Derek Torvalar

LaskyaClaren wrote: Madelaine McMasters wrote: LaskyaClaren wrote: The point, though, has less to do with the research outcome, which is probably fairly useless, and more to do with the ethics of this kind of research. This one involved not merely deception, but also outright manipulation of its subjects -- all without so much as a notification or request for consent. Google has been doing this to your search results for ages. We've discussed it. They know what you like, so they return results you'll like. This is how they keep you using Google. So your world view gets colored by glasses you don't even know you're wearing. But I suppose this has always been the case. Maddy wears slightly rose-tinted glasses in SL and their metaphorical equivalent in RL. I'm sure I don't know how much of that tint is of my own choosing, and how much is an unwitting response to manipulations by the world around me. What's changing is that those external manipulations are increasingly being narrowcast. In the past they were largely broadcast. I might chose a favorite news network, religion, political party, etc, which broadcasts messages I like. But they're not particularly aware of me, and so I receive the "average" message. Now, algorithms can watch my online (and increasingly offlne) behavior and taylor the messages specifically to me. This allows such sophisticated and covert manipulation. When the Democratic party twists the truth in a campaign ad, someone will call them out. If Google decides to give my search results a liberal spin, who's going to catch that? I can (when I'm in a particularly nefarious mood) imagine a world in which the algorithms herd us like border collies. (Have you ever attended a party at the home of a border collie owner? It's an amusing experience.) Yeah, the filter bubble is pretty old news, I guess. What makes this a bit different, though, is that this is no longer just about analyzing and responding to what we write by feeding us filtered information that we will supposedly "like." It's about actually changing what we write. Now, it's probably true that the underlying, unspoken point of filtering algorithms is to impact upon our state of mind and emotion, but I've never seen an experiment involving quite this degree of social engineering before. The other aspect that really bothers me about this is the uncritical participation of academics. Academics working hand-in-hand with the corporate world, governments, or the military is also not new news, but we have research ethics guidelines for a reason, and this study completely flouts their spirit, if not the letter. I really want to see these researchers nailed for this one -- and maybe the REB that okayed the study in the first place as well. ETA: Is this participation of these academic researchers a sign of the increasing corporatization of the academy? Insofar as research funding is increasingly coming from corporations, and not from arms-length government agencies, yes, I think it is. http://www.telegraph.co.uk/technology/facebook/10932534/Facebook-conducted-secret-psychology-experiment-on-users-emotions.html "The lead scientist, Adam Kramer, said in an interview when he joined Facebook in March 2012 that he took the job because 'Facebook data constitutes the largest field study in the history of the world.' " http://www.pnas.org/content/111/24/8788.full Adam D. I. Kramer a,1, Jamie E. Guillory b, and Jeffrey T. Hancock c,d Author Affiliations aCore Data Science Team, Facebook, Inc., Menlo Park, CA 94025; bCenter for Tobacco Control Research and Education, University of California, San Francisco, CA 94143; and Departments of cCommunication and dInformation Science, Cornell University, Ithaca, NY 14853 Edited by Susan T. Fiske, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ, and approved March 25, 2014 (received for review October 23, 2013) http://www.pnas.org/site/authors/fees.xhtml 'You would be surprised at the tripe that passes for meaningful research' Or not. Anyone can pay to have their garbage published, especially online.

Syo Emerald wrote: If facebook was only half as sexy as the borg queen... and the borg were far more effective and intelligent than whatever facebook does from time to time. Alice is a sexy beast in any role. ;-P

"We are the FaceBorg. Your biological and technological distinctiveness will be added to our own. Your culture will adapt to service us. Resistance is futile."

Dresden Ceriano wrote: Suspiria Finucane wrote: I was curious if you can say whether the brand Second Life will be on the new product and the old SL would be something like SL classic or SL legacy? While I probably wouldn't piss on you if you were on fire, ... ...Dres Yes! ROFLMAO! [sorry Dres, not that what the rest of what you had to say was not noteworthy but I mean this, this was just a classic. ;-) ]

LaskyaClaren wrote: Phoebe Avro wrote: I predicted Rod leaving LL two months before he did on these very forums^^ I would not be surprised if the current CEO gets booted within the same time frame Is there a point to this utterly crass and obnoxious comment, beyond demonstrating beyond a shadow of a doubt that you are completely insensitive? Do people come into your place of employment, talk about you in the third person while you are there, and predict that you'll soon be out of a job? Good god, people . . . I think she is saying she wants to put a fiver on August. ;-) PS I put a C-note on October.

