Today I was goofing around the Internet Archive "Wayback Machine" looking up some old archived web pages that are long since gone from the internet itself. I thought to myself I'd try to find some gold from the earliest days of Second Life and found this gem from 15 Feb 2003, which is before Second Life was even open to the general public. Now, for context, I originally signed up for Second some time in 2005, stayed five minutes, thought it was rubbish, and left. Then I came back in 2006 and tried again with a bit more success. "Katta" was born in 2007, the result of me coming back a third time (and never leaving again!).
What has me going 'huh' is the section about Social Structure. I had no idea that Second Life was going to be so judgmental but I guess this was the start of the "social media" revolution and getting likes and follows and thumbs-up thumbs-down was just becoming a thing. I do have some vague recollection of a ratings system on profiles but I certainly don't remember it being a source of performance-reward or kick backs in L$...anyway have a read of this, it's amusing, though not very surprising, to see what LL thought SL would be compared to where it's at.:
"Linden Lab has created Second Life as the next evolutionary leap in the formation of virtual communities. Participants will truly take on a second life, an escape to a place full of people, activity and possibility. From the freedom of creating a personal identity and claiming virtual land to the responsibilities of earning money and maintaining one's health to the social implications of joining a community and collaborating with others, residents of Second Life will face a host of choices daily. Second Life is a multi-layered boundless universe that is constantly changed by - and constantly changes - its inhabitants. Key features of Second Life include:A complex social structure:Through a real-time reputation system, players can comment favorably or negatively on each other's personas and property, creating a rating viewable by other Second Life Residents. A series of positive comments confers financial rewards as well as social status upon the beneficiary. A player with a low reputation rating may have to be content with their small, unadorned home, whereas a player with a high rating might find him or herself with extra money to build an addition, or be invited to an exclusive party limited to people of equal status. As in life, players will likely seek a balance between actively participating and watching from the sidelines.A fully functioning economy:Second Life has an internal living economy with land ownership, property rights and player-player transaction capabilities that will help promote the creation of interesting content. Each player will begin with a stipend, but by constructing proprietary content that is pleasing to others, can charge usage or purchase fees to earn additional money. A group of players might invest their money together to construct a funhouse and charge a fee to customers who want to experience it. In both examples, real-time collaborative creation and the internal world economy will directly impact a player's experience.Limitless opportunities for self-expression:From changing one's appearance to changing one's surroundings, Second Life lets players express their creativity through simplified but sophisticated 3D creation tools. Players can customize their avatar's appearance in an infinite number of ways, allowing them to completely change identities whenever the mood strikes. When players decide to put down stakes, they can build a home from scratch or personalize a pre-designed home with objects and textures from their inventory. They can also bring their creations to life with scripts that add behaviors and special effects. And for those players who think on a grand scale, or who want to construct a major civic work, Second Life's streaming 3D allows any number of players to join together to collectively build anything they can imagine."LindenLab Announces Name of New Online World 'Second Life(TM)' And Availability of Beta Program: SAN FRANCISCO, CA -- October 30, 2002 | Linden Lab(TM) announced today the name of its interactive service, Second Life(TM). A new form of shared 3D entertainment, Second Life presents a remarkably immersive and self-expressive world to its online residents. Users who want the opportunity to enter Second Life can register and begin their new life with the beta program at www.lindenlab.com.
Did you know this about Second Life?
Firestorm 7.1.13.78266 Updates and Features
Firestorm 7.1.13.78266 Updates and Features
Some info here that's useful and might help you navigate some of the new features they've added to Firestorm on this update. I suggest reading through these, even if you feel your tech-level isn't very high because there's some important features and settings that will help everyone get the best from SL.
-- Katt.
SEASON 16 FINALE!
Sun, Synths, and Seduction: The Midsummer Obsession in 1980s Pop Hits
Midsummer—those sultry, golden weeks when the light lingers and the world feels electrically charged—was more than just a season in the 1980s. It was a mood, a sound, and for many pop artists, a moment of euphoric clarity that poured directly into vinyl grooves and radio waves. The decade’s defining acts—Wham!, Madonna, Bananarama, and The Police—didn’t just write about summer; they mythologized it, captured its fleeting essence, and beamed it through synths, drum machines, and neon-lit videos.
