A Positive Brainstorming / Suggestion Box Thread - Ideas for Improving Second Life Sociability, Usability and Retention

[Charlotte Bartlett]

18 hours ago, animats said:

What do you suggest? Is there something like SketchUp that integrates well with SL?

Users should be offered a system with constructive solid geometry, where everything is a solid, like prims, not just a surface, like Blender. SketchUp, FreeCAD, Fusion360, and SolidWorks are like that. Those are good tools for buildings and solid things.

Now, that's terrible for clothing and avatars. Those need a completely different tool set, like Clo/Marvelous Designer/MetaTailor. One that's very clothing-aware and has lots of templates for standard clothing items.

Blender is open source and free.

Perhaps an idea for how LL could help innovate in this area:

Could we create a plug in for Blender that allows SL users a simplistic menu, creation etc.   Perhaps having people like Gaia and Avastar (https://www.avalab.org) consult and have them give advisory and help building (and ensure they are paid handsomely for it).

There is nothing stopping then a library of basic mesh with proper tutorials and guides being created as part of that plug in.  There is nothing to stop LL creating a premium content creator account that gets access to that plug in plus the other features we asked for about 10 years ago for content creators to have "merchant" accounts.   Paying back the cost to develop.

To date there remains next to zero decent documentation and information about really creating quality content (versus what some consumers think is quality which low LI, butchered LODs (to get the low LI with no LOD optimisation) and 50 x 1024 textures because well it "looks good on ultra at 1 meter away".    Any of the good stuff has been from those on the forum who have given so much time to help other users.
 

[Ayashe Ninetails]

The webpage version of the destination guide has "Pets & Animals" as a category and a big list of random places with horseback riding and pet stores and breedables or whatever, and it has "Sports & Hobbies" which has sailing, boating, racing, trains, ball sports, surfing, etc. It's not organized very well and most places outside of the nightclubs, sandboxes, adult venues, and gaming regions will likely be empty.

[Rowan Amore]

There's no possible way to include each and every place that's available for people to go to.  Places come and go on a regular basis, too.  LL does leave it up to residents to suggest place for the guide.  They can't put it in there if they don't know about it.  We can't expect them to assign someone to go around to each and every region, write up a description, take a picture and put it on the guide.  

[Love Zhaoying]

11 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

The webpage version of the destination guide has "Pets & Animals" as a category and a big list of random places with horseback riding and pet stores and breedables or whatever, and it has "Sports & Hobbies" which has sailing, boating, racing, trains, ball sports, surfing, etc. It's not organized very well and most places outside of the nightclubs, sandboxes, adult venues, and gaming regions will likely be empty.

 

2 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

There's no possible way to include each and every place that's available for people to go to.  Places come and go on a regular basis, too.  LL does leave it up to residents to suggest place for the guide.  They can't put it in there if they don't know about it.  We can't expect them to assign someone to go around to each and every region, write up a description, take a picture and put it on the guide.  

I'm not sure if maybe Ayashe was responding to EliseAnne's last post, which was looking for Activities in the Guide? Now it's on a previous page *peeve*!

[Ayashe Ninetails]

1 minute ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I'm not sure if maybe Ayashe was responding to EliseAnne's last post, which was looking for Activities in the Guide? Now it's on a previous page *peeve*!

Yup, I was lazy responding. I didn't see a catch-all Activities category, but definitely some of that stuff spread around into different ones.

[EliseAnne85]

5 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

 

I'm not sure if maybe Ayashe was responding to EliseAnne's last post, which was looking for Activities in the Guide? Now it's on a previous page *peeve*!

No worries, Love.

Yes, I was wondering if there is a category for ACTIVITIES in the *inworld* Destination Guide or maybe even SPORTS or games, some need to be newbie friendly.  Although, newbies start on LL viewer, so does LL viewer have that little tab to the left in their viewer with the short list of destinations?  

Edited February 18, 2023 by EliseAnne85

[Rowan Amore]

[EliseAnne85]

47 minutes ago, Rowan Amore said:

No, that's the webpage.  I'm asking about the mini icon in the viewer itself that opens a DESTINATION GUIDE.  It's in the viewer to the left and it's gray and looks like a tab and then a small DESTINATION GUIDE opens.  I can't go inworld at this time.

