Put this in the category of, um…..well I have no idea what category to put it in, but my respect for Reed, Gianna and Draxtor just dropped a notch or two with their video (embedded below the fold) about the coming ability to import mesh objects into Second Life.
The video, which I’m sure is meant to be, um, funny, ends with the tag: “Mesh is Coming to Second Life….Deal with It”.
What’s even more astonishing is that Linden Lab is carrying the video on the Second Life youTube channel.
Now…I’m a believer that mesh is important, necessary, and will facilitate new forms of creativity in what is still the largest user-generated virtual world. But I’m also of the belief that it will have a significant impact on the Second Life economy, to the detriment of many.
To produce a video that thumbs its nose at anyone who doesn’t “get it” is arrogant and does nothing to easy anxiety that mesh imports are more likely to shift the opportunities for content creation in Second Life to a “professional class”.
Much of what’s missing in the discussion over mesh is any sort of thoughtful review or assessment of how it will be handled economically – the details are sketchy at best, and while the product folks at Linden Lab are treating it as something that falls under the category of ‘money-maker’, we’ve heard nothing about how they’ve evaluated the economic consequences of introducing the feature.
We’ve heard nothing about whether they anticipate that mesh will increase the user base, nothing about their projections or goals, and so its being left to the folks who were in the mesh beta to craft an understanding of the potential of the feature.
This video does nothing to advance a thoughtful discussion of the impact of mesh on Second Life, other than to tell a large portion of the Second Life population to just, well, shut up.
Horten heard a who…?!. lol. well unlike Prok, I think its ok if youve hit a meta brick wall after moving through the mists of green.
The Lab has never cared a lick about any economic issue for anyone but itself. AND all its IP rights praise was always misplaced by those who didnt really do any homework or were just cashing in on the falsehoods themselves.
anyhow… deal with it.:)
Forget any PROFESSIONAL CLASS caring.. since they are PROFESSIONALS they have some biz ethics (left- though for how long?).. its the THIEF, FREE, HACKER class that will do all the harm as they devalue all others works values for “badges” from imaginary “friends” and for “pennies on dollars” of future returns just to play gamez – today.
not a word about the value of the others works that fill LL servers… other than theyre more “ccol” and “curvy”
Since youre now finally reaching the WALL of creative virtualities realities- i suggest a post about the Autodesk License victory, and the apparent merging of all software as service and the end of tool ownership for creatives…
Anyhow. enjoy the llamas.:)
Everything I have seen of SL mesh thus far looks like amateur dog shit. Like that green turd looking robot thing in that video.
BTW anyone with evidence of any company or person engaging in forming or participating illegal trusts needs to report it at ftc.gov. Let the government deal with the prosecutions and convictions.
I for one welcome Mesh. We can’t realistically ask for improvements, and then once they arrive complain that the improvements we asked for are here.
I agree that the “Deal With It” seems to be the wrong way to promote it. However, maybe they wanted it to be edgy on purpose, to cause some to complain about it, thus getting it noticed. Mesh is expected to be an improvement, so maybe we should “Deal with it” and be content that we are finally getting the long asked for Mesh.
I like it. It was well thought out, well put together, and I like the use of windlight in the video.
Why worry about other people getting offended over it, Dusan? If they are offended they can speak for themselves. Granted, 99% of people in SL don’t understand what mesh actually is, let alone what it could do to the economy.
I don’t think people will hurt all that much because of mesh, anyway. It’s easier to make a mesh than it is to make a sculptie, and sculpties are everywhere. The only people this will hurt are the people who refuse to take advantage of the new possibilities. You know who I’m talking about: The uncreative classes.
I also think this is a nice promotional video. Yes, it talks about a technology that can’t be picked after 10 minutes spent in a noob sandbox. It will take some learning, but the information is available. If they are too lazy to figure out the new tricks, well… they should “deal with it”!
And I don’t see how the vid thumbs anybody noses by introducing a higher level of building. People can find offense in ANYTHING if they want to. For example, you are very good at writing, much better than most other people. Maybe some folks who are not verbally efficient could be offended by you thumbing their noses and calling yourself a “writer”?? … just kidding
@dusan writer
“To produce a video that thumbs its nose at anyone who doesn’t “get it” is arrogant”
Wonders if you have ever actaully watched a Lab video about viewer 2 … Oh wait you’re actually in a video about viewer 2 over at metanomics.
wow. saw that video… I guess it was done in what passes as a “professional service” today.
