Queuing new account creations

It seems like we go thru this with every major release (1.7, 1.6, 1.5, etc...)

Immediately after a major update, everything tends to be messy - and if you're a brand-new resident, I can see where it might be hard to see the forest thru the trees.

This past weekend when many were experiencing time dilation issues, and movement was akin to swimming thru molasses...I had a several-hour old new resident ask me, "Am I missing something? Is this fun?"

I tried to explain to the poor guy that we just had an update, and these pains are just temporary. But I never saw him again, and I bet no one else did either.

Would Linden be better off queing new account creations immediately after a major release as a standard practice, then fire off "Your Registration has been accepted!!" emails once things stabalize?

Anotherwords - close admission to SL immediately after an upgrade with a waiting list, and then open it back up once the confidence is there.

Thoughts?

On the one hand:

Close SL to new residents and make them wait -- increase mystery and also inconvenience

On the other:

Give instant gratification and a dreadful first impression of the service.



I say we close admission, Travis. Definitely.

I totally agree. I doubt I would give it a second try if I had signed up in this period. Nort only have you lost that account, you lose all the accounts that could have come from that account spreading the word etc.

Of course ideally this wouldn't be a decision anyone should have to make.

I agree that having to drop in, shiny and new, on the immediate aftermath of 1.7-type release would surely not be much fun.

I wonder, though, what would draw someone back that decides to sign up and is locked out, albeit temporarily. Do they get told up front that the registration won't end in the consumation of a new relationship with SL? Do they get told at the back end with a "sorry, we'll mail ya when you can play unencumbered by software upgrade issues that we have no timetable for resolution on"?

Probably, the suspension of new account creation would cause less problems than people dropping in to less than stellar performance. Wishing for some type of taste to hook 'em, prior to letting them know they can't join at that moment.

It would be a great idea if the queue only had to delay for a day or so. However, we're now 1 1/2 weeks since 1.7 and things aren't getting any better. So how tenable would it be to make new accounts queue for 2 weeks plus so they didn't get a bad impression? I don't think it would be, so what needs to happen is Linden Lab need to get their act together and come up with a better development and testing plan, as their current one is shot to bits.

drop 'em in the preview grid during these times, but make some builds, have some volunteers there to show 'em how to do stuff, open boxes (without wearing them), and the like. That'd show them SL, without the frustrations of having some jabroney laughing at them when they wind up with a box on their head, and will give them a good sense of the world they just entered.

Just my opinion, but I think a good one, and after all is settled, they'll come to the main grid knowing how to do most simple tasks, and ready to tear into this bold new world.

Peace,
Joseph

Whoa ! Great idea ! Helper island anyone ??

I know the starter island is doing this, but he asked about the lagalicious times such as now.

/108/7d/68804/1.html
That's more or less what I said in this thread and at the time the data definitely confirmed it
Concurrency rates went down a little after 1.7 was down. I believe Robin / David should give Chris / Cory a good spanking. This shoddy release makes SL look really bad for new users.

Yes. And it makes me sick to think of all those new users drawn in by those major media articles and shows that are gonna take one look and never come back because of 1.7.

I like the idea of putting them in the preview grid!

I also like that idea because everyone can go there, not just mentors.

coco

No you misunderstood. I mean your idea is a great one for the Helper Island being mulled over.

again we come back to the need for LL to overcommunicate...

why not send an email to every user who has registered 3 or 4 weeks prior and every new registration for 2 weeks post a major release

"Thank you for joining second life. In our efforts to improve the system, we have just released a major new version of the software and are currently working out some... etc etc"

Oh, I've been away for a bit, must've missed the memo.

As a new member myself, I thought I would chime in. Monday was my first experiance and it was pretty dodgy. Luckily it was explained to me by Travis and a few other people that it was from a update. I stuck it out and played again yesterday and had a great time. The lag was a bit better than the day before, but still not exactly smooth.

Having played several other MMO's I know that glitches in updates are something to be expected, so I try to keep that in mind when playing. Expecially when everybody is running around saying OMG the lag sux!

I signed up to play SL on a impulse after reading about it in several news articles. If I was told there was a waiting period, chances are that I never would have joined. But, I think that some kind of notification that "Things are not as they should be" would be great. But, I don't see a game developer actually doing that...

Things are not as they should be.

Joseph "not a Linden" Proudfoot

I'd say halt new accounts till things are fixed.

Yesterday morning there was a mass influx of new people and no mentors were on duty, so I decided to assist-field some newbie Q's.

Well, within 5 minutes I was utterly buried in "I can barely move, what's the deal?", "I got a <Computer X With Godly Hardware> and I'm getting like 1fps, is this normal?", and "How come everything is grey?"...

