Reassign "Talk To" as an attention getter

Being someone who spends a lot of time in the Welcome Area I'm invariably asked by new residents just coming into Second Life to "Talk To" them, using the pie menu "Talk To" option. I tell them that it's a buggy feature and they should not use it, and that chat just works by typing here. I also explain how IM works and how it can be better in a situation where you want one-on-one help (for those who don't know or haven't experienced it, the "Talk To" feature takes control of your camera and won't let go without a fight, usually in the form of sitting down, rotating the camera, hitting Esc and then standing up again, or in bad cases a relog is in order).

So here's my suggestion: either...

A: dump "Talk To"

or

B: make it an attention getter only, say like a "Tap", "Hail" or "Request Attention" feature. I'm not sure how to word it. Then all Talk To would do is alert the tappee that the tapper would like your attention. This could be a sound coupled with a notification window. Also, the System chat could display "*** X would like your attention", giving yet another visual cue.

Excellent idea!

I agree. I see "talk to" as sort of a faux pas to offer to a stranger, its too intimate, especially in a crowded place like Ahern. But, to a brand newbie, it seems like the right thing to do. I think "talk to" has its place, maybe it should be an option for only people that have traded cards.

Taun, as always, your suggestions are great... I also agree with your proposal.