Tuesday 3 January 2012

Second Life Residents Vote to Ban None-Mesh Viewers

New World Notes Survey on Improving Second Life produces shock result in which 30.6% of the 245 respondents voted to Declare that all viewers must be Mesh capable within 3 months, or wont be able to log into Second Life any more. 18.4% also voted to Suspend/delist any market place listings of merchants that have not logged in for a month.


Far from improving Second Life this survey has given vent to those who would ban any one that refuses to conform to the dictates of a vocal minority which begs the question; How is this meant to improve Second Life if a whole bunch paying residents who don't readily share the enthusiasm for mesh are going to be thrown out?

Seems to me the people who want to impose Mesh viewers on the rest are putting profit before common sense. Fact is Mesh has kind of landed in SL like a damp squid and it has not exactly caught the imagination of the vast majority. Even content creators who would like to make mesh clothing have had to crowd fund a deformer so clothes move with the body. Mesh is incomplete but there are those in SL that want to impose it on the rest on pain of banning. Well, I know how I feel about that. If I am forced into something I don't want to do then be sure I will close my sims and take my money elsewhere. You see, I am not in SL for profit. For me it is just a role play hobby and the 3D world adds a little realism to the game but it's no substitute for a vivid imagination and well worded RP scene. Most people are not in SL for profit either. Most just want to escape, some to pursue their gaming ideas and dreams, and the rest just having a bit of fun. So okay, if I am forced out because I wont conform to this dictatorship then I can at least take over a $1000 a month out of SL with the click of a button. In addition there is the lost business from content sales that I generate from my market, out of which other merchants have been benefiting too. And that is not to mention the value of a popular role play game I run for free that will close.

I would, of course, regret pulling the plug on a game I know people enjoy and I would miss it too. Many long hours of work and thousands of dollars gone into it is not something to part will lightly, and this is it really. Linden Labs has got people over a barrel because we can't take what we own out of it unless we made it and have full perms. This is how we get held to ransom but, I for one, would not yield to it. Second Life is not essential. It's a past time and a luxury.

SL wont miss me but if a vocal bunch of dictators drive others out too then SL will decline even faster than it is already. Remember, the metrics show growth is flat and people are leaving as fast as they are joining. The NWN Survey is supposed to be about improving SL but is worded in such a way that it asks people to vote on blocking entry for a whole section of the community for one reason or another. If that's the way they want it then so be it. Opensim grids will benefit for sure.

NWN article here

10 comments:

  1. Great post! I admit im not interested in mesh whatsoever but still I love their mesh viewer (V3). Im sure im daft but i dont get why ppl dont change viewer? The V3 viewer is working better for me on all my computers, regardless of graphic card or CPU.

    On my lousy computer it works fine while i cant walk with imprudence for example. I have monitored V3 om my computers and it uses less CPU power and it uses all cores evenly. Imprudence and firestorm often makes 1 core go up 100% and that is not efficient.

    Of course i dont like the idea of banning ppl using old viewers and I wouldnt vote for that. But im sure everyone can use V3 if they want...and maybee would benefit from it (Im less sure about Mac users though as I have a PC).

    I know its not that easy as we are all creatures of habit, more or less =)

    I love Opensim, but I also hope SL will survive and thrive as Im sure Opensim would benefit from that too <3

    I hope to meet you in SL soon =)

    Huggss!! //Mera

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  2. Hey Mera!

    I have used all viewers or at least tried most what works for me good enough are Imp, Singularity and Astra. Certainly Astra is a must for Aurora grids because it is coded to handle var regions and such so you need it to get the best experience.

    I often log into SL with a text client like Radegast which is very light weight but still allows me to use most functions other than a view of the screen. Well, it does have a view but its no good for serious role play. But for scripting and administration Radegast is fine. I can have two or three viewers open that way so I can do stuff in OSgrid, SL and my Aurora sims pretty much all at the same time just by switching view.

    But the real issue of my article is about forcing a viewer choice on everyone or banning them. Hell, we have been invited to try different viewers for years and that's LL's fault for letting the gene out of the bag. Why should anyone be banned now to force us back into line?

