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

[Love Zhaoying]

4 minutes ago, Fluffy Sharkfin said:

Improve user retention by removing the option to log out, once you catch them never let them go!  

So, traps! Old-School!!

[animats]

On 2/9/2023 at 3:19 PM, Caeruleiae said:

(Web destination guide) a lot of the places on it are gone

Did not know that.

The usual "places are gone" problem is on Marketplace, where you click on the 'See object in world" link and find yourself falling in space because the inworld store is long gone. The web side of SL needs something that automatically validates in-world locations. A parcel ownership change is a strong hint that the store owner should be asked to re-validate their link.

On 2/10/2023 at 9:42 AM, benchthis said:

an additional avatar status signifying availability to chat?

I'd like to see an indication that an avatar has shown recent signs of life. Move, chat, talk, IM, edit, anything. I've suggested that before for the "safe hubs", where the bots too dumb to find their way home pile up. (I just want them seated on waiting room furniture to get them out of the way, not logged out.) It could be something that shows in the "People" window, too. It's more useful than most of the flags shown there now. If you see a bunch of bright green dots on the map, that should mean there are live avatars there. Dim out the ones that are just on standby.

On 2/10/2023 at 9:09 AM, diamond Marchant said:

This is why Bellisseria Community Centers are essentially ruins, that is, structures abandoned by their creators and now only visited by tourists.

That's sad. But not wrong. I've visited many of them, but no one is there, except for special events.

In practice, most of SL is empty except for special events.

Here's a success in that area.

Woodcrest University events board.

If you go there to look at the board, there will usually be others also looking at it. So this gets used. It's a live board. Events happening now are highlighted, and past events disappear, so this is live, useful information. It doesn't go stale. We need more things like this. The city of Paris has similar live boards. This would be a good project for Bellessaria.

[Charlotte Bartlett]

 I would like to have more hobby type things in SL where people can do things together.

An example would be we create plant seeds and you can mix them to create your own plants that take a month or two to grow.  They have to nuture the plants e.g. water, replace soil. weed and your plants will react to things like acidic or alkaline soils and the plant food to create unique plants.   I would be happy to make this as a thing.   But then it would help these types of thing go from solitary hobby to group events for socialisation.

The events each quarter for gardeners to bring their plants and decorate a plot at the SL version of the Chelsea Garden Show.  With prizes e.g. a free month of tier etc judged by the Moles/LL.        

Also a LL guided architecture tour, when users can submit to be in the tour and tickets are sold to join the teleport tour with a group to be shown around the architecture.     At halloween a spooky version etc.

Expanding that to a Tour Guide company who creates tours from nightlife, hiking beautiful areas, sailing etc for people to join the tour.     

People who then attend the tours, or the garden shows tend to then be around other folk who have simliar interests and it acts as a connecting approach for making friends.     People who make friends in SL tend to stay for the relationships they build.

Edited February 11, 2023 by Charlotte Bartlett

[Randall Ahren]

On 2/9/2023 at 3:47 PM, Stephanie Misfit said:

Well it has been mentioned on these forums before, and some people don't like it, but I think the addition of achievements could be great for sociability and retention.

So the first achievement is getting someone on your friends list to give everyone something to do and make them more sociable?  And everyone gets a stipend of one Linden dollar per friend per week to incentivize socialization?

[Akane Nacht]

Free starter plot of land for people to play with and get the hang of things. 

I'm glad they introduced the basic+ or whatever it's called. But it's still a price bar and you need to know how to find yourself a 512 plot, terraform it, etc. Need something even simpler, and free (if only for a while til they're hooked). 

While I do socialise, I also spend a lot of time and L$ on decorating my little park, and I log in more regularly when I have a home.

[pizza7]

my few cents : i do not think sl is ever going to catch the younger ones, on average.

if i think back when i was 20 or so, i would not want to do sl at all, way more interesitng things to do in rl.

now i am retired, time galore, i bought a console too, and generally have a ton of fun.

there is no way sl is going to catch the young people, it is not going to happen , my view.

[Love Zhaoying]

44 minutes ago, pizza7 said:

my few cents : i do not think sl is ever going to catch the younger ones, on average.

if i think back when i was 20 or so, i would not want to do sl at all, way more interesitng things to do in rl.

now i am retired, time galore, i bought a console too, and generally have a ton of fun.

there is no way sl is going to catch the young people, it is not going to happen , my view.

What was your idea or suggestion? Or, are you merely criticizing Second Life and/or someone else's idea?

