Preview 1.5.13 is up

As announced here the 1.5.13 Preview is up. We plan to deploy that version on Wednesday morning, Jan 12th.

Unfortunately, the Preview is still using the old October 14th database snapshot so only residents that have joined Second Life before then will be able to access it.

are there release notes for this preview hidden somewhere I don't see?

Here are the preliminary release notes:

Second Life 1.5.13 Preview Jan 10, 2004
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- Rating a user now costs L$25 rather than L$1.

- "Dwell" is now called "Traffic".

- Parcel "NO ENTRY" fence now renders with the correct orientation.

- Improved render frames per second while the Inventory is open.

- On the big World Map -- Telehubs icons and people dots can be toggled
on and off.

- llSetPrimitive() now correctly sets the color/texture on attachments.

- Fixed a bug where the object Inventory panel would temporarily show
the wrong inventory contents when selecting one object after another.

- "Top Picks" has been replaced with "Featured" which is a list of places
determined by the residents of Second Life rather than Linden Lab
employees.

So basically, only the rich players will be able to abuse mass rates?
Only Rich players can pay noobs to rate?
Only Rich players can afford to neg rate grief with alts?

So basically the rating system will be turning from a how-often-do-I-party contest into a how-much-L$-do-I-have contest?

I think this is a supremely short-sided idea.

I do like the idea of reducing money for non-educational events.

ROFLMAO 25L to rate on our non supported non educational events and almost nonexistend stipend.....pass the pipe.

More inequality. This metaverse is looking pretty grim - let's hope this all stays virtual.

Ratings cost $25 and they are cutting our stipend the rich get richer the poor get poorer this sucks, a lot of people won't be able to afford anything in game now

Exactly. Anyone who has money already stand to make a lot of money, but people who don't get the shaft.

This has the overall effect of reducing stipends, and reducing ratings. Now, paying for 4 ratings won't come back as a cash gain. L$100 out, much less in for those four points. This addresses the economic issue, however does not address the abuse issue from rich. players.

-- Extra...

Rather, quota the ratings, or even make them a currency. If somebody rates you, you get a "rating token" to rate somebody else with, thus passing them the token. If you run out of tokens, you can't rate folks, no matter how much money you have. Griefers can be spotted by the number of negrates they have given, and then you simply never rate them one way or another, so they can't rate anybody. No account should get their "Initial" tokens until their payment is completed either, so people can't abuse temp accounts to rate, and if somebody is paying money to get rating tokens, that's just... sad.

To prevent hoarding of rating tokens, let people see how many rating tokens a person has as well. If they have a bunch, they are hoarders who won't rate others to keep the system running. Do a nightly redistribution of wealth. Take 4 tokens each from the top <x> token holders, and give them to the top positive raters (Positive given divided by all given) who have no tokens at all, and if there are more than <x>, based on how long they have had no tokens. This keeps the tokens flowing, and the top raters performing a "service" that gets them more tokens. And of course, don't actually perform this "tax" unless the total flow of tokens drops too low.

But if they believe - and I think they do - in an unregulated free market - then they won't care.

They give us a 2 day credit for their not being prepared for a hardware failure and follow it up by passing out the Vaseline for a good ................

its 2005, not 2004

omgomgomg, now that's funny. You are so right that's what they did.

April 1st? checks calender....

Hey, how about taxes on everytime we use a sex ball? ROFL

SHUUUUUUUUUUUSH don't give them any ideas!!!

I would clearly suggest L$69 per usage of a sex ball! Position change gets you a 1L$ fine! ROFL LMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! ROLLING

Imagine the effects on the economy!! WOW...

I hope the MAN pays rule applies here

69L sent ur way Dreamie

Dominik - you rock, that is the best suggestion I've heard in all of this bru-haha tonight!

Dreams - hah, both should pay! In RL, I always pay for the date... But for this - well, it takes two, ya know!

Take care,

--Noel "HB" Wade
(Tread Whiplash)

Wholly .........! What the heck is going on? Why are the Lindens all of a sudden pulling the rug out from all of us all at once!?? This is B.S. hmmm 'There' is sounding better and better.

The ONLY fair way that the $25/rate is even remotely "fair" is to wipe out all current rating numbers and start over.

Then again, that merely puts the current crop of the "rich" people in the ratings driver's seats as they can then afford to pay people to rerate them.. or pay to rate their friends (and get rate backs).

Thus, the $25/rate idea is, at its outset as it seems it will be implemented, a BOGUS solution.... and that is being as nice as I can.

LL, you screwed the pooch on this one.

BTW, my name is not "pooch"... you forgot to bring the lube; ergo, my name now appears to be "rape victim".

I'd like to point out that if Korg and I agree on this, there's got to be something to what we're saying.

Welcome to SL-socialist republik SLSR. Please turn your your game hats in, you're now just a money maker for das lindens. Keep the gears running for the republik.

"Das" is German, not Russian. But thanks for playing anyways!

For the curious, roughly translated its "The" - but in German things are gender specific. "Der" (pronounced "dare" is male, "Die" (pronounced "dee" is female, and "Das" (pronounced "dah-ss" is gender-neutral.

Thanks for your attention, carry on!

Take care,

--Noel "HB" Wade
(Tread Whiplash)