New XStreet, New Problems

It wasn't that long ago that The Lab announced a revamp of the Web-based Second Life® shopping service, XStreetSL (Web). It is now called Second Life Marketplace and it looks pretty much like the previews we were given. No "live" previews that I could find, though hints were given that one could see it early. If I had learned earlier than today that my Favorites, Rated/Unrated Items, and Wish List items would be gone with the revamp, I would have complained at the time. Now I'm looking for a place to bring this to someone's attention though I'm sure the typical Deaf Ear that The Lab is famous for having will be turned. I should have known something was up when the Purchase as Gift option stopped working a month ago.

My Favorites was a great way to quickly access frequently purchased items and to think about possible purchases. Now I have to search for them all again and likely bookmark them in my browser. Or, I could just Landmark the store, buy the items in-world, and tell The Lab "screw you and your commission". Not as convenient, but there is a satisfaction factor.

Rated/Unrated Items was also a great way to track my purchases. I loved giving feedback and, with one exception (see here), helped good relations with many merchants. Maybe I'll be able to rate items I purchase in the new design. The Reviews feature is not available at this time and for the items I've checked, all my ratings and comments from previous purchases are gone.

Wish List? How little I knew ye. I seldom used it but I was making an effort. It was a nusiance but I wanted to use it. Really. There seems to be a new Wish List, non-functional at the moment, but I can't find my old one.

The good news? The design looks nice, many features seem to be merchant-friendly, and the search/sort features remind me of shopping at Amazon.com, though a friend of mine says the new layout is a clone of the shopping area for the game The Sims (Web). I don't see it. Not enough positives for me, however, to make up for the losses, especially with The Lab's recent changes that log my out of all the Web pages tied to SecondLife.com if I'm idle for a few minutes.

In-World Broadcasts Idea

My friend Marianne McCann has proposed a sort of "Emergency Broadcasting System" to be implemented in a future Second Life viewer update so that messages of critical importance would be shown on the viewers of everyone logged in-world at the time. This would supplement the Grid Status Page, I'm sure, and keep folks from having to check the Web frequently just on the chance there is something important going on. Genius. And Mari's idea is genius, too. Check out VWR-20081 on the JIRA for more information and to vote for it (if you want, but ... who wouldn't?). Of course, the Lindens can send grid-wide Blue Notes (or whatever color they are on the 2.0 viewers), but so many people just click through them without thinking. Mari's idea would be harder to ignore.

SL7B: TeleOctoscope

I'm not entirely sure what this is, really. A TeleOctoscope is what the maker calls it. What I am sure of is that this is one of the coolest builds in all of the Second Life 7th Birthday regions. Go. Go now (SLurl). Grab the freebie. Follow the instructions. Have a great time.

The Destination Guide (Web) has other great places to visit at the party (search for SL7B) and elsewhere in-world.

SL7B: Unexpected Childhoods

A "Must See" at the Second Life Birthday celebration is "Unexpected Childhoods" (SLurl) the exhibit from SLebrity Marianne McCann and Pygar Bu. It features the stories of why some of SL's brightest and most creative residents choose to use "kid" avatars in-world. As I builder, I appreciate the quality of the design and it's craftsmanship (craftskidship?), but as someone who actually "lives" in SL, I appreciate more the depth of the experience conveyed through this whimsical ode to being oneself, regardless of the exterior presentation.

Other great exhibits can be found via the Destination Guide (here or via the viewer in-world), just search for SL7B. The official blog (Web) is another good way to keep up with events and places for the celebration.

SL7B: Babel

One of the more creative builds at Second Life's 7th Birthday party is from Babel Translations and Text Creations (SLurl), an SL Solutions Provider. Peter Stindberg didn't use Glow as a weapon, like many of this year's builds, but instead combined it with a fun particle system to make the exhibit light and interesting. Before you know it, you are learning about how his company's translation services are superior to using machine translations. While there, look for the clever "Babel Language Kiosk," a freebie that lets you drop in note cards with translated material to distribute rules, sales info, or the like to customers and visitors. Sure, you still have to get someone to translate the stuff for you in the first place and I'm sure Peter hopes you choose his company.

Several other creative builds are near the Babel exhibit so plan some time to explore. Of course, to learn more about where to go and what to see, check out the official SL7B blog (Web) or check back here for more of my posts.