New Article: "SL's loyal users embrace its decaying software and no-fun imperfections"

[Luna Bliss]

2 minutes ago, Paul Hexem said:

This person makes the word heteronormative come across like an insult.

I don't know that she intended it, but to be heteronormative certainly isn't a good thing:

adjective. het·ero·nor·ma·tive ˌhē-tə-rō-ˈnȯr-mə-tiv. : of, relating to, or based on the attitude that heterosexuality is the only normal and natural expression of sexuality.

[InnerCity Elf]

After reading the sub header, "Inside the multiplayer virtual world of furries, glitchy landscapes, and digital slumlords,", I didn't expect much, and I wasn't disappointed.

But I kept reading, you never know, and, well, now I know I'm a furry or slunlord (need to go shopping ASAP), and live my digital life in a museum-ripe game world, alongside precious few other furry or slumlord fossils, while all the young people are wherever the hip young people are, while I'm stuck in SL due to my hypernostalgia. Or something like that.

The $49 thing was either super sloppy or purposely sensationalist, as right before it mentions Limden$, and there's every reason to use L$ there, too, or to add a US$ price approximation in brackets or something. Can't take that as a serious scientific-y try.

The SL users are nostalgic theme might be a fun theory, but without much weight unless they can show that there's a less museum-y "game" out there that would work as an actual SL substitute. 

Well, it made me nicely sleepy, while I was about to log out of all my online life things for my rl night, so, a good article, on that account. So, excuse me, I'll go dream of sheep, sorry, meant of unblinking furries, hanging out at a glitchy  Burning Man landscape, while slumlords try selling them $49 blink animations. 

Edited May 13 by InnerCity Elf

[Scylla Rhiadra]

8 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I saw a couple phrases while peeking between my fingers that basically implied "SL is degrading". I am going back to see whether there was anything specific.

This had caught my eye earlier:

"..catalyzed by the realization of just how reality-adjacent it is to First Life. This is a truism leveraged more broadly against the platform’s system architect, Linden Lab, than its users, who seem to delight in moments when that system breaks down, from avatars to property, scaffolding new social behaviors atop its fault lines."

I come away NOW, thinking this means we (the users) seem to delight when the "system" of "being reality-adjacent" breaks down; upon initial reading, I thought it meant when the "system" of "Second Life itself" breaks down.   Ms. @Scylla Rhiadra? Teacher? Essplain pwease?

 

*coughs and looks stern*

Surely you mean DR. Rhiadra?

(Ok, fine, it doesn't say Rhiadra on my diploma, and I have no idea where it is anyway, and who really cares in SL anyway?)

Yeah, it's more or less arguing that SL's faults become opportunities for SL's residents to craft new social behaviours that are only possible because things don't work properly sometimes. In other words, the "brokenness" of SL actually empowers us to produce our own culture that is, initially, a response to that brokenness."

A simple example that springs to mind: many of us wear BOM undies even though it's often theoretically unnecessary (because they are hidden under tees or jeans) because we know that there is a lag between when we first TP into a place, and when all our mesh attachments render properly.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

9 minutes ago, Paul Hexem said:

This person makes the word heteronormative come across like an insult.

To amplify a bit what Luna has already said,

heteronormative != heterosexual

The last is a description of a particular flavour of sexuality, and is neither "good" nor "bad."

The former, on the other hand, is a way to describe how a culture can compel an acceptance of heterosexuality as the only legitimate kind of "normal" behaviour, with the implication that everything else (homosexuality and bisexuality) is a transgression, inferior, or in some sense wrong.

So the article isn't dissing heterosexuals. It's dissing a culture that refuses to recognize the equally valid status of other kinds of sexuality.

[CaerolleClaudel]

2 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

A new article about Second Life dropped a few days ago. It's worth a quick read.

There will be lots of (justified) quibbles about this piece; there are a few things it gets wrong, or that it mischaracterizes. It's also written in a rather thick and occasionally annoying Postmodern dialect that will be familiar perhaps to some who do media studies, Queer Theory, and the like. Were I vetting this as an article for publication, I'd want to see the argument tightened up a lot.

tl;dr basic thesis: the things that seem broken, out-of-date, or difficult about SL are, paradoxically,. the things that make it most worthwhile as a site for "queer spaces" -- meaning not necessarily LGBTQ+ oriented, but rather more generally transgressive and even a bit revolutionary. As the platform ages, it's "brokenness" creates more opportunities for imagining a place in which we can carve out for ourselves a virtual existence that is free of the top-down insistence upon conformity that we experience both on other MMO platforms, and in RL.

https://www.documentjournal.com/2024/05/second-life-virtual-world-gamer-furry-identity-world/

The person who wrote this (trad female name but who knows how they ID?) strikes me as what we used to call 'tragically hip,' lol.

