Impressions of the new user experience ..

[Coffee Pancake]

Needed to do some viewer testing so rolled a new me and went to have a look at the new user experience, here are my thoughts (stock linden viewer) ...

• The gender neutral avatar is .. in need of some love. https://i.imgur.com/hEjVrvP.png - None of this is inspiring least of which being the terrible animations. The starter avatar is the very first impression a brand new user has of their 'digital self' on this platform, it needs to be passable. None of the starter avatars are great and shouldn't have decorative attachments (dog bag, ipad, etc .. there is an expectation on how such held items should behave and look, such as obeying gravity, which SL can't easily do so they look janky)
• Oh dear
• What?!
• The build is nice, well lit, welcoming. 
• The guide book, while informative (and intrusive) is too much like a book. It needs be more tied to an avatar location in the new user experience. Like if I enter the area about editing my avatar, it should show on that page. I think a HUD would have worked better that could point to default UI elements and be more situationally aware.
• A guide book isn't a replacement for a tutorial experience. 
• Needs viewer-world interactions. So when getting a free item, it opens inventory and shows you where it is rather than just some text in chat. A checkbox on this dialog with "Show item in inventory" enabled by default that opens inventory direct to the new item would work (also, the option to "Block Owner" should be disabled for Linden accounts .. accidentally blocking governor linden during the welcome experience is going to undermine the entire adventure!).
• After collecting all the "Newcomer Gifts" I end up with multiple identically named folders .. this isn't great. Either name the folders meaningfully, or dump the goodies in 'Objects', As the default viewer doesn't show folders without content, and this is the default location for stuff after the NUE .. It kinda makes sense to introduce this during the tutorial by putting stuff in it.
• The LOD of the furniture and objects at the bar is overly aggressive, this is a very light region and not on a Li budget, maybe not make the 3rd part of the tutorial path be an introduction to triangle garbage.
• There is a bar and a coffee shop and both appear under used  .. with all the seating that's to come, maybe cut bar and move the coffee, merging it with the seating. Both of these enclaves could be put to better use
• The rest of the space is filled with chairs and places to chat, which feels like filler .. it's fine (although the fire pit could be better).. some are a little large for the scale of the default avatars

 

I appreciate that the new user experience shouldn't be a destination or end in of itself, but this is very spartan. I think the idea to not create a space where users get to try out various aspects of SL is a good one. However ..

Space could be devoted to showing that users can create content and then bring that into the world (just some pictures of objects in blender or MD and then said object rotating in world), show activities that people can participate in (pictures of flying and sailing) and a floaty model of a car, show off linden homes with a few small models of the houses in suite, some SL art pulled from flickr, a home with a few rooms each decorated in a contrasting different style. 

The freebie gift items are cute, but we can surely do better with the animation

Please prevent users logged into NUE locations from getting group invites, no one needs invites to a skin store's group or to be tagged as "xyz's little whatever"

 

 

[Paul Hexem]

The best part about this write up is that it's written as if LL's going to read it or do anything with it.

[Marigold Devin]

Most people skip through these orientation processes anyway, but when I created a new alt a few weeks ago I thought it better than the previous version which was very long-winded and made even learning to fly tedious. 

I agree with you about the fire pit area. I decided my avatar should sit somewhere there and when I clicked to stand found I was stuck on something and had restricted movement. That would have been offputting to a true newbie.

The stupid little dog in the bag might appeal to some, but not to me. I chose the same default avatar as you did, the non-binary. 

Whatever Linden Lab do with the orientation process they certainly need to at least have random supervision of it to prevent creepy alt guys from hitting on would-be newbies. To be hit on by someone with hardcore fetish groups listed in his profile does not faze me but would be very offputting for some newbies and while I knew of course that he was an alt, and making alts isn't disallowed, he should have waited until he was out of the orientation area before adding such groups to his profile - or in fact before hitting on some random girl/woman. How can Linden Lab stop that from happening though?  

Sending people to supposedly newbie-friendly areas after initial orientation is fine, as long as Linden Lab check those newbie-friendly areas are (a) newbie friendly, and (b) still exist.  

36 minutes ago, Paul Hexem said:

The best part about this write up is that it's written as if LL's going to read it or do anything with it.

We need to vent our spleen somewhere, and you just never know. There may be some bod at LL willing to listen and tweak. I think they do, that's why it has changed often over the years.

Edited January 2, 2022 by Marigold Devin
Faze not phase silly girl!

[Quistess Alpha]

1 hour ago, Coffee Pancake said:

The gender neutral avatar is .. in need of some love.

I used their skin for an embarrassingly long time. . . (look closely at the pic I use for these forums) One of the first things I did after 'getting off the boat' about a year and a half ago was trying to mix and match parts from the library avatars (self expression and customization was my primary initial motivation for using secondlife) and even after learning about some freebie places, their skin remained the only feminine skin around without garish makeup.

[LittleMe Jewell]

1 hour ago, Paul Hexem said:

The best part about this write up is that it's written as if LL's going to read it or do anything with it.

New Year positivity

[Coffee Pancake]

Can't hurt to try.

[Lindal Kidd]

That's a thoughtful writeup, Coffee. You might put it in a notecard and send it to Treacle Darlandes for forwarding to LL.  I don't know if LL is still collecting feedback on the Welcome Island version of the New User Experience, but they might be.

[Paul Hexem]

4 hours ago, LittleMe Jewell said:

New Year positivity

I am being positive. I said it was the best thing!

[Lucia Nightfire]

10 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said:

Please prevent users logged into NUE locations from getting group invites, no one needs invites to a skin store's group or to be tagged as "xyz's little whatever"

You've encountered something that has been going on for years and LL has yet to do anything about it.

