Facebook recently implemented changes to the API which Linden Lab (among others) use to allow snapshots to be uploaded to Facebook from the viewer via the SL Share capability.
In response to this, as as I noted in my TPV Developer Meeting report on April 11th, the Lab made changes to SL Share itself to comply with Facebook’s update. These don’t involve and functional changes to SL Share or the way you go about uploading snaps, etc, to Facebook, and it had been hoped that the whole process of changing from the “old” to the “new” API would be completely transparent to SL users.
Unfortunately, Facebook seem to be lagging behind in actually migrating applications using the API to the updated version, and as a result have indicated that some of the applications (like SL Share) might encounter some disruptions as the switch-over occurs.
Because of this, Linden Lab have issued a warning to those using SL Share for Facebook uploads that there might be temporary problems with the service. The notice, which came in the form of a technology blog post, reads in part:
This means that when using SLShare (updating status, photo uploads, and check-ins from the Viewer) you may experience some temporary problems. Please be assured that we are aware of this and any issues you encounter should be resolved once the migration period is complete.
Thank you for your patience!
Note that potential problems might occur with any viewer using the SL Share capability to upload to Facebook, and not just the official viewer. So if you are using a TPV with the capability, please keep this in mind.
For those unfamiliar with the Facebook upload capability, it can be accessed either via a dedicated menu / toolbar option in those viewers supporting it, or via the unified snapshot floater (again, in those viewers supporting it). It allows those with a Facebook account to send updates on where they are in SL and what they’re doing, upload snapshots, complete with pre-processing filters. There’s also a Friends tab in the Facebook floater, but this hasn’t been defined in the Lab’s Knowledge Base article on the capability, as I don’t use Facebook, I’ve not been able to confirm it’s use. I assume its a method of connecting to other SL friends you have who also use Facebook.
Related Links
- An Update on SLShare Service Issues – Linden Lab
- Second Life Share – Facebook – Linden Lab
- My overview of the SL Share capabilities (FB, Flickr, Twitter)
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 
I did snapshot to email a lot. Never to FB – why shove evidence at FB to get the FB account closed ( avatar account) ?
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A common misconception among SL users seems to be the belief that anyone linking their SL account to their FB account must be using their avatar ID for the latter. Far from it; there are a lot of people using SL who have no problems with linking their SL account with a Facebook account created using their wallet ID, and sharing their SL times with their non-SL friends through Facebook.
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But as I understand it, Facebook frowns upon signing up a strictly SL-based account using only your avatar name with no RL details, photos, etc behind it?
I’m interested in joining Facebook from the standpoint of connecting with other Second Life users; I understand that a lot of the fashion brands have a presence there, and there are a number of social groups as well. But if Facebook won’t give on the “no avatar names allowed” thing, and one’s account risks deletion if someone reports it, it doesn’t seem worth the hassle. It’s just a shame that the viewers have this built in post-to-Facebook functionality, but Facebook doesn’t seem keen on allowing us a presence on their website unless we do so under RL information.
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Yes, FB has an unfriendly attitude towards people who use avatar / pseudonymous / etc., names in order to create a Facebook account.
However, as noted, if you have a Facebook account in your own name, and wish to link to that account via SL Share, you are free to do so, and it is not contravening any of FB’s rules. There are a lot of people in SL who are quite comfortable in doing this; it just comes down to a matter of preference and how you regard things like Facebook, the so-called SL / RL divide, and so on.
An alternative method of using FB is to sign-up and then use a Facebook page in association with the SL activities. options here are limited (SL Share doesn’t work with Facebook pages, for example); but again, there are many club, groups and even individuals who use Facebook in this way. I admit I’m shaky on this, as I don’t use Facebook, period – and not because of any issue over identity. Whether it is rational or not, I just don’t like them 🙂 .
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You’re speaking my language, Miss Inara! I don’t care for Facebook either, but it’s good to know that there’s a kind of workaround via the page option. I see that people also use Google+ to connect on a resident-to-resident basis, so maybe that’s one that I’ll explore since it allows users to keep RL entirely separate. So much social media, so little time! 🙂
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cant figure if it is related but since 2 days ago, the direct upload to Flickr is acting very weird.
It shows a msg saying failed to upload but the upload is in fact succeeded and if one fears it is not, clicking again to upload, one will ends with 2 pics uploaded.
But at least the upload to SL feed is working flawless and very fast (using LL latest official).
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