So, Second Life is now 'fully voice enabled'. That means that assuming your network can handle it, and your hardware can handle it, and you've got a headset, and your office policies don't forbid it, and your family lets you use it you're just fine.
Unless, of course, you are one of the 1 in 100 Second Life users who uses the popular open source operating system Linux - a number which is increasing - it has been observed that Second Life runs better on the same hardware if that hardware is running Linux rather than Windows.
Where the heck is the holdup? Now, that's an interesting question - and depends entirely on who you ask.
Linden Lab says that they are waiting for the magic potions, sorceries and fetishes that comprise the voice service module for Linux to come from Vivox, and that they aren't really sure when that's going to happen.Vivox on the other hand, say that they've already handed it all to Linden Lab, and aren't really sure what the holdup is.
While Linux users only comprise 1% of the Second Life population, they comprise a disproportionately large percentage of the development efforts.
Even though the actual takeup on voice might be small in absolute terms, as polls suggest that voice has not yet won over hearts and minds in a big way, they should at least have the choice to use it or not.
This is one of those situations where someone needs to spend ten or fifteen minutes on a phone call, and get things straightened out.
1. Back when I was managing people for RL job, this kind of thing would drive me nuts. The only solution was to get Party A and Party B in a room together, and again ask who gave what to who and what are they doing with it now. It's pretty much the only way to get the right answer -- but often, you ended up solving several other issues at the same time, so it was worth it.
The problem is getting someone to 'bell the cat' and make LL and Vivox talk to each other.
Posted at 12:14PM on Aug 16th 2007 by Cyn Vandeverre