Please don't tell me you are not Australia's self proclaimed Best Gary. I cannot recall any other Gary, globally, that use these words – eg: UK's Best Gary, America's Best Gary etc etc:

Regardless – this is a personal view about the quality of your salutation and others can ignore it. Off to publish 'Best Toby on Stirring Possums – or something like that'

Best Australian Toby Posting Here Today.

Please don't tell me you are not Australia's self proclaimed Best Gary. I cannot recall any other Gary, globally, that use these words – eg: UK's Best Gary, America's Best Gary etc etc:

Regardless – this is a personal view about the quality of your salutation and others can ignore it. Off to publish 'Best Toby on Stirring Possums – or something like that'

Best Australian Toby Posting Here Today.

The furry issue is pertinent as well – I've always thought the more varied the avatar customisation options the better.

Wolfie!

“The Metaverse Journal – Australia's Virtual World News Service' – it used to be called, I think, SLOz (Second Life Australia?). Please don't tell me you are not Australia's self proclaimed news source. I cannot recall any other sites globally that use these words – eg: UK's Virtual World News Source, America's Virtual World News Service etc etc:

If you were a government department officially mandated to provide this service then fine, but again using 'Australia' and selling ads in my mind is not ethical. Regardless of where the money goes (we all have hosting costs etc).

As regards complaints – let me put this gently – you are the only blog I have ever complained about in the comments. So I hope you feel special.

Regardless – this is a personal view about the quality of some of your output and you and others can ignore it. Off to publish 'Australia's Leading News Source on Social and Game Virtual Worlds – or something like that'

Best Gary

1. Paying other writers on the site

2. Covering web hosting costs and subscriptions to the virtual worlds I pay to access

3. Any remaining money goes to our charity of choice: Kiva (http://www.kiva.org) – the same reason we are running their banner for nil charge at present. I could talk about Kiva all day – one of the finest 'charity' models around that helps people help themselves. I've only manage to fund a dozen or so entrepreneurs so far but that's growing each month. I've just set up a Kiva Team for future sponsorships from Australian virtual worlds users, something I'll be writing about in the new year.

I make exactly zero after the above three points and that's fine – as I said it's a passion. I'm sorry you don't like my style, that's fine too. I've never claimed to be the 'number 1' information source, nor claimed equality with Gamasutra, NWN etc.

I write what I can in the time I have. I've covered your work repeatedly, along with a lot of other Australian virtual worlds users. It obviously doesn't meet your benchmark but the close to 2000 individuals who read the information on the site have generally good feedback.

In fact, in two years I've had a total of six complaints about coverage: five from yourself and one from a story subject who disagreed with my thoughts on an issue, not the facts of the story. Add to that a handful of factual corrections (all appearing in comments of each story) and that covers it.

Would I like to write more? Absolutely. Would I like to cover virtual worlds full-time? Again, absolutely. Both are goals I'm working toward as the site continues to grow.

It's great to hear there's another Aussie information site on the way – the bigger the variety in coverage the better as it all helps document the opportunities and challenges virtual worlds provide.

My Xmas wishes were sincere and remain so.

Thank you for posting and letting my opinion be known which is very simple – your blog needs to evolve and become a richer voice vs something aimed wholey at getting traffic so you can sell ads. Remove the ads and I will be less concerned and appreciate a slightly misguided altruism – the fact you really want to grow the understanding of the metaverse in Australia and beyond. As it stands I get twenty times more insight about what is actually happening from a couple of google alerts and twitter feeds each day. You should provide opinion and voice and raise deeper issues. Perhaps you think you are, in which case ignore this.

The only real answer is to do it better myself – and it seems although I am extremely busy (actually making these worlds, doing key Australian R&D and as a leading educator) that perhaps its the best way. So expect a new Australian information source (with a voice) to spring up in the next few weeks Lowell – I will point it out to you so you get an idea of why I feel you are letting the side down.

A merry XMas to you and your important sponsors too

Gary

Why the cynical aside: “Oh and worth actually trying some of these worlds out for yourself too.” ?

As stated repeatedly for your benefit publicly before, I spend significant time in a range of worlds. At present I spend more than a few hours each in Second Life, Metaplace, OpenLife, World of Warcraft and Nintendo Wii, and to a lesser extent Habbo, Kaneva and a range of 2D options including NationStates. That's without the fairly frequent access to enterprise offerings as they arise.

Feldspar Epstein spends lots of time in SL, runs her own OpenSim grid and has spent some good time checking out Twinity.

The constant digs don't do anyone any favours – I'm passionate about what I do and I really enjoy covering what VW's have to offer. For some reason you feel the need to constantly:

(a) criticise our approach

(b) make regular comments publicly and on more closed metaverse email lists that I don't spend time in virtual worlds.

You have the right to do both within reason and as always I'll continue to publish them – it just seems a little over the top and bordering on an obsession.

All that said, have a great Xmas, 2009 is going to be a great year for virtual worlds in Australia.

Lowell