What I think

  • | | | | |

    A Few Second Life Mysteries

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    2 Comments
    Balloon

    One of the greatest mysteries in Second Life to me is why so many Third Party Viewers eventually stop development. I wasn’t always looking for something beyond the official Second Life Viewer, so I stuck with that for years before finally giving TPVs a chance. The first one I really used was Black Dragon Viewer, and while I eventually figured out things like the annoying WASD controls, I could never get rid of that music that played every single time the viewer launched. Maybe there was a way to disable it, but I never found it, so when Alchemy Viewer came along, I happily switched over. Alchemy ended up becoming one of my favorite viewers, but then development stopped. After that I moved to Aperture Viewer, and wouldn’t you know it, development there stopped too. Just recently I told you all about AyaStorm Viewer because I thought it had a lot of potential, and now they’ve removed the Windows version, so I guess you can consider that one effectively dead for most people too. At this point I’m starting to think TPVs are cursed. Every time I get excited about a viewer, development suddenly comes to an end. So now I’m sitting here wondering what I’m supposed to use next. How long do you keep using an abandoned viewer before enough little things break that you finally give up and go back to Firestorm?

    The curse of Third Party Viewers continues.

    Another mystery to me is all of these collaborations Linden Lab has been doing lately with residents and community groups. We’ve had SeraPlus, MadPea, Essential Inventory, and now The Collab Circle. The whole point seems to be adding value to Premium and Premium Plus memberships by giving members exclusive freebies. I’m Lifetime Premium Plus, so maybe I’m the wrong person to judge whether these promotions are working, but I haven’t been impressed with probably 90% of the gifts. The funny thing is, when an event has freebies, I’m so focused on grabbing them that I never actually shop. I teleport in, collect everything, teleport home, open all the boxes, decide what’s worth keeping, and delete the rest. It gives me the exact same dopamine hit as shopping because, really, shopping is just acquiring stuff. By the time I’m finished opening gifts, I’m completely over it and have no desire to go back and actually spend money.

    One of the gifts I did like was the balloon pack from SKVOST. The balloons themselves are really cute, but they’re meant to be rezzed as decorations. The only attachable version was the boxed package, and that included a no-transfer attach animation script, so I couldn’t even modify it the way I wanted. I ended up resizing one of the decorative balloons, wrote my own animate on attach script, and now I have a holdable balloon in exactly the color I wanted. It just made me wonder why they didn’t include a few holdable versions in the gift package to begin with.

    I do hope these collaborations work out because Linden Lab is obviously putting money into them. I came across a Facebook post from one of the Seraphim founders who mentioned they were paid by Linden Lab for SeraPlus, so these aren’t just casual community projects. That makes me wonder if Linden Lab is tracking conversions from these collaborations. Are Premium memberships increasing because of them? Are people actually spending more money after visiting these events? I honestly don’t know. When I visited The Collab Circle on opening day, I was literally the only person there. Even with Second Life promoting these collaborations constantly across social media, I wonder if residents are simply burned out on shopping events. At some point, another event with another gift bag just doesn’t feel exciting anymore, especially when so many of the freebies feel more like promotional add-ons than gifts people genuinely wanted.

    That brings me to the bigger issue that keeps sitting in the back of my mind. Concurrency has been trending downward for a while now, and I really appreciate Daniel Voyager for continuing to track these numbers because it’s one of the few ways we can see the long-term trend instead of just going by how busy our favorite regions feel. Whether Linden Lab wants to acknowledge it or not, the charts are showing fewer people online, and if that trend continues through the rest of the year, I think Christmas is going to be a really important test. Hopefully things turn around, because I’d much rather see those numbers climbing again than continuing to slide.

    Read More “A Few Second Life Mysteries”
  • | | | |

    A Quiet Goodbye to Patch Linden

    Bygogo iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    4 Comments
    SL22B - Patch Linden
    Patch Linden at SL22B

    I wasn’t expecting this announcement when I woke up this morning. Patch Linden, Senior VP of Product Operations and a familiar name in Second Life for nearly 20 years, is no longer with the company. Reading the brief blog post, it’s hard not to feel like this was a sudden and forced departure. No farewell, no send off, just an abrupt end. Even his name is already gone in world.