Please see the original post in this thread.

[Foxx Ghoststar]

Bearing in mind I have an untechnical brain, things that would encourage me to spend more time in SL..

Being able to flip between streaming SL or using the viewer, depending on what I am doing. I would stream if I wanted to attend a big, popular event where I want to see everyone and everything in ultra graphics without crashing or lagging down to unusuable FPS. I hardly ever attend large populated events because I have to basically derender everyone to be able to move and stay online, which makes it almost pointless (for me) to attend. I want to see what everyone looks like, etc. as well as hear music and so on. So for me that would be a great option to stream when needed, and then use the regular viewer to drag around furniture, change clothes etc, when I need to make changes to my environment.

I would also like to be able to take part in some more creative activity in SL, like when I first started and anyone could drag out some prims and learn to build. While I love how beautiful everything looks in SL these days, I am merely a consumer now rather than a contributer. I did try to learn blender once, I made a cup that was 38472847389897392 LI when I brought it inworld and needed it's own server just to rez I think 0.o But I would like more options to create inside SL rather than on separate (complicated, for me) programs, and that allows it to be part of an inworld experience.

 

[benchthis]

On 2/11/2023 at 9:12 AM, Ceka Cianci said:

If they want to retain more new users, they need to concentrate on informing them..Because right now, they just get thrown out there to fend for themselves with no idea what to do..

I was lucky. I was lost and afriad when I started. I was in the winter area wondering in circles and someone nice started talking to me and we started talking about building and the person told me about the ivory tower library of primitives on the natoma region. Second Life was created to build. 

The question I have is why? Why a platform that was created for builders provides most minimal in world starting point resources for builders. 

I've been around for awhile and right now for the life of me I can not remember what the name of the new user experience region that was recently build is called or located on the map. Everything is all over the place. Can be extremely frustrating. 

I guess I would have to go to the top menu and destinations and maybe find it there but if i'm new no way I'd beable to figure that out. That adds layer of frustration. I'd eventually find the map button close my eyes and click a spot. I would likely be socked at the content around where I landed (after exploring). I'd likely be teleported home, only God knows where that would be. That would be another layer of frustration.

Kids from 8-15 would likely remain, find a "group" to hang out with and then be radicalized by them to do God knows what. 

Users 16-17 are busy working in real life mostly and has minimal time to use sl. Borning Ugly and Laggy.

Users 18-21 no time at all for SL Borning Ugly and Laggy.

Users 22-30 probably logged in a few times sees the world as sketchy and a money making farm. Logs out and uninstalls program. and it's Ugly and Laggy.

Users 31-40 most likely to spend money in world,  not initially, the stench of sketchy lingers and after purchasing something and not able to unpack or locate that something, another layer of frustration because... Ugly and Laggy

Users 41+ more patience, more money to spend, more cautious. But with everything else mentioned factored in. 

There is no quality educational resources FOR BUILDING. If users are lucky enough to do the 5 tasks on social island before taking one of the portals. Why isn't there a portal for building??? Something is really bogus. 

Is there a conspiracy to prevent new users from learning how to build in world? It appears so, and what's most shameful is the builders of second life not doing anything about it.  

Thankfully with PBR LL is correcting the "ugly". This is going to save SL and SL can already be laggy if this has a chance to make things more efficient and less laggy its worth the risk. 

If they can make the world seem like all the videos they create fun, social, shopping, housing. Everything is currently in different dimensions. Sounds great but when they show up it's like being in a virutal nightmare for guessing 99.9% of new users. And then the few that have the patience to push through everything finds themselves here wondering who is really in charge of the direction and design of this world? Why is it as horrible as it currently is and has been for a very very very long time. 

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by benchthis

[benchthis]

My suggestion would be to add the build tool shortcut/hammer to one of the tool bars and when that button is pressed if user is not in a building area would provide building locations including building educational resources. If a new person was able to see how neat it is to build a cube. What else can I do with this cube. I can make it hollow? I can path cut it? I can add texture to it? I can scale it? BUT NOOOOOO. New users will have non of that. They will be naked and reported and banned.

We're never going to be able to get fresh talent if the world is dominated by clicky big mesh corporations or guilds. Are they controlling the way new users learn building or lack there of? Kind of wonder sometimes why things are the way they have been. Greed? New builders attempting to learn get attacked and trolled away from the world? I would be scheduling meetings. Unless this is by design.

