I’ve just filed a bug report on JIRA about the rippling reflection of sun- and moonlight showing through alpha textures. I have no way of knowing if it’s only on Macs, or only on some other particular of my system, but I’d appreciate it if you’d vote for it. http://jira.secondlife.com
Like watching a train wreck
The Second Life 1.18.5 Server Deploy Post-Mortem on the Official Linden Blog is surprisingly good reading!
(Little did we know that the insufficient object pools were merely a symptom, not the root cause.)
Bravo to Linden Lab for another piece of transparency, and bravo to Joshua Linden for an entertaining writing style. (Who says technical reports have to be stilted and boring?)
Ride the monorail!
Tribute Island 82,58,37 – This is a lovely, inventive island with fantastic texturing and builds. Be sure to ride the monorail in mouselook, especially through the underground tunnel. Be sure to look for all the clever little things everywhere.
Donation button at Katharine’s Second Life
Donation button at Katharine’s Second Life
Most likely the donations will pay for the AjaxLife server fees, on the basis they’re highly unlikely to exceed a total of £10 ever.
Heh. Hardly. Go show a talented young computer whiz some PayPal love.
SL as a “product”
Nice response by Nobody Fugazi to the recent characterization of Second Life as a “product” by Gene Yoon (Gene Linden), VP of Business Affairs for Linden Lab:
I don’t think I’m alone when I say…
I want a better product.
No, indeed, you are not alone.
Amazing trees
Kenroku 59,33,52 – Come to the Kenroku sim and see the amazing creations of brue Noel. I can’t tell if the foliage is sculpties or just tortured regular prims, but there is a lot of depth for only 11 prims per tree (the trunks are sculpties). The garden center has a demo for changing the season of the trees.
Guidance for beginners
And for the not-so-new, as well: SL Trip Tips | Cool tips, secrets, touring, and resources for Second Life®.
So you found Second Life, and you’ve started to explore things a bit.
Now, you need the scoop: the cool places to visit, fun things to do, tips and techniques for building, buying, and playing in this amazing world!
(Tip of the hat to Eloise Pasteur at Massively.)
Desmond requests feedback on Windlight
Caledon Regency 169,242,26 – Guvnah Desmond Shang has just asked in Independent State of Caledon group IM for feedback on what policy to prepare for when Windlight becomes available: Enforce standard daylength across Caledon? Nature of the sky? “Desmond Shang: well I won’t make a snap decision now, but what I’d like, is if anyone has fairly strong feelings on this, PLEASE notecard me. ESPECIALLY those with Duchy sims.”
Disillusioned creative
Katharine Berry, the creator of AjaxLife, a web-browser SL client in development, has posted in her blog reasons why she is partially leaving Second Life.
(The main one) Linden Lab continue to neglect the Teen Grid
How sad is that? Linden Lab says teens should be restricted to a teen-only (except for vetted adults) version of Second Life, but then they provide inadequate support, (They also, ironically, make it possible for teens to sign up on the Main Grid—against the rules but extraordinarily easily—thereby bleeding off even more talented and interesting individuals from the Teen Grid.)
Katharine has been doing wonderfully creative work, and like others before her, has been alienated by the cavalier way in which Linden Lab treats its customers.
Linden Lab: You have created an original, engaging, and promising new medium, but you could so easily be surpassed by any number of creative people like Katharine.
Victorian Shopkeepers Association
I am happy to announce the creation of a new group in Second Life: The Victorian Shopkeepers Association exists to enrich the 19th-century communities of Second Life—Caledon, New Babbage, Steelhead, Antiquity, and other sims as appropriate—by helping shoppers and shopkeepers alike mitigate the 25-groups limit.
For discerning consumers, a mechanism to consolidate notices of new products and specials in a single group.
For shopkeepers, a way to reach a wider audience through cooperative effort.
Open enrollment. Business owners, please IM me to be added as a shopkeeper.
The Rules
Shopkeepers may send up to one notice fortnightly (*subject to review) announcing new products or sales. No general advertising.
No chat.
Rules strictly enforced.
Group owners as of 28 October 2007: Kamilah Hauptmann, CoyoteAngel Dimsum, Otenth Paderborn. Officers: ZenMondo Wormser
Please feel free to spread the word of this effort.