I'm asking if the DESTINATIONS GUIDE in the viewer has a category for ACTIVITIES.  Although from what I remember of the viewer DESTINATION GUIDE, it has a newbie friendly category with only a little bit to choose from.

But, never mind.  I don't think anyone understands what I'm asking.

[Love Zhaoying]

11 minutes ago, EliseAnne85 said:

No, that's the webpage.  I'm asking about the mini icon in the viewer itself that opens a DESTINATION GUIDE.  It's in the viewer to the left and it's gray and looks like a tab and then a small DESTINATION GUIDE opens.  I can't go inworld at this time.

I'm asking if the DESTINATIONS GUIDE in the viewer has a category for ACTIVITIES.  Although from what I remember of the viewer DESTINATION GUIDE, it has a newbie friendly category with only a little bit to choose from.

But, never mind.  I don't think anyone understands what I'm asking.

I didn't recall the destination guide had any features or categories! Will have to check it out.

[benchthis]

2 hours ago, EliseAnne85 said:

I can't remember if the DESTINATION GUIDE has a category for ACTIVITIES or not.  I just cannot remember.

  So, playing off her idea, I suggest a category for Activities, boating, horse back riding, whatever (and those that are newbie friendly) go into the DESTINATION GUIDE.  If there already is that, never mind. 

My SL has tended to be home building or hanging at the Shire with the Tinies/Dinkies bunch so I just don't remember much about DESTINATION GUIDE and what categories it has.

Here's the destination list anyone can view does not need a viewer. Not seeing an activities but there is a sports and hobbies, pretty much the entire list is full of different activities. I agree having an activities catagory would drive more traffic if its at top of list. fishing too and building. 

Second Life | Destination Guide - Virtual World Directory

 

Edit: I just caught up. Activities in the simple/filtered directory guide would be nice too. There are lots of activities but not fun to go through all the thumbnails looking for something that would interest me. I'd rather have a list expand from there showing more specific destinations with more information about each destination. Something eye catching, not a little hyperlink that is hidden. 

I used to go to the places that appear populated but after going to a few random places i've learned just because they are populated does not mean the people within are social/friendly/welcoming to all user levels. Being burnt by a few of those makes that filtered list not fun. We've all read reports of negative destination experiences. 

As mentioned earlier, it may appear to some creators/users SL is showing favortism, even though it may not be intentionl. They are allowed to if intentional, but if it's intentional to get more traffic, they will get much more traffic if that big list was easily available and optimized. 

Edited February 18, 2023 by benchthis

[EliseAnne85]

25 minutes ago, benchthis said:

Edit: I just caught up. Activities in the simple/filtered directory guide would be nice too. There are lots of activities but not fun to go through all the thumbnails looking for something that would interest me. I'd rather have a list expand from there showing more specific destinations with more information about each destination. Something eye catching, not a little hyperlink that is hidden. 

Yes, that's what I'm asking/talking about, it's in the viewer in the middle of the screen to the left of the viewer in FS and it opens a mini sampling of DESTINATIONS which look like little thumbnails and has a few categories.  I wasn't speaking about the full list of destinations which is located not in the viewer.  

Yes, that hyperlink is hidden and small.  Could use a better place and be more prominent.  I think there is probably only a sampling there because if it had too much in the viewer, it could be lag intense.  But, the thing is we are speaking about newbies.  And, in that little Destinations Guide in the viewer itself, it does have a category that says NEWCOMER FRIENDLY so that's where newbies mostly would go, I'd think.  However, anyone could put a newcomer game or activity in there (I'm speaking about the Destinations Guide) in the viewer only *not* the web page.   You'd have to ask the devs how many destinations could be opened in the viewer itself and not lag the SL viewer down and the user by inducing too much lag.  

[Love Zhaoying]

4 minutes ago, EliseAnne85 said:

Yes, that's what I'm asking/talking about, it's in the viewer in the middle of the screen to the left of the viewer in FS and it opens a mini sampling of DESTINATIONS which look like little thumbnails and has a few categories.  I wasn't speaking about the full list of destinations which is located not in the viewer.  