 

Edited February 12, 2023 by benchthis

[Quistess Alpha]

26 minutes ago, benchthis said:

My suggestion would be to add the build tool shortcut/hammer to one of the tool bars and when that button is pressed if user is not in a building area would provide building locations including building educational resources. If a new person was able to see how neat it is to build a cube. What else can I do with this cube. I can make it hollow? I can path cut it? I can add texture to it? I can scale it? BUT NOOOOOO. New users will have non of that. They will be naked and reported and banned.

We're never going to be able to get fresh talent if the world is dominated by clicky big mesh corporations or guilds. Are they controlling the way new users learn building or lack there of? Kind of wonder sometimes why things are the way they have been. Greed? New builders attempting to learn get attacked and trolled away from the world? I would be scheduling meetings. Unless this is by design.

I don't think finding sandboxes is that big an issue*, but it would be nice if there were a list of/ category for open sandboxes in the in-world destination guide, and if the "you cannot create objects here, the landowner does not allow it" message was more prominent (it appears in the upper right corner, is pretty small and blink and you'll miss it) and had a link to said list.

*It's been a bit since my new-user experience, but I managed to find the ivory tower and such easily enough during my early weeks.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Quistess Alpha

[Love Zhaoying]

2 hours ago, benchthis said:

I was lucky. I was lost and afriad when I started. I was in the winter area wondering in circles and someone nice started talking to me and we started talking about building and the person told me about the ivory tower library of primitives on the natoma region. Second Life was created to build. 

The question I have is why? Why a platform that was created for builders provides most minimal in world starting point resources for builders. 

I've been around for awhile and right now for the life of me I can not remember what the name of the new user experience region that was recently build is called or located on the map. Everything is all over the place. Can be extremely frustrating. 

I guess I would have to go to the top menu and destinations and maybe find it there but if i'm new no way I'd beable to figure that out. That adds layer of frustration. I'd eventually find the map button close my eyes and click a spot. I would likely be socked at the content around where I landed (after exploring). I'd likely be teleported home, only God knows where that would be. That would be another layer of frustration.

Kids from 8-15 would likely remain, find a "group" to hang out with and then be radicalized by them to do God knows what. 

Users 16-17 are busy working in real life mostly and has minimal time to use sl. Borning Ugly and Laggy.

Users 18-21 no time at all for SL Borning Ugly and Laggy.

Users 22-30 probably logged in a few times sees the world as sketchy and a money making farm. Logs out and uninstalls program. and it's Ugly and Laggy.

Users 31-40 most likely to spend money in world,  not initially, the stench of sketchy lingers and after purchasing something and not able to unpack or locate that something, another layer of frustration because... Ugly and Laggy

Users 41+ more patience, more money to spend, more cautious. But with everything else mentioned factored in. 

There is no quality educational resources FOR BUILDING. If users are lucky enough to do the 5 tasks on social island before taking one of the portals. Why isn't there a portal for building??? Something is really bogus. 

Is there a conspiracy to prevent new users from learning how to build in world? It appears so, and what's most shameful is the builders of second life not doing anything about it.  

Thankfully with PBR LL is correcting the "ugly". This is going to save SL and SL can already be laggy if this has a chance to make things more efficient and less laggy its worth the risk. 

If they can make the world seem like all the videos they create fun, social, shopping, housing. Everything is currently in different dimensions. Sounds great but when they show up it's like being in a virutal nightmare for guessing 99.9% of new users. And then the few that have the patience to push through everything finds themselves here wondering who is really in charge of the direction and design of this world? Why is it as horrible as it currently is and has been for a very very very long time. 

 

 

47 minutes ago, Quistess Alpha said:

I don't think finding sandboxes is that big an issue*, but it would be nice if there were a list of/ category for open sandboxes in the in-world destination guide, and if the "you cannot create objects here, the landowner does not allow it" message was more prominent (it appears in the upper right corner, is pretty small and blink and you'll miss it) and had a link to said list.

*It's been a bit since my new-user experience, but I managed to find the ivory tower and such easily enough during my early weeks.

Are non-Premium sandboxes common? Great! If not, there's a suggestion: make them more common.

[benchthis]

45 minutes ago, Quistess Alpha said:

I don't think finding sandboxes is that big an issue*, but it would be nice if there were a list of/ category for open sandboxes in the in-world destination guide, and if the "you cannot create objects here, the landowner does not allow it" message was more prominent (it appears in the upper right corner, is pretty small and blink and you'll miss it) and had a link to said list.

*It's been a bit since my new-user experience, but I managed to find the ivory tower and such easily enough during my early weeks.

