Category Archives: SHOWCASE

Linden Lab to Start Charging Sales Tax on U.S. Second Life Users This Month

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Linden Lab to Start Charging Sales Tax on U.S. Second Life Users This Month

SL Linden Lab sales tax

Well this is a bit of a bombshell for Linden Lab to drop on a Monday:

The Wayfair Sales Tax case decision by the Supreme Court was when prior rules about sales tax really changed. Since then, we have done our best to shield our residents from these taxes as long as possible, but we are no longer able to absorb them. As of March 31, 2022 we will begin charging sales tax in the U.S. For the time being we will charge taxes only on recurring billings, such as premium subscriptions and land fees. The amount of tax charged will be communicated clearly in the receipt or invoice… Your individual charges will be determined by your local jurisdictions.

Sales taxes vary quite a bit across the United States, and can be extremely high. On the very top end, major cities Los Angeles (hey that’s me!), Oakland, Chicago, and Seattle charge around 10%.

So as an example, if you own a private sim and you live in Seattle, where tax rates are 10.3%, your yearly sales tax hit will come out to about $283.

Which is quite a lot! I have to think this will have a huge impact on the Second Life economy and the community culture as a whole. Then again, SL users in the European Union have been paying a VAT on many Second Life services for years. And yet then again, Americans tend to be much less tolerant to paying taxes. There a whole virtual tax revolt in Second Life modeled on the original American tax revolt over this!

Another interesting aspect of this: I believe this is the first time that the Second Life virtual world will be directly impacted by a US Supreme Court decision:

South Dakota v. Wayfair, Inc., 585 U.S. ___ (2018), was a United States Supreme Court case in which the court held by a 5–4 majority that states may charge tax on purchases made from out-of-state sellers, even if the seller does not have a physical presence in the taxing state. The decision overturned Quill Corp. v. North Dakota (1992), which had held that the Dormant Commerce Clause barred states from compelling retailers to collect sales or use taxes in connection with mail order or Internet sales made to their residents unless those retailers have a physical presence in the taxing state.

Curiously the 2018 decision was not split along the usual partisan lines, with the conservative justices Thomas, Alito, and Gorsuch voting in the majority, along with center right justice Kennedy and… beloved liberal icon the Notorious RBG!

Thank you for your continued support of Zoha Islands/Fruit Islands Have a great week!

Second Life Community Rallies to Help Ukraine-Based Creators on Platform Second Life Ukraine tribute

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Second Life Community Rallies to Help Ukraine-Based Creators on Platform

Second Life Ukraine tribute

A Tribute to Ukraine  – “Long may Ukraine stand proud and free.” by Rhaenys Targaryen

Update, 2/26: Bumped up for weekend support!

This is a Google Spreadsheet of Second Life stores and website Marketplace shops owned by Ukraine-based creators on the virtual world platform. It was quickly created by SL community members within the first 24 hours of the Putin regime’s invasion of that country, with a goal of supporting these merchants with L$ purchases — which they can subsequently convert into their local currency. (Whenever, that is, they are able to find a stable Internet connection in the now-embattled region.)

I have not yet personally verified that all the listed merchants are indeed based in the Ukraine, but a top expert in the SL economy confirms that these brands on the list, at least, definitely are:

The “Ukrainian Stores” list, as it happens, was created in great part by Second Life users based in Russia, who are now sickened by their government’s military assault:

“I am Russian,” as list founder Akirakiyoi Resident tells me. “We do not support Putin and vote against him in elections but it doesn’t help since there is no fair election in Russia. And of course, we do not support this violence. Russian and Ukrainian people have always had a strong connection.”

In fact, he is personal friends with many of the Ukraine-based Second Life users on the assistance list, Akirakiyoi tells me. He reached out to other Second Life-based friends across Russia and Ukraine, to add other merchants.

“I can’t stand on the side when horrible things [are] happening to my friend’s home,” Blossom Nova, another Russian-based SLer who is helping compile it, tells me. “I’m totally broken. We all feel useless not being able to do anything and be close to people we love.”

Akirakiyoi is still compiling Ukrainian-based merchant names, so if you know any that aren’t here, please message directly in-world, or post details in Comments below.

