Resistance to Change

After completing an SL viewer upgrade so minor that The Lab didn't even mention it, I found that part of my workflow suddenly changed. After typing in my password I usually just tapped the Enter key on my keyboard and the log-in process started. Not since the upgrade. More than a few times now I've hit Enter and switched to another window to do something while logging in only to look a few moments later to see the static viewer screen as if I had done nothing. Once, I totally forgot I had even tried to log in at all. Almost immediately I thought about creating a JIRA for the issue but after remembering that I have NEVER had a successful JIRA and being distracted by some string, I thought "Well, it is a little change. I can get used to it. It's not like when they took away the slide out  panels that I really loved and had to take a long time to re-learn."

Yes, even I have a resistance to change, however I'm extremely happy to know that I can adopt, adapt, and improve, unlike so many that use computer technology. Take, for example, the recent upgrade from Apple iTunes 10 to version 11. Within minutes the Twittersphere was awash with tips to bring back "missing features" and not long after reviews were published with more tips and then even whole articles like "5 Tips to Make iTunes 11 Look Normal Again" from OSXDaily here.

Normal? What they should have titled the article is "5 Tips to Make iTunes 11 Look Like What You Got Used To Since the Last Change You Complained About." At least two of the tips (possibly three, but I don't have v10.x to check any more) were available options in past renditions of the popular software. Yet fanboys – fancy newspeak for curmudgeons – totally ignored the facts. This, too, happens with the Second Life viewers, official and otherwise.

It took me a couple weeks to become proficient with using the v2 interface when it was introduced but I swear it look less than 15 minutes after it was introduced for me to find someone vehemently against it in-world. The viewer had been out less than half a day. I deny that even software designers and professional reviewers could give  an application a thorough workout in such a short time.

And now that Third Party Viewer (TPV) developers have been incorporating v2 designs into their efforts (by force, admittedly) the hue and cry over the change is much quieter. Fanboys of the TPV products can still hurl invectives and demonstrate massive intolerance toward other products, but fortunately their numbers seem to be smaller now. As I listen in the Macintosh Users group chat, the sense of co-operation seems to have increased with fewer users being rude over viewer choices. I also encounter fewer people in Infohubs and help places spreading the vitriol once common. Maybe we are becoming less resistant to change?

I think it would best that when change occurs, we remember the words of Mahatma Gandhi: "Everybody is right from their own point of view, but it is not impossible that everyone is wrong."

And now for something completely different: A nude girl on a beach ...

Hyper Mole [Updates]

Lighting a candle for Hyper Mole at the Bay City Community Center (SLurl).

Hyper Mole, a beloved and highly talented member of the Linden Department of Public Works, passed away today after losing a well-fought battle with cancer. The news has shaken a large part of our community, particularly those of us fortunate enough to enjoy her work in Bay City.

• Hyper's MySL profile is here.
• Hyper at Snapzilla here courtesy Marianne McCann
• Marianne has a touching snapshot here along with many comments from the community.

According to Marianne in a post to the Bay City Alliance group, "Hyper was involved in several inworld build projects, and is known locally for work on the Bay City Community Center, the signage for the Bay City Fairgrounds, many of our prefabs, assistance on the Falmouth Hotel & Hairy Hippo Fun Land, and work on seasonal additions to Bay City."

I remember well my chat with Hyper back in July 2011 about her work with the infrastructure for the Second Life birthday sims. She was gracious with her time and generous with both advice and encouragement.

My sincere condolences to her family both inside Second Life and outside, as well.


[Updates]

Silent Mole left a touching tribute in Hairy Hippo Fun Land (SLurl) among other spots.

Time for an Inventory Refresh

Over the last couple years, though without any regularity, The Lab has updated our Library inventories – the stuff every Resident gets for free – with some nice clothes and fancy avatars. When sculpted prims were introduced a special folder with demo textures and another with demo objects were added. But if you've looked elsewhere in the Library, you'll find objects that date back to the Second Life equivalent of antiquity.

The 16 LI bed (LI = Land Impact ... I need to get with the 21st Century and stop writing "prim count" ... read more here) in the picture was made by Alberto Linden back in October 2002. Don't look him up, He is long gone. Recently installed in our family apartment is an 18 LI sculpted bed that is far more attractive, but a version with the same animation engine as the new bed was available for as few as 9 LI and it looks a lot like this animation-less one.

The 21 LI Library Chair I'm sitting on in the picture can easily be replaced with a higher quality mesh version with a much, much lower Land Impact count. I'm sitting on the arm of the chair, by the way, because each prim is set to "Sit on Object" so a click anywhere has a 1-in-21 chance of working correctly. Blame Brent Linden because he is no longer with us so he can't respond.

