General News – Page 78

A horror week for stability

November 18, 2007 by Editor 7 Comments

The latest blog post by Linden Lab tops off a horror week for Second Life stability. Combine that with the ever-present lag and usability remains the chestnut issue for Second Life.

If the rumours are true about Australian-based SL servers finally arriving, then part of the significant frustration with the Second Life experience will be remedied. The roll-out of improved broadband in Australia is likely to occur no matter who wins next week’s election, but it’s still a while off. None of it will remediate the enormous logistical task of keeping a virtual world running across thousands of servers – that’s something that can at best be minimised as a performance issue.

We’d be interested in your experiences with lag – has it been around the same for you, better or worse?

Filed Under: General News, Op-ed, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: lindenlab, usability

Linden Lab further clarify ageplay policy

November 14, 2007 by Editor 7 Comments

Linden Lab have further clarified their policy on ageplay. The real clarity is around child-like avatars and what is acceptable behaviour – essentially anything sexual is out, including promotion of sex-related products by child-like avatars. The ongoing grey area revolves around defining what is child-like and what isn’t, something Linden Lab acknowledges in their clarification.

I’d also like to see the overall policy in one location, rather than a series of blog posts – hopefully this will occur in the near future. We’ve been clear in our support for Linden Lab’s efforts to date and this is an incremental improvement that should put no-one in doubt about what is acceptable in regards to the Terms of Service.

Is there anything in the clarification you disagree with? Do you feel the definitions are too strict or too lax?

The full announcement:

“Weâ€™ve had a number of questions from Residents regarding Second Lifeâ€™s policy regarding sexual â€œageplay,â€ i.e., depictions of or engagement in sexualized conduct with avatars that resemble children. This practice has been disallowed in recognition of our Community Standards, complaints from Residents, and international laws, so itâ€™s important to understand the definitions.

Under our Community Standards policy, real-life images, avatar portrayals, and other depictions of sexual or lewd acts involving or appearing to involve children or minors are not allowed within Second Life. When detected, individuals and groups promoting or providing such content and activities will be subject to sanctions, which may include termination of accounts, closure of groups, removal of content, and loss of land or access to land.

There are three key aspects, which are in breach of the Community Standards:

(1) participation by Residents in lewd or sexual acts in which one or more of the avatars appears to represent minors (or the depiction of such acts in images, video, textures, or text) is a violation of the Community Standards;

(2) promoting or catering to such behavior or representations violates our Community Standards. For instance, the placement of avatars appearing to represent minors in proximity to â€œsex bedsâ€ or other sexualized graphics, objects, or scripts, would violate our Community Standards, as would the placement of sexualized â€œpose ballsâ€ or other content in areas depicting playgrounds or childrenâ€™s spaces;

(3) the graphic depiction of children in a sexual or lewd manner violates our Community Standards.

We understand that in some cases there may be an element of subjectivity as to whether an avatar (or other image) appears to be a minor. Objective factors which will be used to decide include whether an avatar has child-like facial features, is sized as a child, has clothing or accessories generally associated with children, and whether, based on the circumstances, an avatar is speaking or acting like a child (e.g. â€œMy Mommy saysâ€¦â€).

If you are in doubt as to whether an activity may be interpreted as ageplay, we request you err on the side of caution and desist. Please note that some countriesâ€™ laws may impose penalties for graphics, drawings or anime that resemble child pornography, even where no children have been involved.

Linden Lab reserves the right to immediately terminate the accounts of Residents who violate these standards.

Of course, any images, chat or other conduct which leads us to believe actual minor children are involved will lead to swift action, including reporting to the appropriate authorities.

Please note it does not violate this policy merely to have a child-like avatar. It is not our intent to banish child-like avatars in and of themselves.

We appreciate the Communityâ€™s continued support in reporting abuses of these standards, and we hope this helps answer any questions about this topic and our policy. To report a violation of the policy, please go to the Help/Report Abuse feature in your Second Life viewer, and follow the instructions given.”

Filed Under: General News, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: ageplay, lindenlab

The Wonderland saga – ageplay focus increases

November 1, 2007 by Editor 8 Comments

Over the past day, the ageplay investigations by UK authorities has well and truly hit the mainstream media. WIth gambling now gone from SL, sex was always going to be the issue that piques the media’s interest, particularly when it potentially involves children.

At SLOz we’ve been contacted today by a couple of mainstream media outlets including one of the national TV news services. NineMSN has a perfunctory story on its site. Our comments to the media matched those we’ve made here: any efforts to remove child pornography are to be applauded, determining the actual age of SL users is fraught with difficulty and Linden Lab have a significant issue on their hands.

