Relay for Life Fundraiser Raises over 12,000Ls!!

Today London held a Relay for Life Fundraiser in Hyde Park.  The fundraiser was a success and raised over 12,000L for Relay for Life, the official charity of the American Cancer Society!  This event was part of our April Awareness month of events, as we held fundraisers for Japan Disaster Relief and Second Pride.  In May we will have a fundraiser for War Child, a charity for children affected by wars.  Our event kicked off at 10am with DJ Anakin filling the park with 77 avis, followed by DJ Sweetdizzy who kept the crowd going with her awesome tunage!  A special appearance by the Second Life Cheerleading Squad capped a day of fun and fundraising for a great cause.  Below are photos of this event:





Created with flickr slideshow from softsea.

Texturing in Second Life

Recently Linden Labs have made changes to the way that textures load in your viewer.

For most people the only difference you will see is that Textures load quicker in most places.

For the technically minded Textures were loaded by the internet protocol UDP by the simulator itself, but ongoing the intention is that this will be loaded by HTTP easing the load on the sim, there are also planning to roll out software that will make sim crossings less laggy and smoother. This is due to be in beta soon so a roll out cant be far away .

Some beta versions of Emerald don't support the http textures properly and as I type ;Emerald 1.23.5.1636 is ok, viewer 2 and its betas and snowglobe should work ok, but in some sims http hasn't been implemented.

UDP still has no plans to be phased out as far as i can see so if you are a legacy, viewer user, you should see a bit of improvement as more and more users take advantage on the http delivery and less use the UDP. Hope this is helpful.

In some places its been seems that the loading of external web pages in the internal browser makes objects and textures disappear and reappear when the browser is closed , Im guessing here that the HTTP bandwidth get used up by the browser and returned to the viewer we your browsing on the net stops.

Tips for Inventory Control

When you start in Second Life you will soon be amazed by the amount and variation of items you can pick up with free or with those precious Lindens. But be prepared…once your inventory reaches 4 figures you will soon be pulling your virtual flexi hair out in frustration when you try to find those gorgeous jeans you bought last week.

So what every dedicated Slifer needs to do is put some time and effort into controlling that inventory before it breeds into a monster that takes over the world!

Firstly you need to understand your folders. In your inventory you will see two main folders – inventory and library and these are the same for everyone first signing up.

The library is the public section with the goodies given to everyone – once you use an item from here it will load into your inventory folder – which is your private section.

The folders with icons are the standard folders – these cannot be moved or deleted. However extras folders can be created within these as mush as you wish….which is the first key tip…

Folders, folders, folders

Just like in real life you organise your clothing into specific drawers and wardrobes – so you should with folders in your inventory.

You have a body parts folder – within this you can create extra folders – maybe for hair, skins, shapes, eyelashes, nails. The same applies to your Clothing folder – why not create one for shoes, hats –whatever you need to find your items fast.

You will find you need to apply this organisation to all folders – gestures, snapshots, notecards – ultimately it will seem a lot of work but not as much as looking through 150 photos to find that beautiful one of you dancing in your wings at Mayhem club!

Make folders for HUDs…furniture….vehicles – it will depend on your own inventory what you choose to have folders for. You will then find that you can move your items into these leaving it much faster to search once you know what your items are which is the second tip….

Rename and organise

All modifiable items can be renamed – so call them something you will recognise it by again – and think onwards about the amount you will gather. So don’t call them blue jeans – maybe blue jeans & butterfly will be better.

If you have non-modifiable items you need to rename just pop them in their own folder and rename that to something recognisable.

Of course the best thing to do is ensure you only have items you use…so tip number 3…..

Delete and trash

If you have an outfit you hate and are never going to use…..delete it – especially if it was a freebie. Once you delete an item it will move into your trash folder. At this point you can still find it and restore it to your inventory.

Items in the trash folder still count in your inventory and will slow its loading down – so once you are sure you want to permanently remove then empty your trash regularly by right clicking the folder.

Also once you have opened a box and have the folder of items out of it you usually take this empty box back to your inventory – make sure you delete these straight out again.

Once you have a fabulous tidy inventory you can find your items in a number of ways…oh yes its tip number 4.

Search and filter

You have a number of tools at the top of your inventory for finding items:

1) Search – type in red and this will show you all items with red in the title – this is where your skill at renaming helps.

2) Filters – looking for specifically a gesture…..use these filters to narrow down what you see

3) Sort options – you can change whether your inventory is sorted by name or by date depending on what you are searching for.

4) Recent items tab – if you just purchased something and can’t find it click on this to see your most recent items.