Have you ever looked at a TPV's radar in the Welcome Island regions and seen avatars that are several days old standing around or sitting hidden in out of place areas?

Those are bots periodically created just to collect user keys and forward them to mailers and/or inviter accounts. Some of them stay in those regions for weeks.

IMO, LL should boot them after # hours.

Some of the invites are to groups that are questionable as well.

[Tama Suki]

Why not create a tutorial area as it is present in many games?
The new account must follow a path that, divided into various sections as they are completed, receives the basic rudiments of the world.
Certainly the new account does not have to be forced to do so and can go out and come back whenever he wants.
I think it might be an interesting idea.

[Marigold Devin]

19 minutes ago, Tama Suki said:

Why not create a tutorial area as it is present in many games?
The new account must follow a path that, divided into various sections as they are completed, receives the basic rudiments of the world.
Certainly the new account does not have to be forced to do so and can go out and come back whenever he wants.
I think it might be an interesting idea.

Shhh it's a sekret but they already do have this, which can be visited at any time. A lot of people rush through it the first time around, but it has been recreated on Linden-owned sims and also in slightly different formats on private-owner's sims. 

 

Edited January 2, 2022 by Marigold Devin

[Tama Suki]

3 minutes ago, Marigold Devin said:

Shhh it's a sekret but they already do have this, which can be visited at any time. A lot of people rush through it the first time around, but it has been recreated on Linden-owned sims and also in slightly different formats on private-owner's sims. 

 

LoL you're right, now you remind me of many years ago when I found myself in one of those areas and I left annoyed after 3 minutes to look for I don't know what but definitely something more fun. 😝

[Profaitchikenz Haiku]

7 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said:

Can't hurt to try.

Do it till it hurts?

 

10 hours ago, Paul Hexem said:

The best part about this write up is that it's written as if LL's going to read it or do anything with it.

We can but hope.

 

The Lindens do read these posts, and I suspect there's a general weathervane reaction o what they-re getting, but in all seriousness, new users aren't going to be immediate spenders. Us loot are the ones who support the economy.

[Marigold Devin]

10 minutes ago, Tama Suki said:

LoL you're right, now you remind me of many years ago when I found myself in one of those areas and I left annoyed after 3 minutes to look for I don't know what but definitely something more fun. 😝

... and yet somehow I find myself logged in and having a look for these places. This bunch are duplicated. (Social Island).

[Profaitchikenz Haiku]

1 hour ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

Some of the invites are to groups that are questionable as well.

But they exist, so there is some interest. I suspect some new users are coming to SecondLiife precisely because of the adult reputation.

[Lucia Nightfire]

2 hours ago, Profaitchikenz Haiku said:

But they exist, so there is some interest. I suspect some new users are coming to SecondLiife precisely because of the adult reputation.

I don't mean adult groups. I mean 4chan inspired groups.

[Tama Suki]

5 hours ago, Lucia Nightfire said:

You've encountered something that has been going on for years and LL has yet to do anything about it.

Have you ever looked at a TPV's radar in the Welcome Island regions and seen avatars that are several days old standing around or sitting hidden in out of place areas?

Those are bots periodically created just to collect user keys and forward them to mailers and/or inviter accounts. Some of them stay in those regions for weeks.

IMO, LL should boot them after # hours.

Some of the invites are to groups that are questionable as well.

Come back from a Welcome Island right now.
I was there for a while and I noticed an avatar who did nothing but look at the profiles of everyone present including mine.
He did nothing but that all the time, looking at everyone's profiles cyclically, without stopping.
Maybe whoever created that bot doesn't know you can know what they're doing by looking at their look at.
Or maybe they don't care.

[Rowan Amore]

7 minutes ago, Tama Suki said:

you can know what they're doing by looking at their look at.

You can't tell anything by their look at except that they are looking.  

[Tama Suki]

The color changes depending on what the avatar is doing.
When it is black it indicates that he has opened a profile and is looking at it.
These are things you learn when you decide to set out on the Bushido route in SL.
Life is a jungle out there honey.

[Silent Mistwalker]

15 hours ago, Marigold Devin said:

We need to vent our spleen somewhere, and you just never know. There may be some bod at LL willing to listen and tweak. I think they do, that's why it has changed often over the years.

Except they can't just jump in there and start tweaking without permission from upper management or project leads.

[Marigold Devin]

1 minute ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Except they can't just jump in there and start tweaking without permission from upper management or project leads.

Obviously.

[Silent Mistwalker]

5 hours ago, Tama Suki said:

Why not create a tutorial area as it is present in many games?
The new account must follow a path that, divided into various sections as they are completed, receives the basic rudiments of the world.
Certainly the new account does not have to be forced to do so and can go out and come back whenever he wants.
I think it might be an interesting idea.

They did. Way back in 2004. Things change over time.

[Rowan Amore]

15 minutes ago, Tama Suki said:

The color changes depending on what the avatar is doing.
When it is black it indicates that he has opened a profile and is looking at it.
These are things you learn when you decide to set out on the Bushido route in SL.
Life is a jungle out there honey.

Nope.

https://wiki.firestormviewer.org/fs_look_at_color_codes?redirect=1

[Silent Mistwalker]

17 minutes ago, Tama Suki said:

The color changes depending on what the avatar is doing.
When it is black it indicates that he has opened a profile and is looking at it.
These are things you learn when you decide to set out on the Bushido route in SL.
Life is a jungle out there honey.

So how do you tell when someone has all lookats disabled? Like I do.

[Rowan Amore]

3 minutes ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

So how do you tell when someone has all lookats disabled? Like I do.

You can't see their target.  I have mine disabled, also.  No one can tell what I'm looking at.