LaskyaClaren wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: Pamela Galli wrote: colleen Criss wrote: I trust him. After all we could have just woke up and tried to log in and see SL gone. We haven't. It could be the day before the new platform and we could be reading a press release and scratching our heads. He is certainly damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Instead of beating and bashing and rehashing what IS wrong with SL1 , lets take a constructive step towards SL2 and create dialogue that helps that move forward. He is HERE and talking , lets listen at least. Amen. From what I have seen, you could not dream up a better CEO than the one we are fortunate to have now. All the crankiness -- that's just the SL public that every merchant or club owner etc. deals with on a regular basis. "Remember the masses man! If you do not they will catch up with you and trample you to death!" Harry Belafonte "Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela." You know, Derek . . . you and your multi-masked friend have spent an awful lot of time bitching that Ebbe (and LL in general) don't communicate enough with residents. The latter personage has, in particular, been shouting "I told you so" about the fact that Ebbe hasn't been here recently, talking to residents. And now, when he is here, actually providing real answers for questions, you both do your absolute best to scare him away by being rude and abusive. Is this an attempt to produce a self-fulfilling prophecy? You know Lasky, I am curious why you responded to this post addressed to Pam rather than the one I addressed to Ebbe? I found Pam's remark about 'just the SL Public' somewhat disconcerting and condescending, hence my reply to her. You may have the most wonderful content the imagination can conjure but if the masses aren't there to enjoy it, and pay the freight, does it really matter? As to the reality of Ebbe's answers, well I am not as easily impressed as others. I have seen damage control before. I would hope that a CEO would have more mettle than to be skeered away by yours truly. Is it your impression that Ebbe is that insecure? I wonder why? But you are right, he is here. Finally.

Pamela Galli wrote: colleen Criss wrote: I trust him. After all we could have just woke up and tried to log in and see SL gone. We haven't. It could be the day before the new platform and we could be reading a press release and scratching our heads. He is certainly damned if he did and damned if he didn't. Instead of beating and bashing and rehashing what IS wrong with SL1 , lets take a constructive step towards SL2 and create dialogue that helps that move forward. He is HERE and talking , lets listen at least. Amen. From what I have seen, you could not dream up a better CEO than the one we are fortunate to have now. All the crankiness -- that's just the SL public that every merchant or club owner etc. deals with on a regular basis. "Remember the masses man! If you do not they will catch up with you and trample you to death!" Harry Belafonte "Matilda, she take me money and run Venezuela."

Ebbe Linden wrote: You asked: 1 - What type of assets are more likelly to be transferable to SL2 and what probably not? (meshes, animations, sculpts, scripts, textures, builds made of normal prims, system clothing ?) We don't have all the answers to this one yet, but several areas will have radical improvements and thus not possible to be fully backwards compatible. Mesh is ok (but with better lighting and other tech you may want to make tweaks) Animations will change (major mprovements as we don't currently do it the way it should be done) Sculpts (TBD, but not as is, but maybe converted to Mesh?) Scripts (major improvement, so will change) Textures ok Prims (TBD, but probably not as is) Avatars will be radically improved as well so a lot TBD Again, we will have years to sort this all out together... 2 - Is SL2 to be considerd "another grid" in which case the TOS of most full permission creators would prohibit the transfer to that grid? If that is the case, could LL speak a word of power and decide that for full permission items that CAN be transfered, the new SL should be considered as the "same grid" ? ToS will not be an issue. 3 - Will at least the L$ currency remain the same and will available balances be usable in both worlds? Yes 4 - Will the 2 worlds be connected in any way and will an avatar be able to move from one to another with the same name and profile and groups and friends? And .. some of its inventory.. Identity and friends will be preserved. Inventory depends on above decisions under #1 but we clearly want as much of existing work to be possible to leverage as long as it will not impact how good the new platform can be. Years? Beta is in 2015. That is next year, 6 months. Release in 2016, 18 months. You are anticipating then that it won't work to specs from the outset and will require 'years' to make it fully functional? You have pulled your pants down Ebbe and called everyone over to "Hey! Look at what I got!" The thing is you haven't got anything! Your reach appears to have exceeded your grasp. Should there actually be anyone at LL now or when in the future the hiring process is complete, with the talent to actually realize this vision, whatever the hell it may be, I seriously doubt whether you have the tools to bring it off. Regardless, in future pay heed, Word on the street is that bookmakers have your association with the Lab not likely to last past Christmas. Stay off the NJ turnpike! LOL

LaskyaClaren wrote: Qie Niangao wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: Nice of Ebbe to show up over at SLU to engage them in some discussion. Looks around the SL website for mention of this anywhere. Looks to see if Ebbe dropped by to reassure anyone here. Looks to see if anyone here has come to the realization yet that LL, still again, has demonstrated that they are not interested in the user base. May be true, but does not follow from this logic. Rather, it just shows that these forums don't matter to LL. Well, duh. Indeed, it can be argued that posting at SLU is proof that they are interested in their user base: that's where a goodly percentage of the *gag* "power users" hang out. As for the SL forums . . . well, have you seen this place recently? :-( Rushes to the washroom to get the dullness off before it sets in. (Was looking at the archive from 2010 and was reading the Gorean Master thread Lasky.An epic ride of 72 pages of hilarity. Ah the good old days)