Now you have a clean well-organised wardrobe – but sometimes it does all go wrong…sad face. We have all experienced that moment of opening our inventory and screaming ‘OMG Linden ate my shoes!!’

The key rule is don’t panic – on nearly all occasions your inventory hasn’t disappeared - it just hasn’t loaded correctly. There is official help and guidance for this – so either go see your friendly London Greeter or check out the following page:

http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Inventory_Page_The_Inventory_Recovery_Steps

You may need to spend some serious quiet time on initially getting organised but just think – once you are done you can reward yourself….with a little shopping trip!

by Evie Falconer

Ghosting: How to Get Back in on the Grid

Have you logged out one evening and come back the next day just to see the same responsless avatar you said hello to last night? Wonder what happened to him? It may be a case of ghosting... and it's not a bad idea to know what to do in case the problem arises for you.

Occasionally when you crash or log out on your pc, you may not be fully logged out of of SL. The next time you attempt to log in to SL you will get a message that the system is logging you out and your account will not be available for a certain amount of time. Usually this is resolved within a few minutes, as the system dumps its memory. But occasionally, in the case of ghosting, an avatar can get stuck in limbo for hours, or even a couple of days... unable to log back in until the system resets or their is a sim restart to refresh things.

So what can you do if this error keeps you out of SL? Go to http://www.secondlife.com/ and log into your account. At the top right of your screen there is a help menu that allows you the option of "Submit a Ticket." Select this. On the next screen you will get some frequently asked questions with their answers and a clickable option to submit a trouble ticket. Click the link to pull up a ticket and submit. Be sure to provide the error message and the last region you were logged into to help speed up the process. Linden Labs should be able to resolve your issue for you so that you are logging back in in no time.

Happy SL to everyone!

Next Steps: What to do After you Understand SL Basics

So I logged in... I even read the boards... I spent 2 minutes zooming around shouting "I can flyyyyyyy!" What do I do next???

Objectives:
The first thing to say about Second Life is that it isn't a game in the traditional sense. It doesn't have any set objectives that you have to meet to level up. Each person entering does so for their own reasons and the objectives are your to set.

Etiquette:
The first thing to remember is that although it's a virtual world with what appear to be "cartoon people" there are real people behind them -- and the same rules of manners and behavior exist. Always think about whether or not you would behave a certain way in real life before doing it in-world:

• Don't stand too close to people you are talking to.
   It just makes them feel uncomfortable.

• Read profiles before sending an IM.
   This gives so much information -- and may even request no IMs.

• If you don't receive a reply from someone, don't assume that's negative.
  You don't know what else they are doing. They may not even speak the same language.

• Don't send people unannounced teleport requests.

• Don't quiz people on their real life information.
   Does this really matter when getting to know someone on a virtual world?
   If it comes up later and you are interested, great! If not, let it go.

Appearance:
All new avatars into Second Life are supplied with sets of avatars you can use, however, most people choose to look outside their library folders -- and in your first weeks here this is where the Freebie shops can help you. You can get everything from skins, shapes and hair to clothing and shoes and then mix it all up to create your unique look. When you are ready to move onto spending some precious Lindens there are any number of shops to help you achieve whatever look you are after -- from Gothic to Neko or Furry.

Money:
The currency in Second Life is Linden dollars. You will find ways to get small amounts in your first weeks from money trees or by entering club contests. You can also choose to buy them through the Lindex exchange, or use some of the handy DX Exchange terminals. As you get older, you can always explore the SL job market!

Jobs:
Many jobs are available within SL, but generally employers like you to be at least 30 days old. It also helps if your avatar is well put together, as this will demonstrate your experience. Just as in real life, earnings will be according to skills. If you just want a basic job for a few Lindens, maybe club hosting or dancing is for you. Or you could look into building or scripting classes. Generally you will earn enough to spend. Only expect to make big bucks if you invest major time and effort into creating saleable products and invest money into marketing and selling these.

Housing:
Once you buy or earn those Lindens, you might want to invest the in renting your own private space. You can get anything from houses to skyboxes or even a castle if your budget stretches that far. Most tenancies are on a weekly basis and include certain allowances for furniture. Renting a house can be a nice way of getting into a community and meeting fellow residents -- ultimately gaining you friends.

Relationships:
Most people entering SL are doing so to form some kind of relationship -- whether it be as friends or partners. The best way to make friends is to hang around groups of people and join in their conversation. Get to know people in the same way you would in real life. don't badger people with unsolicited friend requests -- this generally annoys them. You should expect it to take a little while to get people on your contacts list -- but then you will find these people stay friends with you all the way through your SL.

