Creative Commons license icon

Feed aggregator

#FurryVoices: Anthro Irish

Global Furry Television - Mon 3 Jul 2023 - 08:34

Anthro Irish is a brand-new furry convention to be held in Cork, Ireland on August 5th and 6th. They agreed to an interview to talk about the upcoming event. Furries in Ireland … what is it like? Anthro Irish: Well, in my nearly five years being active in this fandom, I’ve come across lots of […]
Categories: News

Fame Can Be Ruff

In-Fur-Nation - Mon 3 Jul 2023 - 00:28

Dog Squad is the first in a new series of “children’s middle grade action and adventure books” (says the publisher) written by Chris Grabenstein. “Duke is not your average dog. Along with his crew, he fights crime and goes on claw-biting adventures helping dogs in peril in the hit streaming sensation: Dog Squad! Fred is a pretty average dog. He’s scrappy. He’s lovable. But he’s not brave like his heroes on Dog Squad. Fred looks an awful lot like Duke from Dog Squad though. In fact, when Duke needs a stand-in, Fred’s the perfect choice. But the Dog Squad action doesn’t always stop on screen! When there’s danger in real life, can Fred find the courage to step up and save the day?!” Don’t look now, but the second book in the series is out also — Dog Squad 2: Cat Crew. Knew it!

image c. 2023 Penguin Random House

Categories: News

Bearly Furcasting S4E10 - A Fluff By Any Other Name

Bearly Furcasting - Sat 1 Jul 2023 - 05:00

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Moobarkfluff! This week we venture to the Transfurmation lab and turn Taebyn into a very special item, we have some Obscure Movie Quotes, chat about our favorite ice cream flavors, have a little odd news, and even more math. Of course we are peppering our show with puns and jokes and having a great time. So join us for another flufftacular episode of BFFT! Moobarkfluff!

 

Wild Bills Soda

Merch at Redbubble

Merch at Bonfire

Merch at Fourthwall

This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

Support the show

Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting S4E10 - A Fluff By Any Other Name
Categories: Podcasts

By Land AND By Sea

In-Fur-Nation - Sat 1 Jul 2023 - 01:08

Not Quite Narwhal is the interesting title of a new CGI animated series created by Dreamworks, which recently premiered on Netflix. From Animation World Network: “Adapted for television by co-executive producers Brian K. Roberts (Dragons: Rescue Riders), Nakia Trower Shuman (Fancy Nancy), and Sarah Katin (Curious George), DreamWorks Animation’s take on author Jessie Sima’s New York Times bestseller tackles the subject of identity through the curious and fun-loving Kelp (voiced by Nevin Kar). The blue, big-eyed, aquatic marvel has always believed he’s a narwhal like the rest of his family under the sea, until the day he makes the most amazing discovery – he’s actually a unicorn! Rather than choose one or the other, Kelp embraces being both a narwhal and a unicorn, juggling his day-to-day life as he figures out how to navigate his two worlds: Ocean and land.” The article includes an extensive interview with the author, talking about creating and adapting the work — including its themes of inclusivity and acceptance for people of all types.

image c. 2023 Dreamworks Animation

Categories: News

Episode 540 - Hot Disney Dogs In Your Area

Southpaws - Fri 30 Jun 2023 - 10:00

This is a quick freebie episode, because we had to get together before Anthrocon to discuss a pressing issue- the relative hotness of Disney animals. Very important stuff here!

See you at Anthrocon!

LINKS
Disney’s hottest animated animals, ranked - Polygon
Telegram - https://t.me/+Ma4PTE0IsWVmMDQ5 

Episode 540 - Hot Disney Dogs In Your Area
Categories: Podcasts

TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 44

TigerTails Radio - Tue 27 Jun 2023 - 04:14

TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 44. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Categories: Podcasts

Every Planet Has One

In-Fur-Nation - Tue 27 Jun 2023 - 01:58

Chloe is an artist and crafts-maker that we met in the U.K. They sell their interesting wares around the world under the name of Pin & Tonic. [Oh we love it!] That includes not just an ever-expanding line of custom enamel pins (obviously), but also pin-displaying bags and a new line of t-shirts and wind-breakers. “Run by the artist, Pin and Tonic was started to bring fun, colourful, quirky and sparkly designs to life. Each illustration is thoughtfully produced with love and care in the hope you will adore it.” All available on their web site.

image c. 2023 Pin & Tonic

Categories: News

S10 Episode 12 – Draaaaama - It's time to talk about the Furry Fandom's favorite pastime: Drama! - NOW LISTEN! SHOW NOTES PATREON LOVE The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU! - Uber Supporter Tie

Fur What It's Worth - Mon 26 Jun 2023 - 15:27
It's time to talk about the Furry Fandom's favorite pastime: Drama!





