Is voice now expected as default for SL?

[Orwar]

37 minutes ago, Silent Mistwalker said:

I thought they'd already built one?

   Now that is how you get rid of leaves. And the lawn. And the mailbox. And the neighbour's rosebushes. And the cat if it ain't fast enough. 

   I think 'thorough' is the word I'd use. Nodnods.

36 minutes ago, Bree Giffen said:

That way we can see their lips moving. We're going to get more expressive faces and lip movement in the future so might as well highlight it.

   I hope that doesn't mean that the voice-crowd is going to split into the 'backward fake animation voice crowd' and the 'webcam facial expression tracking turned animation live crowd' with that camera tracking animation thingy-mac-whatevers LL were working on. Us texters will be the blingy, flexi-laden system avatars of communication! 

[Ayashe Ninetails]

2 hours ago, Sukubia Scarmon said:

While I do voice, and am not oppossed to it, I rarely do so on SL because for some reason, SL hates me and/or my microphone - so I do my talking on discord instead.

I don't think it's just you. SL voice is so...so...wonky? Janky? All of the above? To be fair, a lot of games with built-in voice chat feel that way to me, too.

Using voice on Discord is a much smoother experience. Mic quality always sounds a lot better, too.

[Arielle Popstar]

On 2/25/2023 at 10:55 AM, Ceka Cianci said:

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

 

From what I have seen, it isn't just the first time but on every subsequent forced update it is turned on again, forcing me to find and disable it. Unlike Firestorm as an example where once I turned it off, it stays off even after updating it. The lab with the "official viewer" seems unable to figure out how to make the setting persist, perhaps leading the OP to wonder if it is the expected default.

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

On 2/25/2023 at 12:53 AM, HeathcliffMontague said:

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

Depends where you go really. I like chat hubs personally. I type enough at work.  But there are places where "voicing" is is not done at all. 

[Love Zhaoying]

If someone is hot, I'd hope they use voice to validate my Alpha status.

Because hot people love talking to Alphas.

 

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

4 minutes ago, Ingrid Ingersoll said:

Depends where you go really. I like chat hubs personally. But I'm not an rp'er and  I type enough at work.  I'd say the majority of places are no voice. Maybe i don't get out enough.

 

[SpiritSparrow Skydancer]

On 2/25/2023 at 12:53 AM, HeathcliffMontague said:

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?   

Some people are deaf .. it is sorta snobbish to expect everyone to use voice.

[Drake1 Nightfire]

5 hours ago, Luna Bliss said:

But Drake, I HATE voice....let me say it again...I effing HATE it and I want to rant.

Every time I encounter people using voice they ignore the texters...they totally dominate the conversation.

I hate voice in SL.

I try extremely hard to converse with the typers in a group as well as voice people. Why kills me is when someone falls asleep with their mic on.. I really dont need to hear your snoring and sleep noises..

2 hours ago, EliseAnne85 said:

People do look to date here though and some even to take real life.  

I was just thinking out loud the other day that voice *would* be fun *if* we could talk to people in our own local area.  If I were looking to date, that would be a cool feature to somehow have area codes.  However, what I'm saying sounds futuristic.  SL voice, as it is, is a dinosaur.  

SL, to me, is a 3D virtual chat room and a building platform, at it's core.  Though much of the building is offline now.

You can, find a sim or group that caters to your RL area. I was in one that was just people from the Boston area. It was fun, but got boring as we all talked about the same news, weather and goings on. I would much rather talk with people from around the world and hear about their news and country. 

If i want a date, i will hit the local pub. 

[Chery Amore]

I rarely voice in sl and personally prefer text chat. My reason is anxiety, and possibly more or something undiagnosed. I do know sudden sounds can bother me and it's discombobulating when there is a lot of input coming in. I can barely handle two IM's much less voice, music and open text chat added on top. 
I do voice on discord (yes because sl voice is janky) or in games I play but even then it's usually only for so many hours and with a limited number of people before I'm just done and need an ear rest break. The more people involved in the chat the quicker I need to detach.
I don't like the us verses them mentality. Everyone has their reasons or preferences for voice and beyond and I just leave it at that. I can accept what you like but I don't have to engage. I can only build relationships if there is some common ground to build from.

I don't know if voice is becoming the expected default though.. I see lots of places with voice off and if it has anything appealing to me I'll note it to go back to in the future. Gotta support those places that cater to your preferences even if it's just through interest and traffic before they die out.

[belindacarson]

self edited due to the sensitive little "dahlings" on here oO

Edited February 27, 2023 by belindacarson

[Scylla Rhiadra]

3 hours ago, belindacarson said:

self edited due to the sensitive little "dahlings" on here oO

Awwwww. Poop.

I adore your comments . . . dahling!

[EliseAnne85]

3 hours ago, belindacarson said:

self edited due to the sensitive little "dahlings" on here oO

You edited out your post because you know it isn't true that just because one may not like voice and has an avatar of a female here on the SL forum, they are a guy.  

