Tuna Oddfellow to Resume Performances in Second Life

By Bixyl Shuftan

Tuna Oddfellow, the Second Life performer known for his unique "Odd Ball" caused a stir just after the Terms of Service controversy started when he and Shava Suntzu announced in September that they were stopping all performances. They took the Oddball to InWorldz, where they would perform for many months.Tuna didn't leave Second Life entirely, but returned to play a game with friends, as well as to publicize the Oddball events in the other virtual world.

A few days ago, Tuna announced that the Odd Ball would be returning to Second Life. "I still plan to do shows in other worlds," he wrote in his blog, "and even do a few tricks that are not possible in Second Life. Can you even imagine that? If you color outside the lines and join me in other worlds too you wont be disappointed."

"Let me be clear,this does not mean that the views of our rights to our intellectual property are fixed with a magic wand. On the contrary, nothing is fixed. We have lost some talent in SL and others who would be strong voices for change have been squelched. We need to make noise as a community and on that front I see too many would be crusaders who get burned out. I feel so strongly about this as an artist that I can not be quiet about it, so deal with me please and help me with the battle. I will continue in that fight. I will be fighting for change in Second Life as well as educating people on what they give up by sharing their creations in SL as the TOS stands now."

"My partner Shava Suntzu will not return to Second Life until the TOS is changed so you will need to find us in action in other worlds some times. I hope to teach many of you how to expand your metaverse so we can jump to the best the 3d web has to offer and share without walls."

I would later contact Tuna, and he would have a few more things to say, "So it is strange coming home. But is should be exciting too." He explained events in Second Life had steered him to change his plans, "There is no longer enough focus in SL to (get) activists' voices out, and I need to be one of them here. I will be loud about getting the reform to happen.  will continue my regular shows but also have more political non odd ball events that EulaProtest Resident may visit occasionally." Of the United Content Creators of Second Life group's leader stepping down, "This is a big thing to me. I was really disappointed in their structure and approach and ultimate failure."

So when would Tuna start performing in Second Life again? "My first performance really depends," he answered, "I am eager to get on the horse and ride.  I should have the site set back up today in full working order.  I may do a show over the next few nights. It can be an itching. When you are a metaverse entertainer the object of the game is you can draw an audience at any time with the right notice and the willingness to be playful and truly love your community." Of Shava remaining in InWorldz, "We both are doing things in all worlds. Shava's heart is in Second Life but she will be back here wirth the Odd Ball when they change the TOS. She is a political animal." Tuna described her as taking on a new project, "She is the Privacy Evangelist for Blackphone."

Of how he thought InWorldz was doing, "I moved to InWorldz when a lot of real life coming down on our heads with Shava's real life job and health issues.  I love some of what I have seen in InWorldz but I can not say I got as connected as I wished to. InWorldz is doing very well for themselves. InWorldz is a small town not a city. The different styles of worlds fit different needs in people. Some folks for example like worlds with no economy but a gift economy such as OSgrid. I am a resident there too and I have big plans in OSgrid because I make giant interactive art experiences and grids are my canvas. I am even in talks with Metropolis 6th anniversary next month." He would likely be performing at the event, but wouldn't say it was a sure thing, "I will let you know when the ink dries on that plan."

"I have always found ways to reinvent my art and create new experiences so it does not get stale for me or the fans, The Tunaverse. See I love the Tunaverse and they are spread through out the 3d web now. I can't wait to turn more of my dreams into visions for all of you. Remember, I started doing all this because in real life I am a magician. I wanted to give a magicial experience in a world where the first thing people learned how to do was fly."

"I will do more with the art both in and out of virtual worlds and even do mixed realty shows with the Odd Ball projected on a giant wall in the UK while I am in the USA doing my show. People in real life are watching those shows and dancing in Real Life." He talked about Jana Kyomoon (Facebook link) doing "mixed reality" events, "Those happen on the first Sunday of the month most every month. Jana performs her own music at those shows. Sometimes my shows with Jan would happen in InWorldz or other worlds as we go."

"I like to say, I was born in Second Life but I am a metaversalist." For Second Life residents thinking of exploring others worlds for the first time, he recommended InWorldz, and OS Grid, "OSgird is one of the best places to start your hypergrid adventures and that means learning to jump from one hypergrid world to another like a simple TP."

Tuna told me he was still making his plans for his return, " I haven't even begun my thoughts on a few new shows in the works and perhaps an Odd Theater for other performers to play with me." Eventually, it was soon time for us to part ways, "The final word is don't be final and be willing to allow growth and change but always stay odd."

And so, Tuna went on his way, making plans for his artistic return to Second Life.

Bixyl Shuftan

Reader Submitted: The Return of DWRT

DWRT recently returned to the airwaves and I sat down with its producer and creator, Ranma Yoshiro for a brief chat.

