Meet the Lindens at SL17B – who and when

Posted on by Inara Pey
Meeting the Linden (and the Moles) at SL17B

The 17th anniversary of Second Life’s opening to the public at large – SL17B – is just around the corner (official starting on Friday, June 19th, with a preview for members of the SL17B group on Thursday, June 18th). And, as has been the case with SLB events over the last few years, the celebration will feature a series of Meet the Lindens sessions featuring individuals and teams from the Lab discussing their work and Second Life.

The two-hour sessions run from Monday, June 22nd through Friday, June 26th, each one commencing at 14:00 SLT. They will be held in the SL17B Auditorium (SLurls at the end of this article), with the schedule lining up as follows:

Day (14:00 – 16:00 SLT) Lindens
Monday 22nd June  Ebbe Linden (Altberg), Linden Lab CEO
Tuesday 23rd June Patch Linden, Vice President of Programme Operations
Wednesday 24th, June Oz Linden, Vice President of Second Life Engineering
Thursday 25th June The Marketing Team
Friday 26th June Meet the Moles!

For those who may be unfamiliar with some of the above names and their areas of expertise:

  • Ebbe Linden, as the Lab’s CEO since 2014, really needs no introduction. Open and honest, he has always endeavoured to keep SL residents appraised of business at the Lab – and on the management perspective of running Linden Lab and its products (SL and Tilia Pay). Should anyone want a potted biography on him however, I offer the one I pieced together when he officially joined Linden Lab.
  • Patch Linden oversees the content development teams, the Mainland Land Team, and the Linden Department of Public Works As such, he oversees things like the development of the new Linden Homes continent, the Lab’s games and experiences such as Linden Realms and Horizons, and so on. He is also responsible for managing the Second Life team, and the account support team.
  • Oz Linden oversees the engineering side of Second Life – this encompasses viewer development, simulator development and a lot of the back-end services required by SL (e.g. the asset service, the appearance and baking services, etc.). This includes managing the development and implementation of SL projects and features.
  • The Marketing Team comprises: Brett Linden is the Lab’s Senior Director of Marketing, who has been with Linden Lab for over a decade; Darcy Linden, Senior Marketing Manager, Maveric Linden, Tara Linden and Strawberry Linden. Key facets of their work include promoting and marketing Second Life and the acquisition and retention of new users.
  • Meet the Moles! introduced at SL16B, and gives Second Life residents a chance to learn more about the Moles – the Linden Department of Public Works – other residents who work in support of Linden Lab and Second Life in a variety of ways (such as building the regions for SL17B) and are paid for doing so.
SL17b: Meet the Lindens (top l-to-r): Ebbe, Patch, Oz (bald as a result of the RFL Bid a Linden Bald event); (bottom l-to-r): The Marketing Team and the Moles (images courtesy of Linden Lab)

The sessions will be hosted by Saffia Widdershins, and will be streamed via the Lab’s channels on YouTube, Facebook, Mixer, and Periscope. If all goes according to plan, I’ll have a written summary of each session for those who find watching video / listening to audio difficult. These summaries will also likely include audio extracts of any key comments made.

Additional information can be found in the Destination Guide Meet the Lindens pages.

Auditorium SLurls

Note that all SLurls will not be operational until the official “soft” and “hard” openings of the celebrations.

Name Changes: first set of last name “retirements” announced

Posted on by Inara Pey
© Linden Lab

Names Changes, launched in April 2020, as most user know, is the ability for Premium users to select a first name / last name combination that’s to their liking and use it as their avatar / account name.

Under the system, first names are free-form, whilst last names are selected from a list – as used to be the case when first name / last name combinations were a basic part of the Second life sign-up process through until mid-2010.

Since the introduction of this Premium option (which you can read about in Second Life: the return of last names, and some notes) users have been asking when and how frequently the list of last name will be updated.

