Stamp Statistics | Around & About | Events & Announcements | New Locations
03/04/2023
STAMP STATISTICS
Thanks to Robert Rhodan's expertise with SQL and extensions to our Chief Scripter, North Crannock's, passport master database for our new v3.00 passports, we've some stats to share with you. To be clear, many more stamps than these have been issued. Your editor's stamp terminals at his space station and art galleries each report more collected than the #1 location on this list! That's because the table below only uses data collected from the new v 3.00 passports. As they are still new and many of you have not upgraded yet, the numbers are relatively small. However, it's a fun insight, which will become more indicative over time.
We could not collect stats from the earlier versions of the passport, so this adds a whole new dimension. The table below shows the top fifteen locations by numbers of stamps issued. It's interesting that so many are embassies. Perhaps that's because (apart from occasional visitors who stumble upon them) most people go there in full knowledge of our passports. Many non-Bellisserian residents actually obtain their passport at their local embassy so it's natural they then collect their first stamp from the terminal nearby.
We are open to suggestions but our initial thought is that the most useful information we could provide would be visitor counts over time, so landowners with our stamp terminals could see – for example – how their visitor count is affected by any events they stage. As our technology progresses, new possibilities emerge. We can't wait to see what the future holds!
| Ranking | Location | Continent | Stamps issued |
| 1 | Heterocera Embassy | HE | 101 |
| 2 | Nautilus Embassy | NA | 92 |
| 3 | Jeogeot Embassy | JE | 87 |
| 4 | Satori Embassy | ST | 87 |
| 5 | Corsica Embassy | CA | 82 |
| 6 | Sansara Embassy | SN | 80 |
| 7 | Randelsham Forest | BE | 66 |
| 8 | SL19B Event | BE | 58 |
| 9 | Fantasy Community Center | BE | 56 |
| 10 | Chippewa Town Hall | BE | 55 |
| 11 | Bellis Blues Cafe | BE | 52 |
| 12 | Meauxle Bureaux | SN | 52 |
| 13 | Rungardvik | PE | 52 |
| 14 | Mt. Campion National Forest | HE | 51 |
| 15 | Party House and Gym | BE | 51 |
AROUND & ABOUT
Second Life® is hard to explain to friends and family who are not residents. They understand computer gaming of course. It is by far the largest part of the global entertainment industry – five times bigger than the movie business – so needs little explanation these days. They also understand online forums for interests like the arts, nature or photography. They probably use or contribute to such sites themselves. They may also enjoy hobbies or crafts so will know the fun to be had in building and creating.
SL, however, is none of those things – and all of them. It's just a virtual venue for whatever you have in mind. Even long-time residents like your Editor will often find people using SL in ways he'd never have expected. So answering the apparently simple question "What is SL?" is not easy. Like life itself, it's whatever you make of it! All aspects of human life are here, from the glorious to the sleazy.
Owl Dragonash, a well-known figure in the SL art world – and one of the nicest residents you could ever hope to meet – has had a try at answering the SLexistential question over at her blog Owl's Eye. You might find it useful to share with your SL-curious friends! If you think Owlie has missed anything, feel free to submit an article to us here at The Gazette, setting out your own answer.
Not everyone in SL will be a user of Discord, but it's becoming a more and more important communication channel. At the BBB, it's now the main way our volunteer staff keep in touch with each other as we go about our cod-bureaucratic work. Several of us have also become involved in the lively Discord Channel of the Mainland Community Alliance – an SL Group founded by Emm Vintner (emmalee.evergarden), which is;
...focused on the revitalization of the Mainland through the enrichment, beautification and promotion of Mainland projects and initiatives.
It's a good way to keep up with the various MCA activities, including the excellent Rails, Trails, and Sails social events, which are great for those of us who like to travel through SL in less banal ways than teleportation. Sailing, biking, driving and horse riding are all more fun when done with others - in SL as much as in RL.
If you're on Discord, we'd suggest signing up. If not – and if you're lucky enough to have a free slot – just join the group in-world in the usual way.
