At Home With

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my next edition of "At Home With". Today I am spending some wonderful time with a lovely couple who call Costa Rica Sims their Second Life home. And that couple would be Dixie Cybertar and Kari Moonkill.

Hi Dixie & Kari ……and welcome to "At Home With". Thank you both for allowing me to spend some time with you and visit your stunning home here.

BM:>  I noticed that both of you have nearly the same rezz date. Was that a coincidence? And how long have you been on Second Life?

DC:> My love Kari wanted me to join SL after he had joined so that we could interact and role play  that we could not do living so far apart. Kari lives in Sweden and I live in Southern California.  I have been on SL since June 17, 2010.

KM:>My friend Marko Riverstone got me to join SL last year and I felt this could be a good way for me and Dixie to be able to interact together and kind of live together since we live so far from each other in real life.  So I managed to talk Dixie to join SL as well. But at first she was a bit shocked over how some people behaved them against her and others but I managed to get her to try again  and that’s how our SL journey started. I have been on Second life since May 17, 2010

BM :> What kept your interest the most to stay on Second Life?

DC :>Kari of course is my number one answer, and beside that I love to SHOP and decorate the inside of our MANY houses.

KM:>Besides Dixie :-) it’s the possibilities to create and build things, it gives me a chance to use my creative side in many ways and also learn how to do things in SL and try ideas I´ve seen in real life.

BM:> Dixie…I noticed you are follow sports in real life. Do you get involved with any of the sporting events on Second Life?

DC:>Yes,  I was an athletic from Texas and have many RL sporting interest, especially ice hockey and MY Anaheim Ducks.  My involvement in sports in SL is mostly En Garde (fencing).  I have found that En Garde is easy to learn but hard to master.

BM:> And Kari..I see you enjoy riding your motorcycle in Second Life.  Do you ride in real life as well?

KM:>I like motorcycles in real life but I don’t ride in real life. I very interested in how motorcycles are built , have always liked to know how things are made from the drawing boards to a finished product.

BM:> How did the two of you meet? And how long have you been a couple on SL?

DC:>Kari and I met on the Anaheim Ducks message board about three plus years ago and became instant friends chatting about our common interest in Teemu Selanne, who is one of the Anaheim Ducks’ Finnish players.  Kari is Finnish and has followed Teemu’s hockey career since 1992.  We found that after about six months we had development a true love for each other….. other than just hockey.   We have been a couple for 15 months and were married in SL on May 25, 2011, one of the happiest days of my life

KM:> Dixie and my relationship started with our love for ice hockey and that we both are fans of the same team. For some reason she wanted to know more about that person using that strange nickname at the Anaheim Ducks message board.. We started to send messages to each other using the message board and after a while we switched over to Yahoo messenger and then to SL. we have been more or less together for +3 years.

BM:> What are your feelings about Second Life relationships? Do they really amount to anything? And on a personal note, I know it can be difficult when partnering with someone who resides in a different time zone with hours of difference between you…….so how do you deal with that issue ?

DC:>I believe SL relationships move along much too fast and most fail, but our relationship has been strong because of the length of time we have known each other and have put a lot of time and energy into our relationship.  Yes the time difference between Kari and me is always an issue but since I own my on business I can be online during the early evening which helps but Kari is the one who has to give up his sleep for our relationship to work.  I have to have my sleep, I am a DIVA, ha-ha.

KM:>I get a feeling that many people in SL rush into relationships and do not really get to know the persons well enough. Also I think it easier to be tempted in Second Life to check if the grass is greener on the other side of the fence. Dixie and I was already a couple before joining Second Life and we have been partners more or less since day one in Second Life. We use the Second Life as a way to experience things together that we wouldn’t be able to in real life due to the distance. We have learned a lot about each other over the years and we have a strong love that have prevailed some tests.

BM:> How would you compare a real life relationship to one on Second Life?

DC:> Our relationship is great because we both consider this a REAL marriage.  But the real touching and feeling of one other is missing and with this it would bring it all together for us.

KM:> In mine and Dixie´s relationship we make not much difference between Second Life and real life. Others see it as a second life and have partners in Second Life even if they have relationship in real life so that feels for us little bit out place. Since behind the avatars in Second Life….is a real person and real feelings..

BM:>  I have heard or read about several instances of people who met on SL that furthered their relationships by meeting in real life.  And some have actually gone that big step in getting married in real life.  How the both of you ever met in real life or discussed the possibility?

DC:> We met before SL and haven’t met in real life.  We have talked about meeting for over a year and I will be so excited to finally meet Kari and jump into his arms, etc., etc. etc.

KM:>We have not met in real life yet but we have talked a lot about it, guess we are a bit afraid of what if the chemistry we have now don’t feel the same when seeing each other in real life.. But other if it works out well then Dixie and I will be extremely happy.

BM:>  That is so amazing that two people connected prior to SL and then became part of Second Life….to try and get at least some form of “touching or being together”.  I am truly inspired by both your stories concerning that.

Dixie and Kari own an entire sim here in Costa Rica Sims. So, let's move on and talk about your beautiful home here in. What made you decide to go with your architectural styles and landscaping?

DC:> The homes we have set up on our Costa Rica sim are primarily Kari’s findings.  He has a real eye for knowing exactly the “right look”, and I leave all those decisions to him as long as I get to decorate the insides of the houses.

KM:> We have a mixed style of both architecture and landscape. At one side we have more of the pacific and Spanish style of houses and on the other side more,  of old European style with the Heritage house. I guess we tried to get in the influences we have together to blend it with the Costa Rica Sims theme.

BM:>  Kari, I see from your profile that you enjoy terraforming. Did you do the landscaping here for your home?

KM:>Yes I have done most of the landscaping and terraforming.  When we moved here I sent Giancarlo a drawing over how I wanted the general look of the sim surface to be. Then I have adjusted it when I have landscaped and put up the houses and buildings we have here. It’s a learning process to figure out how to do it well and it helps to have an eye and feeling for it.

