Sometimes there is only that one time. Maybe the action is over, and there is just no way to change it. Or maybe the person involved is no longer on the earth for you to contact and give an apology. Or maybe the person was a stranger, and you don’t know how to contact him or her. For whatever reason, you are stuck with what you did.

And you just can’t get back to where you were to make it right. The paths we walk in life are often long and complex, and as Robert Frost said,
“Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back . . .”
(The Road Not Taken)

On those occasions, and ever after, you have to find a way to forgive yourself. Otherwise you shrink and shrivel, and feel awful all the time. Self-forgiveness for me is a process of remorse – acknowledging to yourself and to your god, whoever he or she may be, what you have done. And then simply bow your head and pray, however you understand prayer. Maybe you ask for forgiveness. Or maybe you are just silent and still. Or maybe you talk to the person you wronged, even though they aren’t right in front of you.

Each time I do this I feel a wave of regret, full of emotion and thoughts and plain old upset, wash over me. It can be overwhelming, but it cleanses. And in the process you learn: you never want to do that thing again. You are truly sorry, and you affirm your reverence and respect for all lives.

And then, the key to it all for me, you let the wave roll away. Away. Just like wave do at the beach. Into the sea. You won’t forget probably, and you won’t change the past. But your heart will be lighter, and you will find yourself gradually capable of joy again.

I pray the solstice in its might
To turn the earth from dark toward light
Will turn me with it toward the bright
Of breaking dawn that follows night.

My soul is the burst of joy
that blooms in me
when out the curtained kitchen window
I see the pink morning glory
blooming on the lattice
next to the scruffy old cat
the color of evening,
lazing on the porch railing
in the strong mid-morning sun.

The soulflower loves the sun
and turns toward it,
every petal yearning for its touch,
but a soulflower can bloom in shadow,
and yes, even in darkness too,
for its sun is not in the sky
but deep in the heart
where inextinguishable joy prevails.

But what will it mean for those of us who are …  [sshhhhhh!] … on the pseudonymous side of reality? Will we use it at our peril? I think so. For pseudonymous avatars, the  Timeline presents an intriguing question: What exactly is our “life”? And how will we present it in the Timeline?

Carefully, for starters. Avatars are, of course, undercover on Facebook (unless openly attached to their Real Life scribes). For now, fb wants only real people in its land. And so many of us subatomic pixelated beings are surviving by just keeping our heads down.

Btw, although Facebook’s new Timeline won’t be available to the general public til the end of the month, you can experience it now by signing up as a Facebook developer here. (Or just enter the word “developer” in the Search box on your fb page.) Follow the instructions from Charlie White at Mashable here. Or watch video instruction here. You don’t have to really make an app to sign up as an fb developer; just go through the signup motions.

Warning to undercover avies: Signing up as a Facebook developer means becoming “verified.” This means you will have to give either a mobile phone number (that they will verify) or a credit card. There is no way around this, and it is sometimes a problematic process. Troubleshoot here, or submit a fb ticket if problems persist.

So, how will I present Bay’s “life” in her fb Timeline? Or will I do it at all? I have so many pics of Bay in Second Life that I would love to put up in a Facebook Timeline. Just to remember all the wonderful events of her life.

BUT . . . will this just be a red flag to Facebook to … gulp … purge me? My sense is it would. I think I will use the Timeline extremely carefully, and minimally, especially at first.

It’s a shame. I think of so many other ways that this Timeline could be used, other than for real people. You could present a “Timeline” of a poem or a story that you are writing. Or of a piece of music. Or a character you’re developing in a book you’re writing. My imagination takes off. But of course Facebook doesn’t want fiction. It wants real people, real events, and … reality.

I have used scrapblog to develop stories sometimes, but it is clumsy for what I have to do, and storytelling is not its real intent. Facebook’s Timeline is exactly what I want:  nonlinear, easy, interactive. But it’s for real people only. Sadly, no avatars need apply.

Here are a couple of fb’s vids about the new Timeline and its cousin, the “Ticker.” Coming soon to a Facebook pages near you.

(1) Why is it when a difficult situation  arises in First Life, people leave Second Life? We’re talking a biggie here, like a health crisis, death of a loved one, dissolution of a longterm relationship, loss of a job.

(2) Why is it when we only know someone in the virtual form, we so rarely scratch the surface to really get to know that person–what gets them up in the morning, how they spend their time, and oh so very especially: what troubles them and bothers their sleep? I’m not talking about barging into the avie’s First Life–just really getting to know them as they are.

I’m so tired. But I had to get the questions out. If you ask them, answers come. Maybe even from you. Does anyone know?

Using a mac is always challenging in a program that’s built for windows. And viewer 2 … well, viewer 2 is just plain challenging to use on any platform. Especially if  you’re still trying to learn where things are in viewer 2 — like me, LOL.

So today I’m going to share 2 things I learned by trial and error today.

(1) How to find Local Mode on Viewer 2 (commonly called The Ruler)

Builders often like to line up what they’re building on a grid so that measurements can be exact, and placement of, for example, a beam one one side of a house will be at exactly the same relative location on the other side.

