HIPPO and About window improvements!

The HIPPO system is a good idea, but its biggest failing is that it's proprietary LSL code. A better way to use it would be to add a third tab alongside "1st Life" and "2nd Life" in the About window, filling it with a couple dozen intrests/vitals fields, so that those inclined could fill them in. With the addition of an LSL function to reference specific fields in the About section of the database, a device with all the functionality of the HIPPO would be easy to make, plus you'd have the added bonus of keeping the actual database open and able to be accessed by all scripters.

If you wanted to participate in something like the HIPPO system, but not have your stats viewable to everyone, a couple radial buttons could be added to specify how the About info could be used. (Viewable by all, viewable by contacts, etc.) No, this doesn't quite cover all the bases, but it's still a good idea.

Lindens, look at blogs. Look at web polls. ("Which Urotsukidoji character are YOU!?" Look at Friendster. People LOVE filling these things out. It's an obsession. Milk it.

Oh, and finally: as amusing as the "haw, call the tab 3rd Life!" responses will undoubtedly be, maybe something simple and descriptive like "intrests" would suffice?

Cat, we already have blogs in SL... someone made a blog box thingy that you put on top of your voting station months ago. Plus everything you mentioned is easy to do in LSL

great idea Catherine!

and i was going to suggest putting it between the tabs and calling it "1 1/2th Life".