Just a few more examples pictured: Coffee Table, Glass And Steel 9 LI;  Basic Chair 11 LI; Floor Lamp w/blue Shade 8LI; Kart 1.0 27 LI (and recently described as "dangerous" by a Linden in a builder group chat); Cabin 29 LI. The Library is filled with more like this, including the iconic 18 LI Parrot you might have seen at Welcome Island (some Welcome Islands have a newer, sculpted version).

Yes, a bit dizzying. But it gives me an idea ... if the avatars and clothes have been updated to attract new Residents, why not refresh the Library? Dump the older stuff into the retired items box The Lab already has in Stillman (SLurl) and give us new stuff. Goodness knows the LDPW Moles are exceptionally talented (not just the ones that are well-known under private names for their art and retail goods) could create some wonderful stuff, perhaps themed to the Linden Homes (Web). Or create sets for specific communities that might be associated with the type of avatar new users choose from at sign up. Vampires get vampire stuff, robots get .... No. Maybe that one isn't a good idea.

But a Library refresh is a good idea. Not only would we get new stuff but it would demonstrate The Lab's commitment to having a thriving Community.

A Very Bay City Christmas

Bay City Annual Treelighting, Concert, and Fundraiser

Come to the Bay City Fairgrounds on Saturday, 8th December 2012 from 1-4 pm SLT for a tree lighting, skating party, silent auction, music event featuring GoSpeed Racer, Grace McDunnough, and Bluemonk Rau. All proceeds go to Child's Play Charity (www.childsplaycharity.org). Child's Play is a 501c3 non profit organization that helps seriously ill children around the globe.

The event will be held at the Bay City Fairgrounds, in North Channel (SLurl).

Special items will be auctioned for charity, including a Special, one of a kind photograph by Whiskey Monday. Auction will start at 10:00 am SLT, 8th December and end at the conclusion of the event at 4 p.m. SLT.

We are still looking for good, unique, auction items. Please contact Marianne McCann or Ever Dreamscape for more information.

And the next Premium Gift is ....

Since September of 2011, The Lab has been giving gifts to it's Premium account Residents. Intially, the gifts were to be doled out monthly but that quickly went from plan to poo right away. Eventually, several gifts were given out, including what I consider to be a gift, the opening of some Premium-only sims: The Wilderness Area (Web) and very quiet Sandboxes (Web). Here's a quick review of the physical gifts, though (in no particular order).

The most recent Premium gift was a very nice biplane. I wrote about it here. Also introduced at this time was a Premium Resident-access airport in Orville (SLurl)

The second Premium gift was a pretty nice sailboat. I know a few Residents that snoozed and missed out on getting their copy and now they can't have one. I first wrote about this gift here.

The first Premium gift was a very nice furniture set. While folks eagerly awaited to see what the October gift would be many argued about free advertising being given to the non-employee creators of the gifts. Since then all the gifts have been made by the very, very talented LDPW Moles. My first post on this gift is here. Most of the free avatars and clothes you'll find in your default Inventory were made by non-Lab employees, by the way, and are very good.

An extremely popular Premium gift was the Dune Buggy. I very briefly wrote about it here. This gift also came with the introduction of new Premium regions like Salt Gulch (SLurl) so owners could race their new vehicles. Interestingly, the gift kiosks in the themed regions distribute the most current gift, not the one associated with the region. If you want the Dune Buggy now, you are out of luck but you can rez anything here. I see lots of folks riding horses at times.

One of my favorite Premium gifts is the Railroad Handcar. As with some of the other gifts, special Premium access regions were introduced so Residents could play. Visit Saminekim (SLurl) for some fun if you have any train. I wrote about this gift here and here.

I suppose that you could also consider having a Linden Home as a gift. I mean, you can have up to 512m² of land without paying tier costs or you can have the land with a home on it. That conserves the land's prim count for your furniture and whatnot. And having a cash stipend is something of a gift, too, plus Premium accounts have more support options and have a bit more pull if someone tries to remove you from Second Life.

But this post is about the physical gifts. Four of five have been about transportation. Do you think the next gift will be an automobile for the many Second Life roads? Maybe it will be a special mesh house for small plots of land. What do you think the next gift will be or what do you want to see? Feel free to leave a comment below and if I get enough, I might drop a line to some Moles I know.

Not a Second Life Resident? Click here to join. If anyone asks who referred you, tell 'em Uccello Poultry.