BM:>  Do you have any favorite home builders and furniture designers?

DC:> Pamela Galli and Ginger Lyne home builders and furniture designer.

KM:> Pamela Galli,  Painter Meriman and Fornicola Butuzova are my favorite home builders and the gang at What Next when it comes to furniture and smaller buildings.

BM:>  And now a few questions about calling Costa Rica Sims your Second Life home. How long have you been part of the Costa Rica Sims family?

DC:> We purchased the Costa Rica sim called Puntarenas on September 8, 2011

KM:>Eh I think I’ll Dixie answer this one ha-ha, maybe 3-4 months?

 BM:>  Wow.....that is amazing to have accomplished so much in such a short time. Your entire sim is awesome! How did you find Costa Rica Sims?

DC:> We have friends who we met fencing who recommended Costa Rica Sims to us.  They thought our needs would be met by living here in Costa Rica Sims ?

KM:> Through friends we have that reside and have resided at Costa Rica Sims

BM:>  Why do you love residing in Costa Rica Sims?

DC:>The Costa Rica Sims are sooooo beautiful and I love the many colorful plants, and also the location of our sim.  It makes me feel like we are actually living in Costa Rica,  I like the feeling of people nearby, all of our other Sims was not connected with other Sims so Costa Rica feels like a real life community.

KM:>It’s a lovely place with many places to visit and also to be close to venues is nice, and it’s easy to find inspiration at the Costa Rica Sims.

BM:>  What is your favorite activity in Costa Rica Sims and is there anything you would like to see added?

DC:>So far we have been so busy developing our Sim that we haven’t done much here at Costa Rica Sims ? 

KM:>To be honest I have been pretty busy with working with this place and with the biker stuff and real life so I have not been very social besides, doing some EnGarde fencing to relax when it comes to SL. But I and Dixie hope to become more visible at the venues at Costa Rica Sims.

BM:>  I’m sure you have certain clothing designers that you adore. Could you share a few of them with us?

DC:> Amacci hair and lashes, Amulet, Apple May Design, Aurora, Blacklace, Dagger Design, Drakke, Earth Dwellings, Gasp, Giovanni, Immerschoen Girl, JCNY, K-Code, Moody, Noya, TGIS and more. You should never ask a woman because the list goes on and on and on forever!!!!

KM:>  I wear mostly the clothes designed by RG and Kalrau, but also from GizzA and some other creators.

BM:>  Well I would like to thank you both for your valued time, It was truly a pleasure to spend this time with you both. I cannot stress enough how enjoyable I was to meet the two of you.  You made me feel so very welcomed into your home here. Do you have any closing comments you would like to share?

DC:>I wish all a great experience in Second Life and hope they find SL as fun and fulfilling as Kari and I do.  Happy life to all.

KM:>I wish everyone a happy Christmas and a wonderful 2012.

And I would like to send out my best wishes to everyone, for a safe, happy and wonderful holiday season. Until next month, I’m Brendan Macarthur, Costa Rica Sims Reporter

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my next edition of "At Home With". Today I am spending some wonderful time with Ariadna Dorado, one of the beautiful ladies that call Costa Rica Sims their Second Life home.

BM :> Hello Ariadna and welcome to "At Home With". Thank you for allowing me to spend some time with you. I would like to open our interview by asking, how long have you been on Second Life? And what kept your interest to stay on?

AD :>  I created my avatar in October, 2006, but it was until the end of 2007 that I began to use SL more often. At the beginning, I was just curious about metaverses. However, I realized the potential that SL has for educational purposes. I have been using it basically to socialize, teach, and research.

BM :> A few questions about calling Costa Rica Sims your Second Life home.  I see from your profile that you actually live in Costa Rica in your real life.  How lucky you are (smiles).  How would you compare the Costa Rica represented on Second Life to that of your real life country?

AD :> I think that the Costa Rica Sims team did a great job by developing a themed project that is very coherent and successful.  Parks and attractions that represent Costa Rica's nature and biodiversity truly reproduce local flora and fauna.  We can find volcanoes and rainforest as we have in my country. I understand that several people who visited the Costa Rica Sims, later decided to visit the country, certainly stimulated by the beauty that they experienced at Costa Rica Sims's attractions.

BM :> Thank you. That is a very huge compliment.  How long have you been part of the Costa Rica Sims family?

AD :>I have resided here since 2007.

BM :> How did you find Costa Rica Sims?

AD : I was looking for information about  how Latin Americans were using SL.  At that time, there was a Sim called Heredia. I looked around and I was astonished by the natural landscape and architecture.  I contacted Giancarlo Takacs who helped me to get my property. He and his team have always been very helpful and friendly. So far, I think it is the most beautiful place to live in all of Second Life.

BM :> Why do you love residing in Costa Rica Sims?

AD :> I adore it.  I 'm very proud of it.  I always bring my SL friends to show them the national parks and other attractions that we have.  I teach several of my classes at my house and my students love to sit at the beach or at the pool instead of going to campus to a regular class. Sometimes I also arrange my meetings there; it is not only more convenient, but much more relaxing and enjoyable.

BM :> What is your favorite activity in Costa Rica Sims and is there anything you would like to see added?

AD :>To visit the natural resources such as parks and forests, and the hunts. I also attended DJ parties and fashion shows. I really miss Coco's island.  It was a wonderful place.  I would love to have a park with caves, as we do have in Guanacaste at Cavernas Venado.

BM :> Let's move on and talk about your beautiful home here in Costa Rica. I am really impressed by what you created here as your home. What made you decide to go with this architectural style and landscape?

