Topics:

• 1:30 How do you become an OpenSim core developer?
• 8:00 Can OpenSim become the “3D web”?
• 14:00 Does OpenSim need asset security?
• 24:00 Does OpenSim need feature parity with Second Life?
• 31:30 How do you decide which features are in OpenSim core?
• 37:30 The state of OpenSim physics.
• 40:00 Is there a roadmap for OpenSim?
• 45:30 Will OpenSim be moving away from Second Life?
• 53:00 Is OpenSim growing?
• 1:02:00 Will OpenSim and Second Life be threats to one another?
• 1:16:00 Did OpenSim “steal” Linden Lab’s technology?
• 1:18:00 About DRM and permissions.
• 1:29:30 Personal future plans.
• 1:32:30 About OpenSim Creations.

Links:

• Archive 3D
• Blenderswap
• Pathfinder’s Virtual World Presentation
• Lag in Second Life and OpenSim and how to deal with it

And while I was at it, I finally played a little more with Viewer 3 and took a look at what all that fuzz with Mesh is about, and fell down a rabbit hole and haven’t found my way back yet. I knew before that mesh would be a game changer. That is, I knew it conceptually, like you know that a federated network of interconnected grids (the hypergrid) will be a game changer. But after I uploaded my first mesh, it already changed the game for me:

Not only are meshes much more detailed and diverse than anything you could do with sculpts and prims, they are also much more ubiquitous, since we can start drawing from the non-SL 3D-community as well. There’s tons of resources of free 3D meshes on the web, which can easily converted to collada for use in OpenSim, and in addition to that, meshes can also be created more easily once you get the hang of some basic 3D software. So really, the metaverse of the coming years will look very different from the metaverse we know today.

(See, I implemented an age verification disclaimer to the site, to make it more family friendly. Cool, eh?)

Got your attention back? Good.

The current debate about Google+ probably not allowing pseudonymous profiles (unless it maybe does, but only with some) has the SL users who enthusiastically embraced this new platform split in three camps, as far as I can see. There’s some who want to “fight for their right priviledge”, those who give up on the platform in disappointment (and maybe want to boycott other or all other google products along with it) and those who are more in the “wait and see, and if they suspend me, then… meh” mode.

Now, thing is, it’s retarded to fight for a pseudonymous Google+ profile. I’m sorry, I can’t put any other word to it. Google+ is a service offered for free to users, and there’s certain rules that come along with it. As a user, the right to change or even have a say in these rules are exactly zero. Take them or leave it, there’s nothing to fight for other than the right to be datamined. None of your rights are in danger, and there is really nothing to be gained. Even if, IF we would “win” and Google would let us pseudonymous weirdos use their service with our wacky names and cartoon avatars, they could, at any time in the future, decide that we’re too much for them to handle and they didn’t love us in the first place, and then kick us again. There really is no stable peace to be gained here.

Waiting how things will work out is probably the most natural approach, and I can understand people doing that, but it makes using the service somewhat less fun, and you’ll probably not use it to the full extent you could, because somewhere, in the back of your mind, there’s this nagging concern that you’re not as welcome as you thought you are, and that you might be shut out at any time. That’s not the most comforting atmosphere to be in. And of course, leaving it will bring you to the place you’ve been before and makes you wonder what social network you should use for your avatar.

Well, the most natural answer would be: Second Life itself, of course – if only it would offer the nice features we’re used from social networks – and it seems they’re working at it, at least you can now post status updates and comment on others’. Which, incidentally, brings up another topic I wanted to discuss once: If you’re running an OpenSim grid that’s trying to compete with not only other OpenSim grids, but with Second Life as well, then why on earth do you think it’s sufficient to just install OpenSim and provide a registration page and basically the same things that any Diva Distro comes out of the box with. Honestly, that’s insufficient. Of a grid that really wants to be awesome I would expect nothing less than a fully working web-based social network with in-world accounts linked to web profiles, forum accounts, a marketplace, land store, anything that Second Life does, and then some. Yes, that requires work and expertise, and lots of it, but that’s the point: Nobody will sign up for the 250.000th Diva Distro grid that offers yet again super stable regions, instant customer support, and a pony.

Sorry for the rant. Have another one.

Anyway, the issue is really deeper than that. It’s about handing over data and having to trust someone elses service, when there’s really no need to. I know I’ve been mouth-wateringly slobbering for diaspora earlier this year, but have become increasingly disillusioned with them, especially after it seems they’re not very good at security to provide a good base for that kind of software. But really, what’s wrong with running a little bit of wordpress, or status.net? Webspace has never been this cheap, and many webhosts come with at least some choices of preinstalled software. What better place for your profile on the web than on your own server, where you not only make the rules and can upload and share whatever you like (and even get to decide who gets to see what), but where you won’t get datamined on top of that.

You don’t even have to fight for that, but if you did, it would even be worth fighting for.

(Top 2 pictures CC-by Suicide Girls, bottom picture by El.)

Source: Victorian Lady Extra Textures

This is a large (~90 MB) texture pack for the Victorian Lady, provided by Cobbler’s Trading Company of OSGrid, where you can find more of their creations on Wright Plaza. It is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License.

Source: Victorian Lady

Please see the tutorial on how to import this creation.

This build was made by the Cobbler’s Trading Company of OSGrid, and is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 Unported License. You can find it (and many of their other creations) on Wright Plaza on OSGrid. Also, there’s an amazing amount of textures available as well to customize this built the way you like.

Source: nwn

Please see the tutorial on how to use these poses and the scripts for a poseball.

Want to be a TGIB model? Add your snapshots to the TGIB flickr pool with the tag TGIB nwn pose

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Source: Hat

Please see the tutorial on how to import this creation and the speedbuild tutorial on how to make it.

Want to become a TGIB model? Add your snapshots to the TGIB flickr pool with the tag TGIB speedbuild hat

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Source: Commie Star

A little something I made for last year’s Bay City birthday parade, I’d love to dedicate this creation to Avination and every other closed grid. Please see the tutorial on how to import this creation.

Want to show what you did with TGIB creations? Add your snapshots to the TGIB flickr pool with the tag TGIB commie star