Starborn Gallery, November 2023: Gabriel Chamerberlin – The Traveller
How we might describe Second Life to someone unfamiliar with the platform is can often be something of a conundrum. Leaving aside the hoary old “is it or isn’t it a game” element of such discussions†, Second Life can be hard to quantify because it is so utterly diverse in terms of content, opportunity and attitude (on the part of those of us using it). The third of these points will always be a primary influence on how we each opt to define the platform, simply because it is so personal; however, the first two – content and opportunity – do offer a richness of scope in helping to describe Second Life.
This richness is at the heart of Gabriel Chamerberlin’s exhibition the Traveller, which opened on November 5th, 2023, at the Starborn Gallery operated and curate by Lizbeth Morningstar. This cosy selection of pieces spread cross the two levels of the gallery’s guest exhibition space is a visual narrative of one man’s journey through Second Life, exposing many of the elements which can make it so engaging a place in which to spend time.
Featuring the titular individual, as played by Gabriel himself, the dozen pieces within the collection illustrate – generally in a very subtle manner – the rich diversity of Second Life, complete with touches here and there of metaphor, whilst also presenting a short visual story of the experiences and encounters of the part of The Traveller as he goes about – well, his travels!
Starborn Gallery, November 2023: Gabriel Chamerberlin – The Traveller
The metaphor is visible from the start – The Traveller and the Tunnel – the tunnel with its dark interior representing the “great unknown” of Second Life one might face when launching the viewer for the first time. Alongside of it, The Traveller and The Train uses the comedic metaphor of hanging on for dear life to a speeding train to represent the whirlwind of sensations and experiences which can be felt and had on entering Second Life and being overcome with the desire to See It All. Now!
Continuing on around the pieces in order and to the upper level of the gallery, we are offered views familiar to travellers in the physical world which offer subtle hints and the niggles we can have with SL as a platform, such as at times having to sit and wait for things to happen / update, or having to deal minor irritants (The Traveller and Airport Security and The Layover), through to the more obvious facets of SL’s uniqueness – encounters with haunted houses and aliens, the opportunity to be involved in the performing arts, the marvels of creativity.
Starborn Gallery, November 2023: Gabriel Chamerberlin – The Traveller
Following the images around the walls and back towards the stairs connecting the two floors, we come to The Edge, which although the gallery’s layout means it is initially encountered mid-way through a walk through the exhibition, I take to be the conclusion of the story. I say this because it features our Traveller standing on the edge of the precipice, the path he’s been following literally breaking up at the edge.
This is again an perfect metaphor, reflecting the idea that the Traveller’s journey is far from over, and that while possibly unknown (as symbolised by the cliff edge), more awaits, together with the idea that through these images, Gabriel has only hinted that all that Second Life might be and there is more to be discovered and appreciated when we take a leap of faith into the platform.
When visiting, do also take the time to visit the other half of the gallery, in which Lizbeth presents her own Second Life photographic art. this section has been expanded since my last visit to incorporate an selection of night / early morning images Lizbeth has produced under the title Before Dawn and which offers a further engaging set of reflections on time in Second Life.
Starborn Gallery, November 2023: Lizbeth Morningstar – Before Dawn
† Just in case you’re curious – no, I don’t believe Second Life is “a game”, but I do agree it can be used as a platform on which games can be created. however, this should not be taken to mean that people cannot opt to treat it the entire platform as a game through their desire to utilise it in a particular manner – such as adopting a persona other than their own for whatever reason (such as role-play) and then only interact within the platform and with others through the lens of that persona, rather than as themselves.
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week through to Sunday, November 5th, 2023
This summary is generally published every Monday, and is a list of SL viewer / client releases (official and TPV) made during the previous week. When reading it, please note:
It is based on my Current Viewer Releases Page, a list of all Second Life viewers and clients that are in popular use (and of which I am aware), and which are recognised as adhering to the TPV Policy. This page includes comprehensive links to download pages, blog notes, release notes, etc., as well as links to any / all reviews of specific viewers / clients made within this blog.
By its nature, this summary presented here will always be in arrears, please refer to the Current Viewer Release Page for more up-to-date information.
Note that for purposes of length, TPV test viewers, preview / beta viewers / nightly builds are generally not recorded in these summaries.
