How to Kick Griefers on Opensim Thanks to Avination!

Usually, I used to had a bad image about Avination and their policies about “freebies” but right now, I am changing totally my mind for many reasons.  As I became more into Opensim and other Virtual Worlds like that (Osgrid or Inworldz) then I began to see how Avination contribute with innovation and code to opensim.

I haven’s some tool like that in the two years I have been using Second Life and Osgrid. I always think that the “abuse report” in Second Life as been not such successfull as this tool which has been posible by them. So let’s take a look about what this tool is about (this article has been extracted from avination’s blog and thanks to saphirateam to allow me that!):

“Today Avination donate once again code to improve OpenSim for its users.

As resident of virtual worlds and also as a grid owner, you probably know the problem of griefing. Griefers come in all shapes and sizes and cause grief and havoc on your land or even the whole grid. You can ban people, but as long as they are logged in, they continue spreading their badness. One can scream, one can struggle, just placing a ban did nothing more than preventing the griefers from returning.
Not any longer. Now it’s possible to kick users from a parcel or even grid wide. This allows users of OpenSim to now get rid of those bad people immediately or to give them a more “gentle” kick as a sign their behavior is not welcome at this place.

Residents and Grid-Owners can easily kick people now using they appropriate viewer option. Especially for tenants this new feature allows for much less disturbance in their virtual life.”

This is one of the things that should be implemented before in Second Life so people don’t need to wait until Linden Labs comes and fixes the issue that has been made by griefers. As always I think that there are so much innovation and new things that can be discovered thanks to opensource! and to other people who contributes to opensim. By the way Avination will be added as a interesting virtual world from this blog!, thanks so much for this app!.

What Are Bitcoins ? and What Could This Means for Virtual Worlds ?

On this days I was hearing so many times about “Bitcoins”. So I decided to add some information here what are bitcoins and where they came from. I got the main information again from wikipedia, I just want people to know more about bitcoins and what this could means for virtualworlds:

“Bitcoin (sign: BTC) is a decentralized digital currency based on an open-source, peer-to-peer internet protocol. It was introduced by a pseudonymous developer named Satoshi Nakamoto in 2009.

Internationally, bitcoins can be exchanged by personal computer directly through a wallet file or a website without an intermediate financial institution. In trade, one bitcoin is subdivided into 100 million smaller units called satoshis, defined by eight decimal places.”

This looks to be quite interesting but here are more info about bitcoins:

“Bitcoin does not operate like typical currencies: it has no central bank and it solely relies on an internet-based peer-to-peer network. The money supply is automated, limited, divided and scheduled, and given to servers or “bitcoin miners” that verify bitcoin transactions and add them to a decentralized and archived transaction log every 10 minutes.

The log is authenticated by ECDSA digital signatures and verified by the intense process of bruteforcing SHA256 hash functions of varying difficulty by competing “bitcoin miners.” Transaction fees may apply to new transactions depending on the strain put on the network’s resources.

Each 10-minute portion or “block” of the transaction log has an assigned money supply. The amount per block depends on how long the network has been running. Currently, 25 bitcoins are generated with every 10-minute block. This will be halved to 12.5 BTC during the year 2017 and halved continuously every 4 years after until a hard limit of 21 million bitcoins is reached during the year 2140.”

So who knows ?, could be Bitcoins the future of virtual money or virtual currency in virtual worlds ?. Well I dont know but we will see how bitcoins could be useful near the future.

Continuing Changing The Blog, Leaving SL and Comming to Opensim.

Yes, this is what I am going to do because I am convinced myself about it for some reasons:

- Opensim is opened to everybody, specially for those who want to build in safe place and free, I don’t need a premium account.

- In SL only those who had Premium Account can enter and use private sandboxes without being disturbed of  Griefers while if you go to public sandboxes there are plenty of them.

- In the opositive side of Griefers then there are also “VirtualCops”, “Vigilantes”  or what ever you want to call them. Yes this is a direct message to all of them, I don’t want and I don’t need to be watched and I don’t need someone to tell me what to do while I am building. The only people who need to care about that is the main company, I mean LindenLabs.
- A few of the new residents in SL are a full of drama, are interested in “virtual sex” and just to have personal contact (something I always avoid).

- SL is crowded by Spam Bots but also there are some scammers and phishers. I have seen this since I came from 2011.

By The way I said before I am going to do some changes in the blog, just because some people confuse my blog related with virtual sex. and Here is the evidence:

stadistics

These are the visits of the lastest months. I was amazing that I had something like 1000 visits in January, I was thinking that the blog was becoming popular, what is my suprise that the most visited arcticle was “A Virtual World for SX”. I was really annoyed about it and after I decided to shutdown this post and other articles (what I am going to do in the following days) about it.

