Quality Avatars

There has been a phrase going around the grid lately that almost makes me chuckle when I hear it. "Quality Avatar" is a reference to avis who are not only invested in the grid but have dedicated their art, music, creations and places to the rest of us.



They give their time wholeheartedly and expose themselves in a raw fashion to let us glimpse their own souls. Their art, music, creations reflect their passion for the virtual world. What they give is so personal and so freely that many times it brings me to tears.



I have met many of them. And they have given me so much. They have given me hope that no matter what evil people do here, it will always be over shadowed by the good that the "quality avatars" bring.



Last night, I was honored to be at The Pocket, an original live music venue. What I saw in that gathering was a group of quality avis who I know are quality human beings. They support each other, they plan and bring the best of the grid to us, and they spend their real money here, investing in the grid.



ColeMarie Soleil was wailing an emo-style set of her own music. She is raw and honest in her delivery. I met her many moons ago back in 2007 at an art performance. That gathering of artists was an introduction to the incredible offerings of Second Life. I realized then that the art I loved and participated in real life could be accomplished here.



What I hope for myself is that I can remember their example and continue to give to this grid, too. Sometimes, and especially, lately, I have almost given up hope that this grid can be a place of sharing and collaboration. Last night made me feel positive again that this is truly a possibility.

Avatars United

I just joined a cool network that is a conglomeration of all virtual worlds including Second Life. Cool because we can be in there and connect both socially and in business. Avatars United. LOL! yah another spam site, another place to get messages out.

You get the drift. Create a profile, add bio, add photos, add videos (not yet), make friends and create groups. The difference is that it is in my community... where I reside and work. The avatars in Second Life are in there duplicating many of the same interests and groups that they already have in world.

Both my partner and I are there enjoying the friends and groups. We brought THE A LIST! into the network and it's been fun adding new friends to the group. I also started a group on a whim that has had a nice beginning. FOOD! is a group without any pretensions except that we all love food, recipes and tips on making our kitchen prep easier. We also recommend slurls for our favorite food creators on the grid.

There are several applications that make photos and communication easier, too. I am hoping that this beta goes smoothly as I already see problems happening with the group dynamics and photo uploads. With all of us sending suggestions and the creators monitoring our behavior, I am hoping this new network will be THE site for the virtual worlds.

And, besides, I have brought in many of the Lindens onto my friends list there... even former CEO, Phil Linden. OMG! Seriously... and I hope it is actually him behind that profile representation. Hee hee!