Official LL Viewers
Release viewer version 6.6.16.6566955269, formerly the Github Actions (GHA) RC viewer, version , issued October 20, promoted October 25 – No Change.
Release channel cohorts:
glTF / PBR Materials viewer updated to version 7.0.1.6658224456, November 2.
Cool VL viewer updated to version 1.30.2.35 (Stable) and version 1.31.0.13 (Experimental) on November 6 (hotfixes for the Nov 4th releases) – release notes.
The last several days have seen the circulation of news regarding what is patiently a scam viewer. The item in question is being “promoted” by means of an IM circulating to users promising all sorts of goodies and advantages: free Linden Dollars! Freedom to build where you please! And so on.
Most established users are a little too wily to fall for such promises – and the IM has apparently given rise to a number of Abuse Reports being filed, with additional warnings going out via social media. However, those not so familiar with such schemes might be tempted by promises of free L$ and so on, and others might be tempted to “just give it a quick try” to “see what it is all about” – neither of which would be especially wise, as the “viewer” in question does far more than might initially be suspected.
To discover the threats posed by the “viewer” in question, programmer and Firestorm Bug Hunter (and also animator and modeller) Chaser Zaks risked taking a look under the covers of the code that is supplied, and published his findings on Github Gists. So as to (hopefully) help spread the word more generally, I asked Chaser if I could repro his notes here, to which he agreed.
In his document, Chaser neatly encompasses the high-level claims of the “viewer” before dismantling them, before going on to describe the threats posed by installing it. For ease of reference, I’ll summarise the realities behind the claims made by the “viewer” in my own words in the table below, and then turn to Chaser’s notes directly on the threats posed by the “viewer”, if installed on a computer.
Claim
Reality
Unlock unlimited Linden Dollars (L$)
This isn’t possible. Linden Dollars are created and controlled by Linden Lab through the LindeX mechanism, which is not a part of the viewer. Therefore, any claim of being able to access / generate unlimited Linden Dollars outside of this mechanism constitutes the crime of fraud and is a violation of both the Terms of Service and (among others) US federal law. Further:
Linden Lab has the capability to immediately identify and track fraudulent transactions – and to take action (up to and including) banning accounts engaging in such transactions, as well as reporting such activities to the relevant authorities.
The Lab can also identify and block malicious viewers (and similarly take action against accounts using such viewers).
Fly to Unlimited heights
This is already possible; Linden Lab removed the limit on flying to any altitude a fair while ago, and most third-party viewers allow users to fly as high as they like (Building, however does remain constrained to below 4096 metres – but’s that’s a different matter).
Build on any land
Not possible; land permissions are checked by the simulator, not the viewer, the the permissions set by a land holder as to what can / cannot be done on their land cannot be overridden.
For the rest, I’ll refer directly to Chaser’s notes.
So What Does It Actually Do?
A lot of stuff you don’t want happening. I’ll break it down into steps:
You are instructed to download viewer.exe, upon execution it will pretend to install a viewer so that it looks legitimate.
Upon running the newly installed program, it will run builddata.bat.
This script elevates the permission to administrator permissions on your computer! This is incredibly dangerous as it allows whatever is running to do what it wants. In specific, this script will download and execute the files called “V1”, “Q”, and “A”.
“V1”, will install files “1” and “2”.
“1” is Trojan.CobaltStrike, which is a penetration testing toolkit which cybercriminals often abuse in order to do remote administrative access.
“2” will install Trojan.Molotov/Reflo. While I am not 100% sure about what it does, it is very likely another remote administration toolkit.
“Q” will install Quasar, which is also a remote administration toolkit.
“A” will install AsyncRAT which is also a remote administrative toolkit.
Some of these toolkits will automatically install additional stuff not included in the script, such as a crypto-miner.
The script will execute start.vbs – which shows a fake dialogue saying that there was an error.
Why So Many Remote Administrative Toolkits?
Attackers will intentionally install as many backdoors as possible so that it becomes increasingly difficult to remove to the point where you should probably just wipe your hard drive and re-install your operating system.
What Does a Remote Administrative Toolkit Do?
A remote administrative toolkit(also known as a RAT), is basically like giving someone physical access to your computer. They can, but are not limited to, do the following:
Steal your username / passwords.
Steal your browser cookies.
Steal your files.
Steal your banking information.
Steal your L$.
