Cover Second Life front-end web properties (Marketplace, secondlife.com, the sign-up pages, the Lab’s corporate pages, etc.).
They are not intended for the discussion of Governance issues, land fees / issues, content creation & tools, viewer or simulator development / projects. Please refer to the SL calendar for information on available meetings for these topics.
A video of the meeting, courtesy of Pantera, can be found embedded at the end of this article (my thanks to her as always!), and subject timestamps to the relevant points in the video are provided. Again, the following is a summary of key topics / discussions, not a full transcript of everything mentioned.
This was not the “usual” for of meeting – little was said by way of web updates, etc., which have occurred since the last meeting and no updates on upcoming projects.
In Brief
A general discussion on how Flickr is used in relation to the Marketplace: creators using it to promote new products and / or encourage interest in their brands / as an alternative to using in-world Groups, etc., through photo competitions, giveaways, etc; fashion bloggers using it as a means to micro-blog about clothing, hair accessories, etc .; users being able to flow merchants and see images / videos of new releases directly on their Flickr feed, etc.
Not sure on the purpose of the question (from the Lab), and no-one asked in the meeting.
A request for people who would like to see ONE thing WRT SL web properties and services (preferably). Responses include:
Allowing multiple versions of items (e.g. different colours) within a single listing (as has been LOOONNG promised with the Marketplace Styles function, but has yet to actually surface); or to have different versions of an item to be individually listed, but have buttons within their listings so that users can easily toggle between the, a-la Amazon (e.g. so if an item is offered in say, single, twin, triple and quadruple sets, the various sets (and their prices) appear as a button on one another’s listing page so that users can swap back and forth between them).
The ability to remove certain stores / items from Search results (e.g. search for “cars” and have an option to select “don’t show me products from this creator again”, and having further results from that creator removed / excluded from search results).
The ability to click on reviewers’ names and see a full list of all their reviews (allowing for better judgement of their bias, etc.).
The ability to contact sellers directly through the MP.
Having fields which state when an item was listed / last updated on the MP.
How does Search order results? It varies, but as a rule of thumb:
“First time” searches & general searches from the MP home page, should show results by relevance.
“First time” searches of stores should list in terms of newest first.
If an option to display search results has been previously selected from the drop-down, that is generally the option use to order the results of further searches (until changed).
A lot of discussion on the pros and cons of “brand tagging” listings + identifying folders in Inventory.
Very much a meeting where it is easiest to watch the video (enable closed caption if required).
Midway through its run at Selen’s Gallery, operated and curated by Selen Minotaur, is Far From by Bamboo Barnes, featuring previously unseen works by the arts drawn together in a theme I always find fascinating: the nature of time and its relationship with personal experiences and the formation of self.
It’s a subject I’ve been fascinated by since first reading Burnt Norton, the first poem in what would become T.S. Eliot’s Four Quartets, a discussion on the nature of time, the relationship between past and future and both of them with the current moment in time, alternate realities, the contrast between the experience of the modern man and spirituality, mixed with ideas of unity with the cosmos, and more. Whilst The more spiritual reflections of time and human nature are not necessarily a part of Bamboo’s Far From, the central theme of Burnt Norton’s opening (perhaps the most famous lines of the poem / The Four Quartets as a whole) was immediately brought to mind for me when reading Bamboo’s introduction to Far From.
What do you feel now if you close your eyes? Do you see the faint flicker of light that your memory gives you as you reach out in total darkness? Or is it something you wish you could have forgotten? A past that has become distant yet drawing you in heavily. The now that seems so far from it, but it is a part of you. A part of you that can never be denied.
– Bamboo Barnes, Far From
Selen’s Gallery: Bamboo Barnes – Far From
In other words, what we has gone before, given if not fully remembered – even if we no longer wish to recall it – is as much a part of us today, just as what we now do will become a part of our tomorrow; that while we might live in the “now”, we also live with the shadows and light of the past, factors which perhaps distort, or at least consciously or not, direct our way towards the future, subliminally or directly influencing as they do the decisions we make in the now.
Compare this with Eliot’s opening reflection from Burnt Norton:
Time present and time past Are both perhaps present in time future, And time future contained in time past. If all time is eternally present All time is unredeemable.
