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While Linden Lab's emissaries are busy scouring the Second Life fifth anniversary hunting down images of male and female people and avatars that might have a visible nipple, and insisting on the removal of such unspeakably offensive material (beware! Every mammal on the planet has at least two of these hideous markings!), one figure has the balls to remain above it all.

Michelangelo's strapping jock, David, though he might be appearing completely nipple-free, still gets to let it all hang out, having been granted the big okay by Everett Linden to stand proud, tall, and unmodified (at least from the waist down) among displays with far more severe restrictions imposed. Nipples might be out out of order, but the Lab's staff seem to have ensured a successful cock-up for the delight and wonder of one and all.

The Lab's staff may stand firm, but we're finding the whole package lacks consistency. Either the Lab needs to grasp things with both hands and tackle the issues (whichever of the available positions they may choose), or it's the users that will ultimately get the shaft in the end.

As Real Life slams into Second Life at a great rate of knots, ask yourself this -- are you adequately prepared to rock and/or roll? Actually, the answer to that question is moot, because if you're not, Friendly Fire has enough rock and roll to cover everyone!

Friendly Fire -- the dynamic duo of Case Munro (guitar and vox), MacKenzie Rasmusen (bass and vox) and "Soft Ware" (drum machine) -- rocked the stage and the crowd to their foundations at The Beach Bum on the Monday eve that we caught their act; They truly brought the place down with glamtastic tunes, proud, prominent bass and amazing breath control, and then built it back up with their beautifully political and catchy lyrics. Highly charged punk power-pop all around.

Massively Speaking Episode 10 runs down news and features from Massively.com for the week of June 11th - June 17th. With the Empyrean Age freshly warped through the gates, Shawn and Michael sit down with a pair of EVE Online veterans to talk all about the newest addition to CCP's game. David 'CrazyKinux' Perry, one of Massively's own writing demons is joined by his podcasting co-host Steven 'Alsedrech' Robinson (on loan from the VirginWorlds collective) for this particular conversation. Join us for some basics on this great expansion, and why even brand-new players have something to celebrate!

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot us an email to podcast AT massively DOT com. Maybe we'll read your letter on the air!

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Read below the cut for the full show notes.

Virtual worlds consultant, pundit and thinker, Gwyneth Llewelyn has taken a long and detailed look at the background behind the Second Life fifth anniversary celebration, its planning and the eleventh-hour reversals that it has suffered and what they all mean in the ongoing, well, tension between Second Life users and Linden Lab, the operator of the virtual world.

"Once it was clear that the decision was final and unappealable, the organisers understood the message perfectly: they were not in charge of SL5B any more."

Llewelyn looks at earlier events, and how they were organized, and how they panned out, as well as the organization for this year's festival -- which began in July 2007, and whose core goals were finalized ten months ago, before being disrupted only three weeks ago. It is a thoughtful and interesting read, as we've come to expect from Llewelyn's work, and even if you disagree with her it is well worth your time.

Shoshana Epsilon has published an open letter to Linden Lab (which apparently has already been received enthusiastically by Everett Linden). The letter basically calls for the creation of a Second Life Fringe Festival to run at the time of the next Second Life anniversary in 2009. Essentially the resident-run, inclusive festival that this year's Fifth Anniversary was originally intended to be.

That said, the Fringe Festival will not be seeking sponsorship, land donations or input from Linden Lab next year. Presumably, Linden Lab would be free to organize their own events, displays and activities for an anniversary next year, if they choose.

Like a child taking his first step, a non-gamer encountering his first MMO is something to be cherished. Two wolves, one cow, and one top-heavy avatar later, Patrick Howe's first foray into "so-called" massively multiplayer games already has him wondering about addiction. Why, usually it takes at least four or five wolves before the average MMO gamer starts checking for the aggro radii of farmyard animals. (Patrick, when you want to know how best to take care of those pesky snow rabbits, we here at Massively.com can point you in the right direction). It's no easy thing to tip a virtual cow and realize you are suddenly standing on the lip of an abyss that contains games that can thrill you, addict you, train soldiers and fight cancer.

Did you know that "there are games that require teams of people -- real people, from all over the world -- to work together to solve problems (although those problems often involve killing monsters)?" It's true! Perhaps one of the things that most surprises Patrick is that there are any benefits to playing MMOs. It's hardly surprising, considering the backdrop for his wolf-slaying excursion was an all-day conference on video game compulsion held at Cuesta College last May. It's easy to throw around that word, compulsion. Some people feel compelled to play. Do MMOs, by requiring long periods of play to build up a character and become part of a raiding guild and take part in raids, to have people depend on you, create compulsion in people otherwise compulsion-free? Or is this just the hysteria that accompanies any new leisure time activity, like music, movies, television or football?

From the outside, non-gamers see us as addicted troglodytes, sitting in silence as we puppet over-stylized characters into ritual murder games. From the inside, we see it as a fun time with friends. But we all know people who really are a little "too" into their game, and need to take a step or two back, before they find themselves seized by eager psychologists hot to warn the unaware public of the latest danger to their poor children's fragile psyches.

And not just likenesses. Metaverse developer Millions of Us intends to market likenesses, hair-styles, catchphrases, dance moves, signature moves, clothing lines, furniture collections -- you name it -- based on well-known celebs all under the banner business name of Virtual Greats. These appearances and digital accessories would be sold in dozens of virtual worlds, though you'll probably see them in Gaia Online, Habbo and Second Life first.