NOW LISTEN!
SHOW NOTES
PATREON LOVE
The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU!

Uber Supporter Tier

Anthallo

Tails Bursting out of Pants Supporters

 

Ashton Sergal (Pic Pending), Nuka, Ichigo Okami

Fancy Supporter Tier



Rifka, the San Francisco Treat and Baldrik and Lufis (Pic Pending)

Deluxe Supporters Tier



Guardian Lion, Ashton Sergal, Harlan Fox, Plug (Pic Pending), Refractory Rictus (Pic Pending)

Plus Tier Supporters

Ausi Kat
Chaphogriff
Lygris
Bubblewhip

McRib Tier Supporters

TyR

 
MUSIC

Intro: RetroSpecter – Cloud Fields (RetroSpecter Mix). USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Century Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth.
First Break: Secret Crush - RedVox, Argofox, Creative Commons 2022.
Second Break: Holo - Ampyx, Argofox, Creative Commons 2021.
Third Break: Dream - Hash, Argofox, Creative Commons 2021.
Closing: Cloud Fields (RetroSpecterChill Remix), USA: Unpublished, 2018. ©2011-2018 Fur What It’s Worth. Based on Fredrik Miller – Cloud Fields (Chill Out Mix). USA: Bandcamp, 2011. ©2011 Fur What It’s Worth. S10 Episode 12 – Draaaaama - It's time to talk about the Furry Fandom's favorite pastime: Drama! - NOW LISTEN! SHOW NOTES PATREON LOVE The following people have decided this month’s Fur What It’s Worth is worth actual cash! THANK YOU! - Uber Supporter Tie
Categories: Podcasts

Episode 539 - Attack of the Carbs

Southpaws - Sun 25 Jun 2023 - 09:17

We recorded this episode on June 19th, so this podcast is submarine-free~

Carbs, misadventure, turning 40, lions wanting to eat little kids, and gay animals. 

LINKS
Lesbian Seagulls with Lulu Miller (buzzsprout.com)
Telegram - https://t.me/+Ma4PTE0IsWVmMDQ5

Southpaws | creating and promoting The Queer Agenda | Patreon

Episode 539 - Attack of the Carbs
Categories: Podcasts

Bearly Furcasting S4E9 - Taebyn Has A Lot To Say

Bearly Furcasting - Sat 24 Jun 2023 - 05:00

MOOBARKFLUFF! Click here to send us a comment or message about the show!

Moobarkfluff! Rayne Raccoon joins us again this week, Taebyn has a wee bit of logorrhea.  We discuss Bearly's trip to the East side of the USA, tell lots of stupid jokes, Taebyn does TWO Math segments this week, we play a little This or That, and generally have a great time. So join us for another wacky episode of BFFT! Moobarkfluff!

 

Wild Bills Soda

Merch at Redbubble

Merch at Bonfire

Merch at Fourthwall

This podcast contains adult language and adult topics. It is rated M for Mature. Listener discretion is advised.

Support the show

Thanks to all our listeners and to our staff: Bearly Normal, Rayne Raccoon, Taebyn, Cheetaro, TickTock, and Ziggy the Meme Weasel.

You can send us a message on Telegram at BFFT Chat, or via email at: bearlyfurcasting@gmail.com

Bearly Furcasting S4E9 - Taebyn Has A Lot To Say
Categories: Podcasts

GFTV launches community outreach initiative to boost community engagement

Global Furry Television - Fri 23 Jun 2023 - 12:01

兽视推出社区外展计划,促进其社区互动力
Categories: News

How to join San Francisco Pride 2023 with the Northern California Furries

Dogpatch Press - Fri 23 Jun 2023 - 09:27

For members who completed an RSVP

Photo: AniMajor

The SF Pride Parade – Sunday June 25, 2023 – General info at SFpride.org

Let’s go! The parade is on Market Street, from Embarcadero to the Celebration area at Civic Center. Spectators will be watching from 10:30 a.m. until late afternoon. ABC7 will be broadcasting the parade to watch from home.