Hat tip: Cajsa Lilliehook and Barb of Fifty Linden Friday.

Have a safe week from all of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands

Second Life Beat ‘Metaverse’ Projects to The Punch

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Second Life is an enduring virtual world by Linden Lab, and people should pay attention to the future of this 20-year-old ‘metaverse.’

portal tunnel in second life

The world’s biggest tech giants are betting on the metaverse. Meta (once Facebook) envisions a future of virtual and augmented reality for both work and play. Microsoft recently acquired Activision Blizzard and its monumental amount of IP, describing this as part of its strategy for creating the “building blocks of the metaverse.” Many have pointed out that no tech giant has delivered a metaverse in any meaningful sense of the word. However, the core ideas of the modern-day metaverse push may have been realized in Linden Lab’s Second Life project, which is currently seeing a resurgence.

When people refer to the “metaverse,” they generally tend to be talking about connected, virtual 3D worlds. Arguably, previous products and games have already demonstrated the concepts and virtual activities that companies like Meta want fans to be excited about: games, 3D creation, virtual gatherings, virtual currencies, and so on. But no other company has done it quite like Linden Lab with Second Life.

How Second Life Already Built a ‘Metaverse’

doll house world second life

Linden Lab’s Second Life has been operating since 2003, at times reporting millions of active users in self-made virtual worlds complete with property sales, a market of virtual goods, and a functioning economy that self-reported being worth around $500 million in GDP around 2007, according to Time. Some Second Life users tried to earn a living, others expressed alter-egos, in some cases they held virtual weddings, built dream homes, and followed the title by living second lives.

 

Second Life is essentially an example of a metaverse with a centralized authority. While Second Life wasn’t intended to change real lives, it still demonstrates many of the concepts present in Meta’s idea for the metaverse, among others. Second Life has built an enduring community of millions who are “living” together in virtual spaces.

Second Life founder Philip Rosedale returned to the project after it saw a resurgence during the COVID-19 pandemic. He told CNET that the metaverse may have its place in the world, but the adoption of VR is a separate issue. Rosedale believes consumers probably won’t want to be “blindfolded” with a VR headset, and this seems to draw from Linden Lab’s experience with Project Sansar.

Linden Lab’s Sansar Was Ahead of Its Time

people together in sansar

In 2014, while Oculus was bought by Facebook as it tweaked its Oculus Rift headset, Linden Lab was announcing a next-generation virtual world known as Project Sansar (later named Sansar). It was a major project endorsed by the late Ebbe Altberg, who had then been CEO of Linden Lab for only four months. Altberg wanted to simplify “VR experience creation,” according to the press release announcing a content creator test in 2015, developing a creative virtual world that the public got access to in 2017.

One popular location in Sansar, opened in 2018, was Aech’s Garage from the Ready Player One movie adaptation. Linden Lab’s idea of what VR platforms could be felt distinctly more playful and realistic than Meta or other tech giants suggest today. However, they were also just as forward-thinking. In mid-2019, Sansar partnered with Monstercat, a Canadian electronic music label, to bring live performances to the platform – akin to Fortnite‘s Marshmello concert earlier that year.

 

Despite initial excitement, hype around consumer VR tech cooled off in the late 2010s. To this day, VR adoption is slow-going, though experts have previously predicted that millions will use VR headsets by 2025. Sansar was arguably ahead of its time, and Linden Lab must have thought so at the time. It sold Sansar to Wookey Projects in 2020 and refocused on Second Life.

While Second Life might not represent the broader vision of the modern metaverse, it was arguably the closest thing at an earlier time. One of Linden Lab’s current projects, the Tilia Pay system, is designed to support economies in virtual worlds, suggesting Linden Lab is still interested in developments outside Second Life. At any rate, with decades of experience under its belt, it will be worth paying attention to Linden Lab’s journey, and where it is headed to next.

Have A Great Week From All Of Us At Zoha Islands And Fruit Islands!

 

 

SPEEDUP Are Stealth Programs Slowing Your PC?

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As part of the startup sequence for your Windows computer, there are a bunch of programs and scheduled tasks that automatically run, before the familiar desktop appears. Most of them are essential; some are dispensable; and others may be malicious. Read on and learn how to tweak your “autoruns” to improve performance and security…

  
 

Ready to Tune Up Your Startup?

