Something wicked good this way comes, and it is happening today

Posted by Bettina Tizzy

All those survey numbers and spreadsheets are beginning to register what most Residents of the bustling city that is our Second Life® already know firsthand: Virtual worlds for more than games are popping with potential for the serious stuff… business, education, science, and the arts. The naysayers are still out there, Twittering about how they don’t even have enough time for their first life, etc., etc., but they are off-world. They aren’t here to witness how this 3D world is getting stickier than molasses.

While the Real World is staggering in a recession economy, this virtual world is humming merrily to the tune of $120M in user-to-user transactions during the 1st Quarter of 2009, up 65% from the same quarter last year. Moreover, according to a recent in-world business study, 20% of Second Life’s businesses earn all their income in Second Life, with approximately 2,000 full time businesses in operation.

At the very heart of this bubbling stew is an organization called Metanomics that explores the serious uses of virtual worlds in the company of tout le monde: the executives, educators and artists that are making it all happen. It’s a virtual talk show. It’s a forum for hundreds of conversations going on simultaneously at a dizzying rate of speed, both in voice and in text chat. In fact, I defy you to attend any of these sessions without perceiving… without recognizing that something really important is going on: potential and yes, even success.


The new set and studio for Metanomics - Photo by Keystone Bouchard

Something wicked good this way comes today, and it’s big. For as long as I can recall (and I rezzed in January of 2007), the leadership of Linden Lab, the company that owns and operates the platform of Second Life - and governs it, too – has gone into hiding whenever the Residents of the world they created convene. But changes are afoot, and the citizens have been in agreement lately… dare I say it? Linden Lab is starting to step out. The Lindens are actually becoming involved with, and becoming a part of the Second Life community.

Oh, they still infuriate us with unsurprising regularity over one thing or another, but I can’t begin to tell you how welcome their participation is. The more we communicate, the better things get… and stickier… and more fun. And successful.

So it is with mild astonishment that I find myself typing the following words: Today, May 6th at 1:00pm SLT, a real first… M Linden (aka Mark Kingdon, CEO of Linden Lab), will join host Beyers Sellers (aka Robert Bloomfield) for the kick-off of Metanomics' new season at its sparkling new studio and set created by acclaimed award winner and architect Keystone Bouchard (much more on that structure soon).

Something wicked good this way comes, indeed.

Teleport to it directly from here.

Not Possible IRL unveils new structure and leadership

In fifteen months, the Not Possible IRL group has expanded from a good idea to a working group, then a blog that reflects our best findings and analysis, then an in-world news source via the Impossible IRL group (now one year old and 1,000 members, many of them leading artists, builders and scripters), as well as many Flickr groups featuring the best photographers in virtual worlds, a Youtube group, and a following on Koinup.

Since those early days to now, the grid has grown and the sheer volume of things to review and share has more than quadrupled.

New NPIRL structure and leadership

My role, moving foward
NPIRL/ImpIRL has become far too large a task for one person, and the windows for intelligent growth should not be missed. I need breathing room so that I can focus on deeper strategic work for our groups and some of my own, personal goals. I also don't want to lose the excitement and wonder I feel when I see the incredible work you are all doing.

I will continue to manage the ship, serving the groups as the primary catalyst for working issues and opportunities. I will also blog.

It gives me much pleasure to share with you that NPIRL is reorganizing to meet our expanded needs. Effective today, Monday, October 13, two women I very much admire are joining me at the helm of Not Possible IRL/Impossible IRL:


In-world notices to be issued by Miki Gymnast



Last spring and for one month, Miki Gymnast was responsible for in-world notices and she did a fantastic job in her own singular style. Miki knows quality when she sees it. She is perceptive, knowledgeable and has a discerning eye. She is also extremely organized, diplomatic, fair-minded and has the ability to say "no," all essential qualities for the task she is taking on. Beginning today, selections for, and the issuance of all in-world notices to both groups concerning builds, events, and tools will be her responsibility.

Miki's in-world creations are usually generated via intricate scripting work and inspired by mathematics, featuring mostly colorful panes of glass in complex, undulating and soaring structures, including the recent Klein bottle.


Alpha Auer (aka Elif Ayiter) to join the masthead on this blog



A Turkish artist and designer and creator of the sumptuous and singular Syncretia, Alpha Auer is already a blogger in her own right, and has written several imaginative and fascinating reviews for the NPIRL blog. In Real Life, Alpha teaches design and design history, and also conducts research specializing in the development and implementation of hybrid educational methodologies between art & design and computer science. She has presented creative as well as research output at conferences including Siggraph, Consciousness Reframed, Creativity and Cognition, ICALT and Computational Aesthetics (Eurographics) . She is currently studying for a doctoral degree at the Planetary Collegium, CAiiA hub, at the University of Plymouth with Roy Ascott and describes herself as "a totally irreverent, mischievous, politically incorrect, frivolous, fashion victim avatar in Second Life®."

How to communicate with NPIRL for in-world notices and blogging

* All in-world tips, leads, landmarks, notes and objects should be dropped off at the NPIRL mailbox: teleport directly from here.
* All emails - unless responding directly to Bettina Tizzy, Alpha Auer and Miki Gymnast - should be sent to sendtonpirl@gmail.com
* Previews should be arranged via notecard or email.
* Please PLEASE refrain from IMing the team directly regarding builds.

Many thanks to all of you, and very special thanks to Alpha and Miki,
Bettina