Be there with 150 furries. Be there for the GO moment when the crowd roars. Hundreds of thousands of people will make the street your stage. Many furries will march and interact with watchers, while some will ride the float. It isn’t just for fun and photos, but also to say that we’re not going away. That’s Pride for LGBT people and allies, while we help bring the diversity of it all.

Northern California Furries first joined the parade in 2002, and last year marked their 20-year anniversary. This year brings more interest than ever. Thousands of furries will also join Pride events internationally — see other news and history in the Pride tag.

NOR CAL FURRIES MEMBERSHIP – RSVP for standby

We had open RSVP for up to 150 members but that is now closed. Due to parade regulations, you can’t be guaranteed a spot by showing up. If you are signed up for standby, you can come try to get a spot, with a Plan B to watch from the audience.

TIPS FOR GETTING AROUND – Be early!

This is a high energy, moving event that requires walking several miles and some self-reliance. There are 30 or so spaces on the float, so be ready to walk unless you have a condition that makes that challenging. Know your limits and don’t overheat, but expect mild weather. The float will have hydration and calories. The only bathrooms will be portapotties with long lines. Relay Raccoon is opening his apartment to host before and after (info below).

  • Start with breakfast and changing at Relay’s, or just start with the parade.
  • The parade starts miles away from Relay’s. Public transit is the best way to get there.
  • Don’t expect easy parking, and expect traffic jams with blocked streets, so rideshares may drop you off to walk the rest of the way.
  • Give yourself a lot of extra arrival time. The parade can’t stop, and latecomers get left behind. Seriously. Don’t cut it close.
  • At the end of the parade is the crowded celebration area. The marcher group will split towards there while the float drives away to park.
  • Try to push through the crowds, find the float and regroup. We strive to help, but this is when you may have to get yourself places on your own.
  • Pool people to share rides, or buddy up and find your way to Relay’s. The afterparty resumes there.

MARCHERS MUST ASSEMBLE by 11 a.m. – VOLUNTEER MONITORS by 9 a.m. – Map for the parade route

Find assembly area N1 for contingent #115. It is the west side of Main between Mission and Howard. (At rainbow paw on the map by Urban Park.) The float will be there at around 7.

  • Coming by car: No cars or dropoff are allowed at the assembly. If you’re very early, try a garage, or park farther away and take rideshare as close as it gets.
  • BART riders: go to Embarcadero. The south central exit is closest to the assembly. Any station can let you cross Market when the street is closed.
  • Allow time for costume changing. There could be hours to wait before step-off, and it will depend on every group that goes before, but don’t do anything that may delay going at any time.

COSTUME AND FURSUITING – No hard bins allowed!

Fursuiting isn’t necessary, and any themed clothing is OK for those who won’t do it.

  • Bring soft folding bags only, due to lack of cargo space. Repeat: NO HARD BINS. They won’t be carried.
  • Fursuiting on public transit is enjoyable for many members, and coming in fursuit is smart. So is changing at a car or right on the street (nobody cares at Pride.)
  • There may be an easy-up shade structure for changing but don’t count on much privacy. Start at Relay’s for more privacy.
  • Is your costume not safe for TV? Would the news censor it? Please check where the TV cameras are on the map, and stay far from them with respect for other marchers who want to be broadcast for friends and family at home.

PHOTOS – Group photo at 11:30 a.m.

Change and assemble for a group shot, after the final arrival and costume change time.

  • Please give all attention to the organizers, they will address the group!
  • We want photographers. If you plan to do photos or video, please share afterward. Join this channel to collect photos and ask an admin to give you posting power.
  • Hashtags for social media: #Norcalfurries, #Furrypride, #SFPride.

MOVING – Show your Pride and stay safe

Marchers: When the float starts moving, it won’t stop, and don’t try to climb it. Keep pace, avoid wheels, and listen to the monitors. Monitors are IMPORTANT, please be on the job. It’s about a mile and an hour long route.

