rodvik linden asks a question

[Teagan Tobias]

Your comment; Computers are having trouble running SL, is most likely the one biggest problem LL has right now. I like V3, but at 5 FPS at a dance (or less), I can not run V3. If new residents are having the same problem, what in the heck would keep them around. They can spend the first week watching things rez, its a little like watching paint dry.

In business its location, location, location. In SL its viewer, viewer, viewer. Because if you cant see it, you cant play with it.

I just got a new 6 core PC and good video card and was expecting to see SL in all its glory but was disappointed when I logged in and it made little difference with V3. I have switched from Imprudence to Nirans viewer after giving up on V3. With Nirans I can once again see and use SL with frame rates around 30 in the busiest places, and up to and over 90 FPS when its not busy.

[Perrie Juran]

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Your comment; Computers are having trouble running SL, is most likely the one biggest problem LL has right now. I like V3, but at 5 FPS at a dance (or less), I can

not

run V3. If new residents are having the same problem, what in the heck would keep them around. They can spend the first week watching things rez, its a little like watching paint dry.

In business its location, location, location. In SL its viewer, viewer, viewer. Because if you cant see it, you cant play with it.

I just got a new 6 core PC and good video card and was expecting to see SL in all its glory but was disappointed when I logged in and it made little difference with V3. I have switched from Imprudence to Nirans viewer after giving up on V3. With Nirans I can once again see and use SL with frame rates around 30 in the busiest places, and up to and over 90 FPS when its not busy.

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This scares the heck out of me.  I'd been seriously contemplating a new graphics card because of the troubles I have with Viewer 3.

I had tried Niran's with no improvement.  Maybe it's time I gave it another spin.

[Charolotte Caxton]

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Perrie Juran wrote:

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Your comment; Computers are having trouble running SL, is most likely the one biggest problem LL has right now. I like V3, but at 5 FPS at a dance (or less), I can

not

run V3. If new residents are having the same problem, what in the heck would keep them around. They can spend the first week watching things rez, its a little like watching paint dry.

In business its location, location, location. In SL its viewer, viewer, viewer. Because if you cant see it, you cant play with it.

I just got a new 6 core PC and good video card and was expecting to see SL in all its glory but was disappointed when I logged in and it made little difference with V3. I have switched from Imprudence to Nirans viewer after giving up on V3. With Nirans I can once again see and use SL with frame rates around 30 in the busiest places, and up to and over 90 FPS when its not busy.

---

This scares the heck out of me.  I'd been seriously contemplating a new graphics card because of the troubles I have with Viewer 3.

I had tried Niran's with no improvement.  Maybe it's time I gave it another spin.

---

I have been using Exodus for awhile. I get 90 in non busy places, 30 in moderately busy places, like the above poster with Nirans.

However, I logged in with V3 last night and the experience was so offputting, if it were my first experience with Second Life, I would never log back in, I would immediately erase the viewers from my system. I almost did last night, with Viewer 3, and I have been a long time supporter of the official viewers.

 

[Perrie Juran]

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Charolotte Caxton wrote:

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Perrie Juran wrote:

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Teagan Tobias wrote:

Your comment; Computers are having trouble running SL, is most likely the one biggest problem LL has right now. I like V3, but at 5 FPS at a dance (or less), I can

not

run V3. If new residents are having the same problem, what in the heck would keep them around. They can spend the first week watching things rez, its a little like watching paint dry.

In business its location, location, location. In SL its viewer, viewer, viewer. Because if you cant see it, you cant play with it.

I just got a new 6 core PC and good video card and was expecting to see SL in all its glory but was disappointed when I logged in and it made little difference with V3. I have switched from Imprudence to Nirans viewer after giving up on V3. With Nirans I can once again see and use SL with frame rates around 30 in the busiest places, and up to and over 90 FPS when its not busy.

---

This scares the heck out of me.  I'd been seriously contemplating a new graphics card because of the troubles I have with Viewer 3.

I had tried Niran's with no improvement.  Maybe it's time I gave it another spin.

