Wednesday, November 19, 2008

Why is 2 years important?

The second anniversary feels so different from the first and I actually don't know why.
We seem to have moved from just another blog to a viable, respectable newspaper all of a sudden at least we are getting a lot more notice recently.
For example We have been interviewed quite a lot, often by students doing degrees in journalism or for other media outside SL, like Zoidberg Exonar who came to ask us about SL as a whole and also on the way newspapers work within SL, Zoidberg interviewed us for Vox Publica, an online-based periodical for Norweigens.
The questions he asked James were quite an insight to me of how SL is percieved by the 'outside world':
Zoidberg Exonar: 12. Do you think ethical and democratic aspects of SL might be different in the future?
Zoidberg Exonar: I'm thinking maybe 5-10 years down the line.
JamesT Juno: not SL - I dont think so, residents dont think in ways of making money - they live here for fun not realising it costs money to create this world - two opposites
Zoidberg Exonar: Yeah, I see your point.
JamesT Juno: Linden labs have proven time and again that residents opinion does not matter to them.
Zoidberg Exonar: What do you think, Dana?
dana Vanmoer: that the Lindens have their business plan of which residents are unaware. The way most residents feel now is like guinea pigs
Zoidberg Exonar: OK. Interesting.
dana Vanmoer: at least those that have been here any length of time not those that just come to play a game
Zoidberg Exonar: Do you think perhaps virtual newspapers operating in SL might have more rules and constraints put on them by Linden in the future? Thus limiting your freedom to print basically what you want?
JamesT Juno: they can try - but again impossible to put it outside sl so, inworld magazines maybe yes, with a web based newspaper like ours ? no way - they can ban our avatar but its free to come back and let James and Dana keep living in the newspaper (I would love to run an underground newspaper hahahahaha)
dana Vanmoer: or by suing us for libel - which if we are expressing an opinion or someone elses' I dont believe they can do
Zoidberg Exonar: Ah Ok. I understand. That almost reminds me of "Braveheart": "You can take my avatar, but you will never take my printing freedom"!
JamesT Juno: love it, but we tend to live by the rules too
dana Vanmoer: we can continue through other avatars or by our writers remaining nameless
Zoidberg Exonar: You can print my quote in SL-Newspaper if you want ;)
dana Vanmoer: they cannot prove who wrote anything
Zoidberg Exonar: I understand.
Zoidberg Exonar: What role do you envision virtual newspapers such as SL-Newspaper? might have in the future, not just in SL, but in virtual worlds in general? Do you think that virtual newspapers at one point might be just as important to people as RL newspapers are today? Please elaborate on your answer. I am here of course making a distinction between web-based real newspapers, and newspapers such as SL-Newspaper which operates specifically in a virtual WORLD.
JamesT Juno: yes - we do , but most will be an informing task - let people know whats going on, SL is a series of islands and most other virtual worlds are the same, finding everything that is going on is not an easy thing to do therefore, people will always need a central point to get information.

This is just a small portion of a very lengthy interview.
We are also featured in the new Venture Magazine which has moved to an online version with Solan Nightfire the new CEO & Art Director who interviewed us on how it all began and what keeps us going, read the full interview HERE
Thank you Venture for featuring us in our anniversary month.
Is there something about turning 2 years in SL? I don't know, I just get the feeling people see us as 'all grown up' .
Maybe you have turned two years, has peoples' attitude towards you changed? Do you get a different reaction from others? Add your comments let me know if I am imagining things?

The pictures here are from yesterdays events and many more can be seen in our Flickr HERE
Todays events can be found in the EVENTS section

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