[sldev] [POLICY] OpenSL considered harmful?

[Kamilion]

On Dec 11, 2007 9:07 AM, Kelly Linden <kelly at lindenlab.com> wrote:
>  As others have pointed out, we are working with OpenSim (along with other
> people) in the AWG groups on standards of interoperability.   >From the wiki
> page:
>  "AWG's mission is to develop the protocols that will open up the Second
> Life Grid from something operated solely by Linden Lab to where others can
> run parts of the grid."
>  I think someone linked it already, but more info on AWG here:
>
>  https://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Architecture_Working_Group
>
>  I am sure the AWG group, and myself personally, would be interested in any
> reasoning for using OpenSim over SL - what you mean by "when the SL server
> should also be some other type of server" etc.  Your requirements probably
> aren't entirely unique and I'm sure the group could benefit from hearing
> them.

I believe what he was implying was embedding or allowing another piece
of software to interact with OpenSim.
For instance, A router might have a simulator based on OpenSim
embedded in it instead of a simple HTTP server.
One would be able to use the SL protocol/viewer to toggle settings or
change routing properties.

Another use would be interacting with a home music server, moving a
primset representing an album and it's songs into a space representing
a playlist.

Yet another use perhaps would be a simulator frontend to nagios[1] or
splunk[2] keeping track of a group of servers as individual prims and
representing their status by changing textures, colors or hovertext.

There's plenty of other devices or chunks of software that could
benefit from an embedded simulator.
Anyone who's ever played the Megaman Battle Network[3] series[4] on
the GBA/DS should know what I mean.
Just about every device from ovens to traffic lights had it's own
little 3D world embedded in it.
Most of the problems stemmed from griefers using limited AI
avatars/agents to infect these devices with viral properties.

Sounds to me that's what Joshy Squashy might be working on.

[1] http://www.nagios.org/
[2] http://www.splunk.com/
[3] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_Battle_Network_(video_game)
[4] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mega_Man_Battle_Network_(series)

Slightly edited excerpt of [3] for background & quick reference:
The player alternately controls two main characters, Lan Hikari and
MegaMan.EXE. The former is human while the latter, MegaMan, is a
computer program/avatar called a NetNavi (derived from Network
Navigator) designed specifically to facilitate the user's (Lan's)
interaction with the Net and other computerized devices. In the
series, the Internet and the inner workings of computers are displayed
as a material world which computer programs of all varieties, as
personified in a humanoid form, can interact with.

To advance through the game the player must navigate both the real
world as Lan and the Net as MegaMan, each containing certain tasks
that must be completed to allow advancement in the other. MegaMan.EXE
is often contained in Lan's PET (PErsonal Terminal), however this may
be connected to the Internet or a computer in a process called
"jacking in" ("plugging in" in Japan), which allows MegaMan access to
that device. At this point, the Navi is transferred to the respective
device, rather than being duplicated. If the program is deleted while
jacked in, the effect is rather permanent, unless a backup of the Navi
has been made. However, for the player, deletion of MegaMan.EXE
results in a game over in most circumstances.

>  As for OpenSim specifically, we don't have the means to block access to
> them (due to the open source client as mentioned), nor do I think we have
> the desire to.  I can't offer any official statement about OpenSim or our
> future interactions with them, but I think our work with AWG speaks clearly
> towards our intent.
>
>   - Kelly