MoiraKathleen

Thanks for posting the link! I've read a lot of the geography related wiki pages over the years, but hadn't come across the volcano page before.

Where were you when you were trying it out? Were you still on the Motown region? I tried mine (the small version) out at my mainland parcel, and didn't get any messages.

I have often thought so, myself. When I'm out driving around I do like to stop and go into stores along my route. I've even made purchases from some of the stores I've discovered this way. Depending on how far I am from a rez zone, though, does make a difference sometimes as to whether I'll actually get out my car and go inside, or, if I'm not sure it's a store I'd be interested in, stay seated in my car and cam in to see what the store is selling.

For the first several years, I mainly just read in the forums. My posting activity level fluctuates a lot, depending on how social I'm feeling and the content/tone of current topics at any given time. Over the years, though, I have learned a lot from reading here - not just in the answers section, but also in the avatar section and the building/scripting sections. In the beginning, the answers section had answers to questions I hadn't even realized I had. I feel like I've been able to get a heads up about upcoming changes like bento, bakes on mesh, skilled gaming areas, EEP, the new linden homes, new mesh bodies and heads, to name just a few categories. There's a few things that I sort of understand - or at least enough to know what they exist and some of the pros and cons - such as LOD settings and levels or complexity numbers. I really enjoy the photo threads and still contribute to a couple of them from time to time. There are so many talented photographers, stylists, home decorators and landscapers here - much more talented and skilled than I am, however, I also am inspired by them and over the years I think I've improved my skills a little bit here and there. Although I don't socialize much, I do like getting some exposure to a larger community and it is exciting to see a fellow forumite inworld at some event! Overall, I think even just reading in the forums has really expanded my overall knowledge about SL way beyond the little circle of it that I've personally experienced.

I did the hunt last night. I didn't find it real difficult - all the locations were there on the Motown region. I took a guess that the hunt item picture was a record, because of the pictures of the records on the swaginator hud. I liked how the records were spinning on the ground The prizes were OK, but I don't do hunts for the prizes particularly. I like hunts that are easy for me to figure out without having to do searches (ones that don't have prizes hidden in walls, etc) and that are fun to do. This hunt met both conditions, so I enjoyed it.

I don't always like builds that some people have on mainland parcels (sometimes including my own neighbors' builds) but I still strongly feel that mainland should be left covenant free in terms of builds and usage of parcels (within TOS). For some of the major private estates, their covenants are not that much more lenient than the Bellisseria covenant. Of the ones I looked at a few days ago, most had restrictions about height of buildings, restrictions about skybox allowable heights, for residential land they had restrictions regarding scripted pets, breedables, or farming; many had limits regarding script usage and number of visitors. Some allowed orbs but not ban lines, some allowed either or both. For those not able to rent or buy an entire homestead or region, mainland might be the only place where one can experiment around with things, have a tall house or a castle, have a farm, not have to remember to be sure to turn off wandering pets before logging out, and so forth, without having to worry about being out of compliance with a land covenant. I don't do wildly outrageous builds or high script usage activities on my mainland parcel, but I do appreciate the freedom of not having to worry about land covenant compliance.

While it's true you can't select to only see friends in the SL browser, you can set the maximum complexity of other avatars to a low number (on the graphics tab in preferences) - you'll still somewhat see them, but as single color 'jelly dolls', if they are over the maximum complexity you choose. It may help keep you from freezing or crashing.

Just saw chat in group that vendor has been fixed! (and sucessfully used it, myself)

I have ALM and shadows (sun + moon and projectors) on all the time.

I'm not sure about the distinction that's trying to be made between group chat and group IM, either, unless by group IM they mean group notices. In the SL viewer, group notices don't appear in the conversations window - they appear in the notifications window.

I don't think it's an "across the board" issue though - I was just able to change my profile pic inworld and have it stick, using the LL viewer and using the Kokua viewer. @Caaliope You didn't specify which viewer you use. I would suggest downloading the current LL viewer (if that's not what you're already using) and try updating your profile photo through the viewer's profile window (Me -> Profile -> Actions -> Upload Photo). If that doesn't work for you, then I would suggest filing a Support ticket with LL about it.

