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Cybin Monde

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Everything posted by Cybin Monde

  1. *Now* you can Cybin. But the very first iteration took that out, under the theory that "newbies don't need it". And that was fallacious reasoning, as lots of people at least do some casual rezzing of blocks and such now and then, and people like to experiment. So the Lindens got this one wrong and put it back. The options for the bottom bar don't fix the chat clustering nonsense, however. When you install SL for the first time, the grid view is imposed on you and you have to uncheck it. It's one of those many things that Lindens impose in the viewer, like putting land to default to "no safe" mode encouraging gamerz and shooting and killing instead of defaulting it to the "safe" mode that most people use, and then letting the tiny minority of shooters have to do the unchecking. Yes, true enough. Hopefully that's a good sign, as i think it may be. A lot of what i'm seeing in the Snowstorm backlog is encouraging. Either way, good to see LL show that they can listen. You know, i think you're right. It's just been a long time since i had a fresh install i forgot. I have both 1.23 and 2.1 and i do think i remember having to change it when i first installed 2.1, whenever that was. So, good point on both that and the "safe" mode. I whole-heartedly agree, those should be the defaults.
  2. Now I cannot login with Emerald. Viewer 2? All those bugs and icons, windows, that prevent me to see? No thank you. Ana, if you come back to read these comments, i thought it would be prudent to mention that part of the Emerald team has gone on to create the Phoenix viewer. From what i've read, for most people, it's like Emerald... but faster. So, before you go, give the Phoenix Viewer a try. You may be pleasantly surprised. : )
  3. Jopsy, I am not a builder, but I use the build tools every day anyway, to place and adjust houses, to make little things that are simple like decks, etc. So I'm as annoyed as anyone when I can no longer right-click on the ground and start the "create" process, but have to scroll through a menu selecting two or three options. That's what happened in the first iteration of viewer 2.0 in the name of "think of the children" (making it easier for newbies). That happened because the Lindens didn't seem to realize how much casual use there was of build. But in the name of de-cluttering the menu, they could justify the removal of the "build" button. I don't *have* to have the build button on the front page taking up scarce real estate, I can access it through some other layer of menus, or, if "right click on the ground" is retained, get it that way. I don't have to have "grid" imposed on me every time I build if I'm not a professional builder; that could be accessed through an extra click. And so on. That's the kind of mentality I mean -- framing the viewer so that it is not destroying functionality for those who need it but not imposing hobbles for those that don't. Prok, i'm not clear on whether you know that you can just use a "Build" button in Viewer 2 now? There are several options you can pin to the bottom bar, just right-click the bar and choose what you do/don't want to appear down there. The Snowstorm backlog also has a feature for being able to move those buttons around on the bottom bar, so you can line them up according to your own preferences. And for the "grid" being on.. do you mean the one you see visually when building, where prims snap to the grid lines? I ask because, for me, it never comes up by default. When i move things manually (push/pull by grabbing the arrows) it's smooth, no snapping.
  4. But until the major issues – chat focus, interface sprawl, and the infernal sidebar – your credibility is going to be slightly less than that of the Iraqi Information Minister. We've been burned too many times. Actually, i believe all three of these things are currently in some development stage or another, within Snowstorm. I know they have already mentioned that the sidebar is being addressed (detachment of some sort, if i remember correctly), i'm sure there was something for being able to rearrange the buttons on the bottom, along with more button options i think. In my opinion, you're right to look forward to all that Snowstorm proves to be. Take time to read the backlog, it's delicious! ETA: And chat focus, i'm pretty sure that one is somewhere in the pot as well. I forget to what degree though. But that's a good place for an option (And for the setting. Have it right inside the chat box.), just a simple "Close chat when hitting Enter." statement with a checkbox. Maybe a couple other options?
  5. I think there's been just a tiny bit of confusion ... "going back to 1.23" clearly isn't going to happen, but there's nothing saying that the 1.23 interface can't be applied to the v2.x codebase. The biggest complaint I and everyone else has had, as far as I can tell, is the interface. The features haven't been a problem. Going back to a v1.23-style interface absolutely can be done. I'd rather see a whole new interface (or interfaces) developed. Forget 1.23, forget 2.0.. maybe hold a contest for Residents to design what they would like the interface to look like, then base Viewer 3.0 on those designs. They wouldn't need to be functional, they could just be a scanned in drawing.. just to give the idea of what we would like it to look like. (Yes, i know there would be a ton of different ones, but i mean... having such a repository would result in some general ideas that are most coomon.) Because honestly, i don't think either design is the best one that could be used.
