I’d just like to place, on record, my thanks for all Ella did over the years in making SL Naturist such a success. It was her energy and hard work that did it, all I did was fund it a bit, but there can be no doubt it was Ella’s baby, Ella’s success.

When she stood down from the editor position when her most recent child was born, I still felt the blog had some wind left in its sails, so we recruited Trine as editor and she was equally energetic and successful in keeping it going before Ella was tempted back into the editor’s chair for a second stint.

If I remember correctly Ella once said that it had reached almost every nation on earth at one time or another with a few exceptions, and I know we’ve had about 1.5m visitors over the time we’ve, or rather Ella, has been running the blog. But this time it does feel like it’s time to stop, that we’ve run our course and Ella can be proud to have made one of the very few lifestyle SL blogs around such a success. The blog, as Ella has already said, will remain online. But! And here’s the difference between Ella’s thoughts on the future and mine. I will leave it open that if the naturist lifestyle expands again in the context of SL, and Ella feels in 3-6-12 months time that she is renewed with energy, perhaps we can revive SLN. We do, I think, need that jewel in the crown, as Ella referred to Eden Naturopolis, to be a focal point for SL naturism. There’s some other good naturist sims out there. I’m a member and regular visitor to Lupe’s, for example. But I’d also echo Ella’s view that the focal point of SL naturism has been lost. I maintain a home at Eden, but frankly it’s a shadow of what it was.

I remain committed to some form of lifestyle SL blog publishing, and will take time to consider another blog that might reflect a specific SL community interests. Lots of people make music, fed live into SL, so that might be an option. A growing interest in spirituality and alternative lifestyles (naturism might be part of that too, as it happens) is another option. I’ll take my time and see how we move forward from here. But the SLNMPG (SL New Media Publishing Group) will maintain a presence in blogging and reflecting the successful real life/second life crossover Ella brought to naturism.

Best wishes.

Howie (SLNMPG and SL Naturist Publisher)