This used to be very easy to find in viewer 1.23: In the edit menu build window, just below the icons of the build shapes, there was a small drop-down bar called “Ruler” or “Grid,” depending on the version. In any case, it was very easy to select “Local” or in later versions, the grid would appear in your building as soon as you picked that “Ruler” dropdown.

But in Viewer 2? Not so easy. It stumped three experienced builders, til we finally figured it out:

1. Get in Edit mode (that’s important)

2. Choose Build, Options, Grid Options.

3. In the Grid Options menu, select “Local” from the drop-down bar.

4. You’re done. There’s your “ruler.”

(2) How to link multiple objects at the same time.

Trick question! This is not really a viewer 2 issue or a mac issue, but because I thought it was, and so spent so long figuring it out, I thought I would include it here.

The key is to get in edit mode first. That’s the step I always forget. Then it’s pretty easy. Here are instructions, using viewer 2.

1. Get in Edit Mode

2. Choose Building, Options, then toggle:  Select by Surrounding, and Select Only My Objects.

3. Then you’ll be able to draw a little yellow box around all the objects you want to select (it’s easiest if you do this from above looking down). Each selected object will be outlined in white.

4. From the dropdown Build menu, select “Link.”

5. You’re done. Your objects are all linked. Btw, the last item selected will be your root prim, and your object will take it’s name. If you want the name of the linked object to be something different, just rename it in the General tab of the Build window.

I’m sending prayers and good wishes to KirstenLee and Dawny. Thank you for everything.

Last tracks of KirstensViewer (pic by KirstenLee)

I thought of this story when I saw that Google over the past several years has induced ordinary people to build a world for them–Google Earth. This is the virtual globe that Google first offered as a free software download in 2005, which it still is today (although business-oriented versions Google Earth Pro and Google Earth Enterprise cost some serious money).

Google Earth–like any other social network these days–has been busy harvesting its customers as product. Dangling the lure of free software, Google Earth has enticed people with time on their hands, and an unfulfilled creative urge, to start building houses, parks, trees, water features, bridges, buildings, castles, and every kind of world landmark–all modeled in exquisite texture, size, and scale to match real world counterparts. Your grocery store clerk is probably spending his evenings modeling a 3D masterpiece for Google Earth. Right under our noses, Google is populating its virtual world–and getting us to do it!

Linden Lab’s got nothing on Google . . .

When I first began hanging out in Second Life years ago, I marveled at Linden Lab’s ability to somehow convince a bunch of hugely talented people to spend untold hours building a world that Linden would profit from. More amazing, Linden actually noodled these same people into paying for the opportunity to do so! Even now that I’m a serious Second Lifer, I still marvel over Linden’s ability to crowdsource the building of a world.

But I’ve got to say, the Lindens have got nothing on Google. Not only is Google crowdsourcing the building of a world, they’ve got people building it to spec! Google has actually succeeded in getting people to make a 3D model of any building or structure in their neighborhood (using, you guessed it, the free Google programs Sketchup or Building Maker) and then submit the model to Google for approval. Being Google, they have also issued a 13-point set of guidelines for approval, diagrams of the submission process, modeling tutorials (beginning and advanced), a youtube channel (150 videos), a help forum,  a blog, and of course a community.

Google Earth model of the Golden Gate Bridge

Running the Google gauntlet . . .

Once your 3D model successfully runs the gauntlet of Google’s 13-point acceptance criteria (completely revamped a month ago), your building/structure gets inserted into Google Earth, and you get the bragging rights about being the builder of a new world. Also, your name, webpage, and description appears alongside your 3D model in Google’s free online repository, the 3D Warehouse, where other 3D builders share, store, and collaborate their work. You might even get featured in the Gallery under the “Newest” and “Hottest.”

Down the red carpet at the Kodak Theater, home of the Academy Awards, via Google Earth

Google Earth snuck up on me

I’ve got to admit, Google Earth kind of snuck up on me. They’re already up to version 6! I knew the worker bees were busy building Google Earth–I just didn’t realize those bees were us–and I certainly didn’t realize how enormous the thing had become. Desktop, web, mobile, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch apps, plug-ins … 50 languages … 600 MILLION users, according to Google Earth’s official vid! It used to be there were only a few places where 3D could go; now it’s almost everywhere … well, maybe there’s still some 2D places left in Google Earth in the middle of Antarctica or somewhere.

Take a look at Google’s showcase for the hot spots–you’ll find Mars, the Moon, the Sky, and the Ocean. Yikes! And check out Google Earth’s home page teaser: “New! Rome in 3D. Explore the Colosseum, Pantheon, Trevi Fountain, the Vatican and more.” Google’s even got the jump on time travel, which Google Earth quaintly calls Historical Imagery: “Travel back in time with Google Earth.” Google is thorough, if nothing else.

Why would anyone build a world for Google?