– T.S. Eliot, Burnt Norton
Again, which is not to say the Bamboo’s art is intended to be any kind of visual essay on Eliot’s works; far from it – this is a subjective parallel I saw, and which other may not see or agree to. However, it is these kinds of parallels I so often find in Bamboo’s work and which – for me – further elevate her art.
That is, within Far From she offers a unique and highly visual meditation on then theme of the interconnectedness of time, just as Eliot does through the ideas he offers within the five parts of Burn Norton. Bamboo does this not only through her introduction to this exhibition, but in the manner of the images themselves. Each is distorted, some somewhat fragmented, all utilise colour in a striking manner.
Selen’s Gallery: Bamboo Barnes – Far From
These approaches are all elements which set Bamboo’s work apart from that of others, and can be found in many of her pieces. Here they combine to visually represent those memories and events which have shaped who are are now, and how we came to be who / where we are within our life (and, particularly, in our understanding of our own self). At the same time, elements of the images, combined with the 3D elements Bamboo has included in the exhibition space engage in themes of the past and present combing to shape our personal future – and that, but for decisions of the past, the idea that our life’s path might have taken a different course; the the flow of decision as much as the fluidity direct our lives.
This latter point might must clearly be suggested by the animated mosaic Bamboo presents as the landing point for the exhibition. The interconnectedness of past, present and future might also be see within those images which use repetition of images, the different colours within them underpinning the influence of past on present, and present on future (and, if we opt to extend – the manner in which the future itself informed those past actions which have brought us to where we are today.
Selen’s Gallery: Bamboo Barnes – Far From
A further beauty of Bamboo’s art is that her images can be enjoyed in their own right, as essays in style, colour, light, shade, subject and composition, each one standing entirely independently to the others around it. Thus, whether or not – like me – you opt to see an elegant artistic treatise within Far From, it offers a collection of richly engaging pieces which can each be appreciated on its own merits, making it a very worthwhile visit, and it will remain open to view through into August 2023.
Grauvik, July 2023 – click any image for full size
It was off to JimGarand’s Homestead region for me recently, after several people poked me about Jim having both joined Emm Evergarden’s The Nature Collective and opened a new setting within his region, temporarily abandoning his normal name for his settings – Grauland – in favour of Grauvik, a name suggestive of Scandinavian / Norse roots. There’s no accident in this as Grauvik offers a fictional island apparently sitting off the coast of Iceland.
As a fan of Jim’s work, I always enjoy seeing what he has produced, but learning he’d settled on an Icelandic theme I was almost immediately off to take a look: Iceland is one of the many places around the world I’ve been fortunate enough to visit, spending time in the south-west and travelling extensively around the north of Iceland (it’s no accident my primary home in Second Life is dubbed Isla Myvatn – I spent part of a very happy vacation close to the lake and the impressive lava fields of Krafla 🙂 .
Grauvik, July 2023
I’ve no idea if Jim has based his build on a specific location in Iceland; “Grauvik” appears to be a concatenation of “Grauland” and “Viking”, rather than the name of an actual place (although “vik” itself is a common place ending in Icelandic – e.g. Keflavik, Reykjavik -, which is said to mean “bay” or “inlet” or a derivative of the old Norse for “harbour”. However, I have seen mention that the little fishing village of Grenivik, nestled on the eastern side of the fjord Eyjafjordur may have served as inspiration.
I’ve no idea if this is correct, not having been able to talk to Jim directly. However, Grenivik does sit on the east side of the impressive fjord (which offers a spectacular descent down into the local airport at Akureyri, the airliner flying down and below the mountain peaks on either side of the fjord, including the 1,100 metre tall Kaldbakur beneath which Grenivik nestles), and with the island of Hrísey sitting within the fjord’s waters, I wouldn’t at all be surprised if it did play a role in helping for some of the ideas for Grauvik in Jim’s imagination.
Grauvik, July 2023
The setting certainly contains elements which are not uncommon to Iceland as a whole: the volcanic “sand” of the beach areas, the brightly-painted, wood-built houses, its rugged, flat nature (several of Iceland’s islands tend to be relatively flat, or flat-topped – with Flatey (literally “flat island”) being the obvious example); while the wooden boardwalks are mindful of those which can be found extending over various hot springs and also located in places like Thingvellir National Park – of which some parts of the walkways in Grauvik reminded me). Also like Iceland are standing stones and outbursts of modern art, short, hardy grass and heathers growing from the soil, etc.
