Category: Linden Lab

May 2024 Community Round Table with audio extracts + video

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Linden Lab

 

On Monday, May 20th, 2024, Linden Lab held its first Community Round Table – described as opportunities for Second Life users to meet, hear from and address senior staff from the Lab on various subjects, etc.

Intended to be the first such event, this session featured Brad Oberwager – Oberwolf Linden – co-owner and Executive Chairman of Linden Research (Linden Lab), and Grumpity Linden, Senior VP of Product & Engineering with Brett Linden, the Lab’s Director of Marketing, chairing the event as moderator.

 Table of Contents

The session lasted 90 minutes, and – as might be expected given recent policy changes in the wake of allegations / concerns and the announcement about the sale of Tilia Inc., as well as interest in technology development such as Second Life Mobile – there was a certain focus to discussions and questions. It was recorded by multiple parties, and is available on You Tube, including by my informal partner-in-crime for attending and recording such sessions and meetings, Pantera Północy, and that video is embedded at the end of this article – my thanks, as always, for her doing so.

What follows is not a full transcript of the meeting, but rather my best attempt to summarise core topics plus questions and answers. Included are extracts from my own audio recording of the session where I have deemed them to be relevant / helpful. When listening to them please note that:

  • They have been edited to remove pauses, incomplete or self-corrected comments/ sentences, and/or repetition. This has been done to (hopefully) improve the flow of the audio and remove distractions.
  • All such editing has been carried out without any intentional attempts to alter any of the context of what is being said by the speaker.
  • Timestamps for the video recording are given within the topic heading below, so that if there is any doubt, audio extracts can be compared to a complete, unedited version.
  • This is a summary by subject matter – as such, timestamp references to the video may not be in chronological order.

Introduction and Setting Expectations – Brett Linden

[Video: 0:00-3:00]

  • Noted the session was designed to be the first in a series of Round Table events with members of the Lab’s leadership.
  • Reminded people that it is a new initiative for everyone – including those at the Lab, and as such lessons will be taken from the session as to what works / does not work and use this to adjust the format for future Round Table Events.
  • Stated that local chat would be tracked for questions from the audience, and attempts would be made to address them, but:
    • Due to time constraints / the volume of questions submitted by the pre-meeting form, those would be the focus of topics discussed and the feedback offered.
    • Some questions might be deferred, simply because those representing LL might not be the best-placed to give an answer (e.g. technical questions or similar), with a note that many of these might be best addressed at the various user group meetings (refer also to the Second Life public calendar for meeting times and date).
  • Indicated that as a Round Table, the flow was intended to be two-way, not just outwards from LL, and as such responses / feedback in chat would be taken away for review.
  • Set the general parameters of the session (e.g. individual issues, such as with account matters, support, etc., would not be addressed in the session; use of the Feedback Portal for putting forward bug reports, requests and ideas, noting this is viewed from the top-down at Linden Lab.

Making SL Better as the Lab’s Owner – Oberwolf Linden

[Video: 3:01-15:37]

  • Offered context on his perspective, noting he sees Linden Lab and Second Life as two different entities, so has different perspectives on each.
  • In 3.5 years of ownership, has learned that there is a huge amount of passion for the platform across the board – residents, creators, Lab staff, and even from many outside of the platform (noting the latter can be both positive and negative).
  • Re-iterated his belief that he sees running Second Life as a moral imperative, as it benefits so many.
  • Sees the platform’s complexity not just in technical terms, but in making it the platform the best experience for those engaged in it as residents / creators – because we all have different wants and needs. Specifically highlighted:
    • Operating the Linden Dollar whilst ensuring the majority of fiat money passing through the LindeX goes to creators.
    • The fact that SL is a virtual world for adults, supporting content and activities other platforms do not allow, and the need to make the platform safe for all those using it, not matter what their interests.
    • The need for policies and process to enable the above.

  • As such, believes that running the platform is about relying on values, rather than trying to solve for everything, as the latter means a state of utopia wherein everything is a bland uniformity.
  • Therefore improving the platform needs to be seen as how, collectively – Lab, residents and creators – can work to make the platform the best it can be.
  • For the lab, this means being guided by the Tao of Linden:
    • Walk in Our Residents’ Shoes: To consider everything – up to and including the kind of projects the Lab can take on with the resources available – in terms of what benefits Second Life users the most.
    • Be Brave. Fail Fast. Fail Forward: broadly means trying things but without breaking other things, and learning from what does and does not work, and learn from it.
    • Assume Good Intent and Practice Good Intent: notes this as the hardest – but the Lab really tries to assume good intent in all things – including negative feedback from users – and to take that aspect and work both internally and with users (as much as possible) to bring about positive change.
via Linden Lab
  • Believes that by relying on values and using the Tao helps the Lab to not just be in service to Second Life but an active part of it.
  • A further part of bringing about change for the better in Second Life is about users accepting the reverse of the Tao: that the Lab is trying to make changes with good intent, to improve the platform and keep it relevant, even if the change is seen by some as impacting them negatively.
  • As a part of the above, one of the changes LL is trying to make is to be more transparent about what they are doing and why they are doing it – which is not always easy as changes tend to cause people to react in one of three ways, depending on how it affects them: enthusiasm for it; indifference to it; anxiety / anger against it.
  • His particular focus on making SL better is that of resources: where should the available time money, resources and her personal energy go.
  • Commented that the above forms the content of what he will go on to say during the session, and that is was fully aware that his comments may well be parsed, and accepts that as a part of trying to be more transparent.