Linden Lab have remained somewhat vague on this latter point, although they have noted that names are liable to swapped out on the basis of how popular / unpopular they prove to be. That is, if a name is so popular it reaches a certain level of use or fails to reach a certain level of use within a given time period defined by the Lab, they would be “retired”.

On Tuesday, June 16th, the Lab announced that some of the last names made available in the first batch made available at the time the capability was launched have been determined to fall with one or other of these two limits, and so will be “retired” from use as from Thursday, June 25th, 2020.

The names to be retired are:

Alpaca – Covfefe – Damballar – Float – Jazzhands – Mainsail – Nimble – Piggins – Plumday – Yeetly

Anyway wishing to make use of these names should now do so before the end of Wednesday, June 24th. Those who have already opted to  use any of these names will obviously retain them. I assume replacement names will be made available / announced either at the time these names are retired, or shortly thereafter.

You can read the official announcement in Last Call for These Last Names – Get ‘Em While You Can!

In terms of how popular the capability has been, the official blog post notes only that the response thus far has been “mostly positive”, although feedback at various meetings has suggested the response has been more poplar than the blog may suggest.

2020 Simulator User Group week #25 summary

Posted on by Inara Pey
Mediterraneo Coffee and Lounge Bar – May 2020 – blog post

The following notes were taken at the Simulator User Group meeting held on Tuesday, June 16th.

Simulator Deployments

Please refer to the server deployment thread for news and updates:

  • On Tuesday, June 16th, the majority of the grid was updated to server release 543337, comprising simulator-side updates that will eventually allow per-region values for Shout, Say, and Whisper distances.
    • Note: Currently these values are read only, and can be accessed via the Sim Console.
  • On Wednesday, June 17th, the RC channels will be updated to server release 543526, comprising further infrastructure updates to support Group chat improvements / support of the cloud uplift work.

Voice Carry Project – Update and Re-Cap

Voices Carry is the name given to the extended chat range project. Once fully deployed, it will allow region / estate owners / managers to set the open chat range on a region (see BUG-228333).

As of the June 16th simulator update, the current values can be viewed via the Sim Console, as noted above.  the command for doing so are: “get chat_range”, “get whisper_range” and “get shout_range”.

General notes on the capability, once fully deployed:

  • It only applies to local chat channel 0, and so it should not impact scripted objects using other chat channels.
  • The distance set within a region will determine which, if any, of any adjoining regions can her local chat with that region.
    • For example, if you are in a region with chat distance set to 50m and you’re more than 50m from any boundary with an adjoining region, then your chat will not be relayed beyond the region.
  • The distance chat is set to within a region will determine how far any chat from an adjoining region will be relayed within it.
    • For example: if a region has a chat range of 20m, and chat is relayed from a neighbouring region with a range of 100m, that chat will only be relayed 20m within the current region.
  • No matter how great the chat range is set within an region, it will never be relayed further than those immediately adjoining it.
    • For example: if a Mainland region has a chat range set to 1000m, chat from it will only be relayed to the (maximum of) 8 regions adjoining it.

SL Viewer

There have been no updates to the official viewers to mark the start of the week, leaving the current viewers as follows:

  • Current Release viewer version 6.4.3.542964, dated May 29th, promoted June 2nd, formerly the FMOD Studio RC viewer – No Change.
  • Release channel cohorts:
    • CEF RC viewer, version 6.4.3.543157, June 11.
    • Tools Update RC viewer, version 6.4.4.543148, June 5 – this viewer is built using VS 2017 / a recent version of Xcode, and Boost.Fiber. It contains no user-facing changes.
    • Love Me Render RC viewer, version 6.4.4.543142, June 3.
  • Project viewers:
    • Mesh uploader project viewer, version 6.4.4.543141, June 11.
    • Copy / Paste viewer, version 6.3.5.533365, December 9, 2019.
    • Project Muscadine (Animesh follow-on) project viewer, version 6.4.0.532999, November 22, 2019.
    • Legacy Profiles viewer, version 6.3.2.530836, September 17, 2019. Covers the re-integration of Viewer Profiles.
    • 360 Snapshot project viewer, version 6.2.4.529111, July 16, 2019.

