Let's Have Fun on Empire Avenue !

I joined the social media exchange Empire Avenue and immediately got hooked. It's free & fun plus there is a fairly large Second Life presence so you can quickly and easily meet new friends. The basic idea behind Empire Avenue is to act as a virtual exchange where people and businesses can buy and sell "shares" in each other. You earn a virtual currency and use it to invest in others you think might do well. That's fun and it's especially fun to see your own stock rise but there's lots more to it than that.

Part of your "value" on the Empire Avenue Exchange is based upon your use of various social media. Your followers, tweets, views, subscribers, etc. on sites like Twitter, Facebook, Flickr, Youtube, and your own blogs count toward your net worth on Empire Avenue. What this means is that active members of Empire Avenue tend to be active on social media sites. This means your activity on Empire Avenue translates more easily into social media connections with those who invest in you and those you invest in. Although I have not yet tried it, there is a way to "buy" ad space and promote yourself/business. Empire Avenue may be a good way to promote your SL business.

I'm creating more followers and following more people who I interact with on Empire Avenue at a much faster rate than any other online activity. So, my first take-away from Empire Avenue is that they have really hit upon a great way to promote social media connections. Plus, it is just fun.

If you do join or are already a member, my Empire Avenue profile is at http://www.empireavenue.com/PAND where you can research my connections, portfolio, and invest in me. If you are not yet a member of Empire Avenue, use http://empireavenue.com/?t=tr90uak to join and after you connect a Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, or Youtube account we both get 2,000e (the currency).

Tips for investing:

• Look for people with several active social media sites and good scores for those connections
• Check the Recent Arrivals tab in Search for newly registered people with good social media connections
• When investing in "blue chips" try to find a valued stock with a high dividend per share (0.25e or better) or, even better if you care to calculate it, dividend per dollar invested (see below)
• When investing in growth stocks buy new users at a low price and don't be afraid to sell when they plateau out after a few days
• I prefer people with nice profile pics and an interesting bio
• Look for people who are active on Empire Avenue
• Check out their blogs and other sites for number of followers and quality of content
• Invest your e-bucks as soon as you get em - usually when you invest in someone they invest back or people who invest in them invest in you - it's a sorta chain reaction
• Promote people in your portfolio - follow them on twitter, flickr, etc; subscribe on youtube, endorse any blog listed in their connections, and so on. This is how Empire Avenue fosters social media interaction!
• Invest in other Second Life residents! Think Global, Shop Local
• Invest in me :)

To calculate dividend per dollar start with the dividend per share figure you can get on the person's profile page. Simply divide this number by the share price. This gives you a better way to judge the value of a stock. For instance, a stock trading at 25e with a dividend per share of 0.2 will pay better dividends on a 5000e investment than a stock trading at 50e with a dividend per share of 0.3. Your 5000e buys you 200 shares of the first one and, at 0.2 div per share, would get you 40e in dividends while the same investment in the higher dividend per share stock would buy you 100 shares which, at 0.3 div per share, would pay you 30e in dividends. Of course, you still have to monitor your investments - everyday things change.

Have fun!

A Cheap Way to Buy Land in Second Life

A friend asked me for advice on buying land in Second Life. My reply might constitute a jumping off point for discussion of ways to acquire land in Second Life without incurring prohibitive costs. Here's my fairly brief advice on buying land in Second Life:

There are lots of ways to get land - all complicated and a hassle. Also not cheap. You could rent from someone. That is cheaper in the short term. But, rentals vary wildly both in weekly rent and prim allotment/size/quality. Buying can be just as cheap as renting but is more complicated. There's two kinds of land - the mainland controlled by Linden Labs and private estates. I own a parcel on the mainland. [Ed. note I just don't even mention Homesteads]

What I did was get a Premium account for $72/year. You can read about the account plans at http://secondlife.com/whatis/plans.php A premium account gets you benefits one of which is 512 sq m of land you can buy "tier free" meaning you pay no monthly fees. You also get 1000L signup bonus and 300L per week stipend. So, it works out cheaper than the alternative which is free basic account and leasing private land. But private islands are way way nicer than the mainland.