Having mentioned Flatey Island, I’ll admit that from some angles when camming, Grauvik put me in mind of photos of various parts of that island I’ve seen (I confess I’ve not as yet visited it, although it is one of the places I would like to see whenever I make a further trip to Iceland, partly because friends have told me it’s a lovely place to visit and partly because of its connection with the Flateyjarbók, the largest medieval Icelandic manuscript and noted for bringing together the histories of notable Norse settlements.
Grauvik, July 2023
Jim’s work often includes interior designs – he’s as skilled in this area as much as he is in creating landscapes – and this is again on display within Grauvik, the little cabins carrying the look and feel of having been fitted-out as a holiday retreats, utilising the clean lines of décor and furnishing frequently found in such houses and in hotel rooms in Iceland.
This is an easygoing place to explore, again mindful of some of the nature walks common to some of the islands of Iceland as well as within the inland parks. In fact, rather than “explore” I’d suggest Grauvik is a place to meander through, perhaps reflective of the easy-going nature of many Icelanders. Touches of Norse history are awaiting discovery along the modern art, notable outside the large café / landing point building, and again over at the operating boat builder’s shed sitting on the top of what appears to be a very modern quayside which itself extends down to what might be the remnants of an older set of wooden wharves.
Grauvik, July 2023
All told, another engaging build from Jim, and a fitting addition to The Nature Collective.
With the parties for SL’s 20th birthday now over and the celebration regions sitting a little quieter, those who have perhaps been put off by the idea of fighting the crowds and all they can bring with them (aka “lag”), might feel that now is the time to explore some of the exhibits presented by the residents and communities of Second Life. This being the case, I thought I’d offer a list of some of the exhibits I’ve particularly enjoyed dropping in to see.
Notes: this is not an exhaustive list of the exhibits I’ve visited or the only ones I enjoyed, and should not be taken as such – there is a lot to see and appreciated at SL20B, and time allowing I might produce a further list of those I’ve enjoyed. Also, the order in which they are given should not be seen as indicative of any kind of preference on my part; it simply reflects the alphabetical ordering of the regions in which the exhibits are located.
Occupying a 1024 sq m parcel, Erik’s exhibit is perhaps a little easy to overlook, it is so understated. However to do so would be a shame, as it features the results of a fascinating – and ongoing – experiment / project in presenting Second Life as a series of three-dimensional terrain maps which offer an entirely new perspective (no pun intended) on the regions and continents, presenting scaled models of groups of regions, giving a powerful visual representation of how the terrain has been terraformed, some of which have been overlaid with textures representing the structures and infrastructure found within the regions represented.
Producing these models is a process as fascinating as the models themselves, as Erik explains:
I gather each region’s elevation data, at half-metre XY intervals using an LSL script, feeding that data to my computer via a series of HTTP responses. [I] then (re)constructed and textured the terrain model(s) in Blender using its incredibly powerful Python API. The World Map textures [are] downloaded individually from Second Life’s official map servers [and] the terrain layer textures are available thanks to Tyche Shepherd and her indispensable Grid Survey database.
– Erik Mondrian
SL20B: Second Life Terrain Models
Depending on the complexity of the maps being produced in terms of elevation, and the the overall size of the map being produced, Erik’s script might take time to run; in the case of his more recent map of the entire Heterocera continent (433 regions), the scripts took some 32 hours to run.
Within his exhibit at SL20B, Erik presents pairs of models representing five areas of Second Life: Sakurasseria (the Japanese / oriental themed regions of Bellisseria), the “First 16” – the original regions of Second Life; Bay City; The Wastelands role-play estate, and the regions of the Vehicle Sandbox. Each pair presents a model of the terrain, as produced by Erik’s process, and a second overlaid with the World Map textures. For uploading to Second Life, some compromises have to be made – as Erik notes with the model of Heterocera (which is not a part of the set at SL20B, but which you can see in Erick’s video below), the original blender model initially amounted to 227 million triangles, and thus had to reduced to 2.3 million for the purposes of the video. As it is, the models at SL20B range from 31K through more than 220K triangles whilst varying between 12,ooo and almost 99,000 vertices, offering a reasonable compromise between complexity(/detail) and Land Impact.