    I wouldn’t say I was a fan of Patch or not a fan, but I do recognize his impact. He gave us Bellisseria, which is probably the only thing that has kept me engaged over the past seven years. More than that, he actually seemed enthusiastic about Second Life. He showed up, dressed for the occasion, and felt like someone who genuinely understood how to use the platform. Not every Linden or executive can say that.

    Whether you liked him or didn’t, Patch was a big presence. It feels appropriate to take a moment to say goodbye and acknowledge his contributions to Second Life.

    Looking ahead, I just hope whoever steps into this role listens to residents. Second Life is not exactly bringing in waves of new users, so keeping the current community engaged should be the priority. I want to keep enjoying my Lifetime Premium Plus membership, but I can’t help wondering how much the platform is changing and whether it will still feel like home.

    SL23B is going to feel different this year without one of its most recognizable voices.

  • | | | | | | |

    The Fantasy Faire AI Drama Was So Predictable

    Bygogo Brands, Events, Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    0 Comments
    The Fantasy Faire AI Drama Was So Predictable

    In honor of Fantasy Faire, I typed in “wand” into my inventory and found this fabulous Unicorn Magic Wand from Insomnia Angel. I have no memory of ever getting this, so that means one of my friends probably gifted it to me because it was a gacha item.

    And what does one wear with a wand? A crown, obviously. I pulled out Fairie Queen by Sparkle Skye, which has always been a favorite of mine. I should wear crowns like this all the time, because why not. I’m also wearing the Caroline Gown from Just Because, one of my recent favorite gown makers. The pricing is fair, it’s sold by body type, and this gown has a shiny PBR finish that really works here. You could style it futuristic or regal, the choice is yours. Back in the day, girls used to run all over the grid in full flexi ball gowns like it was casual attire. Shopping, dancing, standing around somewhere. We need to bring that back.

    Now let’s talk about Fantasy Faire. I go every year, usually for Jail & Bail with Patch Linden or the Silent and Live Auction during the last few days of the event where I like to bid on Linden-sponsored items. Because of that, Fantasy Faire to me has always felt like a Linden-endorsed event.

    That is why all this AI drama looks so bad. Last year, I watched a resident get bullied by Fantasy Faire designers and maybe others too for using AI to enhance photos. I’m not even sure they were an official blogger. They may have just been a regular resident who got piled on so badly they removed a lot of photos from Flickr. Fantasy Faire organizers said nothing discouraging the bullying. That was a bad look, especially for a charity event benefiting the American Cancer Society.

    Previously, Fantasy Faire allowed AI use for designers in certain ways, while banning bloggers from using it. Designers could reportedly use it for marketing or decorations as long as it was not being sold. This year they changed the rules again and moved toward banning AI entirely, even for things not for sale.

    Then came the DRD situation. According to DRD, they were privately given the green light by organizer Elizabeth Tinsley to use AI posters around their region build. Then later another staff member came through putting up red boxes to mark items for review or removal before opening. Things escalated, and DRD says they felt publicly shamed and harassed.

    If that is true, then the problem is not AI. The problem is how this was handled. You cannot privately approve something, then publicly crack down on it later and expect no reaction. Any designer would be upset.

    In my opinion, the aggressive anti-AI stance has no place in a charity event, and the selective enforcement looks even worse. AI is a tool. Whether people personally like it or hate it, using it is not against Linden Lab’s Terms of Service. Treating residents like they did something terrible over it is unnecessary.

    Fantasy Faire should be about creativity, fundraising, shopping, and fun. Instead it keeps becoming drama over technology. They should release a public statement, explain what happened, and maybe apologize where needed. They also need one clear rule for everybody. Not one rule privately, another publicly, and something else depending on who you are.

