Second Life's 5th Birthday

So I was recently passed a note card asking me "How do you feel about Second Life on it's 5th birthday?" Hmmm..... That is a very good question. In this note card there are instructions about either voice recording your thoughts, which by the way is preferred :-) , OR responding via note card with 140 characters or less. I am a bit torn as there is a lot that I would love to say on this issue (personal experiences) I would definitely love to voice my opinion on things and people that have been both wonderful influences and great friends as well as call out those so very few people that are well regarded in SL as being "top notch" residents, when in all reality they are deceiving the community.
I guess I am going to put my thoughts on this past year right here in my blog. First of all last year in SL was wonderful. Voice was a great thing, I loved that I no longer had to carry 50 IMs or follow too many conversations in local chat. It was a wonderful addition to SL to say the least. I also not only kept some amazing friendships that grew even stronger, I made new amazing friends along the way. I began working for SCS, which has now become my full time job (I am also starting a company with a friend in RL). Let's see, my RL Mom joined SL which was great, but odd timing as for 8 years or so there was about 1000 miles between us and just after I moved 5 minutes away she told me she joined. It is good to have something in common with those that you love the most.
SL has seen its fair share of horrible problems. The unstable grid has kept a lot of residents on their toes wondering what will happen next. I, myself have had to use Skype for meetings with clients due to the instability and constant database issues. All in all though, I do believe that SL is looking up.
I met some people this year as well that are not only making a difference in SL, but in the real world as well. (Can't name names as I may use some in up coming Sadie On The Spot articles, SORRY :-P) This year also showed me that I am way too trusting and nice to people. I always look for the good and never look at what is right in front of me and sometimes that is not a good thing to be placed in front of my nose and not to see it right away.
To sum up SL's 5th Birthday and the past year I would have to say, it was a bumpy ride, forecast is calling for smoother days and HAPPY 5TH BIRTHDAY!!! (a little early) lol

Karaoke in a virtual world

I have found one of the best and funnest things to do in SL and that is karaoke. I frequently TP on over to ~O~ Karaoke Lounge in Second Life to listen to some wonderful voices and every now and then (OK quite often) I have my own go at opening my mic up, playing a song and belting it out. Let me tell you, people there are very nice, they always say I sound good :-P I definitely suggest checking it out. I was very shy and nervous at first, but the owner, Canipanic, quickly talked me into it. Now I am a karaoke addict. Lots of fun. Hope to see some new faces there :-)

Life is too short...

You know I have come to realize things in the past year or so and one thing that should never be forgotten is that life is too short.
Life is too short to dwell on the past
Life is too short to let people get under your skin (they are only wasting their own precious time trying)
Life is too short to not speak your mind
Life is too short to not take a risk
Each and every day is a gift from God that should NEVER be taken for granted.
Live as if it is your last day on this earth
Life is short, Break the rules, Forgive Quickly, Kiss slowly, love truly, laugh uncontrollably, and never regret anything that made you smile.

Comments

Laugh your heart out
Dance in the rain
Cherish the memories
Ignore the pain
Love and learn
Forget and forgive
Because remember you have only one life to live!!!

Keeping it real in a virtual world....

How does one know what is truth and reality when dealing, playing and working in a virtual world? The reason I am writing this is due to the fact that at some point we all question someones honesty when in all reality you cannot see the person, only the avatar of someone you may talk to or work with in a virtual world. I may be Sadie Pippita in Second Life, but in the real world I am Kim Randall. I have the same voice, feelings, opinions, fears, desires, likes, dislikes and so on as Sadie only I am able to actually interact with people face to face. Kim may not have the "perfect" sculpted body as Sadie may have, but in all reality Sadie is Kim and Kim is Sadie. If Sadie gets her feelings hurt, Kim's feelings are hurt as well. If Kim is having a horrible day, well so is Sadie.
Now this is not all true for everyone when it comes to playing and meeting with people in virtual worlds. Some people use a virtual life as a platform to be someone that they wish they were, used to be or maybe they even take on a friends personality in world. Some people use virtual reality as an escape from what they may or may not be experiencing in the real world. In Second Life you can choose to have long flowing hair when in reality that person sitting behind their desk may have a disease that has taken all of their hair away. Let's face it, you can be anything and anyone you wish when no one can see your human face.
Fact is, a majority of people will never know if Sadie Pippita's real life picture is really her, however there are a lot of people that do. I am one of the fortunate types that happens to have real life family and friends in the world to be able to vouch for me.
It is then left up to the others to create an image of who I really am. Some people like to be who they are not and others choose to be who they are whether they are taking a walk in the sun or sitting at a desk. Even in a virtual world, there can be a cross over from virtual TO reality. Sometimes one steps over that line allowing someone to see them for who they truly are.
I, myself have formed COUNTLESS real life friendships in a virtual atmosphere. Each and every avatar has the choice to make on whether they wish to let their true colors shine or become a different person. The only one that ever knows the truth is the one controlling the avatar UNTIL one crosses the virtual line and takes it a step further into the real world. It is highly unlikely to be fake and hold up a virtual sense of being once you are face to face with someone that you used to only communicate with avatar to avatar.
Closing line is, it is not up to one person to make a decision and false assumptions as to who someone really is. People have feelings and let's face it, there is a real, live person controlling that avatar you may see walking about in the virtual world. Just because someone chooses to be a robot in Second Life does not mean that person is truly like that in real life. Before one goes about with assumptions, take a moment to remember this..... The avatar on your screen has feeling just like you do and some people can be truly honest even when disguised in a pixelated body with prim shoes and no flaws.
****Take a moment to think about WHO you really want people to think you are****

Decided to start a blog

So I decided to have a real blog (sort of). Something other than Twitter. OK so since my blog is entitled "This One Time..." I will start off my brand spankin' new blog with.........

This one time oh about 4 hours ago I was asked to be interviewed on the MBC show "The Late Show". Kind of scary, that it is, but I agreed to do it to talk about what it is that I actually do in the virtual world known as Second Life. I am actually super excited to be able to talk about all of the things I have learned in SL. Be sure to catch that as well as my debut on Hollywood Cubes at http://www.metaverse-tv.com/
http://tsoenquirer.moonfruit.com/#/wilderpublicrelationsmetave/4527711406

Oh and don't forget to hit me up in SL or visit Sand Castle Studios for all of your virtual world marketing and building needs.