AD :> I love it because it's simple, but elegant.  I wasn't looking for a big house. I spent hours looking for something appropriate for a house at the beach.  I finally got this was and I'm pretty happy with it.  It has elements inspired in an Italian Villa, but it also has a modern twist. Since I was planning to use SL for teaching, I envisioned nice open spaces to gather with students.  I developed a research project on how students can enhance their learning experiences in a virtual environment, so I decided that I will not have an auditorium or regular classroom, but relaxed outdoor spaces where we can gather. I created 8 different locations two gazebos, a pool, two ponds, a greenhouse, a bar and the beachfront space.

BM :> You really have done an amazing job here. Ok, I have to ask you…..do you have any favorite home builders, furniture designers or landscapers?  I am sure many of our residents would be interested I how you went about creating this gorgeous home for yourself.

AD :> I love Botanical, JC Design, JD Design,  K Design, 2Xtreme, Tesh Gardens, Real WavesHeart Tropical plants, Animania, Music Alchemy Simply furniture. However, I always look for high quality graphics instead of a particular brand name.

BM :> I’m sure you have certain clothing designers that you adore. Could you share a few of them with us?

AD :> Armidi, MADesign, Styles of Edo,  LeeZu are some of my favorites.

BM :> What are your feelings about Second Life relationships? Do they really amount to anything? How would you compare a real life relationship to one on Second Life?

AD :>  For me there is no difference.  As in real life you begin to know each other little by little.  I guess that the fact that you are using an avatar sometimes makes people open themselves more than in a face to face relationship.  So far I don't have regrets. I love the friends I encountered in SL and I use social media such as Facebook or Wayn to get in touch with them.  I send them "real postcards" to their real address when I travel abroad and share pictures as well. I disagree with those who think that virtual worlds and relationships are not real.  They are real indeed, and have real consequences.

BM :> Thank you so very much for your valued time Ariadna, and do you have any closing comments you would like to share with your co-residents?

AD :> I'm really thankful to The Costa Rica Sims team who work hard every day in building this project and I hope to keep enjoying the values and vision that we share as a virtual community.

Until next month, I’m Brendan Macarthur, Costa Rica Sims Reporter

Hello everyone,

Welcome to my next edition of "At Home With". Today I am spending some wonderful time with one of the beautiful ladies that call Costa Rica Sims their Second Life home. None other than Imani Enzo.

Hello Imani and welcome to "At Home With". Thank you for allowing me to spend some time with you. I would like to open our interview by asking, how long have you been on Second Life? And what kept your interest to stay on?

Hello Brendan.  I've been in SL for over three years and I can honestly say that the friends I've made keep me coming back. I also love the fact that there is always something new and creative to explore and experience in this virtual world.

I see from your profile that you have turned yourself into quite an accomplished model in SL. What made you decide to get into modeling?

I had a photographer friend who liked my look and the way that I styled my clothing who suggested that I give it a try. After doing a little research and attending a couple fashion shows, I decided to give it a go and here I am.

Also reviewing your profile, I noticed you have won some prestigious titles. One being the CRSP Top Female Model for 2010. What did you do to prepare for that?

Being nominated for CRSP Top Female Model was a wonderful surprise and winning was a huge honor. I honestly prepared by styling the outfits in a manner that truly reflected my sense of style and selecting poses that were fun but complimentary. I did not go into it expecting to win but I'm very happy that I did.

You are also the current Miss Ebony. How competitive was that pageant?

Oh wow, that contest was a load of fun but extremely competitive. Every contestant was an amazing stylist and the weekly challenges certainly kept me on my toes. I enjoyed the experience immensely and I'm very honored to have been selected as Miss Essence of Ebony.

I’m sure you have certain clothing designers that you adore. Could you share a few of them with us?

I can go on and on for days about SL designers that I adore. That's because I'm definitely a shopaholic! Some of my favorites include: Lelutka; AZUL; Bliss Couture; Orage Creations; DIRAM;  Chantkare; Mimikri; Peqe; and, Baiastice.

What goes into the “styling” part of your outfits? And how do you find the items to make that “complete look” come to life?

My inventory is ridiculous because of my styling habits.  It's full of notecards, folders and pictures of outfit ideas that I've put together. My inventory is also out of control because I tend to shop for interesting pieces that will ultimately make a great mix n' match look.  Styling for me is truly a process.

I also read in your profile that you are or were a writer for various SL magazines? Do you still write or blog for any magazines or designers?

I am currently on hiatus from writing and blogging because I write a lot in RL and doing it all day every day is not always fun. However, I hope to start blogging as a hobby again soon once RL starts to settle down a little bit more for me.

What are your feelings about Second Life relationships? Do they really amount to anything?

I would imagine that SL relationships can be great when two people are absolutely committed to making them work.  I think any relationship has value, even in this virtual forum, when there is mutual respect, genuine admiration, trust, and common goals/interests.

How would you compare a real life relationship to one on Second Life?

It's hard for me to say that there is a difference between the two because there are real people behind our avatars and each of us brings a part of our real self to SL. I also think that is even more true when you are in relationship with someone in-world. RL and SL intersect all the time when you become close to people as friends and even more when relationships go beyond that. Of course you can't physically touch people in-world but that's sometimes the case in RL too.

Let's move on and talk about your beautiful home here in Costa Rica Sims. What made you decide to go with this architectural style and landscape?

I honestly fell in love with the build the moment I saw it. I adore the high ceilings and open spaces. I loved the house I had before this but my little dog did not. This one has more open space and she can move around a little more. As for the landscape, you don't have to do much in Costa Rica Sims because it's beautifully done. I just added a few trees and plants.

Do you have any favorite home builders and furniture designers?

I honestly don't have a favorite home builder but I do love furniture from the Loft, Aria, Abiss, and DIGS.

A few questions about calling Costa Rica Sims your Second Life home. How long have you been part of the Costa Rica Sims family?

I've been in Costa Rica Sims for over two years.

How did you find Costa Rica Sims?

