Do You Use Voice?

[Prokofy Neva]

Re: LL's announcement today.

I personally don't use voice and never even tried voice morphs (which will now get gone anyways). And I see no reason to change this, newfangled device or not.

This isn't because I have a "thing" about not matching my SL and RL personas, but because I just find voice annoying, finicky, unreliable, and intrusive. It often simply doesn't work, period.

In general, I'd rather have the distancing from others which I think is essential for making the construct of virtuality work. If you ever went to a welcome area or infohub and heard the voice-obnoxious, you'd keep it off permanently.

If there is a Linden office hour where they are in voice, or some kind of performance involving voice versus a stream, I will turn it on. But if it is also on a YouTube video somewhere, I'll go over to YouTube rather than fuss with SL's voice.

Once again, I'll repeat as I did on Xitter: the overwhelming majority of my hundreds and hundreds of tenants over many years TURN VOICE OFF on their parcels. They DO NOT want it.

If there is some "statistic" that says otherwise, according to Firestorm's developers, that's nice, but that doesn't tell you what percentage of people USE voice themselves, and what percentage put it on only to hear performances or others speak.

 

[gwynchisholm]

Sometimes, not super often. If im in a place where conversation is already occurring by voice ill start the microphone. But usually i keep SL as kind of a background thing and mostly through text.

You can always turn it off, if you dont want it on. Theres no reason to not have it though for the people who do want it.

[Orwar]

   Very rarely. Sometimes with family whilst we're playing board games, but other than that most voice communication with people in SL that I have is via Discord; it's just more reliable and already has all the bells and whistles you'd want out of a voice com.

   I also just generally avoid voice communication unless I feel it's necessary, 99% of the time I'd rather blow my ears out with music than listening to other people. I like text chat better. 

[Ingrid Ingersoll]

I do. It's a break from typing. 

[AmeliaJ08]

Does anyone have any recording examples of what the morphs sounded like? I always saw them in the viewer and was curious, never really use voice though.

They've been there for a long time so I'm guessing they're not the kind of modern 'AI' voice changers that are now available.

[Caitlin Tobias]

I use voice occasionally, mainly when chatting with friends or helping a new resident in the Welcome Hub who prefers voice over text.
However, it can be challenging since I'm not a native English speaker, and the many accents, including mine, can make  it difficult to follow a conversation.

When exploring or shopping I have voice disabled, and am not interested in listening to chats from random people in public.

[discussionbot]

Nah, Discord voice works great when I need to. 

[Luna Bliss]

Some groups I'm in have voice and text going on at the same time.  Once in awhile I voice with friends.

[Markham Weatherwax]

Once in a while I will turn it on to have a private conversation with a single person. I never use it for groups, only in private chats where I can hear the person no matter where we are standing. It is kind of quirky, works well sometimes, doesn't other times, and it really isn't my thing. Never was.

I like everything in writing, actually. I save my chat logs and can go back when someone says they said something they never did, like a customer, or when I hire someone to do something specific. I am a fast typist so, not an issue for me.

 

[BriannaLovey]

Since Vivox is only built for Windows and MacOS, getting it to work on Linux is more trouble than it is worth. So it hasn't been worth the trouble for me.

Now though, I will probably turn it on to listen to people who do use it if they prefer not to type. I don't like talking on voice myself since I am better at typing and don't want to disrupt those around me IRL.

In general regardless of whether or not you use voice, it is always good to reduce reliance on proprietary dependencies.

Edited August 20 by BriannaLovey

[Katherine Heartsong]

Never.

The disconnect between how Kat is in world and then sounding like Barry White would be too much for anyone to process.

[Love Zhaoying]

4 minutes ago, Katherine Heartsong said:

Never.

The disconnect between how Kat is in world and then sounding like Barry White would be too much for anyone to process.

That's HOT!

[Anastasia Loxingly]

Not in a long while. Every time I decided to switch it on, the people dominating voice are the type that want to be the center of attention, and feel the need to constantly make noise.

Edited August 20 by Anastasia Loxingly

[Love Zhaoying]

I mostly ever used voice with close SL "Family". As far as I remember.