Here's the cost breakdown of what I am doing:
(assuming 250L = $1.00)

Premium membership $72 per year = 18,000L per year
Signup bonus (first year only)              -  1,000L first year
Weekly stipend 300L/wk                     - 15,600L every year

Net cost of Premium account = 1400L/year or $5.60 the first year & $9.60 subsequent years.

That is a generous estimate. The actual exchange rate is more like 260L per $1 and then when you want to turn your Lindens into US dollars there is a fee. So, it works out to be a bit more. Still, under $10 per year for the right to buy 512 sq meters. Then you have to find the land you want either at auction or resale. I don't know how much 512 goes for now but probably a few more bucks like maybe $5 but that is a one time cost as long as you maintain your Premium account.

The other thing wrong with my cost analysis is it assumes you cash out your Lindens. Actually you end up spending them on clothes and cool gadgets :)

That's my intro to buying land in Second Life on the cheap. I might also add it is possible to find Premium account holders who are also private estate owners/renters - those folks don't need their 512 sq m mainland tier allotment. If a mutually beneficial agreement can be reached, private estate Premium accounts can join a group land purchase and deed their 512 sq m to the group thus increasing the amount of tier free mainland available for purchase. The key words in that last sentence are "mutually beneficial" and "tier free".

Comments ? 

The Lighter Side of Wikipedia

So you don't think Wikipedia is awesome ? You may also believe it to be dry and totally devoid of humor. Bzzzt! Check out the synopsis of Baby Got Back for proof of awesomeness.

Still not convinced ? Ok, buckle up for a long bumpy ride through the Lamest Edit Wars of Wikipedia! Here's the intro illustration and caption for this article:

An unidentified clerk (center) tries to bring to an end a great edit war involving dozens of respected editors. At her feet, three bewildered newcomers are seen caught in the middle of the dispute.

The visually oriented (or those averse to reading on and on and on and on) may prefer this graphical representation of the lamest Wikipedia edit wars.

The talk pages at Wikipedia are consistently hilarious. Here people seem to just say whatever pops into their heads, pertinent or not. Take, for instance, the August 19, 2010 entry on the talk page for The Beatles Wikipedia article (unedited, just as it appears):

The things are ever so complicated and i have to say all stories surronded this band, I saw James Paul McCartney a real leader as memeber who kept on the group together,he plays a lot music instruments, was a good student at primary school, he composes easily,i know he depressed after the dissolution, John Winston Lennon was a leader as an author at especially the beginning, i know he liked poetry and did the school of arts,i know he wanted to leave the group after meeting Yoko Ono, George Harisson was a reserved person but i see him very keen, he was the younger, i know he couldn't put more than a song in an album, john tell him how to write a song in a same mood...Paul didn't want to help him one day they were disputing when they recorded Let it Be,he introduced the indu music, one day he said they could run a danger by meeting people like kennedy ...Ringo started in 1962, i know he stayed in bed during two years , he worked at a factory of wood, eight days a week was his elocution, paul john and george helped him a little... he wrote with george uctopus garden.he wanted to be actor. Brian Epstein was their manager and george Martin their arranger productor. I saw a film when they begun in Hambourg, they were really different, i saw Lennon and McCartney always fussing and fighting each other about the drummer, McCArtney was on horse lennon was mixing with feelings, they were with pleasant wommen.... there was Breaks durring Let it be session.... Later yoko forbidden julian for some mock up... I think lennon later was tired for commitments...his solo songs had a very sensed I think McCartney didn't want to be involved as a singer, he is not like that ..but he was right in a certain point of view. He said in Beatles he was free how to write songs.i apreessied flaming pie and drivin rain....he did hearted work in a classiacal album, but it's not the pain to be accidented with a taxi when he say i appressiate your own song.

Need I say more ? Wikipedia - awesome & funny!

