About me | eloquence | flickr | my second life spiel

:: About me ::

I am Moggs Oceanlane, resident of Second Life (SL). I'm 50% avatar, 50% human and 100% Moggs. Oh... and I'm definitely real. I am independent and highly sociable. I'm an information junkie and hate 'not knowing'. I love hearing what people think, seeing what they are doing and what they've created. I'm curious about almost everything and I love animated conversations. Feel free to contact me in-world or on other spaces where I participate/lurk on the web.

I am trying to learn the Korean Language. It's a slow process as a native English speaker but if I look back over my shoulder I can see some progress. If I look ahead at all I have to learn, it's going to be quite a jouney yet!

Some of my favourite things: good people, good conversations, fresh produce, good food, learning (new things/about things/how to do things), exploring my curiousity and the small things in life that make me laugh or think or warm my soul.

:: Eloquence ::

Eloquence (my group/parcel) was located on the mainland parcel on the Svavasson Region, Nautilus Continent from 2007/8-2022 where I held a significant amount of land in the region. I keep a small parcel there with a teleport station to help old friends and strangers to find their way to the new Eloquence Region, Central Co-ordinates (established in 2022).

As has always been the case, other residents are welcome to use and share the space providing they observe two simple rules:

1. pick up anything they rezzed when they leave (I do recognised we get logged off sometimes or have things we need to rush off to and forget - I will return items after 24 hours or if your avatar is not on the region - look in your lost and found, you can rez them again on other visits); and

2. respect others using the space (this does not mean you have to like them or what they are doing, but if someone is different and not actively harrassing you or others then you do you, and let them do them)

Fellow residents may set Eloquence as their home base, used it as a space to rez and open boxes, access change rooms, play games (gaming.SL board, card and dice games; pool/8-ball; darts; air hockey; basketball hoops; volley ball - they are all playable and not just for show, so feel free to bring friends and hang out. I ask that you do not use this as a parking space for your avatar or NPC/bots.

I opened up my land for general use because the welcome spaces annoyed me senseless when I joined and I left them pretty quickly - I like the idea that others are using my land to escape the (un)welcome areas. Feel free to join the Eloquence group if you wish to set any of the Eloquence spaces as your home location (World > Set home to here) - whatever :) and make yourself at home.

Find out about the Eloquence region/group at eloquence.group/

:: Flickr ::

I no longer admin any groups.

Mostly I used my account to share the things I saw in my travels in-world or images from my own parcel or region. I am only on Flickr very erratically these days. I do and have always appreciated the artistry of others and try to remember to hit the favourites button when I find something that leaves me in awe... or makes me laugh... or intrigues me.

I follow lots of SLers - so many I could never possibly keep up - but I love the randomness of the recent posts and look through them when I login to flickr.

:: My Second Life Spiel ::

I see Second Life as many things and look at it as an education/business tool, a community, a game, a creative environment and much more. I love the creativeness and general willingness of residents to help one another out.

In many ways, Second Life presents opportunities for you to mix with people whom you simply just wouldn't encounter in your real life due to geography or life style. Many people have reported that their confidence and real life communication skills enhanced by their experiences in SL.

SL is not a game (but it can be) - it's a virtual environment that is used for a range of applications including gaming, chatting/communication, education, artistic endeavours, forums and business meetings, film making/Machinima and it's true, it can be used for cyber sex too. Virtual environments, social networks, etc really are a more sophisticated version of pen pals of old... which is kind of nice, don't you think? The diversity of people in Second Life and what they do in the virtual environment is huge - to make one judgement about all residents and all activities demonstrates a lack of rational thought.

The people I associate with in world range from their 20s to their late 80s. Some have reached a high-level in firmal education systems, some have minimal formal education, some are deeply religious, some are atheist, some are from low socio-economic backgrounds while others come from privileged backgrounds. Some are also my real life work colleagues, friends, sisters and (gasp) parents. (My parents came in-world to play family games a few times but are not frequent visitors).

Many openly share real life pictures and/or information and go on to form real life friendships while others choose not to ... sometimes it's nice to not be put into a box because of age, gender, religion, sexuality, disability or any of the other things people like to make assumptions and judgements about.

The Second Life community isn't about the platform, it's grown beyond that. It's really about the people, the knowledge and the community itself.

Second Life has been advertised on the US Autistic website as being a potentially positive environment/tool for those with Autism and Aspergers. At an educational event I attended in-world a number of people were discussing how they worked with disabled groups and bedridden individuals who loved the environment as they could operate in the virtual world without the discrimination they received in the real world.

I love my life which includes both the physical environment and the virtual one. I don't love one or the other more or less - they are different aspects of the whole that is me. I love Second Life and adore the people I've come to know via this environment without apology. I readily talk about second life with people from my physical environment.