Viewer 2 Becomes The Default Download & New Resident Experience Upgrade

T Linden announced this morning on the Official Second Life Blog that Viewer 2 is out of the beta period and that Viewer 2 is now the default download (viewer) for all users. On the SL Login Screen there is now a optional upgrade notice where you can download Viewer 2. Viewer 2 made it out of beta on time to meet with Q1 2010 deadline Linden Lab set earlier this year.

• Viewer 2 Public Beta was released on February 23rd 2010.
• Viewer 2 came out of beta on March 31st 2010
• Viewer 2.1 due out mid-summer

SL Login Screen: Viewer 2 Upgrade Message

There are new changes to the New Resident Experience today in Second Life including 94 Welcome Islands and 60 SL Discovery Islands. There are Welcome Island Public regions and SL Discovery Island Public regions for everybody to check out. New users will be rezzed at the new Welcome Island regions now when they sign up for Second Life via the sign-up page instead of landing at the old Help Islands.

Welcome Island Public

SL Discovery Island Public

Coming Soon

• In April there will be more in-depth blog posts on New Resident Experience
• Expect Q1 SL Metrics to be published in early April 2010 by T Linden
• Next release of Viewer 2 expected mid summer of 2010

SL recap of March 2010

Recap of all the top SL stories and happenings this month. Happy Spring 2010!

• LL adds new control panel to Linden Homes – 3rd
• Metanomics Leads the Way with Vibrant SL Business Community and Mixed-Reality Events – 4th
• There.com shuts down today at 11:59 PM PST – 8th
• Pathfinder Linden takes the exit path – 9th
• M Linden opening Linden Lab Europe HQ in Amsterdam – 11th
• VWBPE 2010 – 12th-13th
• Infinity Linden leaves Linden Lab – 19th
• The Resident Help Network Fair – 19th
• Nova Albion 6th Anniversary – 20th
• New Avatars United Verification system now implemented – 21st
• End of SLim beta – 22nd
• The removal of 13 sims — collectively known as Victoriana — from the Grid – March 25
• Spring Burning Life Weekend – 26th-28th
• M Linden’s “Doodle Art” opening at UWA – 27th

Turning off lights during Earth Hour in SL and RL

In Real Life I turned out the lights and in Second Life this year I turned out the lights on Plurk, Twitter, my SL Netvibes. I even went dark inworld to add my bit for Earth Hour 2010, from 8:30pm till 9:30pm local time.

• In Second Life
• On SL Netvibes
• On Twitter
• More pics can be found here

Did you remember to turn out the lights during Earth Hour 2010?
27th March 2010

Burning Life group holding inworld weekend celebrations

Jeska Linden announced this week that the Burning Life group will be holding an inworld celebration this weekend. This unique event will happen from Friday 26th till Sunday 28th of March 2010. Burning Life will celebrating its 8th year in Second Life this summer.

You’ll be able to dance to  a wide variety of music by our communities’ talented singers, players,  and DJs; catch the ChangHigh Trinity Sisters Fireshow; hang with the  Lamplighters; join a drum circle; fling some things with the Spring  Flinger; and of course, drag race some art cars.

Also for your  amusement: a collection of the funniest port-a-potties you all made for  last year’s event Plus a few new ones.

But most of all, just  come and meet more fellow Burners. It’s time to start hatching plots for  your 2010 theme camp or art project. You never know who you might meet  to collaborate with!

Get involved

• Burning Life group inworld
• Avatars United group
• inworld location

Last year I attended the burning life regions for the first time and throught it was great fun. There was alot of tents, creative builds and other interesting things happening to celebrate during the event. I was a Burning Life stage manager last year to make sure performances ran alright and made sure no problems occurred during the set scheduled hours.

 

End of SLim beta

23rd March 2010 Update

Important information regarding your SLim beta account

Hello Daniel Voyager,

You are receiving this message because you participated in the Second Life SLim beta program.

The program has been a great success. Thousands of Residents have found the service useful on a regular basis, and we have learned a lot about some of the ways in which we can break down the walls of connection and communication across the virtual frontier.

We are writing to let you know that we have decided to end the SLim beta program, effective immediately, in order to channel our resources toward some of the promising new opportunities we discovered in the beta process. Stay tuned for those announcements, and in the meantime, please accept our sincere appreciation for your efforts. Your participation and perspective are what make Second Life such an amazing and always-changing experience.

For more information, please visit the SLim Wiki page.