Service to whom or for what…well one day that will be answered.
As a 3d game art developer of many years I look forward to this. It can and will improve SL in a way that a large number of us content creators have been asking LL to give us for like years and years.
As a beta tester I can assure you content will get better near the release of mesh. Most of us have other projects and short time to really put into mesh past basic testing. I would say hold off on your OMG MESH IS THE DEATH OF SL ECONOMY until we see it hit the grid. I have heard so many times over how some new feature is killing sl remember sculpted prims?? What about wind light and other past new features. Stop with all of the fear and just try and see how things ride. Even in beta mesh works well for the most part and I plan on making many avatars using it.
Dusan.. wow… all I can say is OUCH!
I would have hoped you knew me better than to think I was arrogant or unhelpful, and I hope you don’t mean what you said, but it’s OK, I still love you any way.
While I myself didn’t come up with “deal with it,” it should be obvious that the video is satire.
“First make people laugh, and then make them think.”
I apologize if you think our video was off base with that goal. However, I have been one of the loudest voices genuinely answering questions and discussing the impacts of mesh support. Not only did I discuss mesh support with your personally as a guest on Metanomics, but I also wrote about it and have been answering questions on my own blog
http://changingworldsbuildingdreams.com/the-status-of-mesh-support-in-second-life
as well as on blogs and discussion threads through out the community
http://sorornishi.blogspot.com/2010/09/mystified-musings-on-madame-mesh.html
Actually, Soror Nishi expressed some of these concerns and she and Gianna duked it out in the comments to Soror’s blog on the subject here: http://sorornishi.blogspot.com/2010/09/mystified-musings-on-madame-mesh.html
Gianna – that’s what surprised me about the video – and as someone who hasn’t been shy about supporting mesh myself, (although I’m also not shy about the fact that the economic impact isn’t being assessed in a thoughtful way) I’m well aware that you’ve done an amazing job explaining it, advocating for it, and easing anxiety.
So in what way does this video build on the work you’ve done to date? You’ve been carefully puncturing myths, providing information, leading people in the right direction and then you come out with something that does two things:
1. It implies that anyone who works with prims is a dolt (Reed playing the hopeless builder with his clunky blocks)
and 2. it implies that if you don’t “get it” you SHOULD or, at least, get over it
I GET that it’s satire. But what is the satire OF? And I’d propose that what you’re satirizing are critics of mesh, an audience that you were doing an excellent job of converting anyways by creating thoughtful and compelling media that was explanatory, calm and useful.
Racush – I’ve been advocating for mesh for 3 years now. The issue here isn’t that it’s not a welcome addition to SL, the issue is two things:
- Being thoughtful about how it’s explained
- Being thoughtful about its impact on the broader community and economy.
There will be an impact. And as I’ve written countless times (I wasn’t in the mesh beta, and I’ve been writing about this, as I say, for 3 years now)….my personal belief is that it opens up a tremendous opportunity to increase the user base, the quality of content and the size of the creative community.
But that doesn’t mean it won’t have negative impacts as well – and I simply think it’s productive to discuss them, acknowledge them, and not simply reply “Deal with it”.
L.Koller – um, how did that discussion on Metanomics thumb its nose at anyone? It was promo spam, maybe, but other than that?
White – I’m a Writer but that doesn’t mean I’m a writer.
Bubblesort:
“Why worry about other people getting offended over it, Dusan? If they are offended they can speak for themselves. ”
I was offended. So I spoke for myself.
This is one more example of the sky falling. You don’t hold technology back because some people write on papyrus and are afraid that the printing press will put them out of business.
Thank goodness the inventors throughout history weren’t SL residents. It continually cracks me up that people in a virtual world, which is cutting edge enough that most people still don’t get it, are all anti-change and AFRAID of learning something new.
Pussies.
I understand that people are anxious about mesh and their ability to compete in a new market that includes mesh.
Take a look at Google Sketchup. They have some starter tutorials that I encourage you to look at. It is easy to learn and anyone who can torture prims will probably find it easier to use to build with than the building tools in Second Life.
I am also sure that as with sculpties, some mesh makers will produce mesh packages that you can buy and use to build with and make some clothing pieces with.
