Slashdot Mirror
An Intro To OpenSim, the Apache of Virtual Worlds
ajohnj1 writes with an excerpt from Ostatic: "You've probably read a bit about OpenSim, the BSD-licensed virtual world server, and recent news that IBM and Linden Lab are working to make Second Life and Open Sim interoperable. Besides that project, what's Open Sim about, who's working on it, what are they doing with it, and how do you get involved as a developer and participant? Here's a starter's guide."
I predict it will only take a day for someone to start working on a project to rewrite this in some more open source friendly language. Just because it says OpenSimulator doesn't mean it really is.
I've been waiting for this whole ordeal to happen. I consider this technology to be the next medium that everyone will use and it will supplant HTTP. It needed two requirements for it to take off though. First, an open protocol needed to be developed and second it needed to be possible to interconnect different servers together to make once cohesive environment. Well, we have the first part now, is this the second part?
Time to go write a new spreadsheet.
Linden has been TALKING about open sourcing for years. So far, they've delivered very little.
SJW: Someone who has run out of real oppression, and has to fake it.
Those are stupid users and I would be happy if they would go away on Second life. Much like the annoying club people.
They don't do anything creative on Second life, they just take up space, they're not interesting conversation and are so computer illiterate, everything is a issue for them. They come up with random explanations for problems they're having which has nothing to do with it.
On Second life, I spend a lot of time scripting, building things. From things from in-world air defense systems to play against other builders as a game to building things that are deemed practically impossible or really difficult due to the technical limitations in world.
Second life is not a game. It's a virtual world. It's not a roleplaying game.
Nothing, it isn't exploitable by corporations, ordinary users are too stupid to make any use of it - although there are some that go there and just waste resources and in the case of open source developers - I don't see how a DRM system that Second life uses interests Opensource developers when they can't prevent people from close sourcing their builds or scripts.
Change is certain; progress is not obligatory.
What I'm curious about is this: what does SL offer beyond a traditional IRC-style chat? Wouldn't a chatroom on the show's website offer an easier way to communicate? (As it lowers the barrier to entry and is more efficient with regards to multitasking).
This sig is intentionally left blank
What did people do with early websites in the beggining.
At first, they were just boring static pages that were either a horrible marketing attempt. How far has the internet come now that there are things like collaborative Encyclopedia building (Wiki), Google docs, YouTube, Ebay etc.
It is impossible to tell what this medium will make possible in 5 years.
Also, I wouldn't exactly call IBM a furry or weirdo. Nor would I say that Cisco is either. There are also a growing number of universities colleges using the space.
The thing I try to hint at for most is, look at all the different news articles about 3D virtual worlds in general. How many different categories to they fall into? Economics, scams, porn, politics, social, collaboration, business, marketing, play, serious, military, health care... and more. Something that is looked at in so many different ways has huge potential as a medium. And the more open the server side, the more likely it will be adopted by a larger group and customized for even more possibilities.
Such as? I've set up some Opensim servers, and it has quite a few. Not to mention, if something doesn't exist, it can be created (since it is open source).
Virtual reality is useful for allowing you to do things that would be too difficult/expensive/dangerous to do in the real world or more traditional interfaces, such as training on operating very valuable equipment or visualizing complex data. Slapping an "Oooh look, 3D!" interface onto an existing (and arguably well designed) workflow will only make a task harder and less fun to do, not easier and more fun. I realize you're just trolling, but the "3D Interace is teh aw3s0m3!" is infuriatingly common...
Maxim: People cannot follow directions.
Increases in truth directly with the length of time spent explaining them