This wasn’t the innocence of 1960s surf rock or the mellow acoustic warmth of 1970s singer-songwriters. The 1980s summer hit was urgent, escapist, and often bittersweet. Think of Bananarama’s “Cruel Summer” (1983), a glossy lament underpinned by heatstroke malaise and urban disaffection. Or Don Henley’s “The Boys of Summer” (1984), drenched in melancholic synths and haunted by a lover lost to time and tide. Even the carefree strut of Madonna’s “Holiday” (1983) was tinged with the desperate desire to flee the grind and bask—however briefly—in the illusion of freedom.
The production styles reinforced this sun-soaked yearning: gated reverb drums mimicked the echo of open spaces; shimmering synths evoked heat haze and late-night drives along coastal highways. Midsummer became a stage for lovers, loners, and dreamers alike—often in linen suits and mirrored sunglasses.
The significance of midsummer in '80s pop wasn’t just atmospheric. It was cultural—a reflection of Cold War uncertainty, youth disillusionment, and a hunger for transcendence. Summer, with its freedom and danger, offered a symbolic escape from the anxieties of adulthood and geopolitics. In three-minute bursts of synthpop perfection, the midsummer hit became a passport to a world forever frozen in sunshine and longing.
DJ SIA AURORA - The Deviant DJ - THIS WEEK AT KATTATTAK!
KattattaK! S16E8 : Because the 80s never went away!
When we think of summer hits today, we often picture sun-soaked beaches, danceable choruses, and viral TikTok clips. But the DNA of the modern "summer hit" has roots far older and more distinct. The 1980s, especially in the UK and continental Europe, forged a new genre-spanning template for what a summer hit could be—less about sand and surf, more about style, synths, and strobe lights. At the heart of this transformation were two interlocked movements: synthpop and new wave, both of which would come to define not only the sound of a generation, but the seasonal soundtrack of youth culture across Europe.
The Technopop Turn
By the end of the 1970s, punk had exhausted its raw fury, and disco was beginning to fade in cultural relevance, especially with the 1979 backlash in the U.S. But across the Atlantic, a quiet revolution was underway. British acts like Gary Numan, The Human League, and Orchestral Manoeuvres in the Dark (OMD) began trading guitars for synthesizers. Synthpop emerged not as a cold, robotic curiosity, but as a new emotional vocabulary—mechanical yet melodic, detached yet deeply affecting.
What made synthpop particularly ripe for summer consumption was its accessibility and emotional plasticity. The pulsing arpeggios and programmed drum machines could deliver both heartbreak and euphoria. Songs like “Don’t You Want Me” (The Human League, 1981) or “Enola Gay” (OMD, 1980) were massive hits, offering a blend of pop immediacy and synth-crafted futurism. Crucially, they didn’t require translation: the hooks were universal, the beat infectious. As the music spread to the Continent, it found fertile ground in youth scenes from Paris to Berlin to Stockholm.
The Continental Effect: Euro Disco Meets New Wave
While the UK was busy churning out synth-forward acts from Sheffield and Manchester, continental Europe responded in kind—but with more flamboyance. Acts like Alphaville, Sandra, Gazebo, and Modern Talking blended the precision of synthpop with the gloss of Italo Disco, a genre that placed heavy emphasis on romantic themes, lush production, and dramatic presentation. The result? A new brand of summer anthem that was neither beach nor club exclusive, but equally at home on radio charts, car stereos, and neon-lit discotheques.
Consider “Big in Japan” (Alphaville, 1984) or “Self Control” (Laura Branigan’s hit 1984 version, originally by Italian singer Raf). These songs charted across Europe in the summer months, carried by a transnational appetite for synth-laced melodrama. What was emerging was a pan-European summer hit template: danceable BPMs (~110–125), emotionally accessible lyrics (often in English, even by non-native acts), and an aesthetic that borrowed equally from science fiction and soap opera.
The Music Video Revolution
Another vital ingredient in the rise of the summer hit was the MTV effect—though in Europe, this took the form of Top of the Pops, Formel Eins, TF1’s Platine 45, and a growing array of music TV programs that played clips around the clock. Bands like A-ha and Duran Duran didn’t just sound modern; they looked modern. With music videos becoming key to promotion, summer hits were increasingly defined not just by their sound but their visual identity.
