Looking For My Voice:

In my early days of SL, I was always at an infohub. I don't know why, it's where the lab starts most people out. It's a strange experience. Sometimes, there's a crowd of people standing silently and all facing the same direction. It's as if everyone is acting like they're on an elevator, but outdoors at a park or something.

A couple of times I stood and faced the crowd and shouted out: "Who are all you people? Why are you here?" One person answered. "This is an infohub. We're here for information."

I have still have a couple of friends from those days. One of them defriended me a few times. Whenever she split with her current beau, she usually defriended everyone. At least that's what she told me. A few days later, she would send me a friend request and we would be friends again.

That hasn't happened in a long time. I think she gave up on romance. She recently changed her name. I should check up on her and see what's going on. Maybe she found what she was looking for.

Once when I was at Hyannisport, a guy wanted me to permit him to perform a sexual act on me. Not being into guys, I politely declined. I'm a modern new-age male. I'm not homophobic.

He offers me money. I still refuse. He begins increasing the amount. When it gets up to a couple of hundred Linden dollars, I say "I'm independently wealthy. I'm just here for information."

"What information?"

"This is a hub for information. I'm here for whatever information is available."

Regulars at a bar are called bar flies. Regulars at a health club that are always lifting weights are called gym rats. What do you call regulars at an infohub? Information junkies?

There were several information junkies at Hyannisport. One in particular I noticed was an attractive woman named ImHere001. I attempted to strike up a conversation with her in IM. She would respond sporadically, but really wasn't interested in conversing with me.

Later I heard her talking in voice. She wasn't a woman. Definitely a man and not a pleasant one. She was almost always there, standing off to the side and conversing with two or three other regulars in voice.

There was a time when I was interested in using voice. My hands were hurting from too much typing. I thought I could use voice instead of typing and that would solve the problem.

Infohubs destroyed that illusion. Usually, a few people dominate the voice channel, i.e., the information junkies, and it's hard to break in. There should be a protocol, like truckers use for CB radios: 

"Breaker, anybody got a copy on me, come on?"

"Copy, go ahead."

“Who are you all people? Why are you here?”

“Were here for information.”

“Roger that.”

I think she is still there. I went back not too long ago and saw her again. Only now, she has switched back to being a man, but still using voice.

To this day, my hands hurt. I still haven't found my voice.