Month: May 2013

Cloud Party art contest offers $1,000 prize

Posted on by Inara Pey

logo-CPI’m not that active in Cloud Party, although I do log-in from time to time, largely because Claudia222 Jewell has a workshop there and I love slipping in and seeing what she is doing, and also because Maxwell Graf tends to be busy there as well.

Nevertheless, Cloud Party appear to be very much aware of me, as I discovered they’d e-mailed me about their first art contest. Entitled the “Monumental Work of Public Art”, it is being held to mark the platform’s first first anniversary, and it is open to anyone to enter.

On offer is a $1,000 USD prize for the overall winner, and a 2,000 Cloud Coins prize for the “Community Favourite” entry as judged by Cloud Party residents. In addition, all artists entering the contest will receive an in-world studio workspace in which to create their entry.

Claudia222 Jewell is one of a number of well-known virtual world artists active in Cloud Party
Claudia222 Jewell is one of a number of well-known virtual world artists active in Cloud Party

The e-mail announcement reads in part:

Cloud Party is pleased to announce a very exciting community event to celebrate our first year. In collaboration with Ben Davis, editor of Artinfo Magazine, we are sponsoring an Art in Cloud Party contest. Our theme is “Monumental Work of Public Art” with a first prize of $1,000.00 (USD)! The Community Favourite prize, as voted by our community, takes home 2000CC (Cloud Coins virtual currency).

If you decide to enter, you’ll get access to your own virtual studio space for a month to create your masterpiece. Entries will be judged on the following criteria:

  • Originality of concept
  • Personal voice
  • How well it takes advantage of the virtual environment
  • Overall coherence of vision.

In addition, the Cloud Party blog provides further information, stating in part:

The rules for what you create are pretty wide open. It can be visual, interactive, collaborative – whatever you come up with that meets your definition of art and reflects our theme. Since this is a subjective topic we intend to be pretty open-minded, but do keep our Terms of Service in mind and that this is a 13+ website.

Key Dates for the Contest

  • The contest opens at 12:00 noon PDT on Wednesday May 8th, 2013
  • Last of contest and first day of community voting: 17:00 PDT Wednesday June 12th, 2013
  • Official winner and Community Favourite winner announcement: 12:00 noon PDT Friday June 14th, 2013.

The overall winner will be judged by Ben Davis, editor of Artinfo magazine.

How To Enter

  • Those wishing to enter must submit Art in Cloud Party Entry Form after the competition has formally opened at midday PDT on Wednesday March 8th, 2013 – any entry forms received before this time will be ignored
  • Entrants should receive confirmation of their application and be granted access to their Cloud Party studio workspace within 24 hours of their entry form being received
  • Once an entry is completed, an Art in Cloud Party Submission Form must be submitted in order for the piece to be considered in the formal judging and Community Favourites contest.

As always, there are also Official Contest Rules which should also be read through.

So, if you’ve ever wondered what Cloud Party might offer you as an artist – now might be the time to take the plunge – and perhaps be rewarded for your efforts!

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SL projects update week 19 (1): server releases, SSB/A, materials

Posted on by Inara Pey

Server Deployments Week 19

Second Life Server (Main) Channel

On Tuesday May 7th, the Main channel should receive the maintenance package which has been running on Magnum. This project brings some new minor features to LSL, and fixes some crash modes and well as additional LSL HTTP support – release notes.

 Release Candidate Channels

On Wednesday May 8th, all three Release Candidate channels (BlueSteel, LeTigre and Magnum) should receive server-side support for experience permissions which was running on BlueSteel in week 18. The update, as usual, will also include the changes which are going to the Main channel on May 7th – release notes (BlueSteel).

I was somewhat confused by the release notes for 13.05.04.275247 package, as on the one hand they suggested the new LSL AO capabilities would be absent from Agni following the RC deployments (“Changes since 13.04.19.274370 … Removed changes introduced by Second Life Server 13.04.12.273874”), while on the other, the line originally following this comment suggested otherwise.

I contacted Maestro for clarification, and he confirmed that the AO capabilities will be present on the RC channels following the deployment, and that the release notes have been revised to prevent any further confusion.

As always, there is a discussion thread in the forums for the deployments.

