaining to the residents of SL as a whole, but don’t have the funding to properly get their ideas off the ground. Founded by RyeDin Meiji, the group is largely run by committee, chaired by Persephone Phoenix, with others offering their services to the group, such as Gabe Lippmann working as Treasurer and Jamys Vuckovic as their archivist. To find out a little more about the fine work that they are carrying out, I met up with Persephone, to find out a little more about this collective and what they have been up to:


Voodoo: What was the inspiration behind the founding of the FFRC?
Persephone Phoenix: I am not able to speak for Rye, but the impetus began in the SL forums back in 2005 when Linden Labs cut funding for events. It was a hotly debated topic and I was one of the people voicing concern for events that might die off if they did not find a way to cover costs. Back then, mind you, funding was pretty small, but it might cover some of the costs of tier or prizes for contests, etc; a modest host fee. Anyway, in the midst of all the wet t-shirt contests and other content (content we suspected could be self-sustaining) there were community events, arts and culture events, and sporting events that a few people were rallying around. So there, on the SL Forums, the idea was tossed around about a funding foundation that was resident run that could help support content that enriches the lives of sl residents. And voila, the FFRC was born.

Voodoo: So, how many people are involved in running the Foundation itself?
Persephone Phoenix: Well it is an open group so the membership is pretty big, but on average we probably see between seven and fifteen people at meetings. We keep it an open group and keep our proceedings public (chatlogged publicly) so that we can obtain the highest degree of transparency possible in Second Life. As a group doing not for profit work, distributing public funds, it is important to us to operate in a transparent fashion. But in terms of people donating tier, or donating money or time on some level, we probably have at least 100 supporters.

Voodoo: Yes, on the subject of funds, you supply grants and funding for events and projects. Where does the money for this come from? Is it all individual donations?
Persephone Phoenix: Yes. Largely we get donations from individuals in second life, however we have sometimes gotten funding from organizations and have something in the works with a corporate presence in SL. In the past, we helped to distribute funds from the RL nonprofit City Stages as part of their awareness-building campaign. I am hoping that we'll be able to distribute a press release, soon, about our involvement in allocating a land grant for a corporate presence in SL. The press release is undergoing the approval process.

Voodoo: How do you decide which particular projects are worthy of funding, as obviously there is no shortage of ideas in SL?
Persephone Phoenix: Ah that's a great question. We meet once per month and four of those meetings per year will be meetings at which we evaluate applications for funding. Anyone is welcome to come and listen or offer opinions (though we try to stay on task as much as possible since there is much to be done at those meetings), but only members of the FFRC who have been members for longer than one month may vote. Voting must occur during meetings. People can proffer opinions via the email group if they won't be there, but to vote one must be present in avatar. Our proceedings are all public and can be found easily by googling SL Foundation For Rich Content. We also require that people don't vote on projects in which they have a vested interest, where there might be a conflict of interest.

Voodoo: I was just about to ask, has anyone ever tried to use the FFRC for their own personal gain, rather than the nature for which it is intended?
Persephone Phoenix: I don't think so, honestly. One thing that speaks well of an application is if the applicant has had a successful history of producing rich content.

Voodoo: How would you define "Rich Content"?
Persephone Phoenix: Ah, well this might well be defined a bit differently by each member. I can only answer for myself, but when I think of rich content, I think of something that brings fun into the lives of SL residents. I also think of things that deepen the experience of residents.

Voodoo: Do you have any personal favourites out of the projects that the FFRC has helped take place?
Persephone Phoenix: Oh several. I really loved the “Vaudeville in SL” project, for example, where we helped fund Osprey Thereian's project that actually produced vaudeville style acts for performances in SL and the “Learn to Sail” project, where we funded classes in the Hollywood Sim that taught people how to use sailboats in SL... I love the Crescent Moon Museum and am proud to have had the FFRC be part of its opening, We've funded many events and provided general funding to The Shelter, which helps so many new residents become acclimatized to SL and we also funded a project that is in the works by Phorkyad Acropolis to produce greek theatre in SL.

Voodoo: So finally, I guess I would ask, if someone wishes to get involved, or has an idea for a project, and would like funding, what should they do?
Persephone Phoenix: Awesome question. If someone wishes to get involved, all they need do is stop by our meeting which is at 1pm SL time on the first Saturday of the month. The group is free to join (search groups and sign up for it to get group notices and see proposals, etc.) If someone were to wish to donate (and each donation is a big help) he or she should donate to FFRC Accounting Control. And if a person or group thinks they have a project that adds to the lives of SL residents, they should grab an application (an updated one will be available soon via the googlegroups page and distributed also at our Sami (228,147) location and on SL Forums) and fill it out. A person could also say hello to me and I'd be happy to pass one along. The easiest way to get information on what the FFRC is doing is to join the group inworld or to join the google group.

With companies and even governments being susceptible to massive security breaches with our personal information, should we trust more people with this information?

The new release candidate viewer has now started the beta testing process of age verification. Now is the time to watch the flood gates open and masses of people come flooding forth with angry fists and others waiting to sign on the dotted line.

Age Verification is a massive question on the internet. It opens a whole assortment of problems and many worried parents across the globe are concerned about their ability to protect their children. If I walked into a shop to purchase a bottle of spirits or a packet of cigarettes I may well be asked to verify my age. This, in theory, protects minors from such substances. In worlds where adults and minors mix, the ability to verify someone’s age is greatly compromised.

In a world where credit card details can be bought and sold on the black market, does this open a completely new world of ‘verified identity’ sales? We want to protect our children from the sexual predators on the internet of course we do, but will the new measures in age verification actually help?

Research states that credit card verification is a more economical and effective check for age. Kids can get access to their parents card information to side step this process, but surely passports and social security numbers are as easily attainable?

Asking people to verify their age does not cut out the sexual predator in our world it simply gives them clearance; it does not stop them doing what they want to do. Surely, age verification gives a potential false security. Reading research from the University of New Hampshire, in 95% of cases where an adult on the internet assaulted children, the child knew they were meeting an adult.

• Do we need age verification? Yes we do, we need to protect minors from such content.
• Is there a foolproof way to do this? No.
• Should something be done? Well that very much depends on whether doing something will actually fix problems and not create new ones.