Blogger profile: Zoe Connolly

Reading a blog, you often get a quite good impression of the person who writes it. But at the same time, you also want to know a little more. Who is this person who writes this blog? What’s her story? Why does she write? That’s why I’ve decided to interview some of my fellow bloggers.

Zoe Connolly is a natural first one out. Not only is she a very active writer, responsible for in-world newspapers and several blogs, she’s also the one that organizes us all in the SL Bloggers group. She jokes about how she has a whole Zoe Connolly brand.

I meet Zoe in her elegant office in the Antiquity Cove. Conveniently, she sits behind her writing desk. “It’s very recently set up,” she confesses.

Zoe joined Second Life on January 21st. She was curious, after hearing about it on a podcast. “I wanted to explore, but had no idea how vast it was.” In March, she created her first blog. “I had RL blogs before that, but decided now to blog as my avatar. I was pleased to see others doing the same.”

Her first blog is still her main blog: The Insatiable Zoe Connolly. As a non-English speaker, I have to ask exactly what insatiable means. “Impossible to satisfy, ‘an insatiable demand for old buildings to restore’, my insatiable nature for exploring SL. And especially 19th century sims. Caledon is a place I call home.” So what is it about the Victorian era that’s so alluring? “I suppose, first of all, it’s the amazing builds. The architecture and attention to detail.” One of her blogs is The Connolly Telegraph. It collects all the news from the 19th century sims.

It was in Caledon she started hooking up with fellow bloggers, and then made contact with even more by inviting her colleagues to parties. “I had so much fun. My face hurt from all the smiling and laughing.” Asked why she started the bloggers group, the answer is simple enough: “I just wanted to connect with the bloggers I’d been reading. It’s been a great thing. Bloggers have connected with each other in a way faster than they would without meeting in-world.”

So is she a henmother? “I’m the chief organizer, but I also have help. There are several officers who advise me, help hosting, and take on tasks. I made Myg co-owner of the group a few weeks ago.” Concerning the sim related newspapers, she tries to build a group of reporters who can send her stories. “It’s too big for one person.” Surely, she must get a lot of I don’t know how she does it? “Lol, yes. All the time.”

But even Zoe, like so many other SL girls (me included), has a dark past. “I’ve done so many things in SL. In February, I was a poledancer in strip clubs.” I cough and blush, while she says: “Now look how far I’ve come.”

“It’s funny: I used to think, in April and May, that I was here ‘to get rich in SL’. Now all I do is spend money. I consider it my hobby, or therapy. Either way is a good description. And all I think about is promoting some aspects of the sims I love, or promoting bloggers I know and blogging as an activity in SL – none of which will ever make me rich. But I’m probably much happier than if I was fretting over a business.”

~ by theresecarfagno on September 14, 2007.