You know what? I don't need a social networking tool. Actually, I don't think I even want one. Communications tools, now that's different. I'm using twitter and pownce (hey, Akela, aren't you supposed to pownce on things that twitter?), and about the only thing that would improve them for me (aside from them actually being, you know, reliable) is to hide away the lists of who is connected to who. That's information that I personally find to be both unnecessary and often actively misleading - your mileage may vary. I don't like misleading, personally.

I can't say as I've looked at a myspace page more than six times. I've never even seen facebook. I'm on LinkedIn, but is it actually useful to me? Not yet, no. Mostly they feel like a sort of webified way of wearing gang-colors. To associate yourself with brands, whether those are ideas, interests, hobbies or people. There are assorted third-party sites that add social-networking tools to Second Life, too. I can't say as they interest me either.

My friends list in Second Life, and my (kind of inadequate) groups list are tools that allow me to act or to communicate more effectively with than without. That's why I've got a blog, not a homepage. Social networking tools don't appear to afford me the benefits that I'm looking for, in exchange for the time spent.

Does the whole social-networks scene leave you a bit cold, or is there some sort of warm and fuzzy thing that I'm just plain missing here?

Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water! This is the twenty-second in a series of mini-interviews with the residents of Second Life. For the most part, I'll try to leave the responses unedited, except where editing will grant greater clarity.

Andrew (or Dr. Monkey, as I like to call him) has one of the best avatars I've ever seen. Some make it on the basis of flash, some on creativity, but Andrew's just feels right. He's a snappy dresser, and a fiendish trivia disputant. Here's to you, Doc!

Your SL Name: Andrew MacKay

How did you first come to SL?: I've always been a casual player of games and a user of 3d modelling programs. Due to some quantum fluctuation when jacking into the Matrix, my conciousness ended up here.

How did you choose your name?: Well it's the closest thing to my real name (Tom Jones.) :)

What's your favorite thing about SL?: Building, the Groovalicious people, the Sights, Stroking Akela... I mean.

What do you like least about SL?: Unfortunately due to my very stone-age system, lag attacks actually have thrice the effect and even leak out into the Real World for me.

Favorite hangout/store?: Ach, It's a tradeoff between the hip cats at The Shelter and a groovy buddy of mine, Lord Leafblower's club The Lava Pit.

Name one new feature you'd like to see added to SL: A more integrated and easier way of animating objects. It'd open up a whole new market, fully animated pets for example?

Shout outs: Howdo to Lord Leafblower, Aava Jeegoo, Cryptid Divisadero, El Taka, All the super sexeh people behind The Shelter and of course you groovy guys at SLI!

Earlier today I saw someone drop in whom I hadn't seen in months. He was wearing the same sort of short, squat body, but a different head completely. He wasn't speaking, so I didn't know it was him. The overall silhouette tugged at my memory, and when he made with a sarcastic quip, I saw that it was him after all.

It's funny how, in the accelerated world of SL, we can develop friendships and enmities in such a short span of time. It only takes a week of seeing the same people everyday to cement their personas in your mind. I realized that I'd missed seeing Postmark Jensen around, with his lately gorilla-esque avatar, loping along and being generally hilariously irascible. I actually went around saying "Hey, Post is back!" to everyone, who'd apparently already seen him, so I was just being Excitable Akela, overloaded with exclamation points.

But I was genuinely excited to see him back. Rumors of his death being greatly exaggerated, etc. Earlier today the same thing happened. Cerealistic Noland, absent for months because of a laptop accident, was right there in the Shelter, dancing away with Jacek Antonelli, as though she'd never been away. I was overjoyed to see her, and spent the rest of my time in-world talking with her in IM.

These people that we share this world with aren't just people to me anymore; they're representations of moments. Times past when I spent a half hour bantering and laughing. Having serious conversations on mortality and identity. Enjoying the sweet camaraderie of shared experience. That's what keeps me coming back to SL. I miss the moments. I miss the people.