That's not true and you know it.  People know how to get what they want in SL and they usually take it beyond voice to web cam but I don't engage in any of that.  I've been building mostly for the past 10 years or so.  Voice to me may be necessary if I wanted a SL relationship but I don't.  SL relationships are very demanding and I've found myself thinking about building and missing building when I was in an SL relationship.  It is difficult to do both, no impossible really.  

Pretty soon I feel I'm going to hear you are a guy because women can't build.  Oh yes they can.  

Edited February 28, 2023 by EliseAnne85

[Ardy Lay]

I tried voice in SL.  I heard things I never want to hear again.

Now I only enable voice under controlled conditions.

[Coffee Pancake]

51 minutes ago, Ardy Lay said:

I tried voice in SL.  I heard things I never want to hear again.

I had my fill of random strangers talking in voice after There.com added it .. you would get guys showing up to dance parties reading hardcore erotic fiction involving minors, and because there was no log, unless it happened when staff were present, nothing happened.

[Kalegthepsionicist]

@HeathcliffMontaguesome use voice because have problem with vision,

also prople that suffer parkinson cannot write well. fyi

[Maitimo]

2 hours ago, Kalegthepsionicist said:

@HeathcliffMontaguesome use voice because have problem with vision,

also prople that suffer parkinson cannot write well. fyi

Those people are by no means the majority of SL users, or even the majority of voice users.  Voice has its place for people who cannot read or type easily. I've lost count of the number of times people have suggested that I use voice, because I have only one hand to type with. But even with this disability, I would still rather type than use voice. For all of the reasons already stated in other posts above.

 

[SorachaNicEoghain]

4 hours ago, Kalegthepsionicist said:

@HeathcliffMontaguesome use voice because have problem with vision,

also prople that suffer parkinson cannot write well. fyi

Sometimes if I think that the person is stuck in multiple ims, I request voice because I get bored waiting for a reply but also feel rude just teleporting away 😄. My time is limited and valuable....to me. Lol If they don't want to voice i ask them why they teleported me if they didn't want to hang out? Usually this type of person is alt tabbed or in many different conversations. If I value the relationship, I'll say nothing and treat them with the same respect and catch up with all my friends who are online and also message my rl friends and log into discord for  the time I have before I have to get back to work. At least then my avi is physically present 😜

[EliseAnne85]

23 hours ago, belindacarson said:

I love it.

 

I've nothing to hide 😂

You assume people female avatars who don't use voice are a man if they don't like it, or let's say use it.  That's like calling me a liar and not appreciated one bit because I am a woman.  I think you need to drop your stereotypes and grow out of your tiny box you have boxed yourself into to because it's disrespectful.  I am NOT a man period.

 

Edited February 28, 2023 by EliseAnne85

[Lewis Luminos]

I never use voice in SL and I don't feel like it's expected or even encouraged except in limited places and amongst limited (mostly much younger) groups of users. Oh and also those guys who insist on "voice verification" to make sure that the person they want to pixel-bump with isn't going to accidentally "make them gay".

On that topic, good luck trying that with me. After hearing my voice you'd still be none the wiser. 

[Amberyl Ethaniel]

I don't mind a quick verify that I am a woman in real life, but I won't chat. It ruins my immersion.

[Katherine Heartsong]

22 minutes ago, Amberyl Ethaniel said:

I don't mind a quick verify that I am a woman in real life, but I won't chat. It ruins my immersion.

You would not need to do this at all if the many guys playing female in SL were more honest about it.

And I used the word playing deliberately, as some of us are women in SL not playing at it for pervy kicks and giggles.

PS. I have a really nice tenor voice, but don't ever voice cause it does not match the avatar.

Edited February 28, 2023 by Katherine Heartsong

[Ayashe Ninetails]

Voice doesn't verify anything anyway - except that the person fixated on such things isn't really worth talking to in the first place.

[Amberyl Ethaniel]

21 minutes ago, Katherine Heartsong said:

You would not need to do this at all if the many guys playing female in SL were more honest about it.

And I used the word playing deliberately, as some of us are women in SL not playing at it for pervy kicks and giggles.

PS. I have a really nice tenor voice, but don't ever voice cause it does not match the avatar.

Yep, totally true, some guys are SUPER worried about the woman they are interested in really being a guy IRL..so I guess if i had to I would but haven't been tempted to ERP in years so there's that..

[Amberyl Ethaniel]

14 minutes ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

Voice doesn't verify anything anyway - except that the person fixated on such things isn't really worth talking to in the first place.

Hmm, depends.I get where guys don't want to be deceived when it comes to ERP in SL but I haven't done that in years and haven't been tempted lately so..

[Katherine Heartsong]

11 minutes ago, Amberyl Ethaniel said:

Hmm, depends.I get where guys don't want to be deceived when it comes to ERP in SL but I haven't done that in years and haven't been tempted lately so..

And that's one of the funny things I've found and even now have in my profile ...

Those specific guys don't like being lied to (deceived), but also don't like being told the truth. They can't have it both ways.

Ahem ... "Grog must have only real girl to **** *** to!"  🤣

Edited February 28, 2023 by Katherine Heartsong