In Brief

  • Extended update deployment roll-times: region owners have noted that the time taken for deployments to roll across  estates has become extended – some regions taking up to an hour to update and restart. LL believe they know what the issue is, but any fix will not be implemented until after the cloud uplift work has been completed.
  • Cloud uplift: work is progressing well, although LL are not revealing which services have been migrated and which have yet to move.
    • Following completion of the uplift, all SL services will initially be in a single AWS regional zone.
    • However, LL expect to eventually have things more distributed across zones (e.g.allowing some simulators to be located closer to where their core audience is located, where there is a clear geographical distribution of users.

A rugged retreat in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
PhotoStudio Purple Cows, June 2020 – click any image for full size

Annie Brightstar, who curates Second Life destinations through Scoop It and various social media, poked me via IM to the fact the noted photographer Skip Staheli has opened his personal Homestead region, PhotoStudio Purple Cows, to public visits, and suggested I go have a look.

The region’s design is by Busta (BadboyHi), who is responsible for a number of region designs Caitlyn and I have enjoyed visiting (and in my case, writing about) in that past; a fact that further encouraged me to take a hop across and visit sooner rather than later. And I have to say, his work here is impressive.

PhotoStudio Purple Cows, June 2020

The region forms a rugged, temperate island marked by an impressive spine of an undulating, rocky hill that winds from the north-west to both the south-wast and south-east in and extended “Y”. Relatively narrow, the hill nevertheless appears to contain an high-level aquifer, as waterfalls tumble from its many flanks to both form pools at its base and outflow channels that extend to the surrounding sea, breaking-up the shingle and muddy lowlands.

It’s an entirely natural setting – perhaps the best Busta has produced to date. The central hill is beautifully constructed, rising from natural footings to highest peak, the paths running it it from the lowlands all looking to have been created by the processes of wind and water erosion rather than carrying an appearance of having been purposefully designed. Similarly, the blending of mesh land forms with region terrain is exquisitely done, further enhancing the depth of the setting.

PhotoStudio Purple Cows, June 2020

All of this serves to give the region a feeling of being almost literally transposed from the physical world to the virtual, offering visitors with the sense that they really are in a wilderness location – perhaps somewhere deep within the mountains of North America of just off part of it’s more remote coastline.

It’s a sense of wilderness that’s enhanced by the fact only two man-made structures are on the island. To the north lies a Japanese-style cabin sitting on one of the broad channels of water flowing outwards from the central hill and formed by a horseshoe of waterfalls. The cabin sits as the kind of retreat many of us would love to have; one with a outstanding morning-time view, with places close to hand – just across the water in fact – to sit and contemplate. Eastern influences are strong around the cabin, but in fact it is not a home; within it sits a small café and the suggestion of a studio space.

PhotoStudio Purple Cows, June 2020

The cabin sits in the lee of the hill’s north-west arm, a steep cliff rising just behind it. Follow the base of this shoulder of rock, and you’ll find a path that winds up it and along the rising edge of the cliffs to where stone steps point the way to the second wooden structure, this one home to a bakery and small gallery space. It sits at the summit of the island’s central hill and upon a substantial deck that can be reached by two additional paths up from the lowlands. The deck extends out of the one of the island’s waterfalls to present a stunning view down to the cabin below.

As well following the paths up to the island’s summit, it is possible to circumnavigate the setting, keeping entirely to the lowlands. Bridges connect the shingle beaches where water flows out from the falls, the route rising here and there to pass over rocky feet as they extend to the coast. Doing so will reveal the various routes to the more elevated parts of the island and also bring some of the hidden / smaller details of the region into focus.

PhotoStudio Purple Cows, June 2020

These details are many and varied – and sometimes easy to miss. A few of the more obvious are the the multiple locations where visitors can sit. These range from chairs and converted pallets  to tyre swings and blankets at the end of piers. There’s also wildlife to be found here, but some of it may not be easy to find (hint: keep an eye out for the local perambulating frogs).

