Beautiful Second Life

[Penny Patton]

Hello, just sharing a two part article I wrote pertaining primarily to how Linden Lab could better present Second Life to potential and new users, in both their marketing materials and the new user experience. This evolved into explaining how these same actions could nurture better created content among the community (as better tools and examples go a long way towards helping first time builders dive in, and allow more creative freedom to more experienced builders) and providing tips that anyone could user to better their content creation projects in SL.

As I couldn't find a forum for suggestions aimed at LL, I figured this was the most relevent forum to linkl the articles in.

Beautiful Second Life Part 1 covers Linden Lab's presentation of the Second Live avatar, explaining the proportion and scale issues with the starter avatars LL still provides new users as well as existing bugs and shortcomings with the avatar appearance editor which make it difficult for anyone to create an impressive looking avatar.

Versus

 

Beautiful Second Life part 2 covers the environments and imagery used for both the new user experience and LL's promotion of Second Life, as well as visual presets which Linden Lab could improve at no performance cost to users. Presets such as the placement of the SL camera, camera FOV settings and the default windlight settings.

Versus

 

 Among the tips are links to a guide on human proportions, including how to create a well proportioned shape, work around appearance editor bugs, and achieve different looks using different proportions. There is also a link to a guide on improving the SL camera, tips on FOV settings, links to improved windlight settings, tips on using lighting and sound in environment design, and other helpful tips and techniques for making Second Life look as visually stunning as possible.

[Coby Foden]

Amazing post Penny!  This should be made compulsory reading for all new users.

It is really a mystery why Linden Lab don't provide similar information. :smileyindifferent:

[Hunter Stern]

Maybe, because not everyone wants SL to look like or be presented from only one point of  view. We are not 'One Opinion', we are Many.

When I joined SL, there were many tips on how to improve things, and many helpful souls. In the end though, it came down to ME simply getting out and doing it and finding out for myself. You can't break SL. Sure things might not be what you expected in the end result, but that's the learning process too. There is no 'one way' or  'simple answer'.

Even when SL becomes stagnet and dull, the human mind is generally always changing, evolving, and discovering.

Have you thought of applying for a position at Linden Lab? They do have openings and that would be a great way to get ideas through and in practice and testing as well.

[Indigo Mertel]

Nice article, Penny. I have shared it on Google+, Twitter, Facebook, Plurk and also sent a tweet to Rodvik.

[Penny Patton]

---

Hunter Stern wrote:

Maybe, because not everyone wants SL to look like or be presented from only one point of  view. We are not 'One Opinion', we are

Many

.

When I joined SL, there were many tips on how to improve things, and many helpful souls. In the end though, it came down to ME simply getting out and doing it and finding out for myself. You can't break SL. Sure things might not be what you expected in the end result, but that's the learning process too. There is no 'one way' or  'simple answer'.

Even when SL becomes stagnet and dull, the human mind is generally always changing, evolving, and discovering.

Have you thought of applying for a position at Linden Lab? They do have openings and that would be a great way to get ideas through and in practice and testing as well.

---

Well, these articles are observations about the content Linden Lab provides, as well as pointing out long standing issues with the tools, and how both of these factors wind up limiting the ability of the residents to create content, rather than opinions on how the residents should be creating content.

I did apply at Linden Lab either last year or the year before that. At present, tho, they'd have to make me a really nice offer to draw me away from my current job. :matte-motes-smitten:

[Paul Norfolk]

Many people I know irl will not play SL as they say its very 'cartoon like' and actually question why I as an adult, would want to go on there (I'm a big SL fan btw lol)....

 

That is until I show them pictures of what SL really has to offer once you're in world and past all the initial orientation tutorials, then they end up addicts like me lol. Its a shame that so many people don't even give SL a chance before dismissing it. I've been on SL using this AV since 2006 and I'm as much as an avid fan as I've always been... and hope to be for many more years to come.

 

I think LL are just trying a different marketing technique than what they have in the past and rightly so. There are many people out there who love the types of things that LL are promoting and anything that can drag new users in, can only be a good thing. Then once they are in world, they can then have the opportunity to explore SL themselves and realize the vastness of it.

 

I have to admit, its a great idea for an article and definitely interesting to see what new users can expect and what they will ultimately get from SL. Congrats :-)