Tag: SecondLife

The Return Of The Lumiya Viewer – Coders Needed!

I’m reblogging this recent post by Daniel Voyager,with my own thoughts thrown in. I got excited when I saw Daniel’s post, since in my opinion Lumiya was the best mobile viewer of its time. I may actually go as far to say of  any time for that matter. Linden Lab are doing their best building their own viewer from the ground up, but it’s focussed mainly on new residents as an entry path, not for seasoned residents that might want to quickly log in to do some task or other.

This is a reverse engineering project to resurrect a much loved piece of software. If you have the skills and are interested in helping out, you can check out the GitHub Repo for more details. Click below for Daniel’s original post.

(Header image from internet search, no credit claimed)

While checking the Second Life Reddit posts over the weekend I came across this post named Restoring Lumiya Viewer to the public posted by Kaleaon who is the last member of Alina Lyvette staff. Kaleaon has not been in contact with Alina for nearly a decade. The plan is to open up the Lumiya Viewer […]

The Return Of The Lumiya Viewer 2026-2027

Draxtor Retires from Video creation but not Second Life

For approximately 18 years Bernard Drax,aka Draxtor Depres, has been making videos about Second Life. Yesterday he did a live stream announcing he wouldn’t be doing any more. He may upload more unreleased videos he still has, but he doesn’t plan to make any more.

I’m not overly surprised to hear this, after his monologue last month, regarding the closure of the Second Life Book Club islands.

Drax says he’s not “burnt-out” he just wants to change his focus in life, some self-care after many busy years. He intends to focus more on his family and himself doing such things as producing for his son’s band, since his background is in music. To me it’s sad news, but a totally understandable decision that I totally respect. Especially since Linden Lab withdrew their sponsorship in March 2024, which I think was a big mistake on their part.

However Drax isn’t leaving SL, he’ll be logging in to reply to messages and may well turn up if you invite him to any events you may be having.

Watch the Announcement Video for more details.

The channel will remain as a curated archive of videos documenting Second Life, along with the documentaries he produced, going back as far as the 17th May 2007.

Here’s the link to the channel: https://youtube.com/@draxtor

Related links:

Someone’s gotta write about it…The LindeX and more.

Yesterday there was another Linden Lab Zoom call. I’m not sure what subject to write about frankly, because several topics were covered,but as a fellow blogger said to me; “Someone’s got to, or what was the point?”

I was a bit confused at the start as to the purpose of the call,  because they were talking about the Lindex (Linden Dollar currency exchange). I don’t use Facebook or regularly read the SL Forums so I was unaware some creators have been worrying (complaining maybe?) about the market fluctuating. It’s a financial market, this stuff happens. The problem is (as I understand it) the market is stagnating, as in it’s been stable for too long. The physical world, with tangible currencies has had 20 years of inflation, Second Life hasn’t, apparently the exchange would realistically be nearer 400 than the 250 that it’s been at for decades. As a result the money creators make in Linden Dollars, is worth a lot less than it used to be when cashed out. This isn’t a new problem, the Lab have been struggling with it for some time. In  Brad’s words; “Covid saved us”. Meaning that when the COVID-19 Pandemic came along, there was a sudden influx of new and returning residents, who all needed to buy virtual cash, giving the economy a massive boost. Those residents now seem to have left again.

What’s the solution? It’s a bit tricky to say the least. If creators raise prices, customers are less inclined to spend and it won’t solve anything. If Linden Lab intervenes and sets the value of the Linden Dollar, residents will say they’re interfering. Customers don’t want prices to go up, neither does the Lab, it’d make the situation worse.

I’m no financial expert,so I can’t really speculate on solutions, but one thing that wouldn’t hurt is more people spending money,as in new residents.

One barrier to new residents actually buying anything however is store owners setting their security systems to kick out residents under 30 days old. How can you expand your customer base if you do that? I understand it’s a common practice to reduce spammers and griefers, but the situation the SL economy is in right now, those new residents are the most important ones. Don’t put your prices up, let more customers into your stores.

A few other points that were mentioned before I cease my rambling;

  • Creators that were having their products copy-botted will be pleased to hear that the most prolific offenders (that Linden Lab could prove) are in Brad’s words “gone and won’t be coming back. They got more than a stern letter.”
  • On the subject of the real-time transactions experiment that went tragically wrong; The more secure an account, the more likely those payments in real-time will be. I interpret that as maybe they might introduce them for accounts that have MFA enabled, but that’s just speculation on my part.
  • On new signups; The number of new accounts has gone up x10 more than previously. Of those residents, twice the number are staying around, but it still needs to improve. It just takes one bad experience, like being booted by a stores security system, to leave and not come back. Grumpity Linden gave an example based on metrics of new users arriving at a stores landing point then not going in.
  • Random stat revealed by Philip: The average avatar age of regular logins is 14 years old.