Steal your REAL WORLD money (through credit / banking / wire fraud).
View your webcam and take pictures/videos.
View your desktop.
Install additional software.
Encrypt your files.
Delete your files.
What Does a Crypto-miner Do?
A crypto-miner abuses your GPU to mine cryptocurrency such as bitcoin. This wastes electricity, computing power, and also degrades your graphics card. And you do not see a dime of what they make. It’s basically turning your computer into a mining slave.
Does it Install Anything Else?
Yes and no:
No: The script it’s self doesn’t install anything else
Yes: However, when each of the remote administrative toolkits are installed, it pings as server, which that server can tell the toolkit to install even more stuff.
While I could do further investigation, it involves going further than I feel reasonably safe doing so.
Help! I installed it! What do I do?
Turn the computer that you installed it on OFF immediately! If the computer is off, they can’t access it. Make sure you do not put it in a “sleep” state where the CPU is still operating in a lower power mode, make sure it is OFF off!
Take your device to a computer technician who is specialised in removing viruses and malware. Be prepared to have to have your files backed up and system re-installed.
Do not be tempted to use it until it is cleaned! Malware can spread over internal networks, and every moment it is on is a chance that the hacker will be able to steal any or more data from you!
Closing Notes (from Inara)
“Viewers” like this are not a new phenomenon, although not all of them are as blatantly suspicious in terms of up-front claims as this particular example. Some are extremely subtle, seeking to trick users into downloading them (such as by spoofing the genuine download address in a manner which makes it look like you’re going to the official website when you are not). To this end, when it comes to installing viewers:
While the latter are self-certified and not validated directly by the Lab, the fact that they have registered for inclusion on the Directory generally means they are regularly updated, ensuring stability, security, and compatibility with the platform.
Only download such viewers directly from their “official” websites. Do not use links supplied via random IMs or notecards, and carefully check the links provided by other website and blogs (even this blog!) to ensure they are pointing to a valid download page for a viewer.
If you are on X (or as most of us – and quite frequently, the platform itself – still prefer, “Twitter”), then follow Soft Linden for news and information on dealing with malware in general.
Keep an eye on the Second Life forums for warnings about bad faith viewers, etc. These may be posted in the General forum or within the Technology forum.
My thanks to Chaser Zaks for allowing me to reproduce his work here and for his work in investigating the “viewer” in question; also thanks to Soft Linden for pointing me towards Chaser’s Github document. Do be sure to read the latter as well, as it also includes code snippets for those with a more technical interest.
The following notes were taken from my audio recording and chat log transcript of the Content Creators User Group (CCUG) meeting held on Thursday, November 2nd, 2023.
The CCUG meeting is for discussion of work related to content creation in Second Life, including current and upcoming LL projects, and encompasses requests or comments from the community, together with viewer development work.
As a rule, these meetings are:
Held in-world and chaired by Vir Linden, in accordance with the dates and times given in the the SL Public Calendar, which also includes the location for the meetings.
Conducted in a mix of voice and text..
Open to all with an interest in content creation.
The notes herein are a summary of topics discussed and are not intended to be a full transcript.
Viewer Updates
The glTF / PBR RC viewer updated to version 7.0.1.6658224456 on November 2nd, bringing it into parity with the current release viewer and built via Github Actions.
The rest of the official viewers in the pipeline remain as:
Release viewer, version 6.6.16.6566955269, promoted October 25 (formerly the GHA RC viewer).
Release channel cohorts:
Maintenance V(ersatility) RC viewer, version 6.6.16.582201, October 16.
Maintenance-W RC viewer, version 6.6.16.582075, October 5.
Puppetry project viewer, version 6.6.12.579958, May 11.
glTF Materials and Reflection Probes
Project Summary
To provide support for PBR materials using the core glTF 2.0 specification Section 3.9 and using mikkTSpace tangents, including the ability to have PBR Materials assets which can be applied to surfaces and also traded / sold.
The overall goal for glTF as a whole is to provide as much support for the glTF 2.0 specification as possible.
Up to four texture maps are supported for PBR Materials: the base colour (which includes the alpha); normal; metallic / roughness; and emissive, each with independent scaling.
In the near-term, glTF materials assets are materials scenes that don’t have any nodes / geometry, they only have the materials array, and there is only one material in that array.
