Innovative Second Life 2016 Media Awards Nominees

 

    This month is the Innovative SL's 4th annual Magazine & Media Awards to show our appreciation for all the creative and entertaining magazines, webzines and newspapers in SL.

Innovative Second Life was created as a collaborative group of real life writers, journalist, publishers, authors and editors who have joined together to explore and share excellent experiences in SL.  As our real life careers naturally draw us to the many magazines and newspapers offered in SL, we have joined with other qualified judges and media groups to award the best magazines and newspapers in Second Life.  Through my years in Second Life, we have seen many magazines and periodicals come and go.  Some of our all time favorites are no longer in publication.  This year we have seen the end of several popular magazines and webzines but the beginnings of new ones.
We looked through dozens of publications the past few months and narrowed down our nominees for the 2016 awards.

The Innovative Second Life 2016 Awards Categories:
Fashion & Lifestyle
News & Current Events
Arts & Culture
Entertainment
Home & Garden
Adult Content

2016 Magazine, Webzine and Newspaper Nominees:
Eclipse Magazine
L'Hommes Magazine
Dope Magazine
Attention Magazine
SL Enquirer
New World Notes
SL Newser
Kultavate Magazine
rez Magazine
Nu Vibez
BOSL Magazine
LTD Magazine
SL Connoisseur Magazine
Brit-X Magazine
Playmates Magazine
Aroused Magazine

  Winner's will be announced September 30th.  Good luck to all of this years nominees!

New Improved SL Marketplace

Several months ago we reported about resident's most troublesome problems concerning SL's Marketplace.  Their search engine was the biggest complaint.  Type in say "apple" and everything from clothing, weapons to designer's that have the word apple in their names would show up.  Even choosing the correct category didn't help much.
Finally, after months in beta stage, the new and improved marketplace is up and running.  Linden Lab has updated the old infrastructure that was supporting search. "Part of the new search is a learning algorithm that will further improve search results with time - the more it’s used, the better it performs." 
You can now use words like "not" or "and" in the description to better your search.  LL claims that the new and improved infrastructure will be faster and more accurate for a better marketplace.  This is good news for both the resident shopper and merchants.

Gay Pride in Second Life

"Second Pride" is an organization formed in Second Life to bring the LGBT Community together and raise awareness to the issues the "gay, lesbian, bi-sexual and transgender community faces each day in real life and the virtual world.
Second Pride was created not only to bring the LGBT community together but also to educate people about the fight for human rights.
The Second Pride group is led by an elected committee that works with Amnesty International and their "Outfront" project.  Amnesty International is not just a RL charity organization, but an organization that also has a presence in SL.  Amnesty International fights for human rights around the world.  Anyone can join the Second Pride group regardless of sexual orientation.  There are members who are not gay but are advocates of equality for everyone.
There are several LGBT community's in Second Life.  Boystown is one of the most popular spanning 11 regions.  Called the gay urban capital of SL, Boystown sims hosts a number of popular clubs and entertainment venues such as Skate Town, The Dude Ranch, DARKbar and Steamworkz, A men's only bath house to name a few as well as homes to rent.
Nylonia is a land for feminine girls & tigirls only. Nylonia offers shopping, beaches, clubs, pools, cafes and more.
Cedar Creek State Park is an all-male sim featuring outdoor activities all set in a mountainous state park setting. The sim offers inexpensive rental cottages, perfect for new comers to Second Life. There's also a night club and lots of weekly activities for residents and visitors. Come and visit the park and become part of the Cedar Creek experience.
Lost Paradise is an island for all who want a nice and romantic place. It's an adult island for gay, lesbian and straight with parties, a beach house, jazz, rock, ballrooms and many other options.
Adonis Heights is comprise of residential and commercial properties for LGBT Community.
EDEN is a dance club exclusively for women. There's also shops, a temple for meditation, a romantic area and a castle for more private moments.
The Gay Archipelago is an international region of Second Life consisting of 148 sims today which share traffic, conduct archipelago-wide events, and welcome LGBT newcomers to Second Life. The Gay Archipelago (GA) includes a variety of content, including business, shopping, entertainment, role playing, and services for the gay Second Life community. Linden Labs recently gave the Gay Archipelago its own region allowing it to expand and remain focused on and for the LGBT community.
The above mentioned are just a few of the many LBGT community's, clubs, stores and residential areas in Second Life.
June is  "Gay Pride Month" with activities and fund-raisers across the grid.  One of the most popular activities is the Pride Parade in London City. A colorful parade that runs through the streets of London City with daily events and live performers.

