SLim Pickings
I just downloaded the new SLim Second Life client released by Linden Lab. So far I like what it does but theres a few things that I don’t like about it…
Pros
- I like that I can contact friends in IM or be IMed by people when I am not logged in without using a webapp or other third party programs.
- Voice is enabled
Cons
- You need to download a first look client to be able to download your friends list.
- If you want to IM someone in the SLim client, they need to have the actual SLim beta.
- Unable to chat in public chat like you can with AjaxLife or similar programs.
/me understands that this is a beta and hopes it will be better. I’m sure as time progresses more functionality will be added to the SLim client. But so far I am enjoying it even if one person on my friends list only has the SLim client right now.
If theres one feature that needs to be added, I want a little popup that says X X is online at the bottom right side of the screen like some other applications do.
The Greenies Problem
I know this is old news but I feel like I had to write about this. A while ago on Podmafia we explored the Greenies sim which is an amazing build that all newbies and oldies should see. However they are now charging for entry into the sim, which in my opinion sucks.
OK L$99 doesn’t seem like a lot of money, but to a newbie that’s like L$1,000,000. When a newbie joins Second Life it can be a daunting experience and I think it is important to let them know about the good stuff quick so they can understand what is cool and possible about the virtual world.
What I’m trying to say is that Second Life builds when its a public place that you want people to visit should not be blocked off at all. The only times something should really be blocked off is a residential area or if someone has been banned.
When you think about the Internet you get websites that need to be paid to gain entries to certain areas, most of which never really work out well. Second Life is entirely the same, people expect to visit somewhere and be able to explore it for free. Sure there’s a cost attached to it for the service provider but they can make money other ways like Donation kiosks that can help facilitate the venue or merchandise.
I’m sure that Rezzable is making some money from the Greenies but to be honest I think they are already successful enough to not need to offer a charge for admission. I’m sure events like the Hair Fair make them money and the Greenies has always seemed to me like a good promotion of what Rezzable does.
Basically, charging for admission in my mind is a stupid idea and if people start copying the idea then it will negatively impact Second Life.
I am sure most of what I said has been said before but I don’t care because this is my opinion that has been badly written. Also thanks to Dakota Blackmountain for pointing out a typo 
Whats your Second Life?
I am currently listening to SL Under the Radar’s part 2 of The Toilet Bowl and it got me thinking, what on earth is Second Life to people. What is it that they do?
Me?
I am an evil tyrant who wants to wage nuclear war on Nowhereville who is secretly an evil timelord.
Why?
I love Doctor Who and thats why I am an evil timelord. The nuclear war thing is because I am scared of Nuclear War. I used to have regular nightmares about Nuclear War but for some reason, since I started playing around with nukes in Second Life it sort of eased my fears and I haven’t had a nightmare about it in a long freaking time.
Thats a sort of insight to why Warf is Warf. What about you? Do you do anything wacky that you wouldn’t do in Real Life that you do in your Second Life? Is this post entirely pointless to you?
SpaceNavigator Arrives!
OK, Yesterday I ordered a SpaceNavigator from Dabs.com. I decided to choose the cheapest delivery option for the delivery. This morning I wake up and find that a box had arrived for me. So here is some unboxing photos
So far I have been amazed with this little mouse wonder. Why did it take me so long to order one of these? Seriously it is a great toy to have and the best part is that it really intuitive to use. I’ll continue playing with it and give it an early review on tomorrows Podmafia Podcast.
Moving On…
So. Maybe you have heard or maybe you haven’t.
But I am going to be leaving Nowhereville. Why?
Well. I figured that I would leave to make way for a change to Nowhereville. Theres some prime candidates who want to move in and it makes sense that I should leave to make way for change. I have always been a big believer of change and the good it can do but having looked back at Nowhereville I just don’t think it has changed all that much. The major changes to the island were mostly on my parcel(s), Gomem’s parcel, When the Newggenheim came in and when Caleb changed things around. But now it probably needs a major change and I believe that may be around the corner, and it’s gotta be good…right?
But what about you, Stuart?
Well. I am moving to Podcast Island. Why?
To be honest not a lot happens there. It needs to be injected with new life and events to make it seem more active. The main event that happens each month is of course the Podcaster Meetups. But with SLPN moving in there will be more events garunteed with the live podcasts we are starting to do more and more at SLPN.
Biography
Currently…
I am Stuart Warf. An avatar who was born on the 2nd of May 2006 in Second Life. My avatar is an evil timelord who’s TARDIS was left stranded in this world remaining in the current timeline until I can escape this virtual world (In case you don’t know, Heres a Doctor Who Wikipedia Page). My hobbies include Physical Prim tricks, building and podcasting. I currently live at Podcast Island where the SLPN Studios lie.
