When I rejoined SL for a third time, it was because an SL friend had IM'd me about a technical issue she was having in-world. She had solved it before I was able to log-in, but once there I hung around a bit. She was involved in a new club, so we went and checked it out and I ran into a lot of people I knew from my previous incarnation. I wasn't very interested in getting back into the pre-fab club scene, though, so the next time I logged in, I made a concerted effort to get involved in something else.
I wanted to do something different from every other time I had been in SL. Previously, it had pretty much been DJ one nite, hang out the next, DJ, hang out, lather, rinse, repeat. I really wanted to do something else. This is when I really discovered the event search.
I was originally looking for live music. Now, let's be honest… 80% of the live music in SL is crap. But, as someone who has been in the business, I applaud their efforts and willingness to put themselves out there. That remaining 20%, however, is awesome, and makes wading through the others to find them so worth it. I find it relaxing to sit my avatar down in the corner away from everyone else and just listen. Even though I'm not really interacting with the crowd, you really feel like part of the group. I predict at some point we are going to hear about an artist who works exclusively in SL and makes a living. There have already been bands who have done SL 'tours' and album releases, but someday we are truly going to see an SL-only music star.
Another thing I have really enjoyed while browsing through events are the symposiums and discussion groups. Linden Labs and the Second Life community involved in these events really need to do a broader job of letting people know that these things are happening in SL. Most of what you read concerning SL is about sex and things related to sex. You never hear about the language classes or the history lectures and Q&As. I even TP'd into a church service in SL once. I saw it in the events and I was curious. I didn't really know what to expect, but I was surprised at what I saw. 30 or so people, sitting in pews, some not really dressed appropriately (not that that matters) quietly listening to a preacher read from the Bible. I stuck around for about 20min until the service was over and not once did I get an IM asking me if Christ was my savior or any kind of proselytizing at all. Just one invite to join the church group and that was it. I was actually kind of impressed in how these people were using SL to organize and share in this way. The average SL user (i.e. not you and me) have no clue that any of this is going on. Hell, I kinda knew it was happening, but not to the degree I discovered when I took the time to look.
In SL, we seem to insulate ourselves. (Prad Prathivi has a great article about this over at his blog, Metaversally Speaking, although I think it is more a function of technology (site-to-site TPs, etc) than a function of psychology, but you can decide for yourself) We go to the same places to see the same people and do the same things. Occasionally, someone will get a wild hair and sim-hop, but that is sadly rare. Our virtual world can offer so much and so few are taking advantage of the promise of this world. SL is nothing without its citizens, are its citizens are nothing until they interact. It's a shame that there is so little true interaction in SL. Go, search out something that interests you. Expand your circle of friends, even if that means having a separate circle. Use this technology to better yourselves and those around you.
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