    They picked the wrong battle, and now it shows.

    DRD Statement
    from their Discord server

    We had something special planned for Fantasy Faire this year: our return after 10 years, with a brand-new region and a follow-up story to San Mora.

    What should have been an exciting return took a very different turn in the final days. What started as a discussion around AI use escalated **far beyond that**. We were transparent from the beginning and had shown what we were doing early on, with approval to move forward, but 2 days before opening the situation shifted, and how it was handled crossed a line for us.

    It escalated into repeated public shaming using hundreds of red glowing prim markers pointing out anything and everything, it reached a point of bullying.

    Eventually the entire build was covered in nearly a thousand Fantasy Faire posters. **There’s nothing left of what we created.**

    We literally filled the region with Orwell quotes about censorship and authoritarian control and now we’re being silenced and erased in real time. The irony is not lost on us.

    This was no longer about being anti-AI or pro-AI. Everyone is entitled to their own stance on that, and we respect differing opinions. What this became about was how poorly the situation was handled.

    Things have really changed in 10 years.** It no longer felt like a Faire for charity… it became  a protest against AI.**

    __We weren’t even allowed to set up RFL vendors to sell our build__ , meaning we were not allowed to raise money for RFL.(?)

    It no longer felt like something we wanted to be part of.

    We donated the sim to FF to do with it what they wish and to remove the name Reservoir Zero, because that is NOT Reservoir Zero.

    **We made the decision to step away completely**. We’re not going to compromise our work or vision just to fit in.

    **So here’s what we’re doing instead:**

    We’re moving the full, uncensored version of Reservoir Zero to our own sim.

    This summer, it will become the **full apocalyptic experience** we originally planned… a proper continuation of the story.

    For now, we’ve already started setting things up there together with a few amazing merchants, and we’ll be hosting our own Relay For Life charity event and party very soon.

    We’re sorry for the sudden change and any disappointment. **This wasn’t how we wanted our return after all these years to go.**

    But we’re looking forward to showing you the version of Reservoir Zero that actually reflects what we built.

    Thank you to everyone who reached out and had our back,  it meant a lot.

    ## See you soon in the real Reservoir Zero

    — Jaimy & Eowyn

    Other blogs covering this story:

    Read More “The Fantasy Faire AI Drama Was So Predictable”
  • | | | | |

    Moving to New Zindra, Gaeta 1 Continent Closing

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    3 Comments
    Homebody

    Even though I rezzed in Second Life in 2006, the first 13 years of my SLife were spent on private regions. I bought my first region in my first year, so mainland was never something I paid much attention to. I didn’t even get Premium until I got my first Bellisseria home on April 15, 2019. Ever since then, I’ve been buying mainland here and there, holding snow land, bidding on auctions trying to get beach land, all of it. I love land. I don’t always love mainland chaos, but I love nice waterfront land enough to keep dealing with it.

    So when I read the post about Gaeta 1 closing, I’m not even going to lie, my first thought was where the hell is Gaeta 1? Then I kept reading and saw they’re offering size for size replacement parcels and will work with owners to find something comparable. The second I read that, I went straight over there and bought land.

    Gaeta 1
    Gaeta 1 continent in Second Life

    If owning land there is my ticket into the new Zindra continent, then I bought my ticket and I’m ready to move.

    There’s a town hall Monday, April 20 at 11am SLT, so I’m hoping they give real details then. For residents like me that can move instantly, I hope Linden Lab lets us rush in and claim spots first. I’m not going to waste anyone’s time going back and forth for weeks. Just give me what was promised, a comparable parcel. Every piece of land I bought on Gaeta 1 is waterfront, so yes, I expect waterfront back.

    What makes this fun for me is I remember when Bay City launched, and I remember Horizons too, but I wasn’t Premium back then. Now I am, and I am readyyyyyyyy.