Well, I soon discovered that trying to answer was futile. It turned into "I just paid ten bucks for this?!" and people assuming that I was evidently in charge of accounts and had the power to give refunds... that even after heading to work that morning, I came back at noon to about 30-40 IMs of new folk asking questions (no, seriously, there really was that much)

Amid the titanic barrage of questions about the apparently horrid quality of SL were people confused about why they were here and what they were supposed to do... well, it wasn't a pretty scene. In the end, I realized that SL critically needs a documented "first plan kit" for newbies. I'd heard there /was/ one, but two of the newbies I questioned mentioned having "the newbie kit" and they said it was confusing to them. Don't know what kit they had, I've never heard of it.

Either way, there were 6 new people pretty much bombarding me with Q's that day. Today I checked.... only 2 of those people are still in the database. Assumedly, the other four quit.

To the poster above, Just tell them what LL does, must be your drivers. If they have the latest drivers, its their video card. If they have the latest video card, its their network. If they are on a fiber optic network line, it must be their drivers. Rinse. Repeat. Deny.

As far as making new members wait after an update, I think its a terrible idea, but it would certainly be more in step with LL's overall attitude of miSLeading potential players and trying to hide how SL really is. Just like not allowing non members to even VIEW these forums, and covering the main page with completely false marketing rhetoric and photoshopped images.

Other firms decide to handle customer complaints differently. Interesting contrast especially how weak Mr. Chavez's claim seems to this layman. Yes, I know the comparison is a little unfair as Netflix is considerably larger than LL, but it does lead one to ponder cause and effect as Netflix - like most firms - was small once too.

better yet why not close the freebie accounts for say 6 months and let the game steady before introducing a greater number of players in it.

AS for the newbies being preplexed. I think some of the mentors and greeters in the most part did well. But pushing this QUICK START with note cards has hurt the game then help it mostly. There is more to Second Life then giving all the answers to the newbies. What happened to exploring and learning on your on? SL is being like the american school system. Make their learning easy and by the time they are out of school they are not even at the level they should be at. Before you start flaming me AGAIN think why TRY to give all the answers to them? Let them learn to some limit by their selves. Gesh When i was a newbie we did not have greeters. Many of use that are around my birth time cameout ok. So why now a push for quick learn then get bored and then leave the game idea of this QUICK LEARN NOTE CARD IDEA? Just A Thought.

Great suggestion!

When I first started playing, my video card was not compatable with SL (I've since upgraded). I couldn't walk without running into stuff, more so than the usual newbie learning how to navigate. When more than 10 people were in a sim, lag was so bad that I couldn't move. If I wanted to move from position A to position B without teleporting, I would have to ask people to bump me. And graphics..... well, you can imagine.

In spite of all of that, I stayed. Some people will stay no matter what because they'll fall in love with the game/world/platform. Other people thrive on negativity and will complain about everything.

I don't think admission should be closed after an update, but some information that states "We've just had an update, and things will be bumpy at first" would be helpful. Especially as some newcomers won't ask an oldbie if this is how it always is.

When I started I was playing at near below specs. I made it this far. I remeber all the doom and gloom people talking about sl. But here we are right There has to be a better way to stimuate the game without all these freebie accounts. The New York Times piece was a great way to increase membership. Hope we got alot of paying members out of this PR piece. But still did we gain anything? How many really are going to stay in the game? After dealing with a few newbies and their ( THIS GAME IS NOT WHAT I THOUGHT comments) I LIKE FIRST SHOOTER GAMES BETER BLA BLA BLA BLA BLA........Afterwards I was thinking..........A The New York Times piece was not as clear and understandable about the ways sl works. B The Hype behind this New York Times piece was totally over done. Or C We are expecting too much in this New York Times piece in the way of lasting members that are only looking for a place to chat without getting to involved in the game. Again We need answers and not just Bil-lines in a major publication. I love this game very much and I care about the future of SL. PR is great, but only if its used in ways thats cause DOES NOT CAUSE selfishness and greed, Which i am seeing in the resent times during my mentoring and greeting. PR is only as good as the people that play the game. If current PR styles are any sign of the future we are in deep poop. Its just a thought from a player that gets around alot in the game. In my views of about this issue does not reflect ANY personal attacks on anyone.]Thanks for reading

Funnily enough I ran into a noob way out in Honawan, two days ago. She was a bit confused, didn't know how things work, and didn't realise there was anything wrong...

This only emerged when I apologised for the dismal performance. She actually thought the 'grey fog' on entering a sim and stuttering frame rate when she turned were normal!

Anyway, I explained that, hopefully, in the fullness of time, LL would get on top of things, and meantime her best option was to just wander about, talk to people and figure out how SL works (all the other questions too, land, making money, 'you have a nice walk - how come?' and so on... Hey, you forget don't you?).

But it may be wrong to assume that noobs entering SL will immediately be put off by the current dismal performance. We are annoyed with it because we know better, but noobs don't, and because it's all pretty new and still has a wow factor (even at present) many simply won't realise how crap things are right now.

On the face of it my first thought about a week back was 'WHY are they still accepting new members? This must be doing more harm than good'.

However, maybe it isn't...

The Start is always hard:/

How do you get a nice walk?

My av looks like it has a stick up its ass when it walks.