Second Life Hunts

There are a lot of fun Second Life hunts going on right now that provide the participant with the opportunity to get to know Second Life and get some fabulous merchandise for free.  Rumor is that as of September 1st there were over 100 hunts going on ..why so many?  Well this popular activity is one way of marketing your store and a way for Second Life residents to get free merchandise from their favorite merchants and  get acquainted with new ones.
It’s also a way to meet up with new friends and get reacquainted with with old ones.  Because most hunts are themed this is a good way to connect with others who have similar interests.  So how do you get started on the hunt? Well one way is to find a blog, website or information on the Second Life website to get started.
One of the most popular hunts right now is the Steam Hunt which bills itself as: STEAM:  Steampunk Travelers' Event, Adventure & Megahunt.   This is the third time for this popular hunt which takes place September 1-30th, 2010.  The trick is with this hunt as with any is to find all 135 of the Steampunk-themed gifts which are hidden in the participating vendors parcel or store.   The participants generally start the hunt at one point receiving the landmark for the next site when they find the prize.  Steam the Hunt maintains a blog with updates and hunt information to keep the participant informed and updated.  Steampunk Adventures store is participating in the STEAM hunt as well as the Mushroom hunt. Since starting in this hunt we have seen our traffic increase 3 to 4 times as many visitors prior to the hunts.   We hope that hunters are taking this opportunity to landmark our store for a return visit as well as making a note of our participating vendors in order to visit them.
Here are some pictures of me at the launch point in Mieville for the STEAM hunt.
Me with another hunter at the launch site for the Steam hunt
The hunt board at the second site for the Steam hunt:

Information on hunts and other events at  Avatar Bizarre a stop on the STEAM hunt:

The MadPea Mushroom Hunt started September 1st and bills itself as: 100 locations, 100 mushrooms, 100 prizes and 100L$ for everyone to complete the hunt - starting on September 1st at the MadPea Circus.  There is a website for the MadPea Mushroom Hunt with information on participants, prices, locations and other information.
The MadPea Mushroom Hunt provides much more than just a simple hunt according to the website participants can:
1. STORY
- Write an original story about your adventures as a mushroom hunter. English only, please.
Your style can be anything you wish. Let your mind go wild and your imagination bloom.
There is NO limitation on the length of your piece.
2. COMIC STRIP:
- Create a short story with the aid of photos.
Use the images to tell us your favourite/most horrible encounters during your hunt.
Maximum of 20 image per one comic.
3. VIDEO:
- Create a video about the best parts of your hunt. Show locations. Show people.
Show us the emotions and the feeling of being a mushroom hunter.
Make it fun, make it crazy, challenge your imagination.
NO limitation on the length of the piece.
I have participated in a few hunts.  I have visited at least 15 stores on the current Steam Hunt, completed The Thrifty Gother hunt, Pot of Gold Hunt, and last spring’s Steam Hunt.  On a regular hunt though the question may be asked regarding what you expect to get as prizes.l.this could be anything from furniture, clothing, airships, buildings, to shoes.  Here are some examples of things I have gotten:
Fashions from LnL Design in last spring’s Steam Hunt:

A beautiful Victorian gown from Papillon:

A hot tub in the Pot of Gold Hunt:

Another example of the gifts I received on the hunts I have been on.  A biplane from the Shiny Shop! and another outfit from The Traveler:

Another fashion shot:

I have received a lot of great things so far on this fall’s STEAM Hunt, photos below:
Tophat: Destiny Designs:
Steampunk Wings from Avatar Bizarre:

Fabulous Steampunk Skybox from Gianfor Peaks (interior):

Exterior of the Steampunk Skybox from Gianfor Peaks:

