[Question about where to set up my virtual classroom]

Looking forward to it.

[Question about where to set up my virtual classroom]

I can provide you with free land. I have 2 adjacent sims. Come to Cookie and look around there and on Thinkerers Quest to the south. Keep in mind that a virtual classroom can be in the air at an altitude high enough to be practically inaccessible without a landmark. If you want to talk to me, I am thinkerer.melville

I can help you in some building and other aspects of SL. I have a blog: Virtual Outworlding, with general information about virtual worlds and their use in education.  I will not charge for educational land.

[Taxes question due to Second Life]

Since you are filling out a 1099, you are probably paying US taxes. Even if you activity is regarded as a Hobby, you can deduct as expense up to the amount you made. The computer is a capital asset, though, so you must spread the deduction over the life of the computer.

I used to be in business. At that time, the life of a computer was 5 years for tax purposes. There were schedules you could use to spread out the deduction. You need to study the IRS rules or get advice from a tax accountant.

[full sim island for sale, priced to sell at $100; tier due 11/18]

full sim island for sale, priced to sell at $100; tier due 11/18

The island is cleared an leveled.  It  has no permanent contents on it.

Enter reply here -- I should get the email on it. 

[Second Life viewer won't start]

If you are using the standard sl viewer, try Firestorm.  You can get it here:

http://www.firestormviewer.org/

If it still does not work, you can find support help on that page.  That help is better than you will get from Linden Lab.

[What could be causing this?]

This might be caused by a failing router.  The router can work fine for your browser and still fail for SL.  See if you can borrow another router or connect your computer directly to the modem.  Before making that direct connection, be sure your computer's firewall is on.

[Second Life is too expensive!]

Many people do building an other solo work in OpenSim, using Sim-On a Stick or low cost grids.  

http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2013/11/2013-help-opensim-prmer-hypergrid.html

 Firestorm supports export  and import 

http://virtualoutworlding.blogspot.com/2014/01/2014-help-opensim-intergrid-transport.html

[Audio problem how to fix?]

 

Check your bandwidth 

• Google on bandwidth, pick a site near you
• Make a few tests at times that matter to you
• Complain to your service provider if you are not getting what you pay for

Close all programs that you don't need while you are in world.

Use wired connection rather than Wi-Fi

 

 

[WASD Keys not working (and no it's isn't because it's not toggled in Firestorm)]

Fortunately Firestorm will still help you.  

http://www.firestormviewer.org/support/

TKR

[the current state of the art in Video Capture tools]

I don't have good info on capture tools for the MAC, as all my work is on the PC,  If you get good info about capture on the PC, I hope you will post it here so I can update the article. BTW, there are Facebook and Google communities on machinima and video production in virtual worlds.    

[the current state of the art in Video Capture tools]

See this article:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Machinima_(filmmaking)

[question about open grid sims]

 

You can do that in Heterocera, on the road that loops around the atoll.  You can probably do it on any road on any continent.

 

[How to make Animations.]

Thanks very much.  I will review these and probably embed them on my blog unless you tell me that I should not.

[Update Always Crashes!]

I turned off the automatic update.  When I notice there is a new vierwer available, I download it and keep the file till I am ready to restart my PC.  I never try to install the new viewer except immediately after a system reboot.   I have never had an install problem with that practice.   

[VFS is initialized]

 

 

For help from Firestorm, go  to

http://www.firestormviewer.org/support/

TKR

[New friends would be swell. :)]

Look for communities you are interested in --here are some of the big communities:

 

• What do we do in Virtual Worlds? 

 

look for them in search -- search on places or search on groups

[Can't search for adult places? Please help...]

See this article:

 How do I find: friends, places, events in SL? 2012

You have to set maturity in search also

TKR

 

[Errors with the latest update installation]

I turned off the automatic updates shortly after I tried them.  I don't expect to turn them on, ever.  I get good result and no install problems this way (on a PC).

Download and save the setup file.

Do a restart at my conveneniece.

Run the setup file as soon as the new start is completed

TKR

[Errors with the latest update installation]

My practice:

Turn off automatic updates.   

Download  manually.

Restart the computer and install immediately.

This seems to avoide problems

TKR

 

 

[Sudden WIFI Problems that did not happen before]

 

Here is info on diagnosis and treatment o that kind of problem

 

• Login fails? Lots of logouts? Summary 

You may have a failing router.   It can fail on a port not used by the www but used by SL --  so only SL fails.

 

 

 

[A new TOS?]

Don't get too optimisitic-- remember that they can impose a new TOS any day and you will have to accept it to get to your products.  It can include siezure of all your property in the LL database.  See this: 

• The Catch 22 of Linden Lab's new Terms of Service

TM

[Lost Object Taking Up Prim Count]

Also, fly up and look in the sky.  I have had objects rez at altitude.

[Missing IM's whats causing this?]

SL communigation are unreliable, so don't rely on them.  Suggestions:

Send anything important in a notecard.  Copy it into IM if you want.  A little redundancy helps deal with unreliability.

For really important communications, use email.

If it is important, ask for a response.  If you don't  get a response, send it again.   Don't blame the receipient for the failueres of Linden Lab.

[how to divide sims]

Subdivide the land into 2 parcels, named after the places you are running. You will also want to do that for music control and probably other things.

• Parcels: How to subdivide and join parcels 

TKR

 

[Cardboard]

 

A low cost competitor to Occulus Rift.   It positions your smart phone to serve as a viewscreen for the double display of the screen.  There are also lenses to make it work like a stereo viewer.   You can make it yourself (using your own cardboard and the pattern they supply).  Or you can buy a kit for $25.   I assume they also supply an app.

It's simple. Follow Google's instructions and you can fold up some cardboard with your Android smartphone and create your own virtual reality headset. The surprise papercraft package was a hit yesterday at the Google I/O conference.