Server-Side Baking / Appearance

SSB/A - further viewer-side updates expected. No published timeline on testing as yet
SSB/A – further viewer-side updates expected. No published timeline on testing as yet

As noted in the last part of my week 18 report, there will be at least update to the viewer-side SSB/A code, which Nyx referred to at the Content Creation meeting on Monday May 6th as being, “Mostly reliability and some related polishing”. From the TPV Developer meeting on Friday May 3rd, the release will be addressing some additional ways in which baking can fail as well as addressing stability in general, although as Nyx noted at the TPV Developer meeting, “Nothing that we know of right now that would be mandatory for the system to work.”

The question of when constrained testing would commence again came up at the Content Creation meeting. This will see a number of regions across the main grid have the server code for SSB/A enabled in order for LL to carry out further load tests on the system ahead of the “switch being thrown” and SSB/A enabled across the entire grid. All Nyx would say on the matter is, “We don’t have a timeline to announce today.”

Whether this means there will be a formal announcement when testing does commence, remains to be seen. However, the Lab is still intending to make a formal announcement on SSB/A, mostly likely via a blog post, ahead of the service being enabled across the grid in the hope of further communicating the change, and the need to upgrade to an SSB/A-capable viewer to as many users as possible.

Outfit Changes

During her tests with SSB/A on Aditi, Kitty Barnett noted that when changing a wearable or reordering the layers of an outfit, the updated bakes could take a while to come through. Concern that this might be the case when SSB/A is enabled on the main grid prompted her to ask:

For server-side baking, would there be any issue with turning on local baking to make getting dressed more pleasant? it could be Aditi, but [when] wearing something it takes a very long time before the server bake comes through, particularly reordering clothing or taking something off … I actually just turn local baking on as soon as there’s a wearable change and it seems to be working nicely and turns itself off when the server bake comes through… but I was wondering if that would cause any undesirable issues [if the same was done on Agni]?

Local bakes already occur when using the Editing Appearance options, so Kitty’s question appears to be more broadly aimed at general outfit changes (people simply swapping individual clothing layers directly from inventory, and (possibly) using the capability in some TPVs to re-order clothing layers directly from inventory, rather than going via the appearance editor).

Responding to the question, Nyx said:

I’m not certain how you’re turning on local baking, and can’t really speak to whether there are undesirable behaviors as a result. The code to switch between the different types of bakes is rather complex and sometimes fragile, and bugs in that area can be subtle … Proceed with caution and best of luck :). Report back if it works well (or if you find interesting bugs!)

Whether such a delay will be noticeable enough to be an irritant on Agni is hard to say as we’ve yet to see the server code up and running on the main grid, so it’ll be interesting to see what further tests on Kitty’s part reveal as testing commences.

Continue reading “SL projects update week 19 (1): server releases, SSB/A, materials” →

Blogging and me

Posted on by Inara Pey

I’m getting to this at least a week after everyone else – if not longer. The reason why is simple: I’ve actually had something of an internal fight with myself over whether to a) do it and b) press it.

What am I talking about? Strawberry Singh’s meme (one of a whole series she has been setting, which have been thought-provoking) of “Why do I blog?” The format is easy enough – answer a series of questions on the subject of “why do I blog?”

So after several rounds of yes / no / yes / no arguments with myself, here (finally, and for whatever they’re worth!) are my answers.

Thinking about why I blog while sitting at Hazardous
Thinking about why I blog while sitting at Hazardous

How long have you been blogging? I started in January 2007 using Blogspot, then in 2009 made the move to WordPress.

Why did you start blogging? This is a little complicated. There was a time when I was very involved in D/s in my real life (I’ve actually written extensively on the subject elsewhere in the past – and no, I’m not saying where or under what name!). In coming back to SL, I opted to explore how D/s is perceived and acted upon. While it may sound presumptuous, I was so taken aback by a good few of the attitudes and misconceptions surrounding D/s as seen in SL, that I started blogging to try to offer a counterpoint and present D/s in a wider context. Over time, my own interests in SL changed such that the nature of my blogging shifted focus, particularly after the move to WordPress, and the blog evolved to what is read today.

How many times a week do you post an entry? Currently, I’m running at least one post a day, although sometimes I can hit 4 or 5 a day – it really depends what is going on, what I read about, what I learn and what generally comes my way.