[JUSTUS Palianta]

I don't use voice.  I find people who demand you talk to them on voice to be bossy and egotistical.  I don't really mind if people use it but telling me I have to voice irritates me.  But we use it to listen to the auctioneer on papillon gardening auctions, I'm not sure what will happen this voice provider change is going to make quite a mess of auctions.  

Edited August 20 by JUSTUS Palianta

[HeathcliffMontague]

Very, very occasionally. As a rule, no. Sometimes it may make sense. Had some fun with it on rideouts, but then it was on Discord. It doesn't really add much to SL for me, just background noise. I prefer to just have music on and mic off.

[Rolig Loon]

Every once in a while -- though probably not in the past 5 years or so -- I have turned voice on so I could hear an "important" conversation. I've never used it to speak, though. Nobody usually around me uses voice, so I'm not missing anything. Typed chat gives us all an excuse to slow down and choose our words, too, so we are less likely to say dumb, hurtful things.  

[steeljane42]

Not in SL, no. Not even listening, so the voice and media are all permanently disabled since I've started in 2012. There's a couple of people I keep contact with outside of SL, those have my Discord for that kind of stuff if needed.

[Stephanie Misfit]

When it first came out, I swore I would never use it. I did then try it a couple of times, once with a friend and another at a venue that used voice. It was poor quality, and I did not enjoy listening to a heap of people all talking over the top of each other. I use Discord if I want to voice with friends.

[Cristiano Midnight]

I occasionally use it in SL, but mostly use it in Discord instead. I prefer the quality.

[ananoelle]

I have used voice in SL but prefer discord. 

Some people need voice permissions revoked though. It can have some funny moments, while out trying to fish one day, instead of hearing the sound of the ocean I was fishing to the majestic sound of snoring by someone who was so tired they didnt switch their mic off or logout. The joys. 

[Adorarose Trueheart]

I have used  sl voice over the years more people close to me that grew a connection over time and got to know each over time. Not anti-social, just a bit selective social when it comes to voice being selective who you bring in your world  just decline if its forceful wish them well. But people who are kind say hello have more to say. I may voice but if it gets too weird just decline and say sorry but this is not working.  Part when no growth when the conversation stops kindly walk away. That everyone has the right to their choices to each and their own to typing  , listen to voice , use some other thing , when the connection is more mutual.   Mature minded lingering conversation is  good but some will come off as good but will change so you gotta watch out for that too.  Someone asking for a picture even in your birthday suit right away is a direct hit of no return conversation. I tried discord but just was not for me but what works for people is fine. But when comes to group on discord best to make your own for friends be bit more selective what you follow that some groups  that get out of hand clique just time to leave they make weird  rules who can talk play favs who can not talk  many people leave why many stay in their own zone. I find keeping sl voice but not all the time or using telegrams.

But the whole morph voice only seen singers or someone in role play , or people just want to be themself maybe they feel it suits them that that voice but as long they are honest they don't have to dig in their life but as long they are not forcing things on you.  Anything in a voice that sets valid boundaries does matter if it makes other people mad, just energy earned not just given or hand outs, connection can't even be forced.  Also depends on the place and time if place go to your know the people around the good energy it feels right that you will voice you yes not every were people will some just depends on the mood and place some things in private.  Could be discussion also people free to listen and type or voice and that these place also have anonymous message ball that people ask question or they message the host don't have to say the person name some people are shy but they wanna get the question out there.Play it safe have fun be nice just don't take crap.  

Edited August 21 by Adorarose Trueheart

[Cube Republic]

3 hours ago, Prokofy Neva said:

Re: LL's announcement today.

I just find voice annoying, finicky, unreliable, and intrusive.

 

I'm guessing that's why they're changing it to a reliable service. 

 

I use it all the time with my regular friends.

[Janet Voxel]

I don’t mind it. I find most people don’t use it though, it’s usually feast or famine. Either nobody’s using it or it’s too many people using it. Once you get more than three or four people using it, it sort of becomes noise graffiti.

A couple of people just vibing out can be nice though.

[PJBear Bitey]

I used it once. There was a group exploration event, with vehicles. 

Made me feel old. Because everyone talking sounded old (and I kept trying to figure out just who the heck was talking). Made me feel old because, I suspect, most of the people were around my age so . . . yep, I'm old. Thanks for reminding me voice. 

Also I issues with sound, at times, and I'm not great with hearing every little sound in a room with whoever is talking.