---

I have been using Exodus for awhile. I get 90 in non busy places, 30 in moderately busy places, like the above poster with Nirans.

However, I logged in with V3 last night and the experience was so offputting, if it were my first experience with Second Life, I would never log back in, I would immediately erase the viewers from my system. I almost did last night, with Viewer 3, and I have been a long time supporter of the official viewers.

 

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The only thing we have been able to establish is that somehow the way Flexi's are processed or something related to this is causing a bottleneck in my computer with V3 code.  Actually, Flexi's slow everyone down but the amount can vary from barely perceptible to major heart attacks like mine.

https://jira.secondlife.com/browse/MAINT-623

 

</threadjack>

[danicah]

I think they should bring back last names, so newbies can actually have a nice name again when they sign up.

And creating alts is no fun because you can't make any names without the 'Resident' thing at the end.

Unless you create a name like for example "MelissaSmith" and set your DN to "Melissa Smith"

but then it would sound silly if their name is "MelissaSmith Resident".

But right now they have to think of a name which is not taken, even if its a goofy name like asdf1234. And many newbies dont know how to set a display name...

So, if you want newbies to stick to SL then please bring last names back. It makes SL more attractive too.

 

[TheVeryFirst1488313959]

Sign up is just a program, DO IT BOTH WAYS. If you want a stupid one word, or not a word, name you can have it, if you want a two name user name, you can have it. Bring back the old and keep the new. Have a quick and dirty sign up or make an avatar.

I kind of like my one word name,

TheVeryFirst Resident.

[Penny Patton]

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Sassy Romano wrote:

My answer would be "ask them".  

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This is kinda hilarious, since that's exactly what he did.

[Cortland Swindlehurst]

(I really need to figure out how to reply with quote)

"Petronilla Whitfield wrote:

I have read every answer in this thread and would like to make one comment that I think hasn’t been made yet.  While I believe that for many people—even most—social engagement is what makes SL attractive, there are also people like me who gravitate towards a virtual world because they are shy/antisocial.  I did not go into SL to meet people.  I never had or wanted to be taken under somebody’s wing.  I would have quit if forced to “buddy up” with a stranger."

That's a good point.  When I joined way way back, I had zero intention of having any "friends" or socializing.  I only joined at all because this was during the media hype, it all sounded so wild their own currency exchange and little businesses and you can cash out and all the new world utopia hippy vibe in the press.

I wound up socializing though, without ever intending to.  Just ran into someone from a steampunk community, liked his gear, couldn't help but ask what all that was and one thing led to another and I had a niche in SL.  Nowdays I force myself to be a loner, I been in and out of SL too long I can't get "sucked in" with too many SL friends.  But if we're talking about retention here, then that's exactly what SL needs to do, get folks sucked in, at least in the beginning.

No, a buddy program shouldn't be "forced," of course not.  But maybe build a friend / mentor match right into the viewer, make it available.  It's either that or be darn sure the noobie landing area has some social life going on.

I have some experience with Eve Online.  I can tell you something that happens there, and that game has a gargantuan learning curve, is that as a noobie you've got several chat windows staring at you with people chatting.  I think that helps.  Even loners will sit and listen, and begin to figure out what's what.  

Best solution of all is maybe bring back community gateways.  You can separate SL in to many interesting portals.  Steampunk, elves, RP's, fairies, furries, serious things, on and on.  Make this community portal center open to current residents too.  Like a central hub for SL.  

I rolled an alt recently just to see what it's like now.  It's slick and low lag, but It looks boring.  They need some community portals at least, some slick advertising billboards, *anything* to tell noobies what there is in SL.  Nobody talks.  I think they want to protect newbies from infohub crazyness and mayhem, but the opposite -- silence --- is what causes their churn.

"I am in-world frequently—several times a week—and rarely speak to anyone, except to make the occasional comment in a large group chat. I have no interest in “adult” activities in SL.  Yet I get a lot out of SL, and have done so for the past five years.  I build, I run a shop, I own property that I like to redecorate, I participate in charity events, go dancing, listen to live music, shop, walk my dog, explore."

