New Social Island Pops Up in Second Life

[CheriColette]

Corny Joke   maybe

Linden Lab has been harvesting a new crop of ideas to grow a new-and-improved Social Island experience. 

Quote

 

For a limited time, the Second Life community can explore a new experimental version of Social Island, which is a revised welcome area that we hope both new and returning Residents will enjoy.

Based on your feedback, we’ve been harvesting a new crop of ideas to grow a new-and-improved experience. The Second Life development team has planted the seeds for several new experimental features that you’ll only find in this new Social Island preview. This area will continue to grow in the future, but you can get a "sneak peek" now! Highlights include a challenging maize, and a revised region design that we think will yield more organic and natural social interactions.

We do want to emphasize that this is just a kernel of what’s to come, and that some features are still under construction, but we hope that you’ll check it out! 

 

HERE

[Bree Giffen]

I carrot wait to visit this new island.

[Klytyna]

"...yield more organic and natural social interactions..."

 

Is it just me that sees the futility in trying to ARTIFICIALLY encourage "organic and natural" socialising?

Better to build a welcome island that teaches important skills like "don't run before rez" or how to turn "always run" off again after turning it on the the tutorial assault course,  or how to open boxes containing your first non welcome-island-refugee outfit, or what a shoe base and alpha layer are for, how to avoid Spamlines-the-Pyramid-Selling-Scam spam biters, or even...

Teaching people to talk in local chat instead of going straight to IM spamming everyone in proximity order with "hi... how are you... I'm new..."
 

[Whirly Fizzle]

29 minutes ago, Klytyna said:

"...yield more organic and natural social interactions..."

 

Is it just me that sees the futility in trying to ARTIFICIALLY encourage "organic and natural" socialising?

Better to build a welcome island that teaches important skills like "don't run before rez" or how to turn "always run" off again after turning it on the the tutorial assault course,  or how to open boxes containing your first non welcome-island-refugee outfit, or what a shoe base and alpha layer are for, how to avoid Spamlines-the-Pyramid-Selling-Scam spam biters, or even...

Teaching people to talk in local chat instead of going straight to IM spamming everyone in proximity order with "hi... how are you... I'm new..."
 

You didn't go & visit it yet did you 

[Whirly Fizzle]

It's great that the lab are all ears for new ideas.

[Marigold Devin]

4 hours ago, CheriColette said:

Corny Joke   maybe

Linden Lab has been harvesting a new crop of ideas to grow a new-and-improved Social Island experience. 

HERE

Sounds similar to the Help Island sims they had running on a trial basis a few years ago. I thought they were a really good idea, and anyone was welcome, newbie or oldbie. I don't remember hearing any feedback or reason as to why they closed them down - you could access the Help Island sims by a "help" button within the viewer, and be teleported instantly across to one. 

Edited April 3, 2017 by Marigold Devin
it seems trialled is not a real word! I really am losing my command of the English language. Heeelllp meeeee!

[Klytyna]

3 minutes ago, Whirly Fizzle said:

You didn't go & visit it yet did you 

Hell no, I'm sitting here inhaling coffee and medicinal bacon, havn't even looked at the "launch the viewer" button yet.

But I remember the last incarnation, the parrot, and remember seeing some oldie hanging out there chatting up "noob girls" and offering to "teach them cool stuff" which on investigation seemed to be "teach them how to get stuffed with Brand X Lag-Scripted Groin Prim (tm)".

Welcome Island is a time for noobs to be noobs, to poke talking prim parrots, drop free boxes of crap from the tutorial prop spammer onto the clearly marked rez zone and follow instructions on the bit poster behind it, to shout "where is the dont run button" at the universe, last thing they need is old pervs scouting for pixel-ass and cynical types like me muttering "abandon all hope ye who login here"
 

[CheriColette]

6 hours ago, Klytyna said:

..... talking prim parrots
 

I had a weird conversation with that parrot, he was at the new place (if he is the same one/sounds like it). 

And Im pinching your idea of "medicinal bacon" Love that 

[Madelaine McMasters]

3 minutes ago, CheriColette said:

I had a weird conversation with that parrot, he was at the new place (if he is the same one/sounds like it). 

