Is voice now expected as default for SL?

[HeathcliffMontague]

Before you assume I'm anti voice, I'm not. I use it. As one of the available SL tools I might use.

It's just more and more folks seem to assume you have to have it on by default, and you have forgotten somehow if it's off. I never do. Voice is, to me, always off by default. It's just something I might turn on, like maybe for some MC rideouts and stuff like that. 

Part of SL freedom for me it not having to wear a headset, and taking a bit of time to reply (not too much, of course, be considerate). Not having to feel like you're in Zoom or Teams, or in a... well, game (yep, I said it. Just coming from a point where logging into SL should lower your pulse, not going into fight mode). Listening to a playlist or a podcast freely. Not worrying about what anybody else hears.

Yes, I know it's a very old topic, rehashed again and again, but it turns up more and more for me on a regular basis even in places where I sorta wouldn't expect it.

Or is it just a positive sign of more signups that we just have to live with?   

[LittleMe Jewell]

I don't use voice, ever.  To me, it is too much of a break of the SL immersion and makes it cross too much into RL --- I truly don't want to know what everyone really sounds like.

I've not seen any indication that it is expected, but I imagine that is based more on where one hangs out -- and I don't do much hanging out these days.  I'm also not one to 'follow the crowd' either.  If I did land some place where they expected voice, I'd probably just mosey on to the next spot.

Edited February 25, 2023 by LittleMe Jewell

[Alwin Alcott]

my opinion ..."voice is your choice" .. not somebody elses.

[Orwar]

   I don't think it's 'expected as a default' in most places, I even feel as if it's being used less today than a few years ago (used to be you couldn't step into a Greedy den without being met with an avalanche of shrill voices filtered through the cacophony of their kids and dogs tearing their homes down around them). I generally don't voice in local at all, I can do a voice call with individuals or small groups I feel comfortable with, but I'm nowhere near as comfortable speaking English as I am reading and writing it. 

[Conifer Dada]

Apart from trying it out when it was a new feature, I've never used voice and I have it turned off.  I'd say the majority of clubs and other places I visit have voice turned off anyway.

Occasionally I've been to places where there are lots of avatars standing around and chat is empty. My thought is usually that they're either all bots or they're using voice - but when I check I notice that voice is off so presumably they're bots!

[Love Zhaoying]

If bots had sexy voices, we'd all love bots. Literally.

[Orwar]

10 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

If bots had sexy voices, we'd all love bots. Literally.

   Weeeell. Technically it's synthesised based on sampling, but .. Vocaloids?

 

 

[Claireschen Hesten]

As someone whose never bothered with voice. Pre the days of being able to backup my viewer settings, I remember with each viewer update I'd have to go into Prefs and turn off voice and unless I wanted to use it music/media and remove the icons for voice from the bottom of the screen. So I'm fairly sure voice has always been active by default.

[Aethelwine]

1 hour ago, Claireschen Hesten said:

As someone whose never bothered with voice. Pre the days of being able to backup my viewer settings, I remember with each viewer update I'd have to go into Prefs and turn off voice and unless I wanted to use it music/media and remove the icons for voice from the bottom of the screen. So I'm fairly sure voice has always been active by default.

I think I turned voice off within minutes of arriving at an info hub 12 years ago and not had it on or needed to change that setting more than a couple of times since. 

[Nando Yip]

It's enough for me what I have to say in RL every day...
I think I used it between 2009 and 2012, when I had a private island and held events there... after I sold the place, peace reigned again in the silence of the voice turned off, Today I only hear the sound of the landscapes or my playlists personal.

Edited February 25, 2023 by Nando Yip

[Ceka Cianci]

I think in the official viewer, everything is turned on by default when you first log into it for the first time.

 

[Coffee Pancake]

I'm hard of hearing. Voice chat is fine if only one person is speaking, if multiple people are, I have no chance.

I'm not a fan voice chat with strangers on a good day, but SL voice is about the worst voice option going. It can make listening to even a single person difficult.

SL voice is used exclusively for Linden meetings and I do not speak because I have a discord call going at the same time so Kitty can repeat anything I miss hear, which is a lot.

SL voice is garbage.