    The Adult land part does not bother me at all. I’m an adult. I also don’t think everyone is about to throw up sex clubs all over the ground. I think a lot of people will do homes, gardens, cute builds, and nice parcels like anywhere else. What I do hope for is some kind of covenant. No ugly visible ban lines, no giant prim walls killing views, no trash in the sky. Let’s start this continent off right.

    This is not a fashion post, but I still need to say go get the new Margot tee from ISON. I wasn’t even going to buy it until I saw they were giving a free print HUD with any color pack. The prints are cute, it got me immediately, and now I own it.

    Read More “Moving to New Zindra, Gaeta 1 Continent Closing”
  • | | | | | | |

    Galentine’s Day

    Bygogo Events, Fashion, Hair, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    1 Comment
    Galentine's Day

    It’s Galentine’s Day, and two of my favorite girls in Second Life just released the cutest stuff. The kind of things you gift to yourself and conveniently “accidentally” buy for your friends too.

    First up is the Versailles Love Cup from Flair, which is definitely Gogo-approved. I love holdables, and I love them even more when there are options so I can match it to my outfit.

    Sparkle Skye also just released the Fiona Collection for Gacha Arcana, so if gacha’s your thing, go play. The best part is you can mix and match all the pieces, which is dangerous for me because I’ll absolutely convince myself I need every variation.

    I’m currently obsessed with the Fiona ring, which is a Vault item, but don’t ask me to explain how to play Gacha Arcana because I genuinely don’t know. Sparkle tried to explain it to me, and I nodded like I understood, but I wasn’t retaining any of it. I think it has something to do with getting rewarded for playing a lot. That’s all I’ve got.

    After I put together today’s outfit, I realized it was giving equestrian vibe. Which is funny because I don’t plan outfits based on themes. I wear things based on whatever pops up on my radar.

    Galentine's Day

    Like this Stella top from Tres Blah, which popped up again because it’s on sale. I already owned it, so I just grabbed a redelivery for LaraX and suddenly it felt like I bought something new without spending money. I love when brands update older items for previous customers. It’s one of the few things in SL that still feels genuinely nice.

    This new hat hairstyle is from Wings, and you can customize the logo area with your own text. I made it my name because the template was easy to use with clear instructions. I normally don’t customize anything because I’m lazy, but this one was worth the effort.

    While Gacha Arcana from MadPea is fresh on my mind, I want to say something as a resident and customer. I think there are way too many events in Second Life, and I’m saying that as someone whose main hobby in SL is literally shopping.

    Even I only go to maybe one or two events a week, and when I go, I mean I teleport in, hit the brands I already know, buy what I came for, and leave. I’m not wandering. I’m not browsing. I’m in and out.

    Meanwhile, every month, I watch event companies create even more events, and all it does is spread the same sales thinner and thinner for everyone.

    And to be clear, I’m not personally calling out Gacha Arcana here. This applies to pretty much every event company over the past year that has not only created more monthly events on top of their existing ones, but also added marketplace counterparts, weekend sales counterparts, one-off holiday events, and even brought gacha back into the mix. At some point, all of this stops helping creators and starts hurting them.

    Recently I heard that some creators participating in Gacha Arcana noticed the low traffic and lack of sales, so they brought it up with the organizer. The organizer blamed it on the real life economy affecting sales in SL. And yes, that’s true. The economy is weird right now. People are cautious. Disposable income is tighter.

    But event organizers in SL also need to take some responsibility for the mess they’ve helped create. When you keep stacking events on top of events, you create an economic downward spiral. The user base isn’t big enough to support an endless stream of new events popping up just because organizers want to squeeze even more event fees out of creators for their own benefit.

    Read More “Galentine’s Day”
  • | | | | |

    Genus Update

    Bygogo Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    0 Comments
    Genus Update

    Two years ago, I blogged about the Genus 2.0 update and then never wore the head again. It was easily forgettable, especially since the brands I actually wear don’t make skins for Genus, whether that’s regular BoM or 2k or 4k. I’ve always found Genus confusing because if you’re wearing regular BoM, you can’t mix makeup from that with a 4k skin. It creates unnecessary compatibility barriers that can get complicated and expensive very quickly.

