So is it just me...

... or does anyone else think the pictures LL chose for the new start page slideshow look pretty crappy...?

I can't really put my finger on it yet, but the old ones I loved to look at, they were nice snapshots and had good graphics. Now, for some reason, the new pics look like SL has really bad graphics to offer, plus they seem to be badly composed and not something that might stirr interest...

*ponders away*

I don't see any slide shows on the home page, www.secondlife.com. Is that the page you meant?

But yes, the current set of images on that page are unexciting.

Agreed. No diverse characters/avatars, poorly composed, unimaginative, and poorly photographed.

I've got a slide show in my shop displaying photos of themselves wearing my clothes that customers send to me, and THOSE are better than the new shots at SL's website.

Ok let's take a look at the new shots:

Cross-eyed girl with a necklace that appears to be sinking into her chest as she shops at a decent looking store that sells flat textures of pocketbooks.

A group of 5 "rogues" that are standing around, half hiding the single furry, on a boring barren backdrop.

A butterfly fae standing outside of Pixeldolls, with messed up bangs, and a plant that's so large you can't tell what it is behind her, against a hazy sky suffering probably from limited draw.

Yet another winged person, this time at Straylight, which needs NO help from ANY avatar to pose in the shot, wearing boring wings, that are sunk into one arm. The other shot of straylight is captured with the posing couple, note that the girl's skirt is sinking into her leg. Straylight, btw, has it's own flickr group, and puts these shots TO SHAME i tell you, to shame.

An outdoor barscene where everyone appears to be noobs.

An arial shot of the same Pixeldolls scene we saw earlier.

A movie theater shot, that is decent, especially considering RacerX is in it.

The best shot i've seen are the three women shopping in a well textured shop, with umm, more flat pocketbooks for sale (what is with that?)

I agree that they chose horrid shots in comparison to what i've seen.

Funny I thought I was the only one that thought the pics looked crappy...
Glad I'm not lol

You have no idea how much better I feel now, lol. Every time I load the main page, I keep asking myself "WHAT were they thinking...?!"

They're just not the kind of shot that would invoke interest in me, whereas the old set of images was kinda cool and inspiring.

Or, to put it differently, if I weren't already in love, I would leave the site, remaining pretty untouched...

Personally I got tired of seeing the same handful of people in the old shots. Yes maybe a few more minutes in Photo Shop would have been nice. But I think they’re heading in the right direction.

On that, I agree, for the most part I really like the new site design. (Although I find it hilarious that it pops online about two weeks after LL have been certified for one of the worst websites... ) It's only the shots that are awful and no comparison to the quality of the old ones.

I think the main problem is this IS how LL sees SL. I don't think a lot of teh managment there has a clue as to what actually goes on IN the world.

Some like Torley do, but (and I'm picking on her a bit, so sorry) have you seen Robin's avatar? Ummm...."plain" is the best way to describe it. And I won't even talk about Philip's.

Some have unique avatars, but really, how many Lindens do you see that ahve avatars that look like they spent more than 15 minutes on? Those of us that have "been around the block" know that it takes hours to make a good avatar. That's even bypassing the need for L$ to buy skins/har/clothes.

I would think LL could spend a few minutes mroe than they do on personal appearance. Basically a "dress code" for "work". Not so much in WHAT they want to look like, but in HOW it is presented.

....and then they could hire a photographer in-world to take pics people will actually care about. *smirks* Because, yes, the one's they're using suck.

~Jessy

That, I think, is a very accurate thought - and in the same instant a very depressing one. Then again, most parents don't "get" their child...

I completely agree that every single picture on the website is crap. This is not good advertising. The one where the girls arm goes thru her wing drives me nuts. I would like to volunteer to take good quality photos for Linden Lab to show on the website.

First reaction: YAY! FINALLY some new pics!
Five minutes later: WHOAH, noob snapshots!

I felt tempted to offer some of my stuff on Flickr....

They are kind of blah and beg for "caption" this pic =p

Personally, I like the new shots. Much better than the old ones. One huge complaint I have though is absolutely no diversity. The only furry I can see is hidden behind a human. There are some wings here and there but they are all attached to very human looking avs.

It doesn't say to me this is the place to be anyone or anything you want to be.

You have a 'start page'...you have 'pictures'...I'm a concierge, good grief how much do I have to pay to get 'pictures' and a 'start page'.

Is that meant seriously?

www.secondlife.com

The page and the pictures are there for everyone, even the freebie accounts or the people who aren't even residents.

*moves to cvf*

It was a 'sort' of serious post..it's just I havn't been back to that page since I joined..why would I want to..?? And you're right they do look like sh*t..there's one pic of - I'm just guessing here - a lecture room..and frankly they're the scariest bunch of freaks I've ever seen..do you suppose this is intended to persuade people to join SL ?

they're nearly as bad as the new communicate window.

.

possibly ...
LL is presenting a more watered down look of Avatars on their front pages
in order to have more mass appeal ... you know, for those more conservative
and corporate interests ...

however ...
it was only a few months after i joined SL,
that i had realized i had joined Second Life
at the end of an era, when innovation, imagination and creativity
was vibrant and in abundance, as Second Life and its early members
had grown together from infancy, through a dramatic social process

there was much more variety, diversity of ideas, designs
and character in the Avatars 2 years ago, than there are now.

they ranged from the sublime to the edgy to the outrageous

ironically now, when there is newer and advanced technology
to further enhance technique and innovation of Avatars,
what has resulted instead, except for a few notable exceptions,
is that creativity and imagination has taken a step BACKWARD.

as technology is advancing Second Life in many aspects,
tho a little haphazardly, it is at the cost and loss of imagination

what has stifled the imaginative process, is that Linden Labs
has withdrawn and detached itself from its members,
which in effect has ended the relationship of technological innovation
with the imagination and creativity of its members.

consequently, inspiration has suffered on both sides since there is now
little or no communication.

but then some would argue that times and tastes change ...

and most thinking people would say, it is our imaginations
that suffers and constrains us, not technology ... and certainly not LL.

but in my opinion, and in the case of an Orwellian-like Linden Labs,
with Second Lifes's battling its own technology, and with its detachment
from its members, has given way to the lowest common denominator
of infantile imagination ...

the current stream of Avatars being one example:

gun-toting neko-urban-ettes, silk-flapping amazonian Beyonce wannabes,
and pumped up on steroids tattooed barbarian rejects from Smackdown


ohh ... the self-indulgence of all of that self-empowerment ...
its just soooo overwhelming!



.

Come on guys, give LL a break here.. they probably aren't using a system that meets minimum specs... IntelGM CG, 256mb system ram blah blah.. what do you expect from a 14" CRT monitor from an old spectrum???

They are good code writers right?
The do supply excellent service to all their customers right?
They are cheap right?

And you expect them to be talented graphic artists as well???

Personally I think they should have RL pics of the LL staff.... at least that way, while you spend several minutes or longer, at the loggin screen, you can get some mental frustration out of your system

BTW I AM just kiddin...

I miss the girl with the Blue Hair