"People that play Near You" search option In Second life

[Marianne Little]

8 minutes ago, Akane Nacht said:

actually, in over 15 years I've not met one single person who was looking for this. It really depends on where you hang out and what you do. As others have said, if you wanna date people and find a RL partner, put that in your profile. 

I do not think I have seen that in any profile, but lots of versions of the opposite - not interested in RL.

[Persephone Emerald]

1 hour ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Right! So, just as everyone has to do a calculation in RL for GMT +/-, they have to do the same thing for SLT(PDT).

That's not so bad, if you compare PDT to GMT. 

But I think my point was, when you lookup time zones anywhere (on the web, in your computer's clock settings, etc.) the offset is always from GMT.  So again - my point is, if SL were to use GMT instead of SLT/PDT, no additional calculations are needed.  The GMT offset calculation is "standard".

GMT might be a standard concept in the US, but it wouldn't be standard in Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia.

Personally, I prefer SL standard time SLT, since I live in California and SLT is the same as PST.  If California ever gets rid of changing between Standard and Daylight Savings Time, this might get confusing, but as long as the viewers show SLT, scheduling events according to SLT makes sense.

Let's just never use Star Trek Stardates as a standard, ok?

[Akane Nacht]

6 minutes ago, Marianne Little said:

I do not think I have seen that in any profile, but lots of versions of the opposite - not interested in RL.

Same. However if I saw someone stating they want a rl relationship, I would know to avoid. Win win.   

[Akane Nacht]

6 minutes ago, Persephone Emerald said:

GMT might be a standard concept in the US, but it wouldn't be standard in Europe, Asia, Africa, or Australia.

yup it is. *waves from GMT+8*

[Marianne Little]

I do not want this dating option, but if Linden Lab think they can make money of it and/or attract new users - they will act like Linden Lab, and implement it.

I bet LL will think that if some old residents leave, but SL get more new residents, it is profit. Huge fanfare, exiting news, big announcement, SL now let you find RL love, blah, blah, blah.

Linden Lab will think that even if we complain and threaten to leave, most of us will stay. I would grumble over it, but stay.

LL should give the "RL-seekers" a different color for the username and profile, making it really easy to spot them and know who to avoid.

Edited October 3, 2023 by Marianne Little
typo

[Rolig Loon]

48 minutes ago, Akane Nacht said:

On 10/2/2023 at 12:01 AM, Stitch Kealoha said:

It's no secret that a lot of people who play Second Life try to find their significant other,

actually, in over 15 years I've not met one single person who was looking for this. It really depends on where you hang out and what you do. As others have said, if you wanna date people and find a RL partner, put that in your profile. 

I agree completely. I've never known anyone who came to SL looking for a significant other.  I have known several couples in SL who are married in RL, and I do know someone who married a person she met in SL. (Neither of them was here for dating and neither expected to find a significant other, but they belonged to the same in-world group for a few years.) I guess I wouldn't be surprised if there are people who come to find a spouse, but they'd have to be really lucky. This would be a lousy place to look.

[Luna Bliss]

16 minutes ago, Rolig Loon said:

I've never known anyone who came to SL looking for a significant other. 

Same here....it just 'happened'....out of the blue...a lovely 2nd life relationship that blossomed into 1st life.

Of course that doesn't mean it could not happen if one went on a determined search..

Edited October 3, 2023 by Luna Bliss

[Polenth Yue]

5 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

I do not want this dating option, but if Linden Lab think they can make money of it and/or attract new users - they will act like Linden Lab, and implement it.

They're not going to do it because one person wanted it on the forums. There's no sign that this is actually something with a big demand or that it'd encourage people to spend money. Everything points to the opposite being true. But nothing is stopping a resident making a HUD for it.

[BilliJo Aldrin]

On 10/2/2023 at 3:24 AM, Stitch Kealoha said:

Well, you could always just be the guy who keeps real-life information hidden.

However, you're right about other apps. Kippo and Snapchat already have this where you can customize your own avatar and then set up your dating profile. Kippo will ask about interests, BIO, Age, and a lot of other personal information. However, what are the drawbacks to Kippo and Snapchat?  The avatars and homes just suck compared to Second Life.

