Ōpunguriddo

On this round planet, distances are no object, and in the virtual, you can teleport to a grid on the other side of the world in a moment. But one thing that can defeat us is the time zone issue. A quick glance at opensimworld.com will tell you that Opensim is at its busiest in the hours of evening in Europe and the East Coast, let's say from 11am to 8pm SLT. That translates to 4am to 1pm, in Japanese time - yawn! work! ...not an ideal time to get inworld; the Opensimmers of Oceania can also relate, no doubt.

Teddy Dragoone

That makes it even more special when there's an opportunity to hear from someone who's not in your usual time window. Meet Teddy Dragoone, class of '09 in Second Life. We met on the newly minted Open Grid, and I asked him to tell a bit of his story.

Teddy Dragoone: I was born in April 2009 in Second Life but I entered a period of inactivity after about a year.  Five years later, I returned to Second Life again, in 2015, and I met a friend at that time, who told me about OpenSim. I was born in May 2015 in OpenSim, about nine years ago. The sims on the grid I joined, JOG, are free to use. That was the attraction and the reason why I started. And it was Motoko Moonwall who led me to OpenSim.

Earth and Life Sciences installation, Abyss Observatory, JOG

If that name - Motoko Moonwall - is vaguely familiar to you, it might be because you have heard of her in connection with the Abyss Observatory sim. Built in association with a bunch of RL scientists and institutions like NOAA, the Abyss region in SL appears to be gone now, even though the SL Directory still has it listed. Luckily, the Japan Open Grid [JOG] version, ably curated by Yan Lauria, is still up and visitable - prepare to spend a very long time there if you visit.  It's a 2x2 VAR region with so much to see, from the Tsunami explainer, to the colossal gallery that wends its way through the the History of Art from cave paintings to the modern day, to the Earth and Life Sciences Museum, to a replica of the MU atmospheric Radar station in Kyoto, to the deep sea build from which the region takes its name. 

If, like me, you never got an opportunity to know the late Motoko Moonwall personally, then  read this page - it's a moving insight into her thoughts.  It's really nice that on Open Grid, (apparently it's pronounced Ōpunguriddo オープングリッド ) Teddy has set up a memorial to Motoko on sim Otaru2 (the HG Address is at the end of the post).

Memorial to Motoko

But what inspired Teddy to set up a new grid of his own?  It fulfils a long held ambition to try it out for himself, to figure out the technical side of setting up regions and all the parameters that grid admins have to get into. It ticks all the boxes when it comes to Teddy's inworld interests - Blender, Scripting, Dinkies, and Music. He gives full credit to his 'home town' in Opensim for the knowhow he has acquired over the years. Skills that have made this new venture possible

Teddy Dragoone:  I was able to learn how to set up a sim and its structure in JOG.

Yes, you guessed it, under the statue with the foamy feet is a party place!

Starting a grid is a challenge and it's also a learning experience. For example, the two regions in these photos were standard size (256x256) when he first set them up. Experimenting with the train system he wanted to install, he found that it would be easier if they were 512x512 regions, so kaboom, now they are. 

There's the tech side but there is also, for Teddy, the human element to Opensim that is an essential part of the endeavor.

Teddy Dragoone:  Websites have existed as a forum for personal expression since the internet first became popular. People visited websites and interacted by viewing and responding to the information they transmitted. Today, social networking sites are becoming the dominant form of communication.

Along with this, the metaverse is also beginning to be recognised and spread by many people as a means of communication. 

Teddy Dragoone: I created my own grid because I wanted the grid to be like a website. And the Grid is my place to be and interact. If friends who are interested in my Grid cannot own their own Grid, I invite them to join the Grid. I believe that this will give them a place to stay and a place to communicate. Bridging the gap between the world I want to create and the environment they want to be in is the challenge for the future, and while I find it difficult, it is also a source of enjoyment.

Back in the day, JOG grid had a money system - well, a play money system. Residents get a monthly allowance and can set items for sale. It's a cute way to see if your wares are being bought and lets you  do things like set up Lucky Chairs, to spread the wealth and add a bit of sparkle to the opensim experience. However on JOG, it seems like the old ATM machines have all but disappeared. Happily, on Teddy's new grid the money feature is back in business!

Teddy Dragoone: OpenSim is basically free to play. But we wanted to bring economic gaming into that world.

Thirza Ember:  Don't try to spy on my PIN, Teddy. Just kidding, I don't have one.

There's still a ways to go before Teddy has everything up and running they way he would like, and that too is part of the fun really of having your own grid with nobody chasing after you for a completion date. 

Thirza Ember: Congratulations on a very nice project, Teddy-san. When the grid is operational to a level that you are satisfied with, will you have an 'Opening party' ?

Teddy Dragoone: We don't have any concrete plans yet, but it would be wonderful to do that, I'll keep you informed.

HG Addresses: 

Main grid arrival point   hop://open-grid.net:8002/Center%20Sim/130/129/23

Memorial to Motoko Moonwall  hop://open-grid.net:8002/otaru2/232/23/44