OpenSpace, OpenLife, OpenSim - Some Clarifications

I have seen several threads this week where it is apparent that there is much confusion concerning the terms, OpenSpace, OpenLife and OpenSim.

Just to clarify:

OpenSpace sims: These are the low-prim offerings from LL that have been the subject of much debate lately concerning fees.

OpenLife: This is a competitor to SL, they charge fees, but their software lags way behind SL at present, and being a competitor to SL should not be promoted in these forums.

OpenSim: This is server software which together with a viewer, such as the SL viewer, allows you to have a standalone sim on your own PC, for free. It is a sim-sized sandbox, and is useful for creating and experimenting in. Creations in OpenSim can be transferred to SL via Second Inventory. OpenSims can be connected to several open grids, such as OSGrid, 3rd Rock etc, but not to the SL grid or to the OpenLife grid. As there is no economy in the free grids, there are no stores, so are not very attractive to the majority of residents in SL.

However, the Gridnauts project, a collaborative project between SL and the OpenSim community have been working togther to create the Open Grid Protocol, which will allow teleporting between SL and OpenSims. Successful experiments have been carried out between the SL Beta Grid and OpenSims already.

If you type Opensim into the search box in SL you will find lots of hits for people selling or renting their Opensims, when of course they mean their Openspace sims. This is also apparent in these forums, where lots of posts refer to Opensims when they mean Openspace sims.

It may be better if one of these creations changed their name, but I think that unlikely.

However, please try to keep in mind the definitions when making posts, to avoid further confusion.

Rock

whoooosh, thanks. I was corrected on this last week myself. Just more confusion to add to the nubies and land barons, unfortunately.