Kippo avatar - https://gyazo.com/ded961e5df0cca3025c1d16af22dedbe

Kippo Homes - https://gyazo.com/e069da9f2007a2f3e4c922da85ef189f

KippoVERSE - https://gyazo.com/188caab525d668577612f5839dcbb84a

Kippo Dating - https://gyazo.com/60a7e963b21d4b768321ba9d05ba1dae

SnapChat's avatar -https://gyazo.com/5576b2b1be71a66e83ceb70b91ed81d8

SnapChat Dating - https://gyazo.com/ae06dcb09a95a09d3d09e5456e9a3ca2

Second Life could easily dominate the competition with their avatars and Linden homes being more viable, and with a mobile viewer for Second Life on the way. Expanding Second Life toward a dating app along with their virtual world would increase revenue. In addition, Second Life has PLENTY of adult content already. They're tons of players looking for more than just a one-night fling with pose-balls.

What a joke comparing SL to these platforms, They are designed as dating aps. SL is anything BUT a dating app, You wanna meet someone in RL, use a dating app, you want a second life, join Second Life.

[BilliJo Aldrin]

5 hours ago, Marianne Little said:

I do not want this dating option, but if Linden Lab think they can make money of it and/or attract new users - they will act like Linden Lab, and implement it.

I bet LL will think that if some old residents leave, but SL get more new residents, it is profit. Huge fanfare, exiting news, big announcement, SL now let you find RL love, blah, blah, blah.

Linden Lab will think that even if we complain and threaten to leave, most of us will stay. I would grumble over it, but stay.

LL should give the "RL-seekers" a different color for the username and profile, making it really easy to spot them and know who to avoid.

And then all the new guys that joined SL as a dating app will ask you, why did you join second life if you don't want to give out any real life information?

If it happened all I could say is, thanks LL, a whole new category of jerks to put on ignore.

[PheebyKatz]

On 10/2/2023 at 8:02 AM, cariboustag said:

I've consumed far too much true crime content to endorse this idea.

Besides those who have given me their RL info willingly, I have actually managed to sort out who 2 different people are IRL, just based on information freely available. I really don't think many people in my own city would approve of my ability to do this, never mind people I'll never meet IRL because they live a thousand miles away.

I mean, seriously, I wasn't even trying and I found out who they are.

Not that I'd ever tell, but still.

EDIT: Three people. I always forget about the other one because that person's account doesn't exist anymore.

Edited October 4, 2023 by PheebyKatz

[InnerCity Elf]

On 10/2/2023 at 3:36 PM, Love Zhaoying said:

Grindr for (mostly) Gay men.  "Thundr" copied it's name format from Grindr..

I tend to cut this kind of name format users some slack as it may as well not have been conscious or even unconscious copying but people getting to the same fornats due to top level domain unavailabilities and related present day issues  until proven otherwise.

Anyway, on topic, like many above, two of the things I most love about SL related to other people is how easy it is to casually meet people from pretty much anywhere, and SL's "SLness". If I wanted to meet people from around the corner, yes, there are already apps covering that, for lots of intents and purposes.

I don't find the idea generally inconceivable, however, as long as it would be opt-in, and am quite sure that some, perhaps even msny, people would use such a feature, after all, OP would, and if one person would, surely, others, would. My main concern would be privacy, the safety of such RL information and subsequently the users', especially minors', and secondary concerns would be the fogginess of the "mission statement" of SL imcreasing and its "reputation" as not a dating app but a creative space to invent and live a second life for yourself, etc., dwindling, if media would disproportionately focus on the RL matching feature.

Edited October 4, 2023 by InnerCity Elf

[Love Zhaoying]

 There's a song about Grindr referencing the "distance from you" feature, with a joke that the other user is "negative 6 inches away".

[Fear Reaper]

On 10/2/2023 at 9:59 AM, diamond Marchant said:

Going back to the OP, I would like to challenge the assumptions.

1. "a lot of people" do not "play" Second Life. At any given time, the number of people inworld would easily fit into an outdoor sports stadium. Is there any evidence that a significant number of these people are in SL to "try to find their significant other"? Second Life  does not have a specified objective. Anecdotally, we each find our own joy.

2. Linden Lab "makes bank off land" but this has nothing to do with dating.

3. Second Life hardly does "adult marketing". One could argue that it doesn't do any effective marketing. Linden Labs has provided a rating system for regions and has rules concerning adult content, but I assume this is related to legal exposure and minimizing bad press.

1.) They're 42,684 players according to Firestorm right now. That is not an assumption simply fact. However, with this 42,684 players you could say random fact's you're claiming. Or just say Second Life could be full of bots. Regardless end of the day players lack information about the  42,684 currently playing Second Life because of a lack of features for players to interact with other profiles. Make a section players near you section for Second Life, or better yet a "Matching" feature for Second Life. Would greatly get those 42,684 players to interact. 