Some of what they write is true, such as the cost of land (I only know that from posts I read lately where people were saying they pay $200/mo). However, when they said that SL was antiquated and broken, I thought of very different things than the writer discusses. Their experience is their experience, I suppose, but I disagree with quite a lot criticisms they make. I also disagree that "the latent possibilities of Second Life’s glitchy, weird avatars are likewise clearest in a crowd, where malfunctioning gamespace becomes an interface for posthuman forms of play." Personally, I want the game to work, and I don't see the charm in the of things being so clunky and un-intuitive. Then again, I guess I am not that 'revolutionary or transgressive' lol. I am not sophisticated, I don't think of a broader context for SL—I just want to play Virtual Barbie, go to clubs, and hopefully have some fun.

I do like the way they weave SL in with some interesting theories and philosophic frameworks. I also like their point about privacy in SL ultimately being an illusion even if we do have varying degrees of it depending on where we are. The magazine itself looks interesting, too, I would like to read some other articles at some point.

Thanks, Scylla!

[Love Zhaoying]

2 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Mention of "Luskwood" fits the "time capsule" aspect of the "Lede". This is because "Luskwood" is one of the oldest brands of Furry avatar.  At least originally, they were all-prim, not mesh, and relatively inexpensive.  They are also somewhat cartoonish and very similar to one another.  Some are just head, paws, and tail, with a custom skin and shape.  Minimalist. Low detail. Favored by the G-rated Furry community; therefore an outlier as Furry avatars go.

I think the easiest way to explain it is by comparison:  "Luskwood" Furry avatars are to "most modern" Furry avatars, as Tinies are to modern Mesh avatars.

Also:

I found other editing errors, such as "affect" when "effect" was almost definitely intended (in large glaring font).

I started at one point to wonder if the layout and language was assisted by an AI.

 

@Scylla Rhiadra-

I did find a "mention" of the Luskwood "shrine", I'll have to check if it really changed - her description doesn't include "statues" (rezzed avatars for each "model"): 

"She takes me to her favorite spot in the game, which happens to be in this sim: a gigantic redwood tree, stretching as high as any good skybox. Inside its cavernous undercarriage is a secret shrine to legends of Second Life’s furry community, including the grand architect of Luskwood herself. Photos of various community-builders throughout the years litter the walls. "

[CaerolleClaudel]

2 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

- The fact that when I searched "Furry", the first thing in the article was about Luskwood..says a lot about the article.

- The misinformation is pretty bad, potentially due to sloppy editing. Example: "There is no centralized mesh system for avatars, meaning your second self can be anything you dream of—so long as you have the requisite Linden Dollars (a blinking animation will run you $49)"

  You KNOW that "blinking animation" was not "USD $49". You KNOW it was "L$ 49".

I'm afraid to actually read much of it.  Those two points above were from a quick search for random things.

Also, $1000 for a good furry avi, omg. 🙄

[Love Zhaoying]

OMG this misinformation is SOOO BAD - immediately following the text fro mmy post above:

“Look for the green dots on the map for real active users,” she proffers, a parting gift of Second Life wisdom. “The bots can’t replicate those, at least not yet.” 

This is totally false. Bots still look like normal users on the map. Unless that changed? And even if it "changed", then "at least not yet" is still backwards.

[CaerolleClaudel]

2 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yeah, that particular error -- about the blinking animation -- was one of the first things I caught.

There's absolutely no question this is a flawed piece, but I wouldn't dismiss its central thesis quite so quickly. This is a "thought piece" rather than a journalistic one, and while I agree that some of the errors (and the turgid prose) undercut its credibility, I wouldn't be quite so quick to seize upon individual problems as a indications that its main argument is invalid.

I found it really interesting, the writer brought out a lot of connections that would never have occurred to me, esp since I know zero about the theories and models they discussed. I do love to think about that sort of thing, though. Just too lazy to get into it too deeply lol.

[Love Zhaoying]

2 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I saw a couple phrases while peeking between my fingers that basically implied "SL is degrading". I am going back to see whether there was anything specific.

 

Found one instance: 

"Perhaps as the software of Second Life continues to age and degrade, more pockets of resistance will form"

Like..whut? 

And:

"Second Life could simultaneously be described as an infinite world engine, a terminally online exquisite corpse, a global economic model, an embodied chat board, and a social experiment."

