SLSecrets has been a pretty impressive long-standing forum for many in Second Life since 2008 and eventually turned into its own website. Filled with user stories, you could spend ages poring through the plethora of nameless posts.

As stated on the site, it’s meant to be a Second Life version of the (in)famous “PostSecret“, a site where people mail in postcards and other correspondence to tell stories and secrets. But, (and likely to no one’s surprise) SLSecrets became a public forum  mostly for anonymous shaming and what some may consider to be bullying.

Combined with the popularity of people turning to Facebook for Second Life based social media, many posts aimed at ridiculing creators, exes, bloggers and more have become more and more present on timelines since SLSecrets became its own website. It became a way to throw shade without giving up your own identity, or even accuse people of breaching SL terms and conditions.

While it can be a great outlet for some, where do we draw the line between something that is meant to be creative and expressive and something that is yet another way to bully individuals and have it bleed into social media? Most spectators would probably say it’s no big deal and no harm is done, but let the tables turn….would they be happy to have such scrutiny aimed at them?

Should we be encouraging this type of environment when the internet is already full of trolls and critics?

Take a look for yourself and tell me what you think. I’m genuinely curious if this is something that tickles your fancy, or if this is something you feel is inappropriate.

Bria Oceanside

ZoHa Blogger/Social Media

Sexual assault in virtual reality is a thing, although it only recently seems to have caught the attention of the general public. Many slammed the idea, claiming it’s impossible to sexually assault or harass someone in a virtual space. But assault and harassment can also be very emotional and mental, and I decided to explain my stance on why this should be taken seriously.

Bria Oceanside

ZoHa Blogger/Social Media

One thing that Second Life can stand to have more of is in-world monuments to great people, movements and eras. I had the pleasure of visiting a new step in the right direction, the Women of Science History Museum.

I have to take a moment to say how much I appreciate the quaint layout, but also the amount of thought that went into creating this space. From the “hangout-friendly” approach outside of the build to the detailed models to correspond to each great contributor to science for the individual displays, it was clear that a lot of passion went into this project.

The general museum was well arranged and had an incredible amount of information that left me more educated than I was before I walked in, and it’s wonderful to see focus on empowerment and the contribution that women had that has influenced so much in our lives. In an instant-gratification and high-tech world that we live in, sometimes we need to take a step back and remember which pioneers led us to this point.

I would highly encourage checking it out, but I would also love to see a project like this expanded. While so much ground was covered, it would be excellent to see even more curated content and recognition.

If you’d like to see it for yourself, you can check it out HERE.

What are some other “monumental” destinations that you adore? I want to hear about them!

Bria Oceanside

ZoHa Blogger/Social Media

In case you missed it, Oculus just announced some big developments that will have a huge impact in the Virtual Reality realms in the (very) near future. Why are these developments important? For one, it forces everyone in the industry to step up their game. For another, this could mean even more potential for Project Sansar one day.

They introduced the newest development in the Oculus world: Oculus Touch. Basically this is a step in the right direction as far as “lagless” wireless handsets to accompany the headsets. These will be far more responsive than the norm and also will vibrate based on actions in games you are playing. This will offer a far more immersive experience. So, you can reach down and pick things up, shoot that gun, and feel it when you’ve been hit. This is due out in December, so that’s right around the corner!

The reason this is critical is that, while I’m certain this will be refined over time, this lagless technology will fuel more development from the VR community that we can reasonably foresee VR setups venturing towards full-body responsiveness.

Photo Credit: Oculus

This matters for folks like us in Second Life because that could also mean that Sansar can one day also implement similar technology. Imagine a virtual space where you can literally walk around in it versus just wearing a headset and making yourself move around in it!

Eventually, even the less expensive computers will be able to support VR technology. Oculus is working to enable lower-end computers to keep up to speed. Soon even lower spec computers will allow you to embrace VR in all its glory.

Um, did you SEE those in-ear wireless headphones? Also available starting in December, Oculus is stepping up the game with an alternative to the over-ear headphones it currently uses as a built-in feature. So there will be another option….options means your preference matters.

Photo Credit: Oculus

What other VR developments are you interested in? We’d love to hear from you!

Bria Oceanside

ZoHa Blogger/Social Media

Here’s what you need to know about the ZoHa Islands new and improved Support system!

We at ZoHa Islands want to provide everyone with well-rounded and inclusive support as we have been for years, and we recently implemented a new ticketing system that will allow us to do this in a way that is far more reliable and flexible than utilizing the in-world group.

How this will work is that instead of speaking in the Support group, you would go to https://blog.zoha-islands.com/request-form/ and submit a ticket for your question/issue/inquiry. Our dedicated staff will handle the tickets in the order they come in and provide you the level of professional service you’ve been accustomed to. While this might seem like a big change for some, I’ll explain why this will be a very improved method of delivering your support:

• We know that Second Life has its moments. Having an external ticket system will ensure that your request won’t be missed, as well as the follow up.
• The ticket system will also allow you to submit your request in your native language. This will help reduce any language barrier so we can better assist you.
• We’re not changing the support, we’re improving the way that you GET the support!
• You have the option to provide an email address, which would mean that you would be able to receive your updates via email– no need to log into Second Life to response or receive responses!
• The current Z.I. chat will become the community chat that we’ve been missing so you can connect with other residents

We want to be able to continue to deliver top-notch service in a way that eliminates the unpredictable nature of Second Life so your request or question won’t get lost in the shuffle. Same great staff and management, same great land opportunities, new and improved way of giving you an effective customer experience.

Again, make sure to head to https://blog.zoha-islands.com/request-form/ for all support-related needs and bookmark the site so you’ll have it handy if and when the time comes!

Bria Oceanside

ZoHa Blogger/Social Media