Models like this help to further bring SL to life, literally adding a further dimension to how we can look on our digital world; and while they may provide a view of regions are they are today, they nevertheless of historical import as well. Take the models of the “First 16” for example; they give a view of those regions which perfectly complements the familiar historical 2D maps of those regions. As such, it could sit well within exhibitions such as the Maps of Second Life at New Kadath Lighthouse Art Gallery (see: The maps (and more!) of Second Life). Not that I’m suggesting anything, mark you 😀 .
Get the Freight Out (GTFO) is a popular in-world game among many vehicle users. HUD-based, it allows players to “haul” cargo from by land, sea or air, point-to-point across the mainland continents of Second life, and over their connected waterways and seas (e.g. Blake Sea), earning in-game (and non-redeemable) “Goal dollars” – G$ and game experience points which allow them to “level up”. Since its inception, GTFO has grown into one of the most popular activities among vehicle users in SL, and many types of land, sea, air and space craft are capable of supporting the game, or come with support built-in (when I wrote about GTFO five years ago in July 2018 – see An inside look at Get the Freight Out in Second Life – over 280 individual vehicle types were supported, and the game featured over 300 “hubs” to / from which freight is delivered / collected across the grid.
At SL20B GTFO combine with the Drivers of SL (on the neighbouring SL20B region) to allow people to learn not about both, visit the GTFO headquarters, race a go kart around a track, visit the local GTFO space station and – if you’re new to SL or the world of physical transportation in-world – see a range of the drivable vehicles available within the platform.
Second Life has a rich history and culture of art art – 2D, 3D, performance, interactive, and so on. It’s one of the aspects of the platform I find the most fascinating (hence devoting a good portion of this blog to the subject!). SLB has traditionally drawn artists to it over the years – to the extent that for some events, I’ve included an article devoted to the art exhibits awaiting discovery.
The diversity of art on offer at SL20B is as rich as previous years; however, I wanted to highlight The Water Slide here, given the way it combines art and interactive fun.
SL20B: the Water Slide
The work of the SL Random Art Crew (founded by Roxksie Logan) and the Tigerpaw Sanctuary, this is multi-faceted installation. Built around a central tower containing the water slide of the title, the installation offers a series of rides and activities – and an underwater art exhibition. How you get to the top of the tower is up to you – will you take the easy route and use the teleport elevator, or will you trey the harder way – up the animated wooden steps (you might want to try running!). Similarly, how you get down is a matter of choice – by rope, by slide, take the ladder or … the fast way. Similarly, getting down to the underwater gallery offers a choice of routes.
Founded by Emm Evergarden (herself the creator of a number of immersive, natural environments in SL, as witnessed within my Exploring Second Life articles), the Nature Collective is a group intended to cultivate a community around regions, spaces and projects which share a common focus on nature. To assist in this, the group provides both an Explorer HUD, featuring all in-world locations linked to the Collective (and available in-world here), and a list of locations available through the Nature Collective website.
In addition, the Collective runs the Shutterbug Club, a monthly event (advertised through the in-world group and the Collective’s Discord Server), in which members visit a Nature Collective location in-world and spend and hour or so exploring it and taken photos which can be submitted – without post-processing, and created only using the tools available in the viewer – to the group’s Shutterbug Flickr photo stream.
SL20b: The Nature Collective
I’ve always enjoyed and appreciated the work the Collective does – and they have led me to a number of engaging locations in SL, large and small. for SL20B they present a walk through a woodland glade coupled with an Alice’s Adventures In Wonderland & Through the Looking Glass theme while is entirely appropriate for a celebration of Second Life, given the platform is a wonderland of experiences and adventures. When visiting, people can also collect a copy of the group’s Explorer HUD and pick up a gift.
Generative AI systems are one of the current focuses of technology discussion and hype (notably around matters around copyright when it comes to AI tools like Midjourney), with considerable interest also being directed towards systems and their potential within games and similar environments. With this installation, Nadir Taov presents a practical demonstration on the used of Chat GPT3-powered NPCs to add depth and flow to interactions with NPCs within role-play (and other – such NPCs could have a range of uses – environments).
SL20B: Unscripted Future – AI NPCs in Roleplay
Presented in cyberpunk-esque urban setting, the installation allows visitors to interact with “Alexa”, a club-carrying, bemasked female, by means of emotive exchanges. Depending on induvial skills with emoting (and mixing descriptive actions with spoken words within those emotes), so interesting exchanges can be had – although those who find para-roleplay annoying are liable to find themselves getting irritated at the length of Alexa’s responses. But that said, this is an impressive demonstration of the potential in combining NPCs and AI.
