SL21B in full swing | Events & Announcements | Personal Stamps & New Locations
06/29/2024
SL21B IN FULL SWING
Second Life's 21st Birthday celebrations (SL21B) began on June 21st with an opening speech from Patch Linden. This year's theme is "Elements." Patch discussed the significance of "Earth, Fire, Air, and Water" in the context of Second Life®;
Earth, the bedrock of life, symbolises the solid foundation upon which we've constructed our Second Life. It represents the stability and support that our community provides—a place where we can stand firm, flourish, and prosper on the virtual ground that surrounds us in Second Life.
Fire, the catalyst of creativity, encapsulates the passion and energy that ignite our virtual world. It represents our burning ambition to create, explore, and leave our imprint, much like our avatars in Second Life.
Air signifies the communications and connections we've nurtured here. It's the unseen yet potent force that conveys our voices, our thoughts, and our aspirations, linking us across continents and cultures within Second Life.
And water, as the fountain of life, mirrors the fluidity and adaptability of our community. It's the element of transformation, reminding us that Second Life is a realm of infinite possibilities where we can shape our destiny and ride the waves of change.
Patch went on to discuss the different stages of SL21B, their names, and their ratings. The Earth stage, named The Stonehold, is a G-rated area. The Aquatorium, representing water, is also G-rated, as is The Nimbus, which symbolises air. The one Adult-rated stage this year is Firestone Keep, representing fire, where performers and residents can be completely unfiltered in both dress and language.
The exhibits opened to crowds of excited party-goers. Fully trained official Second Life Birthday Greeters were on hand to meet and help them find their way to points of interest or provide other needed guidance, all thanks to Viola Mole and Alotta Mole, who devoted their efforts to making their team of greeters shine. Greeters are a vitally important part of SLB. As SL ages, the parties get bigger and bigger, and with more to see and do, it's imperative to have people who can help residents find what they are looking for. Greeters are unsung heroes who volunteer their time to do exactly that.
The stages, one of the most popular features of Second Life Birthday parties, began opening at 3 pm. Max Kleene kicked off the party on The Stonehold stage with his smooth tunes and mellow voice that always leave you wanting more. Max was followed by Merryjest Starchild, a professional opera singer who truly understands the assignment of "entertain." The Stonehold's first DJ of the day, Ajay McDowwll, took the stage at 5 pm and rocked the house. Many other awesome performers and DJs have since followed, making it impossible to mention them all. If you haven't attended the live performances yet, please check the SL21B calendar and get down there to enjoy the magic!
And speaking of magic, I don't want to close this article without mentioning another group of unsung heroes: The Stage Crew. The Stage Crew comprises volunteers led by Leondra Larsson. This group undertakes the massive job of keeping four stages running with live performers and DJs, 24 hours a day, for the first ten days of SLB. It's an unbelievably complicated tapestry of work woven together so well that people don't even notice the efforts put in. The fact that people don't see how hard the Stage Crew and Stage Managers work is evidence of how well they do their jobs.
Full disclosure, this writer is also a stage manager. But I don't write this to pat myself on the back. I write this because I look around and see my fellow stage managers, and I am so proud and honored to stand among them because they are the most dedicated people I know. I see my crew members, and I beam with pride for each and every one of them. They all work so hard and give it all they've got. I'm thankful for Leondra, who we fondly refer to as Leo. She is very supportive. She doesn't smother. She guides. She's an effective leader. My hat is off to the Stage Crew. So when you're at SL21B, if you see someone at the stages wearing a shirt and tag identifying them as part of the stage crew, please let them know you appreciate their hard work. I know it will mean so much to them!
See you all at SL21B!
Article and photos by Liberty Fairelander
EVENTS & ANNOUNCEMENTS
If you have one of our stamp terminals and you're having an event or would like to make an 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 and/or photos. |
Summer in Bellisseria
Here's your taxi
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SL21B Events Calendar
It's widely available elsewhere but here is the calendar showing all the events happening as part of SL21B. We hope to see you at some of them! The events are great fun generally and are often also good opportunities to meet the Moles and Lindens carrying SSiD tablets issuing their personal SL21B stamps.
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Major Content Enhancements for the BBB NavPoint Map
Thanks to Quad Croc-Lane and Furious Soup the NavPoint Map now has 2,044 nav points / rez zones shown on the world map (420 for land vehicles, 407 for boats, 71 for trains, 27 PoIs, 31 airfields, 370 stamp terminal locations, 707 unspecific/generic rez zones).
You can also now generate an HTML list of locations with SLURLs and the map display has been enlarged to 800 x 800px
What a wonderful result of this innovative cooperation between the Belli Citizens ground and the BBB! We are very happy to see that – although it's very new – it's been accessed almost six hundred times already.
If you'd like to see a detailed example of tour-planning using this wonderful new tool, please follow this link to an article by Robert Rhodan.
Concept, Programming, images and linked article by Robert Rhodan
PERSONAL STAMPS & NEW LOCATIONS
During Second Life's 21st Birthday celebrations (SL21B), as at previous SLBs and other major events, our diplomats and bureaucrats, as well as many Moles and Lindens will be carrying SSiD (single stamp issuing device) tablet computers.
Click on them while wearing your passport HUD and they will apply that person's personal stamp. You can check your progress in collecting them by referring to this master list, which will be updated if new SSiDs are issued. Most are carrying their tablets in their hands (as in the picture) but some are more creative so watch out for them!
We hope you love AmandaT Tamatzui's cute stamp design as much as we do and we wish you luck in collecting them all. The illustration below shows just a few of them to give you an idea.
Enjoy the celebrations and we look forward to seeing you at the BBB Waterworks in the SL21B region of Breathtaking.
Summer in Bellisseria is an event at the Bellisseria Fairgrounds organised by the Bellisseria Citizens Group. It features exhibits, workshops, parties, gifts, games, and lots more.
The Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS), founded in Sept. 2004, focuses on the natural environment and sustainability. Its mission is to create a democratic community in SL. The CDS also encourages the maintenance of clean air and water for all people as an essential right. The CDS stand at SL21B is an alpine park.
The Interplanetary Land Preserve on Mars is a collaboration at SL21B between the SL Public Land Preserve and The Interplanetary Liberation Front. Chat with the oracles and intriguing storytellers waiting for you while engaged in a fun diplomatic search.
Summer in Bellisseria BE Event June 27 to July 7, 2024 |
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CDS @ SL21B PE |
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