There are many software tools designed to keep your Windows system tuned-up and running as efficiently as possible; see this article, Seven Free PC Maintenance Tools. Some utilities, like Advanced System Care, are designed for one-click simplicity. Today, I want to discuss a powerful maintenance tool that requires a bit more effort from its user.

Autoruns for Windows provides information that can reduce Windows launch time, free up memory and other system resources, or help you track down especially stealthy malware. It shows you all programs that automatically run when your PC boots up or a user logs in, and what extensions load into various Windows processes such your browser or Windows Explorer. It works on Windows XP and higher, including 64-bit versions. This free software was created by Mark Russinovich, who currently serves as Chief Technical Officer of Microsoft’s Azure product.

The Windows System Configuration Utility (msconfig.exe) lets you view and disable a number of startup files and services, but it omits a lot of things that Autoruns catches: toolbars, browser helper objects, Windows Explorer shell extensions, to name a few. These items can be hiding places for malware or they may simply be long-forgotten, unnecessary burdens on your system.

To get started, download the Autoruns.zip archive and extract its contents to a folder of your choice. Then just double-click the Autoruns.exe (or Autoruns64.exe) file to start the program; there is no installation required.

Autoruns displays the name and location of each auto-running item. Double-clicking an entry takes you to its directory or opens its registry entry in the Registry Editor. Unchecking an entry disables its automatic execution. The Del key deletes an item from your system. For registry entries, it shows the exact registry key. For files, it shows the directory path and file name.

Left-Click, Right-Click…

Right-clicking on an entry opens a drop-down menu with several options. “Search online” is one of the handiest drop-down options; it launches a Web search using your default browser and search engine, effectively asking “what is this thing?” The search results can help you decide whether the item should be left alone, deleted, or disabled. After right-clicking an entry, you’ll also see other options, including Delete, Jump to Entry, and Jump to Image. I’ll discuss them in reverse order they appear. Jump to Image will open File Explorer to the folder that contains the item, and highlight it. Jump to Entry will open Registry Editor and highlight the entry that controls the behavior of the item. (If it’s a scheduled task, Task Manager will open and show that item.) Delete will do what you’d expect. If it’s a file, it will be deleted from the hard drive. It’s it’s a registry entry, ir will remove that entry from the Registry.

I would advise against using the Delete option, unless you know for sure what you’re doing. Randomly deleting files or mucking about with the Registry is a bit like doing brain surgery while blindfolded, or shooting mosquitos with a machine gun. Apply your preferred metaphor.

“Check Virus Total” is a new option found in version 14 of Autoruns. VirusTotal.com is a Web service that scans files or URLs with a total of 57 anti-malware engines. When Autoruns checks Virus Total, you’ll see a ratio such as “8/57” to the right of the item selected. That means 8 out of the 57 anti-malware engines flagged this item as malware. Double-click on the Virus Total ratio to see the full results on a VirusTotal.com Web page. Note that a VirusTotal score of 1 or 2 is probably a false positive, and not an indicator of a virus. On my computer, CCleaner and Google Chrome both got a score of 1, but there’s no cause for concern there.

The Autoruns screen is a bit busy, possibly overwhelming at first glance. But there’s a way to eliminate the items that do not require immediate attention. The Options button on Autoruns’ main menu lets you hide or unhide groups of entries, reducing the number of items that you need to examine. Hiding all entries signed by Microsoft, for example, limits your view to third-party software. If you hide both Microsoft-signed and VirusTotal Clean entries, you can focus on items that are either unverified or potentially malware.

I recommend that you click Scan Options on the Options menu, then check the boxes labeled “Check VirusTotal” and “Submit Unknown Images”, then restart Autoruns. It will then check all items against the VirusTotal database and display the results.

Images highlighted in red are “unverified,” meaning no digital signature is attached that enables verification of the author’s identity. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s malicious, just that it requires that you check to see if it’s something you definitely want or need.

Images highlighted in yellow are missing a target file. You may want to delete such items (after doing a web search) so that Windows doesn’t waste start-up time trying to launch programs that aren’t there.