Fun:
This is by far the best thing about SL -- so many ways to have fun! From clubbing to horse riding or even bungee jumping off Big Ben! Search is your friend here -- and if you find a club or sim you like -- join their group. You will get notices of events happening and there may even be an active group chat so you can get to know others that have the same interest as you.

Role Play:
Do you love Star Trek? Are you a pirate or fairy at heart? A fan of the Gorean Novels? You can "live" it in Second Life! This is in area were you will have to do a fair amount of research and preparation before jumping in. Most role play sims have specific rules and expectations. Many will provide information notecards and freebies on how to get started and some even provide classes for newcomers to help them acclimate themselves to the new "world" or RP. It is important to note that this is an area where online safety can be a concern. Most RP communities have strict online safety standards and they should be read and adhered to.

The moral of the story is -- your Second Life is what you choose it to be and what you make it.
So, get out there and enjoy it!

by Evie Falconer
edited by Jami Titanium

Reducing Lag and Crashes on Laptops with V2.0

Are you a consistent crasher? Love the 2.0 Viewer but hate the lag on your laptop? There is help!


This was specifically written for laptops running Windows software on the 2.0 viewer, but many of the techniques can be used for other viewers or Mac's.

Keep in mind that everything you do to reduce lag or crashes will affect your Second Life experience. Try things out. If they don't work for you, or diminish your experience, don't do them. Lag happens and cannot be totally avoided, however, it can be reduced.


Before you start, make sure your Advanced Menu is open by typing CNTL-ALT-DELETE, if you see two graphs on the CPU Usage History under the Performance tab, you have a dual core processor.


There are a few things you can do to help:


If you have a dual core processor, you have two choices to reduce the lag.

• Every time you start Second Life, use the CNTL-ALT-DELETE and go to Processes, find the SecondLife.exe file, right click, set affinity and select 1 or 0.



• Go to the Advance Menu and select Run Multiple Threads. (Personally this does not help me, but give it a try as it's an easier one time fix.)

One of the easiest fixes is to adjust your graphics settings. Go to: Me/Preferences/Graphics. Open the advanced menu and slide everything to the left. Personally, I leave my Max particle count at 256 and my Avatars just a bit more to the right.


Changing your bandwidth, cache size and clearing your cache now and then will help as well. Go to: Me/Preferences/Setup. Try different settings in the maximum bandwidth until you find one that is comfortable for you. I like a maximum bandwidth of 500 kbps and a cache size of 1024. You can clear your cache by clicking on the reset button and it will clear the next time you log. If things are not rendering quickly enough, the first thing I do is try upping my maximum bandwidth for a while.


If the lag is really bad there are some temporary fixes you can try. These settings will, in some cases, dramatically affect your viewing. Go to: Advanced/Rendering Types. You can click off any of these and it will reduce lag. I see almost no difference if i click off ground and clouds. The rest will definitely change your view. You can also go to: Advanced/Rendering Features. If you turn off the Foot shadows and Fog, you will see little difference in your view, but a slight difference in your performance.


The cost of running scripts is high and causes problems, especially in areas that are already laggy. Try to remove as many scripted items as possible. You can always remove re-size scripts as follows (you will also find that this makes your ability to teleport easier and smoother):

1. Make a copy of the item. I create a new folder within the item folder and call it Scripted Boots for example.



2. Wear the original pair and re-size them as you require them.



3. Click the item and choose All Prims... then choose delete. This will permanently remove the script and make it unable to re-size them. Should you ever need to, simply revert back to the scripted copies and repeat.

Last, but hardly least, is your personal rendering cost and constant updates. The more stuff you have on, the slower you will run. All of your clothes, Huds, AOs, Hair, etc. create lag. Obviously, we all want to look good and have certain information at our fingertips. You start out with a render cost of around 525 to 600. There are avatars running around out there with render costs as high as 18,000. To see your render cost go to: Advanced/Performance Tools/Show Avatar Rendering Cost. If your avatar is in red (most are) you might want to try taking off things you don't need. Yellow is good and green is excellent but usually not attainable after a few shopping trips. To check and see how much the server is updating objects you go to: Develop/Show Info/Show updates to Objects. Green = good/no lag, Blue = okay/medium lag, red = bad/heavy lag. Try and remove some of your items (titlers are notorious lag makers) and see if it improves.

If you have any additional tips or suggestions, please pass them on to any London Staff Member.


by Evie Falconer and Ciaran Fanbridge
edited by Jami Titanium