Posted on

The skies are quiet

Since the recent release of SL 1.7, and subsequent lag issues, Second Life has seemed a little quiet. From time to time, there are surges of activity through Abbotts when a group shows up to go skydiving or maybe try out a few planes. I supposed they’re not bothered by sudden, crippling bouts of lag, but for myself, I’m going to avoid aircraft until the next patch, which — according to Philip — will address the root cause of the lag.

As much as these issues can be annoying, I take the more philosophical view. The bugs are a good sign, in part — they’re a sign that the code isn’t stagnating. We wouldn’t see new bugs appear if the Linden Lab devs weren’t constantly improving code. Every time you add something new to a complex system, it naturally reveals new and unforseen bugs which, over time, can be trampled out of existence, one-by-one. Add feature, reveal bugs, kill them, repeat ad infinitum. That’s the software development cycle.

In the meantime, it seems like many SLers are biding the time to the next patch by turning their attentions to other pursuits — politics, forum drama, and real-life meetups. That’s the sign of a healthy online community. Give SL another couple of weeks, and this whole 1.7 kerfuffle will be forgotten, and we can once again take to the skies.

Say, that’s the first time I’ve used “kerfuffle” in a blog entry.

Posted on

Rumours

A couple of weeks ago, as I was working on the elevator at the aerodrome, a passer-by let me in on an interesting rumour that’s been floating around. He asked me if it was true that I was a Linden.

Wow. Interesting theory. It started, apparently, shortly after I announced my “retirement”. Why would a reasonably high-profile Second Lifer with a successful business just pack it in and quit? OMGWTFLOL!!!!11! He must be a Linden now!

In a typically long-winded rant against Linden Lab’s policy of hiring the most qualified applicant, Second Life’s resident conspiracy theorist has pounced on this rumour. Prokofy Neva writes, “And how about Cubey Terra…did he leave because (as rumor has it) that he was a silent partner in the crashed GOM? Or did he Become a Linden? And if so…WHICH Linden?”

GASP! If Prokofy thinks it’s true, then surely it must be! Or… maybe we can attribute this one to what Cienna Rand dubs “Prokofy’s Razor: Given two equally predictive theories, choose the most complex conspiracy.” As absurd as Prok’s theories are (and what conspiracy theories aren’t?), I feel compelled to set the record straight.

Was I a silent partner in GOM? I’d never heard this rumour before Prok published it, and have no idea what could have prompted it. Maybe this one’s not actually a rumour, but simply another figment of Prok’s fertile imagination. The answer is, No, I was not a silent partner in GOM. My relationship to GOM was that of an occasional customer.

Am I now a Linden? What an exciting prospect! To answer this question, I had to do some digging. In IRC, I asked Vektor Linden whether I am a Linden, and if so, which Linden am I? I volunteered to be him, but his response was simply “Which Linden”.

So there you go. According to Vektor, I’m “Which Linden”. If you hear any other rumours about me and want to get the straight facts, feel free to ask me about them! Or if you prefer the other side of Prokofy’s Razor, you know who to consult for that.

Posted on

Terra Sport Chute 2

The Terra Sport Chute 2 is the safest and easiest parachute in Second Life. Just strap it on and click it for a menu of options. If you forget to set your auto-deploy altimeter — no problem! Just press Page Up while in freefall to pull the ripcord and glide safely to the ground.

Features:

* NEW IN VERSION 2: The canopy now stows itself *inside* the pack instead of just turning invisible. No more accidental clicks on an invisible canopy!

* NEW IN VERSION 2: Harness is adjustable to 5 preset sizes, plus 1 user-saved size.

* Click the pack for the menu. Also allows chat commands, if that’s what you prefer.

* Changes color. Click the parachute, choose Edit Colors, and choose a color.

* Set the auto-deploy altimeter to open the chute at any altitude you choose.

* Heads-up display shows altitude, speed, and auto-deploy status.

* The parachute is modifyable, so you can edit the pack and canopy to any color you want.

* Permissions:
[X] Modify, [ ] Copy, [X] Resell/Give Away

Available for L$100 at my shiny new shop in Abbotts, at the Aerodrome Skydiving Shop, or from the web shops — SL Exchange and SecondServer.

UPDATE: Now also available in the Camo Gear Kit, which includes a special camouflague-themed selection of items.

Posted on

My art deco monstrosity

The hardest thing about retirement is that there’s too much to do. Since I stopped putting so much time into new aircraft designs, I’ve started getting these ideas for other projects.

Like yesterday morning, for example, I woke up with the urge to build an art deco monstrosity on my land in Abbotts. That meant, of course, that I had to wipe out my existing hangar and airstrip to make room. Today, I’m mostly done — still have some texturing and tidying up inside, but I think it’s pretty much what I had in mind.


The new Cubey Terra building, northwest corner of Abbotts. (Click the image to embiggen.)

I tell you, this retirement is hard work. I might have to retire from retirement.

Posted on

Making the unreal real

As I’ve mentioned before, I have an unhealthy addiction to Second Life — an online, shared, virtual world (not a game, say Second Life’s makers). It’s an environment where the users create their own world, then live and play in it.

Simon Goldin, an artist from Sweden, wasn’t content to leave virtual creations in Second Life. He’s selected a handful of items from various residents and fabricated them in real life for an exhibition, calling the collection Objects of Virtual Desire.

Penguin Balls in Second Life
Penguin Balls in Second Life

Penguin Balls in real life
Penguin Balls in real life

Our interest lies in exploring the concept of product design in a virtual world and what kind of interpersonal value objects carry in this context. Further questions are raised by transferring these objects to physical space and a ?first life? economy. What is immaterial value-creation and can it be materialised? What does it mean to use a virtual world as a site of production?

The issues raised are relevant in a wider context, as value-production in the ?post-fordist? era has become increasingly immaterial. Nike, for example, exploits the physical function of a shoe to create and market immaterial values, so pervasive that the shoe itself becomes almost virtual.

Objects of Virtual Desire exploits the augmented value of immaterial objects to create and market tangible products, thereby reversing the process and highlighting the materiality of the immaterial. (link)

Among the items he fabricated are jewelry, butterflies, a Jedi orb from Star Wars, and one of my creations, Penguin Balls. In Second Life, Penguin Balls are big, bouncy, penguin-laden spheres that you can drag around and throw at people. It’s great fun to fill a crater with them and fly through them with a jet pack.

Simon’s penguin balls are two-meter infatable balls with an inflatable penguin inside. As much as I’d love to have one of these, I think I’ll have to forgo the pleasure, since the price is currently set at 3,300 Euros (about 3,969 US dollars). Ah well… I don’t have room in my apartment for one anyway.