Infohubs and who, if anyone, monitors them.

[Xanthum Dastardly]

I'm just curious about this question.  As a casual observer I couldn't help noticing that what used to be a very popular and friendly infohub has become overrun with objects belonging to the owner of the hub, tons of lag, and an influx of bots.  Little else is there now.  No real people, no helping others, just clutter and silence.

I used to come sit on the wall or on one of the lights and chat away with the other people there.  It was almost always a good time with good conversation.  What happened?  A landowner in the area wanted no one to "loiter" at the hub because she wanted the resources for her club and school.  She placed a lot of ugly things in the area, so screens went up at the hub to block out the ugliness.  That was understandable.  However; that landowner has moved on to greener pastures and at this particular time, the ugliest thing in the entire sim is the infohub itself.  It's claustrophobic to be there because of all the stuff the owner has placed there.  In particular, the screens she has up which now impede the view and prevent new people seeing the area around the hub. 

It's just sad to see such a popular place with so many helpful people die.  Maybe no one else cares.  Many say Second Life itself is dying.  For me, it's been an outlet and a way to communicate with others from the world over.  If it is indeed dying, that will also be a very sad thing. 

Thanks for reading.

 

[Ceka Cianci]

I don't even go to info hubs anymore..

If i want to help new people i just go to Help island..

My old info hubs i used to go to are pretty much gone anyways. some used to be really cool places to hang out..

Now they feel  incorporated from the few i've seen..

[Qie Niangao]

Sounds like Bear.

InfoHubs are no longer fed the steady stream of newbies that made them worth having on the grid. InfoHubs become less and less populated because there are no new arrivals to backfill when the old timers drift off to other locations, other identities, or out of SL altogether.

We're told (and credibly, to my mind) that many InfoHubs so actively hurt first hour retention that recent revisions of the new user experience have avoided them like the plague. Thus, survival of SL depended on gradually killing-off the InfoHubs.

[Amethyst Jetaime]

Since mainland has no covenant there is nothing to prevent a landowner from putting up screens as long as they are on their property.  Info Hubs in general have gained a reputation as griefer hangouts so people avoid them now. 

[Xanthum Dastardly]

Thanks for the replies.  Let me ask another question?  How does one become owner/overseer of an infohub?  It's a fair amount of land and if they are no longer in use, why do they still exist?  Just curious. 

[Amethyst Jetaime]

Someone bought the land it was on.  Apparently they are still paying the tiers or it would have been repossessed.  They could very well be using it, they just may not be on line at the same time you are.

The only  other possibility is that back in the early days of SL when LL was trying raise money they offered a lifetime membership that included tier free ownership of land for life.  The more you paid the more land you got. If this is the case for this land, the land is still owned by the lifetime member even if they don't log into SL very often or at all.  You never know, one day they may decided to come back into SL and use it, which is their right to do.

[ObviousAltIsObvious]

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Xanthum Dastardly wrote:

Thanks for the replies.  Let me ask another question?  How does one become owner/overseer of an infohub?  It's a fair amount of land and if they are no longer in use, why do they still exist?  Just curious. 

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all the official hubs belong to Governor Linden, including the ones that were rebuilt by residents about 2005. they would just revert to protected land if the hub fixtures were not there. they are still needed as fallbacks when regions are down, and as home destinations for avatars that have not set one.

a couple of the older hubs, at Murray and Hanson, were redeveloped into recreation areas. a few others were left as is but had their infohub status removed.

[irihapeti]

back in 2005 in response to a then view that residents could maybe be better at retaining the interest of new people thru building than LL, some mainland infohubs were turned into joint projects between LL and residents

as I remember they are

Ambat
Anzere
Bear
Calleta
Hyles
Isabel
Mauve
Moth
Nova Albion
Ross
Warmouth

The rest are all LL only. (i might of missed one??)

basically the residents have build rights thru the Infohub group but not ban/access rights over other residents from them

at the time not all that many residents actual volunteered for this. Which is why some residents ended up with more than one

+

about how to become a member of a Infohub group

is the same as any other group. Just have to be invited by a group member who has that group power

 

[Xanthum Dastardly]

Once again, I thank you for replies to the question and the information given was very informative.  I was simply curious. 