Qie Niangao wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: Nice of Ebbe to show up over at SLU to engage them in some discussion. Looks around the SL website for mention of this anywhere. Looks to see if Ebbe dropped by to reassure anyone here. Looks to see if anyone here has come to the realization yet that LL, still again, has demonstrated that they are not interested in the user base. May be true, but does not follow from this logic. Rather, it just shows that these forums don't matter to LL. Well, duh. Logic??!?? wut?

Nice of Ebbe to show up over at SLU to engage them in some discussion. Looks around the SL website for mention of this anywhere. Looks to see if Ebbe dropped by to reassure anyone here. Looks to see if anyone here has come to the realization yet that LL, still again, has demonstrated that they are not interested in the user base.

Nice sig, btw. "Post count does not equate to intelligence.." Someone should have told you that back in the day, huh? Now it appears as 'icon' Griff. oooooo burn! Icon envy is such a tragic thing to behold. The butthurt runs deep in this one. LOL

Look here and follow the url to the inworld island. Good a place as any to start. http://www.virtualability.org/

IsabelleGalapagos wrote: Gee, thanks for all the help, support, advice and understanding. I truely appreciate the lack of nitpicking, snarky commentary, or general rudeness in response to my horrendous, nightmarish experience. Its nice to know one can go through hell and have such wonderful people at your side. On a more serious note, the original post was meant as a cautionary warning for those who might fall into the same trap i did. NOT a KICK ME WHILE I'M DOWN sign, so get WAY off your high horses... Spare us the hysterionics. Perspective, you need some. No one 'kicked you while you were down'. They explained why you can't access the borrowed account, something YOU alone are responsible for by breaking the rules. OWN IT!

Might be worth a try. Though I should have guessed that topless/nude Avs would not go over here. I wonder if I had chosen a nice Rubens nude to recline on and hid the Av naughty bits if that would get pulled too? Probably.

LaskyaClaren wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: See what happens. They take away the Art and the whole thread devolves into political bickering. And the Sugar. That's what I was referring to. Ohhh you thought I meant the Seurat. An honest mistake.

See what happens. They take away the Art and the whole thread devolves into political bickering.

LaskyaClaren wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: LaskyaClaren wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: Awww my lovely painting got removed. And they called it 'porn'! Philistines! What did you expect? The Impressionists are SCANDALOUS! Then there is no hope. And leave Rob 'Falstaff' Ford alone! He is a man of the people! I'll just insert this after the end: "This advertisement was paid for by the Committee to Elect Anyone But Rob Ford." You can add Kathleen Wynne's name to that too!

LaskyaClaren wrote: Derek Torvalar wrote: Awww my lovely painting got removed. And they called it 'porn'! Philistines! What did you expect? The Impressionists are SCANDALOUS! Then there is no hope. And leave Rob 'Falstaff' Ford alone! He is a man of the people!

Awww my lovely painting got removed. And they called it 'porn'! Philistines!

"Facebook, in turn, gets a whole heap of patents out of Oculus, and uses the technology it develops to help progress other devices that fit more cleanly into the Facebook market model." http://business.financialpost.com/2014/03/26/facebook-buys-oculus-best-case-scenario-for-oculus-comes-with-a-lot-of-ifs/?__lsa=413c-8b76

Absolument. Clean as a whistle Lasky.

With a look of astonishment he said,"I have been a fool, my Liege." And as he slumped to his knees I fixed him with a steely glare and replied, "You should have the courtesy to thank me for the gift of self-awareness before your demise." Whereupon I placed my boot on his chest and withdrew my blade, and he fell in a heap into the mud. I tossed my sword to my second, took a gulp of wine, and slapping him on the back with a grin we were off to my apartments to change out of my soiled finery. There was still time to make it to my meeting with Madame de Bourbon-Busset before her oafish husband returned from Rousillon. Oh, my royalties? They are used to maintain a style of Life which befits me. My chateau, the apartments, my wardrobe etc etc. Also, there are the few charities I keep, to secure my place in the afterlife, but their gratitude can be quite tiresome so I rarely venture to see them myself leaving that mundane task to my underlings.

Hmmm yes. A somewhat inaccurate retelling of some of my exploits, manufactured for dramatic appeal, even pathos perhaps, by the author. I do hope my reputaiton has withstood his artifice. Shall I tell you what the young whelp said to me as he gasped his last breath after feeling the full thrust of my blade?

It is of little wonder that the Vicomte's presence is sought at Court and among the best of society.