As a part of this work, PBR Materials will see the introduction of reflection probes which can be used to generate reflections (via cubemaps) on in-world surfaces. These will be a mix of automatically-place and manually place probes (with the ability to move either).
List of tools and libraries supporting glTF: https://github.khronos.org/glTF-Project-Explorer/ – note that Substance Painter is also used as a guiding principal for how PBR materials should look in Second Life.
The simulator code supporting PBR Materials was deployed to the BlueSteel and LeTigre simulator RC channels, making it “live” across some 3,000 simulators.
This has seen a number of additional bug reports filed, but currently nothing which has been seen as constituting a major blocker to further deployment.
At the time of the meeting, it was hoped that the PBR code could be deployed to all of the RC channels simhosts on Wednesday, November 8th, 2023. This is seen as the best way to test for additional cases of non-PBR content suffering breakage which may have thus far slipped through the net.
If things continue as planned, the aim is to have PBR support on the simhosts fully deployed “by Thanksgiving”.
Viewer Updates
The PBR viewer has been updated to build via the new Github Action process, marking it as up-to-date with the current release viewer (version 6.6.16.6566955269, October 25th, at the time of writing).
It is possible that one of the Maintenance RC viewers may be pushed to de facto release ahead of the PBR viewer in order to correct a statistics reporting issue.
At the time of the meeting, a final decision on this has yet to be made. However, if this proves to be the case, and if LL decide to maintain the 2-week minimum period between viewer promotions, this could mean the PBR viewer might not be released until after the simulator code is grid-wide.
The PBR viewer release is also dependent upon whether or not any remaining reported / open issues are considered serious enough to require fixing ahead of any promotion.
Currently, there is one blocker which is under investigation: if the PBR viewer is used, and then a swap is made to using a non-PBR viewer, then it is possible some objects may not show-up on logging in, and will never show up until object cache is cleared.
The current PBR RC viewer replaces the term “Materials” in the Build / Edit floater Texture tab with Blinn-Phong. Whilst this is the technically correct term for the current implementation of materials support in SL and was seen as a means of differentiating between the current materials support and PBR, the switch to the term has been raised as potentially confusing to users not deeply versed in graphics / rendering but who are familiar with using and applying current materials maps. As such, the use of an alternate term has been requested.
Tone Mapping and Full Bright Issues
A recently-reported issue is with tone mapping not applying correctly to Full Bright objects, resulting in darker colours / blacks being crushed and white highlights being blown out.
This has been highlighted in BUG-234506 and this forum thread, where it is reported as an issue facing content creators trying to produce advertising images for their products for use on in-world vendor boards, etc. However, the issue has the potential to affect SL photography in general, where snapshots are taken to be uploaded for display in-world as textures (e.g. as art, “family” snapshots, etc.).
The problem is the result of tone mapping being applied to such textures twice:
The first time as a result of tone mapping being enabled (and captured) when the snapshot is taken.
The second time as a result of the uploaded texture being rendered with tone mapping active in the viewer.
This is seen as “expected behaviour”, and the lighting model will not be changed for dealing with Full Bright (e.g. by making it a straight pixel pass-through).
This means the current work-around is to use the No Post Build menu option, thus:
Edit the object using Full Bright to open the Build / Edit floater.
Go to menu bar → Build → Options and enable No Post – this will try off tone mapping and exposure, and will remain active as long as the Build / Edit floater is open.
Take the snapshot.
Close the Build / Edit floater.
As this workaround is seen as heavy-handed (and also not helpful to those taking photos who may need to disable tone mapping at times, but who are unfamiliar with the Build / Edit floater and Build menu), it has been requested to incorporate a toggle checkbox for No Post directly into the snapshot floater.
Runitai Linden has also proposed the addition of a HDRI export to the 360º Snapshot floater.
General Notes
The viewer performance issue on older versions of MacOS has been addressed, but it is not clear if the fixes work with Apple silicon SoC, pending further tests.
It is acknowledged that there will be a learning curve among all users where PBR is concerned due to the level of changes involved in the lighting model (e.g. objects with a specular map – even indoors – having a blue sheen to them, due to reflecting the ambient environment; an issue which can be fixed through the correct placement of reflection probes indoors).
Efforts are being made to ensure cases like this are being covered in the PBR documentation being put together by LL.