Here's another idea -- put user testimonials right on the front signup page.  With a arrow clicky to scroll through; noobies could see like what you just wrote, then click and see someone living a fantasy life as a vampire or drow or furry micro elf or whatever, another click and testimonial about someone who loves to sail or fly planes, on and on.  Let people thinking of signing up read a little bit, see what real people use SL for.  

I think the main point here is to very directly get some clear info across to new people about what SL is even used for, in a way that may sound relevent to them (not bland boring copywriting, real people).  If you've got a product that even an hour in people don't understand what it is, THAT is what causes churn.

Lastly..

Couple more random tips.  Maybe default graphics settings are too high for people with just onboard graphics like Intel.  LAG is a big thing that can turn noobies away, if they're not hooked yet they will have zero patience for lag.

Someone upthread mentioned a starter "room."  That's a great idea.  It's Linden's job to get new people to stay long enough to get hooked, then the user-created community can take it from there.  So give the noobies that starter room, and make it look GREAT.  One room, with a little yard and lake and some nice trees.  Give them a choice of like 5 themed start rooms.  You could do a restriction allowing only the one avatar to use it, maybe no prims allowed.  Use instancing.  Would be like SL-lite, get them interested long enough to then dive deeper -- could make it another premium benefit to allow friends in your starter room.

The point would never be to compete with the user-created grid, only to give noobies a content-rich experience right away right now because otherwise people just quit.

Going forward, the new game-design tools may help.  Do more of that.  Focus SL on having mmo games, and avatar dressup with your starter room.  Viewer needs a gui change too, taking the "received items" idea a step further -- have a icon box so when you buy off MP a little picture shows on your screen, then drag the picture to the ground or wear it.  Expereinced users don't need any of this, but to a brand new noob these polishes are what make the difference.  If they never stay long enough to figure out how to a rezz something fun and use it, then they will quit.   

 

 

   

 

 

[Charolotte Caxton]

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Cortland Swindlehurst wrote:

(I really need to figure out how to reply with quote)

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At the top right, just click the Quote button when replying to someone.

 

[Cortland Swindlehurst]

This question is posted on SLU forum I guess, so Linden won't even read all this here?  :matte-motes-big-grin-squint:

It's funny to hear they are utterly stumped, like nothing they do can stop the new user churn, when all of we users have so many ideas.  *sighs*

They've had *years* to work on this now.  SL is clearly addicting, all they have to do is get people to stay long enough to get sucked in (actually maybe not a good idea ).

What's clear is that casual, facebook type new users, like avatar dressup.  They like cool avs.  And to chat.  So do that starter room idea, *create a new user sl-lite starter experience where noobs can branch off from there*, and overhaul the viewer gui to be more icon-based.

And profiles need to be overhauled.  We're well into the Facebook era here, yet that profile still just has 2 pictures your dispaly pic and then the "1st life" pic which so many use for a 2nd SL picture.  People have been doing a work-around for years now, Picks, to create profile pages about their friends / SL family / clan or whatnot.  I'm amazed Linden hasn't taken notice and built in a direct functionality for this.  Originally Linden thought people would share places of itnerest, but it turns out people are more interested in other people.  

To know how to sell SL, all Linden needs to do is actually play it and watch -- see what the users are doing with it.  If users are making workarounds to do something they want, then Linden should expand on that.

 

 

[Cortland Swindlehurst]

 

Charolotte Caxton wrote:

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Cortland Swindlehurst wrote:

(I really need to figure out how to reply with quote)

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At the top right, just click the Quote button when replying to someone.

 

Thanks!  How did I miss that.. see, this is an example of how critical intuitive design is for someone new to something (in my case, posting on the forum).  People are very busy and get bored quickly, if they can't figure something out they give up and find something else to do.