I think I might have seen a couple ads about the sims in SL magazines and decided to take a look. After exploring all the things Costa Rica sims had to offer, I decided to move here.

Why do you love residing in Costa Rica Sims?

Costa Rica Sims is absolutely beautiful to me. There are so many things to do and see. I also love the wonderful sense of community ii offers. The people are amazing and everyone seems genuinely friendly and it’s easy to have a good time with them.

What is your favorite activity in Costa Rica Sims and is there anything you would like to see added?

I can't think of anything that I'd like to add but I do enjoy the all the community events. However, my favorite thing would have to be the shopping!

Thank you for your valued time and do you have any closing comments you would like to share?

Thank you for allowing me to share my home with you. It's been a lot of fun. I truly love living here and can't imagine making any other place in SL my home.

Until next month, I’m Brendan Macarthur, Costa Rica Sims Reporter.

Below are the SRURL's for many of Imani's favorite shops...right here in Costs Rica Sims in the Colonial Shopping District.

Orage Creations:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/Old%20Costa%20Rica/183/86/35

Azul:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Old%20Costa%20Rica/221/72/36

Baiastice:  http://slurl.com/secondlife/Old%20Costa%20Rica/165/201/35

Chantkare:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/Old%20Costa%20Rica/220/204/35

Bliss:   http://slurl.com/secondlife/Old%20Costa%20Rica/110/26/26

Hello everyone,

Welcome to another edition of "At Home With". Today I am am spending some quality time with one of the beautiful couples that call Costa Rica Sims their Second Life home. Amadeus Arctor and Fredy Lynagh have been together for some time now as Costa Rica Sims residents and as a couple.

Hello  guys and welcome to "At Home With". Thank you for allowing me to spend some time with you. I would like to open our interview by asking, how long have you both been on Second Life? And what kept your interest to stay on?

Amadeus: By coincidence we both joined about the same time in Autumn 1997. In SL you get to experience other people’s visions as well as express your own and it’s always changing; meeting people from just about anywhere on the globe and making friends; these are all part of the fascination of SL.

How long ago did you both meet and do you remember what you first thought about each?

Fredy: We met a couple of months after first coming to SL. It was a very funny first meeting. I’m German and had very little English, Ama had no German. Somehow we managed to communicate and enjoy each other’s company. Now my English has improved and Ama can speak a little German.

How long after meeting you guys started dating?

Fredy: A few months went by before we starting dating.

Prior to this relationship did you guys dated anyone before and if so for how long?

Amadeus: No, in fact we were not looking for relationships in the early days. Fredy had lost someone suddenly and unexpectedly in RL and I had found myself taking care of someone who had suddenly been diagnosed with cancer, who I also lost 6 months after coming to SL. SL provided a temporary relief from real world troubles at that time, but relationships were not the first thing on our minds.

What do you both see as the biggest challenges for Second Life relationships?

Fredy:  Perhaps it’s different expectation. So I think it is important that two people agree some rules at the start.

How do you compare a RL relationship to one on SL?

Amadeus:  For some they are worlds apart; for others, like us, they may be very similar emotionally.

How difficult is it to balance the emotions between a Second Life relationship versus a Real Life one?

Amadeus:  In our case our relationship has become more than just a SL one. We are based in different countries, which complicates things sometimes, but we are in constant contact outside SL.

Do the same rules apply in SL with a partner when it comes to cheating even though some may have a RL partner that doesn’t know he/she is involved in a Second Life relationship?

Fredy: A complicated question, but as far as SL is concerned, if rules were agreed at the outset then they should be honoured.  In our case, neither of us would dream of cheating on the other.

As a couple and as individuals what are your favorite things to do in Second Life?

Fredy: More often than not we will be chatting together or with friends, but we also like to search out interesting place to see in SL, or just work together developing our land.

Do you have any words of wisdom for those starting a Second Life relationship on how to make it last?

Amadeus:  Hmm, I’m not sure we can claim to be very wise. I’ll pick up on what Fredy said earlier. If possible, try to agree those ground rules early on and there will be less chance of disappointment later.

Let's move on and talk about your beautiful home here in Costa Rica Sims. Just by looking around I can see is massive piece of land. How long have you owned this property?

Fredy: Not so long, perhaps 6 or 7 weeks. Before, we had a smaller plot on the Costa Rica mainland for about 18 months, but we had done all we could to that land, so we thought it was time for something different.

What made you decide to go with this architectural style and landscape?

Amadeus: We had a nice house and garden before, which was rather formally laid out. So this time we wanted a complete change of style. As you can see, we now have an island and we decided to go to the opposite extreme. So it’s now a jungle theme with an open style tropical house. We both love plants and beautiful untamed settings, so that is what we are trying to create here. There is still a lot to do, but we’ve made a start. 

Do you have any favorite home builders and furniture designers?

Amadeus: I admire so many talented designers in SL, it seems a little unfair to single out just a few names. But here goes. Pre’ Fabulous and Double O Studio make beautifully detailed, but entirely different buildings, and currently rank high on our list of fine home builders.  Sadly, some old favourites amongst the home builders are no longer here in SL.  Naiman Broome (Las Islas) is a favourite for all his designs, whether buildings, furniture, plants or natural objects and effects. As far as homes go we like the freedom to alter what we buy, so if a house cannot be modified it is not for us.  Melino has some beautiful exotic furniture which we like very much, as we do furniture from The Loft and Mission Home Store when we want a period look. Unfortunately, detail in furniture can come with a high prim count, but, the pieces are often miniature works of art and can be difficult to resist.

A few questions about calling Costa Rica Sims your Second Life home. How long have you been part of the Costa Rica Sims family?

Fredy: I think we arrived in the summer 2009

How did you find Costa Rica Sims? Did one of you reside here before the other?

Fredy: We had a home on another large estate for a long time, but it closed down and we had to move. We had seen Costa Rica Sims a few times and were very impressed, so it was a natural choice.