The Dating & Robot Problems

A Venn diagram depicting the "Girl Paradox" has been going around. I thought I would improve it a bit, extend it to include males as well as females, then take a similar approach to the problem of robots. First, here's my dating problem diagram:

My dating problem diagram, it seems to me, works equally well for boys, girls, gay, & lesbian or whatever human dating. Now let's see what happens when we take a Venn diagram to robots who do not follow the three laws of robotics:

Request to Second Life Vendors

Dear Second Life Vendors,

Please, please, please, whenever possible, make your products "Modify/Copy/No Transfer". Many products are set "No Copy/Transfer" or "No Copy/No Transfer" making it impossible for the consumer (me) to make a copy of the item(s) in my own inventory. This has a few deleterious effects:

• I cannot make copies of an item for inclusion in other folders. For instance, I like to create "outfit" folders containing all the items worn/attached for a particular outfit. This makes it relatively quick and easy to change outfits. Items that are "No Copy" have to be hunted down in whatever folder they reside.
• No Copy items that contain scripts like a resize script either must continue to contain the lag inducing scripts after use or the No Copy item can no longer be modified after the scripts are deleted from the object(s). The owner of the item must make a difficult choice between being able to continue to use the scripts or reducing the resource consumption of the No Copy item.
• The owner cannot make a backup copy of her purchases in case they become damaged or lost.

The first of these (making copies for inclusion in outfit folders) is somewhat alleviated by the My Outfits feature of Viewer 2. Residents who use Viewer 2 now have the ability to create symbolic links to items in their inventory and these links can be used in various folders. However, many of us do not use Viewer 2 and do not yet have the ability to create symbolic links.

The second and third objections apply to all viewers and are really the most important reasons to make your items "Copy/No Transfer". Lag inducing scripts should really not be left in an object after it has been modified/resized. Of course, in some products the scripts are really what makes them valuable - here I am talking about stuff like hair and shoes which usually come with resize/color scripts which, once used on a copy, can be deleted. This reduces lag and should be a high priority for all residents, vendors included.

The ability to make a backup of your inventory items should be a right, not a privilege. I've had many items simply disappear due to server or sim weirdness and through no fault of my own.

Some products may reasonably need to have Transfer permissions. Items typically purchased as gifts need to be transferable. In these (relatively rare) cases, if the vendor does not want to allow their product(s) to be freely redistributed/resold, then they must also make them No Copy. I understand this and I am not suggesting that ALL products be sold "Copy/No Transfer". However, the vast majority of products are used strictly by the purchaser and not subsequently transferred to another resident. Even items which are frequently given as gifts can be released in two versions - "Copy/No Transfer" and "No Copy/Transfer" so the buyer can select which is preferable.

As for the Modify bit, I just do not understand why some vendors sell products like a skirt that is No Modify. Do you think all our butts are tiny like yours? Maybe you are trying to protects us from ourselves? Unless your product requires No Modify for some reason, please make it Modify so that I can resize or alter it in other ways to suit my particular needs.

Some vendors may believe that setting Copy permission on a product makes it more likely or easier for CopyBots to illegally copy and redistribute their product. This may have been true in the past, I do not know. However, currently, I know of no evidence to support this belief. My guess is this is an erroneous belief carried forward from years ago. If you know of any factual evidence or technical support for the fear that Copy items can be illegally copied please let me know. I cannot believe this is the case since most of the reputable and successful vendors in Second Life sell their products "Copy/No Transfer".

I do occasionally purchase No Copy items but, if I am aware in advance an item is No Copy it does effect my buying decision. Basically, a product that is "Copy/No Transfer" has higher value for me than one sold as "No Copy/Transfer". So vendors, simply by correctly setting the permissions on your products you can increase their value and thereby increase your sales.

Thanks for listening,

Missy Restless

Borgfest at Organica

As we were dancing and chatting to the psy psounds of DJane Qee at Organica, a Borgfest broke out in local chat! Here is a sampling of what went down that fateful night at Borganica:

