Inquiring Minds

InWorldz Blogger Challenge V.6

 

Whiskey Shots proudly presents

the 6th of a series:

 

InWorldz inworldz inworldz

Blogger blogger blogger

Challenge challenge challenge

(Because you’re all being too quiet! And I know most of you to be talky!)

How to play: blog your challenge entry, and leave a link to it here in the comments. Support your fellow bloggers by commenting on theirs. (it’s not hard! please do this.) Also consider posting your entry here at the forums.

Week Six Challenge:  30,000 people in InWorldz! Holy cow! When I first moved to IW, there was one event weekly, at the Roadhouse on Saturday night. An average of a dozen avis showed up each week, and the lag was miserable for me. But it was an event, with people and chat and dance and music and I loved every one I attended. Today, if you look at the events schedule inworld, there are events every day! I receive notices all day long about all sort of events, and it reminds me of how far we’ve come in such a short time.

So here’s your challenge: Tell us about events you’ve started attending. What kinds of events pull you in? If you haven’t attended any yet, why the hell not? Go! Seek out a new event and go! Pictures, overall feel of the event, who was there and will you go back? Review an event (or five) and tell us all about it.  You can find events after you log into the InWorldz website, or join one of the main groups inworld, such as Where Can I Find It? or Live Concerts & Events.

 

Thank you all for your patience during my hiatus from blogging and challenges. I look forward to seeing your posts again!

I’m Challenged

But you already knew that.

The 5th Blogger Challenge was this: Choose your favorite post of another InWorldz blogger and post a link at your blog. Then post 5 (or more) predictions for InWorldz.

I know I should pick a serious, pointed blog post about whiskers on kittens and raindrops on roses, but my favorite post is actually a funny one. Shocker, right? Johnny Night’s Virtual Noob Guide is unique and brilliantly written. I think he has 7 chapters now, and each one is better than the last.

Image from Johnny's blog

As for predictions for InWorldz, well, that’s not as easy, is it? Here’s mine:

1. To say “InWorldz will grow” is kinda like saying “Whiskey will drink vodka”… duh. I think that it’s the direction we will grow that tells the tale. InWorldz is like the tiny planet in “Horton Hears a Who”. As our member numbers grow and our voices start to be heard, people realize there are Whos on that there planet! No, nevermind, that comparison really doesn’t work. But I’m gonna leave it because I like it all the same. There will be people who look at InWorldz as a potential money maker, and some who look at it like a little vacation cabin you visit when you’re tired of the big city. But I truly feel there will be more and more disgruntled residents of virtual worlds who blink in the realization that Second Life isn’t the only game in town. (It’s a saying! I know it’s not a game.)

2. Many of these new explorers who come to InWorldz to check it out will whine and moan about our technical difficulties. They will forget (or conveniently ignore the fact, as many people seem to be doing) that we are still in Beta. There will be detractors who post at forums and blogs and twitter, and they will be met with gentle correction and tolerance by the residents of IW. I predict that there will be many more instances of this in the coming year than ever before, as Second Life stumbles and other grids continue to do the work and grow because of it.

3. I’m gonna go out on a limb here, and predict that late this year, InWorldz will make headlines. More than blogs or small internet sites, I mean real headlines in real mainstream media. And it will be for good things, not for negative news. You may call me Nostradamus. But I won’t answer.

4. The IW forums will require more moderation eventually this year, which I think is a shame. The forums are a source of information for a world where search is difficult. Most virtual world users are unused to needing a website to find things, and so our forums really need to be a welcoming, organized and drama free resource. But we’re human, after all, and drama seems to follow anywhere we gather in groups. I foresee changes, rules and moderation there- at a time when our founders need to be working on code and stability instead of dealing with forum bullshit.

5. I celebrated my 4th rezzday last week, and while I’m not in Second Life anymore, I still consider that my birth in virtual worlds in general. It’s true that there seems to be a 3 year avatar lifespan, and that sometime around that 3 year mark, residents start to really reevaluate their place in the virtual world. I predict that, as many people reach that 3 year milestone this year, and begin to consider their options, IW will see a slow but steady influx of these avatars who are looking for a new adventure, a change, a spark in their prim heart. And I predict that many of them will be making a new start, not bringing over their SL world. I think they’ll learn to build something new, or start a new sim, or a new club or a new group- instead of “moving” their SL self over to IW, they’ll start a whole new self. And IW will benefit from their experiences, as well as their excitement.