A Brief History of Stuart Warf
I originally joined Second Life in 2006 when alot of the podcasting community discovered Second Life and thought that it had amazing potential, which they were correct but failed to see it and left when the eighties has-been left. During 2006 I, along with Gomem Desoto, formed a group called The Podmafia (the actual group name is The Pod Mafia), which later in August - September had 5 episodes of a podcast called The Podmafia Podcast, which originally was aimed at going around places in Second Life and teaching the masses about podcasting.
Then came 2007. In the early beginning I was partnered but that soon ended. So became my life of living. For a month I resided in SoHo, but for some reason I just didn’t like renting there. So I left but still hung out to see the crazy and wacky stuff going on there. It was around this time when I temporarily brought back The Podmafia Podcast for 3 episodes. Then came Life, Living in Nowhereville. From around March until August I rented land under Madison Carnot while hosting the Take it or Leave it at Nowhereville. This however stopped for me when Take it or Leave it ended. But that was short lived when Crap Mariner injected new life into Nowhereville shortly after the Second Life Woodstock event that took place in the Five Islands. During August Podmafia Podcast came back after troubled times and stayed strong with Yxes Delacroix as host. I re-rented at Nowhereville under Crap Mariner and continued to live there.
So in comes 2008, When I launched SLPN, a network dedicated to podcasts for the metaverse. During the year I continued to work on SLPN by bringing in new shows and new challenges such as live podcasting in Second Life. Up until July 2008 I had continued to live at Nowhereville. However after some thinking and a polite request I decided to leave Nowhereville and move to Podcast Island…
That’s the story so far…
Last Updated on the 18th of July 2008
SL on Xbox?
Earlier this week I came across this blog entry by Dusan Writer which talks about a placeholder found on the official Second Life website at the URL - http://search.secondlife.com/.
placeholder page for XBOX, PS3, and iPhone versions of client when they launch next real soon now
However if you visit the site now it says
placeholder for search
So, what’s the deal? Well here’s what I think what happened
- LL is working on an XBOX 360, PS3 and iPhone version of Second Life and someone in the departments placed the wrong placeholder at the URL instead of a placeholder for an offline search engine for Second Life
- A PR Stunt
- An employee who was bored and decided to have some fun without realising that it would be noticed
However if LL is working on a client for the Xbox, PS3 and iPhone then I will be happy for two reasons. I Have an Xbox AND an iPod touch. For those who don’t know the iPhone/iPod touch has the same operating system and hardware (minus the phone, camera and soon to be GPS) meaning it would work on the iPod as well.
On the Xbox and PS3 you can talk via a microphone or keyboard (at least on the 360 you can). Also the whole Flycam features that are coming soon could in theory work well with Second Life. Not to mention that they are dedicated systems for gaming making Second Life be smooth and free of system lag (sim lag will probably still occur).
Although this may never happen I think it would be awesome if it did. Here’s to hoping that the almighty lindens are working on it
Finally Declared Dead…to iTunes
A long time ago in the summer of 2006 I tried to start a weekly podcast called "The Weekly Warf Show" but it was kinda…really…boring. So it went into my archive of Podfade.
It was of course submitted to iTunes, but I deleted the show and its feed last year. However iTunes has only just caught up with this revelation
Dear Podcast Owner
The podcast located at the URL shown below has been blocked or removed from the iTunes directory as a result of technical problems with the feed.
Name: The Weekly Warf Show
Feed URL: http://www.podshow.com/feeds/warf.xml
I wonder how many dead podcast feeds still lie on the surface of the iTunes store…
How do you solve a problem like Podmafia 50?
Hey Guys
I am currently in the process of uploading Podmafia Podcast Episode 49 and I have just started to think…
WHAT THE HELL ARE WE ACTUALLY GONNA DO FOR EPISODE 50?
So… I decided to throw something up on the blog and see if anything comes of it…
Here are a couple of ideas for shows we could do…
- Top 5 Moments of Podmafia 1-50
- A show where we reminisce on the past
- Same old show
I am quite drawn to the whole Top 5 moments…but what exactly are the top 5 moments of the podcast.
Downtime Sucks
OK so Stuart Warf has not been in Second Life a lot recently…
So, in this blog entry I am going to be clearing things up with reasons (or excuses) to my disappearance.
- XBox 360 + GTA 4…
It is a good game and it is quite addictive…apart from the annoying 12 year olds who use voice and scream down your earhole and grief the games… - My PC is Broke’d
Well…this really is the main reason why the disappearance of Warf happened.So, on Friday 9th of May 2008 my motherboard (after some other difficulties) practically died. After days of trying to diagnose the problem I pretty much figured out that it was a brick. But just in case, I contacted the MSI technical support via my laptop. It took them 6 days to reply… and the advice was pretty much useless.
So…where do I stand now?
Well I am looking for the reciept so the motherboard can be returned and I am hopefully going to be back online with my awesome machine by the end of the week.
So… While I wait for the conclusion to this chapter in my PC’s life, I will probably be doing some blogging and get some SLPN stuff sorted out.
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Plurk
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