Day: May 3, 2015

Is Sansar the name of the Lab’s new virtual experiences platform?

Posted on by Inara Pey

LL logoFor the last several days, speculation has been circulating on whether the name SANSAR might be the name of the Lab’s new next generation platform for  virtual experiences.

Speculation first came via a post made to the SL Universe forums, and has since appeared on both the Profile feeds and forums, relating to trademarks filed by the Lab on April 10th, 2015, namely:

In addition, in October 2014, Ascio Technologies, Inc., filed a domain name registration for projectsansar.com listing Linden Research as the Domain Administrator.

As has already been indicated in some of the responses to the forum posts referring to the trademarks, Sansara was one of the early names considered for Second life (being derived from Samsāra, which occurs in both Buddhism and Hinduism, and, perhaps more particularly where SL is concerned, was used by Hermann Hesse in his 1922 novel Siddhartha as a reference to the “world of illusion”), and currently lives on as the name of SL ‘s oldest and largest mainland continent. Whether “SANSAR” is a play on this is unclear – it might just as easily be an acronym.

Within Second Life, Sansra refers to the oldest and largest mainland continent. The word was also considered as one of the possible names for SL back when the Lab was first working on things
Within Second Life, Sansra refers to the oldest and largest mainland continent. The word was also considered as one of the possible names for SL back when the Lab was first working on things. whether “SANSAR” as used in the the new trademarks filed by LL is a play on this is unclear

The description of both trademarks is identical, and for those preferring to read it in a single pass rather than via the filings with the US Trademark office, it can be found on the Legal Force website, from which I’m quoting below:

Entertainment software, namely, software that is used for providing multi-player access to an on-line game environment; computer game software; virtual reality game software; computer graphics software; software that is used for providing multi-user access to an online 3D virtual environment; computer 3D virtual environment software, namely, software for use in creating, manipulating and participating in 3D virtual environments.

Advertising and marketing services, namely, developing and distributing electronic marketing materials.

Online financial services, namely, offering a fictional-dollar-denominated credit card to charge online purchases.

Communication services in the nature of text messaging and electronic mail services used in playing on-line computer games; communication services in the nature of text messaging and electronic mail services used in an online virtual environment.

Entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game by means of communications networks; entertainment services in the nature of providing an on-line multi-player electronic computer game; entertainment services, namely, providing an on-line computer game that may be accessed by means of communications networks.

Computer services, namely, hosting an on-line 3D virtual environment featuring a wide variety of user-defined subject matter and hosting an on-line 3D virtual environment featuring a wide variety of user-defined subject matter that may be accessed by means of communications networks; design and development of multimedia and three dimensional virtual environment software.

Most of this reads pretty much as description for Second Life – so the applicability for a new virtual experiences platform is fairly obvious, and hence the speculation that is circulating.

However, what really does pique interest in this description  – beyond whether or not it pertains to the Lab’s new platform – is not the description of the environment, but the description of “online financial services”. The Lab has already indicated that Linden Dollars would be supported on the new platform, however, the description of a fictional-dollar-denominated credit card to charge online purchases suggests a new mechanism by which good and services within the new platform can be purchased, and by which the Lab might generate revenue.

Whether the name reflects the actual name for the Lab’s new virtual experiences platform or purely an interim project name (or even both, as may be the case given the two trademarks), is unclear. Sansar itself is a popular name for organisations related to the Asian continent (including SANSAR, the South Asian Network Supporting Awareness and Research based in Canada), so brand recognition, if this is to be the name, might be interesting in some quarters.

I approached Linden Lab for a comment on the matter, but have yet to receive a reply. Should one be forthcoming, I’ll update this article.

With thanks also to Ziki Questi

Bankers, wizards, faeries belles and ghosts

Posted on by Inara Pey

It’s time to kick-off another week of fabulous story-telling in voice, brought to our virtual lives by the staff and volunteers at the Seanchai Library.

As always, all times SLT, and unless otherwise stated, events will be held on the Seanchai Library’s home on Imagination Island.