If anyone ask either of you why you love residing in Costa Rica Sims, how would you reply?

Amadeus:  First and foremost it’s beautiful and provides a tremendous amount of lovely communal land for residents to enjoy. Add to that the fact that it is exceptionally well run and has a thriving community and you have a winner.

What is your favorite activity in Costa Rica Sims and is there anything you would like to see added?

Amadeus: At the moment I can’t think of any new activity I would like to see added. Costa Rica has so much already. We find it fascinating to wander around and see how others have developed their land. And, of course, steal a few ideas from here and there. Costa Rica Sims is always evolving, so there are always plenty of new things to see. In recent months, there have been a large number of small islands added to the Estate and they are quite stunning to sail or fly around.

Thank you both for your valued time and do either of you have any closing comments?

Amadeus & Fredy: We've always liked reading your At Home With column Brendan, so we are delighted to have been asked to take part.

Until next month, I’m Brendan Macarthur, Costa Rica Sims Reporter

Welcome to another edition of "At Home With". Today I have the great honor to visit the home of Arrehn Oberlander another talented resident of Costa Rica Sims. For those of you who are not familiar with his name, Arrehn is part of the team behind the Phoenix Viewer and the lead developer for the upcoming Firestorm Viewer.

Hi Arrehn! Thank you for welcoming me to your home. As a resident on Second Life for a little over three years, I’m sure you have witnessed the rise and fall of several 3rd party viewers including the controversial Emerald Viewer. I would like to start by asking you, what are your thoughts about the Emerald Viewer problems and how they were handled? 

Hi Brendan! Thanks for the interest!

I can start by saying I wasn't involved with the Emerald viewer, but I was affected by what happened with Emerald, as many of us were. I would say that it affected me strongly at the time. Emerald's collapse and removal from LL's list of registered community viewers appeared to be due to inexperienced individuals in positions of power exercising poor judgment.  I think Emerald let a lot of people down-- its users, its innocent developers caught in the crossfire, and the community as a whole. In a way we're still feeling the fallout-- there's a number of top, reputable developers who were turned off from SL viewer development because of that fiasco. If there's one good thing that came out of it, it is that SL viewer projects now are held to a higher standard, both by the community and their developer membership. Emerald's collapse also may have spurred new developers to get involved with viewer development, and for viewer projects to adopt greater transparency and internal systems of checks and balances.

I have spoken with many of my friends who switched to the official Second Life Viewer 2, and the general consensus is that although Viewer 2 has several great features, the new interface is not as “user friendly”, which made it a less popular choice among all viewer options. What do you think of Second Life Viewer 2? Do you agree that the interface is not “user friendly”?

I clearly remember the first time I used Viewer2. It was a very frustrating experience for me. Technologically it was frustrating because it seemed to be designed by someone who had a very different idea of how to use SL than what many people were already doing. Viewer2 removed a lot of flexibility and features previously available to a user. Aside from the technological limitations, from a human angle Viewer2 was frustrating because LL wasn't listening to feedback at the time. There was a great deal of community feedback that appeared to be disregarded. I think this more than anything else created a perception that Viewer2 was not user friendly. People will forgive a lot as long as they believe their feedback is being valued.

I'll go on a little more on this question, because I feel it needs to be said. Viewer2, and LL's initial reluctance to listen to design criticism paralyzed SL viewer development for about a year. The majority of SL users did not adopt it, and many community viewer development teams didn't feel like their viewer ideas were welcome in viewer2, so they avoided it for a long time.

Its taken projects like Firestorm to demonstrate that yes, we can have the benefits of Viewer2, while still giving users greater flexibility for how they handle instant messages, popup windows, notifications, context menus, and many other types of interactions with the virtual world.

The Phoenix Viewer has become the most popular 3rd party viewer that is currently available. As part of the team behind the the development of the Phoenix viewer, what do you think has attributed to its success? "

Phoenix is not just the most popular community developed viewer; it is the most popular viewer for SL, period. It's a tremendous achievement that offers a number of insights. Firstly Phoenix is aware of, and listens to requests from various sub-communities within SL, and the Phoenix developers are not against throwing in extra options if asked. As a result Phoenix offers a level of high degree of customization. Phoenix also has critical support for SL power-users that server as role models to others. Content creators have far richer creation tools in Phoenix than in the stock viewers. Land owners have far more management abilities in Phoenix than in the stock viewers. Performers have far more inventory and communication control than in the stock viewers. When users find a role model in SL, chances are that role model is using a rich community-developed viewer like Phoenix. We're currently bringing these rich features into Firestorm, so that users can have the best of LL's breaking technology along with all the power tools they are used to.

Finally, Phoenix also has a large, well-staffed in-world support structure. It's such a simple thing but LL doesn't offer you an easy place to go and get interactive help using the viewer in world. Phoenix does. It makes a big difference.

I am interested to learn more about the Firestorm Viewer. You have previously stated that the Firestorm Viewer will have all the features of the Second Life Viewer 2, as well as some features from the Phoenix Viewer. Could you please tell us about the Firestorm Viewer and what inspired you to create it?

When I first started using Viewer2 I was disappointed that LL did not express an interest in making the UI interface more flexible, but I thought to myself, "That doesn't look too hard...", so I experimented a little improving Viewer2 on my own, with some moderate success. However, it became clear that one person working alone and part time could only do so much. I started asking around to see if anyone else was interested in helping, and Jessica Lyon invited me to start up the Firestorm viewer project. Once I had the basic project up and running and some improvements as examples, many of the Phoenix developers were eager to help out. Once a team of people was working on Firestorm, we were able to make great improvements quickly.

One of the pitfalls of using a 3rd party viewer is the possible threat to security of user data, including credit card information. As someone who would be interested in using Firestorm once it is officially released, what can users expect with regard to the security of your viewer?