You might not be able to do everything with mesh, but I am sure you will find some ways to use it. Very very few in Second Life can do it all. Consider collaborating with different people with different skills.
There are different kinds of creators in Second Life. For some it is a hobby. For the business people, most are what we would consider part timers, working full time in the real world and/or raising kids, or students. There are some full timers, those who have 8 hours a day or more to put into their SL business. Of course they will have more time to learn new skills and make products, and they will likely earn more in SL. This is not new.
In real life I see many ambitious people working full time jobs, raising a family, and working on part time studies to advance themselves. The same can happen in SL, putting in hours on the weekend or whenever possible to learn Blender or other programs. Such people who are willing to put in the time and effort to learn new skills deserve to succeed and earn more than part timers. That is the way of any world, real or virtual.
The only constant in life is change. We cannot stop it or avoid it. It happens in the real world and the virtual world. We must always adapt to survive. Computers eliminated a lot of jobs. People have learned new skills and found placements in many new jobs created by computers–programmers, IT specialists, trainers, etc.
I think the anxiety will subside once the open beta starts and anyone can visit the test grid to try things out.
If it is a matter that people are unwilling to put in time and effort to learn simple skills (Sketch-up) or more complex skills (Blender), then I have little sympathy for them.
Every generation has had to cope with technological change. Our great grandparents had to switch from horse and buggies to automobiles, and that involved much learning and financial investment too.
I understand the anxiety and fear people have, and I am sure that LL does as well. This does not mean that we should not proceed, and LL will proceed. It is coming, like it or not, so I suppose that we do just have to deal with it.
I think it will definitely help the economy, new products new features new purchases.
Dusan in re your reply to Gianna: I wrote the “deal with it” line to satirize the constant constant and terribly annoying attitude of many SL residents to bitch about absolutely every impending change…be it voice, windlight or sculpties. The original shooting script was a lot more Southpark than Cosby Show, and reading through these comments I wished we had published that version
a kid in Egypt can pick up Blender and sweat it out night after night until he learns it, never goes to a design school & enters SL to sell his wares…how is that giving sole advantage to a professional class???? Does remind me of the whining of A & R guys in the now obsolete major label structure…..the above commenter is right – this only puts one class at a disadvantage: the “uncreative” class….
MY rate for 3d design was a professional agreement between my efforts and those of cleints for decades.
Google though offered my compnay NO renumeration or value for the “privlege” of assisting them “monetize” Google and Sketchup. When I refused, they found an Indian nstional who was happy to contribute for free as he thought he would “learn a trade using Skethup”.. I highly doubt google has ever rehired him for his monetization of that skill in the years that would follow. So much for his professional skills or future.
Satire? eh. well as I said elsewher. WALL-E (suspicious origins of story btw) is considered a Romatinc Comedy by the same type/quality of thinkers…
Satire and the ability to communicate it, are sadly diferent in the age of the amatuer,
Draxtor – where did I say that it was going to give an advantage to the professional class? Where? I said there were anxieties that this was true, I never said it WAS true. Your video simply helped to reinforce the argument that there’s a group that’s “in” and “gets it” and a group that doesn’t and won’t.
Instead, what you’ve said is that someone who is anxious about learning mesh or the impact it might have is UNCREATIVE (did you just say that?) and that those uncreative types should just push off because there’s some kid in Egypt who will take their place.
I mean – give me a break.
The whining isn’t eased by the snarky video. Gianna’s blogging helps, I hope the Metanomics Masterclass on mesh helped, I hope my dozens of posts over the years on mesh have helped.
But misreading my post and then equating the decision people will need to make on whether to investment the time (and maybe money, lost income, etc.) in learning mesh with their de facto being part of an ‘uncreative class’ is adding insult to injury.
First you say “Deal with It” and then you say “And if you don’t, you weren’t creative in the first place” – tell that to the shoe maker who barely covers tier and decides it isn’t worth the time to learn a new skill set and see what she thinks.
There are economic as well as creative decisions people will make. And instead of being supportive, informative, empathetic and thoughtful, you lump them in with the folks who have a “constant constant and terribly annoying attitude”.