SECOND LIFE RESIDENTS - UPDATE YOUR WEB BROWSER AND VIEWER BY JUNE 15TH

If your web browser security TSL( Transport Layer Security) or also known as SSL (Secure Sockets Layer) is using 1.0 or an earlier version, you will not be able to access the cashier to send, receive or exchange lindens $L's. You must update your browser to support 1.2 before June 15th, 2016.
If you are not sure what version of security your browser is using and want to see if it will support SL's cashier simply use this link below to find out.  This website automatically detects which version you are using and analyzes your TSL/SSL client and will let you know if it is up to date or if it's unsafe:
https://www.howsmyssl.com/

You will also need to use the latest version of the Second Life viewer or Firestorm 4.7.7.  If you use a different 3rd party viewer, check their website to insure that they support the new changes.

Why You Need To Update Your Web Browser & SL Viewer:
Updating your web browser and SL viewer will secure encryption protocol. Older versions will not support the ephemeral key cipher suites.  These protect against spyware programs.  Adversaries that gather large amounts of traffic and then use it to attack your computer.  Session ticket support is used to speed up encrypted communications between the client and server like your passwords and other private information without exposing it to spyware and other attackers that may be tapping your line.  The newest versions of the SL Viewer and Firestorm Viewer supports the updated TSL which the protocols provides a more secure HTTPS for internet transactions between the web browser and the SL servers thus making your cashier transaction and log in information more secure.

TSL/SSL is not automatically built into all browser nor does it automatically update on all browsers.
However, the TSL/SSL is implemented in all versions of Windows.
To be sure your browsers has TSL installed consider using one of these popular browsers:
Internet Explorer
Chrome
Firefox
Safari
MS Edge

Making Money In Second Life

From 2006 to 2010, it was very possible to make pretty good money in SL.  Many creators were making enough $L's to actually quit their real life jobs and create in SL full time.  Shopping Malls were crowded and in-world stores flourished.  Land fee's were less expensive and buying sims, then dividing them and renting parcels was a cash cow.  Buying a sim and creating an ocean view or mountain view community with rental houses and group activities and adding a nice shopping mall, was a great way to make money back then.  The beaches houses were always occupied and the stores at the malls were all rented.  Most would make not only their land fee's but a good chunk of pocket change.  We saw a decline in sales by 2011.  Land fee's went up, buying lindens went up as well as Marktplace commission fees.  Sims were abandoned by the dozens and shopping malls became ghost towns.
For those of you that are new to SL and heard story's of it's glory days for merchants and want to start making real money in SL.  It can still be done, but don't quit your day job just yet.

Making Money in SL

Property Owner
In my opinion, buying whole sims on the cheap and renting parcels is still the best way to make money, especially if you buy multiple sims.  You must have investment money and terraforming experience.  Landscaping is very important. Dividing the sim so that each rental property has access to the water and a beach is my most popular rentals.  I include a nice beach house with deck and a dock on the beach which is optional.  If they want to rez their own house they can simply return the beach house to me.  Or you can quarter or halve the sim and rent them as is.  They won't sell themselves.  You have to advertise in everything you can.  In search, classifieds, groups, etc.

