So far, no signs of self-immolating avatars as a crowd of Livelyzens protest the shuttering of their virtual rooms.
As one resident notes, Google’s plans to shut down its Lively virtual um rooms is equivalent to the slaughter of babies:
“Shutting this down would mean killing all those characters that we’ve all loved already. It is sad to kill all of us. It’s like God creating the Universe and after 5 months, ends it. It’s like a mother creating this baby, but slaughtered it before it’s even born, once she knew that it is unwanted. There is already life in Lively. I think it deserves to continue living…”
There is something jarring about the idea that our virtual environments could just evaporate, our avatars disappear. In fact, this isn’t a superficial issue. As we increasingly invest time, emotional energy, and make business investments in virtual and online environments, it’s more than a cute room that will be threatened.
So, power to the Livelyzens. Maybe instead of shuttering Lively, Google can be persuaded to sell it off: it’s a world made by its residents, after all, shouldn’t they have a say in what happens to it?
Can’t we just all send them an invitation to SL?
>> So, power to the Livelyzens. Maybe instead of shuttering Lively, Google can be persuaded to sell it off: it’s a world made by its residents, after all, shouldn’t they have a say in what happens to it?
How about combining both of those thoughts: Sell it off to those residents themselves. Or maybe just charge a monthly usage fee.
But of course that won’t happen. Virtual world servers cost money, almost certainly more than the residents want to pay. So what they’re really doing is asking Google to keep footing the bill.
I would love to see the residents raise the money to buy Lively, and then form a co-op to run the thing. The first user-operated virtual world…
Perhaps the Livelyzens can check out Just Leap In, at http://www.justleapin.com. To me it seemed a lot like Lively, but better looking. Actual Lively users may disagree, though..
@Vint: “Can’t we just send them an invitation to SL?”
Oh my Lord no! Do we really want “those people” flooding our land and taking our camping jobs? I’ve been to Lively and I’ve seen “their type.” Why, they even LOOK odd, with their pointy heads and skinny bodies. They just don’t look normal.
And will they bring any money or good with them? No! Lively had none of these so all they will do is gobble up our freebies, beg for Lindens, and harass our womenfolk.
It’s time to take a stand against these foreigners looking to change the very fabric of our society with their “strange beliefs” and “bizarre practices. Why, they don’t even know how to fly!
I, for one, say “No!” to the wholesale dilution of our virtual purity. I say “No!” to the excessive burden on our already fragile economy. And I say “No!” to End of Civilization As We Know It!!
Anyone with me?
“… after all, shouldn’t they have a say in what happens to it?”
Do we have in SL?
(ok, at least we might have OpenSim but that might not replace SL completely. And that’s maybe also not just in case of a shutdown but in general in the day to day operations and governance)
Google is also an open source contributor.. why not contribue Lively?
I really hope they at least opensource it once it’s shut down. Let those who still care continue to carry the torch.
Hello Livelyzens,
My name is dreamer2032, and I am a ninth grader at Westwood Schools in Camilla, Georgia. I am part of the Digiteen Dream Team, which is a group of fellow students that have banded together to stop Google from deleting Lively. We love Lively! We used it to teach the seventh graders at our school about digital citizenship, and it was a huge success. They loved it! We have written blogs, made a Lively protest room, and even made a song about the reason that Google should keep Lively. Lively has done so much for our class, and we will not let it be deleted without a fight. We support you in all your attempts to save Lively. Keep Alively!