A-ha’s “Take On Me” (1985), arguably one of the most iconic singles of the decade, rose to fame not just through airplay, but through its animated rotoscoped video. The song was released several times before it became a hit—but when it dropped in Europe in summer 1985 alongside the video, it exploded. This multimedia fusion meant that summer hits were now experiential events, drawing on film, fashion, and postmodern irony.
Festivals, Holidays, and Pan-European Playlists
The rise of cheap air travel and package holidays in the 1980s also played a significant role in how these songs spread. Club Med, Ibiza, and other Mediterranean destinations became the melting pots of pan-European youth culture. Germans, Brits, Dutch, and French teens were now rubbing shoulders in shared summer spaces—and DJs in those destinations weren’t spinning American rock or funk, but the shared pop language of synth-heavy Euro anthems.
Songs like “Voyage, Voyage” by Desireless (1986) or “Forever Young” by Alphaville (1984) became summer staples not because they were written with beaches in mind, but because they transcended national borders. Unlike American summer hits, which often relied on seasonal imagery (convertibles, boardwalks, heatwaves), these European summer hits were rooted in escapism and emotional transformation—ideal for the dreamlike atmosphere of holiday travel and late-night clubs.
A Haunting Legacy
By the late 1980s, as house music, acid, and rave culture began to rise, the synthpop-based summer hit began to recede. But its ghost lingered. Many 1990s Eurodance hits—from 2 Unlimited to Corona—borrowed heavily from the aesthetic DNA of 1980s synthpop. Meanwhile, the 2000s saw a nostalgia-fueled revival, from La Roux to Robyn, directly referencing the minimalist drum machines and melodic focus of their 1980s predecessors.
Today, the idea of a “summer hit” often seems cynical or manufactured. But in the 1980s, it emerged almost organically, at the nexus of technology, youth rebellion, pan-European identity, and aesthetic revolution. Synthpop and new wave didn't just provide soundtracks for pool parties—they offered an aspirational, futuristic emotional palette that defined how a generation fell in love, danced, and dreamed—especially when the days were longest and the nights were just beginning.
In hindsight, the 1980s summer hit wasn’t about the sun. It was about the glow—neon, cathode-ray, and emotional. And in that light, it still shines.
KattattaK! S16E7: another DJ Katt Retro Arcade!
Rewind Confusion: 1980s Songs That Trick Your Memory
Ah, the 1980s—a time of synth-pop, hair spray, and mixtapes. But among the iconic tunes that defined the decade, some of them play a clever game with your memory. You’ve probably bopped along to a hit thinking it was a cover, only to find out it was the original. And then there are those sly little tracks that were covers all along, and you had no idea.
Take “Tainted Love” by Soft Cell. Everyone thinks it’s a quintessential '80s original, but nope—it dates back to 1964, first recorded by Gloria Jones. It flopped then, but Marc Almond’s synth-heavy revamp turned it into a gothic club staple.
Or how about Whitney Houston’s massive hit “I Will Always Love You”? Wait—okay, that is the '90s, but it’s worth a mention. Many forget Dolly Parton wrote and recorded it way back in 1974. But flip the scenario for “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)” by Eurythmics—yes, that surreal anthem with the cows in the video. It’s not a cover, despite feeling like it could’ve come from some obscure Euro disco act a decade earlier. It’s 100% original, bizarre genius.
And then there’s “Girls Just Want to Have Fun.” Cyndi Lauper made that song hers, but guess what—it was originally written and recorded by Robert Hazard, a guy. Her feminist reworking turned it into an anthem, but technically, it’s a cover.
Even “I Love Rock 'n Roll,” forever linked with Joan Jett? That was a 1975 tune by Arrows, a British band barely anyone remembers.
So next time you hit play on your '80s playlist, listen closely. That shiny synth-pop track or glam rock anthem might just have a dusty little secret. Or not. Welcome to the Mandela Effect of music history.
KattattaK! S16E6: Memorial Day Weekend 2025
Kick Off Summer with a Boogie:
Why Memorial Day Weekend Is Perfect for Katt's Retro Arcade in Second Life
Memorial Day Weekend is more than just the unofficial start of summer—it’s a cultural reset, a nationwide invitation to swap the daily grind for music, sun, and celebration. For many, it's the first chance to truly let loose after a long winter and spring. And what better way to kick off the season than with a dance party that captures the electric spirit of the past? Enter Katt’s Retro Arcade, an immersive 1980s-themed party in Second Life that’s bringing the neon-lit magic of the decade back in full swing.