I'm not sure that the profile picture can be updated through the my.secondlife.com webpage anymore. As far as I know, you should be able to update it from the viewer's profile window (at least this works for me in the LL viewer and the Kokua viewer). When you open up the profile window in the viewer, there is an "Actions" button which when you click it, opens a dropdown menu which includes upload photo, change photo and remove photo options. If I recall correctly, there is not a photo upload fee when you use the profile window -> actions -> upload photo option.

I don't see anything that obviously jumps out, but hopefully other people more technically proficient will stop by this thread and have some advice regarding setting adjustments and have some answers to your actual question about what specs to look for in a PC upgrade. There was a recent thread with quite a bit of discussion regarding what to look for in a new PC - it might be worth browsing that while waiting for other people to chime in here on your thread.

As I can't rez anything, I decided to turn on the shared environment for the region where I'm currently renting a parcel, and was able to watch a beautiful aurora borealis...

It's helpful to also see the information from the viewer ("Help" menu -> <viewer name>, click the "copy to clipboard" button and then paste that info here). This allows people here to see the graphic settings the viewer is using and reporting on, and there may be some suggested adjustments that you might be able to make to reduce lag a bit.

Impatiently relaxing as I wait for whatever hiccup that is keeping me from rezzing items is resolved.

I recently moved to a new location, set up a bigger house, and now I have space for an arts room.

It looks like it depends on the role's ability - there is a "Modify environment settings and day cycle" ability in the "Parcel Settings" section. If someone is in a role that does not have that ability, they cannot set the parcel environment setting, only their own personal environment.

It was one of the first places I visited also. I did their tutorial and picked up a free fairy costume. I've rented houses there from time to time over the years. I haven't been there for awhile - I'm glad it's still around.

I think that there have been changes in the forums from when I first started reading the forums in 2014, to this version of the forums (which started in 2017 under Invision), to the current day. Perhaps more importantly I've changed, myself, especially in regards to what I want to see or get out of being a member of a forums community. I did post more often from 2017, with the new version of the forums software, up until a year or two ago. There were times when I really have felt a part of the community here. Then, there were also times when I just stopped reading threads in the General Discussion section - I come to SL, and by extension, the forums, to relax and get away from real life issues and worries. It's not that I'm not concerned or worried about the state of things in real life, it's just that I prefer to focus on those in other areas and times of my life, not necessarily as part of my relaxing and recharging time. Joining communities, making friends, takes a lot of energy for me. After realizing during the Covid shutdown that I was perfectly fine with staying home and being a recluse, I've been working on getting out more, joining communities and making stronger bonds with friends in the real world. I still enjoy reading most sections of the forums, posting pictures from time to time, and sometimes even posting a comment or two. Through the forums, I've learned so much about SL and have been so inspired by what others have shared, and I continue to learn and be inspired.

From what I've been reading here in this thread, it doesn't sound to me like it will be an earth shattering change. As both versions of the Lara body will be included in the upgrade package, for new clothes that might only come in the Lara X rigging, wear the Lara X body, and for existing 5.3 rigged clothes or outfits, wear the 5.3 version of the body. I often switch between Slink Physique (Redux version), Prima Petite, Tonic Fine and Maitreya. Besides having outfits saved which include the clothes and appropriate body, I also have a "base" version of each body saved as an outfit, so switching to a different body is as easy as wearing a different outfit. I also think that it will be awhile before new clothing for the Lara 5.3 version completely dries up, and there will still be an enormous amount of 5.3 version clothes available in stores and the MP. I've tried demos of some of the newer curvier bodies, and those aren't for me. If the Lara X turns out to be too curvy for me, I'll just stay with the 5.3 version, and if I feel the need to purchase new clothes for it, I'll look for creators that still continue to rig for it. Otherwise, I have a lot of existing clothes in my inventory that I can wear. I'm not one who goes out and buys new clothes all the time at events, or only wears an outfit a couple of times.

Happy Rez Day!

It took me a little bit of time to figure out how to decorate one of the ranch homes. I finally settled on the Knotty Pine home, and though I'm not done with all the inside rooms, I'm feeling good about the large main room is shaping up. I'm still working on the exterior, but I'm planning on sticking with a garden shed, vegetable garden, chickens, a cow, some apple trees ... I'll post more pictures as I get remaining decor more finalized.