Autoruns is a powerful tool for deep troubleshooting. But don’t use it casually or you may delete something that your system needs in order to function. If you fear a finger-fumble, create a System Restore point before making any changes, and you’ll be able to undo any mistakes. To create a restore point, click the Start button and type, “create a restore point” in the Search box. Click the “create a restore point” link in the search results and then click the “Create” button at the bottom of the System Protection tab that appears.

Remember a fast system will run Second life much better.

Have a great week from all of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands

Second Life Destinations: The Meroe Museum

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This week Ras Solaris, curator of the Meroe Museum, eloquently describes the value of sharing culture as a way to enable an authentic and three-dimensional understanding of the Black community.

Ras describes the Meroe as a “hub to learn the origins of all cultures in an interactive and engaging way. {It’s} Focused on providing a safe space for people to discuss cultural differences and to challenge current ways of thinking.” Ras became a Resident years ago, recently returning from a hiatus “because I noticed the amazing changes in technology, architecture, and the incredible amount of multiculturalism from across the world. Although many spend their time on FB, I prefer the Metaverse space, Second Life… where privacy and content creation are key for Residents to be able to help create in this amazing world.”

Throughout the video, Ras illustrates how a more thorough understanding of other cultures can help deconstruct bias. He also shows us the humanizing power of diverse representation in all fields of study. For example, the Innovation and Black Inventions exhibit presents essential items from modern life that, unbeknownst to many of us, were invented by Black people. By tying in the contributions of Black people in the physical world to the creations of Black Residents in the virtual world, the Meroe reminds us that every avatar you meet has a rich history that led them to this moment.

This venue has two exhibit halls, a vibrant gallery, and don’t forget to explore outside the museum walls! THE BLVD. and Jamrock City offer a variety of terrains, seasons, and exploration. 

Plus, mark your calendars, as there will be a two day music festival at the end of the month. However, Ras wants us to know that the Meroe Museum will not disappear at the end of Black History Month. We hope that patronage continues to be robust throughout the year, and that the knowledge gained in this space breeds kindness and positive change. As a bonus, Ras tells us  “100% of donations are given to RL not-for-profits focused on community service and STEM programs.”

Contributors to this project include:
Fly Toretto: An inworld automotive designer, Fly’s contribution is a part of the Innovations and Inventions Exhibit that highlights core inventions created by Black people that we use in our daily lives. 
Diamond Martinez: Founder of Rho Gamma Psi sorority, Diamond’s contribution is a part of the Kente Cloth Exhibit that highlights the traditional cloth and the history and messaging behind it.
Alora Taurus: Model, Artist, and Photographer. Alora’s contribution is a part of our Tech and Communications and the Innovations and Inventions Exhibit. Her art titled “Cosmological” is featured in both exhibits.
Dehja Dahl: Model, artist, and photographer. Dehja contributed her recent art piece, which incorporates the work of the infamous artist, Basquiat. Her art is featured as part of MEROE standard communications and will be featured in the Basquiat Exhibit this summer. 
Ms Warm: Owner of Business Minded, a networking business group. Ms Warm specializes in identifying SL Residents with high-value unique offerings. She is an avid entrepreneur in the community who has a keen eye for representation.
GiGi Monet: Director at MEROE and founder of The BLVD., GiGi specializes in creating interactive experiences in Second Life. She is passionate about bringing in quality, process, and structure into aesthetically pleasing viewscapes. GiGi’s contributions to the Museum vary from Operations, Graphics, Marketing, Landscaping, and more. 
Tyesia Xevious: DJ and CEO of Frequency Radio, Tyesia is our main Media contributor and has curated an afro-centric experience on Frequency Radio, which is currently featured on the region. 
Nedar Koba: As a mesh designer, Nedar specializes in creating high quality unique designs. His contribution includes the Adinkra symbol, which happens to be the only Adinkra symbol created in Second Life, the Gye Nyame that you see throughout the region. 
The BLVD.: Home to MEROE Museum, JamRock City Residential Community, and A XeoLife Roleplay Shopping and Dining Experience. The region is lightly based on tropical islands around the world with a flare of luxury, serenity, and waterfalls surrounding you. 


