An Average Guy on Second Life

(I call it a nice rant, because I am not really angry, just a bit frustrated)


OK, I am going to rant here for a few minutes.  I don't mean any disrespect with this, it is just me venting my frustration.

I had a friend recently want to show me a skin shop she "found" (I had already known about it).  They had some new skins, so I figured I would get some demo's just to look them over.

I happen to love my current skin, but even that designer has a new one out, so I decided to get a demo of that one also..just for some fun comparisons.

Here is my complaint.  I collect the demo's of these new skins.  They appear in a folder in my inventory.  I look in the folders and they have the "name" of the skin, and usually some number reference.  There is no way for me to know what demo skin is what.  I have to try them all on to find the one that I saw in the store.

Granted, I am kinda picky on my facial features (I am partial to beards), and I would probably end up trying them all on at some point, but it would be REALLY helpful if there was textures included in the demo pack showing each face, and the name of the skin in the folder that matches it.

Guys are not big shoppers, and when we have to sort through things over and over because we are not sure which one is which, we get VERY frustrated.  I really makes us NOT want to buy a new skin at all, because it is just too frustrating.  Woman have a memory geared for this kind of thing, men do not.

Here is my suggestion, if anybody cares to take it.  In each demo folder, have a texture that is a mosaic of all the skins included, probably just the face shots like you have at your store.  This may be harder than I think given the limits of texture sizes, but maybe not.  On each picture, have a way to identify each skin, so I can look at at the folder, and see exactly what skin matches with the pictures.  I personally would also include a close-up shot of each one, so we can see it in the picture better, but the mosaic is key, because we can sort through them nice and easily to find the skin we saw in the shop, and try it on.

Personally, I think that each group should include all the skin tones, but that might be being a bit too picky.  If a mosaic is included in each demo pack, its not hard to get each tones demo pack, and look to see which one I want to try on, and then do it.

Outside of that, I am soo happy that men's skins have been improving so much.  Cudo's to the creators who are amazingly talented, and are devoting their time and energy into creating these fantastic skins!

Hello everybody! :)

A couple of posts ago, I talked about the new, well, relatively new Showcase feature in Search. I also mentioned that I have been checking out some of these places, and have found some really cool places.

With life being so busy (both RL and SL), I made sure I made some notes about a place that I really liked. I have been keeping an eye on the list of places shown in the Showcase list, and it does seem to change quite frequently, so I am glad I kept my notes!

Anyway, one of the first places I visited is called Garden Of Dreams. Even the landing point was impressive!



So, I teleported up to the beach first (there were 5 destinations available from the landing point). I started at the beach. I just sat down for a bit, and just took it all in. The textures are just amazing! Take a look for yourself....



AND...



Remember my entry about Sculpties..and how they changed the look of of SL? This is a PERFECT example!

Everywhere you look, there is a beautiful site to see.



And, as an added bonus, there are places to dance with that special person in your SL! Each location seems to either a dance ball or two, or one of those wonderful dance machines...for couples! This is a GREAT date location!



This is just a small sample of the beauty I found at this SIM!

There is also a store at this location, which is pretty typical. But...this is not just a store of clothes and other things! At this shop all, or at least most, of the items you see on this SIM, all the things they used to create this wonderful place!

Which means...if you want to create your own little paradise, you can get all you need right here!

So, next time you are wondering what to do...or just looking for someplace new to explore, then stop by Garden of Dreams. And also keep using the Showcase feature, because I am still finding some cool places from that list!

Ok, a few more shots from my visit!







Have a great day everybody!

Ok, so as I am creating this new avatar, I began to think...what do I NEED to have, not what was fun to have in the past, that I rarely use, but what do I USE in my daily journeys, what have I allowed to take up my precious screen space when I am inworld.

First of all, I would say my number one resource I use in Second Life, is not actually IN Second Life. It's SL Exchange.

For those of you that don't know, SLExchange (or SLX for short), is an website, where you can shop for Second Life items, without being IN Second Life.

I have had conversations about SLX with many people, and while there is something to be said for being able to see something inworld, and somebody actually said to me once "I want to be able to see and touch it (huh?...:) ), I have found SLX to be a HUGE resource. You can search for items, send gifts to friends (IF, they have a SLX account also), or just browse the latest and greatest stuff!

I know there are a few other shopping sites, and I have browsed them, but I seem to always come back to SLX.

I have to say, when being invited to an event, that is a theme I have NOT outfitted myself for already, being able to search on SLX has been a godsend.

Also, I have found myself just watching the main page, and letting the items just scroll by, kinda like window shopping, without having to move..:) This is great fun for me, cause I like to see what people are making, and selling. I even do this when I am not inworld, and am a little bored....:)

So check out SLExchange if you have not already, if you are anything like me, you might find yourself a little hooked...:)

Oh, and by the way, SLX is FREE!

More on what I actually DO allow to take up my screen space...in a bit..:)