2.) Linden Lab makes bank-off land and adult sales from creators. Linden Labs have just opted out of the dating scheme for years, and it's baffling why. Linden Labs has made it so players already being able to get married in second life, raise children, and make adult areas. You'd think Linden Labs would just go all in at this point and make something better than Thundr for players to use.

3.) Second Life takes a % of all sales from creators. It's true Linden Labs doesn't create adult content. However, A significant % of deals done in second life involve adult marketing. It's why Linden Labs were basically forced to categorize their land and market sales.  

On 10/2/2023 at 9:58 AM, Rowan Amore said:

That group has nothing to do with people living in Hawaii.  😂

Maui is an island here in Hawaii. That's why Maui's Swinger Resort is literally beach-themed it is a Hawaiian-themed sim.

Edited October 6, 2023 by Stitch Kealoha

[Fear Reaper]

On 10/2/2023 at 12:17 PM, MissSweetViolet said:

1: No, a lot of people come on for socialization or to be horny, I've met very few people seeking a genuine relationship in real life.

2: This is so rude I don't even hardly know what to say except that as an American I love meeting people from other countries and this mindset of yours makes me ashamed to share a country with you.

3: Or just use a freaking dating app, That's what their there for. You basically want to have all the fun stuff of SL then meet that person, can't wait to see the look on your face if it ever happens and that girl you've agreed to meet turns out to be a guy. >.>

1.) It all starts out with "hook-ups" and then the next thing you know you're meeting and hooking up in real life. I've seen it happen in Second Life all the time. Linden Labs should just make the process easier at this point for the players "playing near me search option" or just make a "matching section" in Second Life.

2.) You know I made a comment about this earlier. About Europeans thinking of us Americans. It got deleted. haha

3.) I tried dating apps, and it's just so much harder to find gamers. When I bumped into Kippo I was surprised to see a lot of similarities to Second Life, with the KippoVERSE. And no, I've met a few people over video games it's a process of Voice > Web Cam > Getting to know more about them > THEN MAYBE meeting finally in real life. You don't go out and meet people instantly day one.

[JUSTUS Palianta]

I met a boy in SL he comes to my RL town on a lot of weekends and I drive to his RL town nearly every week.  The last thing I want is to mix my SL & RL up in fact this puts me off getting close to him in SL because I can see where it will go.  

It's actually a very small % of people who are here looking for a RL romance or a hook up.  

[Zalificent Corvinus]

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

Or just say Second Life could be full of bots

Actual Evidence used by SANE people who pay attention to stuff, says otherwise.

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

Regardless end of the day players lack information about the  42,684 currently playing Second Life because of a lack of features for players to interact with other profiles

Profiles contain all the information one needs in SL, which is NOT an RRL dating app.

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

Make a section players near you section for Second Life, or better yet a "Matching" feature for Second Life. Would greatly get those 42,684 players to interact. 

The ONLY interaction anyone would get from ME if they spammed my IM box and saiid "Hi babe, ur in the same county as me, wanna meet at the roadhouse in Arseburg , get drunk and fork?" is a resounding "Oh HELL NO.

Because you keep assuming SL is an RL dating app, you keep assuming we're all here to "hook up in RL", despite the majority of replies to your nonsense saying the EXACT opposite.

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

Linden Labs have just opted out of the dating scheme for years, and it's baffling why.

Because they understand that a) most SecondLifers don't want SL to be a dating app, and b) because they realise there' NO EFFIING MONEY IN IT FOR THEM.

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

Maui is an island here in Hawaii. That's why Maui's Swinger Resort is literally beach-themed it is a Hawaiian-themed sim.

None of which requires that people visiting a "SL swinger Beach" have to actually LIVE in the Hawaiian Islands. Grow up.

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

I tried dating apps, and it's just so much harder to find gamers.

Mot SecondLifers are NOT "Gamers" either. Your search for "Sexy Single Hawaiian Gamer Chicks" is SO OUT OF LUCK.

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

I've met a few people over video games it's a process of Voice > Web Cam > Getting to know more about them > THEN MAYBE meeting finally in real life.

Our surveys show MOST SecondLifers don't use voicespam, won't cam with strangers if at all,  even if they HAVE a webcam which is by no means guaranteed. You're still searching for the wrong thing in the wrong place. You suggestion is still a pile of unpopular drek, no matter how many times you repeat it.