Oh – and for those of you who don’t actually read this blog, a few links giving my far more nuanced view of the implications of mesh:
http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2010/08/20/beyond-mesh-import-second-life-next/
http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2010/06/23/mesh-in-wisdom-out-how-second-life-may-inform-the-next-generation-of-3d-content/
[...] valid reservations. What I found disturbed me even further. The creators of the video responded to Dusan Writer’s blog post illustrating many of the same points I have here – apologies for the redundancy. The creator, [...]
Regardless of elsewhere discussions and just taken at face value, that video was uninformative mean-spirited tripe. What does it teach the viewer? Nothing. What is it implying? That prims are useless tools for dolts.
And anytime someone’s argument is “get used to it” or “get over it” they lose all credibility. It’s dismissive and belligerent.
When we meet people who belittle others in order to boost their own image we show disdain. Disdain is what this message deserves.
[...] This post was mentioned on Twitter by Mal Burns, Dusan Writer, Dusan Writer, draxtor, Doubledown Tandino and others. Doubledown Tandino said: via @DusanWriter Mesh and Second Life: Deal with It? http://bit.ly/cAqwoP [...]
Well, I’m glad you came along after your 3-week hiatus and least posted something rhetorically sympathetic about concerns for those “anxious” about mesh (that already trivializes and infantalizes them), it’s better than nothing. The film is despicable, and I’m just about done with Draxtor, and not only because of his SL machinima, but his constant anti-American rhetoric and selectivity in chosing Hate Amerika First RL topics to do as well.
Vivienne Daguerre is just *disgusting*. We’ve had our fill of these patronizing, social Darwinist “go learn Blender” bullshit pieces on the forums. The answer to disruptive new technology that you gleefully and maliciously want to disrupt OTHER people and not YOURSELVES is not to say “Go learn Blender”. The answer is to admit that the Lindens are cynically approaching the end of their project and we are being shafted.
The destructiveness of this gambit is inestimable. The core of the enthusiasm and the user hours and the buying of sims is about the ability of amateurs to create, and go along the path to professionalism at their own pace. When you add a technology like this that requires the creator handing over — as we’re learning now from this helpful link to a blog — FIVE maps of the object to work with (!), you realize that the core of SL is being deliberately massacred.
If you’re bitter enough to be malicious back, you can hope that the resulting loss of sim revenue for this nasty bloodbath of amateurs and semi-professionals will be a sobering corrective for the Lindens — like the way Viewer 2′s #fail cost them THIRTY PERCENT of their staff in layoffs!
But…a corrective to do what? Um, duh, we get that you “can’t hold back technology” — but guess what, you can’t hold back Luddites smashing machines, either, because their livlihood was attacked needlessly by people who cynically stood to gain fortunes from automated factories — not from “technology”.
It’s never REAAAALAY about technology. It’s really about “the big grab from Washington to Moscow,” as Neal Cassady put it so well.
But Dusan, seriously: just how CAN the Lindens, given their cynicism and techno-driven souls, really do about this? I had thought they could at least bean-count and analyze possible models of economic impact, possibly based on using numbers from the transition from prims to sculpties or really eyeballing how many of the creator class tht makes $2000 or more would be really affected — most of those people might know Maya and Blender anyway.
Maybe they did those things and maybe that explains their hubris, I don’t know.
But what they can’t do is some kind of protectionist model.
What am I hoping for is the “Peasant’s Art of Starving” as Lev Timofeyev described the phenomenon of the amazing resilience of the Russian people in keeping their kitchen guardians going by hook or by crook to provide 1/3 of the Soviet Union’s food supply when collective farms demolished agriculture.
I see this amazing resilience of, for example, little rental companies or big communities tht survive year after year like Peace Haven on the mainland. Although you would think — you would KNOW in my case — that mainland rentals are totally a fool’s errand, groups keep appearing, sharing tier, developing land, making nice little places, sharing with their friends, persisting in having their second lives while all around them, chaos in the forum of riotious Linden polices (ad farms, homesteads), griefers, blighters, sim crashes, etc. go on.
So I’m hoping that there will be this persistent prim-based class of creators and buyers and economy that will defy the Lindens’ cruel cynicism and the glee with which smarties like Draxtor and Gianna take this up, even serving as propaganda masters for the Lindens on their channel (Ugh!!!)