It's also immersion breaking, destroys roleplay, increases inhibitions, causes people to self censor, has screaming kids, wives, husbands, dogs and eating sounds.

[EliseAnne85]

10 hours ago, HeathcliffMontague said:

Part of SL freedom for me it not having to wear a headset

I don't think it's expected to be on by default but I am assuming your reasoning is that younger generations don't know how to type?  

As far as voice, headsets I'm not fond of because they aren't sanitary because of the difficulty to clean them.  As a matter of fact, I just cleaned mine a couple of months ago, and they are ruined.  I don't even know if I want another pair now!  If they'd build them in a design that detracts bacteria and is easy to clean and comfortable, I will buy again.  But, cleaning them as recommended, ruined them.  

As far as expecting, I don't think so, no.

Edited February 25, 2023 by EliseAnne85

[Ayashe Ninetails]

11 hours ago, HeathcliffMontague said:

Part of SL freedom for me it not having to wear a headset, and taking a bit of time to reply (not too much, of course, be considerate). Not having to feel like you're in Zoom or Teams, or in a... well, game (yep, I said it. Just coming from a point where logging into SL should lower your pulse, not going into fight mode). Listening to a playlist or a podcast freely. Not worrying about what anybody else hears.

I pretty much live in cozy comfy over ear headphones (well okay, it's technically a gaming headset, but I keep the mic permanently detached), so that part I don't mind, but my SL is 100% completely silent. Voice has been disabled forever, no media, and no sound unless someone's begging me to listen to something that had better be damn amazing. I do have some friends who prefer voice chat over text, but they know the chances of getting me to turn off my Spotify playlist or YouTube DJ sets to listen in are extremely slim unless they have something so incredible to say, it's going to top the sick bass drops that have me twerking in my chair and dancing around. In those instances, I just pretend to know what's going on and type random responses and hope for the best. I get yelled at on occasion, but oh well! 😂 

Grrr, dammit Aya turn on voice!

Nope!

 

Aya!! Pay attention! At least listen in!

[Ceka Cianci]

9 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

I pretty much live in cozy comfy over ear headphones (well okay, it's technically a gaming headset, but I keep the mic permanently detached), so that part I don't mind, but my SL is 100% completely silent. Voice has been disabled forever, no media, and no sound unless someone's begging me to listen to something that had better be damn amazing. I do have some friends who prefer voice chat over text, but they know the chances of getting me to turn off my Spotify playlist or YouTube DJ sets to listen in are extremely slim unless they have something so incredible to say, it's going to top the sick bass drops that have me twerking in my chair and dancing around. In those instances, I just pretend to know what's going on and type random responses and hope for the best. I get yelled at on occasion, but oh well! 😂 

Grrr, dammit Aya turn on voice!

Nope!

 

Aya!! Pay attention! At least listen in!

I wish i could wear those.. I've had so many people think it's a hoot to watch me come out of my skin  by how easy it is to scare me..

I swear they used to see how easy it was.. Some would just sneak up and slowly get next to me until I seen them just standing there like they just came out of nowhere..

I can't even think about putting something over my ears, let alone enjoy the reason I would have put them on in the first place.. hehehe

It's a huge reason I could never do VR either.. Now not being able to see plus my ears covered..  I feel like a worm in a fish tank.. hehehe

[Orwar]

2 hours ago, Coffee Pancake said:

[...] has screaming kids, wives, husbands, dogs and eating sounds.

   And lawnmowers. Don't forget the lawnmowers! 

[Ayashe Ninetails]

Just now, Ceka Cianci said:

I wish i could wear those.. I've had so many people think it's a hoot to watch me come out of my skin  by how easy it is to scare me..

I swear they used to see how easy it was.. Some would just sneak up and slowly get next to me until I seen them just standing there like they just came out of nowhere..

I can't even think about putting something over my ears, let alone enjoy the reason I would have put them on in the first place.. hehehe

It's a huge reason I could never do VR either.. Now not being able to see plus my ears covered..  I feel like a worm in a fish tank.. hehehe

Oh I get that. I'm extremely skittish too - to where I'll get chills and freeze in place with my heart racing if I hear the slightest noise or see something move. But I guess I'm just so used to headphones and having music blasting that it's a comforting feeling - so used to them in fact that I haven't used external speakers since I was a kid. I just buy endless pairs of headphones and headsets (I dunno why, but they all freaking break on me - too much twerking I guess LOL, and I do keep them on ALL day).