Child Avatar Policy

Preface – Grumpity Linden

[Video: 17:09-18:55, 19:27-20:23 and 21:25-21:40]

  • The updates to the Child Avatar Policy were put together with considerable consultant with Lab employees / contractors who use child avatars as Alt accounts, and with some members of the various child avatar groups in Second Life.
  • Pointed to the recent Governance meeting on the matter at which many of the questions raised in advance of this Round Table had already been addressed (and referenced this blog – thank you, Grumpity, that’s much appreciated!). Links for reference:
  • Indicated that the Lab will continue to give clarification on the policy in response to feedback, with the Child Policy FAQ being the best place to read the most recent updates.
  • Re-iterated that Linden Lab does value the breadth and depth of Second Life user community, and welcomes those who role-play as child avatars for positive reasons.
  • Requested that people understand that the changes made to the Child Avatar Policy have been done with good intent, and to both protect those role-playing with child avatars and the Lab itself from all moral, ethical and legal accusations about the sexualisation of child avatars in SL or their use in sexual role-play.

Policy and Changes – Broader Context – Oberwolf Linden

[Video: 22:04-27:00]

  • These changes are not only driven by the internal needs of Second Life / Linden Lab but also by external needs. For example:
    • If PayPal were to encounter reports of apparent inappropriate behaviour involving minors in Second Life and without proper context, they might react by withdrawing support for payments to / from the platform through their service, with a potentially massive negative impact on the platform.
    • Both Apple and Google also have terms and conditions governing apps being placed on their services and these also have to be not only taken into consideration but adhered to if SL users are to be able to obtain the Mobile app when available.
  • Ergo, when policies, terms of use, etc., are being drawn up and / or updated, there may well be external aspects / legal ramifications impacting them, requirements demanded by other companies and / or society as a whole, none of which may actually understand Second Life – but may well negatively react to unfavourable reports, etc., about the platform without ever seeking to understand the realities of the platform / situation.
  • All of this applies to almost everything the Lab does with Second Life, and why he says that making the platform “better” is so complicated: there are many aspects to changes – technical, policy, etc., – that extend well beyond the platform’s active users – especially with regards to his own moral imperative to keep the platform going so it can continue to be a place of safety, fun and importance for so many.

Modesty Layers

[Video:  20:25-21:25]

  • The modesty Layer for child avatars will come into effect from Sunday, June 30th, 2024.
  • The Child Policy FAQ is the place to find out the latest information on the modesty layer requirements, and is updated regularly.
  • It was stated there would be a further Governance User Group meeting to discuss the policy and requirements on Thursday, June 13th, 2024 [Note: at the time of writing this summary, the June dates for the Governance meetings are given as June 6th and June 20th, so best to check the Second Life public calendar to see if an additional meeting is added, or if one of these two dates is actually used].

Questions

  • [Video: 49:20-52:03] What form can the modesty layer take?
    • The modesty layer on child avatars must not be removable. Ergo, it cannot be an alpha layer or any form of wearable layers, as these can be removed and replaced.
    • All skins for child avatars (those presenting as under 18) must have a baked-on modesty layer.
    • The Governance team is (or is due) to have discussions with affected content creators on implementing modesty layers, etc.
  • [Video: 54:06-57:49] Under the updated Child Avatar Policy, will consulting adults using adult presenting avatars still be able to use pet names such as “mummy”, “baby”, “baby girl”, etc., which might subjective be judged as being child-like behaviour?
    • In the context of the question, yes they will. This is not about limiting people’s second lives per se, it is about being compliant with society’s expectations vis. the sexualisation of minors and the use of under-age characters in a sexual context, and emerging laws (such as those in the EU) emerging to safeguard against this.
  • [Video: 57:47-59:08] Are youthful anime avatars subject to the updated Child Avatar Policy?
    • The rule of thumb is that if someone is presenting an avatar under the age of 18 and is role-playing a character under the age of 18, then they must comply with the policy.
    • In dealing with issues, LL look at a range of factors: how the avatar presents, the contents of the avatar profile, and multiple other factors; the fact that an anime avatar has large eyes and a child-like face would not be taken as the sole indication it is presenting and being used as someone under 18.
    • [Video 59:09-1:02:25] Oberwolf Linden noted:
      • Many of the questions on the Child Avatar Policy are requesting rigid, black-and-white responses, when really, there needs to be some wriggle-room, which the Lab is trying to give through some of their answers.
      • Hard-and-fast rules would be too restrictive on people, so there has to be some greyness.
      • People must use their own common sense; they will know when they see sexualised.
      • Users need to trust that the Lab are not doing things like the Child Avatar Policy changes in a vacuum; they are trying to find a way to safeguard Second Life without unduly restricting people’s ability to have an enjoyable Second Life.
    • [Video 62:25-63:58] Could the policy be abused – 20 people make false claims against a specific user and have then banned?
      • Sort answer: no. Abuse Reports are fully investigated, and only where there is substantive evidence to support the report’s claims, is action taken.
      • The number of reports received about an individual / situation does not factor into any investigation – so it doesn’t matter if one report or 20 reports are filed.
      • The Governance User Group is the place to learn about the Abuse Report process.
    • [Video: 63:59-67:43] A statement was made about finding it upsetting that those invested in their child avatar might now be unable to attend things like concerts because they are being hosted on Adult regions.
      • Oberwolf concurred that situations like this are upsetting. However, as noted above, pointed out that there considerations external to SL which need to be taken into account, as these sadly do place limitations on where those presenting as children can go to help protect the platform as a whole.
      • As such, he begs people to be flexible and while it might be discomforting to them, if there is an event they really want to attend that is off-limits to child avatars, to change to an avatar presenting as over 18 and help safeguard SL for the future.