In finally and in conclusion, I will be around SL to meet old friends and talk a little while I am going to come to Opensim as people are more interesting in building and to do other things like giving support to those who need it. Yes, Opensim is still a very young project but i am going to join forces, giving tips and giving support to them. All old SL articles are going to be here (old chat post are going to be deleted) but there will no more updates of viewers in SL or anything else, I am going to focus on Technologies and other interesting things I will find on the internet about Virtual Worlds, 3d and etc….

I will look towars to building and giving support  in Opensim and leaving SL into the past.

The New Firestorm Website

Last year Phoenix would not be supported anymore …. and now 2013 The developers of Phoenix Viewer have a new website:

firestormnewwebpage

Some information about this new website:

“The Phoenix Firestorm Project Inc. is a non-profit, incorporated organization whose mandate is to improve the user experience in Second Life and other virtual worlds by providing an advanced open source viewer with greater features, options and interface flexibility than the standard offering by Linden Lab. The project has approximately 80 volunteers working for it and are managed through departments divided up as Development, Support and Quality Assurance. We provide live support 24/7 in nine different languages inside of Second Life through our support groups and on the web via our issue tracker.

The Phoenix Firestorm Project is currently active in developing the Firestorm Viewer, the successor to the now discontinued Phoenix Viewer. Firestorm Viewer is based on the Linden Lab V3 LGPL code base and has an enormous number of features, options and interface customization choices, including a look similar to its predecessor Phoenix Viewer. Firestorm is developed for Windows, Linux and Mac OS X operating systems.”

Their new website is at  www firestormviewer org

2012: End Of Support For Phoenix 1.5

This is an old notice but something we need to remember, in 2013 there will be Firestorm viewer but not Phoenix, so for all you here is the news:

“Ending support for the Phoenix Viewer
Mon, 17 Dec 2012

On Saturday, Dec 15th, we held an important office hour at which the subject was the removal of official support for our V1-based Phoenix Viewer at the end of this year. We are also no longer developing this viewer. (Not to be confused with the Phoenix-Firestorm Viewer, which will continue to be fully developed and supported.)

To be clear
-We are ending support for the Phoenix Viewer on Dec 31st, 2012.
-If you are a Phoenix user we recommend you migrate to a peer-to-peer help group created for Phoenix users:“Phoenix Viewer Self Help.”

- We are NOT forcing you to use Firestorm! If you don’t want to use Firestorm, there are a few V1 alternatives out there. Check out theLL Third Party Viewer Directory.
- We are NOT telling you not to use Phoenix Viewer.
- We are NOT blocking Phoenix Viewer from logging in.
- We are NOT breaking Phoenix!
- You MAY continue to use Phoenix as long as you want, but be aware.. it will become more and more deprecated over time.
- LL is not intentionally killing Phoenix but be aware, there are changes coming in the new year that will break some key aspects of its usability.

We will remove the download links on our main website to Phoenix in the new year, but it will remain available from our “Other Downloads” section of our wiki. We will not remove any documentation or JIRA issues reported against Phoenix.

Please watch the video recording of that office hour here and that should answer all your questions as to why we have made this decision.
You can also read the speech here, which I had prepared and read during the Office Hour that explains our reasons for making this decision.

I realize this decision will not be popular among our Phoenix users, and I apologize for that, but I ask you to please watch the video or read the speech BEFORE complaining or asking why in the blog post comments. Our reasons are sensible, responsible and logical. If, after you’ve watched the video, you still do not agree with our decision, THEN please feel free to complain and vent.”

For the next posts, I will be analyzing some V 1  alternatives for Second Life and Osgrid. There are so many SL viewers out there that can be useful for those who loves V1 viewers but anyway I began to use Firestorm!.

Resident: “Constructive Criticism”

Well, this is a non common but a really interesting resident, I met the other day. Some who wanted to show “Constructive Criticism” in a public area. I began to asking about the pictures he put on this place (I don’t know how he did, but they were in there), I will call him as “Smart Resident”, so let’s begin! :

criticism-1

Xpontaneus Combustion: Hi Hello

Xpontaneus Combustion: can I ask you some questions ?

SmartResident: hi sure

Xpontaneus Combustion: cool thanks

Xpontaneus Combustion: what are you protesting about ?

Xpontaneus Combustion: As I see you put this pics in here ?

SmartResident: but this is found someplace

SmartResident: 0% salvation 0% damnantion of humanity in this painting

SmartResident: I know

SmartResident: and I didn’t agree

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok np

Xpontaneus Combustion: I am just asking you, I am so curious

SmartResident: So with freedom of speech

SmartResident: I speak

Xpontaneus Combustion: I haven’t see someone protesting in korea before

Xpontaneus Combustion: :)

Xpontaneus Combustion: yeah it is ok you can protest but what you protest for ?

SmartResident: I’m not protesting sl or Korea.