Oh, and SL i NOT a game..

 

[Scylla Rhiadra]

1 hour ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

It all starts out with "hook-ups" and then the next thing you know you're meeting and hooking up in real life. I've seen it happen in Second Life all the time. Linden Labs should just make the process easier at this point for the players "playing near me search option" or just make a "matching section" in Second Life.

I think someone has said this already, but it bears repeating.

One of the things that is in fact most attractive about SL for many -- I'd say a large majority in fact -- of these who are looking for a virtual hookup is precisely that it IS virtual, and relatively anonymous. They like the fact that such relationships are safely distant, without the expectation that they will or should lead to RL, and with few strings attached.

Yes, there certainly are people.who take their SL relationships to RL -- but that is almost always the result of a gradual strengthening of interest, affection, and trust. They pace themselves, rather than diving into the deep end from the outset.

I take it that you see this as "optional," which, fine, so it absolutely should be. But building this kind of affordance into the actual platform itself creates expectations about the nature and function of SL that most are going to find worrisome and onerous.

In fact, I'd argue that nothing would kill SL as a hookup platform faster than raising the stakes and expectations in this way.

[Casidy Silvercloud]

 

Also, again, no, just no. If people want to meet those closer to them, they can always interact with profiles the way they already do by reading them. If the information they want isn't in there, they can do what people do, and ask.

I think someone took a wrong turn on the way to Pismo beach and got off on the wrong exit.

Albaquerky is thata way ------> 

[Fear Reaper]

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

Actual Evidence used by SANE people who pay attention to stuff, says otherwise.

I'll entertain you. To answer your first point YES I have noticed bots in Second Life as well. However, I wouldn't say 43,000 players who play Second Life all are bots. Regardless there's just not enough information or interaction with other accounts so we we simply do not know.

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

Profiles contain all the information one needs in SL, which is NOT an RRL dating app.

 

I'm not saying Second Life should be or shouldn't be a dating app. If you want to keep your personal information secret by all means. However, with all the relationships, and sex Second Life has. Linden Labs being a matchmaker could be a major benefit towards premium memberships and better Linden homes/land. Let's just say you'd be enticed to use your Linden home more.

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

The ONLY interaction anyone would get from ME if they spammed my IM box and saiid "Hi babe, ur in the same county as me, wanna meet at the roadhouse in Arseburg , get drunk and fork?" is a resounding "Oh HELL NO.

 

There's a block in Second Life for harassment and has been for years.

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

Because you keep assuming SL is an RL dating app, you keep assuming we're all here to "hook up in RL", despite the majority of replies to your nonsense saying the EXACT opposite.

 

 

I'm not sure why you think I'm assuming this? I cannot use SL as a dating app, and never can. At least not for right now. Because as I stated in my original post the biggest problem is distance. For example,  in Hawaii, I am a 12-hour difference from Europe and a 6-hour difference from east coast USA time. It's difficult to just talk to the same faces during the week alone, and the only time is weekends. 

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

Because they understand that a) most SecondLifers don't want SL to be a dating app, and b) because they realise there' NO EFFIING MONEY IN IT FOR THEM.

A)I would disagree with most SecondLifers and could easily argue against it with sex furniture, linden homes, and a fancy "marriage box" in your profile.

B)Linden Labs could make money by having a "match-making system" like many other dating apps do already. If you have the premium you get unlimited matches, if you're not premium you get a daily amount like any dating app.

Thundr is doing this already just lacks a near-me feature. 

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

None of which requires that people visiting a "SL swinger Beach" have to actually LIVE in the Hawaiian Islands. Grow up.

No, but you're being given the experience of what is like to be in Maui, Hawaii. Hence they named it that and made the sim for what it is this is why they Call it "Maui's Swinger Resort". Because it's a HAWIAN-themed swinger resort.

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

Mot SecondLifers are NOT "Gamers" either. Your search for "Sexy Single Hawaiian Gamer Chicks" is SO OUT OF LUCK.

True, not many SL players play video games. Another nice feature Second Life profiles need is interests.  Or we can just keep forcing players to use profile picks for that.

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

Our surveys show MOST SecondLifers don't use voicespam, won't cam with strangers if at all,  even if they HAVE a webcam which is by no means guaranteed. You're still searching for the wrong thing in the wrong place. You suggestion is still a pile of unpopular drek, no matter how many times you repeat it.