Over ear are so comfy though omg, like big warm ear muffs, and with deeeeep bass, it's super relaxing. My head feels cold when I don't have them on and I don't like it. 😄That might just be a me thing, though, lol.

Giving up that experience to listen to people ramble over voice - not happening. I will listen to non-music here and there (like livestreams or news or something), but nah, not a fan of hearing people voice chat.

[Nalates Urriah]

6 hours ago, Conifer Dada said:

Apart from trying it out when it was a new feature, I've never used voice and I have it turned off.  I'd say the majority of clubs and other places I visit have voice turned off anyway.

Occasionally I've been to places where there are lots of avatars standing around and chat is empty. My thought is usually that they're either all bots or they're using voice - but when I check I notice that voice is off so presumably they're bots!

No... try talking to those silent people. My thinking is they are either there listening to the club's music and doing something else while only occasionally looking in or they are in IM chat with someone.

I've been in clubs with 50 people that are basically chat-silent. Running 50 bots would be expensive.

Also, if there are a few people in the crowd doing gesture stuff it forces everyone into IM...

 

[Kimmi Zehetbauer]

What cracks me up is the "Voice Verified" think on their profile. I get a giggle out of that.

I usually ignore voice.  One exception if it was friends I know parked someone on a friend's land I'll listen in.  I don't speak due to stuttering too bad and just type.

[HeathcliffMontague]

5 hours ago, Aethelwine said:

I think I turned voice off within minutes of arriving at an info hub 12 years ago and not had it on or needed to change that setting more than a couple of times since. 

Yep, I turned off voice as soon as I knew how to. Not only b/c of the background noise, but b/c way, way TMI in your face. Or ears, as it were.  Sheesh...

[sirhc DeSantis]

Nope. Tried it back in the day when standing in one place got the 'connected..not connected' ad nauseam message. And that was after it was on the beta grid. I don't do talking heads on telly/vids. No way am I going to listen to a bunch of SL mouth breathers and ne'er shut ups.

[Aethelwine]

3 hours ago, Orwar said:

   And lawnmowers. Don't forget the lawnmowers! 

and their television.

[Hysteria Chastity]

Back in the day   when I was part of a nice smallish group  that came in to SL together from a chat forum   it was nice to chat away  etc   

 

Thesedays I don't care for it  as it  is just noise  as everyone  speaks over each other lots of cussing  and ' Attitudes '  anyhoos I prefer to stay on my latest bit of land   & decorate  it   till I get bored  and move on lol

 

[Conifer Dada]

14 hours ago, Nalates Urriah said:

No... try talking to those silent people. My thinking is they are either there listening to the club's music and doing something else while only occasionally looking in or they are in IM chat with someone.

I've been in clubs with 50 people that are basically chat-silent. Running 50 bots would be expensive.

Also, if there are a few people in the crowd doing gesture stuff it forces everyone into IM...

 

There's one particular club that comes to mind. There's usually 30-40 people there, mostly standing at the back in static poses, none of them ever chat or do anything and voice is turned off at that club. The club isn't attached to a mall so there's no great need to artificially increase traffic with bots or alts.  I suppose they might be in IMs or perhaps a group chat.

[belindacarson]

14 hours ago, Kimmi Zehetbauer said:

What cracks me up is the "Voice Verified" think on their profile. I get a giggle out of that.

I usually ignore voice.  One exception if it was friends I know parked someone on a friend's land I'll listen in.  I don't speak due to stuttering too bad and just type.

I love that "voice verified" thing.

It's nobody's business whether you use voice or not, or whoever is at the real life side.  Only two times I would say it is, is if it's leading to a relationship or if it's a "nice man" paying for the attention of a "nice lady"

When you get people wittering on at you to voice, I tell them I am voice verified.

 

My voice is verified that I'm a dude 😎

Edited February 26, 2023 by belindacarson
added words