[sldev] Re: More plugin / platform harping..

Giff Constable giff at electricsheepcompany.com
Sat Jun 16 11:14:05 PDT 2007


I disagree.  I think we do need more than a simpler UI - of course -- but I
think just making performance improvements -- which are of course very
important -- doesn't solve enough of the retention problem.  It removes some
frustration, but it doesn't enable a better way to work with a virtual
world.  It doesn't solve problems with what to do, who to meet, where to go,
etc.  Allowing 3rd party innovation in and on top of the client can do that.

Maybe it's back to the old debate of immersionists versus platformists, but
I'm amazed when people don't understand the power an extendable and
programmable UI can bring SL.  If this is supposed to be a metaverse
platform, let's make it a great platform rather than just a cool world.

Not trying to offend anyone here, but just sharing how I look at all of
this.
Giff Constable / Forseti Svarog


On 6/16/07, Matthew Dowd <matthew.dowd at hotmail.co.uk> wrote:
>
>
> Mmmm, i personally think that this is a red herring.
>
> "A steep learning curve has led a large percentage of new users — as many
> as 90 percent, according to Linden Lab's own estimates — to abandon the
> service within a few months of thier arrival in-world."
>
> I'm not convinced that many of this 90% who leave are because of UI issues
> - in any case anyone having trouble with the viewer UI would likely give up
> after a few hours, not months!
>
> Some of the 90% give up becaause they can't work out what they are
> supposed to do in SL or how to meet people - that is no different from RL,
> the feeling during the first few days is similar to when you start a new
> job, a new school, move to a new town/country where you aren't sure what you
> are doing, how things work, don't know people to talk to etc. This is a
> social problem requiring social solutions not technical ones, and the
> changes to the welcome programme would address this (whether the particular
> direction LL are currently taking is the correct one or not is a different
> debate)
>
> Some will just get bored when the novelty wears off - this is
> inevitable...
>
> The majority of the 90% who give up do so due to the various problems
> which cause them loss of time, effort and/or money. The most common one will
> be inventory loss. Regardless of what the TOS claim items in the inventory
> do have a value to their owner (either monetary, or time/effort in
> finding/building it). An inventory loss feels like a kick in the stomach,
> and the initial reaction is to want to never touch SL again - some get
> through it and return. Many do not. However, the other issues such as Lindex
> failing, search failing, asset server problems, are impacting on people
> either selling or creating, and even long timers are giving up that the
> return and frustration isn't worth the effort.
>
> This isn't meant to be a rant - but a steer that at the moment, in terms
> of improving the retention rate, effort would be better spent on dealing
> with the relability problems, particular those around inventory, then plugin
> or extensible API architectures.
>
> Matthew
>
>
> ----------------------------------------
> > Date: Thu, 14 Jun 2007 14:36:27 -0700
> > From: tshephard at gmail.com
> > To: sldev at lists.secondlife.com
> > Subject: [sldev] Re: More plugin / platform harping..
> >
> > "Open source Second Life add-ons still months away"
> >
> >
> http://secondlife.reuters.com/stories/2007/06/14/open-source-second-life-add-ons-still-months-away/
> >
> >
> > Interesting reading...  No mention of the license though, which is the
> > only thing that interests me.
> > _______________________________________________
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