I was looking for a "reply with quote" button on the actual post.  Then in this window I was looking at the toolbar buttons starting with bold.  Quote is a grayed out button next to spell check.  Should be a button that says "reply with quote" next to reply on the main post.

Ugh now my whole post is quote italics.  I need a forum nobbie starter room.. :matte-motes-big-grin:  

 

 

[Charolotte Caxton]

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Cortland Swindlehurst wrote:

Ugh now my whole post is quote italics.  I need a forum nobbie starter room.. :matte-motes-big-grin:   

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Lol, I was going to tell you how to avoid having your reply in italics also, but then I thought, he'll figure it out

My bad.

1. Press quote

2. Start typing, do not place your cursor anywhere else, just type.

If you do feel like dissecting a quote, remember it has it's own formatting, namely, it's italicized. 

3. So, to avoid that, make sure you don't delete the bottom line. If you do, hit Ctrl Z, it will undo whatever you just messed up.

4. Lastly, there is a preview button... and an Html tab, if you feel advanced enough to mess with that.

:heart:

I see you've figured out the smilies ~.:catvery-happy:.

[Jo Yardley]

I would like more interaction with SL, avatars and my region from outside of SL, log into the SL website to chat with friends (properly), see who is in your region, send group messages and notices, send messages to your region, change group titles, permissions, etc.

I've also written a blog on what I think should change about especially the first moments for new people;

http://joyardley.wordpress.com/2012/03/30/starting-your-second-life/

[Melita Magic]

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MoiselleErin Teardrop wrote:

I think the REAL concern is this -

Some people get addicted to SL and end up thinking it is a real life. How do we get these people to get off their butts and enjoy REAL life?

I guess no one wants to hear that though

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It is not my real concern. 

Aside from having some clear, basic rules I do try to enforce on my land, which I feel is a different thing (because it's Opt In - if they don't like it, they can go - Lol) I long ago lost the illusion that I can control what other sentient beings do.

That is especially true for their life path or real life decisions. I don't even know them, how in the world could I do something for them they cannot even do for themselves? Especially if you are talking about helping someone to end their SL addiction...while in SL. 

You can recommend counseling for them but that will likely go over like a lead balloon.

 

[Melita Magic]

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Petronilla Whitfield wrote:

I have read every answer in this thread and would like to make one comment that I think hasn’t been made yet.  While I believe that for many people—even most—social engagement is what makes SL attractive, there are also people like me who gravitate towards a virtual world because they are shy/antisocial.  I did not go into SL to meet people.  I never had or wanted to be taken under somebody’s wing.  I would have quit if forced to “buddy up” with a stranger.  I am in-world frequently—several times a week—and rarely speak to anyone, except to make the occasional comment in a large group chat. I have no interest in “adult” activities in SL.  Yet I get a lot out of SL, and have done so for the past five years.  I build, I run a shop, I own property that I like to redecorate, I participate in charity events, go dancing, listen to live music, shop, walk my dog, explore.  I enjoy the experience more because I find it so peaceful and relaxing not to have to make conversation with people.  So sure—make group contacts and connecting with in-world helpers easier for new accounts, but please don’t force them on everyone.  You’d drive off the leave-me-alone-while-I-build (or do whatever) types.  You may not hear from us much in the Forums, but we are in SL.

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Second Life is my escape from people and I even say so in my profile. That said, some might never guess it about me because I'm friendly and even chatty, once I do engage (connect, talk with) someone. That's true in real life as well.

Introverts don't dislike people, they just need alone time to recharge and are most relaxed when alone.

I am not on facebook; I tried that briefly but hated it, and regretted it. Everything that's since been reported about its lack of respect for user privacy only made me happier I left. If SL were one big facebook/myspace/friendster/rolodex/stone tablet of people one is obligated to keep up with and notify every time one sneezes I would not have lasted too long here.

So no worries you're not alone in wanting to be left alone.  

"I never said I wanted to be alone; I said I wanted to be left alone. There is an enormous difference." - Greta Garbo

[Jo Yardley]

Seriously, as addictions go there are about 3248732984623064523 kinds of addictions that are a LOT more dangerous then SL.