I’m also counting on what Ann has said about how the stuff looks like ass. No accident, comrade, that the picture the Lindens have up to advertise mesh now is this ugly green troll. Even in Draxtor’s movie, you know that the pile of prims, in the right hands, with textures and sculpties, looks as good or better as that green man character that comes striding in. Mesh might remain only in the hands of the script kiddies and weapons sellers and JIRA jihadists who make those kind of ugly MMORPG war avatars. So, good riddance.
Look, if mesh doesn’t make women’s hair or breasts or men’s dicks better in SL, as advances in prim and sculpty technology did, it will fail…
Even an old-fashioned journalistic inquiry and a poll of top creators and ordinary users might be in order to see what people who even are gluttons for punishment learning fiddly 3-D creation tech are really going to do.
When I find this late in the discussion that the basic facts (like the 5 map stuff) just aren’t getting out, I have to assume we’re not getting LOTS of information.
I’ve mentioned to Jack Linden at SLCC and in his thread on the blogorums now and on my blog the recurring thing about whether or not the user can edit mesh!!! A simple yes, but or no, but would be in order. Yet the Lindens have dodged this again and again.
Don’t forget that we are in a perfect-storm warning area as well. Mesh will hit *just* as SL Marketplace’s bugs, annoyances, screw-ups, bail-outs begins to really take root. That’s only beginning now. Mesh will hit when display names are hitting or after the potential for confusion and griefing begins to accelerate. Mesh will hit as sign-ups remain flat (you never heard of SL, you are a little uneasy about it being a game and a time-waster, now you’re told that it has some other shiny thing in it. Like, you’re going to care?!) Mesh will hit as the Lindens get rid of the Ontynes and bring in…whomever from Bangladesh.
The Lindens should learn to sequence their disruptions.
*kitchen gardens
http://sorornishi.blogspot.com/2010/09/we-deal-with-it.html
I have my say.
I think I have done ok with prims over the years. I was trained in Softimage and Zbrush and anyone suggesting it is laziness to not learn these tools is quite oblivious to the difficulty of these programs. Granted they are overkill for Second Life with only a small percentage of their abilities usable here, but I would say it takes around four months to become good with Softimage or Maya but you don’t really get it until you have used them for about a year or so, some would say much longer. In the end its going to come down to strengths beyond aesthetics. For example would anyone seriously say that the most recent star wars films are better than the original 1970′s ones? They are full of bells and whistles but are nevertheless lacking in everything other than the graphics. The real strength of Second Life as a medium is its ability for creators to showcase their work in a social atmosphere. High end builds in Maya, 3D Studio max and Softimage tend to remain on ones computer because there is nowhere to show them beyond a static screenshot on a website. Mesh will allow people to bring in work to be seen in a 3D environment as they were meant to be, it will help to remove the seclusion of some builders who previously worked in art that was unable to be shown here. Will mesh shoes knock out prim shoes? quite possibly but I don’t see anything wrong with that. Competition is good. People will always build in prims because it allows you to build in a social atmosphere while online as opposed to building offline then importing. Mesh wont kill the average users creativity but rather bring in new faces.
Well said Bryn, and I agree.
As I noted, my personal issue isn’t with mesh, which I think is needed and will help creativity to flourish, but with the lack of thought into how such a transformative change is considered and executed.
Change can be hard, it doesn’t mean change shouldn’t happen. But as usual, the Lab seems to be treating this primarily as a new technology feature rather than as something that will play a larger role in an ecosystem that includes an economy and culture.
All I’d like to see happen is a reasoned discussion of how this change can be executed in a way that benefits everyone and that doesn’t marginalize people. Treating is solely as a technology feature while ignoring these other factors is a negation of the idea that it’s a world that is being impacted and not a piece of software.
The only solution is for “networked server owners” to act as publishers. And to be “constrained” by other peoples rights to their own property. All else only builds Pyramids.
[...] [...]
Mission accomplished Dusan – brought some great traffic to your blog after being off the map for a while [in Germany they call it "Sommerloch", look it up] by calling a harmless comedy bit insulting & disrespecting the creative makers involved, ey?
I could learn from you. You give classes in self-marketing at all?
Indeed, in mainstream media here in the US, many make a living by blowing things out of proportion and giving non-issues legs all the while keeping THEMSELVES at the center of attention instead of debating the real issue.
