Widening the login window?

Is there a possibility that the login window can be widened just a tad? An hour on each side would be ideal, but even 30 minutes on each side or one hour on the late side would be nice. It makes it tough for anyone that gets booted out, gets a stuck avatar, etc., to get back in and continue on in the SL world.

Lately, I've been bitten by the scripting bug BAD and want to experiment more and longer, and a wider login window would help that along.

Just a thought/request.

Does anyone else think this would be a good idea? Maybe a bad one?

No one has any opinion on this whatsoever? In THIS community?

Do a search, there are about a dozen topics on this, some posted to as recently as last week.

It will happen when the game is ready, when the servers can handle it, when the developers can spare the time for it. They have hinted it should be soon, so just be patient.

Thanx, Ama. I thought I had done a search, but I did not find anything. Today I did a search and I did in fact find something. Don't know what was wrong yesterday. Probably a PEBCAK thing (Problem Exists Between Chair And Keyboard). Thanx for pointing it out to me. =)

Ok, so if widening the login window is not an option how about another possible solution: a second login window? For example:

Login Window 1: 4:00pm PST to 10:00pm PST
Login Window 2: 11:00pm PST to 12:00am PST

This way, people who get the boot, or missed the first window for some reason get another crack at getting (back) in to the world to work or play (or both, in some cases).

Just out of curiosity, what has been the LL response as to why the windows have not changed thus far? Is it staff resources? Is it server resources? Is it a game is not ready thing? Are they worried about East German hackers? What's the deal?

Just curious.

Hey Zanlew, believe me when I say you're not alone in wanting more hours! This topic has been gone over a million times since beta was enacted back in Nov...and the "official" answer has always been the same - they will add more hours when they are ready. I'm pretty certain that the Lindens had planned to widen the log-in window by now, but one problem after another has delayed things a bit. That's how things are in the world of software development...it takes way, way longer than you ever think it will.

IMO, one of the reasons for having a tight window is to keep the density of agents high, as to properly test the servers; i.e., they want everyone to log in at pretty much the same time so they can see what kind of strain the servers are placed under during big events, everyone building and scripting at the same time, etc. Also, although they keep the servers up more or less 24/7, they use the "off hours" to back up data and to analyse the logs without the interference of active players. Lastly, the servers still need a tremendous amount of babysitting (as well as the newbs!), and the poor Lindens work enough hours as it is...lol.

Let's just keep our fingers crossed that the login window will be widened soon (probably something like 1-2 hours on each end of the 4-10pm pst we have now).

J

Thanx for the response, Josh. Being a software developer myself (not games, but communications, networking, and security code) I totally get the "longer than you ever dreamt possible" thing.



Yes, limiting the login window certainly does force that concentration of users for stress testing--by only allowing time window of length X, you are certain to get the all the users who are likely to get on at that time on.

I think a second window, disconnected from the first, might also work. I am sure I am not the only user who got bumped after 10:00pm wishes they had one more chance to get back in. Forcing a break between the first window and the second one could create a virtual second mini-stress-test--mainly "What happens to the world when a fair number of people are already in and a second group of people rush in at the same time?"

Right now, I would be willing to bet that very few people can manage to stay connected to the SL servers for a full 24-hour period. Not that it isn't possible, just that it's not probable (or practical for some), so of course there will always be that rush at 4:00pm. But I also have to imagine that some (probably many)people would jump at a second chance to get into Second Life. Maybe that second window is placed in FRONT of the other window (before 4:00pm) instead of behind it. Maybe it is still smaller than the first window (one hour instead of eight hours).

All I am saying is that at this point, LL has had between four to five months (since Nov?) of "everyone rushes in at 4:00pm" testing and resultant data. Is that same data still interesting to gather going forward, or could/would it be equally or more interesting to gather additional data along another vector like "What would two asymmetrically timed and sized login windows look like in terms of server load and performance"--especially since when SL eventually goes live, that is what is likely to happen: As each time zone hits their "getting home from school or work" or "after dinner" hour, the logins will jump substantially and in clumps that will not be gradual increases.

Just another way to look at it. The way I see it, it doesn't hurt to ask (as long as it's reasonable) and hurts even less if there is reasonable or solid logical discussion behind it. Furthermore, even if the LL staff wind up not changing anything, if our requests even got them to think about it, mull it over, talk amongst themselves, and arrive at a decision (Yay or Nay), then my post did it's job: to get them to consider the possibility.



Understood, but they are going to have to learn to back up those servers and perform their data analysis with users on the systems when SL goes live (presumably). Is now the right time to start experimenting with that (live users and live backups)? I am the last person to say, but it never hurts to pose the question.

As for the Lindens, I know they work long and hard hours, so I am totally respectful of them having what little lives their work can afford them (I have started my own company and find weeks where I have little time to myself, though I choose to spend it on SL when I can!). Who says that more login hours/windows means longer hours for the Lindens? Is there a Linden on the server at all hours of the login window now? Is that a company mandate? I could envision the second login window being Linden-less (it would be later, therefore support would have to come from already-logged-in users and/or mentors). It's easy give suggestions on how to run the company when you're not a part of the company.



Indeed. And toes, and legs, and arms and whatever else you're talented enough to cross.

/Z/