One important thing is that the viewer itself does not see the details of your finances, credit card numbers, or private information on file. That data is stored completely at Linden Labs and the viewer cannot not access it.

For the rest, we address this by being transparent, and documenting ourselves the same way commercial companies do. Our team operates as a legally registered non-profit organization. We pay for validated, code signing certificates so that users can prove which applications came directly from us and not some other source. All of our developers have their personal information on file with LL's legal team, as part of LL's community technology partnership rules. Our releases are checked for viruses and malware prior to release. Finally, all of the source code we modify from stock LL defaults is available for inspection and auditing. Ultimately it is up to the user to decide whether to trust Phoenix-Firestorm, Linden Labs, or any other application they download, but we feel we've made our case as compelling as any.

While researching information about the Firestorm Viewer, I found your in-world group called "Phoenix-Firestorm Preview Group". What does this group offer and how can users join it if interested?

The "Phoenix-Firestorm Preview group" is an old group used for Firestorm-related questions before Firestorm was released to the public. Now that Firestorm is released, this group has been dropped.

If you're looking for Firestorm support, join "Phoenix-Firestorm Viewer Support".

This is our main support group, with almost 12,000 members. If you join this group you'll get notices when new releases are available and when classes begin. The group chat itself can get busy, but most of the time it is staffed by multiple volunteers with quick access to a number of common answers to questions and troubleshooting resources. If you have a question about Phoenix or Firestorm, and can't find it on the wiki hosted at http://www.phoenixviewer.com, it’s the best place to go.

On a final note with regard to the Firestorm Viewer, do you have a tentative release date set?

We consider ourselves released right now! Yes, technically the releases do say "Beta" next to them, but don't let this scare you off. These releases are as stable as any other viewer and offer far, far more than the LL Viewer2 client with all of the same advantages such as multiple clothing layers, a favorites bar, notifications that are saved from session to session, and other V2 features.

We'll drop the "Beta" tag when we feel like Firestorm has every major feature than Phoenix has. We're already very close to this. The "Beta" tag is more a statement of feature port completion than stability. There is no date set for when we'll remove it but every public release brings us closer.

Your profile reads, “I'm an independent adventurer on the electronic frontier, known to explore, obsess on technical projects, and create new possibilities”.  Do you have any other projects, concepts, or ideas in development?

I run a casual group for the appreciation and practice of imaginative art in SL. The group is called "MetaHarpers Cabal" and if you're interested in keeping up with unusual/surreal art forms in SL, or just building fictional harp instruments to wear on your back, please join in! It's an open group with low traffic. Firestorm development has taken up a lot of my time, but before I did this I created some highly advanced combined couples/solo dance machines, hover board vehicles, interactive art displays, and other various scripted projects. Technology is a fun toy!

I'm hoping to get back to some of this soon, along with helping some friends with musical expo event hosting, and improving my perpetually unfinished project sim "Chasm Deep".

We are honored to have you as an “adventurer” and resident of Costa Rica Sims. How did you discover Costa Rica Sims and why did you decide to call it your virtual home?

I actually discovered Costa Rica Sims during my first month in SL. I was looking for a place to try surfboarding and a CRS resident set me up with a board and set me loose to explore the unbroken expanse of natural-themed shorelines. Ever since then I've been meaning to come back more permanently.  For me the navigable waterways, open spaces, and strong natural theme make it a pleasant place to relax when I'm looking for quiet time to myself scripting, testing, or chatting with a friend away from the social scenes.

I know that you have not lived in Costa Rica Sims too long, but as an “adventurer” is there anything you would like to see added to the community to enhance it?

My favorite places are the natural park areas. I like going to a quiet part of the natural parks, finding a place out of view of a manmade structure, and rezzing a blanket or something similar. A few years ago there was a pair of uninhabited CRS islands with some fantastic rock shelves right on the waterline. I hope more things like this are possible, although I understand LL's pricing doesn't make it easy. I've spent a lot of time in natural parks in various countries, so it feels very comfortable to me to be able to do this in SL while computing from my house.

Thank you so much for you time!

Thank you Brendan!

Hello everyone.  Today, I’m heading over to the residence of renowned builder and Costa Rica Sims resident Mr. Barnesworth Anubis.  Looking at Barnesworth's profile you realize that he is one of the longest residents in Second Life…. Over 2500 days!

Hello Barnesworth, and thank you for taking the time to meet with me today for our "At Home With" interview. As I stated, you are probably  one of the longest residents in Second Life.  How did you first learn about Second Life and what raised your curiosity to sign up?

 I use to build houses for The Sims and The Sims Online. Some friends in there (Ingrid Ingersoll and Toast Bard here in SL) introduced me to SL, actually very reluctantly talked me into trying it. After I discovered the building tools and started making things, I really enjoyed it. I sold my TSO account and its contents to buy my first SL land. (And I’m really not that old, SL's first resident is Steller Sunshine, she has me beat by 2.25 years, I'm really not that old!

Obviously there have been major changes in Second Life since its inception. What do you think have been the greatest improvements for content creators like yourself and regular Second Life residents?

That would easily have to be sculpties. They have really changed SL building since they have been introduced. They have allowed content creators to create a lot more realistic items than was before possible with the limited prim shapes. Not just in architecture but in every type of content creation in SL. I remember trying to make subtle curves and rounded edges with dozens of prims, now it only takes one sculpt. The megaprim exploit also has allowed a lot of interesting possibilities. 

What challenges do you face architecturally building in SL?

The way we view SL is different than in RL, instead of looking through our eyes our point of view is fixed behind our heads. This actually changes the way we see, navigate, and ultimately how we need to build things. It is an interesting challenge making spaces feel right when accommodating for this. If you have ever seen someone make a true scaled model of a building in SL you will see what I mean when trying to walk through it. Rooms have to be bigger and ceilings higher for easy navigation, but that can also make your living room feel like a gymnasium. Striking the balance is hard. I always have to walk around my buildings over and over again to get it right.

