Open letter to Linden lab (part 2)

Shoshana Epsilon, Art Director of SL5B, who wrote an open letter to Linden Lab, concerning the ban of art pictures of "no adult in the same picture as a child"-nonsense, has now a new letter to the Lindens but this time, she will go a bit further, and organizing a "Resident-run initiative", with no interference of Linden Lab( is that possible?), on the sims of residents...
The letter is signed by Sho, SignpostMarv, who recently gave his job in SL5B back to the Lindens, Pyrii Akula and Will Web. These are indeed not the first the best...
I post the entire letter, so everyone who would not have seen the letter of Shoshana, will hereby be notified.

" To whom it may concern at Linden Lab,

In the interest of transparency and good will, I would like to inform you of a new Resident-run initiative. A Second Life fringe festival.

For several years, Linden Lab has graciously provided space for the Residents of Second Life to showcase their talents. For their part, the Residents receive recognition from their peers. (Due to my participation in SL3B, I was interviewed for Le Monde on-line magazine and asked to participate in the University of Texas at Dallas' first display of Resident art. Later, I was asked to be the art director for SL4B and SL5B. My continued presence has given me additional exposure to be asked to be curator and board member for several galleries.)

I understand the need to provide a squeaky-clean image to the "outside" world. Honestly, I want Second Life to continue and succeed as much as you do. However, many artists and exhibitors find the "squeaky clean" image that you wish to portray as being too restrictive. In truth, there are MANY aspects of Second Life, and the G rated version is only part of it.

In the image of the International Arts Festival at Edinburgh with its associated Fringe Festival, several of us from within the community wish to have our own fringe festival. The intent is that Linden Lab's Birthday event is to the Resident event as the Edinburgh International Arts Festival is to the Edinburgh Fringe Festival: the official, major event, and the supplementary smaller event. We would welcome your cooperation in coordinating these two separate events so that they can support each other and create a stronger whole.

We have yet to actually name our event, but I am rather fond of calling it the 'fringe festival' following a concept commonly used in Great Britain. (There are actually concurrent fringe festivals in many cities throughout northern England and Scotland.) The festival organizers will be meeting in the upcoming weeks and months to iron out these details, and we welcome input from all sources on how we can construct a truly wonderful festival to celebrate all the things we love about Second Life.


For 2009, we will be asking individuals and corporations, rather than Linden Lab, to donate the use of their sims to host a festival concurrent with Second Life's 6th birthday. In subsequent years, if this is successful, we may include other non-birthday events, especially if we can arrange long term donor support.


The intention of this event is not to take attention away from your primary event(s). It is to allow additional participation by people who love this place and see it as "home".

In thanks for your continued support,

Pyrii Akula
Shoshana Epsilon
SignpostMarv Martin
Will Webb"

SL5B- a new beginning

I won't write about the Lindens, I just want to inform you that I decided to participate after all at the SL5B.
This decision has in fact nothing to do with LL, it is just in respect for my friends, Sho, Venk and Codie, who are working as volunteers to set up this event with all artists on the grid.
I went yesterday evening on the sim, to find me a spot. The best were already taken, but it doesn't matter where I will be showing my pictures, as long as I am part of the event. As long as we can show all residents who we are, what we do, and make new friends, which we already did.
This is the best support that we can give the organizers, just to be there, and not quitting.
I can understand if there are people not submitting their art this year for the well known issues, but the problem is, they will not hurt LL, only people who have "nothing" to do with LL and who are doing their utmost for this yearly event, which is a celebration for all of us, despite what they decide in San Fransisco.

All about politics

You can read many blogs lately regarding the issue that Linden Lab is discriminating certain groups to the SL5B.
As I would think which is a proper way to react, is not to submit any art to SL5B, no exhibitions, as why are the Lindens doing that every time, over and over again? First they allow child avatars, they allow groups (GOR, BDSM), and now, at the anniversary, they refuse the builds/works/ participation of these groups.
I was not intended to write about this issue, but it seems to escalate as even the resident organizer of the anniversary celebration, SignPostMarv, who was working on the event through the whole year, has withdrawn, due to irreconcilable differences between him, Dusty and Everett Linden over ethical issues, and the degree of Linden Lab involvement in what is a Resident-ran event (and has been for at least the last 3 years).

"The SL Children communities in Second Life (adults who role-play children in a family-friendly, G-rated, wholesome, decent and fun way) had once again prepared one of their grand and enjoyable showcases -- indeed, at the third anniversary, the SL Children's displays and events were among the most popular -- but are being refused the right to participate for the first time in five years, apparently due to Linden Lab's fear of Mark Kirk and his ill-informed and unfounded assertion"
according Massively. And this assertion was described in next article

"The Chicago Tribune is carrying a story about Congressional Representative Mark Kirk of the district of Illinois. Kirk alleges that Second Life "is a risk for children, who could be sexually exploited" and has written a letter to the US Federal Trade Commission, urging them to issue a consumer alert to warn of this danger"

So, to summarize it all, Linden Lab is afraid,with the coming elections, that they (politicians) would close Second Life. And that is why they take precautions. But as in the past, they take sudden actions, without even consulting third parties, and thinking thoroughly what would be the results if they take such actions.

We did not see the last of it yet, and I would like to know where this all leads us.....it is not our second life anymore. It is even worse as our first lifes. It is no fun anymore.........
If politics is involved in what is suppose to be a distraction from real life than it ends right here.

I am thinking not to take part of this event, not to submit any pictures. I know....if I am the only one, who cares.......but if other artists would feel the same.........

One of my colleague bloggers, Raul Crimson, has wrote an article too about this issue, and posted the picture , which you can see next to this article, and also on his flickr stream.