A fabulous fashion selection from Steam Bound:
Is your interest piqued?  Are hunts worthwhile? Well I think so!  As I mentioned previously there are over 100 hunts going on right now in Second Life. What are these hunts and what are the themes?
The Back to School Hunt:  Which started September 1st-30th.  The theme of this hunt is , students , anything and everything about going back to school.  There are only 30 stores participating in this hunt.
The Birthday Blitz Hunt, no real theme noted runs from September 1-30th and is sponsored by Sour Pickles Group.  
Hunt for (role players)  RP! Runs from September 1-30th, information can be found on the Hunt for RP blog.   The theme or intent of the hunt is as follows:  With the growing number of RP's on Second Life, we have attempted to combine RP needs, shopping, and advertisement into one package.
The details of the  Zombie Raid Hunt are noted on a blog.  This hunt started August 20th and lasts to October 1st.   
Websites with information on Second Life hunts:
The most popular via google search SLHUNTS
‘Second Life 24H
From the events listings at the Second Life Website I found the following:
Twisted Hunt:  The Twisted Hunt returns with new prizes and new challenges. The theme for this round is "spooky," so you'll seek and find dark, creepy and scary items across Second Life. Event held through Sept. 30.  
For fun, fabulous prizes, and if you are new to Second Life hunts provide the participant with an opportunity to get high quality merchandise, fashion, and to make connections with others.  Take advantage of all of these hunts today!  (Now that I am done with this article guess what I am going to do!!)

May Day

In various places around the world May Day celebrations are going on. I don't know very much about this event but it reminds me of how Second Life opens the doors for the exchange of thoughts ideas and humor with people from all over the world.

So far on my travels through SL I have met people from Venezuala, Russia, Italy, Spain, and the UK. I can't tell you how exciting it is to have this opportunity. Many of these people have the same dreams that I have which is to connect with others, who, like them have a vision and passion for making the world a better place through the use of technology.

Through this social media exchange we can see how "the worlds is not only flat" but how, on this one to one level we are just people. The women I meet love to shop, have families they are concerned about, and are dedicated educators. Many of them have seized an opportunity to build a business in SL which is something they would not have been able to do in their country.

Regarless of their reasons for being in SL our paths cross at live music venues, education meetings, discussions, and other events. It is interesting as well to see some of the amazing things people are doing in SL. I saw some of the best avatar animations from a man from Russia..they were awesome. He passed the information on to me and I can't wait to see how it's done.

This potential in SL is seen by many who live there, but it has yet to be tapped into. There are many things happening in our world today that will only serve to move moreof us in world to experience this relationship building....I hope Linden Labs and SL are prepared.

Real Life music experiences from Second Life

Hi all...wow the music is hot in Second Life. It is hard to believe that this virtual world can bring so man wonderful artists to someone like me sitting in the middle of the US ---but here I am listening to some gret talent from all over the world. Would I be doing this with out SL..I think not!

I listened to Dexter last night and he was amazing ..wow even better than the first time.

I was chatting with someone before his show started and she told me that he had been following Komuso Tokugawa and that he had a show following Dexter..so I went to his show..let me tell you this guy is a fantastic talent.

You can learn more about this artist and others: http://sonicviz.com/wordpress/2009/04/

or http://www.sonicviz.com/

Cathy

Steely Decosta and Funky Freddy Republic

Ok all..just when I thought it couldn't bet any better ..it does..Steely Decosta rocks in Second Life.

Showing up at the Tranquil Cafe..late as usual I lucked out in picking Steely's performance to view tonight. He has it all..this guy can really sing, perfect in every way..but to demonstrate his strength he plays the guitar like no one else.

Steely's profiles states: "I play a variety of covers csny beatles jimi hendrix ben harper james morrision firefall jason mrazu2 ben e king eagles plain white ts sam cooke and do original jams..." and the great thing is that he does them with enough original flair that you don't findyourself focused on the original tune.

Despite some technical problems and other glitches FunkyFreddy Replubic was well worth getting through it all and digging deep..showing at Molaskey's PUb. Ok the guitar this guy can play ..when he digs deep is awesome...

How did I get so lucky as to pick to such outstanding acts? Tip the venue which have the ability to spot great talent.