[2010/08/07 1:41]  Nebulae Sands: borgasm?
[2010/08/07 1:41]  Misha Otaared: borgification
[2010/08/07 1:41]  Ouija Turbo: mmmm exotic borg
[2010/08/07 1:41]  Nebulae Sands: baron von borgonavon...makin copiessss
[2010/08/07 1:42]  Misha Otaared: feeling borg and listless
[2010/08/07 1:42]  Ouija Turbo: lets not go overborg here
[2010/08/07 1:42]  thomtrance Otoole: the borg the merrier .....
[2010/08/07 1:43]  Mollie Broek: i'm a little borged up
[2010/08/07 1:43]  Ouija Turbo: ALL A BORG!!!
[2010/08/07 1:43]  thomtrance Otoole: is a lapsed member of the borgeouisie ......
[2010/08/07 1:43]  Mollie Broek: smokin too many borgs
[2010/08/07 1:44]  Ouija Turbo: ARE YOU DOWN WITH THE BORGS ASIMMILATION NATION?
[2010/08/07 1:44]  Misha Otaared: mmm, that borg is smokin
[2010/08/07 1:44]  ahimsa Balut: borg-a-burg
[2010/08/07 1:44]  Mollie Broek: is borged to tears
[2010/08/07 1:44]  Misha Otaared: iceborgs ahead! hard astern!
[2010/08/07 1:44]  Ouija Turbo: flat as a borg an never been nailed?
[2010/08/07 1:45]  Mollie Broek: All you need is Borg
[2010/08/07 1:45]  Misha Otaared: some borg to look over me
[2010/08/07 1:46]  Mollie Broek: My Borgfriends back!
[2010/08/07 1:46]  Ouija Turbo: this borgs for you
[2010/08/07 1:46]  Ouija Turbo: if you got the time i got the borg
[2010/08/07 1:46]  Missy Restless: I miss Borg W. Bush
[2010/08/07 1:47]  thomtrance Otoole: remembers the crash of the Hindenborg .......
[2010/08/07 1:48]  Ouija Turbo: ever had borganzola cheese?
[2010/08/07 1:48]  Mollie Broek: it's borgasmic
[2010/08/07 1:48]  Misha Otaared: borg-a-rama
[2010/08/07 1:49]  Ouija Turbo: aaaaah RUN *points and moves mouth fast* ITS BORGZILLA
[2010/08/07 1:49]  Misha Otaared: maybe your memory borgs are down
[2010/08/07 1:49]  thomtrance Otoole: is a fan of Ernest Borg9
[2010/08/07 1:50]  Ouija Turbo: @)~~WeLcOmE wElCoMe~~(~~~~~ To BorGaNiCa
[2010/08/07 1:50]  Mollie Broek: Borganica is never boring
[2010/08/07 1:51]  Misha Otaared: at borganica, disco is futile
[2010/08/07 1:51]  ahimsa Balut: Borgbusters
[2010/08/07 1:52]  thomtrance Otoole: who wants to play borgammon ???
[2010/08/07 1:52]  Ouija Turbo: naw get out the checker borg
[2010/08/07 1:52]  Missy Restless: Cool tune, who is that on the borgan ?
[2010/08/07 1:53]  Misha Otaared: the chess borg got implants andbecame a chest borg
[2010/08/07 1:53]  Mollie Broek gives a dog a borg
[2010/08/07 1:54]  Ouija Turbo: i dun wanna work or play i just want to borg on a drum all day
[2010/08/07 1:55]  thomtrance Otoole: I went to Atlantic City and strolled along the borgwalk .....
[2010/08/07 1:55]  Ouija Turbo: i could use a borger an fries
[2010/08/07 1:55]  Mollie Broek: spaghetti borganese
[2010/08/07 1:56]  Missy Restless: what, no borg and beans ?
[2010/08/07 1:56]  ahimsa Balut: spaghetii alla carBORGnara
[2010/08/07 1:58]  Mollie Broek: "resistance is futile...we are your borgasm
[2010/08/07 1:58]  Ouija Turbo: to borg or not to borg that is thequestion
[2010/08/07 1:58]  Misha Otaared: bad borgs, bad borgs
[2010/08/07 1:59]  Ouija Turbo: hey wuts the BOrG Idea here????
[2010/08/07 2:00]  ahimsa Balut: wants a cannoliborg
[2010/08/07 2:01]  Missy Restless: Would you like to follow my sl fashion borg ?
[2010/08/07 2:01]  thomtrance Otoole: Goldborg and Hashimoto opened a sushi restauant called.... So Sue Me .....
[2010/08/07 2:04]  Misha Otaared tries to figure out a way to us brown v. borg of education, decides she needs more caffeine before she can tackle tht one
[2010/08/07 2:04]  ahimsa Balut: thats borgtempting
[2010/08/07 2:05]  Ouija Turbo: borgle the mind that does
[2010/08/07 2:05]  Misha Otaared: borgle up for safety