And Im pinching your idea of "medicinal bacon" Love that 

http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2015/01/3-real-medical-conditions-bacon-can-cure

[CheriColette]

ONG Maddi Ive heard it all now,  a "nasal tampon made out of bacon that cured a young girl's bloody nose"  

[Klytyna]

6 hours ago, CheriColette said:

I had a weird conversation with that parrot, he was at the new place (if he is the same one/sounds like it).

And Im pinching your idea of "medicinal bacon" Love that 

 

[KamikazeLenna]

PLEASE SOMEONE TELL LINDEN LABS TO BRING THE OLD SOCIAL ISLANDS BACK!!!!!

WE ALL LOVED THEM

 

 

[Gabriele Graves]

I also miss the Social Islands of the above older design, they had just lovely beaches and there was a great beach-side community on #3 which has all gone now.
 

[CheriColette]

5 hours ago, Gabriele Graves said:

I also miss the Social Islands of the above older design, they had just lovely beaches and there was a great beach-side community on #3 which has all gone now.
 

Thats sad Gabriele and LL said they were listening to feedback and still developing the new site so, hopefully a beach can be included again. 

And what Island doesnt have a beach!

[Gabriele Graves]

On 7/04/2017 at 11:37 AM, CheriColette Resident said:

Thats sad Gabriele and LL said they were listening to feedback and still developing the new site so, hopefully a beach can be included again. 

And what Island doesnt have a beach!

Sadly, it cannot be fixed by just adding a nice beach to these sims.

The whole design is now based around a solo "Experience" where you perform tasks and get rewards to gain proficiency in using SL.
They really are designed to move new residents off to other places once they have gained a basic level of proficiency.
In effect, its purpose is really the same as it was for Orientation Island and really "Social Island" does not describe what they are now.
It isn't really designed for them to come back, mix with older residents and socialise after they have done that.
I believe this was a deliberate design decision on LL's part so that the islands didn't stay full so that new people couldn't start there.
This is understandable but sadly destroyed the most magical part of what was happening there.

The whole set of sims were beautiful with wonderful little touches in each separate area (like an oriental gazebo with rain outside, seats with nice poses in, etc).
The beach area was beautiful and had these lovely tiki huts that gave some (illusion of) privacy, places to sit, a campfire which became the focal point for folks hanging out.
It cannot be understated how important these little touches were for making a really attractive space where people want to hangout.

What I saw there led me to believe it was a very successful formula for retaining a new residents for longer than would often otherwise happen.
The new residents got to mix with older residents immediately, saw what was possible, asked questions, listened to the experiences, histories and stories of others and got to goof around as well.  This is so different and far more personal way of integrating new residents with older ones.
Mentors stood around fielding questions and helping with problems which whilst incredibly valuable too, can sometimes be clinical, aloof and brief as far as interactions are concerned.
The old islands had this as well though if you did just need a answer to a quick question from someone who was specifically there to mentor in that way.

There was generally a buzz about the place which I hadn't seen for a long time at a new resident place.
New residents would form (and break) friendships and as well as deeper relationships there.
They would go to other places, develop their avatar a little bit more, come back along with their own experiences so that they could show, swap stories and information with their new friends.  I saw this pattern repeated many times.  It became a base to keep coming back to without stopping them exploring the rest of SL.
This happened without any of it being artificially induced.
There were no "Socialise Here!" signs or get a reward if you add 5 friends to your friends list for example.

Forming these communities is difficult and destroying them is so easy.
Sadly, once done, you cannot simply undo the damage.

 

Edited April 8, 2017 by Gabriele Graves
Spelling, clarity

[Alwin Alcott]

On 4-4-2017 at 7:15 PM, KamikazeLenna said:

PLEASE SOMEONE TELL LINDEN LABS TO BRING THE OLD SOCIAL ISLANDS BACK!!!!!

WE ALL LOVED THEM

not WE ...

not ALL....

and caps are  UGLY

 

griefing, harrasment...more griefing...more verbal abuse.... nests of bad behaviour

If the steep learning curve for SL didn't scare noobs, the social islands finished the job...