You take issue with “deal with it”? In my book this is a proactive term, implying that we better get out there and learn and debate and acquire knowledge, be open minded, instead of whining, giving in to fears and/or choosing the “bashing” response [yes, there is fight or flight, but I like to add "bashing" to that, please?]
One great thing that came out of this? Your blog will now serve as the perfect proof for all my friends who think SL is a refuge for grouchy middle-aged escapists with zero sense of humor.
Now to make it clear – I certainly do NOT believe that this is the case across the board, but you and a few other commenters/twitterers present in this thread are unfortunately perpetuating that cliche..[I am not sure if they are naked in their basement while they are writing these replies/spinoff posts (hi Phaylen)...]
Good thing that most users are a bit less self-involved than that & are working hard to do meaningful, good things with the platform, projects that could change the world. I am blessed to work with many of those [K2C doc coming soonish - http://www.america.gov/st/educ-english/2010/August/20100827080146kcsniggih0.6081964.html & Deep Down, promo has me at 1:47 in all RL overweight glory http://deepdownfilm.org/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=57&Itemid=73
....
Want to clarify just a few things before closing the laptop down this weekend & enjoying the ocean with the kids while it is still semi-clean here on the coast:
In re "professional class" - please refer to your own use of that term in your original post. That is what I was referencing
In re "uncreative class" - never meant to insult the legitimately anxious and answer seeking folk [remember proactive from first paragraph] by that but rather exactly people like you, who do nothing constructive, not building anything, not conceptualizing any meaningful projects, yet you claim you do by writing about those things, creating controversy, copying press releases & until the recent past, being a unofficial [paid?] spokesperson for Linden Lab, disguised as a moderator…wow….journalistic ethics anyone?
The classic middle man, who is being made obsolete by web 2.o! Ahhhh….I know you are scared Dusan, but it is OK, don’t worry, do some deep breathing cause – universal adoption won’t be happening that fast, you may also cry on my shoulder, virtually or down here….hey, even elitists have compassion!!!
Oh and I apologize that I am not contributing to the debate and easing anxieties of all the millions of residents with this particular machinima. I was not aware that I was hired to do that job….have to check in with management before I publish anything next time
Did you pay me some money or did anyone else? Mmmmhhh, I just can’t recall….
Oh by the way, since you missed the conciliatory use of music in the piece, here is the link to purchase “Love Is All Around Us” – http://bit.ly/ah9KBl , how is THAT for self promotion….please buy a download so my son can go to soccer camp this fall? Listen closely to the lyrics, my friend Dusan & btw – if you want the past 10 seasons of “Southpark” on DVD, let Reed or me know, ok? We will send you a gift coupon! Might broaden your horizon as a writer….
Before I go – blast from the past MUST WATCH: introducing VOICE – similar debate, different year – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vY5bJFxt1lk
One more thing: Prokofy, I still love ya and will buy you that promised beer in January, when I am in NYC. But seriously: with your brains & knowledge of history – you can do better than calling my “rhetoric” anti-American…why???? because I like Colbert? You know very well that I love it here & said as much: I am PROUD to be an American [immigrant]!
“What’s even more astonishing is that Linden Lab is carrying the video on the Second Life youTube channel.”
ah , so the video was done without any contact with LL?… ok then- i though that suggested it was.
i take back my comments on “state of professional services” then… though did LL place it in that cnannel? if so then itll just be “professional communications” that is shown to be lacking.\
in that- all seem guilty
but hey, garbage in, garbage out… but the machine keeps going…
I also thought it was a video commissioned by Linden Lab to incite enthusiasm over the impending mesh introduction, which is why I was really alarmed by the reactionary statement at the end and felt it was a severe misfire. Most certainly not the standard we have come to expect from Sandcastle Studios who, in the recent past, have done remarkable videos that truly showcase the possibilities of Mesh support. The harsh message this video seemed to send didn’t truly seem to align itself with the others they’ve authored.
So, if it’s a personal video, privately made for their own enjoyment and for an audience finds it humorous, more power to them. However, as it’s situated on the Official Second Life YouTube channel, it doesn’t make as much of a pleasant or inspiring introduction to Mesh as one would expect the company might hope.
My statements remain as reactions to that specific video, and the the mentalities expressed by the creators regarding it. Not as judgments of their character, their quality of person or anything else. I quite like Reed and Gianna, and have known many people who have had exceptional experiences working with them in a professional environment.
