How many words is a picture is worth? Come and view a small selection of photographs by Boudicca Amat and Ricco Saenz. Read what they have both written about each other’s pictures – and then leave your comments, too!
Thus reads the invitation to The Photo Game, an intimate little display of art being hosted at Boudicca Amat’s An Uncertain Destiny (which you can read about here). And when I say intimate – I mean just that: a total of 6 images are offered, three by Boudicca, and three by Ricco.
As the invitation states, this is something of an interactive exhibition: visitors are invited to click the links either alongside or below each piece and read the comments, and also leave comments of your own.
The images by Boudicca have been selected by Ricco, who also offers his own view on each piece – and Boudicca has done the same with the three images she has selected from Ricco’s work. Each offers an analysis of the other’s work based on the approach taken – both technically and artistically – in producing each image.
Given that Boudicca and Ricco are both consummate artists, their comments also form something of an invaluable guide to technique and approach for those of us who are considerably less able in our ability to wield the camera and produce consistent, rewarding results. Thus, while small, this exhibition offer far more than at first might first seem to be the case, and makes for an extremely worthwhile visit. And if you haven’t done so before, take a little time to tour An Uncertain Destiny as well – you won’t be disappointed!
Addendum: you can read more about the exhibition and its future on Ricco’s blog – and it’s a recommended read!
SLurl Details
The Photo Game (An Uncertain Destiny, rated: Adult – run as PG)
Michael Linden in his usual Mole look, attending the February 2017 Mole Day. Credit: Marianne McCann
As explained below, long-time Lab employee (over 13 years with the company) and head of the Linden Department of Public Works – the Moles – Michael Linden, has departed the Lab. I didn’t know Michael that well, having only chatted on a couple of occasions, so I invited Marianne McCann, someone who has known him for a long time, to write a piece about him and his impact on Second Life.
By Marianne McCann
Over the weekend of February 11th and 12th 2017, it was noted that Michael Linden’s profile was not showing up in Second Life search, nor was he showing as a member in several groups within his profile. Many began to question if he had left Linden Lab, and – given he was known as the head of the Linden Department of Public Works – if the LDPW was being shuttered.
At the Bay City Alliance meeting on the 14th of February, a trio of LDPW staff, Shaman Linden, Squishy Mole, and Sylvan Mole, attended in part to address these concerns.
Speaking at the meeting, Sylvan Mole confirmed that Michael has indeed left Linden Lab, but was unable to give many specifics. It is assumed that he left of his own accord.
Michael once showed up at an impromptu Lab / resident get-together aboard the SS Galaxy, (2015) complete with an Starax wand, and proceeded to set about with good-natured mischief: until he doused himself beneath a giant faucet! Credit: Inara Pey
Michael Linden started with Linden Lab in the autumn of 2003 as an in-world Liaison, moving briefly to Governance in 2007 before becoming one of the heads of the LDPW with the former Blue Linden. The LDPW has expanded to include several Linden staff members and a fair number of “Moles,” as the resident contractors working on content for Second Life are known.
One of the first projects released by the LDPW under Michael was the Bay City mainland regions. Last week, Michael added a rail and boat terminal to Bay City, in the Grub Beach region. It is believed that was his last project under his Linden name.
Michael has been heavily involved in the past with vehicles as a Resident, in particular with Second Life railway projects. It is expected that he will again do so, but no longer as a member of Linden Lab’s staff. Resident and Linden alike will miss his presence within the LDPW.
Grub Beach Station – thought to be the last of Michael’s projects while at the Lab. Credit: Marianne McCann
As to the question of the LDPW’s future, they are most certainly still an ongoing department under Patch Linden, with Shaman, Dee, Keira, Kona, and Vitae Linden as an active part. As we’ve seen, the LDPW has just recently completed the multiple-region residential and experience-laden Horizons project, and they have several current and future projects on their plates.
Those of us who know Michael will miss his presence and guiding hand as a Linden, as well as his sense of fun. We all hope he enjoys every success wherever his career and work take him, and offer three cheers as he sets sail to pastures new.
Michael’s love of vehicles can be seen in his collection of vintage seaplanes. Credit: Inara Pey
Many thanks, Michael for your years of work within Second Life!