Sniper Siemens is perhaps Second Life’s most dogged historian, over the years presenting us with a unique look into the platform’s long history using immersive installations. First seen in 2014, with the assistance of the former Linden Endowment for the Arts, they have been outstanding in their curation of information, facts, figures, images and trivia about Second Life. Over the years, these installations have grown ever more engaging, presenting a wealth of information about SL’s long history in easy-to-follow (and digest) summaries visits can walk through and appreciate at their leisure.
SL20B – Second Life: The Past, The Present, The FUTURE
I’ve always enjoyed Sniper’s visual approach to presenting key and perhaps not so well-known points in the platform’s history, and have covered these installations on numerous occasions in these pages; they are the gold standard for such installations. As such, I make no apologies for including Sniper’s build at SL20B in this list.
Three To Close
Society for Preservation and Archeology of the Metaverse (SPAM)Region SLurl (SLB Electrify) – Penny Patton presents a slightly tongue-in-cheek look at defining moments of Second Life’s history. complete with an undertow of serious commentary in places.
Piano Roll RegionRegion SLurl (SLB Fantasy) – Bryn Oh’s reflective installation on the AI and its impact on presence and human interaction.
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2023: Kitten – Fourth Wall
July 2023’s exhibition at Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, operated and curated by Dido Haas, sees the return of Kitten (Joaannna), who this time brings her engaging monochrome photography, complete with a considered touch of depth of field to the gallery’s main hall, having previously appeared within the Annex (see: A Kitten’s Noir world in Second Life)
Fourth Wall is a considered study on the nuances of this artificial construct of the stage (and which might be seen to extend into the world of photography in a considered manner), and how that wall might be broken.
Within stagecraft, the term fourth wall refers to the convention by which actors focus their attention primarily on the dramatic world they inhabit, regardless of the presence of the audience (in what Konstantin Stanislavski called “public solitude”), as if an imaginary wall lies between the, preventing the audience from being seen. At the same time, that wall can be breached in both a subtle manner and also very directly.
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2023: Kitten – Fourth Wall
In modern times, the latter is most obviously seen where a performer clearly and directly addresses their audience. however, the more subtle breaching has always been present on within stage performances: whilst the physical presence of the audience might well be ignored, their energy and reaction to what they are seeing is not; instead, that energy and response is used by those on stage to inform and modulate their performance, even though they might never directly break the fourth wall.
With Fourth Wall, Kitten takes as her foundation the idea of a photoshoot. This style of photography folds within it a kind of fourth wall of its own; the models and set exist very separately to the viewing audience, yet they are connected by the presence of the camera itself. Thus, that imaginary wall can be breached both through subtleness and by direct engagement: the former by the fact the mere presence of the camera represents a pseudo-audience, one the models can use to imagine the responsive energy of any actual audience to their time and effort, using it to further inform and modulate their performance. At the same time, they can opt to directly breach the divide, simply be looking the camera in the lens and / or adopting a pose suggesting they are directly addressing who might be on the other side of the image.
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2023: Kitten – Fourth Wall
By mixing the poses and the “between takes” images, Kitten blends both ways in which the fourth wall is broken – but in doing so, she also leaves us with a conundrum to explore: how much of the breaching is intentional and how much of it is “accidental” (to use Kitten’s term) – the more subtle playing of (and with) the observer’s unseen presence and how it might be influence the model’s behaviour?
However, as Kitten notes herself, there is also a wider context and questioning here, one directed towards Second Life as a whole. As she notes, SL is, when all is said and done, an artificial environment. Yes, it is immersive and allows us to adopt role / personas. But it also allows us to breach the separating wall of the screen if we so wish – but how much more might we reveal more subtly? And what does this say about our relationship / understanding of this environment?
Nitroglobus Roof Gallery, July 2023: Kitten – Fourth Wall
Rounded out by a new lighting set by Adwehe, Fourth Wall is rich in visual content and in the expression of ideas and questions.
Logos representative only and should not be seen as an endorsement / preference / recommendation
Updates from the week through to Sunday, July 2nd, 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: Maintenance S RC viewer, version 6.6.12.579987, dated May 11, promoted May 16.
Inara Pey: Living in a Modemworld 