It's been a while since I've done an interview; not because there hasn't been a lot of good subjects but nobody has time to sit down! But I scored a coup and managed to catch busy executive
Crito Galtier in an expansive mood with a few minutes to spare. I first met Crito a while ago when I was considering entering the Mr. Terra Lascivus contest; I finally never did enter, for various reasons, but I really liked the way that he had set it up so as to avoid being a popularity contest. In fact I liked a lot of his philosophy and so I was delighted to pin him down and get him to tell my readers what he's up to.
I apologize for the presence of Petunia the basset hound in some of the pictures; she's hard to shift once she puts her mind to being somewhere.
Crito Galtier: Thanks you Rusty. It's so nice to be here with you.
[17:11] Rusty Redfield: heh heh do I sound like a disc jockey? LOL
[17:11] Crito Galtier: Not yet. hehe
[17:11] Rusty Redfield: Thanks for agreeing to do the interview.
[17:12] Crito Galtier: It's my pleasure.
[17:12] Rusty Redfield: I won't keep you from your many duties so -- here we go.
Question 1, Why do you stay in Second Life? What keeps you here?
[17:12] Crito Galtier: Thank you for taking the time to talk with me.
[17:17] Rusty Redfield: I'm getting some snapshots while you think LOL
[17:18] Crito Galtier: I love the people first and foremost. It's exciting to meet so many new folks from all over the world. And also the amazing adventures Second Life has to offer makes it a fascinating place. There are so many incredible builds and so many talented people. And the talent is not just with the builds. As you know, there are some awesome artists who sing, play live music, photograph and such. Second Life is a microcosm of the real world that lets people be who they are while also letting them be someone they want to me. All of that amazes me and makes every day new and different and so enjoyable. I've been in Second Life four years now and everyday has been different and that make it such a wonderful adventure.
[17:18] Rusty Redfield: wow! it's great to hear someone with enthusiasm
[17:19] Rusty Redfield: I agree -- it's always such a pleasure and a privilege to be here, I think sometimes people forget that
[17:19] Crito Galtier: Oh yes! It's truly an exciting place to be and I do get excited about it.
[17:19] Rusty Redfield: well, that leads right into
[17:19] Rusty Redfield:
2. What are the qualities that attract you to people in Second Life?
[17:19] Rusty Redfield: I'm thinking enthusiasm! LOL
[17:24] Crito Galtier: Well, there are some truly hot avatars out there but that's secondary really. What attracts me to people is their genuineness, their kindness and the love they share with others around them. Too many people forget there are real people behind these pixels and it's important to me that the people I meet remember we are real people. And people who share are also important. I still remember the guy that took me under his wings and got me started when I first joined Second Life. That willingness to share and help people is an important trait and something we all have to do.
[17:25] Rusty Redfield: Very true. As they say, the only real thing here is the emotions.
[17:25] Crito Galtier: That is so true, Rusty.
[17:25] Rusty Redfield:
well, here comes the shameless self-advertising part.
[17:25] Rusty Redfield: 3. What are you working on, as a form of artistic expression or in order to earn money, or both?
[17:26] Rusty Redfield: go ahead, blow your horn, that's why I ask LOL
[17:33] Rusty Redfield: everything okay?
[17:33] Crito Galtier: Until recently I've been working a lot on the new Terra Lascivus. There was a lot of work getting that built. My friends Robin and Mar'Kenn at Armana Designs did all the structural building and it was fantastic watching them create it all and working with them on the layout. Then I had a lot of landscaping and decorating to do, all of which I am constantly working on to make it fresh and better. I hate keeping things stagnant so there is always something to do around the sims. The new Terra Lascivus also has rentals so I have been working on that to help finance the sims. So far it's all gone quite well and I'm very happy with how it's all going. I have great tenants who love Terra Lascivus and that has led to more close friendships, which is most important to me.
[17:33] Crito Galtier: OH yes! Very fine!
[17:34] Rusty Redfield: it sounds very complicated. it sounds like you're enjoying all the work
[17:34] Crito Galtier: I'm a slow typer. lol
[17:35] Crito Galtier: I really do love the creative outlet that Second Life affords. Where else can we build lavish resorts like Terra Lascivus? It took Rome hundreds of years to build their cities and here we do it in weeks and months.
[17:35] Rusty Redfield: By the way, just to drag in the reason we have been talking and you agreed to the interview -- my friend and blogging role model Eddi Haskell gave Terra Lascivus such a great review -- and your friends Robin and Mar'Kenn
[17:36] Rusty Redfield: I know, it's astonishing, isn't it? And so the choices are difficult because you can literally have anything your mind can conceive of
[17:36] Rusty Redfield: we met because I was thinking of running for Mr. Terra Lascivus a while ago -- how did the contest go?
[17:37] Crito Galtier: Yes He did! Eddie is a wonderful guy and has an awesome blog. I was truly honored to catch his eye and love for Terra Lascivus.
[17:37] Rusty Redfield: and it really is an awesome build. I spent like an hour taking selfies in the baths LOL
[17:41] Rusty Redfield: the landscaping is so lovely -- there are no bad camera angles. and it has such a nice quality of peace and quiet.
[17:41] Crito Galtier: The contest went very well. It's something I will do every year. AJ Wrightsmith won this year's competition. We had a lot of guys enter the contest. I ran it very differently from a lot of the contests here in Second Life. Too many are popularity contests and that is not what I wanted. I wanted Me Terra Lascivus to hold high qualities with regard to their personality and how they conduct themselves. The judges and contestants were all kept secret to avoid any favoritism and the process was a little hard. I modeled the contest after some of the guidelines from the Mr Gay World competition. I'm looking forward to continuing the contest year after year.
