Watch a blog for updates on performance of SL??????

Yup, two different issues, news and community discussion.

I knew nothing about RSS feeds until this thread. Following SuzanneC's advice, googled it, read, downloaded one, installed it... and then all I had to do was add the URL, and it was all there for me. All done in a few minutes.

Seriously, looking at it, this is better for getting this kind of information from LL. I've already caught up on more than I ever bothered reading on the forum, or by visiting the blog directly via my browser.

Communication is changing rapidly, and we're going to have to be prepared to try new things. I greatly lament the loss of the forums, but for news from LL, I like this more already.

Sorry, i didn't mean it that you personally may feel one way or another about the forum closing. ^^ And yes, these are two separated issues, but they were pretty much made one due to unfortunate timing on LL part... which is why i mentioned it.

Finally, i think this whole 'blog' thing would actually be accepted quite easier if it actually *was* presented as what it really is, news page, and put where it belongs i.e. the front page and/or client window area on launch (along with the RSS feed/subscription option) The 'blog' hoopla is a bit irritating since it's to a degree taking the old concept and just re-branding it without any real functionality change behind it. So in a way, it feels rather fake -- 'ohh look at us, we're sooo modern and up-to-date, we have *company blog* now'. Yawn

When you're in-world and there's a problem, you call Live Help and report the issue, then Lindens post in the Announcements forum to tell us what's going on.

If you can't get in-world, you read the Announcements forum to find out what's going on.

Forums are two-way discussions. Blogs are meant to be like diaries, read and commented on the subject given. They are in no way a replacement for the forums, and I certainly resent being forced into using a blog if it will be the only way to discuss issues of importance to the community that I am paying for.

It appears that Linden Lab clearly do not see 'community' as any importance whatsoever, and are shifting their focus to big names and corporations who come here for one off events, rather than those of us who are creating their world for them.

SL is already expensive compared to other games, if you wish to achieve anything at all. At the moment, I am still having fun for my monthly fee, and my fun is based on creating, not sales or making an income. The moment I stop having fun will be the moment I cancel and get out of here. To Linden Lab, that may just be a loss of a measly $50 a month amongst the millions - but to the community overall, it is the loss of a creative, talented enthusiastic player who cares passionately about making this place a better one.

I know I'm not the only one in this position too.

Lewis

They've consolidated the blog already which means to me that they have the capability of filtering some of those posts to go on the homepage.

Based on all that's been said I can see part of the Lindens' plans with regards to comms, but the picture is not complete. We shouldn't be assuming that closing the forum is all there is. But also Linden Lab needs to be a little more clear with communicating what the overall plan is. As it stands the pieces of information are all scattered.

I'm not going to speculate on what LL plans to be the complete communication system and I do not assume the blog is the whole thing. But these I have gathered or can conclude:

1. The forum is draining resources while not producing the necessary information with good enough yield. We're too noisy. The forum is too cluttered. Intelligent discussions frequently get bombed by whining and grandstanding. As I mentioned in SLDrama:

It would seem then that it will be better for us and LL that we do move our discussions to other fora where we can be more focused per-thread. In many situations I have found unofficial forums to be more focused than official forums.

2. MORE exploits were relayed to LL by communications outside the forum than by the forum. So we can't argue that the forums are the chief exploit source.

3. LL is already getting a lot of its feedback on just about everything from outside the forums.

As sad as it sounds, we were the ones responsible for making the forum not serve the purpose it was intended. In employment parlance, we made the forum redundant.

I like discussing here on the SL forum because it's convenient and it's centralized. You don't have to wonder which residents are here or not. However I also cannot deny that a large part of this place has become an unproductive mess.

LL cannot scale the fourms because they will also scale the mess. It's been said when the General and Sandbox were removed, troublemakers spilled into the other subforums. There's no way to stop those who won't behave or post properly.

Many think the resmods have been heavy handed. I think they're still too lenient. There are a lot of posts I see on a daily basis that should have been de-approved, not at all because of content, but because of the way they're written.

Though I like discussing on these forums and feel bad that we're losing them, you also won't find me campaigning hard to keep them. Why? It's because no one has shown a way to keep the mess from scaling along with the forums.

There is only a select few on the forum that I truly respect and they include people I agree with, and alsp people I disagree with, people who support LL and people who are critical of LL. I respect them because they know how to discuss and argue without losing it. Wherever they will congregate, that's where I'll be.


@Lewis

You make good points. However it arises from the assumption that everything we see now (external forums, Linden blog, and SL forum closure) is the complete picture and will never change. I don't think it's the whole picture and I certainly don't believe it will never change.

I did that too. Up in the bar where you type the url is the little orange icon you need to click, not the one on the right side of the page that says entries.

Careful, you're being totally logical.

We both replied to this, but unfortunately mine was lost in the complaints, just like everything else here. If people are still complaining about how difficult it is, then it's glaringly obvious that they refuse to even try. Adding a live bookmark to Firefox can be done in under five seconds, and you don't even need an RSS reader. I posted the instructions (all three clicks) a couple of pages ago. Useful information that would help all players see the grid status immediately without having to go to a forum OR blog - but it has been drowned out by the moaning. I agree 99% with everything Aodhan has said in this thread except for one thing - I am going to be glad to see certain parts of the forum go.

Just the continually stupid ones.

I'm thinking they need to get a wordpress plugin for sticky posts that lock important announcments to the top of a page...

Oh, and I use http://blog.secondlife.com/category/announcements/ to find all the latest info right now

Well clearly the problem here is, if they keep these sorts of announcements in the forums, then there is altogether too much opportunity for people to somehow disagree with LL's version of the announcement.

With the elimination of the forums, then we'll be free to hear the unadulterated and pure LL chosen truth about the stability and usability of SL as a whole, unfettered by any opinions of the stinky people masses.

Thx--learning, adapting! Next time I'll remember. Whatever blogging education comes my way, I'm grateful for it. It's how we growwww

Think of the song "Days Go By" by High Contrast.

Yes, I know firsthand Liaisons find out tons and tons o' stuff on Live Help! Also my comment in here:

http://blog.secondlife.com/2006/08/14/releases-past-present-and-future/#comment-2295

And also what Josh wrote:

And for those wondering “why are the Lindens not telling us what’s wrong during these outages?”
http://blog.secondlife.com/2006/08/09/grid-outage-due-to-presence-issue/#comment-2031

so it is super-important to acknowledge problems and do it quickly and firmly. And then followup!

There is a small widget for Yahoo widget engine that shows SL grid status. it stays on your desktop or into konfabulator.

Torley, the announcement still says "Several regions down" (or some such).

Shouldn't you update that?

coco

http://secondlife.com/status/

The Second Life grid and the Second Life web site are open.

Or for grid status, http://blog.secondlife.com/category/grid-status/ .

Thank you got it!

"Let it come... streamline..."