SLENTRE.COM

Dear Readers,

July finds SLENTRE.COM celebrating our 6 month milestone. I’m often told that time is accelerated in Second Life and this has never seemed more apt while reflecting upon the last 6 months.
There has been a virtual explosion of Virtual Worlds and Virtual World technology; led primarily by the innovations of SL and Linden Labs. Many new worlds are being developed and some predict that by 2011, 80% of all active internet users will participate in some sort of virtual world. This estimate is harder to dispute with the advent of Lively (http://www.slentre.com/second-life-residents-get-lively-discussing-googles-new-3d-chat-platform/), Google’s first stab at a 3D environment.
The magazine has matured into a tightly knit group of dedicated photographers, writers and editors. The past few months have seen many staffers come and go as the pressures of real life have eclipsed the initial enthusiasm and excitement of indulging a Second Life.
With summer hot on our heels, many are attempting to enjoy the warm weather and get away from the glare of their computer screens. In hopes of enjoying the beautiful Portland summer, I am taking a break from publishing for a few weeks. I want to give myself and my staff a much deserved break from weekly deadlines. We will return refreshed, renewed, and ready to tackle the ever expanding realm of SL Business.
During this time, I will be publishing pressing news items and renegotiating relationships with our sponsors. I am excited to offer our partners the opportunity to sponsor the very popular Traffic Report. For a discounted monthly fee, our sponsors will receive all the benefits of a premium package (http://www.slentre.com/advertise-slentrecom-sponsorship-opportunities/) , while this informative column continues to provide value to our readers. Please contact me at avarie.parker@gmail.com for more details on participating.
The past 6 months has seen a virtual explosion and though many new players have entered the arena; few have what it takes to compete with the features SL provides. SL is more than just an application: it’s a virtual community full of ‘lively’ residents as diverse as the WWW itself. I can only imagine what we have to look forward to in the near future.