How often do you see yourself using v-chat? A more detailed Poll

You bring up an interesting point. The programs you mention are available, and work well, I assume, I don't use any of them. What are the reasons, from a business or technological standpoint to have the option in the viewer and not on a stand alone service. I'm guessing that whatever costs that will be passed on to us will result in some profit for the Providers? And perhaps a new poll should commence: Not will you use VChat, but will you use Lindens VChat?

I agree - and one thought on it -

I think much of this could have removed by charging for voice rather than making it a parcel based option.

People get the whole "i dont wanna spend money for what I wont hardly use" stuff ...it would have changed the whole dynamic of how people use it to be more like it was before voice waas added to the client.

It also would have eliminated the throwaway accounts and the voice based greifing.

Plus it wouldnt have alienated all those people paying $195/month for Islands that wont be able to have vocie unless they pay more.

I use skype with people I already have a good friendship with atm but Ive also used the SL voice and the big difference for me is that I can speak to people I dont know. If I had to add everyone that I might potentially talk to or who might talk to me my skype list would be unmanageable. There is also the ablility to talk/listen to several people at once, like a real conversation with Linden voice. This can be set up in conference on skype but its a pain to get everyone together at the same time, and of course you have to already know the people to have them on your skype list. That why I look forward to voice becoming grid wide, so I am able to chat with more people
So....I will continue to use skype in some circumstances and ALSO Linden voice and text, they all have their uses. I dont see this as text v voice, theyre both communication tools and both have their good and bad points.

This is such a great point that it bears repeating.

Even a nominal fee such as $1.00 (although a fee like $4.99 would seem more appropriate) would have accomplished this objective and extended greater consideration to the entire customer base.

It seems odd to me that LL would consider placing the cost of this grid-wide voice implementation on Island Owners rather than applying it fairly accross the grid by simply charging a nominal fee to those who want to use voice. So that the choice to voice is decided by the individual, and the medium that individual makes their decision by is that nominal voice subscription fee.

OK I see the where the Linden Option would be viable. Thank you. And i agree, there should be a better way than dumping the cost solely on island owners.

a good host includes everyone, regardless of "peer pressures".
if the person(s) were truly your friends, and knew that you wouldnt be voicing, then the onus is upon the host(s) of said party to inform the guests that vchat will be enabled, giving the partygoer the option to either bow out or attend w/o the "aww come on everyone is doin it! line. true i agree niether one is a party pooper, but that could have been avoided, hypothectically of course.

Did they actually announce how v-chat will be paid for yet? From what I heard (in a conversation with a guy that works for the company making the v-chat program) they were going to let it be free for about a year and figure out how they're going to have it paid for.

And yes, if your friends would use high-school peer pressure on you to force you to use voice against your will then maybe you should look into a new pile of friends!

In reality, most people surround themselves with like-minded people (i.e. these forums) so chances are you probably won't be "victims" of alienation and discrimination once v-chat moves from firstlook.

It'll be okay...we'll get through this together!

The announcment was it would be free for the mainland and for Islands on the $295 a month pricing plan.

The 195$ a month islands would have to pay for the service - they did not specify how much. There was some hinting that it would be they would have to "upgrade" to the $295 a month plan.

In reality people meet new people all the time. How are they going to know if they are like minded or not?

Besides the fact that many people have friends who are not like minded in many areas.

I doubt you will see those who the alienation and discrimination bother the most. Becuase they will move on the greener pastures.

Is this a blanket price hike or only if the cheap island owner opts in for v-chat?

If it's only an opt in then I don't see the issue.

Well, then that's that much less of a server load!

Besides, I'd rather have people in SL that actually enjoy it than people complaining and seeking out sympathy because they fear confrontation and social situations...in a social game.

If the owner opts in for voice chat he would have to pay.

100$ a month is a lot to pay for voice.

Especially considering they wont get the other features $295 a month Island owners get.

Your blanket disreguard for others' feelings and concerns is hardly one of your more impressive qualities.

I voted always.

I work in collaboration with many artists on massive jobs with tight deadlines that require clarity and understanding...voice chat is much more efficient, and much more information can be shared in much less time.

If I'm at a meeting, or holding a meeting, using voice chat is a necessity. As long as the code is stable, I will use it all the time.

It blows my mind how many people chose to never use it. There are several reason I’ve read and gathered such as: language barriers, role-play or avatar gender confusion, shyness, liars, ignorance.

Those are the main reason I can think of why someone wouldn’t want to use voice chat. The technology is amazing, if you don’t want to make Second Life that much more immersive…then fine, but let me tell you…”it’s the way of the future.”

And if you don’t want people knowing your real voice or gender…get a voice disguiser…they have some pretty good ones out there that run on either hardware or software (or both).

Before voice tech came to SL…I was using Skype to hold meetings and discuss important information.