Content Creator
Depending on what you plan to create, you can make some serious money or just some extra spending money.  The marketplace is saturated with content ranging from excellent to "hmmm".
Mesh body's are a top seller.  One creator admitted to making over $1000 USD a week. Best advice is to learn Blender and other 3D/Mesh modeling programs.  You can learn how to script or create animations with programs such as Poser.  If you have the time and patience to learn and a creative mind, any of the above are great money makers.  Mesh houses and buildings are another big sales item.  Low prim mesh houses furnished with working kitchen, bathrooms, fireplaces, etc. are top sellers.  Clothing always sell's if it is well made, mesh with all appliers, and priced fairly.
Other content ideas are furniture and décor, swimming pools and Jacuzzi's or outdoor furniture and décor.  Vehicle's,  Lawn and garden items, beach décor and furnishings, club buildings and supplies.
Keep in mind that it's competitive, so it's important you create a high quality item that is low prim.  Just remember the best looking product with the lowest prims will always sell first regardless of price.  Most are willing to pay for a higher quality product.

Selling your Content, Animations or Scripts
You have two options.  Selling at a store in-world and selling on Marketplace.  If you own land such as a free 512 parcel with your premium membership, setting up a store is helpful if you can bring in the traffic.  But renting a large parcel for your store may have it's disadvantages.  Unless you can bring in traffic using a Midnight Madness board or giveaway chairs, etc.  You may not even make the tier fee's.  It will take time to build a group following to be able to bring in traffic with group discounts and promo sales.  Your better likely to be seen in a heavy traffic mall.  Renting a store is less expensive.  Make sure that the mall has "true" traffic.  Some malls also have a club that brings in traffic while the stores stay empty.
The Marketplace is where you will see the most sells.  Make sure you list it in the correct category and use as many applicable keywords as possible.  Photo's and vending textures need to look professional.  First impressions can make or break a sell.
* You must have "payment info on file" to open a marketplace store.
* You must follow content creators TOS
* You must list the maturity level of your item correctly. (Nudity, sex items, drugs, alcohol, even  
    cigarettes must be listed Adult or it will get flagged and removed"
* Be prepared, Linden Lab takes a %5 commission from every sell.

DJing or Performing in SL
If you have a large collection of music downloaded and an enthusiastic personality you can make good $L's as a DJ.  Tricks to success include building a following through a group. This is very important.  Send out group notices announcing all your gigs with LM's.  Play the musical genre according to the club or event.  For instance, rock and roll in a rock club, or popular hip hop in a hip hop club.  Make your tip jar large and visible.  Many tips go unpaid because the resident can't find the tip jar. Always take and play requests.  Sell yourself.  Go to clubs and music venues with high traffic and offer your services.  This goes for any group or sim that has occasional events.  Have a notecard and mention your following/group that will add traffic to their event.  I have a DJ friend that is generally booked for 4 events per day, back to back.  He does around $L4000-6000 tips on the average per set.  He has a large group, always sending group invites during his sets and includes his followers by announcing their presence at each show. "I want to thank Kim, Selma, Cherry, and Belinda for always coming to the shows and giving me something good to look at". "And Kyle, Jake, Noonan thanks bro's for always supporting me."

Live Performers:
You don't have to be the best singer, just a good one.  You can sing to tracks you have downloaded or play an instrument.  Just like with DJing you need a big following.  Once you have built up a large group, you can offer your performances to clubs and live music venues.  The bigger you are, the more you can charge.  I have seen a mediocre singer who had at least 20 group followers at every show.  He got booked a lot because of his following and the traffic he brings with him.  Besides a set fee for your live performances, you can also accept tips.

Making Spending Money or Pocket Change in SL
These jobs won't likely make you rich but with hard work they can give you a nice amount of SL spending money or maybe a little extra pocket change in RL.
Club host/hostess
Club manager
Dancer/Stripper
Photographer
Public relations
Sim manager/real-estate manager
Resale affiliate (Resell store or Marketplace)
Model
Graphic designer
Performer agent/manager
Ad agent/Marketing