How many different blogs do you read on a regular basis? I try to run through all the blogs on my blogroll at least a couple of times a week. Some are daily reading (or very nearly). I also read a number of other blogs as time allows, although they should perhaps be read more frequently (Strawberry’s being one … hence coming to this meme so late!). My problem is that I can either blog or read (or blog and read … and ignore the realities of real life!).

Do you comment on other people’s blogs? Yes, when I feel I have something to say that actually might be worth saying.

Do you keep track of how many visitors you have? Yes, although I’m actually more interested in the geographic diversity of those who visit. In the last five months this blog has averaged 32,800 page views and an average of 14,000 unique visitors a month – which I find amazing. What amazes me even more is that these people come from all over the world. Obviously, the highest concentrations of page views comes from the USA, Europe, Australia and Japan, but I’m genuinely stunned when I look back across a month and see multiple page views from Fiji, Belize, San Marino, Tanzania, Oman, Kazakhstan, Sri Lanka,  Macau, Taiwan and more. Of course, these views likely all only add up to one person each (especially as some don’t climb above 5 or 6 views a week), but the fact they are there month on month does remind me that Second Life really does have a global reach.

I track visitors, and do get a buzz out of seeing how far-flung across the world they are
I track visitors, and do get a buzz out of seeing how far-flung across the world they are

Did you ever regret a post that you wrote? Some of my pieces take a good while to germinate and take shape, particularly as I try to keep to a certain “maximum length” of article. This has meant in the past that I’ve sometimes pushed the “publish” button when perhaps a little more polish or simply walking away one more time and then coming back with a fresh pair of eyes for a final read-through might have been better.

Do you think your readers have a true sense of who you are based on your blog? I hope that people have a clear sense of my values. I don’t have a hard-and-fast rule on differentiating between the “real” and “virtual” me (although I have various limits on how far I will go in talking about the “real me”). Whether this gives any real sense as to who I am for anyone reading these pages without encountering me – I’ve honestly no idea.

Do you blog under your real name? Nope. All my VW writing is done under my virtual identity of Inara Pey. The vast majority of my writing elsewhere has been under pseudonyms as well.

Are there topics that you would never blog about? Yes. Real world politics for one. Religion for another.

What is the theme/topic of your blog? Virtual worlds and environments, although the primary focus is on Second Life, as I simply cannot keep pace with everything else going on out there!

Do you have more than one blog? If so, why? Yes. No. Sort-of. I have two other blogs, one for my builds and one for *some* of my D/s writing carried over from my original blog – but both rarely get any real attention from me.

What have you found to be the benefits of blogging? A greater understanding of Second Life and a clearer appreciation for Linden Lab (warts and all) and the work they put into making this incredible environment possible. A growing love of virtual photography (I’m even starting to venture into the world of post-processing!), and the discovery of in-world interests and hobbies.

Blogging has encouraged me to try to improve my ability in framing and taking snapshots
Blogging has encouraged me to try to improve my ability in framing and taking snapshots – such as with Keisei

So, why do you continue to blog? I can’t stand going cold turkey when away from my blog :).

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Viewer release summary 2013: week 18

Posted on by Inara Pey

This summary is published every Monday and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:

  • It is based on my Viewer Round-up Page, a list of  all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware) and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy
  • By its nature, this summary will always be in arrears
  • The Viewer Round-up Page is updated as soon as I’m aware of any releases / changes to viewers & clients, and should be referred to for more up-to-date information as the week progresses
  • The Viewer Round-up Page also includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.  

Updates for the week ending: May 5th, 2013

Depreciated / Discontinued Viewers

  • SL Development viewer – depreciated as of version 3.5.2.274629 April 24, 2013
  • Zen Viewer – discontinued by developer and no longer available, January 27th, 2013
  • Phoenix viewer – development and support ended on December 31st, 2012

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SL10BCC: Photo contest

Posted on by Inara Pey

The Community Celebration team is thrilled to announce its first photo contest in celebration of Second Life’s 10th anniversary.

SL-10B-Flyer-Photo-Contest_compressed

What better way to start getting people thinking about and involved in the forthcoming celebrations to mark Second Life’s tenth year of public access than through a photo contest?

