I am SO behind on the memes, but I’m trying to catch up, even though I’ll have to write one of my entries from scratch all over again after I omitted to save it. (How I managed to do that I have no idea, but hey, this is me, right?)

It’s very hard to think of just three Second Life wishes, and whilst I was compiling this list I thought of lots more (for example, I wish that land was cheaper) but I’m happy to stick with the three that I’ve published here for your reading pleasure.

So here, dear reader are my three Second Life wishes. (You can read more wishes at Berry’s blog by clicking here)

1. I Wish I Had More Linden Dollars!

Even though I work in real life (yes, there is such a thing!)  I never have enough Lindens in my pocket to buy the stuff I’d like. I get envious on Plurk sometimes when I see the gorgeous new releases and shopping sprees that my Second Life chums  have treated themselves to, but it’s a fleeting thing.  I can (and do) spoil myself on occasion, and I do that with gusto,  but I do wish I had a dedicated and steady virtual income to support my in-world lifestyle.

The fact is shopping sprees in Second Life are actually a lot more fun for me than in real life. Even though the object isn’t physically real I STILL get so much satisfaction from it, be it an article of furniture, a glorious dress, or a sumptuous skin. Also I know that the money I have spent is going straight back to the creator which means that I am supporting them directly. I also know that should I have a quibble I can go right to them and advise them of my problem. (Think about it; that’s the equivalent of speaking to a CEO in real life!)

Here’s an example: Let’s say you bought an Armani dress in real life that you weren’t happy with, you couldn’t march straight up the ladder and speak to Giorgio himself and demand satisfaction, but In Second Life you can. I think the interaction between designers and their customers is what makes the virtual retail market so vibrant, and that’s one of the reasons why I am so keen to support it.

I’m quite materialistic in the virtual world, yet in real life I’m not at all. I shop frugally and love a good bargain.  For me a fabulous real life treat is a meal out or a trip to the cinema; it’s most certainly not the latest frock or pair Laboutin heels. But that role is reversed in Second Life. Stick Kitty in front of a pair of GOS shoes and she’ll be speaking gibberish for the rest of the week!

I have considered making and retailing things as a way of acquiring more spends, but quite honestly there are far better content creators out there than myself, so why would I want to even compete with them when I could be buying from them instead? Still, it’s an option I’m considering.

2. I Wish That Second Life Didn’t Have A Seedy Reputation

You know, for such a vibrant virtual community we do have one hell of a reputation for being something that we’re not.  It’s often the case that when you mention Second Life to people they respond with disdain. This is because of the image that has been portrayed so often in the media, something I have actually spoken about on local and national radio.

I’ve never been ashamed about my participation in Second Life.

I’m actually very proud of it, so I always make sure that in conversation I paint it in a positive light. There is so much good that comes out of being in-world. It allows for creativity to flourish in so many ways, not just in the building of the environments but in the artifacts to furnish them.  From vehicles to transverse the metaverse, to the outfits to sport while doing that, everything has been created by a fellow user. That’s some achievement when you consider it.  There are musicians performing concerts, authors and social commentators hosting discussions, role-players and historical enthusiasts recreating antiquity. Then you have the different sub-cultures in world.

There is so much depth to our virtual existence and Second Life has become a brilliant, vibrant tapestry of virtual culture at its very best, and yet all the media want to focus upon is sex?

I really do think Linden lab should be more supportive to an image change in the mass media. they need more positive promotion. To that end, they should employ people like Draxtor Despres, who is doing them a huge service with his video series  ‘The Drax Files’ which displays Second Life in the best possible light. If I was a Linden I would be shaking Drax by the hand and thanking him for the work he’s doing, because it’s the best kind of publicity produced by someone who clearly has a passion for the subject.

I was browsing Reddit the other day ( I love Reddit)  and came across a post which was really quite negative about Second Life. The responses to the thread were pretty negative too, with one person even saying “People still play that?” I’ll be honest and say that it upset me to read the comments, but I am actually glad that I did. Because these kinds of comments are written by people who have never bothered to experience our vibrant virtual world for themselves, choosing instead to focus on what the media has written  and dismiss it based on shoddy reporting. More fool them I say.

I honestly feel that we’re on the cusp of something big with Second Life, and as it approaches it’s landmark birthday of ten years  I  confidently think we’re going to see our world regain some of the reputation it los and rise in popularity again. I’m so happy, and honoured to be a resident and would love other people to have the same positive experience that I do.

Second Life is a part of me now, I can’t imagine living my first life without it!

3. I Wish The Inventory Were Easier To Manage

Because it can be an utter pig when it wants to be! I’d love there to be some sort of automatic sorting facility, whereby it highlights all the duplicate items that you own. (I’m pretty sure that at least 30% of my items are dupes, if not more) I’d like it to have folders that are easier to manage and most of all I’d like it to load faster! I’d love to be able to click a button and it sort by Copy, Mod and Trans. Can you imagine? Think of the yard-sales I could have if I could just find all my old and unloved trans items that I know are gathering dust in deep, dark corners .

Compared to some people I have a very low inventory volume of just 45k and yet it takes an absolute age to load. It also lies to me; there are many times I’ve thought that I have lost an item, only to find it by changing the search terms from the obvious to the surreal. My inventory really does have a life of its own sometimes and it can be extremely frustrating. That said, it’s always a joy when I’m having a mooch through the contents and I find something I had forgotten about, usually because of some insane naming convention.

I don’t think there are any easy answers to inventory issues and I honestly think that you have to start as you mean to go on, and keep it in check from the get go. I fear sorting through the thousands of items in there will make me go insane, but I do try to have a tidy-up every so often.

And then I get distracted by something shiny, and end up replacing my deleted items with more lovelies..GAH!