[SLB Import] a VC in SL?

One of the more interesting statements I’ve been making is that I’ve been acting as a VC of sorts for a couple projects.  (For those who have not heard of a VC, it means Venture Capitalist – someone who spends their own money to further a company or group, in return for some stake in it.)  I’m currently doing this to a degree for two groups.

The first is InnerLife, which I’ve set aside some of my rental land for, as well as participate in testing the PC client that will eventually interface the LightStone biofeeedback device into SL. I have a personal interest in the group, and have expressed interest in aquiring and co-owning an island for them once they’re ready for that stage.  For now its just a matter of getting XML-RPC to stay happy.

The one I’m now active in financially is the Numbakulla sim / project. I give great thanks to Moopf for allowing it to last so long, as its an amazing place. With a possible ‘end’ occuring though, like many others I’ve stepped up and donated.

My ‘share’ probably is rather signifigant right now, enough so that I’m not talking about it (they had almost enough for the purchase before I even got word of this, so is not very big overall anyway). I did, though, do the unusual step of cleaning the paltry amount I had in GOM back into SL. :) My only plan here is to help them out while they finish getting the monthly pledge amount confirmed, and they’re in good shape for that I think.

In both of these cases I have no interest in making money, either in L$ or US$. In fact I’d be happy if I broke even in some cases. The important thing to me is the content here. Both are ‘PG’ in nature, quiet, calming, and fun.

There is not enough of that sort of content in SL. I hope to help change that. Only time will tell.

[SLB Import] Uru saved my soul

Yes, that’s one hell of a statement I’ve made there, but is a correct one.

Flip back to 9/11/01.  I lost two co-workers who were also good friends.  One of them taught me how some of our app works, so now checking it I always think of him.  And of course they were visiting that day, was not their normal office.

My next two years afterward were a bit of a blur really, due to a darkness that settled over me; I honestly cannot remember most of it.  I had moved to 3rd shift as my apathy came to an all-time low, and had settled into a routine that helped to slowly climb out of it.

November 2003, two things happened: New notebook, and Uru came out. The notebook was to create a fresh start, mark a new time in my life (I did the same with the car, in getting my first Prius one month later). Uru, however, I waited on since like all games I now waited due to patches and bugs. Plus I was extremely skeptical of Live at the time.

Well, after X-mas that year, I had spent some money getting the Myst Anniversary DVDs, and played them. I realized that I should try Uru after all, and got it. And finished it two days later. And applied for Live, for the heck of it.

I got in quickly enough, as one of the ‘Accounting Error’ group just after New Years. It was laggy, and overcrowded, and problematic. But realized from talking to others online that I had found a new group of friends. That *we* were going to be the story, for which an ending should not have been written.

But, alas, it was. The shutdown occured on my birthday no less. And yes, I’m still bitter at Ubisoft over this. I’ve been through the hell called the Diablo 2 server issues, and Uru Live was nothing like that, never would have been like that. It just needed time, and they were not given it; That’s it.

So why do I stand by this claim of Uru saving my soul? Many reasons. It introduced me to forum culture. It gave me a new circle of friends that I could understand and be with, even at my hours. And most importantly, it gave me a direction again – which I needed badly to get out of that darkness my soul was in.

But with Live offline, there was uncertainty of what I would do next. I swore off online games totally for a while, and forums as well for a bit. But I began seeking, and quietly heard of some places where people were trying this again.

That’s when I heard about Second Life…

[SLB Import] Well, Well….

*looks around the new, empty space*

 

I’m taking a rather interesting step with this.  My preferences since college has been to keep a low profile on the Internet.  Hell of a story behind that, but not certain even now if I can relay it.

 

Perhaps Torley leaving SL, like the death of someone I knew about in Uru, is spurring me on.  I will have to see.

 

I’m going to keep this down to the main things I discuss in the notecard I was building in Tavarua (which will eventually transfer here):  InnerLife, Uru, and SL.  Like this post, I may also include a RL point from time to time, will have to see…

Bad Behavior has blocked 203 access attempts in the last 7 days.