Basically we’re all old, getting older, and don’t have a clue how to keep the next generations from leaving after a few minutes on the mobile app.

Flickr Terms update for Everyone and especially UK residents.

This morning I received an email from Flickr saying there was a Terms of Service update that came into effect yesterday (24th July). My first thought was “what new restrictions are they going to implement now that’ll push SL folks out even more?”

Well the first major thing is a minimum age limit for account holders of 18.

What’s Changing For Everyone

The primary update is that Flickr will now require all new users to be 18 years of age or older to create an account. This change helps us align with evolving global online safety standards and ensures a consistent and safe environment for our entire community.

For residents in the UK, it gets worse:

For Users in the United Kingdom: Important Changes to Content Access

Due to new UK regulations designed to protect minors online, we are implementing a specific change for how content is accessed within the UK.

Effective July 24, 2025:

  • Access to content with SafeSearch turned OFF will require a Flickr Pro subscription.
  • This is because a Pro subscription requires credit card verification, which serves as age assurance under UK law.

So if you’re in the UK and want to see stuff that isn’t PG rated appropriate (which lets be honest applies to quite a bit of Second Life content) you’ll have to shell out for a Pro account.

The big flaw in that plan however is: You can open a bank account at 16 in the UK, or as young as 11 with parental involvement.

Further:


What this means for you in the UK

  • Free Users: SafeSearch will be automatically enabled by default. To view all content on Flickr, you will need to upgrade to a Pro account.
  • Pro Users: No action is needed. Your ability to turn SafeSearch off remains unchanged.

This change will definitely have a very detrimental affect a lot of people use of the site. Who I think will suffer most here will be merchants displaying their creations, all of a sudden they’ve lost the majority of their UK audience, and of course their UK customers that can’t see those adverts.

Another attempt by Flickr to try and push out Second Life and other virtual world content? Maybe, but that’s where we are now.

Farewell Second Life Book Club Islands

A couple of days ago I got a YouTube notification about a video from Draxtor:

ATTENTION BOOKSTERS: SL Book Club Archipelago is closing = we do a last walkthrough

Linden Lab are closing the islands that hosted the Second Life Book Club shows, that started April 2020 and finished November 2024, tomorrow (Friday 11th July 2025).

In Draxtors words:

“The Second Life Book Club Islands, which were a gift from Linden Lab. The agreement was that I would get these islands to conduct a weekly event. Author interviews, celebrations of the art of writing, and the joy of reading. And it was really awesome. We started in April 2020. And we concluded November last year. And now is the time to take these down because there really is no event anymore.”

Transcribed from this video.

I got up early this morning to try and follow Drax around as he did the last possible walkthrough of Island #4.

You can watch the different island walkthrough videos on his YouTube channel and all the episodes of the Second Life Book club in this playlist.

I attended many of the bookclub shows between 2021 and 2022 and watching some of the walkthroughs brought back fond memories. I have a large collection of snapshots I took at the shows, some you can see in this Flickr Album, but I will try to sort through the rest adding appropriate author and show details and make them available somewhere.

The Second Life Book Club should never be forgotten.  It was a prime example of the use case for virtual worlds. Of course you can have a book club anywhere, but only in a virtual world can you create a discussion space that resembles a setting from or inspired by the book and avatars that resemble the characters…every WEEK!

If you don’t watch any of the videos linked above,(some are quite long and everyones busy) just watch the clip embedded below; It’s the last 15 minutes of this mornings walkthrough in which Drax shares a few pearls of wisdom and a suggestion about reading that I think everyone should consider.

(Apologies to Draxtor for my avatar being a background distraction for a few minutes, before I realised I was in his camera shot.)

Summer Solstice Ritual 2025

Last night was the Summer Solstice in my part of the World and there was a group Ritual at Centauria, the home of the Second Life JINX Centaurs and Herb & Fable.

Image from Gyazo

Back in 2009 when I first came to Second Life I did a random search for Witchcraft, which did take me to a related community, but their events and activities were always focussed in the wrong timezone for me. When I was able to attend, I didn’t really feel part of the proceedings, it didn’t resonate with me, it didn’t trigger an emotional response within me. However I did make some very good friends there, that I’m still in touch with today , one of which was at last nights ritual with me.

Now nearly sixteen years later,these rituals Julula puts together do trigger that meaningful response. They are a lot of fun because Julula puts in so much work with custom animations and emotional immersive audio to bring the community event to life.

