Second Life
Sadly, Olmy is selling Athena, although he says he'll still be in SL. The sim is up for sale, and meanwhile he told me I could go and build there to get out of the sandboxes. Consequently I went and spent a few hours building another roadside attraction. I was GOING to make a house-in-a-hollow-tree, but instead as I was working the anger I feel about the destruction of the forests came out in my Pencil Tree - an old-growth tree turned into a giant pencil-house.

Now I have a giant potato on a flatcar, a giant orange, an giant ice cream cone with robot waitresses, a pencil tree, a sloppily made giant ball of twine, a half a dinosaur (got interrupted 300 times). I'll probably finish the dinosaur tomorrow.

Salazar showed me his contender for the Linden Lab spawn points project. They are asking residents to design points which will then be (if chosen) available as one of many choices for new players to enter the world. Salazar has designed a place with a hint of mystery and a feeling of adventure: it's in the forest -- a design marks the spot where people will appear. The way is open in several directions - one leading past a few enigmatic ruins, a path up a hill, and a wide area that will eventually be the site of an archeological dig. The nice thing is the feeling of "more" -- more to be seen, more than is on the surface, more to be discovered. It feels like a landing point for those thoughtful and independent new players. Other choices include The Shelter (a club that helps newbies), and Abbotts Aerodrome, which is full of things to see.