    When Genus sent me the 3.0 update, I decided to give it another look. They promised PBR support, a 2k skin, improved anatomy and expressions, and more. I really think Genus should have included a 4k skin with this update. Almost all of the makeup in my inventory is made for Genus 4k, so I couldn’t even properly wear the head here with the included 2k skin. I’m also not sure I care about PBR on a mesh head yet, at least not until my body, Maitreya, also releases an update. Right now it just means a glowing head with a flat looking body.

    Genus Update

    Two years later, the skin brands I wear still aren’t making Genus skins. Their focus is clearly on LeLutka EvoX, and there’s no real effort to diversify. So while I do appreciate a free update from Genus, and I always like when brands continue to support their products, I don’t see myself wearing this head again any time soon.

    If you want a different look and you already own a Genus head, it’s definitely worth trying. One thing I’ve always loved about Genus is how beautiful the side profile is. But when it comes to features and overall ease, I moved on to LeLutka EvoX years ago, and I have no interest in complicating my life by switching back to Genus.

    Read More “Genus Update”
  • | | | | | |

    Enhancing Second Life photo with Krea.ai, part 2

    Bygogo AI, Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    2 Comments
    Enhancing Second Life photo with Krea.ai, part 2

    Blog readers always ask me for tips on enhancing Second Life photos with AI tools, and honestly I don’t think I’m very good at it. Still, I decided to dive back into Krea.ai and see if I could enhance my avatar with ultra realistic hair and skin texture. I’ve tried a few other AI tools, but I personally think Krea is the easiest.

    Have you ever seen a Second Life ad where the face looks almost real and the hair texture is so good that it can’t be Second Life? That is usually AI enhancement. It can be deceiving, even when people say the product is untouched. Once you add AI, your eyes get tricked and the product does look slightly better.

    Don’t get me wrong, I think Second Life has come a long way. My avatar has never looked better to me, but I rezzed into system hair and system clothes back in the day, and I think I was even wearing system skin. So maybe my idea of amazing is a little skewed, but I also think Second Life avatars have peaked. Can we even get any better?

    Enhancing Second Life photo with Krea.ai, part 2

    I don’t know what process or tools other people are using, but I think the easiest way to add detail is to enhance with an AI tool and then blend the two photos in Photoshop. You don’t have to keep the entire AI generation, just blend enough so it still looks like your avatar.

    AI tools are still too expensive. I like to play around with video generation and I can burn through a month of credits in an hour. I paid $10 a month to test different models in Krea, but you can use the free version too.

    Even if you don’t love the deception of AI, it’s here to stay. I’m not encouraging anybody to do this, but I wanted to share since so many people have asked me for tips.

  • | | | |

    The Day My Waterfront Dream Got Blocked, part 2

    Bygogo iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    0 Comments
    Victorian Linden Home

    I wanted to show you my Victorian Linden Home. It’s beautiful, it’s my favorite. I was watching the latest Second Life Concierge and Land User Group meeting, and Izzy Linden mentioned that this is not a popular theme, but I disagree. This is easily in my top two Linden Home themes. I’ve been on this region for over five years, paying for Premium to keep this home, and the coast was absolutely finished in my eyes. It never looked like an unfinished edge. If you look at my photos, you’ll see that it looks complete, well terraformed, and beautifully done.

    That’s why it devastates me that Second Life decided to stamp out the new Ridgewood Enclave right in front of my house. Right now it’s only one region away from blocking my waterfront view. I’ve been anxiously watching Ridgewood Enclave regions come online, and so far they’ve gone west, but the moment they finish the region that corners mine, my view will be gone. I took a lot of photos because the Victorian coasts on OG Bellisseria were the best thing the Moles ever made, and nothing since has matched them. It would be such a shame if this gets blocked. Second Life can still fix this by moving the Ridgewood Enclave Canopy region one space west. There’s no reason for it to be pushed up this close to the Victorian coast, ruining the views for everyone. And honestly, as much as I don’t want to see Ridgewood Enclave, maybe they don’t want to see pastel Victorians either.