[Xanthum Dastardly]

Final question?  How do I close this thread now that my questions have been answered satisfactorily?

[Perrie Juran]

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Xanthum Dastardly wrote:

Final question?  How do I close this thread now that my questions have been answered satisfactorily?

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Actually you can't and why would you want to close it?

Others may still have related questions or comments that could still benefit EVERYONE.  Including you.

[Xanthum Dastardly]

I seriously doubt that, but we'll see.  It doesn't seem to be an issue many people care about actually.  Thought maybe I could acquire an infohub of my own.  lol  Dream on!!!!

[Perrie Juran]

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Xanthum Dastardly wrote:

I seriously doubt that, but we'll see.  It doesn't seem to be an issue many people care about actually.  Thought maybe I could acquire an infohub of my own.  lol  Dream on!!!!

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People do come here regularly with questions about the Welcome Areas and Infohubs, sometimes resurrecting to post their questions.

Plus I learned something new here:  I thought  they were all (still) owned by LL.

 

[Pussycat Catnap]

I'd always wondered how the Isabel Hub came to be influence by the nearby Shelter club. I didn't realize that was a program from 2005.

ps: that is also the ONLY infohub in SL that allows nudity... (they actually removed the no nudity sign in 2010).

pps: All of the 'adult' infohubs on Zindra ban nudity - despite being used for people who crash while on adult land, and often rez into them in "mid-animation"... This bit of illogic was pointed out to various lindens over time, but has either never been of priority to fix, or is "working as intended".

 

I used to own a spot of land right next to the Isabel Infohub... It IS a great way to get a lot of traffic and to get people clicking on the things on your land... but not so good for sales... If I ever wanted to go back into the 'helping the newbies' thing, I'd have to look for another such plot.

If you NEVER set a home anywhere, everytime you click home you will land in a random infohub. But once you set a home, you cannot set it back to this mode that I as of yet know of. Its kind of a fun way to explore.

 

[irihapeti]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

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Plus I learned something new here:  I thought  they were all (still) owned by LL.

 

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the parcels are still owned by Governor Linden. Is just that the infohub group has been assigned to the parcel with some powers

is similar in a sense to the LDPW project. Except that the Moles get some pay now and the Infohub people are/were volunteers

[Perrie Juran]

 

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irihapeti wrote:

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Perrie Juran wrote:

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Plus I learned something new here:  I thought  they were all (still) owned by LL.

 

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the parcels are still owned by Governor Linden. Is just that the infohub group has been assigned to the parcel with some powers

is similar in a sense to the LDPW project. Except that the Moles get some pay now and the Infohub people are/were volunteers

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Thanks.

Just for fun I did a short visit to the historical Temple of Iris.

http://maps.secondlife.com/secondlife/Iris/201/121/31

[irihapeti]

i get curious myself and go have a look at some of them. I never went to them all. Of them I did then

Ambat is still assigned to Bodega Property
Anzere to Land Verwaltung
Calleta to Hobo Reservation
Ross to Pharos Properties
Nova Albion to City Slickers

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have always thought this was a good idea

i would like to see Hau Koda assigned to a Bay City resident group. Same like Nova Albion is

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have also always wanted Korea1..Korea4 assigned. Helfell as well

when watch new people explore these Infohubs then can see them get a bit puzzled. Like they go in all the buildings to have a look and is nothing in them. They stop then turn/cam and stop and turn/cam and then go out and into the next. After 3 or 4 buildings then they stop doing it. Their heads go wibble wobble and they poof. Maybe go somewhere else or maybe just log off. dunno

[Xanthum Dastardly]

Another user recently told me she had asked the owner to remove the screens from Bear Infohub and she refused.  She also refused letting people just sit whereever they like so I suppose that's that.  Sad though, when it used to be such a friendly and popular place.  I guess it's true that "life is change"; even Second Life. 

[irihapeti]

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Xanthum Dastardly wrote:

Another user recently told me she had asked the owner to remove the screens from Bear Infohub and she refused.  She also refused letting people just sit whereever they like so I suppose that's that.  Sad though, when it used to be such a friendly and popular place.  I guess it's true that "life is change"; even Second Life. 