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok well sorry

SmartResident: The cause of humanity

SmartResident: and sympathy

Xpontaneus Combustion: so that’s what are you speaking about ?

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok

criticism-2

SmartResident: yea

Xpontaneus Combustion: so humanity

Xpontaneus Combustion: but what you don’t like of humanity ?

SmartResident: I am for humanity in a democratic way

SmartResident: There are places that don’t have this around the world

SmartResident: So I show this

SmartResident: as constructive criticism

Xpontaneus Combustion: ah Ok I agree

SmartResident: thxs

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok sorry for my understood

SmartResident: ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: so you are showing just “cronstructive criticism”

SmartResident: yes

SmartResident: If I constantly showed this it might contribute to it’s existence

SmartResident: like a molding process

SmartResident: I say this molding isn’t accurate

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: and what you want to critize ?

Xpontaneus Combustion: Humanity ?

SmartResident: no

SmartResident: most people are cool

Xpontaneus Combustion: yes true

Xpontaneus Combustion: but there are some “crabs”

SmartResident: I think most people in sl are cool

SmartResident: yes I agree

Xpontaneus Combustion: yes true but there are some jerks too

SmartResident: yep

Xpontaneus Combustion: a small people that want to disturb others enjoyment

Xpontaneus Combustion: and people with “drama”

SmartResident: yep

SmartResident: I block thiem

Xpontaneus Combustion: but what is the message you want to send with this pictures and this letter ?

SmartResident: Just use your blocker

Xpontaneus Combustion: yes I know

Xpontaneus Combustion: thanks

SmartResident: The message is basically there is another way that works other than this.

Xpontaneus Combustion: ah ok true

SmartResident: yea

criticism-3

Xpontaneus Combustion: so what you want to show to people is your message

SmartResident: Even the person that sits in the highest of this picture I would say to this King, there is a better way than this

SmartResident: maybe he would be wondering

SmartResident: In some places this King begged and prayed for another way

SmartResident: there is another way,

SmartResident: I try to show this even though I’m not God, just a democrat

SmartResident: yes

Xpontaneus Combustion: so the meesage you are just trying to give to humanity is

Xpontaneus Combustion: that there are other ways to do things

SmartResident: yea

Xpontaneus Combustion: ah ok interesting

Xpontaneus Combustion: and what it is the meaning of the other picture

SmartResident: I’m glad you can see this

Xpontaneus Combustion: thanks

SmartResident: I think there are 00′s of paintings like this around the world

Xpontaneus Combustion: well as you explain to me I understand what you want to say

Xpontaneus Combustion: but the other picture on the left

Xpontaneus Combustion: I cannot understand what it means

SmartResident: It’s just another form of the same art

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: and how you would interpret it ?

SmartResident: If you notice somebody looks like they are praying for better things in what looks like Hell

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok

SmartResident: I see / and /

Xpontaneus Combustion: so can you explain to me the other pic ?. This one that is on the left ?

SmartResident: It would look like 0% or so good things on top and the rest bad places

SmartResident: the one on the center is another painting basically showing the same thing

criticism-4

Xpontaneus Combustion: but in another way

SmartResident: I show symbolically water used to put out fire

Xpontaneus Combustion: I see it

SmartResident: Instead of fighting fire with fire

SmartResident: only would make more fire

SmartResident: Water is part of life

Xpontaneus Combustion: yes

Xpontaneus Combustion: right

Xpontaneus Combustion: we cannot live with out water

SmartResident: without gravity there wouldn’t have life as we know now

SmartResident: leading cosmologists have said without gravity there is no life
Xpontaneus Combustion: well true

SmartResident: Gravity helps in the formation of you soul or spirit too

SmartResident: your soul belongs to you because gravity keeps it with you

SmartResident: can somebody take out gravity? no

Xpontaneus Combustion: well without grativy we will be floating on the air!

SmartResident: I believe your th sub-atomic particle field is your spirit particle

SmartResident: and this particle interacts wioth gravity to make you and help you to stay alive

SmartResident: YOur mind is part of this too

SmartResident: which can acknowledge these concepts

SmartResident: If somebody were to say I take your soul from you, but do they really take out  gravioty from you?

SmartResident: no

SmartResident: Gravity is the cause of God

SmartResident: Without imperfection in the cosmos gravity doesn’t form

Xpontaneus Combustion: possible

SmartResident: yep

Xpontaneus Combustion: you look like scientific guy but do you believe in God ?

SmartResident: Leading educators around the world have said this

Xpontaneus Combustion: God as a human or as an Energy ?

SmartResident: Yes God is out there

SmartResident: could be a higher energy interactive state with people

SmartResident: Alot of people give themselves to the casue of God

Xpontaneus Combustion: yes true, that’s the way I see god, not like some religions.