The piece starts with Kristen spending time with Fran Seranade, perhaps best known through an early segment of The Drax Files World Makers in 2013 (I covered her story a few months prior to that, as a result of seeing a story about her in the San Diego Union-Tribune). Suffering from Parkinson’s Disease, Fran has found that her involvement in second Life has generated physical world benefits for herself, and she has been – among others – the subject of studies by Tom Boellstorff, a professor of anthropology at the University of California and Donna Z Davis, a professor at the University of Oregon (see my reports here and here).
Kristen French
From Fran’s story, the article broadens its canvas to explore the work of Virtual Ability Inc., touching on the story of Gentle Heron and how VAI came into being and the services it provides. Through this, the piece enfolds the fact that Second Life has been an enormous book to those with many disabilities, including illnesses such as multiple sclerosis, conditions such as autism and PTSD (See here for more on one way in which the platform has been used to help hose suffering from PTSD), physical disabilities and more.
Much of this may not be especially new to SL users, particularly as a result of our being attuned to the likes of The Drax Files #22, which looked at Sl and health through the work of Virtual Health Adventures. However, for anyone who has not been exposed to Second Life, the piece offers a refreshing, clear-cut insight into one aspect of why the platform remains so popular and well-regarded among its users after 13 years.
It has long been shown that Second Life can have a range of benefits for all of us: it puts us in contact with people, and the ability to visit places and enjoy activities with them where otherwise we might be house bound and confined to little or no physical interaction with anyone of days at a time. It can help us stay healthy, physically and mentally; it can help healthcare agencies reach their patients (see here and here), and it can be – as seems to very much be the case with Fran – physically and mentally therapeutic.
Fran Swenson (Fran Seranade) and her daughter Barbara Richard (Barbi Alchemi). Credit: San Diego Union-Tribune / Bill Wechter
This examination of Second Life and how it is used makes taking the time needed to read the article worthwhile, but there is more. Through a neatly-encapsulated piece on why Second Life perhaps isn’t as easy to update as extensively as some might believe, the piece moves on to a look at the potential of new worlds like Sansar and High Fidelity.
This is again a considered examination, laying out fairly the benefits more immerse VR environments might be for those with disabilities – and touching on some of the potential barriers. As a part of this exploration of the future, the piece offers a solid reassurance that Second Life isn’t – as yet – facing the end of the road. Instead, it underlines the point the Lab (and I) have often made: SL’s longevity lies as much with its users as it does with LL. So long as there are enough users engaged in the platform to keep it viable, there is little reason for it to be arbitrarily shut down.
There are a couple small misconceptions within the piece. For example, the origins of Radegast: while it is true it was conceived and developed by someone engaged in SL’s Adult / BDSM world, but that doesn’t actually mean it was primarily developed for that market.
However, these really are quite minor quibbles, when noticed. The fact is, First They Got Sick, Then They Moved Into a Virtual Utopia is an engaging, informed and informative piece adeptly written by someone who intrinsically “gets” Second Life. It’s a piece which should definitely be on your reading list if you’ve not come across it already.
In short, there are no deployments scheduled for this week. The Main (SLS) channel will remain on release 17#17.01.27.323172.
While there had been an RC release planned, it apparently didn’t clear QA in time, so all three RC channels will remain on 17#17.01.27.323172 as well. However, all three channels will be restarted on Wednesday, February 15th, in keeping with the Lab’s policy or restarting channels every two weeks, whether or not there is an associated deployment.
SL Viewer
The Maintenance RC viewer updated to version 5.0.2.323567 on Tuesday, February 14th. As reviewed in this blog, this viewer includes a number of updates and new features, including the ability to select your own preferred folders for uploading image, animations, sounds and mesh models.
Outside of this update, the viewer pipelines remain as per the end of week #6:
Current Release version: 5.0.1.323027, dated January 25, promoted February 3 – formerly the Maintenance RC viewer.
RC viewers:
Love Me Render RC viewer version Version 5.0.2.323361, dated February 9th – rendering pipeline fixes and improvements
Project viewers:
Project Alex Ivy (LXIV), 64-bit project viewer, version 5.1.0.501863 for Windows and Mac, released on January 10
360-degree snapshot viewer updated to version 4.1.3.321712 on November 23, 2016 – ability to take 360-degree panoramic images – hands-on review.
