facebook

As it has been already announced the Lab is moving forward with their plans to implement their new community communication platform:

http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2011/02/16/a-new-community-platform-coming-march-2nd

Now of course anyone who knew me knew, that this is a topic I am harping about since a long time and that I think that communication is the big topic the Lab is failing in since the very beginning. At least since I am here and take part in this world. I like it here too, so I am continuing to point this out. And here I need to say that:

"We have recently added significant resources--of both people and technology--to improve your experience with both Customer Support and community interaction and communication."

Sounds like a hollow phrase. I guess I would have to apologize but I am disillusioned about such things. I want to see them come true only that experience tells otherwise. A improvement here, in the customer support, would do a great service to any aspect of Second Life. Even those who does not use the service will profit from less drama and a better mood on the grid. And I guess we could all use a little bit of uplifting lately.

On a virtual world like Second Life a lot depends on how the company running it communicates with it's users. Or customers as they should see us or residents as I guess our all official designation is:

http://blogs.secondlife.com/community/features/blog/2011/02/09/improving-our-lines-of-communication-with-the-community

This post on Linden Lab's blog made me stop and think for a moment. How did the communication went in the past and what might those changes mean in the future. I guess anyone who has read some of my previous posts would know, that this is a topic that I almost always return to. It is a topic, I see as very central to most issues we have faced in the past years. It is essential for LL to get feedback, it is essential for the residents to decide if it is a good choice to put some money and time into it and it is essential for the inworld business owners as their plans and investments rise and fall with the mood that is prominent on the grid in any given moment. The less openness, the less feedback, the more screaming and the more rumours that in turn only increase the feeling of uncertainty, that makes many people wonder why we all are still keeping up with this madhouse.

I thought, I share this very enlightening surprise find:

(source of the image: http://unreasonablefaith.com/2011/01/15/data-security/ )

Assange-Zuckerberg

It was rather surprising to hear, that Blue Mars, a virtual world that has been perceived as the possibly toughest competitor for SL, is now moving completely to portable platforms and turns into a Ipad/Iphone app. This will mean a stop to their development of their PC based client and I guess also the end of a big part of the cloud rendering, virtual land creation and development work that would actually lead to something like a virtual world.

And here we go. News, news, news … or at least something interesting and maybe even promising and something that might point into a strange direction. Or maybe not that strange but it should at least rise some questions about what kind of business the Facebook people will turn towards to next.

But anyway, the first, and promising, news story is about the new web-based viewer SL has put out for testing: