Eureka Moments

Replies to This Discussion

Permalink Reply by Dave Elchoness on May 3, 2008 at 8:42pm

Sitting in SL at the Mill Pond coffee house. I sit down (newbie avatar looking like a twisted Homer Simpson block head) and two female avatars welcome me to SL. I ask them how they know that I'm new. "Well, you look new." Anyway, one is physically in California, the other is physically in Boston. They take me under their wing(s) shopping for a new and improved look. Here I am 'shopping' for 'skin' with people each over 1,000 miles away from me.

Then, making friends with an avatar who helped me furnish my office. A young woman from Alberta, Canada. Seemed like she was 'with' me, but was no where near.

Then, learning how to back up the camera so that I could see myself in the distance. Don't know why that one.

Then, working in-world with avatars, physically at their desks in China, while I sat in the US.

Then, watching them build a building in front of me, while I stood there chatting with my Canadian friend. The entire world in one place.

Thanks for starting this up, Rita.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rita J. King on May 3, 2008 at 8:48pm

Thanks for responding so quickly. I wish we had an answer for each person in the AVW. Feel free to recommend the group to the network. :)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Nazz Lane / Paul Zonca on May 3, 2008 at 9:36pm

My "Eureka" moment occured while serving as the lead for the Virtual Angels. The diversity and the number of people from across the globe along with the creativiy they'd exhibited in either sponsoring or hosting events to aid a fellow SL'er who needed our assistance still has me in awe.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Shava Nerad on May 3, 2008 at 9:54pm

Mine actually came *before* I got into Second Life. I had been an alpha tester at there.com and decided that there.com was yuppie hell, and I wasn't interested. It was all about consumerism.

But I was a member of the omidyar.net community -- a community of nonprofit/NGO/social activists working for positive change, sharing experiences on a forum/reputation system fostered by the Omidyars (of eBay fame).

Several people I knew there got involved in a Second Life project called "Better World Island" -- and I'd kind of looked at that project and thought, "Do I have room for another time sink?" Then the Better World Scouts on BWI in SL created "Camp Darfur" -- and that project started getting RL press. I thought, "Wow! If these guys can turn some little graphical MUD build into RL press, I want in!"

I created my Second Life account soon after -- and much to my dismay, my computer wouldn't handle the client gracefully. So it was over a year (until my new computer) before I could fully engage as a full member of the community. But since that time, I've been a business reporter, nonprofit activist, and performing artists, a machinima team member with two of the best teams in SL, and engaged (RL) and married (SL) to one of the most famous performers in SL (Tuna Oddfellow aka Fish Fishman -- who I met in RL).

I have always been a huge advocate of the advantages of online engagement, and a sharp critic of the shortfalls thereof, and SL (and virtual worlds in general) probably amplify both ends of that. But I continue to be fascinated.

And now Tuna/Fish and I and Bernhard Drax are creating a startup around machinima production and some various amazing bits we've discovered in SL, and taking them into mainstream media. Should be a fun trip!

Yrs,
Shava Nerad (RL)
Shava Suntzu (SL)

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Rita J. King on May 4, 2008 at 11:48am

Hi Shava! Thanks for your story here. It's excellent.

We are going to speak to Drax on Wednesday to discuss the invoice submission process for LIVE FROM THE DOHA FORUM, so he will have info for you after that. Thanks again...you did such a fantastic job.

Please invite your friends to join us here in the Imagination Age.

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Barry Everett on May 6, 2008 at 7:59am

When I sat down to listen, look and learn from my first classes in SL, I knew this was much more than I had expected. The next moments were the discovery of the 'edit' window for Linden Script and Graphics Objects. About that time the intro to "Ride My Seesaw" from the old Moody Blues disc came charging up through the tape vault inside my head, and I was off to the races.... Until the direct access chip implants get perfected, I will have to stay healthy enough to use a keyboard and mouse, and my regular senses...

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by iSLa Planet on May 14, 2008 at 10:50am

I don't mean my reply in a silly way ... (at least not entirely) but for me it was Money Trees ... think about the endless possibilities .. and here I had been told all along .. " Money does not grow on trees" ... in SL (almost) everything is possible

▶ Reply to This

Permalink Reply by Isadora Fiddlesticks on June 11, 2008 at 6:05pm

I think my Eureka! moment came when I first decided to write about SL, then starting a magazine. I've always looked up to those who were already writing about SL, they were the ones who exposed me to the possibilities, then doing that for myself.

I stopped writing in RL but I've always loved to be one. Writing isn't exactly a preferred career choice in my family, but they encouraged me to go follow my 2nd love, cooking and then got a course in Hotel and Restaurant Management. I found out later in SL I can combine both writing and my degree, and I am still energized by the possibilities. I find making the best place in SL possible very similar to creating a great hotel, running an island and creating activities for groups is similar as well.

A lot of things can be done, if one is open to it. My struggles with regular non-initiated to VWs people are the idea of thinking out of the box. Here in SL we do it all the time.

▶ Reply to This