By: Wagner James Au

Second Life's embedded journalist reports from SL's annual real world convention

The first time I met Nethermind Bliss, she was a woman with fire engine red hair, WWI flying ace goggles, and Wolverine wrist claws. The next time I met her was last weekend at the Second Life Community Convention in San Francisco, so this time, the meeting was in-person, and she was more or less the same, just flesh-based. (Though she still had the goggles and claws.) And even though I could have asked her real name, I still called her Nethermind Bliss. Which seemed to be the standard way of addressing people at SLCC. When meeting in person, SL residents— even staff members with Linden Lab (the world's owner)— call each other by their avatar names. That's whether they look like a version of their alter egos, or come without the fur, devil horns, alien skin, robot gear, and other enhancements you've come to identify them by in-world. What's amazing is how natural this feels, and how familiar you can quickly get with hundreds of people you've only known through 3D graphics.

It was two and a half days of fascinating SL-to-RL encounters (much of it alcohol-fueled), Silicon Valley utopianism, and perhaps causing the most audience glee, a demonstration of what appears to be the first MMO-based sex toy. These highlights and more after the break.

When Baccara Met Nick
Clockwise from left, here's Nick Rhodes, DJ Nexeus Fatale, architect/fashion designer Asri Falcone, your reporter, and Baccara Rhodes. This is the first time Nick and Baccara have met in person; in real life, Nick is a photographer from Paris, and Baccara is a retired wedding and bar mitzvah planner from New Jersey. In Second Life, Nick is known for his glamour screenshots of women avatars, while Baccara is famed for, well, being Baccara— the high-born lady in a Versace evening gown whose SL weddings and spectacular events have put her, in my estimation, among Second Life's power elite. For awhile there, Nick and Baccara shared an adoring relationship in-world, and hosted intellectual salons in Nick's art gallery. Until, that is, Nick's wandering ways became too much for Baccara ("I'm not gonna sit around here like Rapunzel!", as she recalls thinking) and she piled up their keepsakes and mementos and turned them into a giant bonfire. He took her punishment in good spirits— which is a relief, because Nick flew from France for SLCC, and to meet her. So that's where they sat together for the first time, idly chatting like old friends reunited (which they are), the handsome Parisian and the Jersey spitfire. "He's a very sweet man," Baccara told me indulgently.

Down to Business

In the premiere SLCC last year, the world had a spare 60,000 or so registered users; now it's approaching some 250,000 active users, and has become a darling of next generation Internet commerce. So the Convention is no longer just a fan con, but a business expo, too, with several metaverse development companies that create experiences and branded items in Second Life for major corporations, educators, and government contractors— including products from Addidas and Toyota both of which were announced at SLCC 06.

Sexual Rezzing

SLCC probably has the unique distinction of being the only mainstream MMO convention sponsored in part by a sex shop. Then again, Strokerz Toyz is a homegrown success story, a hardcore Macy's of animations, working organs, and play equipment for the discerning avatar. During the "Sex and Relationships in Second Life" panel, CEO Stroker Serpentine (bald shaven, dark glasses, Southern drawl) regaled the audience about becoming a successful simulated sex entrepreneur, which involves getting technical support questions via Instant Messages like, "How do I attach my penis?" and, "My vagina won't shut up!"

Stroker was followed by mad scientist inventor qDot Bunnyhug, who proceeded to demonstrate a mini-revolution in peripheral hacks for the horny. Inspired by Jane Pinckard, who famously used the Trance Vibrator from the PS2 music game Rez as a, well, actual vibrator, Bunnyhug showed how he'd managed to wire a Trance Vibrator to a laptop running Second Life, then scripted it to respond when an avatar touched a giant green vibrator in Second Life. Between fits of giggles and a suspenseful pause, Bunnyhug's avatar touched the virtual vibrator—and lo, the physical Trance Vibrator on the other computer whirred to life. (And verily, a whole wealth MMO-to-real world interaction was revealed.) For good measure, qDot held the Trance Vibrator up to the mic, so the whole crazily cheering audience could hear the buzzing— and when he was through, fired up a cigarette. Keep an eye on qDot's site, where he plans to run a video of the event, and provide schematics for creating a SL-to-vibrator interface of your own. ("All completely open source," he added proudly. "There should be no DRM to your fucking!")

There were so many other highlights, including a visionary speech by Lotus founder/initial Linden Lab investor Mitch Kapor, and Linden VP Cory Ondrejka's demonstration of Second Life back in 2001, when it was still known as Linden World, and your avatar interacted with the environment mostly by blowing it up. Not to mention the convergence of so many musicians who've made a name for themselves by using SL's audio streaming capability to perform live, for the first time performing both live and in person. (My personal favorite being, of course, Frogg Marlowe.)

The first SLCC brought in a hundred-plus real life residents; this year, nearly 500 attended. (I began reporting from the world when the entire population was barely that number.) I'm continually impressed how diverse the group is, artists, entrepreneurs, educators, developers, gamers, from all kinds of real life backgrounds. At current growth rates, SLCC '07 will be several thousand strong. What happens then is anyone's guess.

Wagner James Au continues to cover the inner life of SL at New World Notes and online games at GigaOM.