From the category archives:

Criticism

What a load of crap

June 13, 2008

Torley Linden rides to the defense of potential shadows in Linden Research, Inc.’s virtual world: Debunking mindjunk about the cost of [Linden Research's virtual world]’s visual quality

Mindjunk is exactly what it sounds like: mental clutter that sits in your head and makes you more anxious and fearful, taking up space without doing anything effective for your life

The only trouble is that his post is mostly, well, junk.

A computer that exceeds [Linden Research's virtual world]’s System Recommendations can be bought for under US$500.

Torley provides a link, but it goes to a forum that gives you leads on pieces of computers. FAIL. Computer pieces do not equal a computer.

“Balkanization” is also grossly inaccurate. Even though I appreciate colorful analogies, it isn’t as easy to unite countries involved in political bloodshed as it is to click your mouse and toggle graphics options.

Torley, never dis someone else for overdoing it. Pot, meet kettle? And while you have a point about toggling off graphics options, people can barely handle doing that right now, and you just recommended that they buy the pieces of a computer? Get out of the hothouse. Seriously. 3D web? It better be plug and play. And it better work on a year-old consumer computer. If it doesn’t, Linden Research’s vision will be stuck off in the corner for all time.

And as an active user—and a customer—I don’t want that. I’ll return to this point later.

“Frustrating builders” is entirely speculative at this point

Yes, like nearly everything about virtual worlds. And your point? Sadly, it’s this:

If you’ve got an opportunity to speak up and make a difference about ongoing issues, no matter how controversial — or protroversial they may be: don’t be a community bleeder, be a community leader.

Excuse me while I throw up a little in the back of my mouth.

I’m active in several communities, as a leader. And as a community leader, let me say that Linden Research’s product shortcomings are wearing a bit thin. Linden Research doesn’t need its users to bleed away enthusiasm; it seems to be doing it all on its own.

I also pay Linden Research, Inc., several hundred dollars a month. And I get a product that doesn’t work right. How many days now of asset server problems? Don’t give me any shit about being cheerful about the next glittery gewgaw to appear on the horizon.

And to my readers (all three of you): be sure to go to Torley’s post and check out the comments, as well as the New World Notes post he is responding to, and its comments.

{ 1 comment }

No way to run a business

June 1, 2008

Second Life Grid Status Reports » Blog Archive » [Resolved] Logins closed - In-World service disruptions

Our central database is sad, which leads to disruptions in several inworld services, such as teleports, search and profiles not working, logins and transactions failing.

Please do not attempt any transactions with non-copy items at this time.

Excuse me? “Our central database is sad”?

1. How often have Google’s databases failed under their load, hmm?

2. If Google’s databases did underperform, how do you think Google would describe it? As “sad”?

{ 1 comment }

Child avatars . . . and BDSM . . . and Gor . . . and?

May 31, 2008

I don’t have any interest in being a virtual child, and I sometimes find child roleplay in virtual worlds even more annoying than how real children can act. I similarly don’t have any personal interest in BDSM (in either the virtual or the real worlds). And I actively disapprove of Gorean roleplay of slavery. But nonetheless, all three of these groups should have the right to be involved in any event that purports to be “Celebrating the cultural diversity of Second Life.”

In this instance, however, they cannot, except as spectators. Everett Linden, in comment 103, says “I’ll be working over the weekend with a few other Lindens on a blog post for Monday to help explain and expand on the SLBirthday.”

In the meantime, I’ll join my voice to that of Ordinal Malaprop, Marianne McCann and Loki Eliot, Dusan Writer, Daniel Regenbogen, Erbo Evans and many, many others in saying how utterly disappointed I am in Linden Research, Inc.

As ever, we owe a debt of gratitude to Tateru Nino at Massively for first covering the story.

Update: There’s now a JIRA issue for “missing cultures and communities from SL5B.”

Resolution: Linden Research, Inc., is now taking an active role as organizer. The entire birthday celebration is now PG, and everyone is welcome to submit applications.

{ 3 comments }

Curious omission

May 18, 2008

I’m eager to see the amazing builds in The Garden of NPIRL Delights | Rezzable. But I found a curious omission on the website describing the project. There is a page devoted to intellectual property rights, with specific suggestions for how to treat screen shots/photographs taken in the Garden of NPIRL Delights—but the website does not credit a source for the image of Hieronymus Bosch’s Garden of Earthly Delights used on the website, the original of which is in Museo Nacional del Prado in Madrid.

I’ve never understood the arcana of how an owner can control images of a piece of art that is itself in the public domain—and then there’s the twist that in the US, as I understand it, a faithful reproduction of a piece of two-dimensional art does not itself possess the element of originality necessary for copyright, but in the UK it does.

{ 2 comments }