Age Verification – Grumpity Linden

[Video: 52:10-53:47]

  • The Lab is investigating third-party age verification tools.
  • Any option that may be selected has to be the least intrusive possible; the aim is not to put road blocks that prevent people from enjoying their SL.
  • Any third party partner LL might select for the verification process must be compliant with all current data privacy laws. Companies that do not store data beyond the point of verification “all look very reasonable”
  • However, no decision has been made “one way or the other” on the use of such tools; they are currently only under consideration for possible adoption.

Thunes and Tilia – Oberwolf Linden

[Video: 29:13-39:23]

  • It was announced on April 23rd, 2024 that Linden Research was selling io, their all-in-one payments platform to Singapore-based business-2-business (B2B) payments infrastructure firm Thunes (see: Linden Lab to sell payments platform Tilia to Thunes).
  • This announcement was followed by a Lab Gab special on the news (see below), which I summarised here.
  • Many of the questions raised for the Round Table were answered in that – so please refer to my summary / the video below.

  • In brief:
    • Thunes is acquiring Tilia – not the Linden Dollar of the LindeX – the latter remain fully under the Lab’s control.
    • Thunes is not gaining access to Second Life user data beyond the financial information they require to manage transactions (e.g. L$ purchases, processing payments from SL to fiat money accounts).
    • Tilia will be rebranded to Thunes, but will continue to operate out of San Francisco as its primary base of operations.
    • In terms of benefits to Second Life users, they will be able to take advantage of many more options to pay for L$ and by which the money they cash out from Second Life can reach them – these include a broader range of supported currencies, the use of digital wallets, etc.
    • There are no plans at the Lab – who set them – to change the current fees charged in relations to L$ transactions or cashing out, as a result of the sale of Tilia. However:
      • A caveat to this was the acknowledgement that is Thunes decide to significantly increase the fees they charge LL for using their services, then that might be “problematic” for LL.
      • The above does not mean LL will never change fees: the LindeX and SL cost money to run. As such, future changes to fees (up or down) to cover the likes of increased costs or to address improvements or shifting requirements, may occur.
    • A guiding principle used in the decision to sell Tilia to Thunes was the benefit it could bring to Second Life users – not simply who is offer the most money.
  • In response to a question asked, PayPal will continue to be supported, and the relationship will not change as a result of the Tilia deal.

SL Mobile – Grumpity Linden

[Video: 39:50-48:46]

  • Accessing Adult regions:
    • SL Mobile is currently blocked from accessing Adult rated regions in SL. This is due to policies set by the App Store providers on the types of content they will accept for apps being sold through their services.
    • LL are trying to refine this to a more granular level to allow access to Adult regions – such as having the App not display Adult content, although this is a complex solution to implement.
    • Ultimately LL would like to bring all of Second Life to Mobile, and so is continuing to examine ways and means to do so.

  • There are no major new announcements for Mobile at present. However:
    • The app is getting “closer” to being listed on the app stores – but no indication as to when this might actually happen.
    • Gaining a listing will allow LL to open the SL Mobile programme to Premium subscribers.
  • Oberwolf Linden made an impassioned plea for users to give the Lab time to develop and enhance the Mobile App, requesting:
    • People not try to hack around the Adult rating block, as this will likely result in the app getting thrown off of the app stores.
    • Not to get too upset or negative about functionality they think is “missing” – such as buying L$ or viewing the Marketplace, etc. These are capabilities that LL will try to address, but they will require more time.
    • To review the App on their preferred app store – but to do so honestly and whilst keeping in mind that there will be much more to do and add to the app to improve it.
    • To give the team working on the app time and space to add functionality and options as they continue to work on it once it is on the app stores, and not just see it as a finished product.