Obsolete platform viewer version 3.7.28.300847 dated May 8, 2015 – provided for users on Windows XP and OS X versions below 10.7.
Nvidia Driver 64-bit Viewer “Blue World” Bug
As I reported in week #4, Nvidia’s release of their 378.49 driver on January 24th resulted in many 64-bit viewer users (TPVs and the Lab’s own Alex Ivy 64-bit project viewer) seeing their Second Life world view turn decidedly blue when running with Advanced Lighting Model (ALM) disabled.
The Nvidia 378.66 driver should fix the “blue world” issue for those using 64-bit viewers with ALM disabled
On February 14th, Nvidia release the 378.66 driver package, and this reportedly fixes the SL issues.
Now open to visitors is the Gardens by the Bay, a full region installation by Maddy (Nibby Riddler), who is perhaps best known for her Eclectica homestead region designs (which you can read about here and here). It is a stunning installation, rooted in the physical world, but with its own unique flavour, and I am not exaggerating in the slightest when I say it is a must see.
The inspiration for the design comes from Singapore’s Gardens by the Bay, a nature park spanning 101 hectares (250 acres) of reclaimed land in central Singapore. First announced in 2005, it is designed as Singapore’s permier outdoor recreation space, and a spearhead in the drive to transform the city-state from a “Garden City” to a “City in a Garden”.
Working with far less than 250 acres, Maddy has beautifully captured the essence of the Gardens by the Bay, reproducing many of its iconic elements. Central to the design is the magnificent Supertree Grove. Vertical gardens in their own right, rising up to 50 metres (162 ft) into the air, these massive structures are home to enclaves of unique and exotic ferns, vines, orchids and bromeliaceae. They also perform a variety of functions to support the gardens around them. Just as an elevated walkway connects them in the physical world, so to does a similar walkway loop Maddy’s Supertrees, allowing visitors to gain a panoramic view of the gardens below.
Linked by a series of paths, the ground level gardens bring together elements found across all three of the major areas of the original, encapsulating so much of beauty, fauna and architecture without the region every feeling overcrowded, A note card is provided at the landing point to help visitors navigate around, and I thoroughly recommend taking it and reading it before starting any exploration.
Another aspect of the original offered to visitors is a representation of one of the massive greenhouses, home to a rich and colourful spread of flora. The famous Audemars Piguet Floral Clock, unveiled on the occasion of the 50th Anniversary of Singapore independence in 2015, is also represented, as are the giant silvery ants which younger visitors to Singapore’s gardens find so irresistible – and so much more.
With places to sit and admire, opportunities to dance and capturing the essence of all three major areas of the original, Maddy’s Gardens by the Bay is – in a word – magnificent. While the images here are all taken with minor tweaks to the default windlight for the region, the gardens lend themselves perfectly to other windlight settings, and are exceptionally photogenic.
Absolutely not something to be missed, Gardens by the Bay will remain open through until the end of June 2017. My thanks to Maddy for the personal invitation she extended to Caitlyn and I to pay a visit.
The Isle of View, the “official” destination for Valentine’s Day reappeared on the grid earlier in the month, and on Tuesday February 14th, the Lab will be host a “Hug and Dunk” session wherein people visiting the isle can opt to either hug a Linden – or dunk them in the water (or both!).
The event forms part of the ongoing in-world meet-ups between Linden Lab staff and users, and will take place between 10:00am and 12:00 noon and 14:00-16:00 SLT on Valentine’s Day. As well as hugging and dunking, expect some music and dancing and lots of conversation!
The get-together was announced on February 10th in a blog post from Xiola Linden, which reads in Part:
Bring your friends, bring your family, bring your one and only – when else are you going to get the chance to cosy up to a Linden or send one shrieking into the depths of a dunk tank? An opportunity like this comes around about once a year — so don’t miss out.
Love is a complicated creature — inspiring poetry, prose, songs, and art of all kinds since the beginning of time. Despite her many facets, love still trumps the alternative — and there is no better place to appreciate the beauty of amor than at the Isle of View.
The Isle of View covers four regions, forming a classic love heart and offers opportunities for walking, taking a romantic boat ride, dancing – and even sending a gift of virtual roses and chocolates to that special loved one.
To join in with the hug and dunk session, just make your way to the Love Pavilion (following the illuminated signs). You’ll also find the gift kiosk there as well.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 