Deals have already been done with Justin Timberlake, Elvis Presley Enterprises, Snoop Dogg, Paris Hilton, Raven Symone, Marvel (for The Incredible Hulk), and Tila Tequila, and more are in the works.

Massively Speaking Episode 9 runs down news and features from Massively.com for the week of June 2nd - June 10th. WoW Insider superstars Elizabeth Harper and the irrepressible Turpster join Shawn and Michael for wide-ranging show. Getting away from the very focused discussions we've had the last few weeks, the hosts cover the numerous interesting subjects that have come up in the last seven days. Turbine's future plans, the possibility of a Harry Potter MMO, the new Living Legacy promotion from SOE, and even the weird state Tabula Rasa finds itself in all go under the magnifying glass. Listen in, won't you?

Have a comment for the podcasters? Shoot us an email to podcast AT massively DOT com. Maybe we'll read your letter on the air!

Get the podcast:
[iTunes] Subscribe to Massively Speaking directly in iTunes (MP3)
[RSS] Add Massively Speaking to your RSS aggregator.
[Digg] Like the show? Digg it.
[MP3] Download the MP3 directly.
[VW] Listen at VirginWorlds.com
Listen here on the page:



Read below the cut for the full show notes.

"Zirn Left Unguarded, the Jenjik Palace in Flames, Jon Westerly Dead" -- Robert Sheckley

Trinity Coulter (formerly) the Second Life fifth anniversary (SL5/SL5A/SL5B, pick one) organizing committee's main organizer has left (or been kicked out of) her role, only a scant week or so after replacing SignpostMarv Martin in that capacity. Group logs indicate she was ejected from the group by Dusty Linden. Coulter said that 'it was determined' that it would be in the best interest of SL5 for Coulter to 'step aside', when asked.

According to SL5's Art director, Shosana Epsilon, Linden Lab's new position is a blanket ban where a child and an adult are pictured together in the same image, nor images of children near beds. So, no images of family outings, or implications that children sleep -- the image above would be right out, we presume, even though neither figure is a child avatar. Linden Lab staff previously stated that the Lab was afraid of legal restrictions that could partially or wholly shut down the Second Life service.

It's one of those little Melbourne bars, not so much wider than the bar that runs much of the length of it, with some seating near the front for the smokers (who are nearly out in the cold, literally), and a smaller lounge area in the back with a tiny little stage.

It's poorly lit (too dark for clean photography), and the cramped space is moderately crowded. The focus is, strangely, two men, and their laptops. Their laptop screens are projected against the walls, and strange ambient music is circulating through the room. This is a living performance in Second Life created solely for an audience in the physical world.

When you log into Second Life next, be sure to check the date -- is it the 13th of June already? Time to wish Norris Shepherd a happy Rez-Day!

Shepherd has only been in Second Life for one fun-filled year, and has spent even less time than that as a Second Life musician. He got his start in the Second Life music scene a couple of months in, watching the likes of Capos Calderwood, Skinny Shepherd and TallGuy Kidd, then venturing to a variety of open mics; he went from being awed to being awesome in Second Life in essentially a single gig, for which he rented the gear. Some 130 shows later, he's still out there, wowing the crowds and buying new gear.

A subject for a great poet would be God's boredom after the seventh day of creation. -- Friedrich Neitzsche

The first person who considers TGI to be poetry is a perfidious and nefarious cad, who is not to be trusted, and any pretentious wanker to use the phrase "blank verse" when speaking of it will be met on the field of battle to enjoy a Norton Anthology upside the head. However, thinking TGI to be great is vigorously encouraged.

We're not here to be subtle, folks.

Nic Mitham from K Zero is going to offer up the key things he's learned about virtual worlds in the last 18 months. But who is Nic Mitham, you wonder, and what is K Zero? Mitham describes himself as a "one time corporate strategist, ad man and analyst. Now spreading the metaverse word." K Zero describes itself as a virtual worlds consultancy, 'specialists in connecting real world brands and companies with the residents and environments of virtual worlds.'

Mitham's most recent blog post, '50 lessons I've learned in virtual worlds' is an introduction to his upcoming series of reflections on the unpredictable nature of the metaverse. The series of posts will be a look back at what Mitham's seen in the 18 months he's been immersed in the virtual. It's chiefly aimed at those interested in doing business in virtual worlds. Mitham writes,"The point to getting my 50 lessons 'out there' is to attempt to ensure mistakes made by companies along the way are not repeated by others and also to hopefully assist new companies in this space get traction as quickly as possible, because that's in the interest of everyone."

That's not to say that only biz types will get something from his blog; the series of insights is likely to have some significance to the people who populate the virtual worlds already in existence, and those who will flock to the birth of new worlds in the future.

As you would know by now, Linden Lab recently changed policy on the resident-run Second Life fifth anniversary, essentially switching from a role of donating the virtual land resources for the event to an active management role, overriding the organizing committee and excluding certain community groups, switching the whole event from a predominantly mature event to an entirely G-rated occasion.

Linden Lab's representatives told those involved that in the current political climate they feared a potential partial or complete shutdown of Second Life through legal avenues. Some organizers quit publicly, others simply hunkered down and quit operating silently, and some groups pulled out of the whole event.

Now, it appears, Linden Lab has blinked.