Or I could be naive.

One sure prediction- I’ll be in InWorldz. You’re stuck with me here. I burned all bridges in Second Life, buried the ashes and peed on the pile. I have no desire to be back there at all. But it’s not a hate of Second Life that makes me feel that way, it’s a love of InWorldz. And that’s what makes InWorldz great. The residents who stay, who learn to work around the quirks and deal with the bugs- they don’t do it because they have no place else to go, they do it because they believe in InWorldz and are happy here. And I am, happy here.

5th InWorldz Blogger Challenge

Yeah, I know the title is uninspiring. So sue me. I haven’t had sleep in eons and I’m hitting the wall. In my case, you know I mean that literally.

 

Whiskey Shots proudly presents, the 5th of a series:

InWorldz inworldz inworldz Blogger blogger blogger Challenge challenge challenge

(Amphetamine Valley Raceway! Sunday Sunday Sunday!)

How to play: blog your challenge entry, and leave a link to it here in the comments. Support your fellow bloggers by commenting on theirs. (it’s not hard! please do this.) Also consider posting your entry here at the forums.

Week Five Challenge:  Since 2011 is mere moments away, it’s  natural to look back at last year and look forward to next. For our challenge, let’s do both. Choose your favorite post of another InWorldz blogger and post a link at your blog. Then post 5 (or more) predictions for InWorldz. The rules are yours to make- just have fun writing!

Thank you all for participating! I so enjoy every one of your blogs.

Give My Creation LIFE!

“Have your adventures, make your mistakes, and choose your friends poorly – all these make for great stories.”

Chuck Palahniuk

 

Seeing as how I skipped my own challenge last week (look away, I’m hideous), thought I better shake my ass and get to this week’s. I think supporting new bloggers is important. I’m not going to get into the whole networking thing, and how our world outside of InWorldz still affects the inworld community. It’s the nature of the beast- it does affect it. And with so many new InWorldz blogs popping up, I hope everyone will take a minute to leave a comment, a word of encouragement, when you read a blog. Think of how you feel when someone gives you a thumbs up. It only takes a moment, unless you’re me and the stupid capture comment code is stoopid and you have to type it ten times, with your tongue out and your eyes squinting.

My advice for new bloggers is going to be similar to the advice others have given, trite but true- write for yourself, and write what you love. But, when I say write for yourself, that doesn’t mean ignore your audience. If I didn’t want to write for others to read, I’d just stick with my journal. I write because it pleases me, because I love to write. But I write for you. For my reader. For that person sitting at her computer in her PJs with her morning cup of getmethehellthroughthisday, or the guy at work sneaking a few minutes of blog reading. I’m aware of, and care about my audience. But the topics I choose are true to me, true to my own voice and viewpoint- and that’s what I call “writing for myself”.

I have a huge crush on Chuck Palahniuk. As a writer, he takes chances, and he has a lot of faith in his reader. He doesn’t wait for you, he doesn’t take your hand and lead you there; he forges ahead and takes it for granted that you’ll follow. And you want to, because the writing has grabbed you and if you let go you’ll never know what happened next, and who can live with that?

Now, I don’t fancy myself a Chuck Palahniuk, but I have faith in my reader. I’m not one to lead you by the hand, nor dress up my posts with random pictures to keep your attention. I count on you to go there with me, because you want to. And if you don’t, if your eyes go unfocused and you can’t read more than a paragraph without your mind wandering, then this isn’t the blog for you, and I’m not the least offended. I write because if I didn’t, I would explode into a bazillion tiny wet pieces and stick to the walls and ceiling. I have to write. It’s a happy bonus when others want to read it.

If you live for comments and blog hits and stats, you’re gonna write differently than I write. And that’s okay too. I’m sure there are tips and tricks for you somewhere. But if you love to write, if you feel a desire to create shapes with words and phrases- then do it. And don’t let anything stop you- most especially yourself. Write for your soul, not your stats.

And the 2nd part of my challenge was to post the first pic you took in InWorldz. Here’s mine:

This is the 2nd snapshot I took, a few days later, after I finally found a freckled skin and blonde hair I would wear.

While my shape has changed dramatically since that pic, I still wear that same skin and hair every day.

And one more from Chuck:
“We can spend our lives letting the world tell us who we are. Sane or insane. Saints or sex addicts. Heroes or victims. Letting history tell us how good or bad we are. Letting our past decide our future. Or we can decide for ourselves. And maybe it’s our job to invent something better.”