[17:42] Rusty Redfield: we did talk about that -- I very much liked the way you had set it up
[17:42] Rusty Redfield: I agree, there is no point in having a popularity contest, because that doesn't promote the brand you're trying to establish.
[17:45] Crito Galtier: I'm so glad you like the surroundings at Terra Lascivus. As they say, "The devil is in the details" and it's the details and the realism you present in a sim that makes the difference between common and quality.
[17:46] Rusty Redfield: Yes indeed. The small details make the big picture.
[17:46] Crito Galtier: Yes it really does. I wonder how may people have noticed the birds and Rocky the squirrel at Terra Lascivus.
[17:47] Rusty Redfield: so do you rent land only, or do you and your associates design houses and mansions?
[17:47] Rusty Redfield: hah! you should give a prize for the best photo of Rocky the squirrel LOL
[17:48] Rusty Redfield: I hope you noticed my basset hound Petunia behind you, she works her way into all the pictures LOL
[17:49] Crito Galtier: I provide all the homes and landscaping at Terra Lascivus. I do that so I can maintain a level of integrity and quality. Robin and Mar'Kenn designed and built some awesome homes that are all quite large and have incredible detail. They are also set into the land very well and every one is different.
[17:49] Crito Galtier: Yes I did notice Petunia. I love dogs and I think they sense that about me.
[17:49] Rusty Redfield: I agree -- I think people respect that you have a vision for the whole sim. [17:55] Rusty Redfield makes a mental note to go on a photo expedition LOL
[17:55] Crito Galtier: Just wear clothes there. lol
[17:55] Rusty Redfield: oh, always LOL I'm shy that way
[17:55] Rusty Redfield: Okay!
[17:55] Rusty Redfield: 4. If you could give advice to your earlier self in the first month that you spent in Second Life, what would you say?
[18:01] Crito Galtier: Get out more! I spent most of my first three years in Second Life role playing a gladiator character in ancient Roman sims. I focused a lot on that role and really loved it. In fact, I owned an ancient Roman sim with my very good friend Filipa Thespian called Gods of Valor. There was enough good role play drama there to write a novel! But I limited myself too much to that genre and missed a lot of what Second Life has to offer. So I would tell my "new" self, explore more and discover what Second life has to offer.
[18:02] Rusty Redfield: wow! I played in a roman sim for maybe a year -- loved the milieu. Yes, there are so many things that can delight people in SL, it seems a shame to stick to just one here.
[18:02] Rusty Redfield: I look at it as an excuse to go shopping for new costumes
[18:03] Crito Galtier: Well as a gladiator all I wore was a subligaria - many people call it a man diaper. lol So there wasn't need to shope for much outside arena gear which had to be special to make a statement.
[18:04] Rusty Redfield: I think I just like to shop for clothes LOL.
[18:04] Rusty Redfield: which leads me to --
[18:04] Rusty Redfield: 5. What do you like most about the way that your avatar looks?
[18:04] Crito Galtier: Me too and I am doing a lot of that now! There are some really great mesh outfits available now,
[18:10] Crito Galtier: Funny you should ask that. I just celebrated my fourth rez day in Second Life and had pretty much the same avatar. I went through a make over recently so this avatar is all new to me. I'm still getting used to it. But I think it has a nice sophisticated look to it.
[18:10] Rusty Redfield: First of all, congratulations on your fourth rez day!
[18:10] Crito Galtier: Thank you!
[18:10] Rusty Redfield: Yes, you look like an executive at an Internet company LOL
[18:11] Crito Galtier: In some ways it feels like it's been ten years and in others way it feels like I got here yesterday.
[18:11] Rusty Redfield: I know, right? there's always something crazy and new coming down the pipe
[18:11] Crito Galtier: Maybe I should have worn my suit and tie
[18:12] Rusty Redfield: hah! No, this is the boonies, we don't get dressed up here LOL
[18:12] Crito Galtier: No wait, Internet executives all wear jeans now so I guess I do fit that model.
[18:12] Rusty Redfield: well -- you mentioned a bunch of places that I know people will be curious about -- so come back and leave links and stuff in the comments, so people can travel there and check them out
[18:13] Crito Galtier: I will do that!
[18:13] Crito Galtier: I'll have you over to my home there when you have time.
[18:13] Rusty Redfield: Crito, that's all my questions, but I do thank you for being so forthcoming and detailed
[18:13] Rusty Redfield: and let's both thank Petunia for being particularly well-behaved LOL
[18:14] Rusty Redfield: thank you for the invitation, I'll take you up on that!
[18:14] Crito Galtier: Oh my pleasure, Rusty. I'm happy to talk to you and your readers any time. And thank you for this opportunity.
[18:14] Rusty Redfield: any final words to newbies? That's who I always try to reach
[18:19] Crito Galtier: I'm so glad you asked that question! Yes! Second Life is a truly wonderful place where you will meet some wonderful people. You will also meet some jerks. It's a lot like real life in that respect. Kick the jerks aside and move on to the wonderful people that are here. You are bound to make friendships that will last a lifetime. And, if you are really lucky, you may even meet someone so special you will want to spend the rest of your life with them. I know may people here where that has happened. I have friends here that will remain friends forever! And don't sweat the technical details. Those will come in time. Second Life will full of people that will help you out. Just don't be afraid to ask for help.
[18:19] Rusty Redfield: dude! That is like 200 words, but the theme of my blog!! thank you!!
[18:20] Crito Galtier: Did I ramble too much? hehe
[18:20] Rusty Redfield: much, much appreciated. thanks so much for your time, Crito, I'm going to turn the recorder off now ...
I have to say, I like this guy's wavelength. "Kick the jerks aside and move on to the wonderful people that are here. You are bound to make friendships that will last a lifetime." THAT is what I wish for me and everyone else in SL. Thanks, Crito Galtier!!
No comments:
Post a Comment