Infonet at Telehubs?

I just read something Forseti posted in the hotline forum:



It hasn't been answered by a Linden yet. Anyone know more about this and how it would work? I saw an Infonet at Waterhead last night.

I've got an Infonet at the Shelter, in the rear of the building near the pool.

Infonet is managed by Squagmire Stravinsky, and the operation is of the non-profit type. The terminal at the Shelter was installed roughly 9 months ago, so its been around a while.

Information here:


/3/25/76205/1.html

I wonder if this business will get burned the same way GOM did.

Only time will tell..

Briana Dawson

Are there any equivalent systems to Infonet in SL? It seems to me to be an excellent use of resident-created systems, instead of having Linden Lab subsume it and bring it in house (which people complain about). It does seem though that once HTML is FINALLY integrated into SL, this system will become obsolete anyway, as god knows web pages are far easier to maintain and view than a system like InfoNet.

Actually, Gnat Technologies isn't precisely non-profit anymore, I think, but she's still running it on a "pay my rent" basis, not a "get filthy rich" one.

That said, given the freebie donation for the new hubs, I see no reason why this couldn't be considered a sort of donation. True, it's a private biz, but I don't see anyone else making their own InfoNet, and it's a useful thing!

While i can clearly see the hardwork that went into the infonet, i even bought one just to support the hardwork. I have never found the infonet practically usefull, which isn't so important.
But what i would like to know is:

1. Do new residents find it usefull and do they use it?
   
2. Do they think its to slow or fast enough?
   
3. Is there enough quality and quantity of content for them?
   
4. What is te overall user experience?
   
5. Etc..
   

I'm asking this because i'm afraid that the Linden use of infonet is stopping them from bringing the Linden news and annouchment in the UI, where it belongs in my opinion.

I agree - I am not sure Linden published info it is not featured prominently in the UI. Having Linden informaiton distrubuted this way would ensure everyone has access to it, and it would not infringe upon InfoNet's main purpose. Using the terminals is nice, but not the ideal solution by any means.

Perhaps the QT viewer should be used to display help information not only as videos, but for both images and text as well?

The QT player uses images which don't need to be stored on the SL servers.

The QT viewer also does a nice job of displaying text in a choice of colors, sizes and fonts, and can scroll the text as well.

As Cris points out, html & webpages are a lot more effective and efficient. With html on a prim, LL really should use that technique instead of an infonet-like thing.

as far as editorial control infonet has over the non-linden sections, and what info-net is charging for (business placements in the best-of sections?), I don't know nor have had time to research, but if this is becoming a linden-sanctioned tool, it's probably worth finding out

Yes, Infonet is already in Ahem in the WA and at several hubs. This is a LInden sanctioned project that inures to the financial benefit of member creators. I messaged Squagmire Stravinsky to ask about Infonet and he passed me a note about it. If you want a copy IM me in world and I will get one to you. What I noticed and object to is that Infonet is charging for inclusion in the directory. A Linden sanctioned directory placed at the welcome area and at hubs should be open to all free of charge, and if there are costs for maintaining the service then it should be a cost borne by Linden Lab.

More aggregious is the arbitrary list of "The Best of SL" that is included in the Infonet directory.
The information Stravinskt provided states:

Top 6 Directory
--------
The top 6 directory is a list of Second Life's best, and upcoming good ideas. It is designed to put the great talented unknown people of Second Life in the spotlight and give them their 15 mins of fame. All locations in the top 6 directory are to be relitively unknown, SL's true forgotten greats.

The top 6 directory is free to be listed in, but you don't pick us... we pick you.

Well pardon my blunt language, but who the hell are they to say what is the Best of SL and have it be Linden sanctioned and placed at every hub and in the WA? I asked Stravinsky how they compiled the list, and who made the assessment but he logged off without a reply.

I took a look at the Infonet list if the "Best Malls and Shopping." This is the list:

Divinity Greenhouse
Nick's Water World
Karuna Greenhouse
Fate Gardens
Musical Instruments
SeXXXy's Textures
Grayson Art
Pixel Pets
PrimAdonna

Yes boys and girls, there it is, yet another Linden sanctioned/promoted/subsidized unmonitored subjective list of Best Ofs...and what do we have? Perhaps this is the best of SL in the eyes of those who compliled the list but hell, why is this Linden sanctioned, placed in hubs and the WA.

Well I want to put my best of list there too.. and I bet others would like to as well. But, the real soluiton is eliminate the best of list from Infonet entirely as long as it is a Linden sancitoned and promoted product that presents SL to new members. It is unconscionable that this subjective Best Of content is part of the directory.

