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<div class="moz-cite-prefix">Hello All,<br>
<br>
I This is a great discussion and many great opinions.<br>
<br>
I think there will be an endless amount of opinions and desires as
OpenSim can be many different things to many people.<br>
While most users of opensim can write/edit simple scripts, upload
textures, create simple textures, build simple prim based objects
- there are a great many who prefer to simply explore and be
entertained by those who can do these things.<br>
<br>
I myself am more interested in the "Server" side of things - I
rarely venture into OpenSim worlds but to troubleshoot and
experiment with new ideas, etc.<br>
<br>
I think the underlying ability of OpenSim to serve data when
requested and to provide all of the other services it does should
be leveraged in a way that an opensim "Virgin" will find
interesting, entertaining, and easy to use.<br>
<br>
With that said, I think OpenSim would become more popular to the
masses if we had a simple "No Frills" web viewer of sorts.<br>
I know, I know... web viewer.. hack cough, etc.... but really
think about it.<br>
<br>
OpenSim as it is now is a very complicated affair if you are not
already familiar with SL or OpenSim.<br>
The viewer itself is a very daunting piece of software to use if
you are a new user to these types of platforms.<br>
<br>
If we could make a viable web based viewer which is designed to be
a "First time user" viewer I think it would bring many more people
into our platform.<br>
Once they've experienced our worlds by simply exploring, they will
then become interested in further tasks such as building,
scripting, etc.<br>
This would then drive them to "Try" a "Full" viewer, or one that
is capable of all that we are now used to.<br>
<br>
This viewer would not need to be as complicated as the viewers we
use now and could be a very good starting point.<br>
Not only would this provide us as a community with a split from
SL, but it would provide a solid foundation on which to expand
this simple viewer into a more robust viewer.<br>
The successful completion of this smaller project would then drive
more users to our worlds and may also bring more interest in the
development side from some who have sat on the fence thus far.<br>
<br>
The truth is, this platform seems to be for those of us who are a
bit more technically inclined - "Grandma Sharon" in Washington
State would never venture into our worlds as she would be
terrified of the complexity of any of our available viewers, but
if she could simply click a link and it work in her web browser
she too would find it very entertaining.<br>
She may never build, script, texture, etc... but she would for
sure enjoy some of the events, the socializing and exploring of
our worlds.<br>
<br>
I think OpenSim should try to free itself from the bonds of SL for
sure, but we should also try in some way to make our worlds more
accessible to "Virgin" users.<br>
<br>
If you want revolutionary... OpenSim already is a very capable
platform, but one which has been designed around a "Purpose Built"
viewer - if we wanted to start fresh we could make a completely
new viewer which uses the OpenSim platform to store and serve data
to a viewer which is nothing like what we are currently used to -
one with say much better graphics.<br>
<br>
If we do any new viewer in a modular way - it should be easy for
others to produce "plugins" or "Modules" to do more interesting
tasks.<br>
<br>
Just my thoughts.<br>
<br>
Butch<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
<br>
On 8/4/2014 9:08 PM, Mister Blue wrote:<br>
</div>
<blockquote
cite="mid:CAJ=JWqwXxAVFbX+PwX34U0_EP7FhiYOe-=Xwc06EM8vme6FtkA@mail.gmail.com"
type="cite">
<div dir="ltr">I've been seriously thinking about creating a new
viewer project. But with Maria's survey[1] and all the different
virtual world announcements happening and the lively
OpenSimulator vs Unity discussion on the opensim-user list, I'd
like to open up the discussion to the OpenSimulator development
community[2].
<div>
<br>
</div>
<div>LL is making a new world and viewer (closed and proprietary
as far as I know). HighFidelity is making a new world and
viewer (open source with commercial 'grid services'). Unity 5
will have a multi-platform web viewer and a new multi-user
backend (pricing not announced). There are various wonderful
open source virtual world projects (realXtend, Virtual World
Framework, ...) as well as many emerging technologies (xml3d,
html5, asm.js). There are several forks of OpenSimulator
(Aurora, ArribaSim, ...) that have made many enhancements to
the base system. Add to that several successful virtual worlds
build on OpenSimulator (inWorldz, Anvination, Kitely, ...) as
well as a few packaged distributions of OpenSimulator (Diva,
...). Add to that the many SL/OpenSim third party viewers
based on the LL viewer. And that's just in our sphere. There
is much more happening in the gaming and education and
training communities.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>So, what could a new viewer add to the mix? Whatever a new
view does, it approaches the question of what OpenSimulator
should be three years from now.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>For me, there are two basic choices[3]: evolutionary change
or revolutionary change.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Evolutionary change says to build on existing
OpenSimulator. Make due with the existing LLLP (Linden Lab
Legacy Protocol) and improve vehicles, make installation and
use easier and add an easier to use and improve viewer.</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>Revolutionary change would be striking off on a new virtual
world architecture. It could have LLLP support but only for
downward compatibility and to keep that community and content.
But other questions arise: How would one build a
viewer/virtual world where a HiFi avatar could stand next to a
SL avatar? How could content be delivered to a viewer so it is
displayable but is not in the original, copyable form? How to
leverage the distribution and power of 'the cloud'[4]? How
could one make hypergridable grids across the many virtual
worlds?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>What do you think? Evolution or revolution?</div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>-- mb</div>
<div>
<div>
<div><br>
</div>
<div>[1] <a moz-do-not-send="true"
href="http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2014/08/survey-better-vehicles-search-most-wanted-in-opensim/"
target="_blank">http://www.hypergridbusiness.com/2014/08/survey-better-vehicles-search-most-wanted-in-opensim/</a></div>
</div>
<div>[2] I see this expanding to other forums eventually.</div>
</div>
<div>[3] With a lot of gray area in between</div>
<div>[4] I'm always amazed by Google Maps -- it displays the map
with traffic overlays and I can zoom in and out with almost
immediate response. Why can't a virtual world viewer do that?</div>
</div>
<br>
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</blockquote>
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