  • Watch where the float is. Try not to bunch up, leave gaps or be too distant. The front-facing banner is where the crowds will see the group first, but going up to the side crowd barriers is good too. Use the whole street between the float and the crowds on BOTH sides. Dance, pose, give hugs and high fives. Wave at the TV cameras at their place on the map.
  • End at 8th and Market: don’t follow the float – continue walking forward towards Civic Center, then loop around for a few blocks to get back to 8th where the float should be. Regroup and pick up anything you had on the float, and plan to reach Relay’s.
  • Crowds have usual risks – see this safety page. No glass bottles are allowed. If you enter the festival at Civic Center, there’s an 18” x 18” size restriction on bags.

RELAY’S PLACE – Changing/breakfast and after party 

Relay’s place is near Dolores Park in the Mission district. Address is by request. You need an RSVP with @RelayRaccoon.

  • Early changing opens at 7:00 am and will close at 10:00 am for travel to the assembly.
  • The dinner party is after 5:00 pm and is only for age 21+.
  • From Relay’s to parade assembly, take BART or the J MUNI line from Church to Embarcadero.
  • After the parade ends, BART may take you from Civic Center to 16th and then it’s a 15 minute walk to Relay’s, or use Muni J Church.
  • Remember, street parking will be scarce.
  • More after party volunteers are wanted!

NEED HELP ON SUNDAY? 

Volunteers will be hard-pressed, so please contact them only for emergencies after using net search, the group and other members for advice. Contacts: @Zorenmanray, @Patchofurr, @Mr_Disk0, @Superjayhawk, @DidgeDingo, @RelayRaccoon

SEE YOU THERE! Art for banners by Kado Husky.

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon.Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

Categories: News

Around the World, Around the World

In-Fur-Nation - Thu 22 Jun 2023 - 01:47

Joe Strike is back with his second book exploring the world of Furry Fandom — after the award-winning Furry Nation, this one is appropriately called Furry Planet. “Furs are the creative subculture of people who identify with animals. You can find them at furry conventions, furfests, around the world—tens of thousands of people donning their most elaborate fursuit. In costume, at conventions, with friends or alone, furries unleash the animal within, letting their inner beasts roar and their inner cats purr, aware of the power—and joy—to be found in bringing forward one’s animal side and encouraging others to do the same. In Furry Planet, long-time furry Joe Strike dives deep into this compelling subculture to share its appeal and rewards. Strike and a wealth of interviewees trace the history of the subculture and its various iterations today, in the process covering conventions, media, art, storytelling, community resources, costume creation, and advice for newcomers, and addressing stigmas and misconceptions head on.” Look for it coming soon from Apollo Publishers.

image c. 2023 Apollo Publishers

Categories: News

"Blood Tea and Red String" (2006) Bite Sized Bone Zone Review

Culturally F'd - Wed 21 Jun 2023 - 16:48

Merch, Sweet Tees and stuff: https://culturally-fd-merchandise.creator-spring.com/ Support Culturally F'd: https://www.patreon.com/culturallyfd Listen in on TEMPO TALKS with Tempe O'Kun https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPyIK2c7mK-LpbvfDNqfcSW Check out Tempe O'Kun's books "Sixes Wild" and "Windfall" here: http://furplanet.com/shop/?affillink=YOUTU2907 Here's a playlist of his other Culturally F'd videos: https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLIPk-itLl1jPS7tnT4hdJwBI-CeLF8Kb_
Categories: Videos

Lets check out three Furry Convention Worlds! (Furality Sylva, FurDu & CozyCon)

Grovel Reports - Wed 21 Jun 2023 - 16:04

For today's broadcast, I'm going to highlight three major furry convention worlds that I visited and explored. The work put into these worlds can be lost to time and I want to make sure I show all the amazing work these places offer. https://furality.org/ https://furdu.com.au/ https://cozycononline.carrd.co/ If you like the work I do please like/follow/share to support the channel I'm on multiple platforms https://twitter.com/GrovelHusky https://t.me/grovelreports Subscribe to show support https://www.youtube.com/c/GrovelHusky/?sub_confirmation=1 Grovel Reports Studio made by Kydek https://twitter.com/FluffyKydek Banners used in the channel were made by Slushi https://twitter.com/Slushi3Brushi3?s=09 Music created for Grovel Husky by Whooshagg https://whooshagg.com/ Many thanks to Da Bean for taking photos/recording https://twitter.com/MagotterD Lets check out three Furry Convention Worlds! (Furality Sylva, FurDu & CozyCon) #furality #furdu #cozycon
Categories: Podcasts

TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 43

TigerTails Radio - Tue 20 Jun 2023 - 04:20

TigerTails Radio Season 14 Episode 43. Join the Discord Chat: https://discord.gg/SQ5QuRf For a full preview of events and for previous episodes, please visit http://www.tigertailsradio.co.uk. See website for full breakdown of song credits, which is usually updated shortly after the show. If you like what we do and wish to throw some pennies our way to support us, please consider sending a little tip our way. https://streamlabs.com/tigertailsradio/tip * Please note, tips are made to support TigerTails Radio and are assumed as made with good faith, so are therefore non-refundable. Thank you for your support and understanding.
Categories: Podcasts

You Are Diversity Incarnate

In-Fur-Nation - Tue 20 Jun 2023 - 01:50

BatCat is a new graphic novel for young readers, written and illustrated by Meggie Ramm. “Batcat loves being all alone in their home on Spooky Island. Up in their tree house, they pass the time playing video games and watching TV. But when Batcat suddenly finds themself haunted by an annoying, ice cream–stealing ghost, they visit the local Island Witch for a spell to remove their ghastly guest permanently! With their Ghost-B-Gone spell in hand, Batcat travels across Spooky Island to gather ingredients — to the Cavernous Caves where the bats tell them they’re too round to be a bat, and to the Whispering Cemetery where the cats will help only if they commit to being a true cat. But Batcat is neither, and that’s what makes them special, right? From up-and-coming author Meggie Ramm comes a sweet and fun story about accepting yourself when you’re perfectly in-between here and there.” Find it now at Abrams Books.

image c. 2023 Abrams Books

Categories: News

The 2023 Ursa Major Awards and Good Furry Award feature the best of furry fandom

Dogpatch Press - Mon 19 Jun 2023 - 10:00

Check out the winners in 14 categories for the 2023 Ursa Major Awards. The awards feature the furry fandom’s favorite media and other anthropomorphic animal creations they love, with popular voting by anybody. This year there were 1350 voters, with their vote count broken down here.

  • Dogpatch Press was voted Best Magazine. Thank you to everyone who votes, and the volunteer team who manages the voting process and sends physical awards. I’ll post a photo when it arrives.
  • The best novel stood out as unlike other furry fantasy and romance nominees; it’s a young adult novel by an author of other non-furry writing with crossover appeal that isn’t locked to the furry scene. Watch for an upcoming article with the author.
  • The best fursuit category had no award due to low participation, but there’s already eligible fursuits listed for the next awards.

See the current Recommended Anthropomorphics List — it is maintained year-round — you can discover and submit this year’s works eligible for the next awards now if you have something to share. This helps make community, discovery for new creations, and opportunity with campaigning. A nominee can win by simply mentioning it, because few do. Consider donating to support this service via paypal@ursamajorawards.org.

2023 Good Furry Award winners announced. Grubbs Grizzly of Ask Papabear and Uncle Bear Publishing introduced the award in 2019 for fandom members who do outstanding things for the community. The award comes with a trophy and $500 check. Past winners were Tony “Dogbomb” Barrett, Ash Coyote, Cassidy Civet, and Soatok Dhole. Who among 30 outstanding furry nominees won this year?

  • Kite’s Windswept Wanderings. A maker of Youtube videos with furry costuming and gatherings that bring positive light to the community. And…
  • A Lifetime Achievement Award for Reed Waller. He founded the furry comic APA Vootie in 1976, and collaborated with his wife Kate Wooley to create the influential early furry comic Omaha the Cat Dancer.

NEWS: Next year’s Good Furry Award is changing to 3 categories for raising positive image, volunteer and charity work, and general contributions or achievement, broadening the recognition past honorable mentions.

Like the article? These take hard work. For more free furry news, follow on Twitter or support not-for-profit Dogpatch Press on Patreon. Want to get involved? Try these subreddits: r/furrydiscuss for news or r/waginheaven for the best of the community. Or send guest writing here. (Content Policy.)