Image from Gyazo

“Being in Second Life, we can focus on our avatars, but also feel the benefit of this ritual in real life. We are all from different countries here, and so this space allows us to connect from wherever we are in the world. Here we come together to share space and create connection in a magical way.”

The quote above was part of the dialogue from last nigh and it’s so true. These are the kinds of activies I feel Second Life was built for. Bringing people together from all over the World in joint celebration.

If you want to do your own Ritual to celebrate the Solstice, you can buy the Solstice Ritual kit from the Jinx store at Shop and Hop. If you’re a registered Herb & Fable player there is a free add-on that allows you to perform the Ritual in a way that gains you some XP and a couple of related badges.

Here’s a snapshot of the ingredients you get with the Herb & Fable version.

Image from Gyazo

Outfit Credits:

  • Outfit:UNA. Haley – UNA
  • Belt Pouch: UNA. HaleyBag – UNA
  • Wreath: LODE Head Accessory – Summer Garden Wreath [red] – Outlet Sale
  • Gloves: *RE* Corvus Gloves & Rings 1.1 – RE Shop n Hop Booth
  • Arm Tattoos: fable. all mimsy 100% – Fable Store
  • Chest & Leg Tattoos: Lara Roses Upper and Leg Tattoo – [CAROL G]
  • Hair: Raven Bell – Lavender Hair – Raven Bell Store
  • Boots: Phedora ~ Hyunjin Unisex Boots ~ Maitreya/LaraX – Phedora Store

Second Life’s 22nd Birthday Celebrations: Important Stuff to Know

Last night, I heard my phone make that particular chime that signified there was an email from Linden Lab,or something Blogger Network related. Could there be another Zoom Call already? What might this one be about? Are they going to force reset everyone’s passwords yet?

Nay my dear readers, it’s an advanced list of all the SL Birthday celebrations info, dates and links all in one place.

Last year I was able to snag a Premium Plus Lifetime membership, (which I’d saved up for since the previous year) so not much can top that to be honest. Let’s see what they have for us, shall we? I am quite curious about what the new Last Names will be though, because an old friend has made a return to SL and is looking to ditch their old Resudent name, I suggested she wait until this list came out. I hope there’s some better than Myth on the list!

One thing I was disappointed to see however is that some of “Meet the Lindens” talks are going to be pre-recorded. How is that “meeting” the Lindens if the residents aren’t there? At least there is a live session with Philip on the Wednesday, but someone that’s conspicuous by their absence; Where’s Brad on that schedule?

Anyway, here’s your schedule:

SL22B Timeline:

  • Opens to the public on June 20th at 11am PT
  • Shop & Hop: June 20th to July 20th
  • Live Music Events: June 20th to June 29th
  • SL22B closes on July 20th

SL22B Key Info:

  • 76 regions total for the entire event
  • 500 exhibitors showcasing 244 exhibits across 19 regions
  • 532 performances across 4 performance stages
  • 480 merchants on 24 regions participating in the Shop & Hop

SL22B Shop & Hop Highlights:
Did you know you can get early access to the Shop & Hop if you join the Second Life Birthday Group inworld? Early access starts on Thursday, June 19th, at 9am PT!

  • 480 content creators participating across 24 regions (400 on moderate regions, 80 on adult regions)
  • 20% or more discount on all items, plus a free (non-group) gift at each shop
  • Early access for Second Life Birthday Group members: June 19th at 9am PT
  • Open to the public: June 20th at 11am PT through July 20th

Blogs & Links for SL22B:

More to Look Forward to on opening day:

  • SL22B Last Names: New Myths and Legends-themed last names like Myth, Dragonheart, and more!
  • Hunts & Premium Gifts: Dragon Eggs and Swaginator clues await adventurers at SL22B! Premium members can pick up exclusive swords and shields at premium gift vendors.
  • Physical Merch: Want SL22B gear for the real world? Check out our SL22B merch on Redbubble.

What am I trying to Achieve?

Earlier today I saw a post on Bluesky from a longtime Second Life resident and very empty club owner. I responded with a genuine query about what might encourage them to return more to SL, because non-returning residents and lack of new ones is a real problem for the platform. It was an interesting and enlightening conversation, until I messed up and mentioned something Brad had said (and the Lindens have been saying for years) about land prices vs fees. I just want to try to do my little bit to help, but here I was spouting a mantra that has annoyed myself and others for years, even decades.

As the exchange came to a close, they wished me luck in “whatever you’re trying to achieve”, which made me think.

