We need your help in putting this book together, so if you have an idea for a hack, please write up a title, short description, and what you think would be an excellent first paragraph for your hack. Put this all down on a notecard, and drop it into the suggestion box at the SLHacks Sandbox located at secondlife://Tenera/133/177.
We'll keep the suggestion box open until March 1, 2006, but we will probably contact you about your suggestions well before then, since we want to get this book into your avatar's hands as soon as we can!
If you would like an invite to the SL Hacks group and a landmark to the SL Hacks "Sandbox" please IM Wilder Linden.
Something to keep in mind when drafting your idea; Hacks titles are always phrased in an active voice, and should clearly communicate the intent of the hack without giving too much away (for example, "Foo the Bar" vs. "Fooing the Bar with Baz"
. Check out the list of books at http://hacks.oreilly.com for some ideas (you can find sample hacks for most books at that site). Here are some of the hacks that we've already started working on:
#Find Your Look - Use Second Life's avatar and skin creation tools to be your best self--whether it be a giant robot, a tiny frog, a scary alien, or a blonde bombshell.
#Talk to Others - There are many ways to get your message across in second life beyond the default chat and messaging systems.
#Get out and Dance - Create custom animations and watch your avatar walk, run, swim, and dance all night long.
#Host Successful Events - There is more to events in Second Life than setting up a few chairs and sending out invites. To really attract a crowd you have to give them a reason to show up.
#Upload Stunning Textures - Make Second Life an interesting place to work and play by uploading more than just run-of-the-mill textures.
#Build Objects from a Set of Plans - Every project requires some planning and that includes creating objects from scratch in Second Life.
#Push Your Building Blocks to Their Limits - Building sophisticated objects in Second Life is possible using a variety of tools that can manipulate basic shapes.
#Learn about Physics - Yes, Virginia, there is gravity in Second Life. Learn how to make your objects behave any way you like.
#Match Land to a Purpose - Learn to find, purchase and terraform the perfect parcel of Second Life land to meet your needs.
#Make Your First Linden - Whether to make your way in world or to exchange for real money, Lindens are the currency of Second Life and we will show you how to earn them.
#Know Your Market - The economy of Second Life is largely driven by demand and less so by supply. Knowing what the next hot trend or object is can be your ticket to fame and fortune.
#Build a Virtual Reality rig - Sure, you sit behind your computer to get in-world, but why not take the red pill and build your own VR system complete with LCD goggles, motion sensors, and more?
#Print in 3D - Turn the objects you create in-world into real world objects. 3D printing and "Fablabs" make it possible to turn those pixels into atoms.
About the Hacks Series
The term "hacking" has a bad reputation in the press. They use it to refer to someone who breaks into systems or wreaks havoc with computers as their weapon. Among people who write code, though, the term hack refers to a "quick-and-dirty" solution to a problem, or a clever way to get something done. And the term hacker is taken very much as a compliment, referring to some one as being creative, having the technical chops to get things done. The Hacks series is an attempt to reclaim the word, document the good ways people are hacking, and pass the hacker ethic of creative participation on to the uninitiated. Seeing how others approach systems and problems is often the quickest way to learn about a new technology.
Here is a complete list of the hacks that are available online:
http://hacks.oreilly.com/pub/q/all_hacks. The hacks with a book-cover icon are sample hacks from that book. The hacks with no icon are reader-contributed hacks.