Banned for Looking???

Rumors are floating around about Linden Lab banning not only third party viewers but people using them. So I decided to investigate. 

I am not a geek so I do not really understand the technical aspects of the question but will try to explain what is happening; 

A long time ago someone recommended that I download a viewer that was not SL but worked the same way and better, I was not sure what to do so I decided against it.

There have others that I heard of in the meantime but was reluctant because of the copybot issue that was being talked about so much.  

Recently I began to hear raves about Emerald. Being older and somewhat wiser I decided to try it. It was made from open source with input from some Lindens I understand. 

I loved it! 

It is just like using SL but has some neat helpers. I understand from serious builders they really like it because they can create smaller prims and try textures before uploading them among, other things.  I really liked having the draw line bar right there on the menu bar so I could adjust the distance quickly when I wanted without opening the preferences. There are other enticing features. 

That is just one viewer. There are a host and most of them were built with the open source information that is in the sl wiki and is still there; (http://wiki.secondlife.com/wiki/Get_source_and_compile). 

The  “brown bag” meeting sessions to discuss and get input from residents regarding a change in the policy have started and may help clarify the future. No viewer or anyone who is using one will be banned from sl, unless, as always , there is a violation of SL TOS. 

Gemma Cleanslate

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Burning life 2008 - The story unfolds

Hidden away on 22 sims out in the SL ocean is the desert playa for Burning Life 2008.... remember the the drama from last year. Well this year will be different... it's a Zero Drama Tolerance Event (no Shakespeare allowed either). Watch the wiki at this link for new details...
http://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Burning_life
Burning Life was first held in 2003 when the grid was still in it's infancy, and this is it's 6th year running.
Because Burning Life is a mirror in spirit of a real life event, albeit with the unique and creative twists only Second Life can offer, we follow suit. Together, we will build a city, and we voluntarily accept many of the same restrictions that Nature imposes on the real thing. We do this to see how creative we can be with the same palette of materials and to revel in the beauty of simplicity. We use the same blank, desert landscape, and many of the things we build are naked or primitive in structure, easily revealing to the casual viewer how they were constructed. Just pretend that you're bringing everything you need with you in your car or truck and you're going camping. Extreme Camping. Really Extreme Camping.

The other thing you need to know up front is this: Both Burning Life and Burning Man are completely non-commercial. There is no buying or selling in this city...no sponsorships, no logos, no advertising, but acts of unconditional gift-giving that play a large part in Burning culture. It's all about about the radical inclusion of participants, it means welcome and respect — with no prerequisites for participation. It's all about us and what we have made for each other to enjoy.

Zero Drama Tolerance

If you are thinking of volunteering to work on the pre-event set-up, read this: The Burning Life Production Team will be a no-drama zone. It's goal-oriented, get-'er-done work, all accomplished behind the scenes. While it's very fun and satisfying, it is no place for a big ego or someone who needs to be the center of attention or in control. It's collaborative. "Team" is a big word around here; be prepared to work with others and be good at reaching a goal, even if the road to it is not the one you might have chosen if working alone! We're all about "get 'er done, lighten up, and have fun".
Source:http://wiki.secondlife.com/w/index.php?title=Burning_life

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