General Questions

[Video:  68:26-End]

  • Skill Gaming: a question was asked on how possible abuses of Sill Gaming system (e.g. unfair pay-outs, etc) are investigated and how the Lab monitors Skill Gaming systems.
    • The short answer was that abuses are investigated in a similar manner as other abuses in SL, and specifics on investigation techniques, etc., cannot be provided.
    • Those believing they have been subject to abuse as a result of participating in a skill games should file an abuse report and provide as much information as possible.
  • Adult Content: what is the future of Adult content in SL and initiatives such as the Zindra Adult continent? Addressed by Brett Linden.
    • LL have no intention of changing the dynamic of Adult content in Second Life in a way that is either discriminatory or which reduces it.
    • LL recognises it is one of the fabric of Second Life and has a robust creator community and is a vibrant and meaningful part of people’s lives.
    • While specifics could not be given, there are initiatives LL is developing which will hopefully demonstrate the above.
    • Oberwolf Linden added that while there are no plans to curtail adult content and activities in Second Life – and recognising that Adult activities are as much a part of the virtual world as the physical world – in order to comply with app store requirements, etc., there is the aforementioned need to “hide” it from SL Mobile.
  • Community Exhibition: a question as to how the Community Exhibition is being managed, how communities are chose and how they can participate.
  • What is going to be done to the in-world content creation tools, as opposed to the emphasis on using external tools?
    • Answered in terms of the drive to open SL to more industry standards [e.g. the glTF 2.0 specification, which is governing he graphics and content creation improvements already in progress] and make it easier for content creators from outside SL to engage with the platform and bring content and experiences to the platform, thus helping to grow it and the economy and benefit everyone.
    • There is a desire to streamline the content creation process, make it more predictable and enable more of the collaborative spirit of content creation and the use of the in-world tools [e.g. glTF scene import / export with some manipulation of nodes using the in-world tools – see my CCUG summaries for more].
  • Final word from Oberwolf:
    • Continue to support the platform.
    • Be mindful of the fact that LL are trying to do the best they can for the platform and the users.
    • Again asked for understanding that as SL Mobile reaches a wider audience, they will find many things “broken” [or missing], and rather than complaining about the broken aspect, help improve it by filing bug reposts and offering feedback on improvements, etc.
    • Requested all residents help grow SL by encouraging people to try it and get involved – not for financial reasons on LL’s part, but to help grow the use base and thus further strengthen the platform.

 

Linden Lab: updates to policies and new initiatives on community relations

Posted on by Inara Pey
© and ® Linden Lab

On Thursday, May 2nd, 2024, Linden Lab issued the promised updates to both public-facing (i.e. linked to the Terms of Service) and internal policies.

These updates, together with additional internal changes (as noted below), have been made in the wake of investigations carried out in the wake of allegations made pseudonymously in February via the social journalism website Medium (and since removed).

In March, Linden Lab Executive Chairman Brad Oberwager (Oberwolf Linden) made a public statement on these matters indicating as much as was deemed necessary at the time (see my own reporting here, if interested), and that a further statement would be made in due course. It was further indicated by Keira Linden, speaking during a Lab Gab session released on April 19th, 2024 (and summarised in my own words here) that updates to policies were (then) being finalised, so the May 2nd statement – entitled Enhancing Our World Together – comes as no surprise.

Within it, Mr. Oberwager provides a short summary of the outcome of the investigations into the allegations made, before going on to summarise actions that have been / are being undertaken in the wake of those investigations, stating:

The investigation determined that all Lindens and contractors have stayed in compliance with our own community guidelines, as well as unwritten, ethical guidelines. I do not make this statement lightly, and I know there will be plenty of discussion. What I can say is that there is no incentive, monetary or otherwise, for me to mislead the community. At some point, the community has to trust that we, the Lindens, do well when the community thrives. We may make mistakes along the way, and we know that our community will engage with us when we do. Second Life is an enormous virtual world and we have to walk a very fine line between policing and preserving freedoms while also protecting the future growth and health of Second Life as a platform that respects diversity and creative expression among our community.
The findings did highlight opportunities for improvement. As a result, we are making updates to our internal policies to raise the standard for how Linden employees should respectfully engage with community members. This addresses multiple forms of engagement including how we present ourselves, how we interact with the community (even in moments of conflict), and how we minimize the perception of conflict of interest and favouritism in our interactions. 

As a result, the Lab has:

  • Updated the Child Avatar Policy related to the Second Life Terms of Service (ToS) – hence the need to re-accept the ToS on accessing Second Life or its related web properties.
  • Updated internal Policies and Procedures
  • Implemented personnel changes
  • Initiated management improvement programs
  • Committed to Community Roundtables (see below)
  • Committed to increased transparency and accountability

In terms of the the changes to the Child Avatar Policy, the statement notes:

We know that this update has the potential to cause confusion or concern in our community, so we’ve prepared an FAQ which we will continue to update as questions come up.

Community Round Table

  • The first of the Community Round Table events, as referenced in the statement and as previously announced by Linden Lab, will take place between 09:30-11:00 SLT on  Monday, May 20th, 2024, although the venue still to be announced (at the time of writing).
  • The event will feature Mr. Oberwager among those taking part from the Lab. It has been indicated that this event will have a focus on the acquisition of Tilia Inc., by Thunes, but also that reasonable questions / concerns on matter such as this might be addressed.
  • At the time of writing, and anonymous form for those wishing to ask questions of the Lab / offer feedback / suggestions on improving Second Life remained open (but I would advise using it sooner rather than later, if you intend to do so).
  • There will also be a Q&A portion during the Round Table at which questions  / ideas can be put forward.

Please note: if you opt to comment on the Lab’s statement, as outlined in this article, please refrain from discussing / naming any individuals, whether or not they may be related to the matters pertaining thereto.