What influences or inspires you when building?

I find I am really attracted to exotic locations. I think people in SL are too. You want to feel like you are somewhere different and interesting than your usual every day. If you browse my sims you will see I have prefabs in a lot of different styles from around the world and even different time periods. I really like build that transports you mentally to somewhere else.

What are your favorite RL architects or structures?

Honestly I don’t really have a lot of refined architectural knowledge from RL. If anything I think my SL building is more influenced by places I see. I love buildings that have some character and history to them.

Of all you builds what has been your favorite?

Haha, that is a hard question. That’s like asking a parent to pick their favorite kid. I guess one of my favorite for-hire builds would have been a loft space I built for iVillage.com with Electric Sheep Company. It was an awesome space and I was given a lot of freedom with it. I also got to work with some awesome people on it (Forseti Svarog and Cory Edo). As far as prefab houses it’s always the newest one I did haha, so currently the one I am living in.

You are certainly quite a talented man, looking at your beautiful home and business designs. What possessed you to get into that business?

As I mentioned I made houses in TSO, so it was kind of natural for me to start doing that here too. I enjoy building houses and as soon as I was done building one I wanted to take it down and build a new one. I decided to start selling the old ones to help pay for land fees and upload costs. I opened my first store in Slazar Jack's brownstone in the old city sim Grignano in late 2004 after a few months of SL. Amazingly the structure is still there 7 years later. http://slurl.com/secondlife/Grignano/124/117/27

Getting into prefab stores was an accident. In 2005 I was hired to build a high end mall, and was to be paid for building it as a share in the profits. The mall never made it past the first few months so instead I started selling them as prefab stores. There was a high demand for them and now commercial/shop prefabs are a large part of my business.

Are there any other content creators you admire here in Second Life and would you ever live in a home not created by you?

Tons. I couldn’t even start to name everyone I admire in here. The person I first remember really admiring was Juro Kothari. He still has a prefab shop here in SL. I lived in one of his homes and some of my earliest builds were imitations of his! Damien Fate was another builder I really admired as a new player to SL. I have lived in other people’s houses although for a long time I did not have a house in SL.

I know the [ba] brand has a wide range of products, would you share with me what else besides your gorgeous homes are out there as part of your brand?

I have tried making just about everything in SL at one time or another. Obviously I have the homes and home furnishings under the [ba] barnesworth anubis prefabs. As mentioned a large part of that business is also commercial/shop structures and full sim kits such as the one created for the colonial shopping district located here in Costa Rica Sims. I also sell a popular line of shop furniture for displaying items better than just posters on the walls. And lately I have been in the breedable pet market making furniture and accessories for pets in SL. I am the official pet accessory maker for KittyCats which makes some of the cutest breedable pets in all of SL. I also do other pet stuff for horses, bunnies, and lots of other pets with Callie Cline under the name Pampered Pets on the So Cal sim.

I have a menswear store called Barnes Boutique that is horribly out of date (was mostly made in 2006-7 before sculpts etc), maybe it can be fashionable in a retro way? Vintage SL clothes?

And now, of course, you have selected Costa Rica Sims as your home in Second Life which I must say is a real honor. How did you first hear about our estate and what inspired you to make this your home?

Costa Rica Sims was something I was always aware of, making houses means I see and hear about and end up visiting where people are living. Last year through other business ventures I was working on some things in Costa Rica Sims and saw what a great community it has developed into. I decided to have a small home here because lately I have found myself in need of a spot to work on smaller things and manage my business. My residence here in Costa Rica is really more of a private studio/work space for me to do small tasks and organize content for vendors or marketplace listings. I could have easily parceled myself off a piece of land on my own store sims but is also nice to be part of a community and see another dot on your map sometimes.

It’s certainly obvious that you have become a very important part of our estate. As I travel around Costa Rica Sims, it’s hard not to see your personal touch everywhere. I know you designed our beautiful Opera House and more recently our Colonial Fashion District. Which one did you enjoy the most creating?

They were both fun, the opera house turned out to be a bigger job than I expected, but I think it was worth the extra work in the end. It is a structure I am very proud of. The Colonial district was really fun to see come together. It took months to build all the parts on my own sim. The whole thing had not been put together until we set it up on Old Costa Rica and I think the whole thing really turned out amazing once it was put together. I know Giancarlo was nervous thinking I was just making a big mess. I also got to work with one of my favorite people ever, Cory Edo of Trompe Loeil, who made the plants. She did an amazing job and her plants really bring the place to life.

Is it true that you are now creating a new set of homes inspired by Costa Rica Sims. Can you tell me a little bit about?

Yes. Although it is sometimes hard to find the time I am finding myself inspired by the Costa Rica Sims community to create homes that really work here for the lifestyle people lead who call Costa Rica Sims Home. People here are a little different I think, you don't see big privacy screens around people’s houses and everyone sitting in skyboxes. People want an open and inviting home, something that allows them to enjoy the beautiful scenery. I think a lot of people in Costa Rica Sims own or manage some kind of business in SL as well, so I would like to make houses that have space for that. I don't know about you, but I would rather have a place in my house to put my subscribe-o-matic than a shower.

I’m sure you have seen how Costa Rica Sims has evolve over time. What do you think is the key ingredient for the success of our estate?

I think it’s as simple as it offers something a little extra than the average land experience. Again you don't see people walling themselves off here and living in their skyboxes. People want to interact with each other here and be part of a community. So I guess the people?

With so many options in Second Life, what would you tell anyone who asked you “Is Costa Rica Sims a good place to call home in Second Life?” And why?

Well, the land is beautiful and the people are friendly. What more could you ask for?

As someone with a rezz day in 2004, I’m sure you have lots of funny stories you could tell over the many years here in Second Life. Is there one in particular that comes to mind that you would like to share with our community?