It was re-iterated that there will be follow-on glTF work following PBR materials (see the general roadmap, below), with it being noted that some would allow the implementation of hierarchical structures which could allow for options such as arbitrary pivot points in meshes, whilst adoption of the glTF specifications for animations could result expanded animation capabilities, etc.
A number of requests for new features (e.g. the ability to be able to simulate Linden water on surfaces via materials). These were noted as all having pre-requisites and potential limiters on them, so while they are not refused, mention of them here will be held over until LL have determined if and how they (and their pre-requisites) might fit into the overall roadmap.
Whilst concerns remain about Apple simply ceasing to support OpenGL, thus driving a potential need to switch the viewer away from using OpenGL to using Vulkan / MoltenVK, this is not seen as an immediate priority compared to moving ahead with further glTF work. Which is not to say LL won’t move the viewer to alternate graphics API as the glTF work progresses beyond scene import work (see below).
Likely Roadmap for glTF
Complete and deploy the current PBR materials work.
Resume work on real-time mirrors and terrain support for glTF materials. In brief, these comprise:
Mirrors: providing the means to have mirrors within scenes to reflect their immediate surroundings. These will leverage a “hero” reflection probe concept (512×512 resolution), with one such probe per scene being active for any given avatar, based on the avatar / camera distance from the mirror.
Terrain support: providing the means to apply glTF materials to terrain as a viewer-side effect to improve the appearance of the SL terrain. Note that this is not PBR terrain painting.
Alongside the mirrors / terrain work will be a period of PBR Materials maintenance work to fix reported bugs / those issues still open at the time of release.
Also start to develop a prototype for glTF scene import – with no overall time frame for the latter being indicated.
Once there is an initial prototype for glTF scene import, he Lab will proceed in much the same was as for PBR materials: an iterative development cycle which fully engages the user community / content creators.
† The header images included in these summaries are not intended to represent anything discussed at the meetings; they are simply here to avoid a repeated image of a gathering of people every week. They are taken from my list of region visits, with a link to the post for those interested.
I have been watching the redevelopment of Subcutan Art Gallery, home of the work of Sophie de Saint Phalle (Perpetua1010) since around early August 2023, following the gallery’s move from its form home to region-straddling parcels on the tip of Satori. As such, and with things now appearing largely complete, I thought it high time to write about a setting which is far more than just a gallery space, offering as it does opportunities for exploration, photography, relaxing and having a little fun.
My first encounter with Sophie’s work was in 2021 when she was exhibiting at Mareea Farrasco’s IMAGOLand Gallery. Featuring a collection of her physical world watercolours reproduced for display in Second Life, The Art of Water and Colours immediately led me to visit her original Subcutan gallery and immerse myself in her work (see: The art of Sophie de Saint Phalle in Second Life). As an artist, Sophie considers herself an experimentalist, and her work reflects this covering as it does multiple genres and styles, from watercolours through abstract and digital art to caricatures and skilled studies of the human form, and encompassing etching and 3D sculptures. Her work is both engaging and exquisite, never failing to capture the eye – and often the heart.
Subcutan Art Gallery: Japanese Garden (upper area) and Atramentum Gallery
With the new Subcutan Art Gallery, Sophie has combined her artist’s eye with that of companion Dex (Dexter Kharg) to create an environment which both celebrates her art – including being able to re-visit installations such as Infinite, a marvellous celebration of indigenous Australian art (which I reviewed in February 2022), Cyborgs, a visual essay on a possible future for humanity (of which I wrote about here) and witness more of her studies of the human form – and to also immerse yourself in an setting which offers something of an east-meets-west fusion to offer a engaging opportunity for exploration and photography, as noted above. In this, a visit is not so much a visit to an art space so much as it is a delightful immersion into Sophie’s and Dex’s creative vision.
The campus – if I might refer to it that way – encompasses parts of two mainland coastal regions whilst just edging into a third. The first of these, Terric is home to Subcutan’s main landing point and welcome area. This presents a distinctly modern looks and feel and offers extensive public facilities: the welcome centre itself, occupying a purpose built structure by Dex and containing an office space and a large seating area of sofas supported by a self-service refreshments area whilst also presenting a mixed genre display of Sophie’s art, all of which is offered for sale. Outside of this is the landing point itself and the primary (Experience-driven, so be sure to accept any request it offers) teleport board.
