Wednesday, April 13, 2011

Happy Birthday!

What more can I say then, "Happy Birthday InWorldz!"

If you turned out to see the Celebration, then I don't have to tell you just how amazing everything was.  If you didn't turn out for the Celebration, I'm sorry you missed it.  Either way, let's all take a moment and think what things would be like for us Residents if InWorldz wasn't here.  I'm sure each of you cringe at that thought, as do I.  So, even though they don't want this, I want to again say "Thanks" to the Founders of InWorldz, not just for the success of InWorldz, but also for the amount of customization they have put into InWorldz.  Many of you may not understand just how difficult of a process this is, you should get the OpenSim server code and install it, then log into it.  You will find a blank SIM, where you can do a lot of things, but not the important things.  Such as a working Economy, a robust Script Engine, Physics, Search, and the list goes on. It hasn't been easy, as we didn't get the full Economy side of things until this past July or August, where we can now BUY and SELL our InWorldz Dollars.  There are many other examples of this, but instead of typing each out and how it was improved upon from the base code, to what we have now, let's just give thanks to the Founders and Testers, for the unrelenting work to make InWorldz one of the most robust Grids in the world.

Happy Birthday InWorldz, from the Founders to the Mentors, to those testers and bug reporters, without all of your unrelenting work, InWorldz wouldn't be here.

Happy Birthday InWorldz and very many more!

Monday, March 28, 2011

Let's turn over a new leaf!

Before I say anything at all, I first need to apologize to my good friend, Elenia.  This brave woman, along with Legion and Tranquility, took some very bold steps when they decided to create InWorldz. Elenia invited me to join InWorldz early on, and while I did login once or twice, I was absent for the most part. For that, I sincerely apologize for not supporting her endeavor. I was afraid that if I left Second Life none of my friends would have followed and I had just taken control of my first.  These reasons were selfish, and while many will say they understand them, I myself cannot escape the fact that I let my friend walk alone during those first moments in a new world; for that, I apologize to you Elenia and all others that took those first steps bravely.

Now I apologize to you, the reader, the follower of this Blog.  Since I made the jump to InWorldz, I've been swamped with projects, SIM development and Mentoring.  The most enjoyment of those three is Mentoring. I was a Mentor in Second Life when Mentoring wasn't cool.  We were required to hold a "Mentor Event" once a week and there was a Linden there to be certain you held the Event. I tell you that, so you understand that I've seen the Good, the Bad and the Ugly sides of Mentoring.  What I hope everyone understands that at one time in Second Life, Mentoring meant something.  Not as a Social Status, but as a proud example of a New World to all who dared to enter.  For the very first time in the History of Man, a Virtual World popped up into existence. This world was so different from what "gamers" were used to being a part of, many turned up their nose to this new world and said it would never last.  Here we are, 8+ years later, and while Second Life may not last much longer, InWorldz certainly will.  A small part of that is because of the Mentors in InWorldz. The InWorldz Mentors are a joy to be around and, even more so, a joy to be a part of.  These people we call Mentors are much like the Mentors were in Second Life when it popped into existence. I won't dwell on what went wrong over there, because something has gone amazingly right in our own backyard.  Mentors in InWorldz are a devoted bunch of people.  One of the biggest reasons people try out InWorldz is because everyone speaks so highly of the way they are treated when they first logged in.  There are many Grids on the Internet today, and most wish they were in InWorldz shoes.  I know I'll be punished for what I'm about to say, giving away a Grid Secret like this is frowned upon, but the Secret to InWorldz success is the way WE, Mentors and Non-Mentors alike, treat those New Residents when they log into the world.  The Mentors in InWorldz understands that they might be the only face of InWorldz the New Resident see's.  With that in mind, the Mentors are passionate about what they are doing, passionate about their world and passionate about the future.