  6. (Wayfinder, this isn't really a response to you alone, but is related to your post.) I hear a lot of people pining for 1.23, but we also all know that isn't happening. Honestly, we're closer to moving on to V3 than going backwards. It seems that V2 may actually end up more like a V3, but the name could/will still be an issue. Yoz, Q, et al... it may be a decent idea to redesign V2 and re-release it as V3 (assuming there have been enough significant (and visual) changes). The Snowstorm project could create a Viewer 2 that people would love, but they will still shy away from it just because of the name "Viewer 2". Almost like a Windows Vista issue. It didn't matter what they did with it, it wasn't going to be widely adopted due to it's image from the get-go. They moved on to Windows 7, with enough changes that made it usable and reliable. From what i understand Vista isn't much different from 7, the main difference being that 7 works how people wanted Vista to work. (As i like to think of it, 7 is what Vista was supposed to be)
  7. A few thoughts on the OP: Preferences - Instead of piling everything into Preferences, i like the more intuitive idea of using a right-click menu for UI options. Just right-click on the affected area (as Aquarius described so well! Not to mention the idea about easily changed UI colors!!) then have a small pop-up menu to use for customization. Side-bar - What if the side bar was positioned to rise from a bottom tab instead of a side-bar, or maybe a drop-down bar from the top (length-wise).. although that may take up to much "real-estate". Viewer focus - It's also not a bad idea to consider either seperately focused viewers (i like to call them "focae", a word i made up) or "plug-ins"/"skins" where you can change the viewer set-up on the fly (probably preferable, even though harder for sure). Might be easiest to compromise the two ideas.. have one Basic viewer, all easy-peasy stripped down fun viewer (no focae options); then one Advanced viewer, which would then have further focae options within it. (Gavin makes a good point about seperating the UI in a manner that would allow greater and easier distribution/availability. Not sure how hard that would be to do, but sounds like it could definitely be worth it in the long run.) Chat/Movement - I noticed the chat/movement discussion and was thinking how i started using the WASD movements more commonly, as of recent. It's more intuitive as that's a common interface for movement among the crowd which is used to 3D environments on a computer, such as MMOs. I like being able to use them to move, then just hit "Enter" when i need to chat. Intuitive. (As an aside, i'd like to see the "Q" and "E" keys allowed for movement as well, so we can have both turning and strafing movement, instead of using Shift-A/D) Snowstorm? - On another note, i thought the Snowstorm project was all about including Residents in the development and coding of certain viewer properties? Wasn't that what it was about? Kind of like a half-way point between V2 and TPVs? Or am i missing something? It seems i hear a lot of people asking for us to be included, but i could swear that's what Snowstorm is already doing. Complexity - As for things being complex and how that can work against Resident/user satisfaction, i can understand this, too. I don't see you saying it won't be done for that reason, more that it should be considered when figuring out the best way to move forward. Making it easier for you, in this case, does make it easier for us... when that means the viewer has less work to do, which means it has a higher chance of working well and properly. - @Pathfinder - Lord Frith! : ) @Winter - Excellent post! Some really valid points in there! Especialy how the community is already riled up and, while hard it may be, to try to glean what the real message is behind it all. (I, also, am excited to ssee what's been happening in Snowstorm.) Thanks for that awesome post! @Q - I hear you and see no fault in a developer defending themselves. While i can certainly understand that people would be frustrated at this point (yes, that's put lightly), i can also see what looks like LL, and you, holding out a hand to try to work together more symbiotically than has been done in the past couple years. Basically, it's ok to be mad, but let's not hate on each other. And for what it's worth, i thought the initial post sounded quite open and inviting, while defining what you wanted to hear feedback about. That wasn't to hear what's wrong, but asking to hear how it can be better. (And thanks to Winter for reminding me... i hope you're doing well and feeling amazing. You're call into SLCC was above and beyond, thanks for making us all get a tear in our eye. : P) (Lindens can get frustrated, too. It's not easy to have a large chunk of the responses practically yelling at you and telling you how badly you're doing, knowing the only answer that would make everyone stop yelling is to tell them that LL will do everything they ask for, every little thing without question. The problem is, also knowing that such an appeasement could never happen. Just like when Bruce said "Yes" to all of God's prayer-mails. Not necessarily the best idea.)
  8. I would just add thought that I think it's folly to completely ignore the forums. You are right to say it can be a bit like 'lobbyists' with personal agendas out in the forums sometimes, but there is also a lot of well though-out, constructive debate to be found too (just takes a bit of filtering!) The forums, as opposed to the blogs, do have some interesting conversations once in awhile. If you have the extra time, Kim, it's not a bad idea to see what's being talked about in there. It may not be an all-inclusive voice of SL, but it's an easy place to browse through current popular topics. Of course, there's fun topics as well as serious ones. There was a recent thread about what would SL be like in 5 years. There are a lot of interesting ideas, some recurring. Not sure if that may be of interest to you, but if so.. it can be found here. Great to see you're still keeping an eye on these comments! And as some others have mentioned, make sure to have fun! : )
  9. Hello again, Kim. Just wanted to add that if you get the chance, there's a wonderful treasure trove of stories and lore from the adventures of Magellan Linden. It may take awhile to get through all the information there is, but it's a large part of SL history and is part of the connection that good chunk of the community have with this world.