Subcutan Art Gallery: welcome area lounge
Whilst the teleport board and its siblings around the location offer a quick way to hop around, with the exception of the board outside the main gallery, and which offers the only means to access all the gallery spaces, I’d recommend eschewing the teleports and let your feet do the walking when initially exploring, as there are elements of the location which might otherwise be missed – such as the Man Cave, a short walk between palm trees from the landing point. Occupying another custom build by Dex, this offers a games room and lounging area, complete with playable arcade games and table-top games, the latter including chess, backgammon and Mah-jong (the latter two being particular favourites of mine in the physical world, together with Carrom, despite the beating my nails have taken when getting a trifle over-enthusiastic when taking a shot!).
Above the welcome area and reached by three sets of stairs, is an outdoor events area with glass-floored dance area extending over the welcome area, swimming pool and open-air bar, the seating to which offers a view of the large aquarium below. This area also sits before what appears to be the private home of Sophie and Dex – so trespass is perhaps best avoided unless invited. Looking out to the north, this events area looks out of the Subcutan harbour area, the main wharf of which can be accessing from the landing point and leads by way of a wooden walkway at its western end (and passing by the stairway leading up to the main gallery) to the Japanese and Guest Harbours.
Subcutan Aret Gallery: Japanese Harbour by night
The Japanese waterfront area is an eclectic mix of false-front “businesses”, some of which have an adult lean to them (but only in appearance, not in content), whilst there is also a certain amount of humour on display (such as the “Safe Area” sign encouraging people to go swimming – as a shark circles the waters below, or the appropriately called “Small Shop”). Rich in neon lighting and lanterns, this is a little corner best seen at night; the waterfront can be a place for photography and offers the chance to try your hand at Japanese calligraphy.
Set above and back from the Japanese Harbour are the main gallery space and the Japanese Garden, again as noted above). The former comprises the Atramentum Gallery – a very neat play on words, given it is home to a richly engaging display of Sophie’s studies of the human form which are presenting in greyscale and on black mounts (complete with a black tiled footpath leading into the gallery). This entranceway is also home to a more extensive teleport board which allows visitors to partake of Sophie’s sky galleries, where as mentioned, her Infinite and Cyborgs installations can once again be appreciated, together with Red Impressions (an exhibition I witnessed on my very first visit to Subcutan, again as referenced above) and Yellow Expressions.
Subcutan Art Gallery: Japanese Garden (lower area)
The Japanese Garden, meanwhile, offers an extensive opportunity to wandering and sitting, taking photos and / or simply relaxing. Split over two levels linked by a stone stairway curling down from one corner of the upper level, the gardens have been built using Alex Bader’s superb Zen Garden Building set (another personal favourite!) whilst folding into it a number of elements not found in the kit – such as Buddha in his pavilion (and to whom respects can be presented in a traditional style). With its waterfall, ponds and placement of trees and cliffs, the lower level of the garden presents a quiet, contemplative retreat calmed by the gentle chimes of a heavy temple bell.
What is particularly engaging about the Subcutan campus / environment is the manner in which everything flows; there are no sharp juxtapositions which might present a sense of sharp edge as one explores; there is a compositional crafting which is both subtle and intrinsic to the setting.
Subcutan Art Gallery: Atramentum Gallery, November 2023
Take the welcome area and landing point for example. The manner in which Dex has crafted the buildings here such that they combine architectural elements (e.g. the use of angles and glass skylights / roof areas) so that they combine seamlessly with the third-party elements seen within the glass dance floor (a nice kitbash from one of Loz Hoyle’s Meshworx designs) and the house (by Ballack (Rodrigo Aubin) to present a modern / futurist feeling which the likes of Frank Lloyd Wright would probably appreciate. Similarly, the joining of a traditionally-joined Japanese garden with the sharp glass-and-concrete bulk of the gallery building is managed in such a way as to avoid any sense of sharp-edged divide; instead the former – through the use of ground cover from the Zen Garden set – appears to gently lap against the hard tile of the latter, like waves gently lapping the shore, allowing the two to flow together.