I hope so. Your comments quoted above are interesting because at one welcome area today, people unprepared to voice chat were excluded and ridiculed. I hung around for about 30 minutes hoping it was just one or two being assholes .. but then came comments like "why won't you speak *****? worried you might expose your penis?" (yes, to a girl.) followed by laughter from people I thought should know better and a bitchy discussion on which avatars leaving the area were "obviously" alt accounts. not nice. and with some users (particularly new ones) being forced to use public areas (until they're established or whatever), it seems to me there will be times when surrounding oneself with likeminded people might not be an option, and the high-school style mentality will be evident in all the public areas you're limited to.

i honestly though people would treat each other with more respect when voice came into play, but it seems to me that juvenile behaviour has been exchanged for a very direct and threatening form of bitching and bullying in some places. if some of the chat I heard today had been observed in text, I'd have assumed I was standing next to a bunch of fourteen year olds, but it's obvious from the voices that these are adults who have never quite grown up.

*very sad* I have a good headset, and despite a negative voice experience on the preview grid, I was prepared to participate from time to time, but what happened today has pushed me away from mixing - voicewise - in public areas, and perhaps reserving it for use with friends I've already got to know well via text chat, and even then - only when it's absolutely essential.

Please read THIS post.

Yes Collette, I understand that...I have a few things to say on that end...

There are griefers and immature jerks everywhere...all over the real world, and all over the second world. I'm not saying it's not a shame...but I don't think a few idiots should ruin something as instrumental as voice technology.

Voice is set up so that a user can quickly and easily mute another person. That right there solves the immediate problem.

I'm not saying that moving freely around the grid using voice chat will always be a smooth positive experience...but just like in real life, you have to pick your friends, and pick where you hang out...

And aside from the public aspect, there is huge professional appeal. Like I mentioned about holding meetings, or discussing important information on the fly. Very very useful.

Easier said than done .

It could be as simple as a "Ooooo I love this song!" and then everyone goes "which one? which one?" and the person doesn't know but "hey! I can let you all listen to it with voice!" and off it goes without any planning .

There's nothing really new about it: one friend regularly holds an SL "video evening" which I can't attend since it would weigh too heavily on my monthly download limit. Obviously noone keeps me from showing up, but since I wouldn't be able to watch the movie, I'd be rather - non-intentionally - left out.

Voice will cause similar situations for *both* non-voicers and voicers (sometimes you just can't), except the non-voicers will obviously encouter it more often. Again, noone is intentionally provocative here, noone is being set up to be purposefully left out, it just happens and it doesn't make anyone involved bad people or friends.

The forums always tend to polarise every debate, but in the everyday case, it's not always as black and white as "well, people who want you to voice aren't your friends in the first place" .

Part of it is spin on the part of the sim owners. Last November when the price hikes for private sims were announced, LL settled on grandfathering $195/month sims in until the end of this year. A fact which seems to have all but vanished from everyone's memory.

The price hike will come whether old sim owners want voice or not, I think LL is just trying to find compelling reasons to make the tier increase a voluntary decision for as many people as possible and then there will be far less outrage when they have to hike tier for whoever remains.

Read more you are missing the point.

Wow. That turns my stomach.

For Linden Lab, this should be a MONSTER RED FLAG. If we only retain 10% of the people who sample SL now, I gotta believe that kind of horrid ridicule will lower the percentage dramatically.

Will all newbs have to run a gauntlet of derision? If so, no one is going to stay after the first 20 minutes.

I can't imagine when I joined to walk into a loud crowd at the Welcome Center and suddenly have people pointing and talking and LAUGHING about me to each other. I would have logged off in seconds, taken a shower and never returned.

Back to the poll: I won't ever use voice, although I see its value in work and educational settings. If verbal griefing like that becomes the norm, I'll sell my land and Starax outta here.

No I'm not Colette--I've read it all. I think you're missing MY points.

Welcome to the SL forums, Mike. A place where technology and change are feared...ironically.

They may also offer a new server class enticing the class 4 holdouts to upgrade. I agree that the tier increase is coming regardless of voice chat. The grandfathered price wasn't going to last forever.

Still I think voice should only be paid for by all of those that wish to use it.

As far as the poll is concerned, I will only be using voice occassionally with a friend or 2 in private.

I've been around for years.


Clearly the next big evolutionary step in SL is to implement voice technology. It's inevitable. It's a huge step, and many kinks will have to be worked out, so as to please everyone, and thwart greifers...but there is no running from it.

Let's just be positive about it...give it time. There's no denying the possibilities voice will bring.

Somewhere it was posted that voice changers won't work with the SL voice client? Any confirmamtion.? Professional and business applications are recognized. But not everyone is here to run a business. This is just now becoming one big circle. Pro side comes up with a valid reason to use it, anti side counters with a valid reason why they won't. My Final answer: It's coming I can't stop it, I don't want to stop it. I won't be using it, I'm not interested in using it. I don't care if someone uses it or not. I don't condemn who are fearful of it's implementation, nor do I condemn who see it as the future. I will text myself to sleep if need be. I'll be fine.