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am not sure what you meaning really

as I remember the screens at Bear been there since 2006 2008

also am not sure what you mean about cant sit where you like. Can still sit on the wall like always. I just been to have a look. Is like it has always been since over 7 years now

ps. I just check the date on the screen. Is Nov 2008. So about 6 years

[Amethyst Jetaime]

I'm confused here.  Who owns the land the info HUD is on?

If the screens are actually on land owned by Governor Linden or a Linden group, then file a support ticket and ask that they be removed.  If it is on land owned by a resident, they are within their rights to have the screens and to not allow people to sit on their land, since mainland has no covenant.

[irihapeti]

Bear Dream Lodge (the mainland infohub on Bear sim) is assigned to the group Primolution. Stella Costello and Ravenelle Zugzwang the resident principals of the group

the screens were erected by Ravenelle. Like Xanthum mention was some drama back in the day between the infohub principal and a other parcel owner on the sim. Pretty much turned into a lets ugly up the sim as best we can spat

i do tho agree with Xanthum. The drama and the other parcel owner been gone since for ages. So I dont see the point in the  screens anymore. The rest of sim is quite nice really today

[Xanthum Dastardly]

Bear is a lovely sim these days with the exception of the clutter at the infohub.  As for sitting on the wall, you can only sit on pine cones now, not directly on the wall.  You can no longer sit on the lights.  There are invisiprims everywhere.  Ravenelle can apparently do as she likes at the infohub.  I've decided to spend most of my time elsewhere these days, as have many others who used to go to Bear.  Guess one had to get in on the ground floor to oversee an infohub. 

[irihapeti]

you seem to write as if all these things are recent

the pine cones way and the sit blockers been there since at least 2010

if do want to sit anywhere on the wall then just stand on it, right click [on youself) and sit down. [same as sit ground]

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is a reason why sit blockers are put in place by people with build rights. Is to stop all the people bawwing in the IM

basically if you sit on a wall or fence or sign at a infohub then sooner or later you going to get someone who will try greif sit on you. Some people cant handle this well and will baw to the parcel owner and/or officers. Ban them !!! they is ruin my SL

infohub builders dont have ban rights. So is nothing they can do about it banning wise. To stop the endless complaints then put in sit blockers. Cant get sit griefed that way

a sit grief is when you sitting on a wall or sign or something. Another person zooms their cam to between your legs and picks the prim and then sits. They sitting on your lap. Then they start with the verbals

other greif sit which used to happen a lot was: they sit right next to you really close so you touching. and then play a snuggle anim. Or worse. and then the verbals

people used to go total nuts about that 

edit: sit ground

 

[Xanthum Dastardly]

It is true that the Ravenelle approved sits were placed there quite a long time ago.  All these events occurred a long time ago.  That fact, however; does nothing to help the lag, the ugliness, and the general clutter.  As previously stated, I rarely go there now anyway.  I was simply having a walk down memory lane and wondering how one gets to oversee or manage an infohub.  If I were a Linden I wouldn't want that to be representative of what I like in Second Life.  To each his/her own. We all have our own personal taste or lack thereof.  Try sitting on the ground; there were invisiprims to prevent that too. 

[irihapeti]

most of the infohubs and WAs been hollowed out of people. Still find some people at them but nowhere like used to be

i think has lots to do with the Destination Guide in the viewer. New people pretty much use this extensively to explore and go see what SL is

also the Help in the viewer has had an effect on the value/worth of Infohubs. Like in terms of the basics: walk, run, fly, sit etc. How to change your outfit. Go places etc. then the viewer help is as good as anything that used to be ( or still is) inworld. Basic self-help tutorial wise. So new people more able to help themselfs and go at their own pace independently these days in their start time

new people pretty much only end up at infohubs and WAs these days when they hit the Home button or when get killed by a parcel sec orb. Add: or when they see it promoted in DG as a place to meet people

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in other times I used to spend quite a bit of time sitting on fences and answering questions about the basics. Now the few questions I do get about basics the answer usual start with: press F1 and we go from there

most questions I do get these days are more about: Where do I find this thing inworld? clothes, homes, where/how to build, types of rp/entertainment, etc