[Crossed from my other blog at SL Review - this one is just too important to me]
Ah yes... typical sarcastic blog entry about the clarification post on the Second Life® blog. But, in truth, I've never had a problem with any of it. Except for one simple rule they try to make. My only issue is how can you trademark a pair of initials? My beef is with the trademark claim on the initials "SL". Now, you can trademark them if they are in a particular context, but that requires more words.

So - does "Sign Language" no longer have a right to be truncated to "SL"? What about all the other terms that are truncated this way?

Well, I'm going to go ahead and continue using "SL Review" as the title of [my other] blog. Now according to Linden Lab™ I am breaking the rules. Not so much because I am not using the little "TM" next to it, but rather because I have only one proper noun after those initials and they say I must have two.

The same with my other blog "SL Attitude".

Well - even though this blog focuses on musings from within and about Second Life, my "SL" is simply a truncation of the full title: "Silly Little Review".

Oh, and SL Attitude is really "Seriously Laughable Attitude" - but there's not enough room in the banner to make it look good. So I'll stick with what I have.

So there.
Take that, Linden Lab. :)

...Can I use SL with my product, domain or organization name?
Yes, under our special license to use “SL.” You can use “SL” with your own trademark.

So I downloaded the "Dazzle" version of the SL first look client today.

Trust me, do not bother with the 70+ MB install. I half-expected to try it and like it, but it's an eyesore. It's too flashy, everything is way too square, and it's too damn bright. Torley is a smart guy; I'm not sure if the exciting prospect of a new thing just blinded him to the obvious flaws in this design -- in essence the same thing that happens to me when I've worked on a drawing for hours and have lost my ability to see the mistakes until I flip it over -- but there are a lot of problems with this idea.

And yeah, though I know there are a ton of SL employees with different specialties, and that the introduction of this viewer skin doesn't automatically mean that Linden Lab is collectively huddled around for this Dazzle-movement while shirking more important duties. But they must know by now that this can only make it look as if LL isn't as concerned with fixing what is broken.

And as a side note, I am still not getting notices when someone buys something in my shop. That function dropped off about a week ago and now the transactions show up in my history, but I get no pop-ups. Simon told me the same thing is happening to him. What gives, and why has no one mentioned it in LL? It sounds like an easy break, easy fix. I have tried searching in the JIRA but either I'm using all the wrong keywords or everyone really hasn't noticed (surely not possible).

Binker and I are off to do my stupid homework.

We hear all the time about how real emotions and feeling can be in SL. Oh the drama... it wouldn't really exist if it weren't for those 'real' feelings and emotions. And that's just because of the interaction between people. Yes, some of our avatars can look pretty damned good. But that will change.

Let's face it, our representations in SL are still a bit cartoonist. Even if you have the best kick-ass video and computer hardware and have your WindLight settings cranked to maximum, as good as it all looks, there's still that 'artificial' element in there.

But computer-generated art and graphics are improving all the time. What will happen when the imagery we see on screen become so realistic, so beautiful that it literally mimics real life? Holy shit, I can see everything that happens now - real lives blossoming... and getting hurt - all happening at ten-fold more intensity.

There is a really good article at FT.com by Alan Cane that asks "will we be able to tell reality from artificial imagery?" That day is probably not too far off. Computer-generated imagery is already being used in Hollywood movies and so effective at fooling the eye that you likely could never spot it, except for some the impossible feats these characters are accomplishing.

It won't be long before places like Second Life will really be a lot more interesting; compelling than first life. Fasten your seatbelts. folks. It's going to be an interesting ride!

Read the full article here.