Category: News

Second Life new community platform launches

Posted on by Inara Pey

On Tuesday, March 14th, the new community platform for Second Life officially launched.

Powered by Invision Power Services, Inc,  it had been hoped the platform would go live at the end of February 2017, but some teething problems coupled with the amount of data which needed to be transferred over from the older Lithium-powered slowed things down somewhat.

The new platform brings with it a new page layout, including a dedicated Community home page, and feeds blog posts to users’ dashboards at secondlife.com/ However, there are still some niggles to be sorted. At the time of writing, for example, going to the dashboard and selecting Community > Forums from the top menu can generate an error message. Clicking on blog links, however, will launch the new format blogs successfully.

The new home page, and the pages beneath it, offers all the familiar community elements: forums, blogs, knowledge base and answers, each with their own top-level page. The knowledge base was actually the first part of the new platform to open its doors, on Friday, March 10th, but at that time certain functionality – such as search – had been disabled on the platform, as it was impeding testing and performance.

The new Community Platform home page with the menu tabs highlighted

In announcing the launch of the new platform, Xiola Linden notes a few things which should be kept in mind at present when using it:

One of the things that we were unfortunately unable to transfer to the new platform was background images on profile pics. If you were using a background image for your profile, you will need to upload a new profile pic. The good news is that uploading a profile image on the new platform is much simpler and more intuitive than before. Just select your profile from under your name, and you can upload an image from there.

We will continue to make improvements, but wanted to get the community platform out as soon as possible, so that the Knowledge Base was back on-line.

Here is a list of known issues, most of which we expect to fix in the coming days/weeks:

 Some posts may have missing images. Where possible, we will be fixing and/or updating these.

  • Some posts may have been slightly reformatted or have a slightly different layout
  • Previously used emotes may no longer work.
  • Some old Community URL redirects may be broken.
  • Some users have lost their account profile images and will need to reset them.
  • Second Life headers and footers are currently missing from community pages, and we are working to restore those.
  • The window title needs to be updated.
  • Clicking on a Help link from the viewer will load the page in mobile layout; this is not optimal, and we are working to correct that.

I’ve not explored the new platform in total, but here is a quick look at two of the more noticeable features.

Options Area

In the top right corner of each page on the community platform is a set of options, comprising a Create button  an Alerts button (warning you of & listing replies to your posts and comments, etc), a Messages button (for accessing direct messages), and your name with a drop-down menu.

The Create button pops-up a means to start a new post a one of the existing forums in the platform via an intermediary Topic item. When you have selected the forum you wish to post to and clicked Continue, you’ll be taken to the Create New Topic page where you can write your post and post it directly to the selected forum.

The options area, located in the top right of the Community Platform pages showing both the Create button, which currently offers a short cut to posting topics to the forums, and the drop-down menu accessed by clicking your name.

The drop down displayed when clicking your name presents a series of options specific to you. You can, for example, view your Community Platform profile, where you can edit your profile picture or profile information, and you can toggle between seeing your most recent activity in the forums or viewing a complete history of all your activity via the See My Activity / View Profile button. Note this toggle is publicly displayed on your profile, allowing anyone to review your recent and full history of activity on the forums, just as you can when viewing other people’s profiles.

Your profile options: change picture (circled left), edit profile (top right) toggle between most recent activity and all activity (arrowed)

There are two Settings options found within this drop-down menu. The first doesn’t currently appear to do anything; however, the Account Settings option will display your account settings, allowing you to change your forum signature and change the e-mail address / password associated with your account (so use the latter with care!).

The Account Settings option additionally has links to:

  • Your Community Platform profile (see above)
  • Your Community Platform notifications options
  • Your list of Ignored Users.
The Community Platform Notifications Page – when and how you receive platform-related notifications

Finally, this menu has three further options:

  • The Manage Followed Content option: allows you to access content within the Community Platform by clicking the Follow button in things like blog posts, forum posts, other users (button on their public profile header)
  • The Ignored User button: allows you to ignore other users, blocking some or all of their content from showing. Users are not notified that you are ignoring them
  • Logs you out of the Community Platform (but not from secondlife.com).

Activity Menu

The Community platform Activity options

Another feature is the Activity option, found in the main menu area. this presents a drop-down menu (shown on the right) offering further means by which you can view content on the Community Platform of particular interest to you.