 

Linden Lab to sell payments platform Tilia to Thunes

Posted on by Inara Pey
via Tilia.io

It has been announced that Tilia.io, the all-in-one payments platform established by Linden Lab in 2019 and which manages payment processing and cashing out for Second Life (as well as supporting a number of other platforms and virtual environments), is to be acquired by Singapore-based business-2-business (B2B) payments infrastructure firm Thunes.

The acquisition of Tilia will be for an undisclosed sum, and follows an agreement being reached between Thunes and Tilia majority owner Linden Research (the formal name of Linden Lab). However, it is still currently awaiting regulatory approval, so has not  – as of the time of writing – being finalised.

News of the acquisition was made public via a press release widely circulated by Thunes on Tuesday, April 23rd, 2024 (see links below for some of the reporting on the announcement), and has sparked comments, discussions and questions on a number of Second Life related forums.

Who Are Thunes?

Thunes is regarded as a start-up company, although it has been operating for some eight years. As a B2B payments company, Thunes powers payments for major brands such as Uber and Deliveroo, and also to global Fintech companies such as PayPal and Remitly.

They boast that with a single connection, businesses and their customers can both send payments to, and receive payments from 133 countries around the world, with support for 84 currencies and some 550 alternative payment methods (ATMs), including 129 recognised mobile wallets. Whilst headquartered in Singapore, the company has regional offices in London where communications on the deal with Linden Lab are being handled), Paris, Shanghai, New York, Dubai, and Nairobi. In addition to providing a B2B payments infrastructure direct to businesses across the world, Thunes also provides payment services to the banking industry, a service it is aggressively growing in order to more fully compete with SWIFT, the world’s dominant international financial network.

In December 2023 Thunes achieved a market valuation of some $900 million, with its series C funding round bringing the company some US $202 million investment – including from the likes of Visa, the global payment giant, Singaporean government investment vehicle EDBI, and US-based Endeavor Catalyst.

Why Would They be Interested In Tilia†?

Tilia is particularly attractive to Thunes as it is already a fully licensed Money Service Business (MSB) across 48 US states and territories, thus allowing Thunes to readily extend its services to business owners and customers across the United States – including Tilia’s current customer base, which obviously includes Second Life, as well as VRChat, Upland, Avatus and Unity. In addition, through brand recognition within the content creation market and its expertise in managing token-based virtual economies such as the Linden Dollar, Tilia provides Thunes with a ready-made means of expanding its presence in these markets both in the United States and globally.

What Does This Mean for Second Life‡?

This is perhaps harder to quantify from the side-lines. However, there are some points which may be worthy of note:

  • Following regulatory approval, Tilia will be re-branded Thunes, but will continue to be based in San Francisco.
  • The agreement is subject to an exclusive 5-year collaboration, Thunes will provide payment processing and payouts to Linden Lab across Thunes’ global network.
    • This should allow Second Life users and creators to enjoy more options for buying Linden Dollars and for cashing-out “in a more cost-efficient manner and with increased transparency”, with the Lab adding via a comment on a Reddit thread, “without additional costs”.
  • In support of the above, the Thunes press release includes the following statement from Brad Oberwager, Linden Lab’s co-owner and Executive Chairman:
Thunes is an exceptional company that directly connects nearly every payment method and market worldwide. The combination of Tilia and Thunes will give Linden Lab’s customers more payment choices, and the ability to receive pay-outs in real-time, anywhere, into the wallet or bank account of their choice. It will be business as usual for our people and our customers as we bring Tilia and Thunes together.

I reached out to Linden Lab on hearing the news, and was informed that although the company has nothing further to add to the Thunes press release at this time, those from the company who will be attending the forthcoming Community Round Table (informally announced during the April 19th Lab Gab session, and featured in my summary of that event) will be prepared to discuss the acquisition. I’ll have a post on the Round Table as soon as all information relating to it (where, time, how to attend / watch) is publicly released.

With thanks to Coffee Pancake for the alert.

Related Links

† Please note I am not an financial services expert, this section is therefore a subjective best guess.
‡ Again, please note this is a subjective best guess, even given the supporting quotes.

Note: updated to better reflect Tilia’s relationship with Second Life.

Linden Lab: statement on recent allegations

Posted on by Inara Pey
© and ® Linden Lab

In February 2024, an article was published on the social journalism website Medium¹, making various allegations against Linden Lab and some of its employees and contractors together with various users on the Second Life platform, as well as claims relating to some of the services provided to users of the platform.

At the time of the article’s publication, I contacted the Lab concern its claims and allegations, but other than referencing a broad statement being given to those contacting Support on the matter, and an off-the-record comment, there was no official response for the purposes of quoting. As such, I decided not to comment on the claims or the Lab’s response until such time there was any formal statement on the matter, rather than writing on the basis of pure speculation.

Such a statement was made on Wednesday, March 20th, 2024 (when I happened to be away from Second Life entirely, dealing with an exceptionally hectic personal life, hence the somewhat belated nature of this piece). It came from company owner and Executive chairman, Brad Oberwager, who is, as many know, extremely hands-on with Linden Lab and its products.

If you have not already done so, you can read the full statement from Mr. Oberwager here.