Same with Draxter, whose comments here are surprising and embarrassing to say the least. I’ve had people speak critically of my work often, and I do not respond by hurling insults and spewing venom as he has done here to both the author, respondents and myself. I voiced concerns over the mentality and lack of sensitivity expressed by Draxter and Reed regarding this issue, and this issue alone. I’m disappointed that Draxter, rather than inform or educate people on the topic, chose to react so harshly once again. His antics here, post-video are what call character into question, not the video itself, and not any of the residents who’ve cared enough to share their thoughts about the video in their personal blogs, third party forums or social network platforms. A sharing of perspectives and debating are one thing, callous attacks are another and are rarely justified.
Yes, the learning curve for most 3D modelling programs is steep, and I have invested a lot of time to learn ZBrush. I am about to dive into Blender because I see I can do some things with it that I cannot with ZBrush. Sketch-up is pretty easy though.
We are not all created equal. We have different abilities, levels of intelligence, and creativity. It has always been that way. If I am able and willing to put in the work to learn, why should I not profit from it above and beyond those not able and willing?
Find what you are good at and willing to do, do it, and if need be collaborate with others.
All the rest of the rhetoric here is meaningless. This is the world is and always was. Adapt and survive.
Prokofy, why do you call me “disgusting?” Name calling is a personal attack. You might not like my ideas, but that does not make me disgusting. I have known your online personna for about 8 years now, and you never change. You never say anything positive about anything. You rant on at great length on a large number of forums. You of all people should have the time to invest in learning some new skills. You obviously have a lot of time on your hands. I think you enjoy trying to provoke others and derail any discussion you come across. You seem to need a lot of attention.
Draxtor… “I could learn from you. You give classes in self-marketing at all?”
The only thing you’ve ever done since I’ve known you is login spam me with your link and when I ask you what it’s about you just say “WATCH IT” and log. Always acting to good to talk to people for five fucking minutes. Even I who is drowning in work don’t sit there and spam people a link and say nothing after. The only thing you ever cared at was that I watch your videos. Other than that you’ve never had fuck all to say to me…
So I’d watch who you’re slandering. Also Dusan isn’t “off the map”. He’s busy helping people instead of fucking off all day.
Also…
“One great thing that came out of this? Your blog will now serve as the perfect proof for all my friends who think SL is a refuge for grouchy middle-aged escapists with zero sense of humor.”
scuse me…
cute
25
talented
in a band
and a lot more fucking interesting than you
Also
Self confidence isn’t self importance.
Self importance is what you have coming here slandering someone dramatically for having a rather valid opinion. I’ve lost all respect for you. Yeah I can be a bitch but I keep it to my ims…
I might not like people but I have the decency to keep it to myself or the few friends I really have. And if you have friends who base assumptions over a large group of people and think you can just shove them all together is fucking ignorant. People are all extremely vast.
You know I thought you were one of the better ones but I see now you’re less mature than I thought.
See me… I admit I’m a bitch. I have it in me.
I don’t pretend to not have attitude I’m just polite enough not to wave it around.
But frankly in regards to you I just don’t give a damn. I pity you XD have fun with your videos I’m going back to my paid work now >.< pft
Protectionism is as contemptible in Second Life as it is in real life, and that seems to be what’s behind at least the loudest and most logorrheic of the opponents of mesh in SL.
[...] post on the video that Sandcastle Studios developed was clearly not my better nature. I wasn’t careful with how [...]
well it SEEMS that maybe the VIDEO WAS MADE with LL methodology…some contest?..etc so now Ill take back my last past…lol
or maybe not.. or maybe i will…
either way.. as i did say:
.” all seem guilty but hey, garbage in, garbage out… but the machine keeps going…”
world?..well borghomeworld maybe..lol
My extensive response can be found here, on Dusan’s additional post on this topic:
http://dusanwriter.com/index.php/2010/09/26/mesh-redux-second-life-next/comment-page-1/#comment-229456
1. Draxtor, I am uninterested in having a beer with you. You’ve really crossed a line here, and I urge you to apologize to Dusan, that ridiculously vain and gratuitously lame remark.
You know something Draxtor? I hope that young Egyptian learning Blender while he sits in an Internet cafe *takes your jobs away from you*. I hope he EATS YOUR LUNCH.