    I too want SL to survive but I don't think it will ever become a mega platform like Facebook or Google and nor do I want to see that. As SL stands I can use any name I like and be a private person while my avatar is well known. That's the way a lot of us like it. But, seriously, if LL try to force me into a narrow viewer choice for the sake of the Mesh junkies then I they can keep it. And I will just save the money or spend in in OSgrid. Simple!!!

    See you in SL soon *hugs*

    Gaga

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  3. gee, seems kind of a non-issue and a big "who cares"

    so here's the way i see it - you decide to use a non-mesh viewer and that means you miss out on the phenomenal meshes made by whoever

    or you decide to use a mesh viewer and see the meshes

    what's the big deal? why the all or nothing sentiment among some?

    i drive a very inexpensive car and agree that life could be more beautiful if i was driven in a Bentley. but banning my cheap car is not the solution!

    what happened to people taking responsibility for themselves? i don't need anyone mandating how i should live my life (real or virtual!)

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  4. Oh come on new. New World Notes is a contract writer for LL and the biggest spinner ever existed about SL.
    The fact that so many would state mesh to be mandatory simply cannot be the truth.
    A spin, yes that i possibly is.

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  5. The reason so many may have (as I would vote as well the same result) is they have computers that are up to speed, know the technical aspects and how to tweak things, are all tired of the lag and need to "modify my vision" to meet "your lack of skill/failure to get a decent computer".
    For example I now walk around in a nice Mesh Avatar that is a "Demi-God Wolf", that is supposed invoke the image of largeness, power, etc. such a beast would invoke if in RL. The problem I get in "scene" or just visiting other places is "What is that a large ball?" because they can't see Mesh. On my SIM, I have placed MESH couches, road blocks and other objects, and I get "your sim is broken you have things that don't rezz" from Non-Mesh visitors.

    Because of SL being free, there seems to be some perception that it is a "RIGHT" that LL needs to conform to these people who "can't afford a new computer". So everything needs to work according to those people standards. SL is free so there is no reason they need to upgrade their Windows XP computer they bought in 2005 that still runs Word 2000 fine why should they change! You can't force me to buy a new computer just to play YOUR game! etc. etc.

    Heck I spoken to people able to run Firestorm on Mid level perfectly well on a $300 Walmart special laptop, so there is no reason for people to whine so much about being unable to "afford" a computer immediately today. Save up and stop telling the rest of us we need to conform to your "demands" because you want immediate satisfaction and whine when you don't get it. So you can't play for several months while you save up, well I used to ride miles on my bicycle to / from work, even in winter, till I saved up for a car; same thing. You do what you need to, don't put the onus on everyone else for your faults.

    Supporting V1-model is too costly for LL to move forward, per LL. Considering the "tech" that makes the V1-model work is way out of date, isn't utilizing the maximum potential (multicore, 64-bit processing, etc.) and does "cost" LL to make it work, yeah I can understand their position and support the same vote. Remove the non-conforming viewers, remove access by those viewers, start to remove people who haven't logged in for months, remove marketplace entries that are associated to those accounts (I am tired of buying something that I can't even find the user much less the store when it doesn't work as advertised), repurpose the land, sims, whatever.

    Hell maybe with "so many people gone" they can instead re-purpose these empty servers (Sims) to something akin to 1/4 of a homestead to each person left. That would be more than enough to allow people to create their own sim vision and pay for services (support) as the model instead. That would compete better against OpenSim, etc. and finally deal a positive stroke than being all-or-nothing just because we can't move our purchased home, furniture, clothes to OpenSIM, etc.

    Just my two cents, spend it wisely.

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    Replies
    1. Anonymous is a pretentious snob. You like mesh, you love your avatar, good for you. I have a great comp, new more or less, excellent graphic card, I use a Mac. I can't see mesh, not my fault - SL needs to make it more friendly, many mac users out there with the number of mac users growing.

      Just because I can't afford a newer model, or because I can't see mesh, doesn't mean I deserve to be banned, I spent enough time in money in there. You're an SL Nazi anonymous - Nothing more, nothing less.