(off the current topic - but the author blames PRIMS for frame-rates LOL)

"Despite major upgrades in 2023, Second Life avatars remain obscenely glitchy, with airbrushed faces and spooky, unblinking eyes."

"The latent possibilities of Second Life’s glitchy, weird avatars "

 

 

[CaerolleClaudel]

2 hours ago, Carolyn Zapedzki said:

If you want to truly critique somewhere then you can't do that based on first impressions. You should spend a good few weeks if not months to get a proper feel for somewhere like SL - Visit all different types of regions. Speak to residents, visit shops,  clubs, charities, visit scenic regions etc etc, I am sure SL offers something for everyone, and if you look hard enough you will find your niche. 

The author did none of that so not a credible appraisal for me.

They actually spoke with someone who still uses the typewriter animation when they talk, lol

[Scylla Rhiadra]

1 minute ago, CaerolleClaudel said:

I found it really interesting, the writer brought out a lot of connections that would never have occurred to me, esp since I know zero about the theories and models they discussed. I do love to think about that sort of thing, though. Just too lazy to get into it too deeply lol.

Yeah. As I predicted in the OP, it's not difficult to go through the article and pick out things it gets wrong. And that's not irrelevant: it suggests an imperfect familiarity with the platform, carelessness, or even just laziness. Additionally, some of those things do have some relevance to the overarching thesis.

All that said, I still find that thesis interesting if, for reasons I briefly laid out above, flawed.

It would be interesting to take that thesis as a kind of starting point for a new article that was better researched, more fully referenced, more coherently laid out, and, most importantly, more nuanced.

[Love Zhaoying]

9 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Surely you mean DR. Rhiadra?

Ok, Ok.."Ms. Dr. Rhiadra"..

10 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yeah, it's more or less arguing that SL's faults become opportunities for SL's residents to craft new social behaviours that are only possible because things don't work properly sometimes. In other words, the "brokenness" of SL actually empowers us to produce our own culture that is, initially, a response to that brokenness."

A simple example that springs to mind: many of us wear BOM undies even though it's often theoretically unnecessary (because they are hidden under tees or jeans) because we know that there is a lag between when we first TP into a place, and when all our mesh attachments render properly.

Ok, but with no "examples" (except how avatars "work")..you're left with the impression that Second Life is "degrading", slowly "breaking down", and she did not provide any examples that resonated with the tone she used in describing the "glitchiness" (I dare say, a somewhat "post-apocalyptic" tone).

She did give the "things not rendering" example, but as regulars know, that's just Second Life. You get used to it (or you don't).  Depending where you go, and your settings, you may not really notice that much.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

2 minutes ago, CaerolleClaudel said:

They actually spoke with someone who still uses the typewriter animation when they talk, lol

I ran across someone the other day who was still using one of those!

[Istelathis]

Their website is pretty fun to browse, it reminds me of the retro paradise the web was, before it became a bland, sterile, copy of every other site out there.  They have a bunch of articles on it

https://alicebucknell.com/

New Mystics is also pretty rich in the retro-goody feelz 

https://www.newmystics.xyz/

 

[Love Zhaoying]

3 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Yeah. As I predicted in the OP, it's not difficult to go through the article and pick out things it gets wrong. And that's not irrelevant: it suggests an imperfect familiarity with the platform, carelessness, or even just laziness. Additionally, some of those things do have some relevance to the overarching thesis.

A lot of "first impressions" of Second Life, cached in colorful language and "anti-game-theory".

I liked the "anti-fun" comments. 

[CaerolleClaudel]

3 hours ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

Agreed.

But I also don't think this is a "critique," in quite the way you mean.

I DO think its argument is undercut by a failure to recognize how SL has evolved, and continues to evolve. And I don't think we live in a "time capsule" to quite the degree it suggests.

Although, to use one example: Luskwood is still a reasonably popular place, isn't it?

They do mention "major upgrades in 2023" but don't describe them, or explain why the writer felt the changes did effect better user/community experiences. actually they did explain, I just spaced on this

Edited May 13 by CaerolleClaudel
I was totally WRONG!!

[Love Zhaoying]

2 minutes ago, Scylla Rhiadra said:

4 minutes ago, CaerolleClaudel said:

They actually spoke with someone who still uses the typewriter animation when they talk, lol

I ran across someone the other day who was still using one of those!

I thought the reference in the article was more to the "typing sound", "clack clack".

[Scylla Rhiadra]

17 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

Ok, Ok.."Ms. Dr. Rhiadra"..

