Wandering the NCI pavilion in Second Life early in my Second Life resulted in a chance to get to know an interesting young chap. I had just sat my avatar down to process some of the inventory I had gathered, when another avatar with that half-baked newbie look approached and took a chair across from me.

Creven Alonzo: hey there, how is it going?
Azwaldo: sorry, was actually saying that for the guy that left two minutes ago
Creven Alonzo: its okay
Creven Alonzo: i’m not really new to secondlife, I just had the whole teen to adult grid transer
Creven Alonzo: tansfer*
Creven Alonzo: finally got around to doing that lol
Azwaldo: cool, how long had you been in the teen grid?
Creven Alonzo: just a couple years
Azwaldo: wow
Azwaldo: this is my fifth day in grid
Creven Alonzo: just restarting here
Azwaldo: i am quite curious about the teen grid
Creven Alonzo: its like this grid its just..small

Creven Alonzo had recently registered in SL Mature Grid (MG), having reached his real life (RL) eighteenth birthday. He mentioned his recent transfer out of TG, and soon commented that he was bored. I did the math: newly emigrated TG user plus bored MG resident equals…

opportunity.

We chatted about and avatars, freebies and virtual hang-man games. A curious complacency was obvious in his chatter. Previously, and without exception, all of my conversations had been with folks of two types: New like myself and so excited about all there was to explore and learn, or more experienced and in a hurry to move on because there was so much to be done.

This guy was unimpressed.

It grew late, so I asked if I could add him to my friends list (he accepted). Waiting several weeks before contacting him, I saw Creven pop up in the grid once in a while (entry and exit of any “friend” is announced to every user).

The wait gave Creven time to explore, and afforded me time to learn about the metaverse and more importantly, to come up with a project. The iDP needs content, how about a content set for the teen transfers? Maybe Creven could help to fill out a list of SL locations, capture snapshots, get landmarks and even write the descriptions for locations that would interest new immigrants.

That is no joke. The young people who have been removed from their adventure in the TG apparently experience emotions familiar to any who have moved from one town to another, leaving the life they came to know—and the friends made—behind. He had been deported.

Azwaldo: i have been chatting with several teachers, am interested in eduction in SL
Azwaldo: did you ever visit a classrooom there?
Creven Alonzo: no, but I actually attended a couple linden things
Creven Alonzo: I wasn’t the best builder or anything either, see if I can rebuild all of my stuff, its rather interesting You: couldn’t bring any inventory with you?
Creven Alonzo: its not that I couldn’t, its just that I didn’t feel like it
Creven Alonzo: someone else is selling my stuff in the grid now
…
Creven Alonzo: so what does this grid have to offer?
…
Creven Alonzo: and the malls are less popular here too, they were of the most popular back on the teen grid, then again, you couldn’t have the sort of clubs we have on the main grid You: are you a video gamer?
Creven Alonzo: oh yeah, hardcore
Azwaldo: not that this is a game…
Creven Alonzo: well, it seems like it is
Azwaldo: role playing sort?
Creven Alonzo: yeah that would be more like it
Azwaldo: what sort of role do you imagine having?
Creven Alonzo: well, i’m a good enough builder to get things done here
Azwaldo: are you interested in scripting, technology?
Creven Alonzo: well, mostly building, I wasn’t the best but I was better than most
Azwaldo: will you buy land?
Creven Alonzo: nah, i’m not into land
Creven Alonzo: I never had land
Creven Alonzo: let me try this
Creven Alonzo: see if I can win
Creven Alonzo: lag seems to be going on for some reason, oh well, I have to go anyways
Creven Alonzo: almost dinner time and all of that, so I hope to see ya around the grid
Creven Alonzo is Offline

Creven has since remained in contact, has submitted over a dozen snapshots from the grid, and even created a weblog. We have had several conversations about image composition and resolution. I suggested he start a weblog, because I—for one—would be interested to read his observations of this, his second second life, the one in the MG (hopefully sprinkled with anecdotes from the TG). Occasionally seems like a teacher-student interaction.

What he may not know is that I may be learning more than him in the process.

Cheers, Creven.