The Sustaining Power of Iduro*…

Of late it has been sadly easy to find well deserved fault with Second Life and Linden Labs. So much so it has begun to polarize many of us, in blogs you see rants and earnest questions along the lines of: Is so and so just a “Fast, Easy and Fun” fan boy? Is that other guy’s blog just too negative? What about all those full-of-themselves-artists and their groupies? I can be as bad as anyone. Face it there are legitimate concerns.

Yet every once in a while, in this troubled little second life world something remarkable happens. Suddenly I look up and it has been 2 hours and I need to pee and I’m hungry and I realized “it” has happened again. I’ve just been awe struck by a build/installation/experience that dare I say can currently only happen in second life (given they still seem to sustain a socio-economic critical mass). Sure it will happen elsewhere - soon. I’ve certainly been blown away by what has been done over on Rezzable Grid (Bryn Oh’s wonderful 3D drawing a few months ago… wow). I am also excited by what is happening over at InWorldz. They seem to be hitting critical mass for a viable community with mega-prims allowed, prices lower, etc. And you must admit Blue Mars sure is pretty. Yet, yesterday in Second life IT happened again.

Chouchou… a band I think William Gibson would call true “Iduro” put on a long awaited show… which was full of such wonderful pure notes. But they also opened their new sim (now ond of 3). In Chouchou XVI is an amazing build “The Babel”. I found it, stunning in its simplicity… yet engrossing in its complexity of interaction. In some ways it is a “simple” sound installation… in other ways it is a mind blowing concept. But more than any of this hyperbole could ever express, I want to say… Just go! Touch the cube. If you are anything like I am, you may need to set a timer. Whether you have a wiz bang machine with cutting edge viewers or a barely-can-move machine … it doesn’t matter either way you will want to go slow and touch stuff. Do so … and enjoy.

Thank you to all involved in the world of Chouchou. You serve as gentle reminders that the spark of excitement reducing us to simply saying “wow!” can still be found in second life.

Score another point for the sustaining power of Creativity.

*As I understand it Iduro comes from the Japanese concept Aidoru describing a media created celebrity – used in this case to describe a virtual identity – existing digitally only.