Good boy. You don't have to stay after class to clean the whiteboard.

 

17 minutes ago, Love Zhaoying said:

She did give the "things not rendering" example, but as regulars know, that's just Second Life. You get used to it (or you don't).  Depending where you go, and your settings, you may not really notice that much.

And THAT is precisely her point. We've adapted to it. Our culture has developed partially in response to it.

How often have you experienced someone TPing into a crowded place and apologizing with some variation of "Hi to everyone I haven't greeted yet, but you're all still rezzing"? That's literally a social convention that exists ONLY in SL, because of the flaws in the platform.

Edited May 13 by Scylla Rhiadra

[Love Zhaoying]

So: If the article had been written about the current angst and changes, then of course it would have a different tone. Darker (if possible), more "dystopian", more "evil lurking", etc.

 

[CaerolleClaudel]

2 hours ago, Love Zhaoying said:

I'd have to go there and see.  The absence of people wouldn't "prove" anything though, right? Even back in the day, if you went there at a random time, you may only see a few avatars.

My own experience is mostly of the large Forests. (Not the malls or anything.) And a special place where an example of each avatar is rezzed similar to a shrine in a volcano (like where the statue of all the Avatars are in Avatar: The Last Airbender), as in a secret place to be viewed only by those who know it is there. (If they wrote about THAT, I would be impressed.)

I think a lot of us may recognize the fact Luskwood still exists "at all" is the impressive part.  If they still sell their avatars, even if mostly to "new" Furry users, that's still an indication of success.

 

My limited experience with Furry hangouts was going to a couple places that seemed popular, which turned out to be 'yeet' sites lol (I think that is what that activity is called?).

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Just now, CaerolleClaudel said:

My limited experience with Furry hangouts was going to a couple places that seemed popular, which turned out to be 'yeet' sites lol (I think that is what that activity is called?).

Yiffing?

Yeeting usually means "tossing away"

[Love Zhaoying]

Just now, Scylla Rhiadra said:

How often have you experienced someone TPing into a crowded place and apologizing some variation of "Hi to everyone I haven't greet yet, but you're all still rezzing"? That's literally a social convention that exists ONLY in SL, because of the flaws in the platform.

I can see doing that if you're the Host / Hostess (and it's your shift), or it's a party where you should know a lot of people..

But even during the heyday when I would TP into a popular, maxed-out Furry club, I never would have said, "Hi to everyone I don't see yet".  Because I'd have no reason to think that I missed anyone (when taking it literally).

If I TP'd into a close group of friends (for example, into a Forum Cartel party, as if they'd have me LOL)..I can see recognizing a lot of people, saying hi, then feeling awkward about those I couldn't see yet. But it would still be a somewhat unusual sensation for me to feel awkward about it enough to say something.   Guess I'm not sociable enough!

 

[CaerolleClaudel]

2 hours ago, Ayashe Ninetails said:

I read up until I saw the phrase "ASMR-pilled." Then I started skimming. Then I quit.

I'm a little bored with the whole "lemme write about a game/platform I don't even use!" thing in the gaming industry. It's so obnoxious, and so is the phrase "ASMR-pilled."

That aside, the mention of prims just led me to believe this person has no idea what they're talking about. 

I won't quibble about Luskwood. It'd be like an outsider trying to get a pulse on the vampire community and hitting up Transylvania. I'm not going to expect a complete noob to Second Life to understand the inner workings of how mesh furries are made in 2024 (which would take them not only to several shops on the marketplace, but to human body stores, and good luck explaining all that to their audience).

My take (probably wrong, @Scylla Rhiadra would know—please feel free to correct me!) is that the article is not a game review, but about discussion of broader contexts using SL as the controlling metaphor.

[Scylla Rhiadra]

Just now, Love Zhaoying said:

I can see doing that if you're the Host / Hostess (and it's your shift), or it's a party where you should know a lot of people..

But even during the heyday when I would TP into a popular, maxed-out Furry club, I never would have said, "Hi to everyone I don't see yet".  Because I'd have no reason to think that I missed anyone (when taking it literally).

If I TP'd into a close group of friends (for example, into a Forum Cartel party, as if they'd have me LOL)..I can see recognizing a lot of people, saying hi, then feeling awkward about those I couldn't see yet. But it would still be a somewhat unusual sensation for me to feel awkward about it enough to say something.   Guess I'm not sociable enough!

 

It's pretty common at the social events -- esp. clubbing and gallery openings -- that I attend, but I suppose YMMV!