All of this begs the question: Why would anyone want to spend their time building a world for Google? Jump around Google Earth’s various promo pages, and you’ll find the answer: carefully crafted Google-speak appealing to the virtual superhero in you (an eerie echo of the mushroom alien ads in the Bradbury story …”Boys! Raise Giant Mushrooms in Your Basement!” ):

• “New! Learn how to create and add 3D models to Google Earth for all the world to see!” (from the Google Earth home page)
• “Now! Fly anywhere to see satellite imagery, 3D buildings, 3D trees, terrain, Street View, planets–and much more.” (from the Google Earth Products Overview page)
• “Hold the world in the palm of your hand … fly to far corners of the planet with just the swipe of a finger.” (from the iTunes app page)
• “… explore your childhood home, visit distant lands or scope out your next vacation spot …” (from Google Earth and Maps Team blog introducing Google Earth 6)
• The Heroes of Google Earth, a showcase of the people who have “used Google Earth as a tool to help them change the world.”

Don’t get me wrong. I’m not totally opposed to Google Earth. That would be a little like opposing the tides or the wind at this point. Besides, there are some truly cool and funny ways to use Google Sketchup. See this video for inspiration (and a laugh).

My main problem with Google Earth and its offspring …

My main problem with Google Earth and its offspring is that I keep hearing the echo of those propagating mushroom aliens from the Ray Bradbury story. Here’s why.

In order to use Google Earth at all, you have to first accept Google’s privacy policies, which we all know are pretty scary. (Brief summary: “We may use the information we collect to: (1) Provide, maintain, protect, and improve our services (including advertising services) and develop new services; and (2) protect the rights or property of Google or our users.”) No doubt about who Google is protecting with its privacy policies. Hint: It ain’t you, babe.

But even worse, to use Google Earth at all, you have to allow Google to automatically update “any Google software on your computer” in the background. And if you happen to forget this tiny requirement, the popup box when you try to run Google Earth will halt the program and issue this terse reminder: “… To continue using Google Earth, you must accept the new Google privacy policies and allow Google Software Update to run in the background on your computer.”

Eep! I don’t allow any company to run its software “in the background” on my computer, since most politely allow a manual download. Updates break things. Always. I don’t like being a guinea pig tester for new software. And, besides, Google is the last outfit I want sniffing around in my background. It’s not by coincidence that they are located next to an airfield used by the military and have key federal contracts. Who knows what they’re doing, why, when, how or . . . did I mention what??? What exactly is it Google wants to do in my computer’s background?

Now it’s true you can run Google Earth as a plug-in in your browser or an app on your phone without Google Software Update running in the background. But if you want to use the fancy desktop version of Google Earth, it comes with Google’s Goon Squad.

If we build it, they will come …

Google Sketchup has virtual shelves full of “dynamic components” to help you build your 3D models. And on one of those shelves is … drum roll here … People (aka avatars). There are only three people offered so far from Sketchup (although contributors have added others here). But two of them have names already–Sang and Nancy. And you know what happens once you name something. And no, they don’t walk, and they don’t talk … yet.

But they will. Animation is coming to Google Earth. In fact, it’s already here, in the spore stage (oops! Freudian slip intended). The Sketchup blog devoted a whole post yesterday to the Shaderlight rendering and animation tool made by “our friends across the pond.” Animation doesn’t mean exactly the same thing in Sketchup as it does in Second Life; it’s more perspective that moves in Sketchup, rather than people. So far …

But hey, it takes awhile to get things moving. First you have to build them. And it takes awhile to build a whole Second Earth. (OMG! Did that name actually slip off my tongue???) Take a look at this vid on Tiger Glen Garden to see the state of animation already in Sketchup. Even I have to say it’s beautiful.

Oh yes, the avatars will come. If we build it, they will come. They might even be us.

Google Earth will become Earth’s alt

My prediction is that Google Earth will become Earth’s alt. Everyone will have an avatar there within a year or so. Your postman will deliver your mail there. Why bother with a real-world route? Who gets snail mail anymore anyway? Your avatar will do your errands at the bank, school, grocery store, and dry cleaners. Free up tons of time for you to …  wander around Google Earth? Not worry about disease or war or bioterrorism? The real world will exist mostly for deliveries. And Second Life? Just a quaint playground in an historical walled garden, perhaps part of Google’s “Historical Imagery” accessible through the Google Earth Time Travel Service.

Taking realism to the next level

It’s important to keep in mind that Google Earth is not a Second anything. It’s our Real Life, or Google’s replica of it anyway. The Google Earth and Maps Team said it best on its blog when Google Earth 6 was released in November: “We’re taking realism in the virtual globe to the next level.” Taking realism to the next level??? Eep … again.

Isn’t there something a little creepy about Google putting its name as an adjective in front of the word Earth? Every time I look at the Google Earth URL (www.google.com/earth), I get chills up my spine. It’s almost as if “earth” is a domain of Google. And pretty soon Google will probably shorten the name Google Earth to just Earth. It won’t need the Google modifier anymore. It’ll just be understood that the Earth belongs to Google.