Sunday, May 3rd: Tea-time at Baker Street

With Caledonia Skytower, Kaydon Oconnell and Corwyn Allen.This week: The Adventure of the Beryl Coronet, first published in May, 1892 in The Strand Magazine, and later included in the volume of tales The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes.

Holmes seeks to calm the distraught Holder (Sidney Paget, 1892, The Strand Magazine)
Holmes seeks to calm the distraught Holder – Sidney Paget, 1892, The Strand Magazine

“Holmes,” said I as I stood one morning in our bow-window looking down the street, “here is a madman coming along. It seems rather sad that his relatives should allow him to come out alone.

“What on earth can be the matter with him?” I asked. “He is looking up at the numbers of the houses.”

“I believe that he is coming here,” said Holmes, rubbing his hands. “Yes; I rather think he is coming to consult me professionally. I think that I recognize the symptoms. Ha! did I not tell you?” As he spoke, the man, puffing and blowing, rushed at our door and pulled at our bell until the whole house resounded with the clanging.

The man in question is Alexander Holder, the senior partner in the banking firm of Holder & Stevenson, the second largest private banking concern in the City of London.

It appears that as security for a loan of £50,000, Mr. Holder accepted the Beryl Coronet, one of the most valuable public possessions in existence. Unable to bring himself to leave the coronet unattended in his bank’s safe, he took it home, only to be awakened in the night to find his son, Arthur, apparently trying to vandalise it. Rescuing the coronet, Holder is horrified to seen that three precious beryls are now missing from it, and his son refuses to explain himself…

Monday May 4th, 19:00: The Wizard of Karres

Gyro Muggins returns to the universe created by James H. Schmitz and given form through his 1949 novel, The Witches of Karres, as he continues reading the 2004 sequel, The Wizard of Karres, penned by by Mercedes Lackey, Eric Flint, and Dave Freer, which reunites the reader with some familiar characters.

Wizard of KarresFor Captain Pausert, it would seem that the old saying that no good deed ever goes unpunished should perhaps become the family motto. As a “reward” for thwarting the plans of the space pirates and eliminating the threat of the Worm World, Pausert is given the secret mission of stopping the nanite plague, a self-aware disease that lay waste to entire planets worlds.

Only someone has once convinced the Imperial Navy, unaware of his true mission, that Pausert is actually a wanted man. so it is that the Navy set out to hunt him down – and almost succeed, managing to cripple his ship. When Pausert discovers his funding has also been cut-off, leaving him without the means to get his ship repaired, he and his companions, Goth and the Leewit, the Witches of Karres, are forced to go undercover – and join a travelling circus.

After all, the show – and the mission – must go on, and thus the adventures continue.

Tuesday May 5th, 19:00: Beltaine with the Queen of the Faeries

With Aoife Lorefield.

Wednesday May 6th

06:00: More from the Book Belles

Freda Frostbite and Trolly Trollop return to the thoughts and writings of Florence King.

19:00: Christie’s Detectives

Join Caledonia Skytower as she presents short stories featuring Agatha Christe’s beloved detectives: Parker Pyne, Jane Marple and Hercule Poirot.

Thursday May 7th, 19:00: The Ghost of Cwmlech Manor

“Ghosts have to abide by the rules,” I remember Mrs. Bando the housekeeper explaining as she poured us out a cup of tea at the manor’s great oak kitchen table. She’d been parlor maid at the Manor when Mam was a kitchen maid there. Fast friends they were, and fast friends they’d stayed, even when Mam left domestic service to marry. Mrs. Bando was my godmother, and we went to her most Sunday afternoons.

So opens Delia Sherman’s delightful tale which follows young Tracy Gof, who wishes to see the ghost of the old manor house on the Welsh border. And when a new owner takes the house, her wish might just come true. With Shandon Loring.

Saturday May 9th, 12:00 Noon: Seanchai Kitely: Arabian Nights

With Shandon Loring at Seanchai Kitely: grid.kitely.com:8002/Seanchai

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Please check with the Seanchai Library SL’s blog for updates and for additions or changes to the week’s schedule. The featured charity for April / May is Habitat for Humanity, with a vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to live – a safe and clean place to call home.

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