Linden Lab’s response response today is a re-hash of its previous position i.e. ‘tell us when you see it happen and we’ll investigate’. We’re assuming this is an initial response – there’s a momentum growing in a number of countries now and the status quo probably isn’t going to be good enough.

Update: there’s a sizeable discussion on the saga at TechCrunch.

Filed Under: General News, Op-ed, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: ageplay, media

New search functionality has promise

October 30, 2007 by Editor 5 Comments

I’m encouraged by the work being done on an improved search interface in Second Life.

I’ve always believed one of the biggest causes of users giving up on SL is the hassle in finding anything in-world. Between Linden’s work and the ever-growing list of third-party SL viewers, there’s a chance SL may be user-friendly. I kid you not.

Are there additions to the search functionality you’d like to see?

Filed Under: General News, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: search, usability

‘The Office’ covers Second Life

October 27, 2007 by Editor 1 Comment

With the massive blog coverage on CSI New York’s episode on Second Life, another TV appearance has been overlooked. The US version of The Office had an SL cameo. One part of it can be seen here:

There’s a reason for mentioning this – one of SLOz’s sponsors, Encore Design Group (EDG), was responsible for the build “The Hanging Gardens of Ancient Babylon”. EDG helped us with our modest SLOz HQ earlier this year.

Other info from the press release:

“I have never been more excited than when Dwight and Jim were shown near the welcome center at the Hanging Gardens,” says Kat Claxton, co-founder of Encore Design Group. “I have been a fan of The Office since it first aired, and I watch it every week. When we were informed that the producers of the show had been capturing footage in Mesopotamia, we had no idea how much would actually make it into the show. When it aired and both Dwight and Jim were shown in easily identifiable areas of the Hanging Gardens, we just couldn’t believe it. It’s like a dream come true for us at EDG, and we’re very proud that our build was chosen to represent all of Second Life to a nationwide viewing audience.”

As a side story, the episode of “The Office” that aired on Thursday October 25 had Jim making fun of Dwight for Dwight’s involvement in Second Life. When Jim calls Second Life a game, Dwight corrects him by saying that SL is not a game since it has no end goals, winners or losers. “Oh, there are losers,” says Jim while staring pointedly at Dwight.

But later in the episode, Jim creates his own SL avatar to monitor Dwight’s in-world activities, and his character’s love interest Pam (Jenna Fischer) points out how much attention Jim had spent in making his own avatar look exactly like his real-life self.

The last SL-related scene in the episode has Dwight standing by a kiosk in Mesopotamia near a sign advertising something he’d made called “Second Second Life”, which the show’s other characters deride as being yet another step removed from Dwight’s reality.

Filed Under: Business, General News, Virtual Worlds, Virtual worlds in the media Tagged With: 'the office', media

Electric Sheep have virtual ad network in development

October 8, 2007 by Editor Leave a Comment

Over on Clickable Culture, Tony Walsh has pointed to Electric Sheep’s ad network in development (beta sign-ups located here.

Such developments will go down like a lead balloon with some residents and there’s previously been a movement against the proliferation of ads.

What’s your thoughts? Would you place advertising on your land if you were paid?

Filed Under: Business, General News, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: advertising, business, electric sheep

Interview – Wolfie Rankin on Furries

October 3, 2007 by Editor 9 Comments

Recently I was chatting to well known aussie SL resident Wolfie Rankin and we discussed the idea of covering what it means to be a furry. I posed a bunch of questions to Wolfie, and his responses are below:

Lowell Cremorne: What’s the history of furries?

Wolfie Rankin: It’s difficult to say when the genre began, some have said that it reaches back to the 1960s. Some say movies like Watership Down, Disney’s Robin Hood, Jungle Book, and Fritz the cat got the ball rolling.

Human beings have had affinities with animals for thousands of years, and have dreamt of having the strength and speed of animals. Look at our cars – Viper, Jaguar, Bronco, Mustang etc.

Women call their hubbies “Tiger” and men wish they were horses (at least in part). Then there’s the US Bald Eagle emblem.

Lowell Cremorne: How does one become a furry?

Wolfie Rankin: Being furry is not something you do one morning for the sake of fashion…although it has occured in the fandom now and then. I have seen times when skunks were “in” this week and foxes were “in” the next.

Disney was probably a furry, and I’m sure that Mel Blanc, the voice behind Bugs Bunny, was a furry. as he once said in an interview that Bugs was his alter-ego, that he didn’t just play Bugs, but he was Bugs on the inside.

Lowell Cremorne:What made you decide to be a furry?

Wolfie Rankin: In my case it was automatic, The thoughts were already in my head. When a friend introduced me to the internet in the late 90s, I found there were werewolf and furry newsgroups. I joined alt.horror.werewolves, where incidentally, I met Jakkal, who made the Avatar I use on SL.