Then there is the use of elevation and elements from Colpo Wrexler’s designs. The latter help to both bring together the waterfront areas allowing for a natural transition from the landing area through the moorings at the harbour to the sense of jostling city life of the Japanese waterfront without the move from one through the others feeling in any way jarring, while the former ensures the more peaceful elements of the setting such as the gardens can be set apart from the hustle and lights and general “busy-ness” of the waterfront without any sense of the divide between them being artificially enforced.
Subcutan Art Gallery: Man Cave
All of which makes for a richly engaging visit, with the gallery standing as a superb means to immerse yourself in Sophie’s talent as an artist (I just hope we also get to see some / more or her caricature work as well, as it is brilliantly engaging!).
The following notes cover the key points from the Web User Group (WUG) meeting, held on Wednesday November 1st, 2023. They form a summary of the items discussed and is not intended to be a full transcript.
No video this time, Pantera was unavailable, and the meeting was exclusively text chat.
Meeting Overview
The Web User Group exists to provide an opportunity for discussion on Second Life web properties and their related functionalities / features. This includes, but is not limited to: the Marketplace, pages surfaced through the secondlife.com dashboard; the available portals (land, support, etc), the forums.
As a rule, these meetings are conducted:
On the first Wednesday of the month and 14:00 SLT.
Meetings are open to anyone with a concern / interest in the above topics, and form one of a series of regular / semi-regular User Group meetings conducted by Linden Lab.
Dates and times of all current meetings can be found on the Second Life Public Calendar, and descriptions of meetings are defined on the SL wiki.
As a result of this, improvements and updates are being made to the store, and feedback is continuing to be reviewed.
Marketplace:
The Marketplace team have been looking into the case of some merchants changing their store name to include 5 stars to seem like their store rating is 5 stars. This is an ongoing investigation, but preliminary results indicate it is a small percentage of merchants, and a course of action has yet to be determined.
Marketplace search relevance is again being worked upon, primarily in response to feedback received, and updates will be forthcoming once they are ready.
Caspervend and the Marketplace
In September 2022, Linden Lab acquired CasperTech (see the official blog post and my own article, which includes a Lab Gab interview with Casper Warden for more), a family which includes the popular Caspervend system.
This meeting saw questions taken on how merchants use Caspervend, and capabilities within Caspervend they’d like to see incorporated in the MP. This drew a breadth of feedback including:
Caspervend’s use of graphs to present data relating to sales, deliveries, etc., being carried over to the MP and broadened.
A general expansion of MP stats (e.g. top selling products and sales over time).
Integration of Caspervend’s in-world selling tools with the MP to allow items viewed on Caspervend sales kiosks to be delivered via the MP.
This discussion broadened into more general requests for capabilities related to both Caspervend and the Marketplace both together and individually. These included:
Having items purchased via the MP or via dedicated Caspervend in-world servers (and other third-party vending solutions?) to be delivered to a folder within Inventory called “Purchased Items”, rather than “Received Items” or “Objects” – as *everything* users receive might be regarded as a “received item”.
Having the means to report broken links within MP so they might be fixed (e.g. by a store owner where the links in their MP listings refer to the former location of any in-world store they own, as they’ve forgotten to update following a move).
Dynamic Landmarks
Part of the discussion on Caspervend / the Marketplace raised the matter of dynamic landmarks.
This is a subject raised numerous times in the past – most notably by Toysoldier Thor under the term Virtual Landmarks (VLM), see:
Feature request SVC-8082 “Proposed Global Service for SL: VIRTUAL LANDMARKS & VLM Mapping Services”
The third-party attempt to address VLMs, developed by Darius Gothly (but now discontinued – illustrating the need for centralised support of such a system by LL).
The general idea for “dynamic landmarks” was referenced by Sytax Linden as a good idea, and the above points are being passed to him for reference (assuming they might be of interest).
In Brief
Holding the Web User Group more frequently is still being looked into.
Requests were made for the following:
Make the *entire* Destination Guide (+ things like the SL public calendar) directly viewable through the viewer(!).
Support for 360 snapshots within the Destination Guide.
Utilising different colours counts on DG entries to denote scripted agents rather than active avatars.
Expanding parcel Search categories to match those in the Destination Guide in order to make public parcels more discoverable.
A public-facing document outlining what is being worked on, what feedback has been taken on-board, etc., so people are more generally aware of what is happening with web properties + updates.
More Search categories / filtering (web / viewer search) – e.g. “clothing”, “landscaping”, “Building”, etc.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 