Best regards,
The Second Life SLim beta team

This message appears in a yellow box when you visit About the SLim Client SL wiki page.  Taka Linden created this Update message at the top of the page, so with that said that marks the end SLim beta service. I hardly ever used the service but I know many did and liked it for many reasons.

SL Wiki Update

SLim is no longer an active service. Its beta program began in September 2008 and ended in March 2010.

Other Messages

“We are writing to let you know that we have decided to end the SLim beta program, effective immediately, in order to channel our resources toward some of the promising new opportunities we discovered in the beta process. Stay tuned for those announcements, and in the meantime, please accept our sincere appreciation for your efforts. Your participation and perspective are what make Second Life such an amazing and always-changing experience.

“Best regards,
The Second Life SLim beta team”

New Avatars United Verification system implemented

On Avatars United you can now verify your SL identities apparently. Linden Lab has been setting this verification system for some time now behind close doors but today its available for all. Linden Lab connected with Avatars United on January 29th 2010 and the site has attracted hundreds of SL residents over recent months.

1. Log into your Avatars United Profile
2. Click on Verify This Identity
3. Brings up pop-up window saying:

Avatar Identity Verification

Avatars United now supports avatar identity verification for Second Life avatars. Only trust verified Second Life avatars.

1. Click on Click here to verify this identity
2. Log into your SL account
3. Click on Verify
4. Confirmation message will display in yellow box saying ID verification successful.

The identity of Daniel Voyager has been verified.

Yay.

Nova Albion 6th Anniversary, 20th March 2010

Nova Albion will be celebrating its 6th anniversary in Second Life this coming Saturday 20th March 2010 at 2 pm SLT.

Parade 2010 Map – Starting and finishing at Grignano
Calling All Ducks

• Follow the Nova Albion Twiter Feed
• SLURL
• 3 LIVE performers will entertain right after the parade from 3 to 6 pm SLT !!
• Come along and enjoy the fun!

Pirate Air reaches 600 members strong

The Pirate Air group in Second Life has announced that there are now 600 members in the group and growing strong weekly. Pirate Air is one of the biggest active airports in the community with ingoing and outgoing flights every day.  There is a runaway, hangers, free planes, sitting areas and much more to explore when you arrive. If you join the group you will receive freebies and the very latest happenings from SL flying management team.

Pirate Air, is dedicated itself to flying and  the skies of Second Life.  Based at Honah Lee Surf Sim, our group meets Weds Evenings @ 2:00 PM SLT, and Sunday at 12:00 pm SLT. Our charter is simple – Fl, enjoy our aircraft, and build Camaraderie with fellow Aviators.  Our Motto:  No one left in the hangar.   Join us !

• VISIT LOCATION
  
• My photos from Pirate Air
  
• Join the group
• Fly about
  

St Patrick’s Day 2010 in Second Life

Get your green on at St. Patrick’s Day 2010!

March 17th 2010 marks St Patrick’s Day 2010 in RL and in Second Life.  Don’t forget to drop by and check out the following;

• Destination Guide – St Patrick’s Day
• XStreet SL – St Patrick’s Day
• Click on Search > Events > Type in St Patrick’s Day > Check out the inworld events going on around the grid.
• Click on Search > Showcase > St Patrick’s Day locations to check out

Check out my St Patrick’s Day photos from 2009.

Over 5,000 avatars attended VWBPE 2010

New VWBPE Record Set

Marty Snowpaw, one of the many organizers of VWBPE 2010 said that “over 5, 000 avatars attended the two day event” between 12th-13th of March 2010. That means VWBPE 2010 set a brand new record. Marty Snowpaw also said “the conference is rolling a long with record breaking attendance”. VWBPE 2010 was a 48 hour in-world conference hosted at the VWBPE regions. VWBPE 2009 organizers announced last year that around 38, 00 unique with over 600 new avatars attended which set a new record. You can view the recorded videos of the conference, click here.

I couldn’t make it last year but I went along to the conference inworld this year and throught it was really interesting. I enjoyed listening to many presentations both inworld and on the live broadcast stream via VWBPE Live Media. The cyberland German Teen presentation, M Linden’s presentation and Viewer 2.0 presentation I found interesting.

Perhaps next year the conference could be for the whole weekend but I am sure there will be even more records set. Seeing future conferences in 3D in Second Life would be awesome to see. The organizers, presenters and volunteers etc did a great job this year and I would definitely go next year.