- Still teleportation failures and issues with the presence mesh (the presence mesh is the system that allows you to map others, send IMs and group invitations to them, and provides online/offline status messages). Teleportation is reported mostly working, however.
- Some regions are down when showing as up -- or apparently up when they're showing as down.
- Occasional failed money transfers.
- Search is offline, they say. Well -- some of it. Okay, most of it. Classifieds are out (I wonder what the refund/rebate scheme for those is), Events, Popular Places, Land Sales, Places and Groups. That leaves All and People -- Since People is the only working search tab other than All, that basically just means People.
- Buying land is offline. This is expected to last into tomorrow due to 'parcel queries' being disabled. It's not yet clear as to whether this means that all that stuff in search will be out for the same length of time or not.
- The herald reports (language warning) that at least one sim got wiped either during or in the immediate aftermath of the update, and that concierge isn't taking calls. I've been told that large pieces of at least one other corporate sim apparently vanished at about the same time.
- If you'd like to marry or divorce within Second Life -- please keep your pants on. The partnering page is apparently non-functional. And wouldn't you know it? If you're trying to find a bar to drown your sorrows, you can't, because search is down.
Of course Linden Lab are hammering away at this. I don't expect them to much stop before they've got it all sorted, but there's not a lot of joy to be had in the meantime. How long do you think it will take? Do you think Linden Lab is doing a mighty fine job under the circumstances, or would you set the ice-weasels on them?[Update (5pm SLT): You can now partner up or get your divorce processed. You still can't find a bar to drown your sorrows or celebrate in however.]
1. First of all, I should say that despite my string of harsh posts both here and elsewhere, I am a big fan of SL. When it works, it is a great place to have fun and be creative. When it works, it truly amazes me just how much you can do, whether it be running a business or simply interacting with others.
I have no doubt that the Lindens are a dedicated, hard-working bunch of individuals, and I know they want their product to be a profitable success. I'm not ready to release the "ice weasels" on them, but I'm certainly depriving them of food and rattling their cages so they're ready to go.
SL is still a relatively new concept, and they face challenges that are basically uncharted territory for a technology company. But the manner in which they conduct their upgrades is suspect. SL is not a "beta" product by their own declaration, however paying users are being treated as if it is with this ongoing string of updates. They are stuck in this cycle of update/break it/damage control with every single new version. I first came in-world in April of this year, and I recall only one update that did not result in a firestorm of bugs and public outcry.
Problems with continually changing technology are to be expected, but the standard we have come to expect from Linden Labs is way below par. Any other platform that experienced their level of failure would be seen as just that: A failure. The fact that we members who are deeply rooted in the community keep putting up with the problems is a testament to what SL can become, if Linden Labs can break this cycle of bad updates.
2006 will certainly be remembered as a roller-coaster year for SL. Record growth, record failures, and record press coverage. Linden Labs has made some very good decisions, but also some very questionable ones that have in no small part contributed to their problems this year. I hope the Lindens put some serious thought into their New Year's Resolutions where the metaverse is concerned. If they learn from their mistakes, residents will keep the "ice weasels" at bay. If not, it's going to be a very interesting '07.
Posted at 7:59PM on Nov 30th 2006 by Boss Melnitz