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  6. In response to Anonymous up above, or should I say, Wolf? I have to call you a techno snob - sorry. While I do actually understand your frustration not being noticed when clearly you have spent your money and want to intimidate the rest of Second Life and show off your fantastic form whether people want to see it or not sadly, however, you clearly have no time for those less fortunate than yourself. I am thinking here of those who have lost their jobs because of the thieving bankers, the low-income families and disabled not to mention the third world users who, in many cases, are dependant on secondhand computers and parts. They are to be shut out and denied access to the content they already own and paid for because your mesh appearance is so important to you. Well, I can't agree. I wont agree and if it comes to it then Second Life can shrink still further until just you and your mesh buddies have what's left it all to yourselves in it's dying days.

    Mesh has been implemented in TPV viewers anyway despite Linden Labs refusal to do the same and the beauty of Opensim is that the developers can't block the use of V1 and V1-based TPVs nor is it likely of interest to them to do so. The best Mesh zealots can hope for is that the developers include viewer blocking code that has to be configured by the grid and sim operators which, given that they pay for their servers, it's reasonable to expect. Now, in Second Life no such choices will ever be available regardless of the expensive nature of the service and so we are faced with draconian measures that are being demanded by people, or huge demigod wolves, such as yourself.

    Forgive me if I don't seem too sympathetic to your cause but, being one who pays for and runs two role play sims in Second Life, I have seen many mesh avatars (yes, I can see them with a V1-based TPV viewer) but, honestly, they are not strictly needed or wanted on my sims since I run a strictly human RPG. That's right, no demigod wolves, werewolves, vampires, elves, nekos, furries or latex rubber dolls come to that. In fact I get kind of annoyed when huge yellow Mesh-clad rubber ducks ignore the clearly stated historical-human theme description and proceed to waltz all over the venue disrupting the role play with their fantastic apparitions - even over riding the sim presets and flying most likely!

    As for people that put content on the web market place then perhaps you will agree with me that there should not be a web market place at all and it would be better to patronize the stores, malls and markets in-world which are maintained at huge expense and virtually empty these days (oh how LL loves their cake and eat it!). Personally, I never spend more than perhaps 100L with a seller I don't know or have recommended anyway but I guess there will always be people that have eyes bigger than their belly so to speak and buy without doing the most basic checks. I would blame LL anyway as they control everything so it is up to them to include the idiot proofing and fail safe measures. Feedback is a powerful tool that works well enough on eBay and the means to reclaim monies for goods not received is an LL responsibility that should be actively providing as a priority service to their customers.

    Shutting people out of Second Life and disabling V1-based TPVs is not the answer and, in any event, it leads to the denial of content usage that has been paid for. That is just unfair, pretty much the same as theft and probably illegal.

    Gaga

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  7. Hi Gaga!

    First-time visitor here, I just found that you've been kind enough to link our Enlades blog on your Resources page. Thank you for that.

    As to this topic: well, I don't really have much surprise that this kind of opinion poll is banded around. What is more to the point, for me, is that 245 respondents is not what I think of as being a particularly representative sample. Whether LL is listening or not is the thing, their decision-making process is sort of quirky like that.

    On what I hope is a helpful note (rather than just blog-puffing): I noticed Mera commenting on being unsure about V3 usability for Macs. I'm currently in the process of reviewing V1 and V2/3 viewers on a four year old iMac. I'm hoping that this will be a useful resource to give an overview of what is there for Mac users.

    Thanks again!
    Belochka

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  8. You're welcome Belochka. You are right about the unrepresentative sample of course but vocal minorities do get listened to especially if it's what LL wants to hear anyway. As was pointed out above, Hamlet is a contract writer for Linden Labs so this pole is possibly just some spin to justify what LL has planned.

    Thanks for commenting!

    Gaga

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  9. I'm the type of person who will take stability, speed, way over what I refer to as "eye candy" (mesh). SL has a number of other issues that could use fixing (sim boundary crossings anyone?) could use repair before worrying about mesh.

    Deson Bowenford

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