InWorldz Blogger Challenge #4

(First of all, a disclaimer: I’m so ashamed. I didn’t get a chance to post my own 3rd blogger challenge entry. Between a bout food poisoning, a borked heatpump and being swept off my feet by a handsome Dude, well… yeah, so you’re right, I did have time to take lingerie pics, sure, and thanks for pointing that out. But still.
I will blog my 3rd challenge this week, scout’s honor and no takebacks.)

I’ve seen gobs of new InWorldz blogs (gobs of blogs?) crop up (cropping gobs of blogs?) recently, and I think it’s aces that so many people have the bug (bug to crop gobs of blogs?). But often, people start a blog and then it sits all sad and neglected. Maybe they get writer’s block. Maybe they get shy. Perhaps they need inspiration.

Whiskey Shots proudly presents, the 4th of a series:

InWorldz Blogger Challenge

(insert Rockettes and Broadway Singers)

How to play: blog your challenge entry, and leave a link to it here in the comments. Support your fellow bloggers by commenting on theirs. (it’s not hard! please do this.) Also consider posting your entry here at the forums.

Week Four Challenge:  What advice would you give a new InWorldz Blogger? Whether you’ve been blogging a week or a year, you’ve got wisdom to share, I just  know it. Go back and look at your very first blog post, and think about why you started blogging in the first place. Give a bit of advice to someone just getting started.

And while you’re at it, go into your InWordz inventory, choose snapshots, and sort by date.  Show us the first snapshot you took in InWorldz. Look how cute you were! So idealistic, full of hope and promise. A pioneer, forging ahead to claim land in  a new…. Well, anyhow. Show us the oldest pic. We’re nosy like that.

Thank you Thank you Thank you for posting these challenges on your own blog. Our blogging community is growing, and thats not a bad thing. I look forward to seeing your advice.

InWorldz Blogger Challenge #3

It’s Wednesday, and you know what that means? Yes Yes, Friday is just two plus a wake-up. Or really, one plus, if you count like me. But it’s also time for a challenge. Lotsa peeps have started new blogs in the past few weeks (there’s a pretty complete list here at the forums), and it’s really exciting to actually have a blogroll to read each morning with my cuppa (or twelve). I hope these challenges will get you guys writing more, as I need entertainment, and it’s all about my needs!

 

Whiskey Shots proudly presents, the 3rd of a series:

InWorldz inworldz inworldz Blogger blogger blogger Challenge challenge challenge

(insert candygrams and land sharks)

How to play: blog your challenge entry, and leave a link to it here in the comments. Support your fellow bloggers by commenting on theirs. (it’s not hard! please do this.) Also consider posting your entry here at the forums.

Week Two Challenge:  Make it new. We all have our “spots” where we hang and feel happy inworld. Find a place you have never been in InWorldz, and go forth. Explore, snoop, and peek in the bedside table drawers. Doesn’t matter if it’s a shop or a sim or just a cool build that you stumble upon. Read the forums for ideas, or TP randomly on the map. Snap a picture or ten and show us what you found. And be sure to leave behind a nice thank you note and a half eaten donut so they’ll know you were there.  And if you meet a new person along the way, so much the better! Take pics of them too, when they aren’t looking.

Thank you for making this work!!!

What I Do Do

Blogger Challenge 2

In “real life”, I have 3 jobs, 2 kids, 1 high maintenance hound, and a wicked addiction to peanut butter. My inworld time is limited. I spend a lot of time exploring (read: shopping), and some time snapping pics (read: crashing); but there is one constant that I seem to come back to every single time I log in. This is how I spend much of my time in InWorldz:

That’s Saera stretched on on Talia behind me. I spend a lot of time watching them work (read: entertaining them with antics while they create). Last night we were in Sae’s white room, where she goes to punch dance and soothe herself with her high graphics fun. See, Saera isn’t just a builder, she’s an artist. She sees shape and design and form in thin air. And, bonus, she has the talent to make what she envisions. Color me jealous. She enthralled us with a light show and a trip down the rabbit hole, and while my photos in no way do it justice, I wanted to try to share.

So, basically I spend a lot of my inworld time watching others create. What does that make me? Comic relief? I’m inspired in my own way, and create my own art. I’ve made incredible friends who enrich my life every day. Sal good.