Getting Your Lindens Turned Into Real Dollars
You must have payment on file.  Go to your dashboard online.  Choose "Manage" from the menu on your homepage. Then choose "Sell".  You will see where to put the amount of $L's you are wanting to sell though LindenX and what your profit is.  Press the Sell button.  You will have to put in your account password again.  After you have done that you will be taken to a page explaining how to process your money.  Click on the small link "Process Credit" and it will take you to a page that will ask you where you want your money sent.  Your options are, in a check through the mail, though a Paypal account or Skrill.  Paypal is the fastest way.  Once you have set up your paypal account, you will need to put in your log in information again for security.  LL will then send your money to your Paypal account.  This takes time.  You can look on "Process History" from your home page and it will show either "Processing" or complete.  It has taken up to 10 days for me to get money in my Paypal account.  Paypal however takes from 2-3 days to reach my bank account once I have transferred it.
It has always cost a flat fee of $1.00 for processing since I started SL, but as of April 5th, 2016, LL has changed it to %1.5 of the transaction value. With a minimum of $3.00 USD and a maximum of $15.00 USD.
# Note: As of April 5th 2016,  purchasing $L's increased from $0.10 cents to $0.30 cents per transaction.

Modeling in Second Life

There is a lot more to SL modeling then just having a nice looking avatar. Being able to take direction from the photographer and knowing how to adjust your avatar with a moments notice takes practice, organization and skill.  I sat in on one fashion photo shoot and was impressed with the technical aspects.  The photographer directed the model to look into the camera, then to look to the left.  To change clothing, then change hair, etc. "That shade of lipstick is too dark for that dress" and " With that outfit I need you to wear a hair style that is shorter but not an updo" I was amazed at how quickly the model could change her look and follow directions. I thought if it were me, I would still be digging through my inventory looking for the right hair and how do I force my eyes to move to the left or look straight at the camera.  Then I was invited to go behind the scenes of a fashion show and I was blown away at the amount of work that went into it.  I left with a tremendous amount of respect for the Second Life models.
Luckily there are modeling schools that can teach you everything you need to know to become a successful SL model. 

L'Amour Nexus University of Fashion is a high end modeling university, production and model management company that has an impressive curriculum of courses. From styling to runway walking and posing. And advanced classes that teach self branding, organization, creating an AO, editing your poses to your outfit and even photography and runway productions.
After graduation, you are added to the roster of models for L'Amour Model Agency if you chose to join.

I have copied part of L'Amour Nexus University's "Mission Statement" below that explains why L'Amour is more than just a modeling school.

 L'Amour Nexus University of Fashion (LNU) has a mission to develop each student to become the best they can be in the SL world of modeling.  We will  provide each student with the proper skills, resources and knowledge needed to enter the competitive world of SL modeling and much more.  LNU students will graduate with the necessary skills to manage, coach and be self-sufficient and self-reliable as part of any group being artistic and/or managerial.  We expect them to go out into the modeling world upholding all that this school stands for.  Expectations for them is to give 100% commitment, be honest, ethical, supportive, and to put forth their very best when representing our brand.
          We offer comprehensive programs with intuitive courses that are designed to accelerate the learning process with the guidance of a professional team of experts, who will work together to ensure that each student receives a well-rounded, thorough, and meaningful education.   We will always be there for each and every student.  This is a lifelong commitment not just through their course work with LNU, but as a supportive hand during their career.

For more information about L'Amour Nexus University of Fashion, contact Ava Jhamin CEO and Dean of Students. Or stop by their headquarter for an application and curriculum at
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Playa%20de%20Amadores/3/64/22

L'Amour Nexus University of Fashion and L'Amour Production Company

 

L'Amour's  Mr. and Miss Model International

The world of SL modeling is very competitive.  There are store models, runway models, fashion models and nude to semi nude models.  They pose for designer's vendors, fashion shows, blogs and magazines.  We interviewed two very successful models.  Lolly Starr - Fashion and runway model and Tatiana Alexandra - Fashion and nude model.

Lolly Starr- Fashion and Runway Model

ISL: What got you interested in fashion modeling and how long have you been doing it?
Lolly: " I was interested in modeling from the start.  I saw the beautiful models on vendor posters in clothing stores and when I went to my first fashion show, I knew that was what I wanted to do.  I attended and graduated for CWS modeling school in 2012 and they helped me book my first modeling job. I have been modeling ever since."