This blog is meant to be about the fun stuff I do and find in Second Life. I look at my previous three posts and they’re related to what Linden Lab has been up to. While these things do and will have an effect on everyone’s Second Lives, it feels maybe I’ve become too “Linden-adjacent”, whatever that may mean.

The fact that two bloggers have actually said they wouldn’t bother joining the Zoom calls and would wait for my summary writeups instead, supports that.

A final note on the conversation that made me almost laugh at the unlikelihood (but validity) of it was “LL should be paying you and others in the program handsomely to do outreach”. (“program” being a reference to the SL Blogger Network that I mentioned being part of.)

Time to play now.

Ava Bloodrose,MA Education in Virtual Worlds

Avatar Account Security – Stop Self Hacking

Today there was a Zoom meeting held between the Second Life Blogger Network and Linden Lab, to discuss “account safety and security”.

As you’re probably aware by now, these meetings get arranged when the Lab has something in particular it wants to share with the Community and they know that lots of Residents don’t see or read the announcement blog posts(me included).

When I received the invitation email and read the subject matter my first thought was “they’re going to ask us to push MFA” (Multi Factor Authentication).

Which was correct, but not the main focus as I’d expected. I was hoping that at this meeting they were going to announce the introduction of recovery keys when setting up MFA, but no.

The main cause of account takeovers are people sharing their passwords. So the accounts aren’t so much being hacked, but as Brad Oberwager said in the meeting, they’re “Self-hacking”.

This is because fraudsters have gotten so good at social engineering. Basically becoming your friend and duping you into sharing your login details.

So there’s some simple DO’s & DON’Ts that the Lab would like to reiterate:

DO:

  • STOP sharing your passwords
  • Change your password (Can you remember when you changed it last? No? Change it NOW.)
  • Enable Multi-Factor Authentication in your account Dashboard

DON’T:

  • Buy Linden Dollars outside of the Second Life platform. (It’s always a scam and Linden Lab can’t help you.)
  • Click on links in chats (yes they could disable them, but can you imagine the backlash?)

All seems quite obvious really doesn’t it? Well yes, but people still aren’t doing these things.

Remember that the Lab could force a grid-wide password reset at any time. The reason they don’t (it would make things easier for them) is that there are people that have been logging in for a decade or more with a saved password they may not even know anymore. So change your password and keep it safe.

You may be wondering why you’re hearing about more account takeovers than you used to, as always it comes down to money. Linden Lab wants to make financial transactions as smooth and timely as possible, everyone likes things to be easy, right? Well the downside of doing real-time transactions is that you become a very attractive target to bad people, that are very good at what they do.

There’s a lot of trust in Second Life, which is great for community spirit, but when it comes to your account password, treat it like your bank details; don’t share it.

Linden Lab Official Post

(Yes, I did practice what I preached and changed my password.)

Herb & Fable – Beyond Lavendell – The Public Beta Quest

On the 1st of March Herb and Fable (HnF) went into public Beta testing, and has had a steady signup of new players.

This was boosted by players joining the game to take part in the Lavendell Quest during Fantasy Faire. If you completed the Lavendell Quest, some of this will be familiar, some not, if you didn’t complete that quest, it is still available to play at the Lavendell Quest region (link below).

For the Beta launch Julula created a similar Quest to introduce players to the different elements of the game and how it all works.

As you progress through different tasks, you’ll receive a whole bunch of Badges, that appear on your profile on the website and an object inworld that you can display, or add multiple ones to a display board.

Show spoiler

The “First Altar” sequence, is similar to the other Rituals previously released by Jinx. If you previously purchased one of the other ritual sets, there will be an update to a Herb & Fable version when they become available, that will allow you to earn associated XP and related badges.

There’s quite a collection of items you need to collect for your Ritual:

Show spoiler
List of items required to perform the Ritual

Like the Lavendell Quest, tracking these items down will have you searching high and low for them all.

One of the steps in preparing for the Ritual is carving your First Wand!

In the ritual you will learn about setting up an Altar with your various Craft tools, where to place them and their significance. These steps are the same as the ones you may take if you set up a real-world Altar at home or other location.

I set out the Rirual items on the counter in my tavern, in the corresponding directional locations:

The Chalice, representing the aspect of Water:

Show spoiler of the Chalice

The Feather, representing the aspect of Air:

Show spoiler of the Feather

You can get your Herb & Fable Beta pack in the Herb & Fable store on Centauria.

However given a screenshot posted today by Julula in the #Teasers channel of the Discord server, we may be out of Beta very soon!

Image from Gyazo

(The hovertext says V.1.01, the Beta version says Beta 0.11)

Herb & Fable links: