BY EDITOR SHAUNA SKYE
Back in March, staff writer Jellie Arrowmint wrote about a Second Life related social networking site that had just been launched. Her article was called 1st Facebk, 2ndhub. A little time has past since then, so thought I’d mention the site since it’s becoming more active, and popular in particular with some of the Moonletters staff.
An example? Freelancer Graz Firecaster doesn’t have his own “blog” so to speak, but his page on 2ndhub may as well be one. If you’re a Graz fan as I am, and you want to know what music he’s listening to, what the man had for breakfast, what his blood type is, etc. then visit Graz Firecaster on 2ndhub.
Yes, there are other social network sites out there. There’s Facebook, there’s Myspace, there’s even been ones dedicated to Second Life residents in particular. So far, however, 2ndhub seems the best bet for social interaction, as comments are more linked and visible, allowing for more community participation.
One cool feature is that if my 2ndhub friend is logged into SL but I’m not, if I post to them on the 2ndhub site my friend will get that message within SL. This is handy for a few reasons, but most especially if I crash and can’t get back. It’s a way to let people know I just can’t login to SL, but that I didn’t leave to be rude.
One of 2ndhub’s founders, Mason Kingsford, is a neighbor of mine at the Penny Lane sim. While I was getting ready to write this up about 2ndhub, he IMd regarding land stuff. Since I had him in an IM already, I thought I’d get a quote from him for you, and asked him what he would say to a Second Life user to convince them to get a page at 2ndhub. His on the spot response:
Well, we offer personal profile pages, we offer multiple business profile pages, and we also offer update groups, which will soon have special pages as well. You can network with friends, send messages, post to profiles, and now you can even chat live right on the site. And it’s all SL connected, so mail and posts are sent to you in world, along with other alerts (which you have full control of on the site).–Mason Kingsford
I have my real life page on Facebook. I did set something up for my SL self, Shauna Vella, but somehow it just didn’t feel right, and there’s still confusion as to whether a Second Life persona is even allowed on Facebook or not. 2ndhub, on the other hand, is meant specifically for SL users, so it just feels more right. It also helps keep things separate so you don’t have to explain about virtual pictures, should some of the profiles occasionally cross over into “real life.”
So far I give 2ndhub the thumb’s up. I have a feeling it will get even more popular as time goes on. In the mean time, if you join, feel free to add Shauna Vella as your friend. I don’t bite!
Visit on the Web: 2ndHub