So, You, We Meet Again

Wow, last week’s InWorldz Blogger Challenge was a success! I’d like to send a big, huge, wet and naked thank you out to those who participated. I found new blogs, new friends and new places. I hope you did too.  And in case you missed it, here’s Elenia’s own post- look guys, we gave her the warm and fuzzies! A few people even started up new IW Blogs to answer the challenge; my blogroll is growing every day.

And so, it’s Wednesday again. Until we get tired or bored, I’ll keep posting these challenges on each Wednesday. Eventually I’ll burn out and get distracted by some other hot guy shiny thing, and this will peter out. But for now, we’ll enjoy the rosy glow of new blog love!

 

Whiskey Shots proudly presents, the 2nd of a series:

InWorldz inworldz inworldz Blogger blogger blogger Challenge challenge challenge

(insert dancing girls and confetti)

How to play: blog your challenge entry, and leave a link to it here in the comments. Support your fellow bloggers by commenting on theirs. Dig it? Make it your own. Also consider posting your entry here at the forums.

Week Two Challenge:  What do you do inworld? Post a  picture showing what you find yourself doing most often when you’re in InWorldz. Do you spend your time building? Dancing? Shopping? Helping at IDI? (If what you do involves nudity, send those pics directly to me, along with a LM to your direct location, ktnx.) Bonus points if you use words, too.

Thanks for playing along!!!

The Best of InWorldz

To answer my own challenge, I give you:

The Best Freebie in InWorldz

The Hopper ball from Abranimations has been one of my favorite things since day one in InWorldz. No matter how bad your RL day went, pop one of these bad boys on your ass and hop around a sim and suddenly- you’ve forgotten it. Well, the vodka helps too.

And even better, finding a friend or three to hop with you.. we tend to go on and on about the community feeling of InWorldz; it’s a real thing.  And as long as you contribute to it, you’ll continue to benefit from it. Like Abranimations does.

Giving you “The Best” of InWorldz is more difficult than you might think, because, at the risk of sounding like a cheesy cornball, InWorldz is the best. The best for me, anyway, and many friends that I’ve met since I came here. I’m terribly happy here, and I look forward to seeing more of the best from you.

Pictured, from left to right:

meself (wearing ChiChickee Hair, PJs from Ayla Holt, skin from Pulse)

Saera Pfeffer (PJs from Ayla Holt, hair is Emo-tions, skin is her own)

Talia Fournier (hair from ChiChickee, PJs from Ayla Holt, skin her own new creation- watch for it at Paparazzi)

Ayla Holt (PJs are her own, Emo-tions hair, and Estyle skin)

Hopper Balls from Abranimations

Photographed at Equinox of InWorldz

/me Slaps You in the Face With a Glove

I don’t read but maybe one or two Second Life blogs anymore, and both of those have Inworldz content. It’s not that I’ve become snobbish about SL (although, I have), it’s mainly because I’m still mourning the loss of my SL inventory. I’m somewhere between depression (stage 4) and acceptance (stage 5); but when I look at pretty pictures from SL, I slip back into stage 3, bargaining. (“I’ll just log into SL for one night, just to look back at 3 years of goodies…”) Better not to go there. I committed avicide in SL – InWorldz is my permanent home and I’d rather focus on what I have here.

There aren’t nearly enough IW blogs yet, and the majority of them are creator’s blogs. Not that there’s anything wrong with that; my best friends are creators. Southie Allen (of {AND}) and I were banging around the idea of a blogger’s challenge. Why not? There may only be a couple dozen IW blogs, and of those only a dozen post regularly… maybe we can stir it up a bit! I’m all about stirring it up.

So, I’ll go first, I’ll throw a challenge out there. Participate if you like, gawk if you’d rather do that instead. Toss out your own challenge if you have one in mind. I’ll post more challenges if this one goes well, or curl up in the corner and suck my thumb if it flops. No pressure.

Whiskey Shots proudly presents, the 1st of a Series

InWorldz Blogger Challenge

(insert catchy theme here & make jazz jands)

How to play: blog your challenge entry, and leave a link to it here in the comments. Support your fellow bloggers by commenting on theirs. Dig it? Make it your own. Also consider posting your entry here at the forums.

Week one Challenge:  The Best of InWorldz- show me your best! You choose which best to show- could be best clothes, best skin, best hair. Could be best friend, best sim, best pose ball. I don’t care.

Show me your  best, and tell me why.

Easy peasy, right? Now I’m off to do it myself! Hurry back!