A thoroughly captivating region, perfect in its design and execution, PhotoStudio Purple Cows is not one to miss while it remains open to the public.

PhotoStudio Purple Cows, June 2020

SLurl Details

Get ready for Glastonbelli in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
Glastonbelli

Glastonbury, the 5-day festival of contemporary performing arts that normally takes place annually in Pilton, Somerset, in England, may well be cancelled due to the SARS-CoV-2 pandemic – but that doesn’t mean the music cannot go on!

To help those who might feel they’re missing out on their annual “fix”, and to mark the summer Solstice in the run-up to the SL17B birthday celebrations, the Bellisseria Fargrounds will play host to Glastonbelli, a 2-day festival of music and fun.

To mark the event, the Fairgrounds have their own version of Glastonbury’s famous Pyramid Stage, and also include a nod to the real festival’s famous portaloos!

Glastonbelli

Taking place on Tuesday 16th and Wednesday 17th June, 2020, the festival line-up is as follows:

Tuesday, June 16th
 Wednesday, June 17th
10:00
The Vinnie Show		 10:00
The Vinnie Show
11:00
lexus Melodie		 11:00
Joe Paravane
Noon
Da5id Weatherwax		 Noon
Baz (avantgarde.frequency)
13:00
Larree Quixote		 13:00
Suzen Juel
14:00-16:00
Jed Luckless		 14:00-16:00
Tukso Okey
16:00
Moondance Parx Particle Show		 16:00
Moondance Parx Particle Extravaganza

So why not get into the summer festival mood and hop on over to the Bellisseria Fairgrounds from 10:00 on Tuesday, June 16th – you won’t even need your wellies, unlike what is often the case at Glastonbury.

Glastonbelli

SLurl Details

The Uprooted in Second Life

Posted on by Inara Pey
The Sim Quarterly: Le Déraciné

Open as of June 14th, 2020 at The Sim Quarterly is Le Déraciné (The Uprooted), an installation by JadeYu Fhang.

Described as being a study about “How to transform the pain of uprooting into a poetic vision”, it’s a typically layered and semi-interactive piece by JadeYu; one that invites interpretation more than it offers one for itself.  Also, and in keeping with YadeYu’s viewpoint, it is a piece that perhaps blurs the line between the physical and virtual dimensions, being present in one whilst created from the other, whilst also standing as a dream linking both.

The landing point sits above the main installation, a board presenting the required graphics settings needed to best appreciate the installation, while local sounds should also be enabled for the fullest experience. Once visitors are set, an Anywhere Door teleporter offer the way down to ground level and the installation proper.

The Sim Quarterly: Le Déraciné

Here the setting is made up of multiple parts: a central hill form which grows an enormous tree; a great vale of flowers that extends out into the water; and a village in the air, set as if floating upon wafer-thin clouds. The tree at first appears to be denuded, but slivers of green flow over the branches and wrap around the trunk, which is in part carved into a female form, while more green floats around the branches as orbs. A second figure lies in the shallows below, legs entangled into a network of roots. As well as the green on and around the tree, paths of light glimmer as they rise from the lowlands to pass over the tangle of roots that form the hill’s crown, offering a way up to the tree as then converge upon it, whilst a single path rises to the cloud village.

Throughout the setting, the motif of roots is clear: but what of the idea of being “uprooted”? Perhaps it is in relation to physical relocation: there is the village in the air and the one at the landing point – are these then symbolic of the pain of moving home? Or is the meaning more bound in matters of ecology or in the erosion of cultural identity due to the demands of an increasingly homogeneous modern world, perhaps invoked through the dancing figures?

The Sim Quarterly: Le Déraciné

As noted above, interpretation is down to the observer. What is apparent is JadeYu’s rooting in surrealism, edged with a sense of spirituality.

Open through a period of three months, Le Déraciné offers plenty of time for you to visit and consider it for yourself.

SLurl Details