interview | Yak Wise

Posted on November 17, 2009 by Ana Lutetia | 2 Comments

1 – How did you discover Second Life and what made you create an account?
I became intrigued with digital 3D spaces in 1989, but there really only was MS Flight Simulator. So I became involved in that and became a digital pilot and pioneer scenery builder, later a professional add-on developer. But my dream really was a more social environment, and when in the hype of 2007 I learned about SL I rushed in and embraced it like a longed for Utopia. I swore never to build anymore ever, but only go for the social contacts and hug souls.

2 – How did you come up with your Second Life name?
‘Yak’ sounds a bit (phonetically) like my RL nickname. ‘Wise’ just sounded nice and balanced, but soon I felt to note in my profile, that i do not at all pretend to be wise, just trying to become it…

3 – Lots of people only stay in SL for a week or a month after creating an account. What made you stay and what motivates you to log back in?
I was lucky to meet some great friends in my first days and discovered that I could be the ‘me’ I am inside, ageless and not hampered by RL social barriers (age, culture, background). Also at this point in my life, I carry some heavy RL burdens on my shoulder… SL is my release, my auto-therapy, my way to stay sane, my place where I leave my troubles behind…

4 – What have you been doing in SL? Tell us your story: what have you been up to or what have you created.
The thrill and interesting psychology of virtual relationships is what fuels my SL. I research the meaning of love and affection in a digital realm. I like to become close and intimate… Hug souls warmly. As I appear like my 63 year old grey haired puppeteer, I discovered that many women in their 20 and 30′s love to hang out with a more mature man in SL, and I don’t mean only for cybering, but also for close personal talks and soul-hugs. I had the privilege to be taken as a confident by many. Now after almost 3 years I look back at many times that I was able to mean something of value to others, also working through in their RL sometimes, and I gained a wealth of love, learning, and growing for myself. I embraced Polyamory in SL as a sincere and honorable way to avoid possessiveness,drama, and jealousy, and have 5 steady long term lovers, whom I care for deeply.

5 – Have you found, developed or improved any skills because of SL?
I had a difficult youth, in which I skipped a lot of my essential teenager time… That left me functioning oddly in some area’s of social networking. I learned in SL some things that i should have acquired when I was 15 years old, while I’m actually over 60 of age. I am in many ways the person that my puppeteer is aiming to be, and by my experiences, I am able to make him grow wiser as a person in RL.

6 – Could you share a funny or awkward story that happened to you in SL?
Funny: As a newbie, while standing in a quiet corner changing clothes, I was aggressively almost ‘mugged’ by a griever who looked like the painter Toulouse-Lautrec. I had just gotten a SL pitt-bull, so could chase the assailant away. Months later the guy, urged by friends at ‘my favorite pub ‘Flashmans’ came to my pad to apologize. His excuse: “I behave like this because nobody likes the way I look”. Awkward: Getting in to quite a crisis as I could not help but perceive Role Players as cheats and hoaxes. It was hard to change that, i guess that I have a slight autistic side that makes me take some things very literally without reflecting. I had to learn RP myself to get over it. Still I know that many feel themselves like an ‘actor’ in SL. I myself find that still hard. I still can not RP anything that does not stroke with my puppeteers convictions and morals.

7 – What would you change or improve in Second Life?
Free my screen for an uncluttered immersion. BE ABLE TO MOVE MY MAPS, LISTS ETC TO MY SECOND MONITOR !!!!!

8 – Can you share your current and/or future projects for SL?
Soulhugging, more soul-hugging… Oh and maybe play my music inworld. My string-puller is a jazz saxophonist in RL, but the only person i think able to make me a beautiful replica of my vintage saxophone (Gerami Fizz) has never come through…

9 – Have you ever had any issues whatsoever within Second Life? If so, how did you reported and was the feedback positive?
The worst was when my carefully developed AO, containing a wealth of anims in many different configurations like: normal, sad, elated, tired, drunk (i would CRAWL out of the bar…) fell in to LL’s black hole never to be recovered anymore…

10 – Is Second Life merely an online game or do you consider it more of a metaverse or a virtual world?
Second life is a Virtual World, to name it a game doesn’t give it enough credit. It accommodates lots of growth in people, especially when they come from a restricted or traumatized RL. If it would have existed when my puppeteer was young, it would have helped him tremendously.

11 – Imagine a new resident asks for your help. What would do? What would you tell him/her?
Emphasize the importance of making a good Profile and check out the profile of others to find good groups! Warn them for Goreans recruiting unsuspecting newbie’s.

12 – How would you describe yourself in one word?
deepsincerelovableseriousfunnyemotionalcaringsensitivegroovyjazzymyownmastersometimesahermit.

Your urls
None

Blog: None but maybe one day…
Flickr: http://www.flickr.com/people/yakwise/

SLurls
I live in Mielikki, my dogs don’t bite, my pussycat may scratch, land is closed sometimes as a tie on the doorknob. If you really want to meet me, then its wise to IM me first, I’m a busy geezer. — http://slurl.com/secondlife/Mielikki/14/74/44/?title=Yak%20Wise%27s%20Pad&msg=Yak%20Wise%27s%20Pad

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