For my part, I’ll simply highlight the core part of the statement, coming as it does after numerous in-world and on-line demands that the Lab publicly respond to the piece published via Medium’s website:

I promise you that we are taking this very seriously. Very. Full stop. 
I promise we hear you. We know you’re angry and you’re confused. We are working to do our best to resolve your concerns and restore your trust in us. These are complicated issues and we want to do things right. We will make mistakes along the way. I wish I could say we will not, but we will. 
As owner of Linden Lab, I have initiated a thorough investigation, both internally and with external partners, to review whether or not there have been any violations of our company and community policies by employees, contractors, or community members. While early preliminary internal investigations suggest that some of the accusations are unfounded, I want to make sure that we get additional investigative support externally to ensure that the process is fair and thorough.
One of our top priorities has been to ensure the safety of our residents, moles, employees, and families. There are real people behind the avatars, and it has been important to confirm that nobody was in actual physical danger. 
Additionally, I am taking proactive steps to review and revamp many of our policies, including a comprehensive review of our Community Standards, Content Guidelines, and Ageplay Policy. Any violation detected will be met with swift enforcement actions to protect our community. We’ll be sharing these revised policies in the coming weeks and, critically, we are turning to the community to help us shape the future of how governance operates within Second Life. 

While there were almost immediate calls on on social media and in-world for the Lab to make known its response to the allegations made and provide “full transparency” (or even a basic “we are investigating”), they were perhaps premature.

Given the seriousness of some of the allegations made (including the potential for them to be defamatory towards the company and the individuals named), caution of approach in even the most preliminary investigation was bound to be required, together with legal circumspection on what the Lab might or could say. This is further compounded by the fact the Medium piece brings together numerous different claims and allegations, some of which are perhaps easier to verify (e.g. issues within the Marketplace), others of which are not (including obtaining some veracity concerning the author of the piece, particularly given its pseudonymous nature²). Ergo, any investigation, either preliminary or in-depth, would / will take weeks (even months) to complete.

Nor, frankly, should there be any expectation that – given a statement has now been made – that the results of any investigation will be publicly disclosed in full once completed. There may well be legal or other ramifications which preclude this from happening.

That said, I do welcome the statement by Mr. Oberwager; it actually speaks well of the company that as soon as they have been in a position to respond to user sentiment on the matter, they have done so, and through the voice of their owner .

Footnotes

  1. At the time of writing this piece, the article in question has been found in violation of Medium’s rules of publication, and is subject to further investigation, and thus suspended from being viewed.
  2. The Medium piece was published under the account name “dantesedmond1844”.This appears to be a intentional reference to Edmond Dantès, the protagonist in Alexander Dumas’ 1844 novel of revenge / vengeance, The Count of Monte Cristo. Which, given the overall nature of the article, to me would appear to be a very curiously coincidental choice of account name (or possibly a contextual choice).

Note: as this piece is related to an on-going investigation onto an article containing unproven (and potentially questionable) allegations against specific individuals, it is requested than any comments offered in response to this piece forgo naming or otherwise discussing those individuals.

VWBPE 2024 What’s up With the Lab: Grumpity, Kali and Signal Linden

Posted on by Inara Pey
via VWBPE

Update: March 16th, 2024: Regarding SL Voice and capabilities, as mentioned in the latter part of this summary, please also refer to: 2024 week #11: SL TPVD summary: new approach to voice in SL for information on the new WebRTC for Voice in SL.

On Thursday, March 14th, 2024 Grumpity Linden, the Lab’s Senior Vice President of Operations, along with Kali and Signal Linden joined Phelan Corrimal for the annual Above the Book session at the Virtual Worlds Best Practice in Education (VWBPE) conference, entitled What’s Up At the Lab.

The function of the session is to explore what’s “new” at Linden Lab  / with Second Life and their impact on educators and non-profit organisations using the platform.

The following is a summary of the session covering the core topics raised. The notes provided have been taken directly from the official video of the session, which is embedded at the end of this article. Time stamps to the video are also provided to the relevant points in the video for those who wish to listen to specific comments.

Notes:

  • This is a summary, not a full transcript, and items have been grouped by topic, so may not be presented chronologically when compared to the video.
  • Timestamps are included to allow a direct jump to a subject / comment.

A Little Background

Grumpity Linden: is responsible for the Second Life Product and Engineering teams. She originally started at LL whilst working for The Product Engine, and was involved in the development of Viewer 2 (as designed by 80/20 Studio), prior to joining LL full-time in 2014. Her role covers all aspects of product development and platform engineering, and as well as having a strong technical background, she also brings a strong element of interpersonal skills and psychological expertise to the Lab’s management team via her studies at the Johns Hopkins University.

Kali Linden: is now a Director of Engineering at the Lab, reporting into Grumpity, specifically focused on the Lab’s web properties (e.g. lindenlab.com, secondlife.com, the Marketplace, etc.) and associated UI and API design. She has a keen focus on matters pertaining to content creation and also in working in the non-profit sphere, describing herself as a “Nonprofit-preneur” as well as a “Nerd-Gamer”.

Signal Linden: is the Director of the Second Life Server and Viewer engineering and development teams. He has been involved with Second Life since 2008, and joined Linden Lab in 2015 by way of the likes of Amazon. He is a strong believer in the potential of virtual worlds, and a keen proponent of open-source software and collaborative development. He has perhaps most recently been visible as the communicator of, and driving force behind, the Lab’s moves to the use of Github to manage viewer development and issue tracking for their engineering and development environments.