Sandboxes are helpful for building but often they are empty with no educational building resources and randomly trolled by people whom claim not to speak english dming the word sex?... For a new person it's kind of hard to find a sandbox too. If they go as a new person to a non official sandbox and get banned that's another layer of frustration.

[benchthis]

17 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Are non-Premium sandboxes common? Great! If not, there's a suggestion: make them more common.

There a cluster of 4 near morris that do not require premium membership and random ones scattered around morris. I would not know that as a new person. There's no building education resources. They are pretty much useless to new people. 

If we can get more new people educated on how the minimal building machine works in world they will then easily be able to change cloths and unpack and place home furnishings. It does not have to be complicated but needs to be most organized. 

Isn't it strange though, they are so intelligent. They appear to care. I don't understand that. If someone could please explain to me why educating users in world is not a priority. Right now there are new users whom specifically came here for 3D building and they are given a less than 1 star hospitality service. This is how you walk and run and fly can't swim.. but don't need to swim because everyone sinks. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by benchthis

[Love Zhaoying]

.....

So, new non-sandbox build areas is your suggestion? With the viewer guiding users to those areas if they attempt to build in a no-build zone?

[Love Zhaoying]

Idea: Buld areas with mentors.

[benchthis]

1 minute ago, Love Zhaoying said:

.....

So, new non-sandbox build areas is your suggestion? With the viewer guiding users to those areas if they attempt to build in a no-build zone?

Would have to be sandbox areas but with ivory tower library of primitives on each or the SLU campus. Sandboxes need educational resources. By pressing the hammer button a list of places providing vetted most efficient building education will pop up, that do not require a group invite to build, as well as a bunch of blank sandbox locations as well. 

[benchthis]

16 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Idea: Buld areas with mentors.

People in building areas are usually helpful, if they are builders. I like the learn at your own pace style of ivory tower library of primitives. Being able to ask for help easily would be helpful. Maybe each area can have a help center where they can type questions and those questions can come here. Who ever has time can help or schedule a time to help. But for the protection of users requesting help from experienced users, would suggest those type of interactions be monitored for negative trends. 

Edited February 12, 2023 by benchthis

[Caeruleiae]

35 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Are non-Premium sandboxes common? Great! If not, there's a suggestion: make them more common.

They are very much so, tons come up in search too. I think there are way more non-premium ones still too. The main problem with them, that I've seen personally anyway, is people tell others that sandboxes are griefer havens, unsafe, bad things happen there and other things like that.

I have found them to be the exact opposite. I've only run into one person I might call a griefer in a sandbox since I joined, and I think he was just a really hyper person, who was testing things out. He might've been a actual griefer, I don't know, I just left and went to another sandbox.

New people do need to be told what a sandbox is, though, and what it can be used for, like building, or changing or opening things. They are one of the easiest things to find, since you're not looking for other people but instead a specific place. 

I do like the idea of at least signage explaining some basic building terms and steps. A building mentor would be nice too, but there are places that can provide that already. Sandboxes having some basic signs would be efficient for those spaces, I think.  Or even signs that have basic steps with notecards in them to explain further or have video tutorial links. It's not like ll can't do this, it would be simple, they have the people, time and skill. So that's a really good idea.

Edited February 12, 2023 by Caeruleiae

[Love Zhaoying]

I wish that all new users were referred automatically to places like the Ivory Tower. Take that as an idea / suggestion.

[Silent Mistwalker]

2 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I wish that all new users were referred automatically to places like the Ivory Tower. Take that as an idea / suggestion.

Or Builder's Brewery.

[Arielle Popstar]

3 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I wish that all new users were referred automatically to places like the Ivory Tower. Take that as an idea / suggestion.

Why? To show new people how things were built in the olden days?

[Love Zhaoying]

55 minutes ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

Or Builder's Brewery.

I never went there, don't recall hearing about it back then.

[benchthis]

3 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I wish that all new users were referred automatically to places like the Ivory Tower. Take that as an idea / suggestion.

This

[benchthis]

1 hour ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

3 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I wish that all new users were referred automatically to places like the Ivory Tower. Take that as an idea / suggestion.

Or Builder's Brewery.

That's a cool place for team building building for sure. Great suggestion. I'm not sure how strict their group is as far as willingness to grow with new people around learning and doing crazy things in the process. Not sure how clicky they are. Cool region/s though, have not been there in awhile, last time last year they were moving things around. Be worth a check out later on see what they are up to.