The options here present multiple means by which you can get to the information you wish to view (for example, you can get to Content I Follow via Activity > Content I Follow and Activity > My Activity Streams > Content I Follow).

Several of the pages accessed through the Activity options  – such as Unread Content, Content I Follow and Content I Started – include a series of filter options, allowing you to refine the information they display, making them a flexible means of accessing information you are particularly interested in.

The Activity filters available on some of the Activity options pages allow you to refine the information displayed on those pages, making it easy for you to focus down on items, information from those you follow (shown above), etc.

I’ve not dug too deeply into Streams (when and how they are visible, creating a stream, etc. I leave that to you to play with.  There are also other abilities to look at, including the marking options, the toggles for switching between condensed and enhanced views, etc. However, most of these should be pretty self-explanatory, and this isn’t intended as an in-depth review.

Initial Thoughts

Keeping in mind I’ve only played with the new capabilities whilst writing this piece and so may have missed some thing, I have to say that overall I like it. When viewed on a PC, the pages are (other than when interrupted by ongoing work!) fast to load and the information cleanly presented. The ability to more tailor how information can be accessed / followed are all to the good, and I like the overall presentation.  Viewing the pages on my Nexus HD 2013 revealed the Community Platform to be pretty mobile-friendly.

One aspect that did concern me was the main menu placement (Home, Forums, Knowledge Base, etc). Even this is set against a background banner image, I did find myself wondering if it might cause problems for users with visual impairments; certainly the orange colour for the currently selected menu header can be a little hard to see. Time will tell on this.

In the meantime, again do not that this is early days for the new platform and as Xiola notes, work is still in progress. If you do come across specific bugs or issues which are not listed in Xiola’s official blog post, and which can be clearly demonstrated / reproduced, please file a report through the JIRA system, using the System type Website and the related Community sub-category.

Second Life home page gets a revamp

Posted on by Inara Pey

While we’re all awaiting the arrival of the new Second Life Community Platform, Linden Lab took the opportunity to deploy an updated Second Life home page at secondlife.com.

Now, if you’re generally logged-in to your Second Life dashboard, you’ve probably not noticed. While I did notice while twiddling around waiting for the Community Platform, it didn’t exactly register with me for various reasons – so my thanks to Whirly Fizzle for the extra nudge, and to Pete Linden for confirming I wasn’t going entirely bonkers.

To see the new layout if you are normally logged-in to your dashboard (at secondlife.com), you’ll have to log out. If you don’t tend to log-in to your dashboard, you should see the updated layout by simply going to secondlife.com.

The layout itself has much the same look at feel to the community landing pages the Lab deployed and I blogged about back in December 2015 (see Landing pages: marketing Second Life), and share some commonality with the more recent Places pages (see: Places: a new gateway to your activities in Second Life).

A portion of the new secondlife.com home page (seen when you are *not* logged in to your dashboard!)

At the top is a set of banner images, which periodically change. These include the sign-up, log-in and language options in the top right corner, together with the SL logo and old strapline “Your World, Your Imagination” on the left. Beneath this, and changing with the images, is descriptive text together with a LEARN MORE button.

Depending on the banner image displayed, clicking LEARN MORE will either take you to the business or creators Community Landing Pages, or display the Destination Guide. Each banner also include a JOIN button which will launch the sign-up button.

Below this is a further section providing more insight into Second Life in the form of a set of tiled images – Creativity, Entertainment, Social, Real Estate, Education and Business. Four of these – Creativity, Social, Education and Business – again link to their respective Community Landing Page. Of the remaining two, Real Estate provides an overview of land “ownership” in Second Life, while hovering the mouse over the Entertainment tile will display a series of five category buttons. With the exception of the GAMES button, which goes to the Games section of the Destination Guide, these also all go to their associated Community Landing Page.

The Entertainment tile on the revamped homepage, displaying the five category buttons

Below this there is a further section linking to the Destination Guide, before a section displaying one of the Drax Files World Makers series, together with a link to YouTube channel for the series.

The entire design is fresh and clean and, as noted, has much in common with the Community Landing pages and the Places pages, helping to present something of a unified front end to the Second Life web spaces (although the Places pages do stand slightly apart, as they are designed to be customised by users).

While they have yet to be seen in the flesh, it would appear the new Community Platform pages may have something of a similar approach as well, although we will, at the time of writing, have to wait a while longer to see those.