Gosh there are lots of goofy memories from SL. I think one of my favorites was unlinking sheep set to physical on top of the mountains in the Hectora Atoll section of the old Mainland, which caused them to explode. We would see how far each piece went. I think my record was a left leg going 7 sims. I think now they would ban you for that.

Is it possible for someone as busy as yourself to have time for something else besides building let’s say umm…. love? Winks...

Well, me and the torus had a thing for a while but then I met the tube and well... oh you said besides building? Love, not really. Good friends, definitely. 

“Laughs” I have noticed that you are always drinking a margarita, what is the story behind that?

If you had to deal with SL wonkyness  AND Giancarlo bothering you all day wouldn’t you need a drink too? But seriously it has some special scripts in it that allow me greater mobility and make it easier for me to check things. What really happened is my real one which was a small invisible prim disappeared in my inventory and my friend Toast Bard had made one disguised as a margarita ages ago and given it to me. I found that one and put it on. I don’t change my avatar much so it has kind of just fused to my hand. I’ve been wearing the same avatar look since about 2006.

Mr. Anubis, I would like to thank you for your time and the opportunity to visit your beautiful home today. Are there any closing comments or “words of wisdom” you would like to share with us?

Don't take SL too seriously, I guess. And prim hair is over rated. Oh, and never accept and open drink from Giancarlo.

Well on that note,  haha, we're all done here.  I hope you enjoyed learning more about this incredible builder and fellow resident. And stop by his shop in Old Costa Rica's Commercial District.

http://slurl.com/secondlife/Old%20Costa%20Rica/187/198/35

So till next month...I just might be knocking on your door.

Ciao, Brendan

Hello everyone. I have been given the opportunity to bring back “At Home With” the residents of Costa Rica Sims.  I will attempt to bring you some insight on various persons or couples who are residents here.  And today, I’m going to pop over to the residence of Jaspar Recreant.   As I understand it, Jaspar is one of the longest residents in Costa Rica Sims.

BM> How long have you been on Second Life?

JR> I've just had my 4th rezz day.

BM> When did you move to Costa Rica and how did you even find this place?

JR> As far as I can remember (it is a while ago now), I moved here in about August 2007.  I saw an advertisement for Costa Rica Sims near one of the clubs I used to frequent in those days.  The was a TP link, so I clicked on it and found myself in a beautiful park, which was, in fact, the centerpiece of what was then only a small estate.  I was impressed, but not particularly interested in buying land at the time.  The story continues a few weeks later when I discovered one of my close friends was on the executive team here.  He had a block here and I bought a parcel adjoining his.  For me, it seemed a big step. 

BM> How many sims were there at the time? 

JR > There were only two sims then, Puntarenas and Guanacaste.

BM> Wow !  So what impressed you upon finding Costa Rica Sims and made you decide to move here?

JR> I was impressed by its natural beauty.  Gian also had a clear view of what he wanted the estate to become.  I liked that, particularly as it fitted in with my idea of a great place to live in Second Life.  And of course, one of my best friends was a neighbor.  

BM> You have know Giancarlo a long time how has your relationship evolved being in Costa Rica Sims so long? 

JR> Gian has the knack of being helpful without being intrusive.  More importantly, he is also a friend; in fact there are not many people that I have known longer in SL.  But really, I don't see very much of him; he is so busy keeping all this going, even with the help from his team. 

BM> I’m sure you have seen how the Costa Rica Sims have expanded. What do you think is the key ingredient to the success of Costa Rica Sims?

JR > The sense of welcome and of community, even though it has grown so much.  The other thing that I think is important is that the management of the estate, after setting the ground rules, it has encouraged the residents to develop community and their own activities and to become involved as much as they wish., including in the management of the estate.    That reflects the philosophy of Second Life itself.   We can make of it what we wish.   

BM> what would you say is your favorite activity here in Costa Rica Sims?

JR> Oh that's easy - Sailing.  There are not many residential estates where you can jump in your boat at home and have access to so many connected water sims  and, for the most part, not have to worry about ban lines and security orbs.  I also enjoy surfing here and, more recently I've tried hang-gliding.

BM> What you tell anyone who asked you “is Costa Rica Sims a good place to reside”? And why?

JR> Oh I would say "Definitely Yes!".  After all, I have lived here a good long time. Why?  Well for me there are many reasons.   The natural beauty of it. The consistent vision for the look of the estate.  The ease of movement around the estate.  In so many ways, whatever your interests, there are reasons to live here.  

BM> I’m sure you have many stories you could tell over the many years here.  Is there any one you would like to share with the other residents?

JR> Perhaps the most amusing one is that it is only very recently, despite knowing each other for years, that Gian and I have discovered we both use voice chat.  As it happens, we both pre-date voice chat in SL and have been busily typing away at each other all this time, without realizing that we could save ourselves the bother.  I was out sailing and ran into him terraforming a new sim and said hello without thinking.  I got a real surprise when he replied and we both had a laugh.  That's Second Life for you.  Nothing is quite what it seems. 

BM > What do you enjoy the most about Second Life?

JR>  Oh I think the thing I like best about SL is the fact that I now have friends all over the world and from all walks of life.  It's fascinating really and endlessly different.

BM> Have you ever “fallen in love” on SL?  And what do you see as the biggest challenges of a SL relationship?

JR> Oh yes.  Several times.  In different ways they have been richly rewarding experiences, although like anything worthwhile, there have been tough moments.  I don't regret any of them though.  For me the friendships are real, even if the world is virtual.  And sometimes that can be tricky.

BM > In closing, we would like to thank you for your time and the opportunity to visit your beautiful home. Are there any other comments you would like to share with us today?

JR> I think I would like just to echo Giancarlo and close by simply saying "Love and Light".  To me it is evocative of Costa Rica Sims.

BM> Well thank you again so very much. And to you rest of you...I hope you enjoyed this interview as much as I did doing it.  Until next time!