Virtual Worlds – Page 183

October 22, 2013

Second Life For Mobile Devices In Beta Testing

Second Life is not dead, it’s far from dead and development is not decreasing. I received an email today inviting me to apply to be part of a beta testing version of Second Life for Mobile Devices …. not quite sure why I’ve got this considering recent events but hopefully some of you will be able to participate in what could be an interesting development.

I won’t post the email in full as it contains links as part of the beta application process and I imagine that initially LL wanted a limited number of applicants but here’s part of that email:

“Hi Ciaran Laval,

We’re looking for enthusiastic beta testers to evaluate a version of Second Life designed for mobile devices.

Sound interesting? Then simply…(follow the secret steps I’ve excluded).

We’ll email those selected when the program begins and check in periodically over the next couple of months to get their feedback.

This is your opportunity to be among the first to try a new mobile version of Second Life, and we hope you’ll help us to make it a great product with your input.

Thank you for your consideration!

Linden Lab”

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October 19, 2013

Out Of SL

Former Linden Qarl (Mesh Deformer) Linden has announced he is leaving Second Life due to the updated TOS. I’m also leaving Second Life but for entirely different reasons, although I do agree that the new TOS oversteps the mark. I am leaving because I fell behind on my tier payments.

I have to say that during this troublesome period, Linden Lab provided me with some fantastic support, in particular from TJ Linden and Izzy Linden, who were very understanding but ultimately they can only be sympathetic for a limited period of time.

I’ve had a blast with Second Life, a very expensive blast but a blast none the less. I’m still hoping that I can resolve my account issues at some point but that doesn’t look like it will happen in the short term.

Now as for this blog, I will keep it going for a while at least. Reporting on Second Life is going to be painful, but not impossible. I may also report on other virtual worlds or experiences. There’s a whole heap of issues to blog about and now I have more time on my hands I may be able to look at a wider range of angles.

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September 28, 2013September 28, 2013

New TOS Needs To Be Rectified

Regrets, I have a few, but then again, too few to mention. I’m not in a good place with my Second Life right now, entirely my own fault and Linden Lab have been extremely wonderful. However, one area where I cannot praise Linden Lab is with regards to the new TOS.

Many of you will have seen it, many of you will have heard about it, many of you will be in fear of it:

“Except as otherwise described in any Additional Terms (such as a contest’s official rules) which will govern the submission of your User Content, you hereby grant to Linden Lab, and you agree to grant to Linden Lab, the non-exclusive, unrestricted, unconditional, unlimited, worldwide, irrevocable, perpetual, and cost-free right and license to use, copy, record, distribute, reproduce, disclose, sell, re-sell, sublicense (through multiple levels), modify, display, publicly perform, transmit, publish, broadcast, translate, make derivative works of, and otherwise exploit in any manner whatsoever, all or any portion of your User Content (and derivative works thereof), for any purpose whatsoever in all formats, on or through any media, software, formula, or medium now known or hereafter developed, and with any technology or devices now known or hereafter developed, and to advertise, market, and promote the same. You agree that the license includes the right to copy, analyze and use any of your Content as Linden Lab may deem necessary or desirable for purposes of debugging, testing, or providing support or development services in connection with the Service and future improvements to the Service. The license granted in this Section 2.3 is referred to as the “Service Content License.”

I’ve bolded some of the problem, but the simple fact of the matter is that this one size fits all TOS change goes way too far and is quite simply offensive to any content creator within or outside of Second Life. I have no idea what Linden Lab are playing at here.

Third party sites are quite rightly, running in fear.

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August 30, 2013

Blackened Mirror Season 2 To Feature Babylon 5 Star

Above you can view the first trailer for The Blackened Mirror Season 2, which is filmed in Second Life. The word on the street, and I’m not making this up, is that Season 2 will feature a star from the science fiction series Babylon 5. Those of you who pay attention may already know who it is, but for now my lips are firmly sealed!

For those who are unaware of what The Blackened Mirror is, it’s a machinima based drama filmed in Second Life, with a noir setting. Season 1 can be viewed on Treet TV. The first season, featured people who have real world experience of stage and film and the second season will too, but there’s also the opportunity for Second Life residents to get involved as extras.

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August 30, 2013

The Drax Files Episode 10 – Robin Sojourner

The Drax Files Episode 10 features Robin Sojourner, even I’ve heard of Robin Sojourner, I mean since my very early days in Second Life back in 2007. There’s a reason for this, Robin Sojourner is Robin Wood, the T-Shirt lady, who? you may think, but for those of us who have been here a while, that T-Shirt tutorial and template have been an absolutely awesome introduction to creating content in Second Life.

So when Drax tipped me off earlier in the week as to who this week’s Drax files was about, I was rather excited and the end result of the episode is one that leaves me with a warm fuzzy feeling. The inerview is superb, Robin talks of how much the Second Life world has changed, how mesh has made so many things look different but one of the best points in the video is when Robin talks about how people who have no idea that they are creative come in to Second Life and find out that they can make things, and that is such a wonderful concept and one that I can agree is true. I am, to say the least, artistically challenged and whereas my creations in Second Life are hardly going to win awards, the fact of the matter is that my creations exist in this virtual world and it’s a wonderfully empowering feeling.

I certainly agree with Robin when she mentions that we are taught that creativtiy is reserved for the creative types and that they are special, but it’s just not true. I’m not trying to undermine the creative types in Second Life, there are some wonderfully creative people, but what Second Life allows is for those of us who don’t think we are creative, to create, and although being at the top of the game does take extra skills and extra imagination, the very fact that so many of us in Second Life can create to a degree, is what makes it such a wonderful platform.

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