One of the very first blogs I started to follow when I started my SL adventures was Gogo’s blog JuicyBomb.com
I love her brutally honest reviews and opinions and the way her avatar always had her signature look, no  matter what new head or skin she’s trying. Gogo tagged me in the Got Blog! Bloggers Challenge, made by the awesome Sasy Scarborough. The idea behind the challenge is to get to know more about the people behind the blogs. These days we mostly end up posting pics and adding some credits and maybe rambling on about some of the items we’re wearing but not many of us still truly open up and spend time to actually write. I’m guilty of that, I’m very aware. I had every intend to do more writing (rambling) now that I have a blog again but somehow I often find myself rushing to post and keeping my ramblings short. I think this challenge is a great start to get my ramblings going again. So buckle up… it’s gonna be a long one!

• When did you start your Second Life Blog?
  I joined Second Life in February 2010, started sharing some pictures on Flickr in August the same year and in September I started to add credits to my pictures. It was the start of my blogging journey. I’ve had several blogs over the years starting with SweetSexyCrazy.com (14 years ago that felt like a great name to use) and later turned it into KaelynAlecto.com but Flickr was always the place I kept coming back to.
  
• Why did you start Blogging in Second Life?
  In my first months in SL, I spend most my time in the clubs shaking my noobish pixels and enjoying my Redgrave skin and flexi hair, you know, feeling HOT HOT HOT! Anyways… while there I noticed one of the dancers/hosts had the most beautiful stylish avatar so I asked her where she got all her things from and she linked me to her blog. I was amazed, I loved all her looks and I kept coming back to her blog for more inspiration. She inspired me so much that I really wanted to give this blogging thing a try too and so my blog was born. Dailyn Holfe is no longer active in SL and I miss her lots but I’m forever grateful for her support and inspiration.
  
• Do you feel the Blogging community in Second Life has changed since you started Blogging, and if so, in what ways?
  Yes I remember back in the day there were about a dozen of well known bloggers and some more great photographers on Flickr. The SL feeds were very active and we had fun doing all kinds of fun blogger challenges. Right now I only really keep track of a rare few blogs and mostly scroll Flickr and Facebook to keep up with all the new things. I remember designers would actively reach out to their favourite bloggers asking if they would review their items. We got send individual items to review and we were expected to be honest and not to follow a million rules to take a pic a certain way. We didn’t have Blogotex or Easybloggers and only a rare few stores had actual groups for their bloggers. I also felt like we were much more supportive of each other, bloggers would do fun collabs, tag each other and write about their friends accomplishments. Right now it’s mostly collecting favs on Flickr. I miss the old days a lot to be honest.
  
• Do you think that Bloggers have a positive impact on Second Life culture and community, and if so, do you have any stories about that?
  Some bloggers definitely have (had) a very positive impact on SL culture and community. Bloggers like for example Strawberry Singh, have made so many useful tutorials for not only new SL users but also for bloggers and photographers. I love that when I google Second Life, there’s some great and talented bloggers popping up in my search. With there being so many (micro)bloggers these days there’s content for everyone’s taste. I think his is a good thing. It shows that there’s something for everyone in this Virtual World and I hope it will keep attracting new users.
  
• Are you approachable as a Blogger by content creators that may have interest in you as a Blogger for their Brand/Store?
  I hope I always come off as being approachable. I can’t say yes to every content creator that contacts me. I do think that whenever a designer contacts me personally it will motivate me a great deal to make efforts into showcasing some of their items, if I feel they suit my personal style. I was recently contacted by super friendly storemanager of a well known tattoo store asking if I would like to join their team. I declined only because I don’t consider myself a tattoo blogger at all and I could never meet the required posts. But being contacted personally did make my day and I know if I have a picture idea that requires a tattoo, they will be the first store I’d go to. So designers please contact your favourite bloggers, make those personal connections. Even if they decline, it’s still going to make their day and make them notice your store.
  
• Do you have any tips or tricks that help you with the Blogging process that you would like to share?
  My best advice would be to make it your own, and with that I mean find a way to take pictures that keeps it fun for you and keeps inspiring you. Don’t let the many (sometimes ridiculous) rules & requirements that some stores and events have hold you back from having fun with it. We do not get paid, it’s not a job. We spend a lot of time setting a scene, finding the right pose, styling a look and taking several pics, fixing light, editing and writing up the actual post & credits. Don’t ever feel forced to make it feel like work and let it stress you out.
  
• Do you feel that imposed time limits, and a set amount of content featured changes the way you blog content, and does it feel less authentically you?
  Yesss, this is the one thing I truly dislike about blogging in this time and day. With the many many events currently out there, designers are working like crazy to try and keep up with deadlines. It makes perfect sense they want their bloggers to blog the items within the timeframe of the event. Sadly these events all have various timeframes they often overlap, making it very stressful to keep up with all the deadlines and required posts without feeling overwhelmed. I feel truly blessed that many designers have added me as a VIP or friend and don’t force deadlines on me. It truly makes such a big difference. I think stores and events need to chose their bloggers by actually getting to know them on a basic level. So there can be a level of trust and communication so that a long list of rules and deadlines isn’t always needed. I’m not a designer but I do manage bloggers and I prefer fun an inspired, high quality pictures over rushed pics that are made only to meet a deadline. Can we please all just go back to having fun? Even when SL is a source of income for you, it’s important to have some fun and make some meaningful connections.
• Do you use Social Media, and/or other platforms outside of your Blog/Website to promote the content you have shared?
  I try my best to keep up with all the socials.
  You can find me here:
  Flickr
  Primfeed
  Facebook
  X / Twitter
  Plurk
  YouTube
• Do you pay for any aspect of your blogging other than the clothing or items in your images, such as Website Hosting, Photoshop etc?
  I pay for SL premium (to have more groupslots), Flickr Premium, Primfeed Premium, Photoshop and my homestead to build scenes on. It’s a lot of money each month and I chose to pay it because I considder this to be a creative outlet and hobby and I enjoy it a lot still after all these years. 
  
• Do you think that Stores/Content Creators should have a Website/Blog for their Brand?
  Yes, I would love for them to have a website/blog as long as they can find the time and motivation to keep it up-to-date. I love a well made website, it makes a brand or event look very professional.
• Do you have any advice that you can give other Bloggers that may be new to the experience, or even advice/wisdom that you want to share with the Blogging community as a whole, new or old?
  Don’t be afraid to reach out to other bloggers, photographers you admire or even designers. Everyone is always busy but what’s the worst thing that can happen? They don’t reply? Compliment people you admire and ask them for tips and advice. I have no doubt most bloggers and designers are happy you reached out and will be happy to give you some pointers. At the end of the day we’re all just people sitting behind our screens. We’re all equal, there’s no need to feel nervous or afraid to reach out and ask for what you want. Kindness and clear communication is the best way to go, always!

  Now I’m supposed to tag more bloggers for this challenge but I think most of my favourites have already joined the fun! If you’re reading this now and haven’t joined in, please considder yourself tagged!