 

"Welcome back to the air," I say as I sit back at the large table at the DWRT studios. "Thank you", Ranma smiles as he sits opposite me.

 

"How does it feel to be bringing DWRT back to the airwaves?"

 

"It feels great. After a year and a half, it was something that needed to be done."

 

"So, why now? What inspired you to bring it back at this time?" I can tell this is going to be a well-thought out response, and I look forward to Ranma's answer...

 

"When I originally started DWRT back in December of 2010, it was meant to find a way to bring all the different federations in Second Life together. At the time, some of the federations were out to set their own standard in SL wrestling. I wanted to bring them together in a sort or community type of setting. After running the first season, we hit a bit of a snag with someone more or less flat out bashing everyone, and I decided to put the show on hiatus because it seemed to cause a bigger rift between the federations. Bringing it back was an easy decision though. A few months ago, we all started talking about doing a big show for charity, and it lead to the different feds to combine their efforts and do Give Back 2012 for Relay for Life for the American Cancer Society. When I saw that a once fractured relationship between the feds can lead to something so huge, I knew it was time to bring the show back."

 

"Very good response and nothing better than raising money for a worthwhile cause to bond the community. So, for the uninitiated as in, those outside of the SL wrestling community, what is DWRT?" One thing any outsider needs to understand - there are a lot of abbreviations in the SL wrestling world!

 

"DWRT stands for Digital Wrestling Round Table. It is a show dedicated to showcasing wrestling in Second Life" DWRT held its return show on Friday July 20 and received very positive feedback. Their second show (and the one I was lucky enough to tune into!) was aired on Friday July 27.

 

"Will you have regular segments? Can you tell us what some of those will be?"

 

"We are still working on what segments that will be aired. We started one this past show called, 'Mike's Mad Minute.' One of the wrestlers, MadMikeFreeman Straaf, is being given one minute to rant about anything he wants. It's quite entertaining hearing him go off on a tangent. We have some more ideas, but I don't want to spoil it."

 

"Oohh sounds exciting. Of course, every SL wrestling show needs a crazy man ranting!" The thought of Mike's last 'Mad Minute' is enough to produce a couple of laughs. "If someone wanted to get involved with DWRT, how can they?"

 

"We have a sponsorship package that we've introduced for anyone that would like to get a small ad about their place of business out on the airwaves. The sponsorship package entails us making a small 'commercial' that will be aired during the show, and placement of the business location on our website as well."

 

"That sounds like a great idea!"

 

"I'm all about helping the businesses in Second Life get their product out there." Ranma informs me that anyone is welcome to go to the in-world location of the DWRT Studio to place a donation as well. Check out all the essential info at the end of this article.

 

"And that's a fantastic way to be. I am sure that a lot of businesses in SL would appreciate any opportunity to promote their products, especially the not-so-famous ones."

 

"By spreading the word for them, they can also help us benefit too. It's a win-win!!"

 

"We at the show have just about everything covered as for production. Our main focus is to bring in fans of wrestling, and the best way to support us is to check out the many different feds in Second Life. Of course, and there are so many to check out and with all different kinds of wrestlers from all around the world. There is really something for everyone! We all have our favourite wrestlers, of course I am a little biased!"

"Yes there is. Just because your husband is one of our hosts I bet!!"

 

I can't help but laugh at this. Of course, my husband is none other than Curt Bombastic, a well-known heel in the SL wrestling world and also part of the team at DWRT, "On a personal level, what are you hoping to achieve with the return of DWRT?"

 

"Just to bring SL wrestling into a more prominent spotlight in SL itself. There are so many people that don't even know that it exists."

 

"Yeah that is true. I know before I met my husband I had never heard of it! In regards to what you said earlier, about the community being 'fractured' due to some people involved, how do you think the community is able to become strong again, in what ways can they achieve this?"

 

"I won't mention any names, but some of the people that caused the friction between the feds are no longer involved with the management side of wrestling, and with new leadership, people started communicating. It has led to the Federations to being able to work together, like with Giveback 2012, and built a stronger bond.

"That is great and it gives the community somewhere positive to go in the future as well"

Ranma nods, "I agree wholeheartedly."

 

"So please tell the readers who makes up the team here at DWRT and what do they do?"

 

"Myself as the producer of the show. I handle streaming and recording the show. Celtdan McMahon is our lead host for the show. Curt Bombastic, Maxine Darkwatch, and recently, Derrick Zane, are our other co-hosts that represent a mix of the different feds in SL wrestling."

"Sounds like a great team! Thank you for your time today Ranma, one more question, and this is the all important one...how do we tune into the show?"

