The real reason they're bringing in video

You want to know why they've not fixed most bugs, they've not improved the graphics, they've not done much at all in 1.6 except bring in Quicktime video streaming?

Porno.

The Lindens have realised that SL is starting to get a reputation outside of its own boundaries on the internet. Hormonal teenagers are talking about it, as an online place where you can get a shag, like, really easily, man. The virtual equivalent of a nightclub in Romford on a Saturday night, as it were. They know this is bringing in the, erm, punters.

So what better way to get more people in than allow the black boxes that currently show slideshows of cheap porn to show full motion video? They're onto a winner here, and the only losers are those of us who just want to live out our second lives in a non-sexual way. (Perhaps because we're getting it in RL.)

SL is going to become the laughing stock of the internet. "Oi Dave, you seen this thing? These people go on here and shag with virtual people! Saddos!" Not to mention the fact that most of us just DON'T WANT porn, whether still images or videos, shoved in our faces at every other junction in the road, and videos are PC-killing lag creators anyway.

Lindens - I implore you, kill this feature before the full 1.6 release. Otherwise, you've turned me forever into the most cynical of users.

Might as well throw out custom animations, texture-and-sound uploading, and object construction while you're at it, Lindens.

First off, you have the option to disable streaming video.

Second off, this is nothing new. Porn is the grease that turns the internet. Love it, hate it, these hormonal kids you're talking about hold credit cards and create the most compelling cases to further technology - that's pretty much the end of the discussion.

Finally, the "creative minority" in Second Life will see very little impact. Second Life will not see a "shockwave" effect from the groups mentioned, simply because those that already wanted to come to SL for the free porn have already. If you don't like it, find your own niche of the world. That's my escape from it.

By way of Edit: I say "kids" purely because the 18-and-over limit is very hard to enforce. However, it is a rule that anyone under 18 is not allowed to Second Life. I realize this - as should anyone reading this post.

-= We Now Return You To Your Regular Broadcast of Steamboy =-

Those are eminently usable for thousands of other things in SL. But how many times have you been building, and suddenly thought - "hey, this could do with a streaming video or two!"? Exactly.

Hmmm, interesting thought. I expected that people would just use them for streaming C-SPAN in-game.

I was teasing, Charlotte.

And yes, I don't doubt that there'll be a fair amount of streaming porn video in SL once that gets implemented. To each their own, I suppose. I mean, I like porn, sometimes... it's certainly not appropriate everywhere, or all the time, but hey.

We are mammals, after all. Sex tends to rate pretty high on 'things that are important to mammals'. S'just the way we are.

I've thought of quite a few ways this could be implented for non-sexual purposes, honestly... and yes, while building.

- Imagine streaming a video about a specific product in your store, next to the display; or all your products!

- Imagine streaming a video showcase of an entire mall's products near the mall 'lobby'.

- Imagine the orgasmic possibilities of video for "cyber punk" themes.

- Imagine streaming explanations, tutorials, involving the sky's limit.

- Imagine streaming "textures" that could pretty much change your build's style/theme on a certain cycle.

I dunno, I can come up with way more than just "ooh pr0n".

I have a bigscreen TV I built and I have always thought it would be cool to stream video to it. Porn or no, this is a really neat technology. We can also "stream" still pictures, like the current chart from GOM. YadNi built a wrap-around movie theater that shows some kind of short film, which is very cool. This technology is a good thing.

My guess is, it depends on who are the ones that are hung up about sex.

I am VERY sure that this new technology will be used by many creative developers, and not for porn alone.

This thought pattern is very reminiscent of Zoey Jade's ranting for months about avatar sex after we got custom animations (even before custom anims actually).

The solution is to not participate. I dislike clubs in SL. I don't go to clubs in SL, unless its a invite party for someone's birthday or the like. Problem solved.

Charlotte, you live in a PG sim, why are you so bothered by this?

IN A WORLD... LOL Jeffrey, great timing.

....dont go to porn places and you probably wont see porn?

I can think of one club where you're definatley not going to see streaming porn anytime while I'm alive

Actually, I've got my sights on playing cartoons on demand. But not sure of the logistics of that yet.

Travis

Yep, I'm not crazy about the porn either, and of course this will bring on more of it. But when I read about it, the first thing I thought was, Goodie, next time I go to a Mystery Science Fiction Theater 3000 presentation/contest, I won't just be sitting there listening to the soundtrack, but actually viewing the movie, too! Right? I mean, that would work, wouldn't it?

coco

lol Oh, god....

The only real bad thing is that it outdates my "video tv" thing I made way back. I guess that's not a good reason to abandon it huh?

Oh well, a patch probably broke it by now anyway.

I thought about applications like this and others, not porn, when I first heard about and subsequently saw streaming video in preview.

Classes, lectures, presentations, etc. So the places that now have porno pictures will now have porno video, so what? What will change? Folks who gravitate toward porn still will. No one is going to force you to go view it. Not to mention that you can disable it, as Jeffrey pointed out.

Doom! DOOOOM! DOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

........

.......

..... I Really Like Pants!!!!!

Is that the name of your first porno?

I concur. I had a nice pair of video pants in Preview that worked well with fast blipvert clips.

I have the bad feeling people will be dividing up their lots and malls to make room for more video feeds.

I wanna play Mr. Magoo cartoons on my pants damnit! When will we be able to stream video to our pants Phillip!?!?!?

What does that actually mean?

Is that in Ohio?

I would completely agree with you except that the QT plug-in is fundamentally changing the whole nature of SL.

Whoever made that decision was either pure or accidentally a genius. Either way - it is going to revolutionize SL in way that nothing else they did have could.

No, it's in a world where signatures aren't displayed because they're boring and full of huge images.