I met The Sojourner in 2006, during my first starry-eyed weeks in Second Life. I used to hang out a lot at Dreams/Shockproof, the island she founded for stroke survivors and those dealing with Asperger's / Autism.

Anybody could go there, take classes, and follow the free tutorials. Everyone felt welcome. The people there were nice, I loved the activities and contests that were always underway, and when I got the chance, I liked to talk to her. She was generous with her time.

A suvivor of stroke herself, The Sojourner worked tirelessly helping people to cope with their medical problems through participating in the creativity of Second Life. She was one of the early community builders, and she did it well. She knew that providing entertainment might bring people together, but she also saw that encouraging their participation was the key to maintaining social bonds. The building contests were amazing -- I particularly remember all those tree houses -- and the annual Dreams Fair was not to be missed.

Sojourner's recent death of heart failure brought an outpouring from the Second Life community, much of it to be found here. If you read the posts, you will be struck by how often people say that she created something solid and lasting in the community. If you're not a member of Second Life, this may strike you as odd, but if you have been there for a while, you'll understand.

Someone once said that in Second Life nobody ever dies, they just fail to show up. The outcry at the passing of The Sojourner demonstrates that for many of us, this is no longer true. A community is growing there, where kind deeds, whether in pixels or in atoms, have a real and enduring effect.