To discover there were people who felt a lot like me well, that was great.

Lowell Cremorne: Is there any significance in the type of animal persona a person takes
on?

Wolfie Rankin: There can be, it could be a spiritual thing, or even an expression of sexuality. I’m really just wearing my insides on my outsides, I suppose that’s how it works.

I’ve had some deep talks about reincarnation with some people and wondered if souls of animals could come back as people, why not?

Listening to Dr. Karl on the radio years back, he said that “if reincarnation is real and there’s more people every year, then where are all the new souls
coming from?” A good question… I noted that there’s less animals every year too, so where are their souls going?

Lowell Cremorne: What are the downsides of being a furry in SL?

Wolfie Rankin: Not many really. Furries often worried what would happen when the broader populace discovered furries and especially after certain TV programs (MTV and ER) focused on the “shock horror” aspects of the genre.

But I think most people I’ve met are very comfortable having furry friends. If anyone has been worried about it but wants to talk about it and find out what it’s
all about, they discover that there’s nothing to fear.

Lowell Cremorne: What are the upsides?

Wolfie Rankin: Ahh well we did “sorta” have a Second Life in ye olde internet which were MUDS, purely text based, but had to remember who and what each other was, for me that wasn’t always easy. It’s partly why there’s so much furry art, as people would hand draw their avatars or pay someone else to do it… and say “this is me, this is what I look like”. It was fine for the day, but to actually see each other in Second Life is a lot nicer. There’s still art though, and it’s bloody good too.

Lowell Cremorne: There’s a perception I’ve come across that furries are gay. Thoughts?

Wolfie Rankin: There’s no real difference between furries and anyone else as far as sex goes, all tastes are covered and catered for, which includes straight furs too.

Lowell Cremorne: If I like the look of a furry avatar but I don’t “feel” furry, can I still wear one?

Wolfie Rankin: Of course, by all means have fun… it should make no difference to anyone what you choose to wear as an avitar in SL, as long as it’s not deliberately offensive, of course!

Lowell Cremorne: Any furry links you’d like to share?

Wolfie Rankin:

Youtube:

Furry comics: [try these out, they’re loads of fun]

Buster Wilde [Gay Werewolf]

Kevin and Kell

A doemain of our own

Carpe Diem

Filed Under: General News, Profile, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: furries, interview, wolfie

Third-party SL viewers continue to grow

September 17, 2007 by Editor Leave a Comment

Since the open-sourcing of the browser code, the innovation that’s occurred in that area has been substantial. A recent browser iteration I noticed was one that blocks eyesores.

I’ve been a bit conservative and just used the stock standard LL browsers but I’m interested to hear about any third-party browsers you’ve used and why.

Filed Under: General News, Open Source, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: ablewhitman, browsers

Tube2SL to launch – more in-world cinema

September 11, 2007 by Editor Leave a Comment

A new virtual cinema is about to launch. Tube2SL offers a website that interfaces with its SL cinemas:

“The Tube2SL website will enable its members to upload their very own film productions for showing on huge virtual screens in the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex located in the virtual world of Second Life. Our aim is to provide an interactive and fun platform for amateur film makers to promote and receive feedback on their work, enter contests, meet new contacts, learn and share new skills. We for see the Tube2SL project as a precursor to the future of on-line public digital media broadcasting.”

The launch is scheduled for September 30th, 1pm-6pm SLT (7am-11am on the 31st AEST), with the background being:

“The launch has been planned to coincide with the Tube2SL YouTube Short Film Producer 2007 awards ceremony that is to be held at the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex in Second Life. We have been running the contest throughout this summer via the Tube2SL YouTube Channel, with each entry being shown daily in the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex. There is no fee to enter the Tube2SL Virtual Cinema Complex, allowing both our members and everyday Second Life residents the ability to watch and vote for their favourite movies in a realistic 3D virtual cinema environment.

The official contest award ceremony will commence on Saturday the 30th of September at 1pm (Second Life Time), with Mr Murcus Parker-Rhodes announcing the contest winners before handing out trophies and prizes. Mr Marcus Parker-Rhodes is an accomplished British animator and former assistant to Terry Gilliam during the making of Monty Pythons Flying Circus.

Events are planned throughout the day including live performances by the Second Life and real life renowned Beatles tribute duo, Bill and Pam Havercamp. Entries to the contest have been many and varied, consisting of machinima, animation and real life productions. The contest prize fund totals 40,000 Linden Dollars (approximately $150 USD).”

Filed Under: General News, Virtual Worlds Tagged With: arts, event, tube2sl