One of them being the television, the box that entire families spend their entire evenings staring at rotting their brains.

Besides, spending too much time in SL does not always mean lack of RL, it means choosing SL above RL.

My RL is very exciting and full, a bit too full sometimes.

I run a business and now and then I have to juggle media appearances as well, beh.

To me SL is relaxation and fun, and can you have too much of that?

Can you read too many books, watch too many good movies, listen to too much music?

[Melita Magic]

Totally agree! 

So well said.

[Charolotte Caxton]

Television does not rot your brain!

(Go on. It's ok .. :matte-motes-evil-invert: )

[Jo Yardley]

That is exactly how I see the modern world!

Don't tell him I don't have a tv...

[Charolotte Caxton]

Hee hee, I don't have to, you just did  ~.:catsurprised: '

[Dillon Levenque]

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Melita Magic wrote:

Introverts don't dislike people, they just need alone time to recharge and are most relaxed when alone.

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How true. I'll have to make a note of that for future use (and no, I won't credit you with being the source).:smileywink:

Being alone, experiencing everything straight on without discussion, is a wonderful experience. Others have said Second Life is a place unmatched for sharing experiences, and I do believe that's true: I've shared some that have moved me very much. It can also be a place to wander alone. AM Radio certainly understood that; all those builds were almost designed for solitude.

[Jo Yardley]

AM radio build some of the best sims I've ever seen and they all seemed like paradise to me.

I'd kill for a little cabin in the woods somewhere.

[Dresden Ceriano]

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Dillon Levenque wrote:

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Melita Magic wrote:

Introverts don't dislike people, they just need alone time to recharge and are most relaxed when alone.

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How true. I'll have to make a note of that for future use (and no, I won't credit you with being the source).:smileywink:

Being alone, experiencing everything straight on without discussion, is a wonderful experience. Others have said Second Life is a place unmatched for sharing experiences, and I do believe that's true: I've shared some that have moved me very much. It can also be a place to wander alone. AM Radio certainly understood that; all those builds were almost designed for solitude.

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Okay so... I'm joining this conversation very late and haven't taken the time to read everything that has been said before.  Speaking only to this post, I find Melita's assertion that, "Introverts don't dislike people", to be a gross generalization.  Some introverts actually do dislike people, as do some extroverts...  I believe it has more to do with the makeup of your own personality that drives how outgoing you are or how easy it is for you to connect with others, not whether you have a fundamental like or dislike of humanity as a whole.

I often find myself fluctuating between wanting to be very social and wanting to close myself off from the world all together.  My like or dislike of people has very little to do with how I feel in that respect... it's all about how I feel at any given moment of time.

I'm sure what I've had to say here was very OT, but I just felt that I had to get it out.

...Dres

[LuciaRiley]

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Tamara Artis wrote:

As a new resident, a person is:

1. faced with tons of stuff to learn
2. broke
3. without a friend
4. often accused of being someone's alt
5. ignored in busy places

 

We need to make them feel welcomed and wanted. And by we, I think of the older residents who are used to point out that they've been here for many years, have seen and bought all and "who are you to tell me anything" attitude. 

In 2 years that i've spent here, what I saw is that vampire families are doing the biggest job. They accept all new residents, give them home, stuff to do, make them feel welcomed, teach them and they really need and appreciate every resident (soul lol) they get to look after. So forming some type of communities like they have would be a good start. 

 

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I've already been accused of being someone's alt, just based off of an opinion I had. rofl

[JoJo Aurelia]

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Koltari wrote:

Shouldn't he be asking the question on this forum?

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I thought the same thing!

I used to help noobs. If I had free time, but this is how it goes:

"Hi, are you new?"

"Yea..."

"Do you need help?"

"you got them lindens?"

"No, I mean we talk about that later."

"want sex?"

"No... Do you want to know how to use your avatar?"

"this sucks, id' kill you on WoW."

"Ok, well, good luck."

"so u don't want to have sex?"