We’d also like to share the other ways we are celebrating Black History Month inworld: Pic of the Day will feature a Black Resident, don’t miss our weekly Second Life Spotlight posts, and please visit the Social Awareness Category of the Destination Guide.

Video Production Credits:
Draxtor Despres

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MEROE Museum – Home of Black culture

MEROE Museum, is the Home of Black and Aboriginal cultures in Second Life. The Museum’s purpose is to provide a safe space for the repository of black culture from across the diaspora, and a place for dialog in an effort to resolve many of the conflicts that plague our communities. During Black History Month they will have many activities including a bookstore and an art gallery.

Visit in Second Life

Have a Great Weekend From ALL of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands

EXCLUSIVE: Virtual World Vet Warned Meta About Avatar Harassment in the Metaverse Years Ago

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But Long-Known Best Practices Were Not Prioritized

Horizon Worlds metaverse avatar boundaries Jim Purbrick

If you’ve been following the news about Facebook/Meta’s metaverse project lately, you’ll recall the slew of bad press when a female user was sexually assaulted in Horizon Worlds, leading the company to hastily add an avatar “boundary” system.

And if you’ve been following virtual world/metaverse development for any substantial amount of time, you’ve probably been wondering why Meta allowed this to happen at all. Understanding and preparing for avatar-to-avatar harassment, especially directed at female avatars, is a fundamental challenge. How did a company spending billions of dollars on making a metaverse platform of its own somehow miss lesson #1 from Metaverse 101?

As it turns out, Meta was warned about this many times — by a well-known virtual world veteran who was a senior member of the Oculus team. But somehow, his warnings, recommendations, and best practice summaries were not centered. And definitely not put into place.

“I was literally banging the drum at Oculus Connect two years in a row,” Jim Purbrick tells me, with evident frustration, even sending along the talk he gave on the subject at Facebook’s own conference back in 2016. (Watch below.) “I also told every new Oculus employee I met to read My Tiny Life in addition to Ready Player One, but the message didn’t reach every part of the organization, sadly.”

My Tiny Life, of course, is Julian Dibbell’s classic account of virtual world sexual assault… from the 1990s. Yes, the problem has been well-known and documented for that long. 

Purbrick, as regular readers know, was an early developer at Linden Lab, going on to consult with CCP, the developers of Eve Online, before joining the Oculus team. He also documents virtual world/metaverse best practices on his blog here.

And when he joined Facebook’s XR team, Purbrick took pains to carry over the wisdom learned from Second Life and from the knowledge base of virtual world development in general:

“I talked to [founding Linden executive] Robin Harper when I was working on this at Oculus to make sure I learned the lessons from her experience at Linden,” Jim tells me, “as well as Raph [Koster] and Daniel James: the best practices have been known for a long time.” (James is a fellow virtual world veteran who also worked at Facebook, until 2017.)  

Purbrick left Oculus/Facebook in 2020, but not before advising the company on a system for minimizing avatar harassment:

“When I was last working on avatars I was proposing fading out avatars when they got close to avoid creepy and disturbing intersecting geometry,” he tells me.

By contrast, Purbrick isn’t convinced Meta’s barrier solution is a good one:

“I don’t know the details of the personal boundary plan,” as he puts it, “but it has historically been a bad idea as it allows bad actors to blockade avatars and stop free movement.” (I can confirm that as well. Again, this is also Metaverse 101.) “I think we did a pretty good job with Oculus Venues, where we had the ability to implement a good set of tools and policies,” he adds.

As he departed the company, Purbrick spoke directly about the topic with developers of Meta’s consumer metaverse platform:

“I was talking to the Horizon team when I left Facebook and at least some of the team were aware of the issues and best practices, but the work clearly didn’t get prioritized,” as he puts it to me with classic British understatement.

It is truly mind-boggling, and affirms what I’ve heard elsewhere, that Meta’s Horizon project is beset by a lack of design direction.

As for what this says about Meta, I’m thinking about the company CTO, who only last November, was saying bad metaverse moderation could pose an “existential threat”. But if Meta really believes that, why did they ignore best practices around virtual world moderation that have been around for literal decades — even after they were paying someone to relate them to the team?

Have a great week from all of us at Zoha Islands and Fruit Islands