 

"We stream the show into Second Life live every Friday at 3pm SLT. There are a few places that stream the show and you can listen from the player on the website at http://dwrt.webs.com or in your Windows based player at this link: http://66.45.227.195:5002"

 

"Once again, thank you for your time today Ranma, and good luck with next week's show."

 

So, in case you didn't catch all the important details, here they are again!

Tune into the live DWRT show every Friday from 3pm SLT on the website at http://dwrt.webs.com or in your Windows based player at this link: http://66.45.227.195:5002. Many SL wrestling federations in SL also stream the show live. You can also visit the studio in SL at: http://slurl.com/secondlife/Tustin/112/54/23. If you'd like to join the fan group on Facebook, here is the link: https://www.facebook.com/pages/DWRT/341147855963542. 

Feel free to contact Ranma Yoshiro, Curt Bombastic, Celtdan McMahon, Maxine Darkwatch or Derrick Zane in-world for more information about DWRT.

Charlotte Bombastic

Spaceport Alpha/International Space Museum Sim Goes Offline, But Will Return

The Spaceport Alpha sim, noted for being home to the International Space Museum, was recently taken offline. According to Daniel Voyager, it and Spaceport Bravo vanished from the Grid sometime in mid-Janurary. These two sims, along with NASA CoLab which closed sometime in early February 2012, were part of the Sci-Lands region in Second Life, aimed at the promotion of astronomy and other sciences. The ISM wasn't owned by NASA, as some people thought, but run by a volunteer group.

Hamlet Au talked with Katherine Prawl, whom was involved with the ISM since the start in 2006. She and others involved could no longer get enough money together to pay the tier. With the discount for nonprofit sims gone, they tried a different tactic: going to the US Internal Revenue Service to get a nonprofit tax exemption. Not surprisingly, the IRS turned them down. They felt the museum was ineligible since it had no real life presence.


"After nearly six years, Spaceport Alpha, home of the International Spaceflight Museum, together with Spaceport Bravo (a year younger), disappeared from Second Life. These sims represented the completely volunteered efforts of over 100 talented and committed residents, as well as contributions from many more hundreds of supporters.

"What happened? How could such a highly-acclaimed and beloved destination just go black? It goes back a few years, to the decision to apply for US tax-exempt status as a 501(c)(3) corporation. After nearly a year and a half of work, incorporating, filling out forms, answering questions, and of course paying fees to the government as well as to Linden Lab, the IRS decided not to grant the tax-exemption because the museum only existed in the virtual world, without a "real life" physical presence. (This was in spite of our having a "real life" corporation!) Subsequently, Kat Lemieux (Kat Prawl IRL) resigned as president and was replaced by Paradox Olbers (SL name). Kat became Treasurer, but later resigned that position as well when she went back to grad school and didn't have time to do the job.

"Things went along pretty well for awhile; Paradox managed to find donors who funded the sims for over a year, but then he had some personal problems (N.B. - I don't feel comfortable explicating that without Paradox's permission, although he did tell me what was going on. It's serious), and the payments to Linden Lab lapsed for months. The first we knew about the problem was around Jan. 13th, when the sims went offline. I tried to log into the land-owning alt's account, but it was disabled for non-payment. At that time, the amount due was over US$1,000, far beyond the means of the now-defunct corporation or the willingness of any of the planning group to pay."


Daniel Voyager noted that the Sci-Lands region used to be quite large. In July 2010, it was almost 70 sims in size. Since then, a number of these science-based sims have dropped off the Grid. With the ISM being a draw, in a sense this represented the loss of one of its more valuable ones.

But there is some good news, at least for the near term. On Wednesday, Katherine Prawl announced that a donor made it possible for them to bring the ISM back on, "as soon as some payment issues are settled." Problem is, they'll need more funding for later. Katherine expressed confidence they should be able to for a while, mentioning "help from several quarters."

Both Daniel Voyager's Blog and the New World Notes articles had a number of comments. Someone called the loss of the ISM no real surprise, "We're not even flying our own astronauts to the International Space Station any more." OpenSim fans suggested exporting the ISM out of Second Life. Trouble was, the ISM group doesn't have permission to copy the various builds and move. And of course the problem of OpenSim having only a tiny fraction of the traffic Second Life has. It would be preserved, but few people would see it. In a sense it would go from a themed exhibit in a museum to placed in the archives. Katherine expressed interest in Hamlet Au's suggestion of a "Crowdfunder" style project, like the recent one that worked very well for Bryn Oh. Beyond that, the comment chatter went a few ways, including pointed fingers at Linden Lab for letting this and other good sims fade away.

So it looks like the ISM will be coming back, at least for now. While the problem of sims going dark still persists, at least this one will still be around.

Sources: Daniel Voyager, New World Notes
Top pic from Daniel Voyager

Bixyl Shuftan