User:Stone Semyorka

Stone Semyorka b. 19 November 2006. Lived out of Morris welcome area [1] until 2 January 2007 when he purchased First Land in Dotbyeul region and built a small home [2] there. His property was near a large point of land jutting out into the ocean. After he acquired several large parcels of land in the area, the territory became known as Stone's Point.

First contemplating a nice garden for his backyard, Stone Semyorka's vision expanded to a large public park after he spent inspirational time at such lovely Second Life public parks as the Lost Gardens of Apollo [3], Intimate Moments [4], Siren’s Grotto at Dragon Castle [5], and the former Dyna’s Cottage, now just a cherished memory.

Stone's Point Park

The park, which is developed, yet still developing, is situated on 88,000 sqm of land adjacent to the ocean, principally in Dotbyeul, and extending into the Taerae, Dasom, Myungsimbogam, Dotoorak and Similrae regions of the mainland.

It features a 100m tall lighthouse [6] at the point guarding the bay, a handsome visitor center [[7]] atop the highest point of land, a water slide waterpark [8], numerous romantic gazebos [9], an expansive and restful English-style garden [10], a recreation of Boot Hill, sky cabins, dance floors, ponds, streams, waterfalls, paddleboats, animals including a popular llama ride, and numerous other attractions.

Attached to the park and standing in the ocean at Taerae is Stoneflower Gallery [11] composed of two large buildings displaying Semyorka's collection of nature and scenic photography from SL and RL and his gallery of portraits of SL residents.

Stone's Point Academy

Semyorka has been active in SL education, politics and various social circles.

His deep commitment to public education led Semyorka to provide space on his land in Dasom for construction of a small campus for an RL university. Later, he started a separate school elsewhere in Dasom called Stone's Point Academy which houses the Second Life Center for Scholarly Research in Social, Political, Economic, Scientific and Literary History.

The best known work to date by the research center probably comes from its deep-sea bathysphere operated by its oceanographers on the ocean floor at Stone's Harbor in Myungsimbogam. The academy historical researchers wrote the best-known history of pirates operating in the oceans off Stone's Point in the 19th century.

Semyorka founded Stone's point Spelunkers [12] for caving enthusiasts. The members explore a large cave training center inside a mountain custom built for the group on Dasom land.

Recent projects include a Star Trek holodeck in Dasom for the park and a humongous Borg Cube [13] menacing the skies over Dotoorak [14], and Homes Sweet Home [15] homes for the homeless in Dasom, Myungsimbogam and Dotoorak.

Second Edition blog

Second Edition [16] is Semyorka's blog describing the passing scene. Having traveled the virtual world north, east, south and west, and scaled its heights and plunged to its depths, he has thoughts about what he has found in-world that he shares with his readers.

"There’s an emerging society with millions of residents displaying personalities, spawning controversies, and generating innovations," he says. "Together, they have cultural identity, social norms and a loose-knit global organization. As in real life, cultural expression is of the utmost importance to the residents of Second Life.

"That’s where I come in, tracing the society and culture, politics and economics of Second Life -- the intertwining of the lives of people, both public and private," he explains about his blog.

"I have seen in this extraordinary virtual realm the full range of emotions: joy, gratification, interest, elation, good humor, happiness, pride and pleasant surprise, but also there is sadness, fear, anger, guilt, frustration, aggressiveness, stress, irritation, shock, disgust, helplessness, indifference, anxiety, boredom, contempt, disgust, panic and shame. Of course, there also is neutrality, pondering and reflecting," he says. You name it, it’s in-world."

In Second Edition, Semyorka traces the society and culture of Second Life and tells readers what he finds.

"I fly the sunny skies, dive in the warm oceans, hike the cool mountain trails and walk the warm sands on our countless beaches in search of optimism and openness," he says. "But, I also lift up rocks to see what's underneath, look to see what scurries in the dark corners, climb down in the cesspools to see what floats there. If it’s in-world, I find it and tell you about it.

"SL residents successfully complete a vast amount of creative and useful work," hes says. "I write about those triumphs and exciting moments as well as failures and tense times. I look for patterns, connections, hidden information and stimulating ideas."

What is his point of view?

"Even though I am in-world," he explains. "I will hold firmly to an outsider’s skepticism and the professional belief that the ordinary residents of Second Life need complete information. If there’s an interesting story in-world, I will find it and tell them about it."