[2010/08/07 2:05]  Ouija Turbo: simply mind borgalling
[2010/08/07 2:06]  Misha Otaared: anything to make a fast borg
[2010/08/07 2:06]  Ouija Turbo: i got my surfborg surfs up dude
[2010/08/07 2:07]  Ouija Turbo: was gonna wake borg but dats for kooks
[2010/08/07 2:07]  Misha Otaared: after cosmetic surgery, she was no longe flat as a borg
[2010/08/07 2:08]  Ouija Turbo: don't even get me started with my boogie borg
[2010/08/07 2:08]  Misha Otaared: and forget about booger borgs....
[2010/08/07 2:09]  thomtrance Otoole: opens a new Organica Borg and Breakfast ......
[2010/08/07 2:09]  Ouija Turbo: i think waterborging is cruel
[2010/08/07 2:09]  Misha Otaared: he had terrible borgside manner
[2010/08/07 2:10]  Misha Otaared: you made your borg, now sleep in it
[2010/08/07 2:11]  thomtrance Otoole: thinks we should plant some borganvilla here....
[2010/08/07 2:12]  Ouija Turbo: anyone down for a ride in my winnieborgo?
[2010/08/07 2:12]  Misha Otaared: kudzu: borg in disguise
[2010/08/07 2:12]  thomtrance Otoole: only if you have borgels and lox
[2010/08/07 2:13]  Ouija Turbo: Farfinborgin
[2010/08/07 2:13]  Misha Otaared: i do love me those borgie nights
[2010/08/07 2:14]  KitOfPirate Core: ^^; my mind is borgaling!
[2010/08/07 2:14]  Ouija Turbo: hey anyone wanna give me a borgjob?
[2010/08/07 2:14]  Misha Otaared: i would buy more borganic produce if it wasn't so freakin' expensive
[2010/08/07 2:15]  Ouija Turbo: don't make me borgup all over you
[2010/08/07 2:15]  KitOfPirate Core: ^^; i luff madonna's musicvideo clip.. borgerline!!
[2010/08/07 2:15]  Ouija Turbo: ill borg that for a dollar
[2010/08/07 2:16]  thomtrance Otoole: borgerline??? dooooood...that was totally borgus .......
[2010/08/07 2:17]  M8 Parx: Borgiurnoo Italia !!! -____-
[2010/08/07 2:17]  Ouija Turbo: lost in borgirata ville
[2010/08/07 2:18]  Missy Restless: I wish I could use all my L$ to pay the borgage on my house
[2010/08/07 2:18]  Misha Otaared: i always take so much borgage whe i tavel
[2010/08/07 2:23]  Ouija Turbo: i think i want to get a job with the borger patrol to enforce the borger
[2010/08/07 2:25]  Ouija Turbo: ever watch that soap opera.... the borg and the beautiful?
[2010/08/07 2:25]  Misha Otaared: to borgly go where no one has gone bfore
[2010/08/07 2:25]  Missy Restless: I can feel the borgone energy pulsating thru me in this sound - omg, i think i might be borgulating!
[2010/08/07 2:25]  ahimsa Balut: tuborg
[2010/08/07 2:26]  Missy Restless: Yes! i'll have two borgs please
[2010/08/07 2:26]  Ouija Turbo: an with that i am all borged out *hops in his boat starts the outborg motor seting sail for borgneo*
[2010/08/07 2:27]  Misha Otaared: borgneo!
[2010/08/07 2:28]  Lennox Dollinger: All AHBORG!!!
[2010/08/07 2:29]  Missy Restless: I like to vacation in Outer Borgnolia
[2010/08/07 2:29]  Ouija Turbo: did not vote for oborgma
[2010/08/07 2:29]  Misha Otaared: so much for oborgmacare
[2010/08/07 2:29]  Ouija Turbo: its an aborgination I say
[2010/08/07 2:30]  thomtrance Otoole: this could only happen in Caliborgnia ~~~~
[2010/08/07 2:31]  Ouija Turbo: wasn't that song called "under the borgwalk"
[2010/08/07 2:32]  Missy Restless: I loved the movie "Outback" starring Ernest Borg 9 as the old aborginal shaman
[2010/08/07 2:32]  Ouija Turbo: wasn't that movie broke borg mountain sad?
[2010/08/07 2:33]  M8 Parx: need smoke, MarlBorgro or Camel ? ^^
[2010/08/07 2:35]  Missy Restless: yes, it's like one of those old broadway shows that goes on and on - sorta like Borgy and Bess
[2010/08/07 2:37]  Ouija Turbo: hated gettin kicked in the borgs
[2010/08/07 2:40]  M8 Parx: what a borgdello