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
| If you have one of our stamp terminals at your place and you're having an event there or would like to make any other announcement, just let us know and we'll be happy to feature it here. Please drop a notecard on the Editor Dave (Lord.Junibalya) in-world or use the Email the Editor link in the sidebar to send us your information, posters or photos. |
New Honorary Ambassador to Jeogeot
We are pleased to announce the appointment of Coughran Mayo as the new Honorary Ambassador to the SL Continent of Jeogeot. Further details will follow. In the meantime, we congratulate His Excellency on his appointment.
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New article at Parade of Homes Review
Teresa Firelight is continuing her series on modular kitchens for your SL homes over at our sister publication The Parade of Homes Review.
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The Limoncello Arts Theatre
On the 21st floor of the LG Tower, which houses part of the collections of the Limoncello Art Gallery, there is a theatre space designed for poetry readings and other artistic events. Like the gallery itself, it's a non-commercial space. If you would like to use it for an event or meeting associated with the arts, please contact Dave (Lord Junibaly) the gallery owner, in-world. He'll be happy to make it available to you and to give you rights to rez any signage etc. you may need for your event.
As a location that issues our passport stamps, The Limoncello Art Gallery is entitled to use this Events & Announcements section of The Gazette. So any events you organise there can be publicised here, free of charge.
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The Easter Holidays are coming
If your SL home is listed on Parade of Homes and you plan to decorate it for the holidays, you can request a special seasonal PoH listing so visitors can enjoy your work. Just apply by using this web form, where you can also upload additional photographs. This temporary seasonal listing won't replace or affect your permanent PoH details.
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More good news for passport stamp afficionados
Please note that this only applies if you have upgraded to V3.00 of our passports. Please don't submit more than one request per quarter, so as not to burden Robert unduly. We hope you'll find this a useful service. It's certainly yet another argument to upgrade your Bellisserian or CPCB Passport to V3.00. Please give the service a try and let us know what you think!
NEW LOCATIONS
Living in SL Expo 2023 is a new mega-event for the American Cancer Society / Relay for Life, replacing the much-loved Home & Garden Expo. You can read all about it at the ACS website. The BBB is happy to support such a great cause and delighted that holders of BBB/CPCB passports will be able to collect a special event stamp when they visit.
Last week we announced a new stamp available from the SL Environmental Corps training facility. From this week, you can also collect one from the SLEC's magnificent new Headquarters. There's a lot of information there and it's well worth a visit.
ATG Garden is a new location provided by Uri Morpork and landscaped by our very own AmandaT Tamatzui. It's a peaceful little spot with a swimming pool and game table next to Amanda's art gallery in Nautilus.
There's a lot of action in Nautilus this week. Our next new stamp-issuing location is also on that continent: a live music venue called The Wherehouse.
Our staff photographer happened to visit the magnificent baroque stately home at Schlossberg Salem this week and ran into the owner, Kαrℓ-Ąℓεxαηɗεr vσn βαdεn. We're pleased he accepted her suggestion to install a stamp terminal. He's been working in this project for many years and we hope you enjoy it when you stop by to stamp your passport. Stamp designer Robert told The Gazette;
The Margraviate of Baden (German: Markgrafschaft Baden) was a historical territory of the Holy Roman Empire." The "Greif" is a heraldic animal for Baden, so that is why I depicted it on the coat of arms
Amanda unfortunately didn't make her announcement in time so it's too late to recommend you attend the Mainland Community Alliance party at her Gallery – again – in Nautilus. We hope you received your invitations via in-world groups and Discord and had a wonderful time. If not, the beautiful Event Stamp remains available for the next two weeks, so you still have chance to collect it.
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Event: March 3-12, 2023 |
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| SLEC SL Environmental Corps - HQ NA | |
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| ATG Gardens NA | ||
| The Wherehouse NA | ||
| Schlossberg Salem PE |
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Mainland Community Alliance / Party @ATG NA Event: 3rd March |
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