Whotter's night out

 

How did Whotter end up sitting next to Philip Rosedale at the Second Life Bookclub?

 

It wasn't because of his good behaviour, that's for sure. When I took Whotter to the bookclub again last night (That's noon in San Francisco, Second Life time, in this case) he was soon distracted. The author that Draxtor had as guest was Larry Niven, but Whotter was more interested in some beach ball that someone rezzed and he started chasing. He only got quiet again after Strawberry Linden (she does the production for presenter Draxtor) sat down on the empty seat next to me and I told him she would give him a fish if he staid put.

A little lie, maybe you will think it is a bit mean, but it works. Even though Whotter is actually smarter than he looks. He just has a limited vocabulary...

And then Philip walked in...

In the years that Second Life's founder was still CEO (or when Mark Kingdon was CEO, working for the Lab) we knew him in-world as Philip Linden, now he belongs to a select group of people who go by their own name in Second Life. I said hi, of course, not because a girl in my position has to do whatever it takes, but because it's the polite thing to do when someone enters the room.

And then Strawberry stood up and Philip sat down next to Whotter.

Then it was time to listen to Larry Niven, who would share many interesting views on interstellar travel and other subjects.
He seemed at ease in a virtual world. The author of  'Ring world' may be 82 years old, but he had no problems walking or sitting down on the couch, as some much younger authors often have at the bookclub. Even though he told Philip later that he 'knew nothing about computers'. I suppose that when a science fiction author says this, it means something different than when you or me say it.

I told Whotter that Philip Rosedale would give him a fish if he sat still and the show began...