Missy Profiles

Here are a few of the profiles I've used.

Drama Slave:

I love drama! And gesture spam, OMG, I get moist watching my comments scroll up into space when a spank fest breaks out! I get so HAWT when the sophisticatd Goreans reveal to me how becoming a humiliated sex slave will unleash my true nature. I think it's really neat that my friendship can be used as a means of advertising events and sales! Plus, I don't need to have EVER spoken to you before you ask me for friendship. In short, you can see how much I love SL so please feel free to have sex with me.

Lag Laughter:

Hi! My goal is to reduce lag by emitting cheery phrases and seriously funny one liners. Lick lag with laughter!

I would also like to be able to find a way to get rid of a good chunk of my bloated inventory. Maybe invite me to your rez day party and I will re-gift one of my freebie outfits ?

I am not a dom or a sub or a slave or a master or a vampire or anything like that. I'm a fun loving girl who likes to dance and chat and hang with friends. I also love learning new stuff about sl so turn me on! 

Blogs:

Hi! I've started a Second Life fashion and product review blog at http://missyrestless.blogspot.com and a Second Life Nudes blog at http://slnudes.blogspot.com

Check 'em out and tell me what you think. Feel free to critique, make review recommendations, point out what you like, any and all feedback appreciated. If you have products/clothing you wish to see reviewed or want to be photographed just let me know.

Blogs (revised):

Hi! I love the music of Rodrigo y Gabriela - http://www.muzu.tv/rodygab

I love myself so much I've started a Second Life fashion and product review blog at http://missyrestless.blogspot.com


Does that mean I am a heavy metal flamenco loving narcissist? What is the difference between apathy and ignorance? I don't know and I don't care. 

Photography:

Hi! I love it here.

I am creating digitally enhanced photographs of models and sl nature settings. See my Web tab for my Snapzilla photo gallery. I have an in-world photo gallery and studio, Restless Studio. My photos are available on Xstreet - search for "Missy Restless". I also provide professional photography services by appointment - IM me or drop a notecard.

I worship beauty, nature, truth, and love. And anything that makes me laugh. I am single and bi-sexual.

Questions:

Wanna spend "time" with me ? Show me how to:

- Rotate a notecard with my profile in determined on which group tag I am wearing
- Create dynamically generated animated fractal tattoos
- Detect scripts listening to local chat, e.g. chat spy scripts
- Make significant Lindens outside of real estate sale/lease
- Reduce lag by emitting cheery phrases and seriously funny one liners
- Share my iTunes library in SL
- Make obnoxious gesture spammers spontaneously combust in a pyhrric tower of Woot's and Wolf Howls

Who I Would Do:

Girls - yes!
Guys - maybe if you're really funny and super smart
Animals & children - no
Creatures, furries - probably not
Elves, fairies, mythical creatures on a case by case basis
Dragons - OMG!
Plants and unicellular organisms - you wish

Etiquette:

I believe in etiquette (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Etiquette) and manners (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manners). Not as a matter of rule or dogma but because the use of manners can make a guest feel comfortable. That is, etiquette and manners are one way to show someone you care about how they feel. The lack of manners is an indication of either ignorance or apathy regarding the welfare of others.

Everything here by Missy Restless and not Samuel Clemens although it may seem otherwise.