Product Development Path

The glTF™ Roadmap

[Video: 4:43-19:26]

  • When SL introduced mesh import (2011), the COLLADA (Collaborative Design Activity) interchange file format  interactive 3D applications was selected for use within SL for importing mesh models to the platform. This decision was based on its widespread (at the time) use and recognition as an international standard (ISO/PAS 17506).
  • Since then, content creation and the industry have moved on, and the glTF (graphics library Transmission Format) has been developed over the last decade by the Khronos Group (also responsible for COLLADA), as  a standard file format for three-dimensional scenes and models. Recognised and adhered to through the industry, it is the specification of choice for Second Life to move to using.
  • Linden Lab views glTF adoption as a combination of:
    • Making the platform more accessible to a wider pool of content creators (as in theory, content made for X or Y in adherence to the core glTF specification (currently version 2.0 (no extensions) for SL) could be dropped directly into SL “as is” subject to licensing)
    • Making the actual import and use of glTF objects and scenes adhering to the specification pretty much a drag-and-drop capability.
  • While the techniques involved in glTF content production may be more complex, it is hoped that by adhering to the specification, content creators and users in SL will have great access to more accurate documentation to support the learning process, and have access to a broader set of libraries / tools presenting the means for that drag-and-drop capability with items and objects arriving in SL and looking vastly different to how they appear in authoring tools.
  • Physically based rendering (PBR) for materials was the first step in glTF adoption, and required a large-scale overhaul of the SL rendering engine. With its deployment and update, LL are now looking to to build out glTF support and capabilities.
  • Notably, the work now allows LL the opportunity to investigate  – and potentially implement – the support of  importing of entire glTF scenes (object, scripts, animations, etc., as noted above) into SL and have them stored as a recognisable asset.
    • This requires another significant overhaul of SL to support glTF hierarches, and so is liable to be a long-term project.
    • However, work on scene import and its associated requirements is due to start around mid-2024.
  • Note: this conversation included the export of glTF scenes from SL to elsewhere. As Linden Lab are still investigating requirements for permissions, etc., plus determining what will be required to allow scene import, no definitive answer on this could be given at this point, and so I’ll do no more than mention it here. Please refer to the video below if interested in the conversation.

SL Mobile

[Video: 30:02-36:28]

  • SL Mobile remains in closed Alpha testing (Premium Plus users only) and the current testing is generating a lot of feedback.
  • The initial focus was on rendering – with work still on-going – to ensure scenes and avatars could be rendered with a fidelity similar to that of the viewer and robustly.
  • This saw limited functionality in other areas to start with, but the functionality is being built out, and will continue to be built out and enhanced. Recent updates include:
    • Start a new chat from any chat screen
    • On the Nearby Chat screen, see how many people are nearby.
    • Streaming audio support.
  • As the functionality is built out, LL plan to start looking more broadly at Mobile use-cases (e.g. bringing-in new users, which requires considering a set of capabilities – signing-up, getting in-world, making connections, etc.) which are different to many of those sought by existing users (e.g inventory sorting).
  • Some capabilities found in the viewer will not be available in Mobile “for a while” (e.g. building), and core capabilities required for content creation (e.g. mesh importing) may well remain bound to the desktop.
  • That said, basic object interactions – sitting on objects, driving vehicles, etc., – will be supported.
  • In terms of broadening the existing SL Mobile user base, the hope is to do so “in the first half” of 2024.
    • More widespread usage does require more thought around interactions with third party environments (app stores, Tilia for L$ management, etc.) before such expansion can take place.

On-Boarding New User Experience

[Video: 36:40-42:34]

  • With the introduction of the Senra avatars in 2023, LL added a web-based avatar customisation flow as a part of the on-boarding process. This process continues to be refined, wit the idea remaining that new users will start with Senra and its available clothing and accessories (LL supplied or via user creators), but eventually move to other systems.
  • However, it is recognised that in-world avatar customisation is “hard”, so to further assist in new users gaining familiarity with in-world avatar customisation, LL are – as has been suggested by existing users – looking to implement a similar, easy-to-understand flow to customising avatars in-world.
    • This does require a series of back-end changes to systems to be made, so will still be a while in come.
    • It will, by necessity, given the huge range of options available in avatar customisation, be somewhat constrained it terms of trying to build a more complex look, but it should allow use users to make changes to their avatar and produce a good result.
  • As a part of the on-boarding process, LL is looking to improve the registration API that is provided to Community Gateways for on-boarding users directly. No firm decisions on what might be updated and why, but the Lab is interested in hearing from Gateway Communities, those using the Reg API on the changes they would like to see. suggestions via the Second Life Feedback Portal.