Yes, that hyperlink is hidden and small.  Could use a better place and be more prominent.  I think there is probably only a sampling there because if it had too much in the viewer, it could be lag intense.  But, the thing is we are speaking about newbies.  And, in that little Destinations Guide in the viewer itself, it does have a category that says NEWCOMER FRIENDLY so that's where newbies mostly would go, I'd think.  However, anyone could put a newcomer game or activity in there (I'm speaking about the Destinations Guide) in the viewer only *not* the web page.   You'd have to ask the devs how many destinations could be opened in the viewer itself and not lag the SL viewer down and the user by inducing too much lag.  

I guess it's not in the Official Viewer?

 

[Rowan Amore]

1 hour ago, EliseAnne85 said:

No, that's the webpage.  I'm asking about the mini icon in the viewer itself that opens a DESTINATION GUIDE.  It's in the viewer to the left and it's gray and looks like a tab and then a small DESTINATION GUIDE opens.  I can't go inworld at this time.

I'm asking if the DESTINATIONS GUIDE in the viewer has a category for ACTIVITIES.  Although from what I remember of the viewer DESTINATION GUIDE, it has a newbie friendly category with only a little bit to choose from.

But, never mind.  I don't think anyone understands what I'm asking.

Open Search.  Hit Destination Guide highlighted near the bottom.  Same page.  So yes, the guide does have the same things unless you use the abbreviated version.

If I were new, SEARCHING for something, guess I'd use SEARCH.

Edited February 18, 2023 by Rowan Amore

[benchthis]

6 minutes ago, EliseAnne85 said:

You'd have to ask the devs how many destinations could be opened in the viewer itself and not lag the SL viewer down and the user by inducing too much lag.  

It would be just like opening the marketplace from the viewer, usually no lag unless i'm at a crowded region, not sure why the marketplace bogs down internal webpages. But when I open Second Life | Destination Guide - Virtual World Directory in the viewer via the little hyperlink at the bottom of the search tool bar button window no lag. 

[EliseAnne85]

21 minutes ago, benchthis said:

It would be just like opening the marketplace from the viewer, usually no lag unless i'm at a crowded region, not sure why the marketplace bogs down internal webpages. But when I open Second Life | Destination Guide - Virtual World Directory in the viewer via the little hyperlink at the bottom of the search tool bar button window no lag. 

I never used that in search because I was building and I hang out with the Tinies and Dinkies and decorate my homes once in awhile and that's about it besides shopping for sales once in awhile too.  

But, here's a suggestion then...how about getting rid of that little icon on the side then in FS and just have one place to open the Destinations Guide so people get the full scope of things to do?  

Edited February 18, 2023 by EliseAnne85

[Qie Niangao]

4 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I guess it's not in the Official Viewer?

I always clear all toolbar buttons, but restoring them to default locations on the Linden viewer does this:

[MoiraKathleen]

On 2/16/2023 at 8:17 AM, Rowan Amore said:

There is a folder in Firestorm (no idea if the LL viewer has this) where you can put your Favorite destinations (LMs).  I know you can use the top whatever it is but I got rid of most of the toolbars at the top to clean up my UI.  When I hit Alt H, along with teleport history it also shows my Favorites folder LMs.  This feature I use on a daily basis.

 

On 2/16/2023 at 8:44 AM, Love Zhaoying said:

Suggestion: Have a similar feature standard in the official viewer.

The official viewer does have that feature - it's a folder called "My Favorites".

[Love Zhaoying]

37 minutes ago, Qie Niangao said:

I always clear all toolbar buttons, but restoring them to default locations on the Linden viewer does this:

We have toolbar button options in the official viewer? TIL!

[Love Zhaoying]

I want to take break from the Serious, not-so-Serious, Joking, Open-Minded, and Friendly Disagreements in this thread to say..

THANK YOU for keeping it "real, polite, civil, and nice"!

So far, this has been a very "positive", and successful thread!

Edited to add, I found this quote from the "Desiderata" which I had thought of for years.  It seems very appropriate to these threads:

“Speak your truth quietly and clearly; and listen to others, even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.”

Edited February 19, 2023 by Love Zhaoying

[EliseAnne85]

6 hours ago, benchthis said:

It would be just like opening the marketplace from the viewer, usually no lag unless i'm at a crowded region, not sure why the marketplace bogs down internal webpages. But when I open Second Life | Destination Guide - Virtual World Directory in the viewer via the little hyperlink at the bottom of the search tool bar button window no lag. 

Sorry, actually when I spoke of lag possibly increasing I was talking about the other DESTINATION GUIDE that is in the viewer to the left in the middle of the screen on FS and it looks like a tab.  