SmartResident: cuase

SmartResident: cause

Xpontaneus Combustion: But anyway I respect other’s people beleive

SmartResident: cool

SmartResident: I’ve studied this for about 0 years

SmartResident: and this is what I see

Xpontaneus Combustion: god

SmartResident: ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: sorry

Xpontaneus Combustion: I wanted to say good

Xpontaneus Combustion: lol

SmartResident: lol

Xpontaneus Combustion: so you have been 0 years studing cosmos and universe ?

SmartResident: yes

SmartResident: and atomic physcis

SmartResident: theoretic

SmartResident: poor typo’s opps

SmartResident: Some see it as God, god, or ________

SmartResident: Gravity is invisible

Xpontaneus Combustion: Ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: interesting

SmartResident: could be gravity or Gravity

SmartResident: we are still held together by it

SmartResident: we have mass so there is gravity

SmartResident: I even measured the amount of gravity a person has based on his mass and his relation to a earth gravitatinal field

Xpontaneus Combustion: When I speak to you, I feel I am speaking to Albert Einstein!

SmartResident: thxs

SmartResident: I also studied his theories including his unfinished worked of a unified field theory

SmartResident: He saw it similar the way we do

Xpontaneus Combustion: may be you know so much about Quantum Physics

Xpontaneus Combustion: cool

Xpontaneus Combustion: and interesting

SmartResident: cool

Xpontaneus Combustion: but are you a Astronomer or Something like that ?

SmartResident: mostly a self-taught one over the 0 years of study

Xpontaneus Combustion: just I am curious

SmartResident: but I do have a BS degree

SmartResident: that studied the basic sciences

SmartResident: But I have discussed things with even Nobel prize wnners in Physics

SmartResident: they even invited my to do research there with them

SmartResident: to show proof of alot of this

Xpontaneus Combustion: ah ok so you are a Physics

SmartResident: part of it yes

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok

SmartResident: including sub-atomic theory predictions

Xpontaneus Combustion: part phylosopher part physics

SmartResident: which I have predicted things accurately in this field

SmartResident: yea

Xpontaneus Combustion: so you may like meta-physics

SmartResident: yea

Xpontaneus Combustion: as I supose

Xpontaneus Combustion: more spiritual than material

Xpontaneus Combustion: or both ?

SmartResident: I think both

Xpontaneus Combustion: cool

SmartResident: To have a meta-physical from physical to me means we are more than just a biological machine

Xpontaneus Combustion: oh god

Xpontaneus Combustion: Lol

SmartResident: lol

Xpontaneus Combustion: so you read Exxxx books ?

Xpontaneus Combustion: not to critize just to know

SmartResident: no I have been mostly for now just loooking at sl

Xpontaneus Combustion: ah ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: just for the terms

Xpontaneus Combustion: someone how use the term “Biological Machine”

SmartResident: Some people say we are like biological computers

SmartResident: with the DNA

Xpontaneus Combustion: well machines

Xpontaneus Combustion: exactly

SmartResident: similar

SmartResident: yep

Xpontaneus Combustion: have you ever hear about Gxxxxx?

SmartResident: no

Xpontaneus Combustion: well it is a guy who investigate about human and religion

Xpontaneus Combustion: he made his own path

SmartResident: whta did he say?

SmartResident: what

Xpontaneus Combustion: we are machines

Xpontaneus Combustion: and we need to be repair

SmartResident: yep I agree

SmartResident: this picture argument is an attempt to repair this

Xpontaneus Combustion: this guy I am talking you about uses psychology, religion and science

SmartResident: sure this is the way

Xpontaneus Combustion: in his own path. And he speaks about that one man is cannot help without anyother man

SmartResident: ype

Xpontaneus Combustion: so we need to help each other

SmartResident: yea

SmartResident: yea

Xpontaneus Combustion: hey

Xpontaneus Combustion: have you ever been in inspire ?

Xpontaneus Combustion: a place that looks like space

SmartResident: ?

Xpontaneus Combustion: universe and that things ?

SmartResident: oh

SmartResident: yes

Xpontaneus Combustion: it is a spiritual place where most of the people goes for meditation and that stuff

SmartResident: yea

Xpontaneus Combustion: ok

Xpontaneus Combustion: cool

SmartResident: cool

Xpontaneus Combustion: so it have been nice to meet you

SmartResident: same to u thxs for the chat

Xpontaneus Combustion: You welcome.

Xpontaneus Combustion: are you comming here frequently ?

SmartResident: I’ve been visiting here for a couple o fyears

Xpontaneus Combustion: Ok. Understood

SmartResident: I hope so

SmartResident: bye

It is nice to see that some “interesing residents” even come to sl, because before I have meet just some iditos just only looking for “sx”. This is what we really need some really “smarties” that could make the change on virtual worlds and not some people only interesting in … well you all residents know what I mean!.