General

  • Scripting [Video: 19:27-24:52]:
    • The last two years have seen LL become more responsive to requests for more scripting capabilities and functionality.
    • The plan is to continue with this, and those with specific requests – even if made in the past – are asked to use the Scripting Requests board on the Second Life Feedback Portal to do so.
    • Interoperability with external API (e.g. web APIs) is often being considered on a request basis.
  • Voice in Second Life [Video: 24:56-29:50]:
    • It is acknowledged that SL’s voice capabilities (powered by Vivox) have been largely unchanged since their introduction in 2007 (and Vivox has long since ceased active support on Linux).
    • LL are looking to improve Voice capabilities in SL with technologies which will enable the addition of new functionalities – such as new capabilities in-world such as adding scripted control of voice capabilities.
    • As with PBR and glTF, the work currently under consideration for Voice in SL would be foundational as / when decisions are made and projects start rolling, allowing capabilities and options to be built up over time.
  • Marketplace [Video: 42:40-43:56]:
    • In line with the work on SL Mobile, the Marketplace / web team are working on trying to make the Marketplace responsive on Mobile, enabling shopping via ‘phone or tablet and also improving the MP’s appearance on the viewer’s in-built browser.
    • Marketplace Search is also going to see further improvements (e.g. additional filtering).
    • Also see my more recent Web User Group summaries.
  • Feedback move from Jira to Github  / Canny [Video: 44:14-48:30]:
    • The decision to move away from Jira was primarily due to Atlassian (who produce the Jira software) changing their licensing model, making an open-ended system available to all SL users prohibitively expensive for the Lab.
    • Github Issues was selected as the core replacement tool due to it both it being a good collaborative tool or developers and users, and it is a key tool used within the likes of viewer (open-source and simulator code development.
    • Canny was settled on for the general user-facing front-end the Feedback Portal) as it has “good” integration with Github, and has a range of tools which allow information to be grouped and displayed (e.g. Marketplace bug / issues; viewer bug reports, projects such as Combat 2.0, etc.).
    • It also allows for a wider range of feedback to be given, and for prioritising work in terms of popularity of ideas, identifying issues that can be widely beneficial and rapidly implemented, etc.
    • The Feedback Portal provides general user access to tickets; those with Github accounts (e.g. open source or third-party viewer developers) can access the Github issues side of the system (with some security / sensitive data exceptions) via their Github accounts.
    • The switch-over was completed in mid-February 2024.

Checking out the Second Life Community Exhibition

Posted on by Inara Pey
Second Life Community Exhibition (SLCE), January 2024

On Tuesday, January 30th, 2024, Linden Lab announced the opening of a major new addition to their Welcome Hub / Motown Experience gateway, which itself opened in June 2023, as I wrote about in Linden Lab and Motown: a new approach to user on-boarding in Second Life.

The new addition – called the Second Life Community Exhibition (SLCE) – is designed to occupy north-west corner region of the nine-region Lab-managed estate, replacing what had been the laser tag area. However, at the time of writing it was limited to a smaller area extending outward from the main Welcome Hub region, between the Motown and and shopping regions. In terms of it’s purpose, it is intended to do exactly what the name suggests: provide active communities within Second Life with the opportunity to promote themselves to both established users visiting the Welcome Hub and its associated regions as well as to incoming new users arriving at the Hub.

Following the design design aesthetic of the Welcome Hub, the Community Exhibition area currently has room for some 32 community displays, with eleven occupied for the opening. According to the official blog post on the Exhibition, the displays will be cycled between communities as time goes on, in accordance with the response of new users to the various displays when visiting the exhibition – a statement which tickles my curiosity as to how such “resonating” will be measured (purely on the basis of the number of teleports from any supplied portal? If so, what about those displays providing access by giving landmarks or HUDs?).

Second Life Community Exhibition, January 2024

The ten communities initially presented comprise: Boystown (LGBTQ+ friendly), Drivers of SL (hosts of the famous Grid Drive events, as well as helping to represent sailing and flying in SL), Virtual Ability Inc., Non-Profit Commons, Club Furzona (Furry community focused on music, writing, animation and 3D modelling amongst much more), BURN2 (the unofficial virtual celebrations marking the physical world Burning Man traditions), plus four well established communities offering people both a sense of community and a place to live: Bay City, the Caledon community and estate, the Confederation of Democratic Simulators (CDS) and (my “home town” of) Second Norway.

Linden Realms is also represented, although it’s hard to consider it a “community” in the traditional sense. However, of all the Linden games introduced into Second Life, it does seem to be the one with the most enduring popularity, and it certainly offers the potential for new users to make friends whilst racing around and collecting gems, so its inclusion shouldn’t be sneered at.

Second Life Community Exhibition, January 2024 – expansion area for further community displays

Nor are these merely static informational areas – the aim is to both promote communities to Second Life residents and bring residents into the communities. As such, and as indicated earlier in this piece, each participating community is expected to provide some form of access into their community / experience, be it via teleport portal or HUD landmark giver, etc. In addition, communities can provide links to other resources they might have – websites, Discord channels, etc., – and displays / exhibits can utilise multi-media, etc.

Communities wishing to join the Exhibition can do so via the SLCE application form, which includes general guidelines on requirements / expectations. As to the rest, I’ll leave it to Strawberry and Patch Linden to discuss, via the Lab Gab recording below.

Overall, this would appear to be a good initiative – outreach to new users (and even existing users) is something communities and groups within Second Life can find difficult, so providing what is very much a “doorstep” opportunity to reach people through a  physical resource like this is something a broad cross-section of communities and groups could find beneficial, allowing for acceptance and length of time(s) featured within the Exhibition space.

SLurl Details