An appeal on behalf of Second Life creator Elicio Ember

Posted on by Inara Pey

Cerridwen's Cauldron; Inara Pey, January 2016, on Flickr Cerridwen’s Cauldron – Ground Level

Elico Ember is a brilliant Second Life creator and a friend, I’m therefore posting this article in support of him and his family, after learning via Saffia Widdershins about a familial health crisis he is facing, and a call for help he has put out via Facebook.

You can read the full details on Saffia’s post. Suffice it to say here that Elicio’s father has suffered a stroke which has left him with neurological damage. As Elicio explains in his Facebook post (which Saffia provides in full on her blog), circumstances mean that his father is without health insurance, despite having been employed by the state teaching languages at a local university. In order to ensure he gets the required treatment, the family has been forced to turn to private medical assistance, and thus are facing exceptional medical (and potentially other) bills as a result.

To help them meet these costs, Elicio is making a simple request: that people consider buying his Second Life creation, and thus boost his available income.

Cerridwen's Cauldron; Inara Pey, January 2016, on Flickr Cerridwen’s Cauldron – the skyborne store

For those of you who may not know him, Elicio is the man behind the incredible Cerridwen’s Cauldron, which I wrote about in 2012 and again in 2016. He is a regular designer of regions for Fantasy Faire and – if I may repeat some of Saffia’s words, is one of the warmest, kindest and most giving hearts in all of Second Life. His warmth and generosity simply know no bounds.

Elicio creates beautiful plants with an otherworldy feel (indeed, “Otherworld” was the name of his 2016 Fantasy Faire build). His work can be found in many fantasy regions, art installations and gardens looking for and exotic look. Those who have come across his work tend to find it unforgettable.

So – and to again borrow from Saffia – if you only do one thing in Second Life today or over the next few days, please consider making it a purchase of Elicio’s marvellous creations, either from his in-world store or via the Marketplace – and do, please, tell friends, share this and Saffia’s posts, and help one of the kindest people you might ever hope to encounter in Second Life.

To remind you of his incredible talent, I’ll close with a video of Otherworld I recorded at 2016’s Fantasy Faire.

Lab: new Community Platform coming for Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey

secondlifeUpdate, March 6th:  Data is still being ported to the new platform and the launch remains delayed, with no further ETA.

Update February 24th:  The new community platform is now expected to launch on Tuesday, February 28th., 2017.

On February 17th, Linden Lab announced the Second Life Community Platform will be undergoing update to a “fresh look and feel”, with the new layout scheduled to open its doors on Monday, February 27th, 2017.

However, ahead of the launch, there will be some important points to note. All of the data held within the existing platform – blog posts, images, forum posts, and so on must be migrated across to the new platform in order to ensure continuity.

This means that from Tuesday, February 21st, all of the existing forums will be switched to READ ONLY. During this period, the forums will be open to browsing / reading, but it will not be possible to create new threads, reply to posts, etc.

Providing all goes according to plan, the new-look community pages will launch on Monday, February 27th, and full forum posting capabilities will be restored.

The Lab will provide updates on the migration / launch of the community pages through the blogs during the transitional period.

The change marks the first major overhaul to the Community Platform since 2011, when the current Lithium-powered platform was launched. An example of the new look for the platform is included in the blog post to give an idea of the layout (the actual content is entirely mocked-up and not related to any real information), and I’ve reproduced it below.

New Second Life Community page layout - note the images and text content are placeholders. Click for full size
New Second Life Community page layout – note the images and text content are placeholders. Click for full size

In overall look, the new layout broadly follows that seen with the Community Landing pages, the website log-in page, etc., offering a consistent look-and-feel when compared to many of the Lab’s other Second Life web properties. Usability can obviously only be judged once the new set-up is live, of course, and I’ll have an update once the new service is live.

In the meantime, keep an eye on the official blogs for updates on overall progress with the migration.

Michael Linden Departs Linden Lab

Posted on by Marianne McCann
Michael Linden in his usual Mole look, attending the February 2017 Mole Day
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!
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
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
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!

In the Press: An adept look at Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Virtual Ability Island, featuring in the Backchannel article
Virtual Ability Island, featuring in the Backchannel article

First They Got Sick, Then They Moved Into a Virtual Utopia appeared in Backchannel on February 13th, 2017. Written by Kristen French, it’s an adept examination of Second Life, with a focus on the help the platform has brought to disabled people around the globe.

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
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) - images courtesy of San Diego Union-Tribune / Bill Wechter
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.