2. ColeMarie, you’re my new girlfriend.
3. Vivienne, you are not. If you were a nasty in the Sims Online, ugh, too.
4. Melissa, there isn’t any “protectionism” in criticizing what is in fact the *protectionism of the new Mesh FIC*. THAT is the protectionism, making a guild class of craftsmen whose products can’t even be edited.
4. Melissa, there isn’t any “protectionism” in criticizing what is in fact the *protectionism of the new Mesh FIC*. THAT is the protectionism, making a guild class of craftsmen whose products can’t even be edited.
nah this point is crazy talk…. guilds are fine, and a needed tool when markets are out of balance.
craftsmen have every right to allow or not allow their works (ip) to be editable/ sellable/ or not.
this point you keep making -makes no sense.. prims in Sl are also non editable by choice when used as transactional objects of value.
the only protectionism i see is Lindens protecting its bottom line “tech chic factor” short term with very little concern for the value fo the works of the so called “residents”…
the import/ DRM/CMT of external formats /meshes should have been dealt with 6 years ago/ espeically with the interest then of corporate clients and budgets to support autodesk and others professional tools. but that would have been too logical and “fair” to larger economic issues ..
again, untill DRM and IP rights can be controlled and properly accountable, all of this is just a giant web2.0 steal it now before the cops get us… cluster fck.. by companies like LL on everyone else–but their board.
as the ver missing FIC of 2006 show—even they are not allowed to “really live” at the pyramid with the king…. millions of us..will eventually see that too:)
Prokofy, Humpty Dumpty in Through the Looking-Glass was a joke, not a role model.
I am surprised on the ovverall agreement on “MEsh will improve visuals in SL”.
Phptoshop (3Ds) is out there for centuries. GIMP (Blender) is a pretty powerful free tool.
90 percent of all textures in SL are either ripped from somewhere, stolen by copybots or illegally replicated in any possible way (there are many in SL) or… yes plain ugly, not usable by format alone and whatever.
Poser and Maya are extremely powerful animation tools, on a highly professional level, and there are several powerful free tools out there. How come tha 90 percent of all running animations in SL are robotic, crappy, sluggish, ripped, illegally replicated, trash. How come?
There are hundreds of free sound editors out there. How come that all i hear is a “WOHHHOOOHOOOO..here comes the wolf” or some birds chirping? Ten seconds aren#t that bad at all to fill them with something senseful.
Yes, there are a few people on this planet who actually create excellent animations, excellent textures, excellent sounds. A few. A very, very few. And i doubt that more than 10 percent of them can make some REAL money with their SL activities at all.
Mesh will go exactly the same way. SL will be flooded by plain trash which will be replicated, ripped, stolen and ripped again.Badly done crap which will mess up an already messed up environment in the same way as any other imported trash does mess it up right now. And a very few people will contribute something really, really great, which will get buried under piles of useless, ininspirational, offending and totally illegal trash.
It´s not the tool, it´s the people using the tools. Maya, Photoshop, Poser, GIMP, whatever, are not bad tools or not capable.
Sl is the most hostile environment for any kind of serious content creation, for a number of valid and logical reasons. And MEsh imports will definately NOT change this. As proven impressively by the past.
And this brainless “video” reflects exactly what LL thinks of any kind of serious content creation. Thinks about SL and thinks about their cfustomers.
“Deal with it”.
One day they´ll wake up and, yeah. Someone has dealt with THEM.
“All I’d like to see happen is a reasoned discussion of how this change can be executed in a way that benefits everyone and that doesn’t marginalize people.”
Those constraints would rule out just about all change, and definitely many of the improvements to SL that have already happened. Graphics improvements could be argued to marginalize those with less capable hardware, or even to put SL photographers without the latest hardware out of business… but compare snapshots from early on with snapshots now. Should everyone have been deprived of those improvements?
Sorry – poorly worded maybe, Melissa. As I say in my follow-up post, I’ve never been against change. But I’m also of the belief that a) the discussions don’t need to marginalize people and b) change, if it’s executed in a way that includes reasoned discussion can be executed in a way that everyone feels there is a net gain.
Again, read my follow-up post, I think it gives a better sense of my “take” on change.
[...] Life and how it will impact the culture and economy of our Virtual World. Dusan recently wrote an article on his blog about this concern, which received a lot of comments and associated Drama. Dusan will [...]