That is probably true, and I don't blame them. Why would you get on voice or video call with someone who lives on the other side of the world?  They will simply take pictures, and waste your time.

If they were 50 miles away from me. I'd voice and video call because that seems worth my time.

1 hour ago, Zalificent Corvinus said:

 

Oh, and SL i NOT a game..

I use phrases like "game" because Second Life has players, that play their game. Unless you really want me to word it out like this. "online multimedia platform"

46 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

I think someone has said this already, but it bears repeating.

One of the things that is in fact most attractive about SL for many -- I'd say a large majority in fact -- of these who are looking for a virtual hookup is precisely that it IS virtual, and relatively anonymous. They like the fact that such relationships are safely distant, without the expectation that they will or should lead to RL, and with few strings attached.

Yes, there certainly are people.who take their SL relationships to RL -- but that is almost always the result of a gradual strengthening of interest, affection, and trust. They pace themselves, rather than diving into the deep end from the outset.

I take it that you see this as "optional," which, fine, so it absolutely should be. But building this kind of affordance into the actual platform itself creates expectations about the nature and function of SL that most are going to find worrisome and onerous.

In fact, I'd argue that nothing would kill SL as a hookup platform faster than raising the stakes and expectations in this way.

You can still play your SL like that. I'm not saying Linden Labs should force player's information out for a match-making scheme. This would just upset players if anything. Players come to Second Life for a variety of reasons such as education, business, and mainly to meet others. 

However, yes I'm saying this should be completely optional. For players such as myself, I have trouble meeting & talking to people in my time zone so the virtual world seems very empty in Second Life.

As for expectations, I don't get what you mean, and I don't see Second Life having a match-making system harming the game. Only benefiting. 

Edited October 6, 2023 by Stitch Kealoha

[Love Zhaoying]

15 minutes ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

For example,  in Hawaii, I am a 12-hour difference from Europe and a 6-hour difference from east coast USA time.

Yeah, but you get all the rich tourists and retirees. Perfect for "dating".

[Love Zhaoying]

16 minutes ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

As for expectations, I don't get what you mean, and I don't see Second Life having a match-making system harming the game. Only benefiting. 

Harm: sullying Second Life's "pure as the driven snow" reputation.

[Fear Reaper]

47 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Harm: sullying Second Life's "pure as the driven snow" reputation.

I'm sure they're couples with that intention... you can just keep meeting other people who WANT to keep things solely second life.

48 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Yeah, but you get all the rich tourists and retirees. Perfect for "dating".

They can only afford to stay here a week in most cases. When my father came to visit here on the main island he went through 4grand in a week.

Edited October 6, 2023 by Stitch Kealoha

[Randall Ahren]

On 10/1/2023 at 10:01 PM, Stitch Kealoha said:

However, this game has been out for 15+ years, and instead of continuing to meet ONLY people all around the world. Wouldn't it be interesting if there was an option to see who plays Second Life near you?

I think it's a good idea. What's stopping you from implementing it? Lack of belief in the idea? Script up a minimum viable product, distribute it, and see if it becomes popular.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

43 minutes ago, Stitch Kealoha said:

You can still play your SL like that. I'm not saying Linden Labs should force player's information out for a match-making scheme. This would just upset players if anything. Players come to Second Life for a variety of reasons such as education, business, and mainly to meet others. 

However, yes I'm saying this should be completely optional. For players such as myself, I have trouble meeting & talking to people in my time zone so the virtual world seems very empty in Second Life.

As for expectations, I don't get what you mean, and I don't see Second Life having a match-making system harming the game. Only benefiting.

Yes, I do understand that you want this to be optional.

The point is that by building it into the platform, and effectively making it -- as you are clearly implying it should be -- part of the lure for new residents to SL, you are creating an expectation among both existing and new residents who find this appealing that this is "what SL is for."

Consider what happened with the introduction of voice. It too was "optional," but suddenly there was a sizable segment of the residential population who expected voice to be used as a result. We ended up with areas that were designated or in effect mostly for those on voice, and other areas that specifically excluded it. Those who refused to use voice -- especially women -- were accused of "hiding something." You surely must know how often women at clubs get asked by men "do you voice"?

You know that this is going to change the way some people look at the platform, because that can be the only point of building it into the platform. This is an affordance that could easily be built into a resident-operated dating system such as Thundr: the only justification for making it integral to the platform is so that it can be marketed as such, and attract new users who are looking for such a thing. And THAT will change the social dynamic of SL, whether I "opt in" or not.