  10. Everyone in SL in a group.... Group chat lag? Ask a question, get a thousand answers, most of which are wrong. I don't think the current chat system could deal very well with such a large group. Hmm, good points. Maybe it's not such a great idea. But, if the technology ever allows for it, it could be cool?
  11. I think you're agreeing with me? From what i read elsewhen, they are out and a new group is in around the end of the year.
  12. I have to post one more comment. And that's to agree with everyone caling for better support. I haven't experienced it personally, but i do know that they are hurting. It's been mentioned that a new outsourced team will be coming in at the turn of the year, i think. Hopefully these are people familiar with SL, or it won't work. We need reasonable, compassionate, even tempered, SL-knowledgable support. Second Life, both the community and the platform, need and deserve it. And Shadow, i wouldn't suspect that the focusing being talked about by Kim is the kind where only one section of people are highlighted while others are left behind. More of what is it that everyone is involved in? What is it that everyone can relate to? Those types of things.
  13. It has the potential to be more appealing to some usergroups without losing anything for the rest of us, for instance an opt-in gaming aspect (currently some game/achievement/level lovers do scavenger hunts, which are popular). That reminds me, i thought it would be cool to have an Achievement tab in our profiles. (I'd call it something different, like Hippo Points or something) The point is, you get these points as you work your way through basic stuff (most stuff is for when you first join), getting a few L$ for completing them or groups of them. Fun, easy stuff... like your first teleport, first IM, adjust and save preferences for the first time, fly across a region boarder, etc.. Basically, it serves as a tutorial in the shape of a game, which also gives newbies some pocket money.
  14. Welcome to LL/SL, Kim! Great to have you here! First of all, i have to disagree with Prokofy. Second Life is not a game, but i'm sure you're well aware of that. It's more akin to the internet at large than to an MMO. The "X factor" is hard to nail down in minute detail, but i think fun and creativity are great starting points. Mainly, i believe that "thing" that brings people in is threefold: the ability to create almost anything you can imagine, the ability to fly (this point perked peoples ears more often than anything else when i explained it to them for the first time), and the ability to connect (friends, family, psychological help, a broader mobility for the handicapped, etc.). Once they're comfortable in-world, it becomes more about creating your identity and settling in to your personal flavor of SL. It's almost inevitable that you will end up in a fairly pre-defined community type (social, fashion, live music, role play, combat, building, scripting, merchant, real estate, resident help, art, education, etc.). Not to say that everyone stays strictly to those communities, not at all.. and that's the beauty of it. You can be a hardcore scripter and need a break, on a whim you can look up an event (change, if needed), and telelport on over and enjoy that live musician you love, or go join a combat game and blow off some stress. It's SL... if you're interested in something, we probably have it. Anyhoo, welcome to "the mad house". It's a crazy ride, but worth it. (If you haven't been to a SL convention, there'll be another in just under a year. You sound like you'd love it.)
  15. One thing to consider is the reinstatement of the mentorship progam. An ongoing issue for recruiting and retaining new residents is the level of difficulty they encounter accessing "community" in Second Life. Community does exist by many definitions in just about every possible category of user interest but finding these groups and becoming engaged with them takes a great deal of deliberate effort which often proves to be "too much work" to the average new user. Skylar, you may have hit upon a great idea here, but not in the way you think. Instead of re-opening an official mentorship program, which would be a drain on Linden resources, why not a group that everyone is automatically a member of when they sign up? It could be called, "SL Community" or something similar. Whatever intro text there is when you join would include a description of groups, how to open your groups window, explain you are automatically in "SL Community" and what it's for (generally resident-to-resident help. Almost like a real-time, in-game SL Answers. It would also include instructions on how to leave a group and that they can leave the "SL Community" group at any time, as well as join again if they wish via the Join Group (and how to do that). ETA: I almost forgot, Lindens would also be in this group. Mainly support. This way it can be moderated if needed, as i would hope at least 1 or 2 Lindens would be active at all (or almost all) times.
  16. nvm. i messed up somewhere. comment is below.
  17. The problem with combat in SL though instead of a massive user played game where the content is basically on the CD when you buy it, SL has user made content so.. Theres a bit of Lag involved with the Combat(actually a lot!). You know, this made me think of a somewhat off-topic point. What if we could designate, on Private Estates, the ability to request a "bake" of what's currently built there. As in, all the static elements are loaded once, instead of paying attention to any changes. Although, it may work better as something you can just use through the UI, so you can more easily make updates. (Destructible environments may be a different story)
  18. Welcome, Kim. With your arrival we're one step closer to that gold standard of kewlness, having an ad for SL done by William Shatner! *WOOT* ETA: , very capable of being a sketchpad for new RL traits and accomplishments. LOL... and i agree. Almost. I think we'd be better off with Takei. Seems more SL-ish. And great point, SL has helped a lot of people learn things they otherwise would not have learned, such as 3D modeling, Photoshop, scripting, breaking out of a social anxiety, that an audience likes their music, etc. A good thing to emphasize.
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