ISL: What are the challenges of fashion modeling?
Lolly: " Always updating your look to the latest trend and organizing your inventory."

ISL: Who have you modeled for?
Lolly: " I have worked for several modeling agencies like Elite, Magnum, Models Inc and Calla's.  I have modeled for a lot of designers. Redgrave, Coco, Scuderia, BabyDolls, Apple May, KoKo, Bella Couture, Alli&Ali and many others and have done fashion shows for Suta, Couture Co., House of Haute Couture, just to name a few."

ISL: What was your favorite fashion shoot or fashion show?
Lolly: "That's a hard question because I have had so many fun and exciting shoots and shows, but if I had to pick one it would be the Back To School fashion show for Couture Co.  The set was made to look like the inside of a classroom and instead of chairs, the audience was seated at school desks."

 

 

 

 

Tatiana Alexandra - Fashion and Adult Model

ISL:What got you interested in nude modeling and how long have you been doing it?
Tatiana: "I primarily started with Playmates Magazine when I was chosen for Playmate Of The Month July 2015."

ISL:What are the challenges of nude modeling compared to fashion modeling?
Tatiana: "Nude modeling is a bit more involved. Poses ,Lighting, interaction, body form where fashion modeling is more emphasis on clothes ,blogging etc."

ISL: What publications or media's have you modeled for?
Tatiana: "Playmates Magazine, Foxtails Magazine, Something New Poses, Unique Phaze , Pornstars & personal work on Flikr."

ISL: What was your favorite photo shoot?
Tatiana: "I would have to say my shoots with Ima & Playmates.  My favorite would have to be the Masquerade shoot and the Winter Shoot with ImaHotOne - Photographer. And the Playmate Of Month Shoot with Tommi Waydelich

ISL: Which do you prefer, fashion modeling or nude modeling and why?
Tatiana: " I prefer nude as its not limited creatively, fashion is fun but the focus is the clothes and not as much freedom."

 

 

 

 

 

 

If you are interested in modeling in any form, you need to go to a good modeling school, (we recommend L'Amour Nexus University of Fashion).  You have to invest in the top of the line skins,  hair, mesh body and avatar enhancements such as Slink Hands and Feet and be organized enough to be able to change hair, make-ups, poses, clothing quickly.  It is hard work, but with determination, you can be a top model and make some lindens or receive free clothing from fashion designers. 

 

 

 



 

 

 

Explore Second Life

One of our favorite SL activities is exploring new sims and destinations.  Our group members are often sent information from new sim owners, clubs, galleries, etc to write about in our blog and we love to go check out interesting destinations.  If you are a SL explorer and are looking for great places, your first stop should be "Expedition Central".
Expedition Central is an explorers club dedicated to seeking out cool new sims and sharing them with like-minded individuals.  Everybody is welcome --no exceptions.  There is an Expedition Central group, a clubhouse and a blog.  Join the group to receive weekly sim reviews.

In the clubhouse is a library of 132 interesting Second Life locations.  Each location is represented by an image.  Click an image to receive a landmark to that location, and occasionally a explanatory notecard or a free t-shirt or whatever we have for it.  The locations are constantly being updated

The clubhouse is shaped like a big beer can and has several floors.  There is a semitransparent platform halfway up so you can see all or most of the locations at once, a lounge/map room above that and a rooftop observation deck with hang gliding available!  There is also an orientation area up high.

You can right-click the teleporters or just fly straight up through the hole in the ceiling.  This is a flight-friendly facility, however we are at 3500 meters, so watch your step.  There are free flight feathers on the bottom floor, also free maps and free vehicles. 

The Expedition Central group is open enrollment and anyone can invite others into it.  There is a teleporter to the Chilbo Sandbox on the bottom floor of the museum. 

For more information please IM Cyrus Hush. Or use the link below to teleport in-world.
http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Chilbo/135/78/3502