We want you to submit a photo which encapsulates all or part of this year’s celebratory theme: Looking Forward, Looking Back. The subject matter is entirely your choice – as long as it’s not of any part of the celebration regions themselves; we hope to have a further competition for that later! Instead, we want you to explore the grid (or your inventories!) and find the perfect picture which fits our theme.

Up to two entries can be submitted per avatar name, and there are two categories for entries:

  • Category A is for photos taken using only the tools available within the viewer (the snapshot floater, windlight settings, the debug and preferences options for images, etc.)
  • Category B is for photos which have been processed outside of the viewer using tools such as PhotoShop, GIMP, PaintShop Pro and so on.
A part of SL's history: the Orientation Station
A part of SL’s history: the Orientation Station

The Rules

  • No more than two photographs per avatar name
  • Competition entries must be made via the SL10B Celebration Photo Contest Flickr group
  • Entries must not show the SL10B Community Celebration regions
  • Photos must be PG – make it family friendly keep it clean and FUN or risk disqualification!
  • Competitors must indicate whether the photograph is Category A (using only the tools available within the viewer) or Category B (using tools outside the viewer, such as photo editing software)
  • Descriptive text may accompany entries
  • The Community Celebration Team reserve the right to use photograph submissions for event advertising
  • All entires must be uploaded by midnight SLT on Thursday, June 6th, 2013.

A distinguished panel will select the top twenty photos, which will be displayed at the entry point at the celebrations, where visitors will get the opportunity to vote for the one they like best.

Honour and glory the prize, in addition to having your photo posted on the Community Celebration official blog, and social media (e.g. Facebook, Flickr, Twitter)!

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“Welcome to the Baja California, such a lovely place …”

Posted on by Inara Pey

OK, so maybe the Eagles didn’t sing it quite that way, but Baja Norte, modelled on the northern Baja California coast is an eye-catching place to visit and for some reason did cause the Eagle’s song to pop into my head; possibly because at the end of my explorations, I didn’t want to leave…

The region wasn’t actually on my current list of places to visit, but I do keep an eye on the Destination Guide from time to time to see what is going on, and I was curious to note that the number of Photogenic Spots had increased by one at some point recently. Delving a little deeper into the listing saw my curiosity increase as I read the description of Baja Norte and saw the photo, and so off I toddled to take a look.

Baja Norte
Baja Norte

I don’t really tend to be one for the beach, either in RL or SL; in RL a beach-focused holiday / vacation leaves me cold. I much prefer going somewhere and exploring – which might explain my rambles across Second Life as well. However, with Baja Norte, Jac Mornington has created something very special.

Here one will find three islands, the largest of which could easily have been lifted from a section of rugged coastline anywhere in the world and dropped neatly into SL. Two houses can be found here – one rather ramshackle and weather-worn – and a small quay for sailing boats. A long beach follows the line of the island on its western side, offering panoramic views out to sea and past the lighthouse on the smallest of the islands, as an old fishing boat chugs across the horizon.

Baja Norte
Baja Norte

From the arrival point, one can stroll along the sand, or follow the board walks (yet again, Alex Bader’s presence is felt!) around the island or inland – and upward – to the house on the hill. Walk far enough around the northern headland and you’ll find another set of wooden steps leading upwards to the top of the cliffs above.

The remaining island in the region is also reached by a board walk which spans a stretch of sea and from which some magnificent views along the beach can be obtained. On the island itself are places to sit (and cuddle) with a friend or loved one, and a tree platform to reach via ladder and rope.

Once again, this is a wonderful region in which to twiddle with windlight, particularly if you’re into photography and love sunsets. There is a lot of wildlife scattered around the region as well, which can make for interesting snapshot subjects (and I’m not talking about the avatar variety who might be availing themselves of the various cuddle spots!).

Baja Norte
Baja Norte

If I’m totally honest, the waves in the bay don’t really work for me, but this is purely a personal thing, and their timing is such that they can easily be avoided if you don’t want them in your pictures. They certainly don’t detract from the overall visual appeal of the region, which has clearly been developed with a keen eye for detail and with some very imaginative sculpting of the land which draws one in very naturally, presenting an environment which is both attractive and which welcomes both the explorers and those content to sit and watch the world tick by.

Baja Norte
Baja Norte

Definitely one for the album  – and the landmark folder!

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