Categories: News

How Furries Have Found A Place In The Second Life Community

Fursonafy - Mon 19 Jun 2023 - 03:40

  1. Introduction
  2. What Is Second Life?
  3. Why Is Second Life So Great For Furries?
  4. Aren’t There Alternatives To Second Life?
  5. Is Second Life Still Popular?
  6. Is It Safe From Trolls & Raiding
  7. Conclusion
Article Content Introduction

If you aren’t already aware, furries are subject to quite a bit of hate on the internet and it can often be difficult as a furry to find a safe space to talk to other furries without the sneaking suspicion that someone is waiting to harass you. However, one community for the past two decades has been providing a safe haven for furries looking to meet other furries and it’s known as Second Life.

In this article, we speak to Keenan Linden, a member of the furry sub-community within Second Life for the past 16 years, for a better insight into how it all works.

What Is Second Life?

In its most simple form, Second Life is a multi-media platform that allows users to create an avatar and interact with other users and user-created content within the world. It was initially designed in the early 2000s as a means of completely immersing people in a virtual world. You have to remember that this was at a time when playing things online or even interacting with people online was significantly less of a commodity than it is today. The reason the term “game” isn’t often used to describe it is that it doesn’t really have any objective. Many people liken it to MMORPGs (massively multiplayer online role-playing games) but Linden Labs themselves (the creators of the software) insist that it is not a game and that “there is no manufactured conflict, no set objective”. It was created with the sole intention of allowing users to personalize an avatar and interact with people within the world as said avatar. So, let’s see why this is such a useful tool for the furry community.

Screenshot of Second Life

Image via IEEE Spectrum

Why Is Second Life So Great For Furries?

When asked what some of the benefits are of Second Life for a furry Keenan explained that “Second Life has a robust set of tools for customizing how you look within the virtual world. This is critical for me as a furry as it lets me be whatever I wish to be”. As you might already know, personalization is something that is super important to the furry community. A lot of the foundation of the furry community is built on individuality whether that be through fursonas or fursuits etc. Keenan goes on to explain that “… you don’t have to start from scratch. There are plenty of furry bodies and heads that can be customized”. Another thing that makes Second Life so appealing to the furry community is its emphasis on easy customization. When one of the core mechanics of the software is designing your avatar you could probably imagine that it has to work pretty smoothly and this is what lends the platform so well to the furry community. It doesn’t just allow furries to customize themselves as they want, but it allows them to do it intuitively. 

We asked Keenan what made the customisation so much better than other platforms similar to Second Life and he explained that “Second Life’s marketplace and built-in 3D modeling tools allow you to quickly tweak and customize yourself in-world”.

From fursuit commissions to art commissions, Fursonafy has your back "They where extremely understanding and patient. They provided fast response times and amazing communication" Edward

.blog-banner-button{ background: transparent; border-radius: 6px 0px 6px 6px; border: none; padding: 16px 28px; position: relative; cursor: pointer; margin-top: 0px; font-family: 'Lato'; font-style: normal; font-weight: 800; font-size: 14px; line-height: 140%; align-items: center; text-align: center; text-transform: uppercase; color: #1D022E; border: 1px solid #1D022E; width:100%; max-width:200px; } .black-point{ position: absolute; width: 16px; height: 16px; top: 0px; right: 0; background: #1D022E; border-radius: 0px 0px 0px 12px; } .blog-banner-button:hover{ background:#1D022E; color:white; transition: 1s cubic-bezier(0.57, -0.43, 0.37, 1.1); } .banner-flex{ display:flex; align-items:center; max-width:450px; width:100%; margin-right:auto; margin-left:auto; justify-content:space-between; } .banner-p{ color: #1D022E; text-align: center; font-family: Lato; font-size: 14px; font-style: normal; font-weight: 800; line-height: 140%; /* 19.6px */ text-transform: uppercase; } @media (max-width:540px){ .banner-flex{ flex-direction:column; } .banner-p{ margin-top:8px; margin-bottom:8px; } .blog-banner-button{ max-width:287px; width:100%; padding:12px 20px; } .banner-flex a{ max-width:287px; width:100%; } } Build my fursuit OR Draw My Fursona Aren’t There Alternatives To Second Life?