What is the LL penchant for Best of lists about....The Linden top picks caused so much strife they were eventually and rightfully eliminated, only to later be replaced by Pathfinders list of top picks. Pathfinders list is bull, a list of his personal favorites and friends that never changes regardless of his claims that he rotates and is objective.

Now we have one members list of best ofs greeting new members. I say we should all be entitled to locate our personal lists of best of SL choices at all hubs and welcome areas, or no member should have that benefit.

Come on LL,,,,ask infonet to eliminate the Best Of listings. ASAP.

seconded

Not surprising since its significance wasn't known until it was too late.

I thought all the favorites and olbies in Second Life that hated and chastised Prok and myself for saying there was an FIC. Are you saying that there is an FIC now? Or am I just dreaming?

lol hank

LL shouldn't officially sanction and universally distribute something that promotes specific resident businesses over others... and LL already has their own classifieds system...

if they are going to distribute infonet at the hubs, shouldn't they just include the non-profit portions of the info-net database?

Are there never any businesses in Pathfinder's Picks?

Why is it wrong to publicize one business but not others but ok to promote one "interesting build" and not another?

----------

Sigh, If only we had an "Instant Access to For Sale Items" folder in our inventoriies this sort of discussion wouldn't need to take place.

I myself have an InfoNet terminal in my home and had many conversations with Squagmire. The InfoNet Database is Free, the InfoNet terminals and putting your non/profit business or personal build in their database are not. A basic laptop InfoNet terminal goes for L$300. They also have a jet pack and now a desktop version of their terminal. From what I've seen the only thing that costs money is the terminal itself. Currently there are already dozens of Public InfoNet terminals out there Free to use. Honestly IMO, L$300 for a cool usable laptop and a matching tshirt is worth the money. To get listed in their database is pretty cheap as well though I haven't gotten around to putting my club in their listings. In Addition to the LL new they also have a public news section wich usually features Hamlet and other citizens who report special events.

LL charging people to be listed (at their own profit) in a commercial directory, and then turning around and providing special services for their friends or people they feel are special via other avenues (especially when those people they are supporting are running for-profit-businesses in SL) is just plain wrong.

Basically, the price list in Second Life to get advertising is...

Friends of Linden Lab Employees = L$FREE
Everyone Else = L$250/week (more in the future)

So that's why I've gotten 3 notecards dropped on me from them, asking for free shirts to review, which they will later sell at a yard sale.

No thanks.

from the InfoNet info card... now I can understand needing to cover costs and I have nothing against squagmire, I just don't think it's necessarily a great idea for LL to be distributing this to every hub site in the grid.

Alright, since I was working as an Infonet explorer for a brief spell, let me tell you how it works - or, at least, how it worked.

People fly around. If they think something is cool, they take a snapshot and send it in. Not much more than that.

I'm still not quite getting the objections. I mean, if Squagmire wanted, she could just offer the laptop as a freebie... you know, just like the freebies LL is soliciting, that can include a landmark and a notecard? You know, so you can send in some free trinket and a landmark to your store or whatever?

OMG, EVERYONE CAN DO IT, IT'S SO FIC!

Edit: To put it a little less snarky: it's not a special priviledge if anybody can do it. The fact that part of infonet is a "best of" directory is about as much "Linden favoritism" as it would be if you sent in your own item for the infohubs with links to your own place and those of your friends would be.

i guess i'm not so puzzled by the favoritism/FIC angle... after all libby is going to have to pick from the freebies that are offered to her...

i know that some people are questioning who gets to make the editorial decision for the "best of"

But here is a business listing source that charges for that listing, that is Linden distributed, but I'm not paying LL, I'm paying gnat, and for all I know infonet is a for-profit business. I don't have a problem with LL charging for a classifieds system, but I am surprised to see them handle distribution for a resident business.

my knickers are hardly in a twist -- this is very low in the list of things to worry about lol -- but it's worthy of discussion

Ahh infonet is OK, cause, like nobody uses it.

When HTML on a prim comes a long, they're going to feel awfully silly.

Then do it. That's right, make your own.

I hope Pathfinder's Picks, Infonet, the Helping H.A.N.D., a link to Flipper's alternative event listings site and any other developed package that you or anyone else invests the time and effort to generate gets placed there. There's certainly enough room at the telehubs from what I've seen, and the more information out there the better.

Utilizing the telehubs for information centers? Wow, what an great idea. Give the Linden who thought this up some props, not to mention a raise.