I might have missed the first year of InWorldz, but I won't be missing anymore.  If you haven't yet wandered into InWorldz, looking for an alternative Grid to call Home, I invite you to give InWorldz a try.  Not just our Mentors will tell you, but darn near every Resident will, "Welcome to InWorldz, how can I help you?"

Monday, June 21, 2010

And so begins another era

Today marks my first full day as a Citizen of InWorldz.  No longer will my citizenship be split by two different worlds, Second Life is now just a "remember when" to me.

Let me start by saying something about my finish in Second Life.  There were many of my friends that because of prior commitments, were unable to attend my "Going Away" Party.  Those friends made a point to say "Goodbye" before the Party, and so I didn't miss them.  Other friends, who I thought were true friends of mine, apparently refused to come to my Party, because, as I was told, "it hurts too much to say Goodbye".  It's interesting how some of my friends think the hurt only goes one way; perhaps it did truly.  So, Goodbye to you that could not be bothered to wish me well, I wish only the best for your lives, and your futures.

To my new Community, watch out, here I come full force.  I hope I can impact InWorldz in much the same way I impacted Second Life.  By giving of myself, my time, my talents.  I hope everyone in InWorldz will have the faith to stand by the Founders/Developers as they work hard to make InWorldz a place to not only settle in, but enjoy.  I suppose with that said, there's only one last thing I need to say.

Hello.

Tuesday, May 25, 2010

Cry Freedom!

In the Movie, Braveheart, there comes a time when Mel Gibson, who plays Sir William Wallace, is addressing his his Country Men who have gathered to fight the English.  Wallace thought the English were scum, and by all accounts, they were back then.  The English ruled with an Iron Fist and invoked a draconian law, where the English Nobleman who owned the land, where the Scots lived, got "first dibs" on any Scottish Woman marrying a Scottish Man.

As the Scots looked at the formidable English Troops they were facing, they began to doubt their resolve. Wallace seeing this, turns to his Country Men and says:


Aye, fight and you may die, run, and you'll live... at least a while. And dying in your beds, many years from now, would you be willin' to trade ALL the days, from this day to that, for one chance, just one chance, to come back here and tell our enemies that they may take away our lives, but they'll never take... OUR FREEDOM! 


Recently, I decided that I needed to stand up to a Draconian Rule recently enacted in Second Life.  Linden Lab, the Developer of the much loved Second Life, thought it best that it steal the content that had been created by the Residents of Second Life.  I chose to remove Bob Bunderfeld, along with his Inventory, from the world of Second Life, because I wasn't willing to "lie down and take it".   Far too long have I been trying to show Second Life Residents what Linden Lab was doing to our World of Second Life while at the same time, trying to help those same Residents in Second Life.  With this new Draconian Law, I saw that I could no longer just talk about how bad Linden Lab was, but I needed to act, to make a statement that people would understand, to stand up to the giant that is Linden Lab, and say "NO MORE" and cry Freedom myself!

So, I have left Second Life and changed my Virtual World to InWorldz.  InWorldz is a little project that a few former Second Life Residents started over a year ago, to provide an alternative to the World of Second Life.  I have been involved in InWorldz nearly from its beginning, albeit quietly, real quietly as Elenia would say.  But now, I will stand next to the other former Second Life Residents and say we won't allow Linden Lab to ruin our Virtual Existence.  We won't allow Linden Lab to tell us that bugs are a normal part of a Virtual World.  We won't allow Linden Lab to take are money and then steal our work as well.  Today, I joined those in InWorldz to cry FREEDOM.

Freedom is the name of my new home in InWorldz.  To find it, just click on the Map Button and put in the word "Freedom" and then Teleport out.  I chose this name carefully and with purpose.  I was FREE from the tyranny of Linden Lab.  I was FREE from the constant cries of those who needed a Virtual World and found themselves stuck in Second Life.  I am FREE to say NO to people who want to offer me a Product infested with incompetence and then say that anything I choose to create or upload, or have already created or uploaded, is now owned by them.

Today I cry FREEDOM as my Worldz Turn in a different direction.