    Victorian Linden Home
    Victorian Linden Home

    For now, my view is safe, but when I look off the side of my porch, I see Ridgewood Enclave spreading north like a slow creep, and I know it will eventually erase everything I love about this house. I hope that when Izzy Linden says he empathizes with people whose views get blocked, he’s also thinking about long-time residents like me who have been paying customers from day one of Linden Homes. I’m a huge fan, but if residents can’t trust that finished coasts will stay protected, then what’s the point of Linden Homes? People pay extra for Premium to secure their perfect home, and it’s crushing when that view you chose suddenly disappears.

    Read part 1 of The Day My Waterfront Dream Got Blocked.

    Victorian Linden Home
    Victorian Linden Home
    Victorian Linden Home
    Victorian Linden Home
    Victorian Linden Home
  • | | | | | |

    Magic Moments

    Bygogo Events, Fashion, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    0 Comments
    Magic Moments

    There’s always room for a little magic in our lives. Sometimes I start rezzing random things on my platform that don’t make any sense at all, like twinkling glow blobs floating up behind me. But why not? It’s magical. Second Life doesn’t have to follow logic, it just has to look the way you want it to.

    Lately my Bridgerton obsession continues with this gorgeous new Fairie Queen crown from Sparkle Skye. You can find it at Engine Room right now, which is one of my favorite events. I love when an event is filled with historical and fantasy-inspired pieces, so if that’s your vibe, this one’s worth checking out.

    It’s your Second Life, make it sparkle.

    Magic Moments

    What I’m Wearing:
    Sparkle Skye – Fairie Queen @ Engine Room
    Wings – TF0710 hair
    JustBecause – Oaklynn Gown
    Everfaery – Amia Necklaces
    Glam Affair – Song (L005)
    LeLutka – Billie Mesh Head

  • | | | | |

    The Day My Waterfront Dream Got Blocked

    Bygogo Bellisseria, iheartslFeed, JuicyBomb, Second Life, Uncategorized, What I think
    2 Comments
    https://www.flickr.com/photos/gogolita/54799348898/
    Who thought it was a good idea to drop ugly concrete homes on our cherished waterfront?

    I love Bellisseria. That’s no secret. I’ve loved it since the launch in 2019 and I even went Lifetime Premium so I could keep my little homes forever.

    Yesterday I woke up to find that the new Ridgewood Enclave, which first appeared on the west coast of the OG Bellisseria continent, has now crept north and is just one region away from blocking my beloved Victorian Linden Home. It’s one region away from destroying my waterfront view.

    Unblockable waterfront is the dream in Second Life. People pay big money for it on private estates and when it comes with a Linden Home for the cost of a yearly Premium subscription it feels like winning the lottery. For years we believed our rare coastal homes were secure, that our unblockable views would always stay that way. That sense of security was tossed out the window this week when Second Life started building in front of the very views that made Bellisseria magical.

    I’m disappointed. I know many residents who live along these coasts will feel the same sadness when their open water is suddenly replaced with rows of concrete houses. Bellisseria was supposed to be the sure thing, the continent where you could settle in, decorate, and trust that your neighborhood and view would remain untouched. Now that certainty is gone.

    Part of the charm of Bellisseria is its consistency. When we choose a theme we expect it to stay that way with only minimal or optional updates. We don’t want drastic changes that undo the very reasons we moved there in the first place.

    I wasn’t going to say anything. But the truth is, as residents, we should feel free to voice our opinions when the HOA, also known as Linden Lab, makes sweeping decisions without considering the people already living there. It’s not unreasonable to expect at least one buffer row of ocean regions between themes, something to preserve the views and avoid jarring transitions.

    Bellisseria isn’t just a collection of regions. It’s the neighborhoods and views that matter to us, and we don’t want to see them ruined.