Landmark "cards" w/ text/picture

Last night at the community round table the idea of referal networks came up as a means to preserve the small community feel despite the recent growth and financial influence. I like this idea a lot, but don't see a sensible way to implement them in the current system. We have landmarks, but I don't see them in use enough (I've never been offered a landmark myself) I think because they don't have enough information in them. It is also unreasonable to expect users to organize/juggle landmarks, snapshots, and notecards that might all refere to teh same place.

I would like to see landmarks extended to support textual descriptions and a snapshot. As a property owner, this is the object I would give out to advertise my plot.

Now the social networking aspect comes in by allowing others to copy and share these new cards as a means of referal places that interest them. While we currently have landmarks, their name is usually not enough to know what to expect, and the lack of photo often leaves me (and I assume others) wondering which building when I arrive. Adding text and one image to these landmarks would prove a world of difference.

Additionally, scripted kiosks could dispense the landmark cards of other recommended plots, thereby providing a "friends-of-friends" network of places. Ideally, a script should be able to access the associated picture as a texture for display. Again, the text and picture give sthe owner of a new landmark "card" the ability to judge his/her interest before teleporting.


Lastly, I would like to see landmarks return to providing accurate teleporting (not just to the nearest teleporter pod). The lack of accurate teleporters limits the effectiveness of landmarks as links in these social networks. It encourages distraction and thereby disassociates the intent at the time of teleport from the final destination. Having accurate teleports does not prevent people from flying around and exploring, and so does little harm to the spatial communities. That said, while spatially associated communities are good, it is wrong to think they cover the extend of necessary social networks.


Meek

P.S. - As a back-end optimization, it might be possible to have all landmark cards that refer to the same plot be represented as one card. This has the advantage of allowing the plot owner to update his description, snapshot, and entry point coordinates. The question then comes up as to whether a landmark card is still valid when a plot changes owners.

Hmm, I like this idea alot, I think it would be a great thing to see and help alot to see just where exactly you are going too.

I think theres a way to put textures in Notecards so potentialy you could make a notecard that does the same thing. But I like the idea of expanding landmarks better, plus then you can just click teleport.

However it gets complicated when you talk about taking pictures from the landmark and stuff too, while it would be great I don't think this feature would be important if its holding back expansion. You could always use the same texture on a object built into the kiosk. I do like the idea of the kiosks too.

I also think it would be cool if you could have maybe a central spot on your Profile, maybe another tab for "My Places" where you can have lists of your land and landmarks with pictures and comments and, and then people can look at that and teleport to your land/build.

So I recently saw the result of the texture link in notecards. Don't know how to do that. Can landmarks be added in a similar manner. Heck, for that matter, can you add a link to a personal or group profile?

Anyway, when I originally wrote the idea, I was thinking of one picture per landmark card. It would be up to the own to determine whether that picture was of the location itself, the stuff sold there, the owner, or a collage of the above. Limiting it to one picture simiplifies the interface and force the land owner to really think about what they are trying to present.

I like the "My Places" idea, as long as as place's listing was optional. It'd be silly for multiple adjacent plots to be listed, and people might want private places.


Meek

To answer my own questions... Anything except a folder or a calling card can be dragged into a notecard. While this is an alternative to the "landmark cards", it doesn't have the same feel. For one thing, clicking on a "link" in a card implies copying the object to the inventory before it is useful. On embedded note cards and pictures, this is automatic, while other objects give prompt you with a copy/cancel dialog (unless you drag to the ground to instantly rez).

Embeded landmarks offer the thrid option of "copy and map". Again, this is a step closer, but still leaves you with both the notecard and landmark in one's inventory.

And all of this is still not script accessible, complicating the creation landmark kiosks.



Meek