As you might already know, although Second Life may have been the pioneer in creating a virtual world, there have been many successful community-building tools since that have really knocked out of the park for the furry community, namely Discord. Discord offers infinite tools for community building whether that be for voice channels, sharing art, community activities, moderation, and personalization. Keenan however argues that “Second Life is a virtual world that definitely lends itself to more options for interactions. Discord may have activities now, but in Second Life, you and your friends can tour many places creators have built, participate in amazing games or just hang out somewhere to chill and chat”. 

Another alternative to Second Life that you may have heard of is VRChat. It offers a very similar experience in terms of being able to tour different player-build locations and create your own avatar so we figured we’d ask Keenan his thoughts on it as a community for furries compared to Second Life. He claimed that he’s been in the VRChat furry community for about 2 years (a fraction of the time he has spent in the Second Life furry community) and that “VRChat has fairly good performance on various machines, and the graphics are fairly nice. This comes at a cost, however, which is that customizing your avatar or creating a world in VRChat can be a bit more involved than Second Life.” He goes on to say that “Both could be more intuitive to new users, but the fact that you can do that live editing in Second Life (to your avatar) is a win to me”.

Is Second Life Still Popular?

Given that it’s been around 20 years since the release of Second Life it’s worth checking out how popular the game still is especially amongst furries. We asked Keenan about the furry community in Second Life and whether or not he thought it was growing to which he responded “It’s hard for me to say as I generally hang out with a small group of friends these days, but I feel it’s decently sized. I think there is potential for growth as well, especially with more furry-related marketing.” And it’s true, Second Life doesn’t really angle their marketing toward the furry community specifically, it just so happens that Second Life ticks all the boxes for a furry community to inhabit. However, Second Life has around 750K active monthly users but they saw a massive spike in players amidst the pandemic in 2020 where it shot up to nearly 1 million.

Another Screenshot From Second Life

Image via BBC

Is It Safe From Trolls and Raiding?

One of the main selling points of Second Life for furries is how it deals with people who can’t be bothered for trolling and harassment. This is done through the use of what is known as regions and parcels. “A region is an island that one can buy, whereas a parcel is a piece of land either in a region or on the mainland which is run by Linden Lab”. These regions and parcels can be made private so that only specific members may join them and this works wonders for the furry community. “Obviously, it is not without its fair share of trolls, especially in more public spaces, but the owners and moderators of those spaces have the tools needed to take care of the problem” Keenan goes on to explain. 

We then wanted to get an idea of how it compares to the furry community in VRChat in terms of its ability to deal with trolls to which Keenan answered “I’ve seen some of the community, but I haven’t participated in it directly. I feel that VRChat as a whole has a higher degree of toxicity in public spaces. I have yet to go somewhere public and not be harassed by someone”. He goes on to describe how most of his time spent on VRChat is in private worlds with his friends, free from the harassment of strangers in the game. He goes on to explain that “That’s not a reflection of the furry community on VRChat, but it does make it hard for me to socialize with other furries in those public spaces.”

Furries operating in public spaces is an issue that seems to be equally as present across all platforms but Second Life seems to give furries the greatest tools to deal with trolls effectively.

Screenshot Of A Second Life Raid

Image via Reddit

Conclusion

After our conversation with Keenan, it became clear that Second Life is a platform that a lot of furries find truly useful. It allows for self-expression, exploration, creativity, provides the best tools to deal with trolling, and has an already thriving community. It’s very likely that if you’re a furry, Second Life completely flew under your radar like it did ours but it’s obvious that there is something special here for the furry community and we can only hope that it continues to grow and improve.

Share Post

The post How Furries Have Found A Place In The Second Life Community appeared first on Fursonafy.

Categories: News

Books and More

In-Fur-Nation - Sun 18 Jun 2023 - 01:51

Another artist we met at ConFuzzled: Johanna Tarkela. From her personal web site: “I am a Finnish-born, currently UK based digital artist who specialises in realism and creating visually believable, atmospheric paintings in Photoshop… I am heavily influenced by the natural world around us, both the creatures and environments – there’s something about all the different textures especially on animals that keeps me hooked and feeds my attention to detail.” In addition to free-standing illustrations and prints, her works have been used by book publishers like Harper Collins and for games like Zoo Tycoon.

image c. 2023 by Johanna Tarkela

Categories: News