I am assuming that is a mini version of the big DESTINATION GUIDE on the web page and I was wondering how many could fit in there...you know where the thumbnails are in the viewer itself, and then I got to thinking this is just not worth it because I feel people don't know which DESTINATION GUIDE I'm talking about.  I'm not nor ever have been talking about the DESTINATION GUIDE on the web page - the big one.  I've only ever been talking about the mini version to the left of the viewer screen in the middle on FS.  I was not thinking *one web page* opening would create lag.  That isn't what I was talking about at all.   But, it's gotten to such a frustrating stage of trying to explain myself.  So, never mind.  But, again, I never was thinking one web page would cause lag.

Edited February 19, 2023 by EliseAnne85

[benchthis]

2 hours ago, Qie Niangao said:

I always clear all toolbar buttons, but restoring them to default locations on the Linden viewer does this:

I noticed after the crash today I am now logged into the destination webpage directory when accessing from the sl viewers/search button/ destination hyperlink.

I was excited when I noticed the destination button the other day, but yah the destination toolbar button only opens the thumbnail destination guide. Adding a thumbnail of the destination web guide to the viewers destination thumbnail guide would be most useful and logical. Something like the attached image. I could not get my photo previewer to shrink to the size of the thumbnails but you can kind of see where i'm going with this.

[Rowan Amore]

1 hour ago, EliseAnne85 said:

Sorry, actually when I spoke of lag possibly increasing I was talking about the other DESTINATION GUIDE that is in the viewer to the left in the middle of the screen on FS and it looks like a tab.  

I am assuming that is a mini version of the big DESTINATION GUIDE on the web page and I was wondering how many could fit in there...you know where the thumbnails are in the viewer itself, and then I got to thinking this is just not worth it because I feel people don't know which DESTINATION GUIDE I'm talking about.  I'm not nor ever have been talking about the DESTINATION GUIDE on the web page - the big one.  I've only ever been talking about the mini version to the left of the viewer screen in the middle on FS.  I was not thinking *one web page* opening would create lag.  That isn't what I was talking about at all.   But, it's gotten to such a frustrating stage of trying to explain myself.  So, never mind.  But, again, I never was thinking one web page would cause lag.

Those buttons on the left were one of the first things I got rid of to clean up my UI.  They're kind of redundant as I have access to all those button on the bottom toobar.  But, everyone sets up their viewer differently.

Edited February 19, 2023 by Rowan Amore

[benchthis]

1 hour ago, EliseAnne85 said:

7 hours ago, benchthis said:

It would be just like opening the marketplace from the viewer, usually no lag unless i'm at a crowded region, not sure why the marketplace bogs down internal webpages. But when I open Second Life | Destination Guide - Virtual World Directory in the viewer via the little hyperlink at the bottom of the search tool bar button window no lag. 

Sorry, actually when I spoke of lag possibly increasing I was talking about the other DESTINATION GUIDE that is in the viewer to the left in the middle of the screen on FS and it looks like a tab.  

I am assuming that is a mini version of the big DESTINATION GUIDE on the web page and I was wondering how many could fit in there...you know where the thumbnails are in the viewer itself, and then I got to thinking this is just not worth it because I feel people don't know which DESTINATION GUIDE I'm talking about.  I'm not nor ever have been talking about the DESTINATION GUIDE on the web page - the big one.  I've only ever been talking about the mini version to the left of the viewer screen in the middle on FS.  I was not thinking *one web page* opening would create lag.  That isn't what I was talking about at all.   But, it's gotten to such a frustrating stage of trying to explain myself.  So, never mind.  But, again, I never was thinking one web page would cause lag.

Ohh I understand now. Sounds like FS viewer has option to show all current 332 destination thumbnails at one time. Unsure if they list more than the SL viewer in their destination guide.  

[Silent Mistwalker]

25 minutes ago, benchthis said:

Ohh I understand now. Sounds like FS viewer has option to show all current 332 destination thumbnails at one time. Unsure if they list more than the SL viewer in their destination guide.  

The FS Destination Guide is the same thing as the LL guide. That is where the code comes from, LL. 

[Love Zhaoying]

Suggestion: Add "pose stand" to the default viewer.

I am certain Firestorm as a LOT of things that need to be added to the default viewer.